The Story Continues...

It's been some time since I've posted about writing, but I've actually been making real progress on the latest manuscript that I've been working on for nearly a year. I'm currently writing a chapter that I feel is the clear half-way point in the story and as I write it, so much of the story is becoming clearer. Anyone who has ever written a novel knows the joy of that feeling. 

I've always found that story creation contains many phases. There is the initial inspiration where the buds of the story sprout. In that early stage, there is so much excitement as to the possibilities that may arise from the idea you've committed to. There is a first burst of pages that seem to spew out, but after a bit you find yourself in the mire of the story. You're doing a lot of technical work, a lot of map reading trying to figure out where the hell you're going.

For me, I find that by the end of the first third of a story, I'm muddling around a little. I've introduced the elements that will come into play. I've started to weave them together. But then there is that moment where you have to make real choices in order to provide direction. You have to take the lose threads you've left dangling and tie them together And just when it begins to feel hopeless, the clouds part...at least, if you're lucky they do.

The clouds have began to part in my story and the view is clear. It will get muddy again, but for now, I will plow ahead into the daylight.

Enter the Dragon

I've recently taken the plunge into the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Now, this is a world that interested me back in Middle School, but one which I didn't truly explore until a few months ago, and it began with a project for work. One of the great things about my job is that I get to research and participate in things that I otherwise would avoid. This certainly falls into that category.

After hearing about other libraries having success in creating D&D clubs for teens, I decided to pursue it. I put up a flyer soliciting basic interest and had a few kids add their names. When we held our first meeting to create characters, I was expecting four people...fourteen showed up. Needless to say, having never played, let alone been a Dungeon Master, I felt a bit overwhelmed. But never one to back down from a creative challenge, I went ahead. After all, I figured if children can play it, so can I.

After many YouTube tutorials and extensive reading, I held our first dungeon crawl about a month ago. Although I was winging it, I pretty much nailed it. Tomorrow, I'm holding our first campaign (the group has since been split, so I have a manageable number of players).  I feel prepared, and by that, I feel prepared for the unpreparable as D&D often becomes.

Series of Unfortunate Events (The End)

There's a bitter sweet feeling that comes over me whenever I reach the end of something that I've thoroughly enjoyed, be it a book or a movie or a television series. That is the case with the Netflix adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. I even waited a few days before hitting play on the adaptation of thirteenth novel, aptly titled "The End," because I didn't really want it to end, yet I desperately wanted to know what happened. And that folks, is how great storytelling works.

While we had been told over and over not to expect happy endings by the "author/narrator", we discover that he doesn't actually know the ending, because knowledge ended before the actual end. 

As I've mentioned in previous posts, one of the amazing things about this epic is that despite what we know as spectators, we can't help but hope for better things to happen even as every chapter ends in tragedy. This is because we learn to trust and believe in the resourcefulness of the three doomed orphans and as refuse to believe that good won't triumph over evil.

Naturally, the saga does not have a traditionally happy ending, but it certainly isn't tragic. We do see some redemption for the arch villain who we loved to hate, and that was rewarding. As for the orphans, much of what happens to them is wisely left up to our imagination...allowing us all to give them our own happy ending depending on our imaginations. 

Truly one of the most rewarding television shows I've ever seen.

Now Our Watch Has Ended...

The final episode of the most popular show on television aired this past Sunday, and unlike most people on the web, I can say that I found it to be a satisfying conclusion. I thought it wrapped up the storylines adequately, and I liked how it put the main Stark characters exactly where they wanted to be. In that way, I felt rewarded that there was some happiness to be found for these characters that had suffered so much.

Sure, there are bones to pick, people are going to have wished for more, but that's always the case whenever you invest so much time and passion in a story. The conclusion is bound to disappoint in some ways because your imagination has already written what you wanted. But a story must end, that's the horrible truth about stories. There has to be an end. 

The one thing that I can agree on with the haters is that the final episode felt a little anti-climatic, especially after the episode before. There wasn't a lot of action. There was a lot of talking, a lot of sitting around. What I would say to everyone is to think about the last two episodes as one episode. If you had watched them together, I don't think it would have felt that way. The final episode was all conclusion. Those two episodes feel as though they should have been one movie length episode, and I think had that been the case, people would've felt better about it. 

I enjoyed that it didn't end the way I'd predicted. I like that there was a twist, even though we can debate the way that twist was revealed and the satisfaction of it. But there was an evolution that came to this fictional world, and that is a positive thing, otherwise we went on this decade long journey for nothing.

Winter is Here

The seventh season of Game of Thrones ended this week with a blockbuster feature length episode. Though only eight episodes, this season was still packed with plot and saw the story advance farther than any previous season. We all know the game is coming to an end next year, which has forced the show to move closer and closer to the eventual conclusion. 

All sides have been clearly drawn, though some uncertainty lies in the reception for the Targaryen family in the North. The Great War has begun in earnest now that the white walkers have acquired their blue fire breathing dragon to break through the barrier of the wall. And though that battle is sure to be costly and deadly, the real intrigue still lies in the future occupant of the iron throne. We have one true heir, one sitting line from a rebellion built on lies, and one who has shown to be a worthy ruler but whose claim can be challenged. 

Whatever happens in the final season, I will be glued to each episode and watching with an active brain, because that is what this show does best. It causes you to think and speculate while it entertains. And though I want to know how the game turns out, I never really want it to end.

Somewhere West of Here

"I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I?" -Alice

So this was the week when I finally had a little time to delve into the HBO series Westworld, and is it ever a hell of a ride! I'm just four episodes in, but I'm completely hooked. It's one of those slow-building, carefully crafted plots that grows addictive. This is a format that HBO has perfected with Game of Thrones, and here they adapt it to a sci-fi idea, with subtle psychological horror elements. This is perhaps the best sci-fi show since Battlestar Galactica. 

Watching this show, I find it stimulating my mind in ways that I enjoy shows to do. It makes you constantly question the ethics of the world it creates and brings up questions of what is real and what isn't. In our current world of fake news, this is interesting and provocative topic. 

Excellent scripts, outstanding acting, and incredible vision make this one the most exciting shows this year. I can't wait to season where it goes from here on in...I bought the ticket and now I'm along for the ride.

Game of Thrones...Winds of Winter

So begins a long year of waiting to return to my favorite fictional world. This season of Game of Thrones was perhaps the best yet in terms of story. Though other seasons have had more action, of which Season 3 has to rank at the top, this season dove deeper into the game. Most of the season was spent moving the chess pieces around to put them into place for the final climax and conclusion. All along they were hinting at big things to come, and in the final two episodes, they delivered.

One of the things that was interesting about this season (and please stop reading if you don't want any spoilers) is how the women are now fully in control, be it Cersei Lannister in King's Landing, Daenerys Targaryen across the narrow sea, or Sansa Stark in the North. While the women have always been powerful players behind the scenes, they are now out front. Let's see how they fair.

As the season ended, the cards have once again been shuffled and the noble families have realigned their allegiances in preparation for the wars to come. I still hold onto my prediction from way back in the first season that a Targaryen would end up ruling the seven kingdoms, but with recent revelations, who that Targaryen is, is now in question. We also have to wonder about the Stark perspective that has driven the narrative up to this point and wonder how much of what we've believed from the beginning is actually true. All that I know is that I am going to enjoy thinking about it often over the next several months.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

As the Emmy awards grow closer, I figured it was time to talk about one of the best shows that aired this year. True Detective, like a good number of cable programs, cast movie stars in the lead roles and got epic performances out both Woody Harrelson and Mathew McConaughey. 

The show follows the crime drama format established by Twin Peaks, and followed more recently by The Killing and The Bridge, of taking one case and stretching it out over the entire season. Because the show is on HBO, there was no sanitation of the darkness surrounding the murder plot which incorporated a good deal of cult imagery and satanic elements. But it is the style of storytelling that really sets the show apart from the competition.

True Detective uses a technique where it tells three timelines simultaneously. There is the story of the actual investigation which took place 20 years ago, the fallout between the character set a decade in the past, and the story of the present. All three unravel slowly, and each carefully influences the other. This is difficult way to tell a story and can often lead to problems, but when it's effective, as it is here, the results are hard to argue with. 

This is not a show for the squeamish, but for those who think they can brave the dark subject matter, I highly recommend it. Mathew McConaughey is absolutely wonderful, and should win the Best Actor trophy, putting him just two awards shy of an EGOT. The show itself faces tough competition from the likes of Game of Thrones and a last hurrah for Breaking Bad, but it stands a fair chance.

What Happens When No One Believes....

Another J.J. Abrams produced show ended a short-lived life last night as Believe aired its series finale. After a string of intriguing long running shows, the creative force of J.J. Abrams seems to have fizzled, at least when it comes to the small screen. Believe, like the also canceled Revolution, began as a potential hit, with high viewership and a fascinating idea. But also like Revolution, the show ran out of steam, this type quite quickly.

The show suffered from a severe lack of plotting. After the first few episodes, the story seemed to go nowhere. The characters were simply running in circles, performing the same tasks they had in the episodes that preceded them. Unlike Fringe or Lost, which dealt with ever increasing plot lines that built momentum, Believe felt as though it was entirely based one idea which unfortunately wasn't enough to sustain a series. 

This is one of those shows that would have made a potentially brilliant mini-series. Instead they tried to stretch out the idea, adding this one-person-saved-per-week formula which got tiring really soon. After several episodes, it felt like the characters had nothing to do, often repeating the same lines week after week. The one highlight from show has to be it's two stars, Jake McLaughlin and Johnny Sequoyah. When they were on screen, the show was worth watching. 

The one positive thing about the show's ending was that either they had enough time to know it wasn't coming back, or else they just didn't have a vision for future seasons because the end felt like an end. An entertaining show that may have lasted longer back in a time before television shows had pushed the envelope and viewers expected less.

One Step at a Time

For my new manuscript, I've been following a different course than usual. Typically I allow my characters to create their own arc and the story develops around that. But given the nature of the story I've chosen to tell this time, I decided to adhere to the classical three act structure. The first act being exposition and establishing the world until a dynamic incident occurs to set up the second act where the character attempts to deal with the situation, concluding in the third act.

In the past I've tried to avoid a strict interpretation of this natural unfolding of events. I've always enjoyed a fluid story that can overlap acts in interesting ways. But there are certain types of stories that are just tailored made for the established rules. Having moved into the second act, I feel as though this current tale is one of them. A big part of writing is not only having a good story, but knowing the best way to tell it.

The Implausible Truth

The old saying that truth is stranger than fiction is one that has stuck around because it often proves itself to be correct. All of us experience events where the circumstances and solutions that befall us would be categorically rejected if we were presented with the same situation in a story. Yet, we all seem so quick to judge the work of some one's imagination with a dismissive oh that could never happen.

The funny thing about that reaction is that those who say it are not actually seeking a truthful ending. What they really want is a something unexpected and dramatic at the same time. If we were concerned with ending stories with a what would most likely happen in real life, all books would end with the character sitting in front of the television, debating whether or not to pack it in for night or watch one more rerun.

There's a been a steady movement away from reality in most teen fiction these days. Even the so-called contemporary realistic fiction steers away from actuality by imbuing either the characters or setting with a sense of whimsy that is never found in real life. There's nothing wrong with that. I've been guilty of it myself. We want fantasy in our stories because we enjoy the escapism offered in books. The only thing that worries me is when there is a bit of actual reality that seeps in, it's written off as implausible or anti-climatic. But sometimes that's how life goes, and sometimes that's the way a story should end. 

In my opinion, if your dealing with tough situations that real people face, it does everyone a disservice to dress it up too much.

Defiance

Three weeks ago, SyFy debuted their science fiction epic Defiance. It's the first original show on that channel that I've been interested in since Battlestar Galactica went off the air. With a multiplayer game to go along with it (reportedly costing more than the show), it seemed worth the time to watch given that it's rare for a network to invest so much into something new. I was also intrigued by the scope of the story, and now three episodes in, the verdict is still out, though I already know I'm in for the long haul on this one.

Over the first three episodes there have been moments where I can see this show turning into a Battlestar Galactica type of brilliance. It has a wonderful cast of characters with their own agendas and secrets that will no doubt continue to collide in the small town that once was St. Louis. But with any ensemble show, there are always characters with better story lines than others, and this is no different. I find myself not caring much at all for the Mayor and her troubles, or the grizzly mine owner Rafe McCawley. But the other stories more than make up for it, especially the mesmerizing Irisa. However, I do hope it quickly loses the element of serial detective story that has crept into the last two episodes and focuses more on the bigger plot.

So far, viewers have learned frustratingly little about the larger picture. We know there are several races of aliens that came to Earth, fought a war, and tera farmed it beyond recognition. I still don't understand who was fighting who, or why. There are a few alien races that we've seen but heard nothing about. And we have little or no sense as to whether they all came together or separately, or are from the same place or not. In a way, I enjoy how these things are being revealed little by little. Nothing kills a show quite like devoting the first four hours to back story, but there are some things that I think need to be cleared up sooner rather than later. Context is important if you want me to understand the disputes between characters. 

Thankfully the show seems to have high ratings, which means there's a chance it might survive long enough to get some answers. Either way, it's nice to have a new sci-fi franchise to root for. 

'Tis the Season for Strange Movies

Like gifts and ornaments, food and decorated trees, the holiday movie has always been part of the Christmas tradition for me. This year, I've steered clear of my usual suspects and decided to watch some of the lesser standards that I'm not as familiar with. By "lesser standards" you can read "completely strange and bizarre movies." With exception of Micky Mouse's Christmas Carol, I've watched two really odd movies, ones that prove studios will make script if they think they can tie it into that Christmas cash that flows freely this time of year.

First up on the list is The Nutcracker, a rarely seen 2009 piece of surrealist cinema. I remember reading about this in Entertainment Weekly's Holiday Movie Guide a few years ago and thought it sounded great. The look of it reminded me of the Narnia movies and the idea of bringing this fairy tale ballet to the screen seemed really promising. So when I got a few free months of Showtime recently, I saw this on the schedule and recorded it. 

Words can't really describe this film. It was part family entertainment, part CGI mess, and a good dose of Terry Gilliam-esque weirdness. There were so many strange choices made in the editing room on this one that I found myself wondering what it was I was watching. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be a fairy tale or some twisted version of Pink Floyd's The Wall. 

Some highlights of strangeness include John Turturro's amazingly odd Rat King, Elle Fanning interacting almost entirely with computer generated characters, and Nathan Lane as Albert Einstein (yes, you read that right). There are two moments in the movie where his character address the audience for no apparent reason, and then it never happens again. Rat soldiers riding on motorcycles and talking in thick Brooklyn accents, even though the movie is set in Vienna. Alice in Wonderland-like size shifting, which loses all of its logic about half-way through the movie. And two out-of-context allusions to Freud being somewhere off screen, though given the Snow Fairy's scene with Elle Fanning, perhaps not so out-of-context after all.

This definitely isn't a good movie, but that said, I was thoroughly entertained. I can only imagine the confused joy that would have greeted me had I seen this in the theater, in glorious 3D.

The other movie I watched recently was the 1979 animated Jack Frost, done by the same makers the beloved Rudolph movies. I'd seen this as a kid and remembered it being one of the stranger ones. So naturally, I also recorded this off the TV.

The oddness hits right at the beginning. That's because the first several minutes make one believe they recorded the wrong movie because it's all about Groundhog's Day. But by a convoluted twist, we go back in time to a Christmas past when Jack Frost fell in love and wanted to be a real human. 

The most amazing sequence in this movie is the visit to Father Winter's kingdom in the clouds. It's modeled off of what I believe is every child's imagining of Heaven. There is an army of snow sprites and one old sprite named Snip who cuts all the snowflakes. Then there's Holly, who is a child for some reason, and the only female. 

From there on, it morphs into a more traditional holiday tale of overthrowing some evil Slavic king and the return of a crusading knight. There is also a bit about ice money and imaginary presents. Mechanical horses and soldiers round out the cast of crazy. Then at the end, we return to complete the Groundhog's Day connection with a conclusion that doesn't seem to take into account that our narrating groundhog must be hundreds of years old. Needless to say, I loved it.

Though both of these movies were strange, neither of them compare to the classic Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Sadly this wasn't on TV, and probably hasn't been in decades. But growing up, we had this on VHS and it's amazing.

The basic story is that Santa is kidnapped from the North Pole by Martians and ends up bringing Christmas to the red planet. I do believe nothing more needs said.

Though I've enjoyed my trip to surrealist Christmas, I think from here on in I'm going to stick with my favorites. Lots of hi-jinx, lots of laughs, and whole lot of holiday cheer.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Round and Round We Go

A small miracle happened the other day, I went to the multiplex and found myself watching a pretty clever movie. I'd been interested in seeing Looper for a while, mostly because the director's previous movie Brick was quite intriguing, but also because I'm a sucker for anything time-travel.

This is one of those movies that got most everything right. The vision of the future wasn't over the top, it was kind of like now, only different. The complicated time travel theory wasn't over explained by some voice over or pointless scientist character, instead it was shown and quite convincingly. And most impressively, there wasn't a single bad line of dialogue in the movie. 

The best sci-fi never relies on tricks or stunts, it uses story to create a world which, if one pays attention, has something important to say about our own world. Looper was such a film. A wonderfully told story, told wonderfully.

You Say You Want a Revolution...

Back in the summer when I first saw the previews for NBC's new series Revolution, I have to admit that it looked dead terrible. From the lighting, to the sword fights, everything about it felt wrong. In the end though, I decided J.J. Abrams had earned at least a shot, though my expectations were really, really low. Three episodes in however, I have to say I'm enjoying it. Mostly because of the obvious Star Wars connections.

The show has done a good job managing intrigue. There's a lot more going on than I'd expected, but that's more the fault of duds like Tera Nova and the painfully slow pacing that sometimes ruins Fallen Skies. So far on Revolution, things seem to be happening really quickly. I think they've been able to do that because the world they've created already feels vast and there's a lot they can explore. Sure, it suffers from a good amount of forced dialogue, most of it delivered poorly. And the narrative structure is lifted almost completely from Lost with its pairing off of characters and the use of flashback to set-up dramatic scenes. But there's also a lot to love about. The action scenes are done well and the world is appropriately brutal without being too depressing.

For me, the most entertaining part are the Star Wars allusions that run throughout the show. There's a Han Solo, a Princess Leia, a girl version of Luke, an Empire, a Rebellion, and there was even a Catina scene. The relationship dynamics mirror those of the Star Wars characters, as do their personality traits. On top of that universe, they've layered a dystopian "Fall of America" theme. Enter the The Hunger Games allusions. One could almost believe the younger cast members were auditioned for Hunger Games look-a-likes. There's also a lot of story elements borrowed from the late great Jericho show. The amazing thing is that it all kind of works and that's what makes the show fun.

There is clearly a ton of story potential that could keep this going and improving. If the characters and writers can get everything clicking, this could become as good as Firefly. More than likely it will end up another concept show that couldn't deliver like The Cape, or Terra Nova. But for now, I'm remaining hopeful...besides, it's nice to have Han Solo back fighting the Empire.

The Killing

Smart television doesn't seem to be in short supply these days. Unlike a decade ago, the airwaves are positively bursting with excellent writing, fine acting, and creative storytelling. However, the one thing that still seems to be lacking is the patience of audiences.

The wonderful AMC show The Killing is a casualty of this modern day impatience. After great ratings for the first season last year, the show suffered a huge drop off this season simply because they didn't solve the murder mystery in last year's season finale. Frustrated and impatient, people stopped watching as if the overarching whodunit were the only reason to watch. What those people missed is probably the best season of television this year.

Instead of enjoying the many complicated and dramatic turns the story took, a lot of viewers simply wanted a conclusion. This is the same kind of attitude that prompts readers to term a book 'slow' when it decides to spend time with its characters thoughts and feelings rather than cram every ounce of plot onto the page. My advice to them is to sit it back and enjoy the ride.

The season finale of The Killing begins this weekend...and yes, the killer will be caught. And I'm happy to say to those who skipped out on the season, you'll have no idea what's going on and won't enjoy the conclusion. A true case where patience is going to be rewarded. 

The Legend of Korra

In case you haven't heard, The Last Airbender story has not come to an end. Not even the epic terribleness of M. Night Shyamalan can kill an amazing story like the one begun on Nickelodeon's Avatar...the original Avatar, born before the 3D alien fest. 

The three season saga of Aang and his friends ranks up there with my all time favorite television shows, animated or otherwise. It's really one of the only shows I can think of that took the elements of a Middle Grade novel and created a show that felt as intelligent and original as a written trilogy. So when I learned that the creators were going to make a new Avatar series, I was pretty excited to say the least.

The new show, The Legend of Korra, takes place some 60-80 years later and follows the training of Aang's replacement Avatar, a girl from the Southern Water Tribe. One thing these writers have always done well is introducing characters and Korra's entrance is unforgettable and instantly endearing. Even though she ages ten years by the next scene, as a viewer you're already attached to her. 

Another thing the original show excelled at was the invention of an entirely new world. Upon returning, we see that this world has changed quite dramatically from when we last saw it. We don't have to wonder what happened between the last show and this one, we instantly see it in the streets of the semi-modern Republic City. And no time is wasted before we learn that this new Avatar in training will have an entirely new set of problems to face and challenges to overcome. So far, the journey seems well worth taking.

Last Exile (Episodes 25-26)

Catch up on previous episodes here)

In my experience, when becoming a writer, one of the hardest things to learn is how to end a story. Because it's the last impression one leaves with the audience, it is often the most criticized aspect of any story. This seems especially true with television shows where series finales are usually remembered as moments of disappointment rather than triumph. I'm happy to say that Last Exile avoids this fate, though at times these episodes did feel slightly rushed and did leave me with many unanswered questions. But that's okay, I always like to leave readers of my novels with unanswered questions too. As a storyteller, you don't want to give everything away -- you want the story to live on in the imagination of the audience so that the characters never actually 'end', they are simply passed on.

One technique for concluding a story that I've always enjoyed is the idea of bringing things full circle back to the beginning. In Last Exile, Claus and Alvis need to make their way back to Exile in order to prevent the Guild from gaining absolute control over the world. In order to do this, they make their way to various checkpoints, allowing us last glimpses of many characters. During their flight, we also see how much Alvis has grown. Acting as Claus's navigator, using Lavie's notes, she is braver and coming into her own. We also see Claus realize his full potential. After being attacked by two Guild ships, he displays some amazing piloting skills to defeat them. On the final leg of the journey, they reunite with Lavie and their original vanship. In order to save the world, they must cross the Grand Stream in their fathers' ship, just as they had always dreamed of doing. I really enjoyed how their personal journey ended up coinciding with the greater fate of the world.

Another good rule for an ending is that you should never give the audience exactly what they may want. During the course of a story, there are certain hopeful outcomes one wants to set up. But I firmly believe you should only deliver on some them because stories, as in life, should never work out too perfectly. There is a great deal of tragedy in the end of Last Exile, but this is offset by the overwhelming sense of good will that comes after the massive battle that concludes the story. This is definitely a series worth investing the time to watch from beginning to end. It has compelling characters, a wonderful sense of story arch and development, and is completely satisfying.

Final Grade: A

Space to Breathe

(image (c) Mark Ryden)

Sometimes a story feels so expansive and exciting that you have this desire to get it all out at once. I equate the process to a traffic jam at the Holland Tunnel, too much being squeezed into too little at a rate that it simply can't handle. All you end up doing is gumming up the works.

As one who has suffocated many a story in such a reckless manner, I'm continuously trying to learn a little patience. It's never easy balancing enthusiasm with practicality, but it's a chore that must be done. In the end, I believe the story benefits from a tempered approach.

When I dive in too fast, too deep, I find that I'm in such a rush to get all of these ideas out that I forget the simple joy of writing them. A story needs room to grow within the pages. As a writer, you need to be in the moment of the place, not focused on the next place you wish it to go. I also find that spending some time in the moment usually leads to more interesting adventures than the ones that were previously planned. When in doubt, always take the scenic route.

Last Exile (Episodes 22-24)

Catch up on previous episodes here)

One tool that a storyteller has is the ability to make sure plans don't go according to plan. The storyteller has the benefit of knowing what will happen and therefore can manipulate the expectations of the audience. Unexpected wrenches in the characters' plans, both positive and negative to their objective, keeps the tension going and keeps the audience interested. In this last stretch of episodes before the final two, Last Exile seems to be doing just that.

Having stolen Exile, the Guild ships return to the palace for the Covenant Ceremony where capable youths battle to the death to see who will succeed Maestro Delphine and eventually run the Guild. The 'changed' Dio is forced to take part in the brutal, wonderfully animated scene, while Claus and Alvis are brought to an observation deck where Delphine finally explains what Exile is, but not what it does. This has been one of the fundamental mysteries of the show and its revelation follows the style of previous ones on the show, revealing information only to create more mystery. Alex Row is brought on deck too, wrapped in thorns that are releasing truth serum into his body. Delphine forces him to recite the Mysteria (the four poems that will open Exile). Exile scans Alvis as Alex recites the first verse and then the second. Alvis falls into the trance like state shown in a previous episode and Exile responds. In a great sequence of animation, Exile appears ready to do something big, but it turns out Alex does not know one of the verses, delaying the outcome and causing Delphine to revise her plans. She must first capture Sophia, the keeper of the last verse.

In these episodes, the viewer also gains insight into Dio and his childhood. We see his compassion for his companion and the harshness that his sister Delphine inflicts on him, which equals the harshness she inflicts on the entire world. Seeing the caring person Dio was makes his recent change even more heartbreaking. But his former compassion is rewarded when his friend helps Claus and Alvis escape, provided they take Dio with them. The three are taken to a hidden vanship within in the palace. In order for their escape to happen, a massive piece of the palace is blown off. It falls to the world below, sending tidal waves through Claus and Lavie's hometown. The three escapees manage to crash land and are taken to a hospital (based in the house where we saw Claus and Lavie on their first messenger mission way back in the beginning of the series). Claus and Alvis are released and go back home to find their house in ruins. All of this reaffirms the beliefs instilled at the beginning of the show. We've seen Claus grow and change, but in the end, his values have never faltered.

Meanwhile in the skies, the alliance begins its assault. The Silvana and Urbanus continue to trail Exile as it is pulled along by the Guild fleet, through the Grand Stream. The rest of the alliance's warships encounter a massive Guild fleet and commence with the vanship attack they've been working on. It's an overwhelming success, destroying most of the Guild ships. These air battles are one of the many highlights of the show and are simply stunning to look at. The alliance pushes on, ready to enter the Grand Stream and join what promises to be an epic final showdown. Claus must also somehow get back to the Silvana and bring Alvis with him...she's the only one who can stop what has already been set into motion. With two episodes left, I love how there is still a sense that anything can happen.