Trilogy Master: SCREAM

Wes Craven was the horror film master when it came to telling brilliant stories on-screen that made the audience fear for the characters' lives. With Nightmare on Elm Street under his belt, Craven tapped into a whole new version of fear by making the audience unable to fall asleep at night, but perhaps one of the most well-known horror film trilogies Craven completed was Scream. 

Scream was released in 1996 and became the horror box office film telling the story of young Sydney Prescott who was hunted by a serial killer seeking revenge for what her mother did. At first, the killings in Woodsboro were random until Sydney realized the killers were two people she knew and trusted. Discovering her mother's past, she is essentially the one paying for the sins of her mother by having to deal with this huge burden of a killer known as Ghostface that wants her dead for what happened.

Much like a television show, when going into a film, knowing there is potential for more than one project, the introduction to a trilogy or a sequel is vital. In the first film, Scream was subtle and the whole appeal of the project was based around the idea of the "classic horror film". Take for instance, the character, Randy (Jamie Kennedy). He becomes an essential character to the trilogy because he is a movie buff and he loves horror films. In the first film, he's watching Halloween with his friends. Randy explains the first rules of a horror film.

1. Virgins survive. Essentially in the first film, you aren't allowed to have sex or you will die.
2. No alcohol or drugs of any kind. Those who drink and do drugs in the film will also die.
3. Under no circumstances, do you leave a room and say "I'll be right back". According to Randy, you will not be right back. You will be dead.

Those particular rules set the bar for a low opening film to a trilogy. The rules aren't strict and seem somewhat ridiculous in a way, but the first film has to set an easy story to lead up to an even bigger one. For the audience, Billy and Stu were average serial killers. The murders were incredibly average, but the standards have to be something that a trilogy can beat. For instance, go into, Scream 2, and Sydney has now moved on with her life at college. She has new friends, but a part of her past can't escape her because the Hollywood world has decided to make her old life a movie. Once Craven set that up in the second one, the rules changed.

The rules became guidelines for the entire trilogy which is what made it successful. Craven took classic horror film genre and built an entire universe around these characters and this particular killer. Going into the second one, with the two killers from the first one gone, Craven connects Mickey (Timothy Olyphant), a psychotically obsessed horror film lover and Billy's mother. One is driven by the horror film genre while Billy's mother is driven by revenge. The death scenes are slightly amped up, but not to the point where it doesn't outdo a possible third film. Randy, our rule guider, adds the new rules.

1. Body count is always bigger.
2. Death scenes are more elaborate.
3. This rule was to be explained in the film, however, Dewey ends up cutting Randy off in that scene. But the rule was "Never ever assume the killer is dead." That rule pertains to when Mickey comes back from the dead to try and kill Sydney but she shoots him.

Now what makes this trilogy so successful isn't the death count, the death scenes, or even the fact that Sydney, Gale, and Dewey all continued to play their roles throughout the entire trilogy, but it is in fact that the Ghostface killer turns out to be an even bigger role than the fans expected. The audience finds out in Scream 3, that Billy, Stu, Billy's mom, and Mickey were all just pawns to the original killer's plan. Sydney discovers the mastermind behind all of the murders, the entire set up, who turns out to be her long-lost brother, Roman (Scott Foley). To understand the concept of the storyline, at the beginning of the third film, Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber) dies in the first scene. Cotton was a suspected murderer of Sydney's mother because she had an affair with Cotton.

Roman had framed Cotton from the beginning and was finally ready to finish the final movie. The rules did change in the third one and even though Randy died, he left behind a video message to tell Sydney and her friends how the trilogy works.

1. You've got a killer who is superhuman. Shooting him won't work, stabbing him won't work. You either have to decapitate him or blow him up.
2. Anyone including the main character can die this time.
3. The past will come back in the final installment of the trilogy. The past will haunt you.

All of these rules remain true and serve the greater storyline throughout the entire trilogy. Sydney essentially receives all of the answers she is looking for by the third one and most of what Roman is doing is connecting her to her mother's past. Roman is making Sydney suffer for what her mother did to him when he was younger. Nothing serves a great thriller better than family dysfunction. The killer became an entity of his own.

He turned smarter. The voice altering technology transformed from this creepy familiar voice that fans came to know, into by the third film, a voice imitation device. The killer was able to sound exactly like everyone in the film and trick them into thinking they were talking to their friends. He still had the deep, scary voice asking that one fun question "What's your favorite scary movie?" Craven coined the entire Ghostface character that fans now wear as a Halloween costume, but fans enjoy.

After a few years, the trilogy was no longer a trilogy. Scream 4 had been released and the original characters, Sydney, Gale, and Dewey all returned for one last time. However, the storyline was not as strong because Roman was an excellent closer. Sydney's cousin essentially tries to recreate the horror film admiration theory, but Sydney of course wins because Sydney isn't the stereotypical female in distress character. In both the first two films, her and Gale took down the killers. Sydney killed Roman essentially. The female leads were not damsels in distress, but rather strong protagonists. When it came to the killer, Sydney always fought against him. Her survival instincts kicked in with every situation.

Craven was a master of the trilogy with Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 3 because he followed and established his own rules for his characters and created a tasteful horror film that set the bar high for the genre itself. Scream stood on its own and was a cult phenomenon for the years it was released and to this day, still remains as a horror film classic.

Mastermind Enemies: WHITE COLLAR

After a few weeks of writing on Once Upon a Time, it is time to dive into some other shows for a little while. I used to watch a TV series on the USA Network called White Collar starring Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay. The series ran for six seasons. In the show, Matt Bomer plays a con man named Neal Caffrey who is captured by Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay), the FBI agent who had been seeking him out for years for art forgery and theft. Caffrey is released into the FBI's custody under Burke to become a criminal consultant for the white collar division under supervision of a tracking anklet. Together, Burke and Caffrey solve white collar crimes.

Though the series only ran for six seasons, White Collar was quite a thrilling show to watch. Bomer and DeKay had excellent team-up chemistry in the series with a lot of fun, witty banter to match. The cast was lined up beautifully as well with Tiffani Thiesen as Agent Burke's wife, Elizabeth, Willie Garson as Neal's trusted sideman, Mozzie, and other members of the FBI team, Sharif Atkins and Marsha Thomason as Agent Jones and Agent Barrigan. 
 
An important concept in a long show such as White Collar is always changing up the story arc by developing Mastermind Enemies. Though Neal starts off as the enemy of the FBI, there is no doubt that his character transformation becomes an important point of the story throughout as he works alongside Peter. He forms an alliance to the character and can be seen through the series every time either one of them are willing to go the distance in order to protect each other. What makes a great show like this in this particular case are creating villains that are fun to watch. 

We've ranked the Top 5 Mastermind Enemies throughout the series and why they worked on the show for great story arcs. 

5. Detective Fowler










Fowler was brought into the series within season one and made appearances in season two as well. He was working alongside the FBI, also in search of the infamous music box Neal was trying to find thinking it would help him reunite with Kate. When Peter decided to help Neal take down Fowler, it cost Kate's life in the process when she dies in a plane explosion. Neal decides to try and take down Fowler himself with his own personal vendetta, almost costing him his freedom. Fowler informs there was a bigger person in play behind Kate's death, so Neal and Peter had to figure out who orchestrated Kate's death from the start.

It's true, Fowler was more of a tolerable enemy of Caffrey and Burke, but he worked out phenomenally well in the first part of the series as an admirable foe. Going into a show's first season, it's safe to always start the playing field off easy so other foes who come in are able to make a big splash as an even bigger foe. Fowler was a simple nemesis compared to most of the foes on the series, but he started the show off right.

4. Rebecca Lowe/Rachel Turner

It's important for a man like Neal Caffrey to be partnered up with women who challenge him like Sara and Alex. In Season Five, the writers invited a very sexy nemesis into Neal's bed by the name of Rebecca Lowe, an ex MI5 agent who conned her way into Neal's life. She essentially followed him for a long time, gaining intel on him and his personal relationships, then took on the perfect role for Neal to fall in love with her. She was chasing after the twin of the hope diamond and used Neal to help retrieve it. For White Collar, she was certainly a beautiful nemesis for Caffrey. It was also a nice turn for the show to put a female as the villain in season five to change up the pace. 


3. Vincent Adler

What makes a villain typically work if you don't know the villain is by bringing them early on the show and develop a dialogue between them and the leads. If that isn't able to be done, then the second best option for a nemesis is by involving someone from a main character's past. Since Neal Caffrey was a con man prior to aiding the FBI, he has a history with a lot of dangerous people. In this case, our number 3 is Vincent Adler played by the well-known Andrew McCarthy. Vincent Adler was a friend of Neal's who essentially took him in and mentored him. Adler was where Neal met Kate and how Neal fell into the role of being a suave con man. Adler was responsible for a major insurance fraud scam. When Adler falls back onto Caffrey and Burke's radar after Caffrey discovers Adler was the reason Kate died, Caffrey decides to go after Adler with Burke's help to take him down. Adler is after a hidden treasure from a German Uboat and he needs Caffrey's help to do it. Adler worked out well as a nemesis since he played a role in Neal's past, which aids in embedding the character into the story arc for season three. 


2.CURTIS HAGEN aka THE DUTCHMAN

In Season One, the pilot episode introduced Curtis Hagen as the Dutchman, a famous bond forger and art restorer. Peter caught Hagen thanks to Neal breaking into Hagen's headquarters and forcing Peter to chase down his asset into the building. It was Neal and Peter's first official case together. 

You may recognize this lovely face from television everywhere. If there is one actor who has made a great name for himself as a villain on television it's Mark Sheppard. He's the master of mastermind enemies naturally. Mark Sheppard has starred in TNT's Leverage as Sterling, an old colleague of Nate's as well as now the CW's Supernatural as the King of Hell himself, Crowley, a character fans have come to love for the last five seasons. Mark Sheppard is phenomenal on delivery and while he only made one appearance in the beginning of the season, the writers were kind enough to resurrect the beloved Sheppard as Curtis Hagen again in season five. To aid Peter Burke's release after Peter is accused of murdering a senator, Curtis asks Neal to help him so he can have Peter released. In return, Neal becomes trapped in a deal with Hagen that causes Neal to have to go search for the twin to the hope diamond by having Mozzie help him solve a bunch of puzzles along the way. Unfortunately, Hagen ends up shot by Rebecca Lowe, but for the first half of the season, watching the dynamic between Bomer and Sheppard was absolutely entertaining. Sheppard always delivers on wit and charm.


1. MATTHEW KELLER

Then there are those Mastermind Enemies that really just get under your skin. Those are the great ones. At number 1, Matthew Keller, Neal's competitor in the conning business. Perhaps it's the crooked smirk that helps sell the role or that Brooklyn-like dialect, but Keller is one nemesis of Caffrey's that came into the show and destroyed everything he touched. Keller had been Caffrey's foe for years before working for the FBI and they conned as if it were a sport. Keller knew Caffrey well, including his love for Kate. Caffrey and Keller were similar in con ways, but in order to give the protagonist a true nemesis, the character had to have a flaw that Caffrey struggled with. Murder. Keller was willing to do whatever it takes in a con to get the job done and wasn't ever afraid to pull the trigger. That particular character trait was a nice challenge for Neal because in times where Keller tested him, fans got to see a side of Neal that was a bit darker. Neal was almost willing to take the extra mile the more Keller interfered in his life. Keller came back throughout the series in different spots. In one particular moment, Keller kidnapped Peter's wife, Elizabeth, and wanted Neal to show him the Uboat treasure that Neal stole.

A character like Keller is fun to put in because he plays alongside not just Caffrey, but the entire cast. They eventually put Keller in prison, but it isn't until the final season where Keller is released under Interpol and strikes a deal similar to Neal's FBI sentence. Keller and Caffrey are forced to team up one last time in the final season in order to take down a dangerous group of thieves called the Pink Panthers. Now while foes like Fowler, Hagen, and Lowe work out in an average nemesis sense, meaning they are introduced into the show as brand new characters, but given a length amount of time to grow, characters like Adler and Keller work out exceptionally because of their history with the protagonist. Keller worked out the best out of all of them because not only was he a part of Neal's past, the writers kept Keller in for a longer amount of time in order for him to embed himself into the lives of the entire cast. It was because Keller affected people like Peter by kidnapping Elizabeth or destroying Neal's life by always sabotaging it in some way that fans can feel as if Keller was their own nemesis. He always made the story arc compelling because he was a true adversary good enough to test the dark parts of our heroes, Caffrey and Burke. 

Eventually, Keller got what was coming to him and Burke shot him. It was Neal's moment in the underground area with him where Neal could've shot him and was tempted to do so, but Neal refused because no matter how much Keller tried to convince Neal that he was like him, Neal spent six seasons trying to change for the better and that's what made the ending work out so well. 

A character transformation like Neal Caffrey's is important because in season six and partly in the end of season five, the writers were already putting Neal around people that basically kept reminding him he was a criminal and he would never change. He would never be free. Keller was essentially that final moment for Neal to decide to what he wanted and who he wanted to be. A true adversary tests the protagonist at their darkest moments. 

Some honorable mentions go to Gordon Taylor played by the talented Hal Ozsan. 

Gordon Taylor was known for his expert heists and when they brought him into the series, he orchestrated a team to steal a signed Babe Ruth baseball from Yankee Stadium. Neal Caffrey got to be a part of that team with Mozzie. Gordon got away with it thanks to Mozzie, so if the show had prolonged in some way, there was hope of bringing back this fabulous nemesis. 

In the world of elegant crimes, the minds behind them have to be masterful. Gordon Taylor was no exception to that rule. 

Senator Pratt's story arc didn't last entirely that long in season four, but he did cause a lot of trouble for Neal and Peter. Pratt was involved in government destruction and he inevitably became the wedge that separated Neal from his father, James Bennett. James killed Pratt and left Peter at the scene so he took the fall for the death. While Neal tried to convince his father to confess to protect Peter, James left. If the show had continued longer, perhaps the writers would've helped tie up the loose end of what happened to James Bennett and if he would've ever returned to Neal. 




Mastermind Enemies are tricky. If a series doesn't give enough time for the fans to welcome in a nemesis, the foes won't seem worthy to the protagonist. In most stories, there are two types of ways to bring them in. Bring the villains in as a fresh face into the series and then embed them in for some time to have them interact with the characters or bring someone from the main characters' past to make the nemesis already pivotal to the storyline. White Collar is all about the con and having masterminds of their own throughout the series, so most of the adversaries had to live up to the standards of Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke. 

Writing of the Love Story: Captain Hook & Emma Swan

In recent light of the transformation of Once Upon a Time's lead female, Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) becoming the Dark One, it's fitting to talk about some other aspects to what makes a successful story. Television shows are given the opportunity to create lengthy back stories if a network gives them the chance to continue beyond season one. In season one, Once already established that Emma had walls and was closed-off after being abandoned when she was a baby. Graham (Jamie Dornan) became the first man to come into Emma's life that opened her heart up slightly. There was hope for the two as Oncers caught a glimpse of what the two could've been just before Regina (Lana Parrilla) decided to crush Graham's heart, having him die in Emma's arms. It wasn't until season two where the writers officially brought in a male counterpart for the leading lady to duel with her in a sense.

While introducing Oncers to Captain Hook (Colin O'Donoghue), the writers told of Emma's past when she was once in love with a man named Neal (Michael Raymond-James). At first, the writers weren't intending to keep Killian Jones in the show, but the fans responded to him so well that he became a series regular.

When Emma and Hook first met, she tried to kill him the moment she knew he was lying about who he was. Then, being the charming pirate he is, Hook managed to convince Emma to keep him alive so they could go retrieve a compass that can take them out of the Enchanted Forest. In the particular moment, when Hook and Emma are climbing the beanstalk, Hook understands Emma in a way that she isn't used to which is why the foundation that their relationship was built on would make for an interesting storyline. After spending years in Neverland, Hook recognizes an abandoned soul and sees it in Emma. Perhaps the moment where they truly understood each other was when Emma spotted a tattoo of Milah on Hook's arm and suddenly, both having been in love and lost it in a way, their characters had similar scars. Unfortunately, their current motivations were different. Hook wanted revenge on Rumple and Emma wanted to get home, so both of them needed the compass. Hook was instilling Emma to trust him somehow, but in the long run, she chained him and left him in the giant's home. Emma didn't want to take a chance that she was wrong about him, which meant she did trust him, but wouldn't risk it.

Towards the end of season two, the writers decided to change Hook's motivation. Hook aided Emma and her friends in going to Neverland to rescue Henry. At first, it was unclear as to why Hook changed his mind, but through the first half of season three, the writers revealed that Hook had feelings for Emma.

In the Echo Caves, Hook confessed his secret that he realized he found someone else in his life that he might actually love. The writers teased the idea of Captain Hook & Emma Swan with their first official kiss in Neverland, which was of course delivered passionately. There is no doubt there is an excellent chemistry between Jennifer and Colin. Emma kissed Hook as a way of gratitude when he taunted her to give him a kiss after he saved Charming's life. However, no epic love story is complete without obstacles. First, Hook might've admitted he had feelings for Emma, but Emma was denying any chemistry between the two of them. Then, Neal came back into Emma's life. So after returning from Neverland, Hook decided to stand aside so Neal had a chance for the sake of Henry. When Pan cast the curse again, Emma and Henry ended up in New York and it was Hook who tracked Emma down and went to restore her memories.

That particular episode was refreshing since it tapped into the old-fashioned Hook that Oncers fell in love with in the first place. He was witty, charming and was back to exchanging that banter with Emma. Once Hook restored Emma's memories and they returned to Storybrooke, Hook slowly tried to connect with Emma again, but she was disconnecting from her home and everyone she cared about. She didn't want to stay in Storybrooke, so while Hook and Emma tried to take down the Wicked Witch with the others, the life of danger and turmoil brought them closer together. In particular, writers know that there is usually a serious situation that tests the bond between two people who love each other deep down. Now while Emma ends up saving Hook after he drowned and she loses her powers, that wasn't the moment in season three that brought the two closer together. Hook and Emma fall through a time portal back to The Enchanted Forest and have to bring Emma's parents back together after interfering with their first meeting. It's through this great adventure that Hook and Emma become close.

The episode was packed full of fun and charm. Emma had to flirt and distract the past version of Hook, which made for an interesting dynamic that Emma got to know what he was like prior to the Hook she knows. Through that adventure, the characters were able to find a sense of trust in each other and when Emma asked Hook about how he got to her in New York, he confessed he traded his ship to get a magic bean to reach her. When she heard that, Oncers were excited when Hook and Emma's relationship had a point to pick up from heading into season four.

Captain Hook & Emma Swan had the chance to explore this relationship and a softer side of Hook at that. In season four, the writers wrote in their first date together which was an adorable breath-of-fresh-air to say the least after all the villains they faced. Hook took Emma to a romantic restaurant, ditched the old pirate garb for new threads, and also asked for his hand back. Though that didn't work out with the hand, the characters stayed strong throughout the season. Even when Emma struggled with her powers, Hook was there for her, telling her that he loved her for everything she was. When Rumple stole Hook's heart, Emma restored it to him proving that no matter what happens, they are both there through all of the extremes. In the alternate universe, Hook didn't know who Emma was, but when they met, it was a nice chance to be reminded of that spark they had when they first met only Hook was more of a coward this time around. It took Hook dying in the alternate world in order for Emma to realize how she truly felt about him. Fans had been waiting for a long time for Emma to admit how she felt because she was afraid of getting close, but it finally happened. 

Emma told Hook she loved him before she took in the darkness. Now, already a few episodes into season five, Hook is up against The Dark One. The reason this works now at this particular moment of the show are for a few reasons. 

Telling a love story between consistent characters is one of the biggest challenges ever. In Chuck, there was always a "will they/won't they" scenario between Sarah and Chuck and eventually they put the two characters together. However, they got together in Season Three, much like Hook & Emma. Friends also had the difficult challenge of Ross and Rachel and sent fans on a rollercoaster ride with those two, but kept a consistent bond between Chandler and Monica for most of the series. The problem with creating a consistent relationship is sometimes, the spark fades the longer a couple is together and there is nothing to challenge the couple anymore. With Charming and Snow, their relationship automatically started in season one and that's why it has worked so well. 

What makes Hook & Emma work from the beginning is the writers have also paralleled the relationship to Snow and Charming in a way. Snow and Charming are both heroes, so Hook adds for an interesting change, but both Snow & Emma tried to kill their loves in the first meeting. Snow knocked Charming over the head with a rock and Emma held a knife to Hook's throat. Snow and Charming had this witty banter for a long time and took them a while to admit their feelings for each other much like Hook and Emma. Both couples have been through a lot of to be together. Snow and Charming have been together early on and Hook and Emma officially became a couple in season four. The moment you finally give the fans what they wanted to bring these two together, you have to challenge the couple. 

Lately, the response to Dark Swan isn't that great. There is fear that Hook and Emma will fall apart because of the darkness inside of her. This time, in this particular moment, the writers can't parallel Snow and Charming in a situation like this. Parallel the couple Rumple and Belle and here's why Hook and Emma will more than likely survive. 

Belle fell in love with Rumple when he was the beast. She saw past the darkness and she chose to love him for what he was when she was trapped in his castle. No matter what Rumple did, Belle stood by him and even after she forced him across the town line, she still loved Rumple. Hook fell in love with Emma Swan prior to The Dark One. Emma chose to make a sacrifice to protect the town and Hook was technically a villain prior to all this. Emma chose to see the best in Hook no matter what, so it's time for Hook's transformation to shine. Everything that Emma helped him to be, who he is now, is what will test their relationship because Hook is going to have to dig down deep to remember that everyone has darkness inside of them. It was because of Emma that Hook was able to transform, so what she has inspired him to do is going to be the counterpart for this season to help Emma.

Every couple has to beat the odds throughout a show. For a character like Emma Swan who had been good most of the show, struggled with the darkness inside of her in season four, then became dark officially, it adds for an interesting dynamic when Hook had the exact opposite transformation. 

Love isn't easy. Snow and Charming might be true love, but in order to have what they have, they had to work at it and they constantly lost each other and found each other. A lot of what the show explores in the love interests is having faith and hope in each other. Though Emma is dark, she still loves Hook. If a show writes an easy relationship, it's just not realistic to how real love is in the real world. Everything takes work. That's how you really know you love someone. If they are worth fighting for, much like this show has proven throughout the last few seasons.

Once Upon a Time airs on ABC at 8/7c on Sundays.