If you watch the TV show Instinct and haven’t seen Season One Episode ten, do not keep reading this post.
We were watching Instinct tonight while having dinner (after using the BBQ, chicken on the BBQ tastes better than baked chicken any day). The episode we were watching featured a story about an author who was dying of cancer and decided to use her time left to enact revenge on the people who wronged her. However, what stood out to me was that the authors featured in the story all lived in large spacious homes in New York City.
Of course the story explained it to me as a wealthy lover paying the bills for his mistress, the unpublished author, and the published author, who happened to be the lover’s ex-wife, was a famous author who had written a few books. So in the end these spacious homes sort of make sense… I guess. However, I’ve been to New York a few times, and I’ve seen features and stories about the price of homes in New York City and I wonder how accurate are they really.
Then when I dissect the episode I find I missed the writer’s point – to enjoy the story. It was a great story, a successful author, who’s lost her mother, father and siblings in a car accident, has her best story ever written stolen. A woman who marries and has her husband cheat on her repeatedly and store a mistress in Tribeca. Then this woman has cancer and decides the dish of revenge is just cold enough to be served. She murders the mistress and blames it on the man who stole her idea.
The story was great, if not overshadows by a main plot about Lizzie’s deceased fiance and a chance he was crooked before his death. I have to admire writers for television they always have to have the long game in mind (even when the show is cancelled – Deception). Now a days television makes comebacks, Will & Grace, Roseanne, Full House. Killing a character isn’t as commonplace (unless you’re Grey’s Anatomy, then it just feels like a cheap thrill – but that’s a whole different story for another day). You want to have your original cast if you bring it back, it’s a boasting factor – all the original cast!
Writers for television have to think in seasons while still giving fans a thrill in 30-60 mins (more like 20-45 once you take out the commercials). They have to weave a web so intricate you keep coming back for more while giving you enough in a single episode to not feel like you wasted your time. Sometimes it’s elegant the way it is pulled off and other times it can feel rushed and thrown in.
I get that, it’s my big beef with book 2s, and they have to do season 2s and episode 2s. Going on my theory that number 2 isn’t always the least favourite for me. BBC’s Sherlock, Episode 2, Season 1 is the worst episode of all of them, in second place Episode 2, Season 2. However, Episode 2 season 3 is quite likely my favourite from the series.
All this is to say – I’m still in writer’s block on Book 2… here’s to keeping at it.
