[Episode Update] #4.40: Under the Microscope

[kira]

Take a peek "Under the Microscope", aka Episode #4.40, where the fallout from the devastation at PlayCity rains down upon our poor victims, not to mention friends and family...

• Jem evades the police and faces the grim truth about what he's done to Rena;
• At Rena's bedside, Greg seeks forgiveness;
• Chelsea finds it difficult to communicate after her ordeal;
• Martina tests her suspicions about her night with Alex -- and gets bad news;
• ...and Beth braves her greatest fear -- but can she defy her worst enemy?

After all the tempestuous action of the past few episodes, we reach the quiet after the storm, but the devastation is pretty evident. For the first time ever, all our action takes place in a single setting: Schuyler Falls Community Hospital, where everyone converges with their own agendas and issues -- but all hoping to be healed in some way.

Many thanks as always, and please enjoy the episode! If you get a chance, tell everyone what you think of the episode via our Viewers Voice poll form or our message board.

[Boots]

Wow ~ for "quiet after the storm" there's a lot going on here. One of the things I really love about this episode is that while it all takes place in the same locale, there's a wonderful variety of reasons everyone is there ~ Martina and Beth's objectives are only incidental to Chelsea and Rena being in the hospital and the explosion provides the perfect "ruse" for their presence.

I thought the scenes with Chelsea were the best: her disorientation, her confrontation with her father ~ the father/daughter scene was particularly intense. I wasn't sure how she would react to his overture and even now I wonder whether the ease with which she embraces him is more shock than anything else. It's very realistic: both in her case and with Rena and Greg ~ the forgiveness always comes easier after a trauma!

I was a little less convinced in Beth's therapy session. I loved Beth's responses in the scene and thought her transition to Molly (et al.) was nicely seamless (she quickly covers her reasons for her sudden aggression). But I couldn't figure out what Behar was getting at with his particular questions. Does he know something I don't? The line of inquiry seemed to me kinda strange. They go from "I like to be alone" to "things to remember" in a leap that I found strange. On the one hand I thought it was a nice way for Beth to struggle to reveal something and Behar picking up on it, but on the other it just felt like a leap in logic. I guess that's my inarticulate way of saying that it feels like there might be a beat missing between Behar's questions in that moment.

I also really like that Martina wants to return to the hospital for Rena (too bad she needs Tristan's courage to prop her up!) But I guess she's going through a lot, so I won't razz on her too much.

Fabulous goings-on all around. It'll be interesting to see how Jem shoulders the burden you've dumped on him!

: D

[kira]

Wonderful feedback, Elena. I truly appreciate your insights.

Originally Posted by Boots

Wow ~ for "quiet after the storm" there's a lot going on here. One of the things I really love about this episode is that while it all takes place in the same locale, there's a wonderful variety of reasons everyone is there ~ Martina and Beth's objectives are only incidental to Chelsea and Rena being in the hospital and the explosion provides the perfect "ruse" for their presence.

Thank you! I was really not happy with this episode earlier in its conception (quel suprise, I know) because of what seemed a highly insular, static feel. There were some other things that I wanted to happen elsewhere across town, but then I felt that the tighter focus might be a benefit after all. So it turned into a sort of "Scenes from a Hospital" tableau.

Frankly at the rate of bodily trauma everyone's experienced lately, it's incredibly easy to justify almost any ASF character appearing at the hospital. The cops, the attorneys/DA's office, Olivia (hey she could have a checkup for her blood disease), the Grangers (as Charles's friends), most of the teens, anyone who's friends with Rena, Ryan (visiting Doug or Elaine) and so on. Only the Nichols family is tough to get to SFCH, and even Ian could conceivably appear by Daphne's side if she visits Doug.

If I wanted an asteroid to obliterate my whole cast, I know where to place 'em.

I thought the scenes with Chelsea were the best: her disorientation, her confrontation with her father ~ the father/daughter scene was particularly intense. I wasn't sure how she would react to his overture and even now I wonder whether the ease with which she embraces him is more shock than anything else. It's very realistic: both in her case and with Rena and Greg ~ the forgiveness always comes easier after a trauma!

I'm so glad this came across well for you, as this relationship is a tremendously rewarding, meaningful and yet difficult one for me to develop. And yes, it's definitely trauma-induced forgiveness/neediness! Also I may not have written Charles's breakdown very well, but a lot of it was also Chelsea letting her own defenses down because her father was acting so unCharles-like. I mean, he was hardly weeping and wailing and gnashing his teeth -- the guy's still quite controlled -- but for Charles, showing even that level of incoherence, exhaustion and fear was a major breakdown. Chelsea could see this, even in her shaken state.

Obviously this isn't a permanent detente between them, but it was the sort of connection they desperately needed.

But I couldn't figure out what Behar was getting at with his particular questions. Does he know something I don't? The line of inquiry seemed to me kinda strange. They go from "I like to be alone" to "things to remember" in a leap that I found strange. On the one hand I thought it was a nice way for Beth to struggle to reveal something and Behar picking up on it, but on the other it just felt like a leap in logic. I guess that's my inarticulate way of saying that it feels like there might be a beat missing between Behar's questions in that moment.

That's absolutely a valid complaint, and I can understand why it may seem scattershot. Here's my rationale, FWIW:

The major, pressing issue to Behar is that Beth is pregnant while claiming not to know how she got that way. (Back in the earlier part of the fourth season he saw her having a hysterical breakdown when told the news.) The fact that she can't remember having sex, and flat out denies the possibility, could indicate that she's either delusional, the victim of a crime, or a pathological liar.

However, Behar can tell someone as fearful and evasive as Beth won't take well to direct interrogation on this issue. So he seemed to back away from the pregnancy topic, which is clearly a raw one for her, by asking her some more general question about her social network. At the time she fully expected him to ask about the alleged baby's father, but he surprised her and went in a different direction. That calmed her down. So he let her get more comfortable for a little while and, when she mentioned that she skipped some dates, this seemed like a clue re: her memory issue, so he homed in on it.

Basically he's treating Beth as delicately as a rider would break in a skittish colt. He doesn't want to dig in his heels in any one topic too soon; he's sort of letting her feel the reins while still giving her her head, to beat this horse analogy into the ground. Like a dead horse, in fact.

This technique, btw, is very much a combination of my experience with one good shrink I used to have and the modus operandi of my favorite fictional detective, Nero Wolfe. Wolfe often interrogates people for hours, supposedly avoiding the actual topic of the crime he's supposed to be investigating, only to find a tiny scrap of a seemingly irrelevant clue that he then uses to solve the case.

Does this make any sense, I hope? Of course the important thing is that it didn't work on the page, which is disappointing. I'll try to do a better job next time. Probably if the scene had been from Kalid's POV I might have been able to make his strategy a bit clearer -- but much of my goal for this episode was all about making Beth more understandable to the audience, so I wanted to be inside her head.

Possibly embarrassing tidbit: I actually created this session's dialogue by interrogating myself as if I were both Kalid and Beth, and I found myself backing away every time "Beth" was obviously getting upset. So that's the only way I could think of getting "her" to chillax.

I also really like that Martina wants to return to the hospital for Rena (too bad she needs Tristan's courage to prop her up!) But I guess she's going through a lot, so I won't razz on her too much.

God, you'd have hated the original version of this scene. I blush to admit that I originally had her flee the hospital and not return at all. Then I got upset with myself for forcing her to act in such a victimy way, and decided to add the Tristan stuff to get her ass back in the hospital, which is what the character wanted to do but her stupid creator didn't realize it.

My intention was that it wasn't really Tristan's strength on its own that gave her the courage -- it was her having attacked him, and remembering that he's her friend, and so is Clark and pretty much everyone in the hospital aside from Alex. So that helped her realize she shouldn't give in to her fear/shame. Plus the fact that she wields a mean elbow.

Fabulous goings-on all around. It'll be interesting to see how Jem shoulders the burden you've dumped on him!

Jem's got some interesting times ahead, is all I'll say.

Thank you very very much, Elena.

[Dana]

It was a little bit difficult for me to come back after such a long hiatus. It's strange that almost three months have passed in real time and only a couple of hours in Skyfalls time

I too loved the one-place setting of this episode. Kept things a little bit tighter together. And it was a great method of allowing for coincidences of various people bumping into each other because they all just happened to be there (each of them for his or her perfectly valid reason).

Forgive me, but I don't remember what Martina is supposed to feel jumpy about (except the rape which Tristan doesn't know about) - is it the attack for the necklace? You have to pick up that storyline as well sometime, I guess in SF time it was not such a long time ago, but I need to reread some older stuff in order to refresh my memory.

I guess it will no be very easy for Jem and Rena to hide what has happened. Too many people are interested in the truth - except the police, there's Greg, Charles, Rena. Jem will have hell to pay when Charles discovers whose fault it actually is that his daughter got kidnapped . This is just too big to hide. It will be very unpleasant for Rena, torn between her loyalty for Jem and her very string sense of corectiveness.

I liked the Beth/Molly/Kalid scene, however in reading your discussion with Elena I realize that the scene does indeed miss from not having also his POV on the topic. It felt like he was just a wakll against which Beth displayed her emotions. It's a little bit frustrating that even when Molly shows up, we don't see him realizing anything, making any progress in really understanding her. I suppose that will come later and this was all about Beth.

What I look forward to? That's easy -- Tristan bumping into the Durands -- especially with Beth in control (I was going to say Molly but you mentioned she left once Beth was in the elevator). Anyway, lots of casual encounters in the hospital still to be seen. Mike will not let go of Martina so easily, he will realize that she had not been in just for Rena.

Return of Olivia? She's prehistoric as far as I'm concerned ). Really, isn't she dead by now? Don't remember anything about her -- have to look it up. Have you updated the character bios lately?

[Boots]

Originally Posted by kira

I'm so glad this came across well for you, as this relationship is a tremendously rewarding, meaningful and yet difficult one for me to develop. And yes, it's definitely trauma-induced forgiveness/neediness! [etc.]

Obviously this isn't a permanent detente between them, but it was the sort of connection they desperately needed.

It totally works on that level of ambiguity. And I love that Charles has a little crack in the armor (not a big one, but a crack nonetheless!).

The major, pressing issue to Behar is that Beth is pregnant while claiming not to know how she got that way...Basically he's treating Beth as delicately as a rider would break in a skittish colt. He doesn't want to dig in his heels in any one topic too soon; he's sort of letting her feel the reins while still giving her her head, to beat this horse analogy into the ground. Like a dead horse, in fact. [etc.] Does this make any sense, I hope?

Oh, I totally get it! And I think it mostly works (in fact, I like the way he angles in the conversation ~ and it feels like a real therapy session). Maybe the scene is a wee rushed to get to the meat is all.

Possibly embarrassing tidbit: I actually created this session's dialogue by interrogating myself as if I were both Kalid and Beth, and I found myself backing away every time "Beth" was obviously getting upset. So that's the only way I could think of getting "her" to chillax.

Ha! I'm always relieved to know I'm not the only one: other writers do this!

God, you'd have hated the original version of this scene. I blush to admit that I originally had her flee the hospital and not return at all. [etc.]

My intention was that it wasn't really Tristan's strength on its own that gave her the courage -- it was her having attacked him, and remembering that he's her friend, and so is Clark and pretty much everyone in the hospital aside from Alex.

This makes sense ~ and like I said, I think it's no slap on her if she's need a little propping at this moment (who wouldn't). I would prolly find it bleh if that was her ongoing personality ~ but then some people are just like that too!

It's always great to see new work on your series!

: D

[kira]

Ooh Dana and Elena! You even rhyme.

Originally Posted by Dana

It was a little bit difficult for me to come back after such a long hiatus. It's strange that almost three months have passed in real time and only a couple of hours in Skyfalls time

Oy, I know. Well, considering this week began six years ago, I think a couple of hours passing in merely 2.5 months is pretty damn good. Things can move faster now, she said hopefully, since most of the time-sensitive events have finally occured.

Martina/Alex and Chelsea's kidnapping were two plotlines that had several very specific timeline requirements. Everything -- and that included a lot of stuff -- had to happen within 48 hours. Dense plotting/characterization does tend to slow things down, even if I were a faster writer.

To answer your question re: Martina, she's actually on edge because of the rape, of course, but what everyone else is aware of is the so-called mugging and subsequent house break-in, which in ASF-time occured about three or four weeks ago. In 4.31, "Once More Into the Breach" (recapped here), Tristan visited Marty and learned the full details for the first time. So it's still relatively new to him. I probably should have had Tris refer to it in his dialogue -- when the site's moved to its new server I'll probably tweak that. Thanks for pointing out the ambiguity!

You're certainly right about Rena being torn in this scenario, and it's not the first time she's finding herself protecting Jem despite her differing loyalties. Jem's also responsible for Greg's brother Doug and Clark's mom Elaine winding up in the hospital thanks to the newspaper fire. Things could get pretty uncomfortable for her, with all this baggage she's carrying.

I liked the Beth/Molly/Kalid scene, however in reading your discussion with Elena I realize that the scene does indeed miss from not having also his POV on the topic. It felt like he was just a wakll against which Beth displayed her emotions. It's a little bit frustrating that even when Molly shows up, we don't see him realizing anything, making any progress in really understanding her. I suppose that will come later and this was all about Beth.

Definitely. Except for Bitsy and Lizzie (the two little girls), the alters are pretty good about keeping their behavior within normal levels -- easily dismissed as mood changes, rather than the emergence of an entirely different personality. And Molly specifically was intending to deceive Kalid, so except for her initial comments, she otherwise slipped smoothly into Beth's position. They've spent a lifetime of fitting in, after all; that's how they operate. As you mention, this was all about Beth, rather than Kalid, and there was too much I wanted to convey in Beth's frame of mind to change POVs mid-session.

POV is an extremely useful writer's tool. When there's something I want to prevent the audience from knowing about a character, I'll usually write a scene from someone else's perspective. That's why all of the Tristan/"Danielle" scenes were from Tristan's POV. So when you see a Kalid/Beth scene from Kalid's POV, be on your guard: I'm probably withholding information on purpose.

But realistically speaking, since Beth is still a very new patient, I didn't think Kalid would be likely to suspect anything so soon. (I have been considering providing Kal's patient notes, but I'm not sure how convincingly I could write them.)

I had a feeling you'd be looking forward to the Tris/Beth scenes! They're also a springboard for those flashbacks I mentioned on my blog, so you'll be seeing the fruits of all my handwringing soon.

Return of Olivia? She's prehistoric as far as I'm concerned ). Really, isn't she dead by now? Don't remember anything about her -- have to look it up. Have you updated the character bios lately?

LOL! Yes, Olivia has been absent for ages. Her 'latest' bio is right here, but it's missing a few pertinent details. Since she's finally re-emerging from her cocoon, I'll be updating the info in time for her appearance -- in addition to slipping some of the info into the episode itself, of course.

Thanks a million for reading and commenting, Dana.

Originally Posted by Boots

Oh, I totally get it! And I think it mostly works (in fact, I like the way he angles in the conversation ~ and it feels like a real therapy session). Maybe the scene is a wee rushed to get to the meat is all.

I think you're right on that. I'm not very good at shorthand or cutting to the chase (gee, Kira, ya think?) so when I actually gave it a shot to cram everything into two scenes, I probably did it with elephantine grace. I would love to write an episode focusing solely or at least almost entirely on a therapy session, and it will probably happen one of these days if I ever get to certain events planned for the fifth season (!!!).

Ha! I'm always relieved to know I'm not the only one: other writers do this!

I'd imagine improv-ing dialogue aloud would be very useful to you, considering your scenes are in 1st person -- and in dialect, to boot (pun not intended). Great for making speech sound natural. While it's not mandatory for creating natural-flowing dialogue, as a reader I can always tell when a writer definitely hasn't spoken his/her dialogue. It reads stiff and stilted.

This makes sense ~ and like I said, I think it's no slap on her if she's need a little propping at this moment (who wouldn't). I would prolly find it bleh if that was her ongoing personality ~ but then some people are just like that too!

Sadly I think I'm like that. Since we already have Beth who's been so quick to run from her problems, I figure Marty had better remain stronger. She has her flaws, naivete and thinking with her heart among them, but not wimpiness. However, her losing confidence is a very natural part of this trauma (all these traumas), and that's something we'll be exploring. I also like the contrast/irony of showing stronger folks like Marty, Chelsea and even Charles being beset by fear, while freakin' BETH is showing greater stores of courage. Who knew?

Terrific and thought-provoking feedback as always, Elena. I really appreciate the discussion -- and support!

[Boots]

Have you ever considered maybe making some pseudo-transcripts of Beth's therapy sessions as sort of "extras" ~ that would be super cool.

I really love that kind of thing, though.

And I really love the reversal of who's strong and who's weak in this episode ~ I think it gives us pretty cool glimpses into the characters. And I actually think Beth is very strong (I think people who create/nurture dissociative personalities have a kind of strength that many people can't fathom). I always feel like soaps and tv movies do a poor job of handling these types of characters, so I really appreciate how real you keep Beth.

[Cruella]

I was really waiting for this episode and it sure flew by.

I don’t think once again I have anything insightful to say… I am in sort of permanent half-sleeping state in last days.

The most interesting scenes were Beth’s. At first I even skipped to her last scene through others. Like one of my own readers pointed out, scenes with shrinks and the like are almost always most interesting in TV shows.

I still don’t care much about Beth. I don’t think it’s because she doesn’t get much airtime as herself etc. I just suspect I simply won’t care about Beth. So far I haven’t seen a reason to find her particularly interesting. I am sorry for her but it’s a vague feeling. Maybe when she gets reunited with other sides of her personality she will get more sparks.

One moment: who was that “trustworthy” person that Martina talked to? Beth herself, right? Perhaps it says something about the character or the way she’s portrayed that my first thought was - one of her cool alters! yay. But then I thought it’s you trying to show us “real” Beth.

Molly was cool. I realized that if I were to try to portray DID, instead of realistic portrayal of suffering from this problem (although not many actually suffer from it IIRC?) I would totally succumb instead to having fun with the way different personalities deal with the same problems/environment. Henry Kuttner has a fabulous short story about this – a guy in deep doo-doo getting Disraeli, Ivan the Terrible and Neanderthal personalities applied to him. He’s dealing with Hollywood producers but only Neanderthal is hardcore enough to overcome that jungle world. XD I totally want to see more of personalities. Maybe some cool one will eat Beth alive! Ok, maybe not.

Martina’s reaction really doesn’t bug me in the least here. She’s traumatized and is entitled to care about herself foremost. Maybe I am uncaring bitch but if something like that happened to me I would be concerned about myself, period, and all worries about people on the level of “nice girl, really like her!” would be put aside for a time being or exist somewhere in the back of my mind. Of course, it is already established that Martina is willing to be sexually humiliated to help a friend (Tristan). These people are so martyrish – her, Rena… I don’t really get them, on account of my own hard heart - ness. Pity, sympathy? Yes. Getting in mobsters cars without backup plan? No. Having myself basically raped for a pal? God, no. Maybe name Martina in this means a martyr? Ok, I know I am rambling. Feeling like I’ve drank too much (if only…)

Slight breakthrough for Chelsea and her father. It seems to me that her father is more affected. She just let him hug her and cried (understandable), but I think he could be really shaken up re: their relationship and might try to redefine them. He should make a first step too I believe. She won’t be in a good place right now. Definitely looking forward to trauma. All the feelings she didn’t proceed will be truly felt now. I have a feeling it will be really revelatory for the character. How will she deal with proximity of death, the fact that she cried and begged for life (nothing absolutely to be ashamed of, but pple of course can be affected by it), the feelings of humiliation and simply stress, etc.

Don’t care much about self righteous couple of Rena and Doug. She really should tell him her deep, dark secret though.

The one person I don’t understand in this episode is Rena. I just. don’t. get. her. She baffles me. She so naturally and immediately lands on Jem’s side in any dilemma as if he was her dear friend of many years, a beloved relative, or a man she’s madly in love with. In that relatively short a time, only the last option makes sense to me. And even then some people would think about a little before continuing to lie to everyone on person’s behalf. I thought after she saw consequences of his lies and irresponsible behavior, after she cared and risked her life - and therefore bonded with - Chelsea, she would be a bit sick of covering up for him, that it would truly shaken her up. I mean, he’s deep secret is that he’s blackmailed for mobsters. If someone asked me to keep their secret, and I did, only to see other people almost die as result – it would certainly make me rethink my priorities. Sure the mobsters are more to blame, but Jem’s responsible too. Chelsea’s not even first, the people almost burned alive because of this situation (well, because of Jem but Rena doesn’t know the extent of it). She’s lying to police (serious thing, and not only because they are “nice” and her “friends”), covering up for murderous mobsters because omg Jem doesn’t want to testify, will keep the truth from Chelsea and her family who deserve to know it, – all to protect some guy’s interests? And without batting an eye. I really hope she’s just a bit crazy at the moment, still I don’t understand why her first impulse is to cover for him, and not to be eager to tell everyone who will listen “OMG we were kidnapped by mobsters they wanted to kill us!”

PS. I always thought your “for stuff only” forum was only to be READ by stuff. It seems totally free right now.

[kira]

Originally Posted by Boots

Have you ever considered maybe making some pseudo-transcripts of Beth's therapy sessions as sort of "extras" ~ that would be super cool.

I really love that kind of thing, though.

Oh, me too! First of all, I love extras that give you a deeper understanding of characters/settings. (Your 'Ephemera' articles are a good example.) Second, one of my favorite and highly influential webseries was The Company Therapist (taking a chance the link is still active...), which had transcripts and doctor's notes for all the various patients, and it's fascinating indeed! I would absolutely think of doing this, especially during a period where Beth might be off-screen, or when time is elapsing. I know, I know, time never elapses in ASF, but there actually is a time gap planned for the fifth season. I'll probably be doing a montage-y thing, showing just snippets of what's happened post fourth season finale. Quite experimental for ASF but necessary to get some storylines accelerated.

ANYway, transcripts of Beth's sessions would be perfect additions for that period of time, I think. Something I'll work on.

And I really love the reversal of who's strong and who's weak in this episode ~ I think it gives us pretty cool glimpses into the characters. And I actually think Beth is very strong (I think people who create/nurture dissociative personalities have a kind of strength that many people can't fathom). I always feel like soaps and tv movies do a poor job of handling these types of characters, so I really appreciate how real you keep Beth.

Wow, thank you very much for that. I really kinda hate the way soaps both daytime & nighttime deal with mental illness in the first place, and DID depictions in particular are particularly cliched. There's almost always the Evil Personality who pops up one day, wreaks havoc, and is either completely integrated (at least until the next sweeps period) or the main character is killed off/phased out. Maybe they're daring and they give the character a personality of the opposite sex, who's also some kind of serial killer or other extraordinarily destructive persona.

While Beth's alters aren't exactly all healthy -- and Bitsy's probably the closest to the stereotype -- they all perform useful functions in Beth's life, and they're the result of her needing them to exist on some level. It makes no sense to me that a mind would create such a complex system that performs no useful purpose in the person's life. So for Beth there's a certain order to the seeming chaos of the household. All I've read from people who claim to be in this situation indicates that things aren't that cut and dried. Quite a lot of them consider the way they live to be a benefit, not a detriment. I wouldn't go that far, but I do try to keep in mind that often these alters develop for protection, not destruction.

Originally Posted by Cruella

I was really waiting for this episode and it sure flew by.

That's one of the nicest compliments I could get! Thank you, Cruella! Episodes are very long and I sometimes fear they're hard to slog through, so I'm always very pleased to hear that a reader finds them fast-moving.

I love how you preface things by saying that you don't have anything insightful to say, and then proceed to fill the page with interesting, thought-provoking comments. (Though I am sorry to hear you're not sleeping well! I've got bad insomnia too and it ain't no fun.)

Totally understand your not really feeling much about Beth. She's pretty much a cipher and it's probably hard to see her as being very interesting on her own, mainly because most of her plot involves her being a spaced out backseat driver who's not in control of much of her life. She's been quite passive and that's always either frustrating or outright boring to watch.

One moment: who was that “trustworthy” person that Martina talked to? Beth herself, right? Perhaps it says something about the character or the way she’s portrayed that my first thought was - one of her cool alters! yay. But then I thought it’s you trying to show us “real” Beth.

Beth was present throughout the entire episode except for the very end with Molly, so to answer your question, yep, she's the one whom Marty felt would be able to keep a secret. (Which is a bit of an understatement!) It's very amusing that you had that reaction, though, because I was completely aware while writing it that -- because this was from Marty's POV -- the audience might assume that this was Amanda (the most likely candidate) rather than Beth. Poor Beth never gets to shine, so no one expects good things of her! I was torn whether to switch back to Beth's POV for that little moment, but decided against it. I figured the next little scenelet after that, between Clark and Beth (where Beth tells him Marty's left, and also suggests he stay to hear about Rena) was pretty clearly Beth-as-Beth.

Aside from Bitsy (who went for the abortion) and then Molly today, Beth has been on her own since the opera.

Molly was cool. I realized that if I were to try to portray DID, instead of realistic portrayal of suffering from this problem (although not many actually suffer from it IIRC?) I would totally succumb instead to having fun with the way different personalities deal with the same problems/environment. Henry Kuttner has a fabulous short story about this – a guy in deep doo-doo getting Disraeli, Ivan the Terrible and Neanderthal personalities applied to him. He’s dealing with Hollywood producers but only Neanderthal is hardcore enough to overcome that jungle world. XD I totally want to see more of personalities. Maybe some cool one will eat Beth alive! Ok, maybe not.

LOL, that's hysterical. No surprise that you're looking for blood-and-guts. Not sure exactly what a personality would have to gain by eating his/her host alive! Assuming you mean that literally, heh. With you, one never knows!

Martina’s reaction really doesn’t bug me in the least here. She’s traumatized and is entitled to care about herself foremost. Maybe I am uncaring bitch but if something like that happened to me I would be concerned about myself, period, and all worries about people on the level of “nice girl, really like her!” would be put aside for a time being or exist somewhere in the back of my mind.

You never know, you might surprise yourself in a time of crisis. But let's hope that particular test is never required! I've found in the several depressing times I've dealt with crises, I wind up acting remarkably supportive of others around me. Part of it is certainly because I feel a bit of fellowship amongst others who are just as scared / traumatized as me. But it's not just because I'm that amazingly selfless -- I think also a subconscious bargaining phase, as if I'm thinking, "if I'm kind to others, maybe karma will pay me back by making things okay for me/my loved one."

In any event, Marty's reflection on Beth being trustworthy was not intended as an idle pleasant compliment, "nice girl, really like her" sort of thing -- she was confirming with relief that yes, she can trust Beth not to tell Clark she's going in for an exam.

As far as Rena jumping in the car and Martina agreeing to Alex's deal ... well, if ASF's characters never did things we wouldn't personally do, or that most sane people wouldn't do, this wouldn't be a melodrama, it'd be a slice-of-life tale of people sitting in coffee shops and surfing on the internet! Which has its charms, certainly, but sometimes you gotsta let your cast do dumbass things and act bigger-than-life. Heroes/Heroines (or at least those playing those nominal roles) are often willing to take bullets for other people, and quite possibly in a stupid way that causes more trouble than they ever dreamed possible. The trick is to create a situation where the character might believably think s/he has no other realistic choice. You may argue with them whether they actually had no other choice, but the character should be able to defend it as being the best decision they could make at the time.

I strongly suspect you may be right about Charles having had a bit of a breakthrough. Well, duh, I already know the answer to that, don't I?

Don’t care much about self righteous couple of Rena and Doug.

Wow, I must say this is one couple I had not anticipated putting together. So you think Doug's gonna go after his brother's girlfriend, huh? Now that has possibilities!!!

But seriously folks! I'm surprised that you think Greg is self-righteous, though. He knows he's sleazy, I don't think he has too many illusions about that. He just thinks Jem and to a lesser degree Doug are sleazier.

I think the trouble you're having with Rena's understandable. My intentions with her are to show a woman who is rather desperately in need of saving people. She wants to protect and heal/improve the lives of those she cares about, and Jem has, rather oddly, developed into that role. He started out as her patient, and she's a ferocious little thing when it comes to people under her care. Over time he's become more to her than just a patient; exactly how and why will be delved into very shortly.

Maybe I haven't developed the Rena/Jem relationship as well as I could have; I've wanted to show that she likes him despite his being such an incredible asshat; she thinks there's more to him. And maybe it's not even despite the asshattery -- she's drawn to him for much the same reasons she's drawn to Greg. Jem has, of course, screwed up more seriously than Greg's ever contemplated (though Rena doesn't know about Greg's enabling his brother's drug abuse), but Rena still prefers protecting his life to letting justice prevail. Jem's convinced her his life is on the line, and that's really enough for her.

At least that's where I'm heading with this. YMM certainly V!

PS. I always thought your “for stuff only” forum was only to be READ by stuff. It seems totally free right now.

Well that's just very very odd. I've turned it off now, thank you. But it shouldn't have been visible, as the permissions were set up to deny access to everyone. That's a little annoying and worrisome. But thank you very much for the heads up!

And most importantly, thanks for your pertinent, incisive comments, which are extremely appreciated and helpful. Great to hear from you as always!

[tom_k5]

More Beth please! I always feel like I'm left hanging with her (but in a good way), because there is just sooo much to explore and so much to be revealed. This therapy session was great, and I felt so proud of Beth for her little victories in this episode. I've never hated her the way other people seem to, and I think she's utterly fascinating. It was interesting to hear about her past relationship before Schuyler Falls and how she accidentally forgot to show up for her dates. Haha. Hmm, I wonder why she would do such a thing?! I totally understood Behar's line of questioning -- that he was trying to make her as comfortable as possible. He definitely knows something's up, especially with regard to Beth's memory lapses. I wonder if he suspects anything about the DID at this point, or if he just thinks she has memory troubles and extreme anxiety, though?

I was sort of annoyed with Rena for agreeing to cover for Jem so quickly, but it was definitely in character for her, so while I don't agree with it, I can't argue with it. After what he's put Rena, Greg, and especially Chelsea through, Rena should know that covering it up is only going to make things worse. The real danger is still out there, especially since Cameron is really after the Record and doesn't give a shit about the money. He's going to be pissed with the way this all played out...

The scenes with Chelsea were so well-written. I could really feel everything she was going through. She seems to be ok physically, except for the potential deafness thing, but I have to wonder how she will be emotionally after all this. She went through some pretty heavy stuff, being shot at, tortured, more than a few true life-or-death situations. That has to change a person's outlook on life, for sure. I wonder how she will be changed by this all... if she will be nicer and more grateful for her every breath? More frightened and reclusive? Bitchier than she was before and putting up a tough exterior to hide her pain? There are lots of possibilities.

I liked the throwback to her relationship with Mike. It's weird to think they were ever together! She seems like she'd be way too much drama for him, but then again, he's got Martina now and she's got her fair share of issues these days! Chelsea and Charles's bonding scene was great. I felt so terrible for him when it seemed as if Chelsea was rejecting him and didn't believe he'd paid the ransom, but their embrace at the end was a huge step for the two of them.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next episode, especially if Beth and Tristan come into contact again. And OMG Olivia! I've missed her.

[Ira]

Great read, Kira! There was a lot of great character exploration -- I agree with Cruella, I love shrink scenes. It's odd, they're very exciting to me, but the opposite (i.e., courtroom scenes) are usually bland, unless it's like L&O:SVU.

Beth's scenes with Behar were interesting, because I want to learn more about her! I know the trouble she's going through, but I want to know more about who she is so that I can care more for the plight she's going through. If Martina is a perpetual Penelope Pittstop, Beth is like, Emily Dickinson or something. I doubt that makes sense. But I'd like to see how this girl functions in her normal life.

The tight setting worked extremely well, I loved seeing all of the characters in one place. And of course:

If I wanted an asteroid to obliterate my whole cast, I know where to place 'em.

I love starting trends! Every series needs a good asteroid or two...

I'm loving the Martina storyline, the portrayal of this woman who's been victimized taking slow steps to recover some semblance of normalcy and power in her life. I'm glad she went back, though I would have understood if she didn't. Instead of proud of her though, I probably would have been more disappointed and pitying (word?) of her.

But um, Rena? She's acting stupid, yo. I think she's getting into an even bigger mess than she can imagine covering for Jem, and though I like him and want him to get out this, I know how awful this will be when the truth comes out. Though maybe Jem and Rena will turn to each other during that time? Who knows? It's the only reason I'd see for her continued lying to the people in her life, even with some sort of hero complex. Also, I loved this line:

“Jesus! Angie Dickinson has nothing on you!” Her blank look makes him add, “Sorry, probably before your time."

Great episode, Kira. Looking forward to the next one!

[kira]

Hiya, gentlemen. Nice to see some Y chromosomes in here too.

Originally Posted by tom_k5

More Beth please! I always feel like I'm left hanging with her (but in a good way), because there is just sooo much to explore and so much to be revealed. This therapy session was great, and I felt so proud of Beth for her little victories in this episode. I've never hated her the way other people seem to, and I think she's utterly fascinating.

Aw bless you! (I was gonna say 'bless your heart,' but those in the South would think I meant it as a dig!) It's always refreshing to find more Beth-supporters; girlfriend needs all she can get. Not that I blame those who are frustrated by her.

At this point, it's not giving too much away to say Behar doesn't suspect DID. It's extremely rare and hotly controversial in the psych community, so his first thoughts would be more likely that she's either lying about the memory lapses due to extreme social phobia and/or avoidant personality disorder, or has a more common illness like schizophrenia, or possibly even a neurological or drug abuse issue.

The classic "think horses, not zebras" guideline to medical diagnoses. Of course it's more fun for writers to cause a stampede of zebras, which is why she's got DID, but I know I need to ground my doctor character in some reality by letting him assume horses first.

Originally Posted by Tom

I was sort of annoyed with Rena for agreeing to cover for Jem so quickly, but it was definitely in character for her, so while I don't agree with it, I can't argue with it. After what he's put Rena, Greg, and especially Chelsea through, Rena should know that covering it up is only going to make things worse. The real danger is still out there, especially since Cameron is really after the Record and doesn't give a shit about the money. He's going to be pissed with the way this all played out...

Originally Posted by Ira

But um, Rena? She's acting stupid, yo. I think she's getting into an even bigger mess than she can imagine covering for Jem, and though I like him and want him to get out this, I know how awful this will be when the truth comes out. Though maybe Jem and Rena will turn to each other during that time? Who knows? It's the only reason I'd see for her continued lying to the people in her life, even with some sort of hero complex.

Hey I think this is the first time Rena's ever annoyed people! I guess that's a positive. I may have had her accede too quickly. All in all I'm getting the sense that while trying to shorten scenes and avoid stretching things out, I didn't do a very good job, since I've gotten the same reaction to the Chelsea/Charles, Beth/Kalid and Jem/Rena scenes -- that they weren't believably resolved. Definitely something I need to work on.

In Rena's case, her agreement was intended to have two story/character-related rationales: first, she thinks Jem's life (among others) depends on it; Rena has always been shown as stubbornly sticking to her own set of rules when she thinks she's doing what's right. (Her maintaining that it was right to give Olivia untested medication, for example, despite its being illegal, unethical and unsafe.)

The second rationale is that the poor girl is tired and doped up -- and thus easily suggestible. Jem was wise to ask her now, when she's at her weakest and least logical.

BUT all this said, if I hadn't felt the virtual clock ticking away ... or perhaps I should say the virtual odometer, since I was worried about scenes being too wordy/too long ... I would probably have lengthened the scene and perhaps allowed for a more protracted discussion, wherein Jem could've made a more convincing argument. Clearly I have to get the hang of writing "short." (Relatively short, anyway.)

Originally Posted by Tom

The scenes with Chelsea were so well-written. I could really feel everything she was going through. She seems to be ok physically, except for the potential deafness thing, but I have to wonder how she will be emotionally after all this. She went through some pretty heavy stuff, being shot at, tortured, more than a few true life-or-death situations. That has to change a person's outlook on life, for sure. I wonder how she will be changed by this all... if she will be nicer and more grateful for her every breath? More frightened and reclusive? Bitchier than she was before and putting up a tough exterior to hide her pain? There are lots of possibilities.

Very insightful comments, Tom. And thank you very much for the kind words. The Chelsea POV in this ep was difficult, unusually so since she's normally one of the easiest characters to write. Writing the scene from Mike's POV would've made things much simpler. Chelsea had to be disjointed, dazed, needy. She's usually such a firecracker and a fighter. Even when she's felt sorry for herself (relating to her Dad/stepmother), she's been able to go on the offensive. So I'm looking forward to exploring how someone who is very much not used to being victimized reacts to such traumatic events.

It's tough because, rather unfortunately, I have three female characters who became victims at the same time. (Four, if you include Beth's psychological trauma upon discovering her pregnancy.) They all have to react uniquely to what's happened to them. Not the best planning, but hopefully the stories are all individual enough to the audience.

Originally Posted by Tom

I liked the throwback to her relationship with Mike. It's weird to think they were ever together! She seems like she'd be way too much drama for him, but then again, he's got Martina now and she's got her fair share of issues these days!

Yeah, I think it's clear that Mike likes high maintenance women! Is it awful to admit that I've never really imagined what the Mike/Chelsea relationship was like? I mean, I know how it ended -- with lots of arguments and frustration on both sides! -- but I haven't a clue how they'd've ended up together in the first place. (Hmmm, that might be a good Viewer's Voice poll. Haven't had one of those in a while.)

Glad you're looking forward to seeing Olivia again! She's really been hidden too long. She doesn't take too kindly to being ignored.

Originally Posted by Ira

Great read, Kira! There was a lot of great character exploration -- I agree with Cruella, I love shrink scenes. It's odd, they're very exciting to me, but the opposite (i.e., courtroom scenes) are usually bland, unless it's like L&O:SVU.

Thank you very much! But you really hate courtroom scenes? Man, I love that kinda stuff. I think because it's somewhat similar -- one character trying to get another character to reveal something that they often don't want to. Of course, when it's done badly, it's pretty darn bad.

Originally Posted by Ira

If Martina is a perpetual Penelope Pittstop, Beth is like, Emily Dickinson or something. I doubt that makes sense. But I'd like to see how this girl functions in her normal life.

LOL, I love the comparison! Could do with more parallelism, though. How about Beth's Emily Dickinson while Martina is Emiliy Bronte?

But yep, I agree that we haven't seen Beth in too many everyday situations. She'll have some more scenes relating to her 'normal' life (such as it is) as a designer soon. It's been a long while since it's been mentioned, but Danielle offered her a position with a clothing shop. This will relate to upcoming stories.

And I'm relieved to see that Martina's not coming across too wimpy. That's something I've really worked hard on ever since the mugging. Her scenes on the boat with Alex were intended to show her fighting back against his blackmail attempt, even though she was doomed from the start (and she had no idea what was coming). Now that she's been victimized yet again, she can't react the same way she did the last time. It's rough 'cause it's a very similar scenario: she's had sex with Alex under dubious circumstances (putting it mildly), and she's ashamed of it. So how are things different? We shall see.

Originally Posted by Ira

Great episode, Kira. Looking forward to the next one!

Thank you so much! I really appreciate all your support and encouragement, and of course all the thought-provoking comments.