Toyland
Toyland
A Hardly Doing Any Work Production
Season: 1
Episodes: 13
Network: ... I have no idea who would accept a 13-episode season.
Genre: Science-fiction/fantasy, drama
Rating:
Opening Credits (song): Long-view - When You Sleep
Score: Michael Giacchino
Premise: An average girl, Sadie Yoo (Bae Jin Ah), is swept up in a world she could never have imagined after following her little brother into another dimension. In it are life-sized toys - toys that look harmless and innocent at first but are actually quite the opposite: they are slaughtering people, causing human genocide until the last remaining people have no other choice but to run and hide.
And this is where Sadie accidentally finds the 'Exiles', a faction of human rebels trying to find other people like them and find a place of safety, while learning who the production maker, known only as Neverland Inc., is. These toys are being created by someone for some nefarious purpose, but what? And who is Neverland Inc.?
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Main Cast
Sadie Yoo | Bae Jin Ah
Gavin Watsley | Joseph Gordon Levitt
Joseph Luke | Donald Sutherland
Neil Makensy | Christoph Waltz
Tinkerbell Makensy | Emma Roberts
Peter Steeson | Brandon T. Jackson
Supporting/Recurring Cast
Kyle Quentin | Samantha Ferris
Jenny Havergale | Joanna Garcia
The Nutcracker | Robert Wisdom
Odette | Lily Cole
General Hook | Ken Leung
Danielle Jakes | Dania Ramirez
Danta Malhotra | Kunal Nayyar
Other Exiles
Romola Baxter | S. Epatha Merkerson
George O'Devlin | Sam Worthington
Nathan Sydney | Naveen Andrews
Anna Barrie | Melissa George
James Barrie | Anthony Anderson
Brent Matthews | Richard Burgi
Sean Yoo | Ahn Do-Gyoo
Alice Yoo | Choi Jeong-Nam
Duncan Yoo | Lim Seon Taek
Ella Luke | Susan Sullivan
Adelaide Makensy | January Jones
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Sadie Yoo | Bae Jin Ah
Sadie is a mid-twenties graduate student, studying at a nearby state university. Her life is average: she gets average grades, she has a very set routine, and she has no interest in having much of a social life. Her studies wear her down; at the time of the Pilot episode, she comes to the conclusion that she just Can't Do This Anymore.
She's strong-headed and believes in doing the right thing, but she can be outspoken (often misinterpreted as being rude) and opinionated - if only to hide the fact that she's completely insecure about everything in her life. Her parents are divorced, her kid brother is a total mystery to her, and she hates what she's doing in school. Sometimes, she has trouble listening - something she'll learn very quickly to do in Toyland if she wants to keep her life ...
Gavin Watsley | Joseph Gordon Levitt
One of the 'Exiles', he struggles to fit in with the rest of the faction. He isn't much of a soldier, but he isn't much of anything else either. There's another job for him, and it starts as soon as Sadie arrives. He acts as her only ally, and is the only one who has a clue about the world Sadie comes from ... which causes suspicions from the rest of the crew.
Not much else is known about Gavin, as he likes to keep to himself. He's quiet, comes off as broody, and a puzzle to work out. Speaking of puzzles? He's a huge fan of them. He is always working on some logic question he can never quite figure out - and sometimes one might find him muttering to himself, sketching out numbers with his fingers and coming to no concrete solutions.
Some think he's a bit mad. No one thinks he's a genius.
Joseph Luke | Donald Sutherland
The head of the Exiles, and a rumoured 'nobleman' in his own right, business tycoon Joseph Luke was forced to go into hiding when the toys came into his building empire and slaughtered his employees, floor by floor. In an attempt to figure out "what the fuck is going on", after escaping assassins who'd come for his life, Joseph banded the Exiles together. They are constantly watching their backs to make sure Neverland Inc. never find out about them.
Joseph Luke can be ruthless and cold, but he does it with (supposed) best intentions. He really does care about keeping the human race alive, and he really does want nothing more than to shut down toy production.
Neil Makensy | Christoph Waltz
Neil started off as the CEO and owner of Neverland Inc. and still remains the supposed figurehead, even though someone - or something - else - runs the ship now. The Makensy family - consisting only of father and daughter - are prisoners in their own castle, forced to do whatever the mysterious new owners want.
Neil's constant thirst for power and knowledge - and something else he will stop at nothing to obtain - keep him dangling on the new Neverland Inc.'s every word. Blinded by his own selfishness, and the belief that "this will soon pass", he holds on to the dream that he can get what he wants. He just doesn't know when yet.
Tinkerbell Makensy | Emma Roberts
Neil Makensy's fourteen year old daughter, Tinkerbell was named after a certain abrasive fairy in her favourite bedtime story, Peter Pan. She is spoiled, loud, and whiny. She always gets her way and will throw a fit if she doesn't (until it does).
She appears to have no companionship and no disciplinary influences, as her father is neglectful and her mother Adelaide went awol, leaving her with plenty of mommy issues to boot. Tinkerbell is bothered by this, but never reveals her true feelings unless alone in her own privacy. Like many neglected children, all she wants is her family back, but has no means of getting it. It's the only thing she can't seem to get to go her way.
Peter Steeson | Brandon T. Jackson
Peter is your typical soldier: he's blunt, irrational, and a bit of an arrogant asshole at times. And yet, he's the closest friend Gavin has - and vice versa. He's a bit of a jokester and is generally laid back. His jokes aren't always appreciated, but he makes them anyway. He's a good man to have on your side, and has training in several martial arts, which includes the ability to wield weapons other than guns.
(But he's very good with those too.)
His parents were recently killed by the toys of Neverland Inc., and he's been after them ever since.
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Kyle Quentin | Samantha Ferris
Tough as nails, Kyle takes no crap from anyone - and that is how she remains alive today. She has a military background, knows the ins and outs of survival and has never known anything else. Protecting people is what she lives for and what she'll continue to do for the rest of her days.
Jenny Havergale | Joanna Garcia
Jenny is a senior member of the Exiles. Only a few years older than Gavin, she took him in when the rest of the Exiles remained skeptical about his intentions. In a way, she took him on as her own personal project; she wanted to learn everything about him. Some of the Exiles claim she is in love with Gavin, but she refutes any and all statements like that.
(Whether this is true remains to be seen.)
(Okay, it's true.)
Her specialty is in gathering intel, and she prides herself in being able to do it. So why can't she discover the identities of Neverland Inc.?
'The Nutcracker' | Robert Wisdom
Known only as 'The Nutcracker', this man seems like a man - but he is, in fact, a very advanced model of a GI Joe doll. And he was built with only one purpose in 'life': to kill any human he comes across.
He does not speak much, only has a select few phrases that a toy would usually have. He does not, however, run on batteries, so there seems to be no stopping him.
Running away is usually the best choice to make when facing The Nutcracker.
Odette | Lily Cole
As a toy, she has no familial ties, and was created by Neverland Inc. only moments before production was usurped by the mysterious new owners.
Odette was named so after the Swan Princess, but cannot actually turn into a swan. She is modeled after Barbie Dolls, and was Tinkerbell's favourite doll before the hostile takeover. Now, Odette serves only to protect Tinkerbell - however, the strange thing is that it was not anyone's choice but her own.
General Hook | Ken Leung
Being Captain wasn't good enough for him. Most know him as 'Hook' and most call him 'Hook'. Either way, this is one mofo no one wants to mess with. He even makes The Nutcracker a little nervous. He works for the new CEO of Neverland Inc. and would take their private identity to the grave.
Danielle Jakes | Dania Ramirez
A former employee of Luke's company, Danielle is a tough business woman turned mercenary. She hates staying in one place, and is constantly on the move for a new mission to embark upon. She is also something of a loner and a thrill-seeker as well. Her recklessness has cost her lives in the past and it is something she feels eternally guilty about - not that it stops her from continuing to act the way she does.
She has been rumoured to have had an affair with Joseph during their time together in his business company. There is no evidence of this, however, though the two of them still share a close working relationship.
Danta Malhotra | Kunal Nayyar
The self-proclaimed 'Brains' of the outfit, and a former employee of Joseph Luke's. He works closely by Jenny's side (but he prefers to say he supervises her - which isn't exactly true) and knows almost everything there is to know about engineering and building the toys.
He may once have worked within Neverland Inc., but no one can confirm or deny this; Danta certainly never offers up any information. He's an engineer at heart, but don't let his 'science geek' exterior fool you. He's silent like the ninja and is as skilled a fighter as Pete is.
The Yoo family | Lim Seon Taek, Choi Jeong-Nam, Ahn Do-Gyoo
The Yoo family consist of Sadie's father Duncan, her mother Alice and her younger brother Sean. They will mostly be seen in Sadie's flashbacks, and won't actually be featured real-time in the show (as far as I have planned, anyway). The only exception of this, of course, is Sean's guest appearance in the Pilot episode.
After that, his whereabouts are completely mysterious, and it is Sadie's search for her little brother that keeps her in the world of Toyland.
Ella Luke | Susan Sullivan
Joseph Luke's wife. They were married when they were both very young, and while she loves her husband, she isn't so sure about the man he is now in comparison to the man he used to be. She had no real idea of the amount of power Luke has had in his company, not until he began to gather the Exiles together. She still has very little to do with them and lives on the outskirts of Toyland where she is supposedly lulled into a false sense of safety.
She is idealistic and generally naive, but it's always possible she knows a little more than everyone gives her credit for …
Adelaide Makensy | January Jones
Tinkerbell's biological mother, and Neil's On-Paper wife - she has a mysterious past and goes awol at the show's start, only shown in flashbacks for the duration of the first season. Tink only wants to know where her mother is and wants her back - but she won't voice these things aloud, especially not to her father.
The Exiles | Romola Baxter (S. Epatha Merkerson), Nathan Sydney (Naveen Andrews), Brent Matthews (Richard Burgi), Anna Barrie (Melissa George), James Barrie (Anthony Anderson), George O'Devlin (Sam Worthington)
The Exiles are a small faction but consists of skilled people in technology, defense, offense, etc. The following are not always in every episode but will report back and forth to the main cast, some having more important roles in some episodes than others.
Some facts to know: Romola Baxter acts as head of this Exiles group, where Kyle Quentin takes care of the main Exiles. Anna and James are married. Nathan has a slightly sketchy past. And Brent Matthews is an asshole.