Forever: If I Were In Charge
All right, so it's been, what, a month since I said I had thoughts about the show, but needed time to calm down before I could articulate them properly? I think we can safely say I've had a sufficient cool-down period. And since the upcoming episode has the potential to throw a wrench into my thought process, I figure now's the best time to discuss it.
Obviously, we have no idea where the creator intends to go with the show. We also have no idea if this show will get another season. So the show's currently in a delicate balancing act of not dumping all the revelations on us all at once and rushing things, while simultaneously making sure we get enough information that we'll be satisfied if the higher-ups pull the plug. In practice, this means "case of the week" stories interspersed with gradual reveals about Henry's past/who Adam is/no doubt eventually why he's immortal. I enjoy the format, but they do need to pick up the pace a little.
What this post is is a musing on how, if I were in charge of the show and had been given as many seasons as I needed to tell the story, I would go about it.
In my head, the show needs four to five seasons. Assuming the current fourteen or so episodes played out as they have, it would go like this.
The rest of Season 1: In the flashbacks, focus on Henry's relationship with Abigail. We have evidence that somewhere along the line, she left him and Abe, without explanation. So let's see her leave, and get a time placement. There was also a very obvious hook for her to come back as an old woman in episode 4. Enter Adam.
In an attempt to manipulate Henry still further, Adam finds Abigail and uses her as a pawn to lure Henry to a trap/confrontation/etc. Henry, with Abe, Jo, and maybe Lucas' help, manage to stop whatever scheme Adam had planned. But it's not a total victory, because for whatever reason, Abigail dies. Either she dies during the confrontation, or she dies a few days later in a hospital from old age. What matters here, though, is that Henry gets some closure (and the emotional breakdown/activate the Cuddle Reflex scene that I just know is due). I would probably either place this as the last episode of the season, or a two parter that leads into Season Two.
Season 2: You spend the first few episodes showing Henry coping with officially losing Abigail, then allow things to go back to standard "case of the week" format. Adam appears now and then to taunt Henry, but he mostly stays in the background. Also, we'll finally start making some headway on the "why is Henry immortal" issue. It might not be obvious at first, but the point is to sow the seeds. Maybe there'd be some season wide story arc, but it would be a very self-contained one.
Season 3: Here's where it would become obvious that the show had a very planned trajectory. The arc for this season would feature Abe getting sick with cancer or some other wasting illness. Henry would do everything he could, drawing on 200 years of experience, but it wouldn't be enough. Eventually, Abe would just say "Enough's enough. I've lived a good life, and all this is doing is prolonging my suffering. I'm ready to go." And as hard as it would be for Henry, he would accept that, and say goodbye.
This is where I'm not sure if we need four seasons or five, because this plot could either work as a full season or a half-season. All that matter is, after Abe dies, Henry is in a very bad place, and this is where Adam reappears in a major role. He preys on Henry's vulnerability and tries to get him to turn to the dark side. Maybe he was already doing that during Abe's illness, but he really rachets it up after the death. And Henry, grief-stricken, actually starts to fall. But just before he crosses a line, he's pulled back from the brink by either Jo or, perhaps to allow him a moment of awesome, Lucas. Furious, Henry recommits to the side of good, and his vehemence is enough to unnerve Adam a little. It's subtle, but the power dynamic between them has started to shift.
The second half of Season 3/Season 4: Henry starts striking back against Adam, learning more about him and starting to play mind games of his own. By this point in the show, Jo will be aware of Henry's secret, and giving him what support she can. Whether or not they embark on a romance depends on the chemistry between the actors and on if it makes sense, based on everything that's come before. All that matter is, in addition to striking back against Adam, Henry finally learns why the two of them are immortal.
So much depends on what that reason is, and admittedly, I have no idea what my reason would be. Other than the immortality, supernatural elements haven't shown up, and there hasn't been much focus on religion, so a "God and the Devil playing chess" scenario doesn't make a lot of sense either. But those are the two best ideas I can come up with.
Anyway, it's pretty obvious to me that whatever the reason for the immortality, Henry and Adam are going to have to square off again, and one of them is unquestionably going to kill the other, for good. That's the revelation that closes out the season.
Season 4/5: The entire season is a build-up to the confronation. Escalating mind games, Henry, Jo, and maybe Lucas working together to orchestrate the confrontation, the whole deal. Finally, in the last episode, the clash happens. There's no question that Adam is killed. The only question then is how Henry's story ends, and there are three options for that;
*The "Highlander" ending; Henry's immortality is stripped from him, but he retains all his memories and his current age (though now he'll age normally), and he'll be allowed to live a normal human life.
*The "at peace" ending; Henry is mortally wounded while fighting Adam, and dies as well. Depending on if it's a "God vs. Devil" plot, end it with Henry going to the afterlife, where Abigail, Abe, and other loved ones from his past are waiting for him.
*The bittersweet ending: For whatever reason, Henry is still immortal. But now he knows more about his condition, and has a clear direction to work with. And he still has Jo and Lucas, his new "family", so at least he won't be going it alone. End it with him disappointed but content, and leave it just open-ended enough that the audience will be able to make up their own ending (or, in case it's popular enough, to do a spin-off/sequel thing with Henry in a new place, like London or L.A. or something).
I highly doubt that everything I just laid out is what's going to happen, though I do hope that my Season 1 ideas come to some sort of fruition. While I'll probably be a little disappointed if some of these events don't happen, I'll take the show as it comes and, barring a mad swerve into nonsensicalness, will probably enjoy the end result. And if nothing else, I got a regular dose of Ioan every week for about six months. That works just fine for me.
Obviously, we have no idea where the creator intends to go with the show. We also have no idea if this show will get another season. So the show's currently in a delicate balancing act of not dumping all the revelations on us all at once and rushing things, while simultaneously making sure we get enough information that we'll be satisfied if the higher-ups pull the plug. In practice, this means "case of the week" stories interspersed with gradual reveals about Henry's past/who Adam is/no doubt eventually why he's immortal. I enjoy the format, but they do need to pick up the pace a little.
What this post is is a musing on how, if I were in charge of the show and had been given as many seasons as I needed to tell the story, I would go about it.
In my head, the show needs four to five seasons. Assuming the current fourteen or so episodes played out as they have, it would go like this.
The rest of Season 1: In the flashbacks, focus on Henry's relationship with Abigail. We have evidence that somewhere along the line, she left him and Abe, without explanation. So let's see her leave, and get a time placement. There was also a very obvious hook for her to come back as an old woman in episode 4. Enter Adam.
In an attempt to manipulate Henry still further, Adam finds Abigail and uses her as a pawn to lure Henry to a trap/confrontation/etc. Henry, with Abe, Jo, and maybe Lucas' help, manage to stop whatever scheme Adam had planned. But it's not a total victory, because for whatever reason, Abigail dies. Either she dies during the confrontation, or she dies a few days later in a hospital from old age. What matters here, though, is that Henry gets some closure (and the emotional breakdown/activate the Cuddle Reflex scene that I just know is due). I would probably either place this as the last episode of the season, or a two parter that leads into Season Two.
Season 2: You spend the first few episodes showing Henry coping with officially losing Abigail, then allow things to go back to standard "case of the week" format. Adam appears now and then to taunt Henry, but he mostly stays in the background. Also, we'll finally start making some headway on the "why is Henry immortal" issue. It might not be obvious at first, but the point is to sow the seeds. Maybe there'd be some season wide story arc, but it would be a very self-contained one.
Season 3: Here's where it would become obvious that the show had a very planned trajectory. The arc for this season would feature Abe getting sick with cancer or some other wasting illness. Henry would do everything he could, drawing on 200 years of experience, but it wouldn't be enough. Eventually, Abe would just say "Enough's enough. I've lived a good life, and all this is doing is prolonging my suffering. I'm ready to go." And as hard as it would be for Henry, he would accept that, and say goodbye.
This is where I'm not sure if we need four seasons or five, because this plot could either work as a full season or a half-season. All that matter is, after Abe dies, Henry is in a very bad place, and this is where Adam reappears in a major role. He preys on Henry's vulnerability and tries to get him to turn to the dark side. Maybe he was already doing that during Abe's illness, but he really rachets it up after the death. And Henry, grief-stricken, actually starts to fall. But just before he crosses a line, he's pulled back from the brink by either Jo or, perhaps to allow him a moment of awesome, Lucas. Furious, Henry recommits to the side of good, and his vehemence is enough to unnerve Adam a little. It's subtle, but the power dynamic between them has started to shift.
The second half of Season 3/Season 4: Henry starts striking back against Adam, learning more about him and starting to play mind games of his own. By this point in the show, Jo will be aware of Henry's secret, and giving him what support she can. Whether or not they embark on a romance depends on the chemistry between the actors and on if it makes sense, based on everything that's come before. All that matter is, in addition to striking back against Adam, Henry finally learns why the two of them are immortal.
So much depends on what that reason is, and admittedly, I have no idea what my reason would be. Other than the immortality, supernatural elements haven't shown up, and there hasn't been much focus on religion, so a "God and the Devil playing chess" scenario doesn't make a lot of sense either. But those are the two best ideas I can come up with.
Anyway, it's pretty obvious to me that whatever the reason for the immortality, Henry and Adam are going to have to square off again, and one of them is unquestionably going to kill the other, for good. That's the revelation that closes out the season.
Season 4/5: The entire season is a build-up to the confronation. Escalating mind games, Henry, Jo, and maybe Lucas working together to orchestrate the confrontation, the whole deal. Finally, in the last episode, the clash happens. There's no question that Adam is killed. The only question then is how Henry's story ends, and there are three options for that;
*The "Highlander" ending; Henry's immortality is stripped from him, but he retains all his memories and his current age (though now he'll age normally), and he'll be allowed to live a normal human life.
*The "at peace" ending; Henry is mortally wounded while fighting Adam, and dies as well. Depending on if it's a "God vs. Devil" plot, end it with Henry going to the afterlife, where Abigail, Abe, and other loved ones from his past are waiting for him.
*The bittersweet ending: For whatever reason, Henry is still immortal. But now he knows more about his condition, and has a clear direction to work with. And he still has Jo and Lucas, his new "family", so at least he won't be going it alone. End it with him disappointed but content, and leave it just open-ended enough that the audience will be able to make up their own ending (or, in case it's popular enough, to do a spin-off/sequel thing with Henry in a new place, like London or L.A. or something).
I highly doubt that everything I just laid out is what's going to happen, though I do hope that my Season 1 ideas come to some sort of fruition. While I'll probably be a little disappointed if some of these events don't happen, I'll take the show as it comes and, barring a mad swerve into nonsensicalness, will probably enjoy the end result. And if nothing else, I got a regular dose of Ioan every week for about six months. That works just fine for me.