January Meme: How to adapt Raphsody of Blood for TV?
Which lokifan asked me. Which reminded me, I've been meaning for quite a while to write my review for the last novel in this epic five volulme series by Roz Kaveney, Raphsody of Blood: Revelations, which brought it to a close. A quick general recap of the saga, for those who are unfamiliar: it starts by following two main plot threads. On the one hand, in the present (the near then-present from when the books started to be published), there's our heroine Emma Jones who has just fallen in love (with Caroline) when she comes to rescue a faun from two angels, and things go increasingly more fantastical from there (in third person narration). On the other hand, there's the first person narration of Mara the Huntress, which leads us, not in chronological order, through the seven thousand years Mara has been alive, covering an enormous amount at myths from all cultures and historical events in which she pops up. Her personal mission is always the same: prevent anyone trying to make themselves (or others) into Gods via blood rituals, or if not prevent, take them out. She's also intermittently looking for the reincarnations of her two sisters (and lovers), Sof and Lillit, and is one of those stoic hero types who insist they're a loner but has managed to collected dozens of friends (and foes, naturally) through the millennia.
By the time volume 5 opens, though, past and present have caught up with each other, which I was a bit wary about, because while I've hugely enjoyed the Emma-and-Caroline present day tales with their clever banter, the history and myths lover in me had a slight preferene for Mara's adventures through space and time. However, something else that happened by the time the fifth volume opens is that Emma is in, err, a mythological position, to put it as unspoilery as possible, allowing her to interact with people (and myths) from millennia ago as well (I was thrilled when one of my favourite historical ladies showed up, the Empress Theophanu, here called Theophania), plus we get one more long Mara flashback (Apollo focused this time) before the big showdown we've been gearing towards for several volumes really kicks in, and is suitably epic but also humane, in lack of a better term, at the same time. Now part of the charm of the entire series is that while it's chock full of flippancy and one liners (at one point, Mara says re: the internet that it's just a better version of the Library of Alexandria, easier to search and less prone to burn), you also get some true heartbreak, the occasional Lovecraftian horror raising its head, and some growing anger at rl events. Where the previous volume included a Tony Blair diss (via one of Mara's immortal friends, Polly - of Three Penny Opera/Beggar's Opera origin, who went from queen of the underworld to eternal leader of Torchwood a secret service in the Spooks vein; where other PMs and monarchs, no matter how well or little they liked her, kept her on, Blair fires her), the fifth one has some choice things to say re: 2016, Brexit and US elections alike. And of course the growing power of Evangelicals is a plot point. But here's what's truly amazing: this story also finds the humanity in some genuine monsters. A relatively new character does one of the best and most biting "no, we're not doing the *spoiler*, we need to do better, check out all you've done before, supposed good guys!" speechs I've seen in recent fiction. And the overall conclusion satisfies my inner Star Trek fan. (No, space ships aren't involved.)
With all this explained, here are some thoughts to the actual question. First of all, these books have a gigantic cast, so inevitably some would not make it or would be merged with other characters. Though I would magically wish the 22 episodes per season format back, then we really could do a five season adaption for all five novels. Secondly, while the early novels have lengthy Emma sections and lengthy Mara sections, a tv adaption I think should intermingle the two from the start. (You know, like Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring instead of holding back on what happened to Gandalf after he said goodbye to Frodo until the Council of Elrond, the way the novel does, keeps cutting between the Shire and Frodo on the one hand and Gandalf on the other.) Now I'm a Highlander: The Series and Lost fan, so having present day stories with historical flashback sections is nothng new to me, though in the case of Raphsody in Blood, it's trickier in that the connection between the two storylines isn't always immediately apparant but unfolds bit by bit. But I think you could trust the audience to be curious and intrigued enough for some patience. (I'm thinking of the 2019 Watchmen tv series where we didn't find out just what the connection between the Adrian-on-Europa scenes each episode and the rest of the storylines was until the last but one episode, and that absolutely worked for me.)
Another important thing would be that there is commitment to filming all five novels from the start, and that the filming is done in a row, because with a good part of the recurring ensemble of characters immortal, there's the human aging factor to consider. And I would encourage some filmic experimentation - animated sequences, or black and white, why not? Casting: tricky in that while Emma and Caroline are adult women, Mara became immortal when she looked like a sixteen years old. Plus given where and when she's from, she should be small (but athletic enough that her being a lethal fighter is believable). Of course, casting (supposed) teenagers with twenty somethings has a long tradition. So - Zendaya for Mara? Given Chani, she should have practice with fight scenes, she has presence, and I could see her as a stoic character with often boiling rage or fervent longing under the surface. My alternative candidate would be Madeleine Madden, who really impressed me in the second season of Wheel of Time (where she plays Egwene). As for Emma, there's an in-novel joke that she got played by Charlize Theron (some years back). I could see that, but I think Emma is still in her early twenties when the story kicks off, and she's one of the few main characters who can age along with her actress, so I'd cast Charlize as another character, Heccat/Morgan instead, and give Emma to another Emma, Emma Stone. Caroline: Anya Taylor-Joy. (BTW, I would not cast Spoiler and Spoiler with Emma Stone and Anya Taylor-Joy as well, the novels make it clear they don't look identical. Instead: Lily Gladstone asoriginal Sof, and Zoe Robins asLillit.
Despite her having played not Polly, but Jenny in the original Three Penny Opera production, I couldn't help but imagine a young English version of Lotte Lenya for Polly. Able to speak Cockney without getting in Dick van Dyke territory. But there's no one English and Lenya-esque who comes to mind right now, so abandoning all thoughts of Lotte L., him - Billie Piper? (I'm thinking of her being different enough from Rose as "The Moment" in the DW anniversary special a good wile ago that I could accept her as a very much not human character, and also her dual roles in Penny Dreadful, as Brona and Lily. All of which makes me think she could play Polly through the ages - someone who is both very much an Earthy Georgian character and an immortal occasionally showing her age. Though given how much older Mara is, Polly will always be young in comparison.)
Other ideas: Young Josh aka Spoiler: Jamie Clayton (Nomi in Sense 8) Nameless aka Spoiler: Michael Sheen. (Just for the record, fellow readers of these novels, I'm thinking less of Sheen as Aziraphale and more of Sheen as both Tony Blair and Sheen as Roland Blum.) And Iman Vellani should definitely play someone, though I'm still wavering as to whom.
The other days
By the time volume 5 opens, though, past and present have caught up with each other, which I was a bit wary about, because while I've hugely enjoyed the Emma-and-Caroline present day tales with their clever banter, the history and myths lover in me had a slight preferene for Mara's adventures through space and time. However, something else that happened by the time the fifth volume opens is that Emma is in, err, a mythological position, to put it as unspoilery as possible, allowing her to interact with people (and myths) from millennia ago as well (I was thrilled when one of my favourite historical ladies showed up, the Empress Theophanu, here called Theophania), plus we get one more long Mara flashback (Apollo focused this time) before the big showdown we've been gearing towards for several volumes really kicks in, and is suitably epic but also humane, in lack of a better term, at the same time. Now part of the charm of the entire series is that while it's chock full of flippancy and one liners (at one point, Mara says re: the internet that it's just a better version of the Library of Alexandria, easier to search and less prone to burn), you also get some true heartbreak, the occasional Lovecraftian horror raising its head, and some growing anger at rl events. Where the previous volume included a Tony Blair diss (via one of Mara's immortal friends, Polly - of Three Penny Opera/Beggar's Opera origin, who went from queen of the underworld to eternal leader of Torchwood a secret service in the Spooks vein; where other PMs and monarchs, no matter how well or little they liked her, kept her on, Blair fires her), the fifth one has some choice things to say re: 2016, Brexit and US elections alike. And of course the growing power of Evangelicals is a plot point. But here's what's truly amazing: this story also finds the humanity in some genuine monsters. A relatively new character does one of the best and most biting "no, we're not doing the *spoiler*, we need to do better, check out all you've done before, supposed good guys!" speechs I've seen in recent fiction. And the overall conclusion satisfies my inner Star Trek fan. (No, space ships aren't involved.)
With all this explained, here are some thoughts to the actual question. First of all, these books have a gigantic cast, so inevitably some would not make it or would be merged with other characters. Though I would magically wish the 22 episodes per season format back, then we really could do a five season adaption for all five novels. Secondly, while the early novels have lengthy Emma sections and lengthy Mara sections, a tv adaption I think should intermingle the two from the start. (You know, like Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring instead of holding back on what happened to Gandalf after he said goodbye to Frodo until the Council of Elrond, the way the novel does, keeps cutting between the Shire and Frodo on the one hand and Gandalf on the other.) Now I'm a Highlander: The Series and Lost fan, so having present day stories with historical flashback sections is nothng new to me, though in the case of Raphsody in Blood, it's trickier in that the connection between the two storylines isn't always immediately apparant but unfolds bit by bit. But I think you could trust the audience to be curious and intrigued enough for some patience. (I'm thinking of the 2019 Watchmen tv series where we didn't find out just what the connection between the Adrian-on-Europa scenes each episode and the rest of the storylines was until the last but one episode, and that absolutely worked for me.)
Another important thing would be that there is commitment to filming all five novels from the start, and that the filming is done in a row, because with a good part of the recurring ensemble of characters immortal, there's the human aging factor to consider. And I would encourage some filmic experimentation - animated sequences, or black and white, why not? Casting: tricky in that while Emma and Caroline are adult women, Mara became immortal when she looked like a sixteen years old. Plus given where and when she's from, she should be small (but athletic enough that her being a lethal fighter is believable). Of course, casting (supposed) teenagers with twenty somethings has a long tradition. So - Zendaya for Mara? Given Chani, she should have practice with fight scenes, she has presence, and I could see her as a stoic character with often boiling rage or fervent longing under the surface. My alternative candidate would be Madeleine Madden, who really impressed me in the second season of Wheel of Time (where she plays Egwene). As for Emma, there's an in-novel joke that she got played by Charlize Theron (some years back). I could see that, but I think Emma is still in her early twenties when the story kicks off, and she's one of the few main characters who can age along with her actress, so I'd cast Charlize as another character, Heccat/Morgan instead, and give Emma to another Emma, Emma Stone. Caroline: Anya Taylor-Joy. (BTW, I would not cast Spoiler and Spoiler with Emma Stone and Anya Taylor-Joy as well, the novels make it clear they don't look identical. Instead: Lily Gladstone asoriginal Sof, and Zoe Robins asLillit.
Despite her having played not Polly, but Jenny in the original Three Penny Opera production, I couldn't help but imagine a young English version of Lotte Lenya for Polly. Able to speak Cockney without getting in Dick van Dyke territory. But there's no one English and Lenya-esque who comes to mind right now, so abandoning all thoughts of Lotte L., him - Billie Piper? (I'm thinking of her being different enough from Rose as "The Moment" in the DW anniversary special a good wile ago that I could accept her as a very much not human character, and also her dual roles in Penny Dreadful, as Brona and Lily. All of which makes me think she could play Polly through the ages - someone who is both very much an Earthy Georgian character and an immortal occasionally showing her age. Though given how much older Mara is, Polly will always be young in comparison.)
Other ideas: Young Josh aka Spoiler: Jamie Clayton (Nomi in Sense 8) Nameless aka Spoiler: Michael Sheen. (Just for the record, fellow readers of these novels, I'm thinking less of Sheen as Aziraphale and more of Sheen as both Tony Blair and Sheen as Roland Blum.) And Iman Vellani should definitely play someone, though I'm still wavering as to whom.
The other days