Weekly Questions #5: An Open-Ended Discussion

 

NCIS: Los Angeles S11E20 Review

The first part of season 11 was rather hit and miss, with a episodes that were excruciatingly painful, in particular Provenance and Concours d’Elegance which introduced Sam’s new love interest Katherine Casillas.  Both were written by Jordana Lewis Jaffe, who’s episodes are easily recognisable due to unrealistic plots, outlandish and unfunny humour and over-the-top guest characters.   Jaffe also penned Knock Down, which not only features the aforementioned trademarks but also has the misfortune of presenting some of the main cast as out-of-character.  Remember that NCIS: Los Angeles can boast of minimal cast changes over their eleven seasons. Suffice to say long term fans have a pretty solid handle on how these characters behave, both psychologically and physically.

Special Agent Sam Hanna is the victim of Jaffe’s pen on this occasion.  Since the series started, Sam has always been worried about Callen; his (lack of) love life, his mental well-being, his sense of self and identity, lone-wolf tendencies and his inability to open up and talk about his feelings.  Sam actually managed to get Callen to tackle all of these subjects in the Christmas episode Answers (brilliantly written by Kyle Harimoto).  Now all of that has been undone with no explanation as to why Sam has gone from caring about his partner and his well-being, to refusing to enter into a conversation initiated by Callen, who wants to talk about his enlightening holiday with Anna Kolcheck.

Much as Callen can be aloof and distant, he is also playful and mischievous with a love of winding up Sam.  The bullpen is long established as a setting where the team gently banter with each other and so Callen teasing his partner about wanting to know all the details, and Sam refusing to take the bait was at first amusing.  The feeling quickly changed when it became apparent that Sam was really not interested. Why? Who knows - their interaction was disrupted with a case.  Other opportunities were later presented, particularly when in Sam’s car where again Sam shuts Callen down.  He does not want to know what Anna said to Callen that has enlightened him and does not appear happy that Callen is genuinely happy with his life. Maybe Sam is thinking that Callen has been here before. Once he was happy with Joelle, telling Sam about going to certain restaurants and trying different foods.  Maybe Sam now thinks the other shoe will drop?  This is highly unlikely, taking into account the lengths Sam went to make Callen realise how much he feels for Anna.  The same occurs in the Squid and Dagger where the team gather after the case.  Sam still scorns Callen’s need to tell someone about his holiday (has he ever even had a holiday before?), rolling his eyes and saying he’s bailing, as Callen begins to tell Kensi. What has changed?  Nothing - explicitly at least.  Sam bailed to visit his Katherine which is fair enough (he did not share this with the team, but Callen is aware they’re dating).  Even trying to read between the lines, this is no reason why Sam should behave as he did towards Callen.

Kensi is another character who had a very unusual line which stood out. When exercising in the gym with Fatima, she comments that they [Deeks]  never change it up and she likes working out with Fatima. Initially this comment related to their exercises which in itself is odd as over the years Kensi and Deeks have engaged in a wide variety of workouts.  She then continues to say that away from the action of their day job, they are CPAs (certified public accountants) by night, meaning boring. It is really not clear if this is a complaint or merely a passing comment?  The couple seem as happy as ever even if Kensi did leave a box in the hallway which caused Deeks to break his toe!

This of course meant that Deeks was not in the field and instead had the run of the mission, spending most of his time harassing Eric.  Again, this was amusing at first, trying to get Eric to open up about missing Nell who has taken a leave of absence.  The problem was that Eric was coping very well and focused on his job. Deeks was relentless in his task, disrupting Eric and being a little too much in his face. It was a welcomed respite when Eric put Deeks in his place by asking about his broken toe. When they eventually had an honest talk, Deeks was surprised to hear Eric was actually envious that Nell may be leaving and revealed his own job offers. Deeks has been voicing his thoughts on leaving NCIS and law enforcement on and off for years now, does he really think no one else has similar thoughts, albeit for different reasons? Once again the episode is reinforcing the potential for change but there is nothing new. Eric has said these things before, Nell has only temporarily left. Maybe this is purely to tie up loose ends in case the show is not renewed for a twelfth season (note with steady viewing stats, it is considered a safe bet for renewal).  

The plot of Knock Down is a non-starter.  The DOJ asked the DOD to ask NCIS to investigate after an FBI safe house is set on fire whilst hosting a Venezuelan political activist seeking asylum in the US.  Over-the-top guest character FBI Agent Audrey Rush is reintroduced (originally seen heavily pregnant in High Society, the first episode of 2020). She’s had her baby and is back at work in a constant fluster and pumping breast milk in front of Kensi and Fatima. This could be considered progressive in such a liberal age, however it is somewhat unprofessional when in a meeting (albeit a casual briefing).. Of course the moment allows Kensi to be genuinely curious about aspects of motherhood, which Rush portrays as a rather unpleasant event. She names her child Cash as a constant reminder of how much money will be spent, mentions her lack of bladder control and there an inexplicable scene where in the background she exaggeratedly attempts and fails to fit and tighten a girdle. Why? Is that a Hollywood thing? Rush has clearly rushed back to work too soon and is not coping, unless she is really inept. Adapting to motherhood would have been a great sub plot for Kensi to latch on to; instead Rush is portrayed as ridiculous and incompetent. At least the female fire chief demonstrated that a woman can actually be normal and achieve a career (whether she has a family or not is unknown).  She is strong, sarcastic and has Sam’s number, much to Callen’s amusement.  She is also portrayed as extremely proficient.

Returning to character curiosities and continuing with plot concerns, FBI Agent Rush’s boss breezes in and assumes authority, spiriting the political activist away from under the noses of Kensi and Fatima in the boatshed (they were distracted by a call). Would an experienced agent really have allowed that to happen? At one point a subplot about an FBI mole was touted by various characters, even considering the FBI boss.  This was conveniently forgotten shortly after his exit. Likewise the arson angle, which Sam and Callen were pursuing was brushed under the carpet as the fires had been set by a fire fighter from the department sent to extinguish them.  The plot was incohesive and overall there were too many frustrations with the characters and plot for this to be considered a good episode.  If it is setting the seeds for a rift in the partnership between Sam and Callen then whilst it may have done that, it currently seems like Sam has received a bump on the head causing a personality change. Hopefully, normal service will be resumed in the next episode.

How Netflix and Other Streaming Services are Changing TV

Written by Oriana Page

Close your eyes and think of a time before Netflix, when TV broadcasters dictated what you watched and when you watched it. Ask anyone and they would say that the freedom Netflix and other streaming platforms allow you to watch what you want when you want and where you want is a million times better, but is it really? 

In this article I am going to be exploring which is better: streaming or broadcast television.  

Binge Watching

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Netflix is binge watching. Someone sleep deprived sitting on the sofa with a half eaten bowl of popcorn looking disheveled has become a synonymous symbol of Netflix. But binge watching can actually massively change the experience of watching TV. For example, when shows are released once a week, you watch the show and then the ‘Next week’ preview, this builds a lot of suspense and anticipation. When you binge watch you lose this element. Netflix shows have completely ditched the next time segment, because they know if it ends on a cliffhanger, you'll just watch another episode, even if that means staying up till 4 AM. (Kruger’s and Karmakar 2015) state that binge watching can have a negative effect on your health, which can be for all sorts of reasons. (Herbert 2020) says that when he binge watched Breaking Bad, it had a detrimental effect on his health, making him feel nervous and struck with an overwhelming feeling of anticipation. It is important to note that although Herbert experienced these side effects, binge watching was still something he wanted to do. He made the choice to continue watching. I think that this is an unconscious decision a lot of us make. 

Watershed

Watershed is an imaginary line in the sand that dictated when a show could play. This line acted as a rough guideline for when adult TV would be playing. Watershed was on at 9PM. (Hogg 2017) says broadcasters assume at this time that young children would be in bed and the adults would be ready to start watching TV. With streaming services, this is totally gone. Netflix shows drop overnight, and then you are free to watch these at any time that suits you. They do have age ratings on them, so parents know they aren't child friendly. 

Broadcasting Leads to Family Time

If you know a show is on at a certain time and you don’t want to miss it, you make sure you’re home. I have fond memories of my family watching the BBC period drama Merline together. I think it was on at 6pm on a Saturday, and we watched it religiously. It became a nice tradition. Binge watching isn't a tradition, it's a nice experience, and definitely provides bonding time, but as more of a one off experience as opposed to a weekly thing. (Beddington 2017) refers to the TV as “a flat screened family therapist”, and as “The only wholesome family time we get most days”.  Contrastingly, according to (Schroder 2015), feelings of loneliness and depression were linked to watching TV. 

The Experience of a Show

When watching a show once a week, like for example, the teen drama Riverdale, which despite only being available to UK audiences on Netflix drops its episodes weekly, the show lasts a lot longer. Riverdale starts its season around September and ends roughly in May. Granted, there are lots of breaks in riverdale, random two week breaks, sometimes even a 3-4 week break around the holidays. But because of this, you’re enjoying Riverdale for a long time, around 9 months to be exact. And that means you only have a 3 month gap between the end of the season and the new season. Now let’s take for example, the show YOU. The show dropped all of its episodes on Boxing Day, and became a massively popular post-Christmas binge. You had 10 episodes and a lot of people watched it all in one day. YOU is wildly popular and has already been renewed for a season 3, but now fans that watched it in a day will have to wait a whole year for the next installment.  (Darcy 2019) states that those who binge watched a show remembered less and didn't enjoy it as much as those who watched the show weekly. 

Made to be Binged

Now a lot of shows are made to be binged. Stranger Things was designed to be watched in its entirety on the first day. It dropped on the 4th of July, which was also when the show was set. YOU was also meant to be binge watched. Before it moved to Netflix, it originally aired on Lifetime, and did not do well. Netflix had the right to it for the UK, but when Lifetime ditched it and Netflix picked it up, it did amazingly, and is now one of Netflix’s most successful shows. (Page 2020) states that the success of YOU was largely due to the release date. YOU was made to be binge watched and by releasing it on Boxing Day, consumers were off work, the crazy stress of Christmas had just finished and the whole family was there and ready to be entertained. (Page 2020) also went on to say that another reason YOU is better binged is because all the events take place in a close time frame. This is as opposed to a show that has 22 episodes and lasts the course of the TV season, with themed episodes to coincide with the events eg: a Valentine’s Day episode on Valentine’s Day. 

Price

So both platforms have their advantages and disadvantages, but what's more cost effective? With television, there is the standard freeview package, but if you want better channels, you have to pay for those. Let's say you're a fan of crime channels, your teenage daughter loves Comedy Central, your husband is a massive sports fan, your son loves movies, and your young ones are addicted to Disney Channel. You’re probably going to want an entertainment package, a sports package, a movie package, and a kids package. And this can get expensive costing £89 a month. Netflix is £9.99 a month, but it probably doesn't have your favourite show, so you end up purchasing cable TV as well, and it starts to add up. 

Catch-Up

Catch up gives audiences the best of both worlds: you can only watch it once a week, but when you watch it is up to you. Catch up and recording shows was kind of like an early version of binge watching. You could record a few episodes, wait and watch them all in one evening. 

UK vs America

There's a big difference between English television and American television. There’s a lot of American shows that don't air in England, on broadcasting or Netflix. This leads to people either buying a VPN, or just streaming illegally, which can be very bad for struggling shows. By streaming, you reduce their ratings, which leads to cancellation. But when they don’t air your favorite shows, and you can’t even buy it legally, desperate times cause desperate measures. The thing that is ruining TV the most is dependency on illegal sites. Although the government has gotten better at shutting them down, they are very much still available, they are easy and convenient, and come with access to content from all across the world. It becomes a very viable option.  In my opinion there is a real gap in the market for English consumers wanting to watch American series. 

Another thing I’d like to talk about is a show called Dynasty. Dynasty is a remake of the 80’s drama of the same name. And up until this year it aired on the CW and then dropped on Netflix the day after. However, this year, Dynasty airs weekly on the CW and instead of dropping weekly on Netflix, it's going to wait to the end and then drop the whole show. In my opinion, I think this is a bad move. 

Box Sets

Even Broadcast TV has a box set option on the menu. A lot of my favourite shows finished before I came to watch them. I had the entire show at my disposal, and definitely watched it more than once a week. For example, one of my favourite shows, Desperate Housewives, ran for 8 years. My family and I watched it in 2 months. I have watched a lot of shows this way. Another thing to note is when a TV channel has the rights to a completed show to syndicate. For example, the English TV channel VIVA had the rights to Scrubs, a show that ran for 8 years (9 if you count the abomination that was Scrubs Med school, which no one should count). VIVA would play two episodes at 9pm every weeknight. I loved this and watched it religiously. It took about a year to complete the show.

Adverts

A 40-minute show has an hour TV slot. Why? Adverts. Over 20% of the time you spend watching that show is advertising, and that's not including any possible product placements. The general consensus on Adverts is that they get in the way of your precious TV time. However, there are some benefits. Firstly, you might actually see something you like. Advertising companies are very clever and slots cost a lot of money, so they want to make sure the target audience of the show is the same demographic their product is marketed towards. For example, a children’s show would be the optimal place to advertise a toy, geared mostly toward kids aged 6-11, as that is the kind of person who watches the show. Sometimes, during these ad slots, you'll see an advert for a TV show targeted at the same demographic. I personally like this. I'm very passionate about TV and am always looking for something new to watch. However I remember as a child, watching The Simpsons at around 5pm and an advert for a horror movie came on it absolutely terrified me. So I think it's massively important to make sure adverts are appropriate to the target audience. Personally, I think, general adverts for things like shampoo and new chocolate bars are fair game on Freeview. You’re not paying extra for these channels, so why not. But when you start paying for channels, I think advertising for their own shows is reasonable, but having long and frequent ad breaks is unreasonable. A plus side to Adverts is that they can help with the format of a show. When you go to the Theatre, there's an interval between the first and second act. By adding an ad break into TV shows it can help with the overall structure,  acting as a distinguishing feature between acts.

Product Placements

Product placements are when a brand pays a film or TV show to use their product on screen. For example, the sitcom Arrested Development has a product sponsorship from Burger King. The show is very self aware and pokes fun at this. I think that there's nothing wrong with the odd product placement, as long as it doesn't become too prominent and distract from the story. For example, the Coca-Cola product placement in Stranger Things is fine. Coca-Cola was featured in every episode of Stranger Things and even had tie-in events. 

So, why did I read this?

Well, it's something to consider next time you watch TV. After reading this you’ll be more aware of how you watch and the different experience you get. Everyone has a preference in how they watch TV. Mine personally is box sets. I like having all of it at my disposal to watch all at once or sporadically. Binging a whole season is okay, but personally I think a show with 12 or less episodes is bingeable, but a show with 22 episodes should be weekly. I find it odd to watch sitcoms weekly, and normally save them up to watch a good chunk all at once. To conclude, we are all different and have a lot of different preferences. And that's a good thing. 

NCIS: Los Angeles S11E13 High Society - Review

High Society opens with the team concluding a case. Lieutenant Commander Daniel Palmer crashes through the ceiling of a yoga studio, where Sam shoots him again and again, until he is finally dead. As has occurred several times in recent seasons, the case the team believe is closed actually turns out to be not quite finished. Sam and Kensi visit the coroner to understand Palmer's superhuman moves, which are linked to a type of drug utilised by terrorist groups and coincidentally found to be the cause of death in a number of bodies stacked up in the mortuary. From here the team investigate how the drug is on the streets of LA and funding terrorist activities.

In a similar vein to the Christmas episode 'Answers', before the case takes them in another direction, the team are seen winding down. This allows interesting and somewhat crucial insights into their private lives, more so for some than others. Callen remains in the boatshed to 'finish up some things', opening his laptop once Kensi and Nell leave, with the clear intention (based on recent episodes) of searching for Anna Kolcheck. The next morning's activities are more fun with the return of Mamma Deeks, prompting the usual quick witted conversations between her and her son. Sam visits a coffee shop he knows Katherine Casillas (seen earlier this season in Provenance and Concours D'Elegance) frequents and conveniently bumps in to her, flirting and setting up the possibility for future 'meetings'. Even Eric and Nell have the opportunity to reflect on their relationship and the fact Eric struggles to handle any form of life changes.

Eric has a line which sums up the episode and in some ways the season to date: "Life has become a waiting room of uncertainty." Although he was referring to his relationship with Nell, her sick mother and the unknown situation with Hetty, it can be applied to the entire team. NCIS: Los Angeles has been in stasis. During the first half of the season there was no clear direction. Hetty was AWOL without explanation and there was no narrative arc to thread through the season. The closest has been the possibility Kensi will fall pregnant, and that Callen seemed to be reflecting on (or yearning for) his lone wolf days. The final few episodes of last year put some meat on these bones for Callen. He now has a purpose: to look for Anna and rekindle their relationship. The more crucial element is the prospect that Hetty may/will retire shortly, Callen will assume her position and a new team member will join the fold (although the team are easily working and resolving the cases without the presence of a senior NCIS manager or director).

In terms of 'High Society', there is a level of sombreness which contrasts with the more lighthearted elements. Roberta Deeks kick starts by embracing her fears, commenting to Deeks that he doesn't want to wake up one day with a heart full of regrets, eventually revealing that she’s realised she has more years behind her than in front. This is followed by Deeks (partnered with Callen on this case), cutting to the chase and asking if he has regrets about Anna, reminding Callen they last saw her in Cuba, shot in the leg with a warrant for her arrest. Finding her may not be easy. Sam later jumps in on the sombre theme, verbalising the emotions he experienced after his wife died to a suspect in the interrogation room.

The case of the week is rather forgettable with only a tentative connection to the military which could have been handed off to the DEA - in fact Deeks even mentioned Talia Del Campo. Instead the team run with it, encountering three characters previously seen in recent seasons. First is Katherine who for the third time in as many appearances, manages to insert herself in the middle of the team's operation, this time at a fashion show. Secondly is the coroner who is just as ridiculously deluded as when he was previously seen in S9 Where Everybody Knows Your Name (with the annoying FBI Agent Zoe Morris). Lastly is pathological liar Victor who brings some fun to the interrogation room and Callen and Deek's questioning. He was also seen in Where Everybody Knows Your Name, the link being both that and High Society were written by Chad Mazero. Two other characters (the waitress and the bad guys target) are extremely judgmental and presumptive about law enforcement. Both are forced to eat their words when the waitress realises video footage may help solve a murder, and the team save the target's life.

Partner swaps are usually intriguing and are often the result of team manipulation by a higher power. In this instance, it is casually referred to in a throw-a-way sentence from Callen to Deeks half way through. Sam simply asked Callen to swap partners for the day. Such swaps can be fun, changing the dynamics with one on one scenes however this week the chemistry seemed a little off, maybe caused by the lack of any drive or motivation for the switch. Maybe Sam is testing the waters of not having Callen as a partner. The fun element mostly comes from Deeks, interacting with his mother, his burgeoning bromace with Eric Beale, and DJing at the fashion show while wearing a mouse head while Kensi struts down the catwalk.

The closure of the episode continues with the now established story-arc of Callen and Anna. After everyone has left for the day, Callen utilises the Ops centre to retrieve information on Anna that suggests she is behind a series of murders in Europe. It is unlikely she has suddenly turned into an assassin for hire and as she was last seen in the company of CIA Officer Joelle Taylor, (and Hetty's last know location was Europe), Anna may be hot on the heels of the real killer. Hopefully all will be revealed in the not too distant future.

A Virtual Scrawl

NCIS: Los Angeles S11E12 Review ’Groundwork’

After a short break for Christmas and New Year, NCIS: Los Angeles returns for another solid episode that builds on the foundations laid towards the end of last year. It is always satisfying to the regular viewer when the show continues themes, plots, topics and character growth from previous episodes. In fact the opening of Groundwork was taken up with a number 'previously on NCIS: Los Angeles', making reference to Hetty & Akhos (Mother), Callen and Hetty's job, Callen and Anna, and the last appearance of CIA officer Veronica Stephens.  All in all, the scene is set for a busy episode.

The case of the week is triggered with Hetty sending a seemingly straight forward message (via Nell), for Callen and Sam to meet her in the boat shed. In typical Hetty fashion, the guys appear, Hetty is AWOL and instead they find CIA Officer Veronica Stephens, who was also expecting to meet Ms Lange. Hetty helped out the CIA in Cuba the previous year (yes, 'that' mission) and in return, asked the CIA to help agricultural scientist Dr Joseph Olonga leave Nigeria as his work and patents in emerging agricultural technologies made him a kidnapping risk. The CIA successfully escorted him to Los Angeles but he has since gone missing, the same morning Veronica staved off an attacker with a syringe. 

There is little empathy built for the cause of the 'good doctor', as he is constantly referred (is that not the name of another show on a rival network)? His character is not fleshed out and neither is the potential threat his prototypes and patents pose.  Instead the focus is on character interactions, particularly with Callen and Sam, and Callen and Veronica. Kensi and Deeks still had roles in the episode, and their banter was on par with expectations, however it was unusual and noticeable that they were absence for the first 15 minutes.  Banter was rife between all sets of partners, and even those that do not often share too much screen time.  Sam and Callen had some interesting conversations whilst driving, especially when Sam finally verbalised what most have known for a while, that Callen is drawn to women who are 'deceitful, deadly, beautiful'. There have been occasional references by Callen, of women trying to kill him, or not being who he thinks they are, although it is quite concerning that he doesn't believe he is duped by certain types of women! Enter CIA Officer Veronica Stephens. The chemistry between her and Callen (evident in her first appearance 'Heist') develops further as the episode progresses with them both playing the flirting game as part of the case. There is no serious intent on either side but it is fun to watch. 

During the early part of the episode, much is made of Hetty's no-show and the games she plays. Sam and Callen understand it is just her way, even though they are not happy with the situation, causing Sam to state they wouldn't be having the conversation if Callen was in charge. The same question has been asked in four consecutive episodes, strongly suggesting this will happen in some form this season. More pertinent is Nell's public acknowledgement that she has lost Hetty's confidence and resorts to tracking Hetty, discovering she left the US for Greece to take Ahkos' ashes home. Likewise, the reference to Callen finding Anna is another reminder that she will make an appearance soon.

Prominent throughout is the intense lack of trust between NCIS and the CIA. This is ingrained since the mole arc from seasons 6-8. Veronica's last appearance exposed the presence of a mole within the CIA and despite her presence in the boatshed and the attempt on her life, she continues to play games. Sam and Callen have to work hard to obtain any information, resulting in the latter becoming  somewhat angry with her in the airport hangar. Veronica is an interesting character. She is charismatic, secretive, smarmy, selfish sexy and cold. She betrays no emotion when the team reveal they found the severed body of a CIA colleague who escorted Olonga to LA.

There is a lot of dialogue (in cars, in Ops, on the street, in the boat shed) but two scenes in particular stand out as quite brutal, so much so that Kensi struggles with them. Firstly she witnesses a suspect leap from a trailer to the cab, lose his grip and get run over - it is not left to the imagination but seen. Secondly she finds the severed head in a car trunk. Kensi does not usually have such an adverse reaction to violence. Could her sensitiveness be connected to her desire to have children, or was it just a bad day?  There are no intimate talks between the married couple but their banter, like that of Sam and Callen, is on par, especially with Deeks stating he's the 'dude' and Kensi is the 'man'. Deeks had some fun one on one scenes with Eric, sharing quick repartee to persuade Eric he could successfully retrieve cell phone data. Eric's success is demonstrated with a grand entrance in to Ops, with dramatic 'Frankenstein-type' music and him projecting the words 'it's alive'...only for him to (temporarily) fail!  Deeks also had fun during the episodes climax when he suggests smoking out the enemy. It eventually triggers his comment about not being able to see because of the smoke and almost leads to Callen's demise. Deeks can see the bad guy taking aim on an unsuspecting Callen but Deeks can't see well enough to aim. His shot distracts the bad guy, allowing Callen to kill him. Of course during the closing bar scene, Deeks milks the moment and Callen refuses to acknowledge it as a save. It falls to Sam to have the funniest line; when answering Veronica's question about how she would go to the restroom after Callen handcuffed her to the table in the interrogation room, he answers with 'There's a trapdoor in the floor, try not to fall in.'

Overall Groundwork is an enjoyable episode. The case of the missing doctor was most definitely secondary to the characters and their interplay. Despite the gruesome deaths along the way, it never feels like the team are frantically searching for him or his prototypes. The huge bonus of the episode was how all characters were on form, with continuing references to what can now be seen as the season 11 story arcs (namely Callen taking Hetty's position and Callen searching for Anna). As arcs go, it could be a touch painful to prolong this. Hetty has been missing for most of the last three seasons and Anna comes and goes a few times a season (appearance-wise).  Callen has been overlooked a touch recently (covered by several Callen-centric episodes last season), and more character development outside of his past/parent issues is welcomed. If/when Hetty leaves, the dynamic of the team will change and most likely see the introduction of a new field agent. As always, the best arcs involve the entire team and there are still many episodes left for as yet unseen storylines.

A Virtual Scrawl