Cast Commentary #3

Kimbar: Okay, so let's bring this Cast Commentary to an open. This episode had a lot of great stuff in it - we got to know some new characters, we got to see how some of the relationships work (or don't), and we started really getting into the central mystery with Arianna and her research at the library. I love how the Arianna scenes are done - one of the problems that can arise in fiction is giving the reader too much backstory - too much inside into the character's motivations. I feel like this scene with Arianna gave us just enough teaser to be really, really curious as to why she's so interested in Mariel, while giving us enough hints to draw our own conclusions. 

Neale: Sometimes characters get lost in research, and the reader loses interest. I didn't, which was a pretty good thing, I think =)

Rowan: In a mystery, especially, it's easy to get bogged down with backstory. 

Rowan: I agree. That can be a real challenge. Using the library was a great idea.

Neale: It worked for me.

Noel: Doling out little bits of Arianna's true intentions was really fun =)

Neale: It wasn't as dense as other mysteries that I've read, which made it continue to be captivating.

Rowan: We get to see Tatiana, the librarian, in action and also Ghiera and the school.

Noel: The dual purpose of the scene =)

Noel: Arianna gives the reader backstory and we get to see Ghiera and Tatiana at work.

Rowan: =)

Kimbar: It was very refreshing. There wasn't a lot of deep connections to make that made it confusing, but there were enough little gems for the reader to go, "Wait a second...I totally get what's going on there!" 

Noel: I love trying to create those "wait as second!" moments for the reader.  

Rowan: I admit that I read that scene several times trying to put everything together. 

Noel: =D That's great, Rowan! I guess I did my job then!! 

Rowan: Yes. You definitely did. 

Rowan: I felt like I should be taking notes or something... lol 

Noel: I know Arianna isn't a very likable character -- not very approachable. I really tried with her. 

Rowan: Arianna comes off as someone with a laser-sharp focus. 

Neale: You know, I liked Arianna. 

Neale: Like all of your characters, Noel, she's always very real. And I appreciate that about her. 

Noel: Thank you, Neale. 

Kimbar: I completely agree with that. She makes me want to get to know her better - both because of her mystery and because of her personality. 

Rowan: I agree. Arianna is intriguing and she really does drive Season 1 forward. 

Noel: Sometimes it was hard to remember what had been revealed or not yet. Did anyone else run into that with their characters?

Neale: Noel, I did, sometimes. 

Neale: Trying to keep everything in order can be tricky, with so many interconnected plots.

Kimbar: I only had one character, so I didn't have to sorry about what had been revealed so much - my bigger worry was with making sure nothing I described countered someone else's description of the same thing. But I don't think Kitty had any POV scenes in this episode. She only showed up in Kennedy's scenes.

Noel: Kitty has a really big secret though!

Kimbar: There's another character in this episode that I really liked - I wish we'd gotten to see more of her. Rei. She was really introduced in this episode, and she was introduced by you, Rowan, right?

Rowan: Yes.

Noel: The Ranger with a heart of gold. 

Neale: I loved how you introduced her, Rowan. 

Neale: And how you introduced her space - the cherry tree, her backyard. 

Rowan: It was a lot of fun for me to do that. I spent quite a bit of time looking at the images Sky had posted of Rei's house.

Rowan: And I imagined what it would be like to walk into that space.

Rowan: I was very happy that Skye was pleased with it.

Rowan: That's what works for me as a writer. I imagine myself there and it's easy to see it. 

Rowan: I wanted to make sure the tree figured prominently. 

Noel: That is a really nice thing about the private writers' forum. We can post pictures and everything of the characters and spaces even if we can't post them publicly because of copyright.

Neale: Absolutely.

Neale: Without that, I'd be lost. A lot =D

Rowan: Yes. And Skye had taken a lot of care with Rei's surroundings. 

Noel: I think, with a group project like this, you almost *have* to have a private forum where the writers can interact and exchange ideas. 

Rowan: I agree. Otherwise we'd end up re-covering a lot of ground. 

Neale: Absolutely 

Rowan: I was actually very pleased when Skye asked if I thought Rei and Roisin would be good friends. 

Rowan: Because from the first time I "met" Rei, I liked her and wanted our characters to interact. 

Kimbar: Skye definitely created a very beautiful and distinct home for Rei, and Rowan - I felt like you really brought it to life.

Rowan: Thank you, Kimbar.

Kimbar: I write for Kitty, who is also supposed to be friends with Rei, but unfortunately in this episode Kennedy puts a kibosh on the two of them interacting anymore. It's interesting seeing, in this episode, how different characters view one particular person. You have Roisin, who is very close friends with and views her as a very peaceful and beautiful person - inside and out - and you have Kennedy, who sees Rei as an enemy trying to break her and Kitty apart.

Rowan: Good point.

Rowan: It think that dynamic between Kitty and Kennedy is really interesting.

Rowan: And I'm glad we had a couple going through those issues.

Neale: That's definitely something that we have - a variety of types of relationships. 

Neale: Which is important, because different readers are going to relate to different relationships. 

Rowan: I agree. 

Noel: Something for everyone. 

Noel: That's what I like to think Mariel Cove has. 

Kimbar: I feel like the argument scene between Kitty and Kennedy was one of my favorites in this episode; I may be biased because it has my character in it, but honestly I feel like the scene was handled so realistically. I could feel Kitty's exasperation and Kennedy's explosive mood swings were so perfectly placed - she's clearly unstable.

Neale: I really liked it too, Kimbar.

Neale: It started my real fascination with Kennedy's character. 

Rowan: And then there's that moment when Madison fakes her orgasm. That's just ... painful.

Noel: So raw!

Neale: Definitely.

Neale: That might be my favorite of Madison's scenes of the whole series.

Rowan: I think it is mine.

Rowan: The sequence of events that begin earlier that day.

Neale: Thanks, Rowan =)

Noel: The crazy thing is, Madison is not one of my favorite characters...but her scenes throughout the season are so real and raw and sincere that I love them!

Rowan: I think readers are going to relate to that feeling of a relationship slipping away.

Noel: You're just that good, Neale.

Neale: Aw, Noel =) Thank you.

Kimbar: That whole scene between Madison and Emery was painful - and it's also one of my favorites in this episode. It's a good juxtaposition for the relationship that Tatiana and Ghiera have and the relationship Kitty and Kennedy have. You've got one great relationship, one terrible relationship, and this one in the middle that's just...probably the most painful of the relationships. Plus, there are kids...and that always complicates things.

Neale: Always.

Rowan: So true.

Neale: Other than the research, that's kind of what this episode focused on, isn't it? Relationships.

Noel: Kind of the entire series!

Neale: True. Very true, Noel.

Rowan: And there's that nice bit of foreshadowing with Tal and Celeste.

Kimbar: It does seem like that. And then we end off with Aiden and Arianna. They're just getting a relationship going, and it's rocky, but there's a lot of passion and they both want to try.

Rowan: I like that those sparks begin in Episode 1 in the cafe and then land here.

Noel: Romantic relationships. Parent/child. Best friends. Several grandparents.

Noel: Some series are plot-driven but Mariel Cove really is relationship-driven.

Kimbar: We're just about done with our time. Does anybody have anything we haven't touched on that they want to put out there?

Noel: That's it for me =)

Neale: Nothing here =D

Rowan: I'm good.

Kimbar: Excellent =) It's been a pleasure chatting with all of you again.