#OfficialOBspecPrepLingo

So, yeah. Rachel has a Voldemort streak to her. At the end of Season 2, Rachel had no power. ZERO. But, what's a Rachel Duncan without a good power play? Nothing, that's what. Pick yourself up by your bootstraps and bionic eye and work with what you got, Duncan! 

Spoilers, dear. 

Good evening. My name is Rachel Duncan, the newly appointed director of the DYAD….wait. Wrong speech.

Let’s try that again.

Hello, loyal readers! theleashkid, at your service. Welcome to the Author’s Note for #OBspec Episode 3, “Partly Known and Partly Knower.”

Before we start, the #OBspec team wants to wish everyone who’s celebrating a very happy and safe holiday! And also anyone who’s not celebrating can go re-read #OBspec in a dark corner with a bowl of Lucky Charms and a beer instead of being subjected to awkward family gatherings. The rest of us are jealous.

Okay, let’s get the show on the road.

Tony Sawicki and the Contract of Doom: Bringing Tony back into the story was so exciting. He’s such a pleasure to write, and his dynamic with Sarah was so natural. But, man, was that scene with Nealon an emotional roller coaster. We knew early on that Nealon was going to offer Tony the contract now that he’s without a monitor. But the terms of the deal weren’t always so sweet. After we finally landed on exactly what DYAD would be willing to offer up, we spent days debating whether or not Tony should or shouldn’t sign. So will Tony sign the contract? Will he shred it? The answer is: it wasn’t our decision to make.

Delphine Cormier and the Angstily Slammed Door: HA! Gotcha! She’s not dead after all. Delphine’s return and her reunion with Cosima were always going to be tumultuous. Yes, Cosima’s glad Delphine’s alive. (Aren’t we all?) But Delphine, girl…WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO? Cosima’s a character who’s quick to anger (re: “Yeah, it showed” and “I’m the science! GET OUT”) and, on top of that, she’s already in an emotional place after finding out that Sarah’s sequence is basically useless. She’s relieved, exhausted, and angry. But, she still allows herself the breakdown even though she knows Delphine is on the other side of that door. That scene is a carefully constructed mess of emotions on both ends. Rightfully so. Your girlfriend was dying, Delphine. Where the hell have you been???

Gracie Johansson and the Super Cute Antique Store Escapade: Oh. My. God. I did not realize how much I loved Mark and Gracie until I started writing them. Their story moves a little slower compared to the rest of the action happening, but it’s important to establish their reliance on and love for each other in a normal setting, isolated in their perfect (for now) little bubble. While Gracie developed some autonomy toward the end of Season 2, let’s not forget that she’s a 16 year old girl, the only home and family she ever knew was burnt to the ground, and she’s carrying a baby that isn’t even hers. Things are a little scary right now. And here’s Mark, who’s telling her everything will be just fine. It feels good to believe him. Trust me, Independent Woman Gracie Johansson is not gone for good. But realizing her agency against her father is much different than realizing it against Mark, especially when he’s the only thing she’s got right now.

Rachel Duncan and the Neolution Takeover: At the end of Season 2, Rachel Duncan had nothing. She threw Cosima to the vultures and then proceeded to lose Sarah, Kira, her father, her alliance with Marion, all her power and corporate street-cred, and, of course, her eyeball. No one was on Team Rachel. Except, well, Rachel. When we were deciding what to do with this character who is so motivated by power and manipulation, it seemed clear. DYAD needed a new director, and Rachel was in a unique position to stake her claim. But, Rachel’s also opening up a new chapter of Neolution, slightly changing the philosophy. It’s not who you want to be anymore. Under Rachelution, it’s who you were meant to be. It’s a slight and subtle change of ideals, but for Rachel, preaching a philosophy about achieving the perfect self seemed only fitting.

Helena and the Hail Mary: I wrote Helena’s final scene of Episode 3 while I was sitting in a hallway at school waiting to go into class. Not the wisest move, since I was shaking for an hour afterwards. Tapping into that completely visceral place is exhausting, but the emotional punch of the scene was worth it. Helena’s regression was something we desperately wanted to explore, but we knew the only way to get her there was to make her believe Sarah betrayed her. It’s cruel, and it’s dark, but it’s necessary. Because if Helena taps back into the person she was before she met Sarah, there’s no telling what will happen next.

Concept Trailer for obspec's EPISODE 3: PARTLY KNOWN AND PARTLY KNOWER