You’ve probably seen enough TV series to have come across this name more than once. From the mid-‘90s and all the way into the ‘10s, David Nutter’s directorial career has spanned an impressive number of television pilots—of the 20 he has directed thus far, 16 were picked up by networks. So, if you’ve got a show you want to see take off, Mr Nutter is the man you want handling your pilot.

With several prestigious awards under his belt, including 3 Emmys and a Hugo, the American director has demonstrated a marvellous versatility in terms of theme and style when shooting his pilots, establishing a remarkable streak that has turned him into a favourite of many showrunners. For good reason, too, so it’s worth taking a moment to analyse David Nutter’s evolution as a director and understand what it is, exactly, that makes him so… awesome.

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The Early Days

David lost his father at a young age, and he was raised by a single mother. Growing up, the future storyteller found comfort and magic in the world of comic books. He would often cut characters out and study their angles, sometimes coming up with characters of his own—a director’s persona was gradually shaping up before he even knew it.

Alas, Mr Nutter grew up imagining himself as the next Frank Sinatra, enrolling in the University of Miami to pursue a musical education. It wasn’t long before he realized that it wasn’t a road he truly wished to take, so he enrolled in a Super 8 film class in the early ‘80s with the intention of perhaps going on to write music for movies, instead. It was during that particularly formative period that he decided to become a director, blaming Warren Beatty’s ‘Reds’ (1981) for the final nudge.

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The Budding Career

‘Cease Fire’ (1985), starring Don Johnson, was David Nutter’s first credited project, the first of few features he has ever done. But it was ’21 Jump Street’ (1987-1991), created by Stephen J. Cannell and Patrick Hasburgh, and featuring a young, wide-eyed Johnny Depp, that propelled Nutter into the television industry. He directed three episodes of the series and worked on a few other projects before he was brought on to do the pilot for ‘Space: Above and Beyond’ (1995-1996), a sci-fi adventure series created by Glen Morgan and James Wong. That was his very first pilot. I suppose you never forget your first.

Shortly afterwards, Mr Nutter joined Morgan and Wong on Chris Carter’s ‘The X-Files’ (1993-2018), for which he directed 15 of what would later become some of the show’s most memorable episodes. Worth mentioning here: ‘Ice’, inspired by the John Carpenter classic ‘The Thing’ (1982); ‘Beyond the Sea’, which sees Brad Dourif delivering a most brilliant performance; ‘Firewalker’, starring the young but decidedly promising Bradley Whitford; and ‘Little Green Men’, which kickstarted the series’ second season and further cemented ‘The X-Files’ as a grand work of science fiction mystery.

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The Pilot Whisperer

After ‘Space: Above and Beyond’ and his work on ‘The X-Files’, David Nutter’s talents were in high demand, reason for which he was able to carefully choose what projects he wished to be involved with—a privilege few TV directors have, if you think about it. Given how well he got along with Chris Carter, it’s no surprise that Mr Nutter was asked to direct the pilot for ‘Millennium’ (1996-1999), followed by three more episodes in the series, including one of my own personal favourites, ‘Gehenna’.

A year later, he gave the feature-length format another shot with ‘Disturbing Behavior’ (1998), starring the most wide-eyed James Marsden, Katie Holmes, and Nick Stahl I’ve ever seen. In an interview with DGA’s Quarterly Magazine, Nutter described the project as ‘a terrible experience’, the worst he’s ever had. The flop was quickly smothered by another television hit, however, as Nutter was given the opportunity to shoot the pilot for ‘Roswell’ (1999-2002) and James Cameron’s ‘Dark Angel’ (2000-2002), both tremendous successes with their respective audiences.

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He was reunited with his beloved comic book medium soon afterward upon shooting the pilot for ‘Smallville’ (2001-2011), the first television success of superhero-inspired tales since… whew, ‘The Flash’ (1990-1991). That same year, Nutter won his first Emmy award for his directing work on ‘Band of Brothers’ (2002), a precious accolade that would later triple through another alignment with HBO.

The pilot for ‘Supernatural’ (2005-2020) sort of made history, as it spawned one of the longest running and most beloved shows of the small screen. Nutter stayed with the series for one more episode before moving on. Four years later, he directed the pilot for ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ (2008-2009), starring Lena Headey and Summer Glau, and ‘The Mentalist’ (2008-2015), the latter remembered as high among the best scripted TV series of the entire decade. Mr Nutter only had 9 weeks to prepare, shoot, and edit the memorable episode which graced us with Simon Baker’s first and truly stellar performance as Patrick Jane.

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While I won’t be listing all of his pilots here, I will mention the work he did for ‘Arrow’ (2012-2020) and ‘The Flash’ (2014), the latter a CW reboot of the popular DC Comics speedster superhero, as both pertain to Nutter’s appreciation of the comic book medium. Of course, while he is recognized as ‘the pilot whisperer’ by most in the industry, his streak of successful firsts was broken ten years ago, when CBS chose not to pick up Rina Mimoun’s ‘The Doctor’. It hasn’t stopped him from directing exceptional episodes, though.

The Magnificent Contributions

Some of Nutter’s non-pilot works can be traced across multiple genres and networks, from his ‘100,000 Airplanes’ episode for Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The West Wing’ (1999-2006) and Michael Crichton’s ‘ER’ (1994-2009) to ‘Join the Club’ for ‘The Sopranos’ (1999-2007), which earned him yet another Emmy nod, and the 10 episodes he executed for ‘Entourage’ (2004-2011). By then, he was a darling of the Home Box Office for their serialized projects.

One of his best-loved forays into established series was the ‘Game On’ episode he did for ‘Homeland’ (2011-2020). Claire Danes’ character was tragically complicated and struggled against so many inner demons, yet she was able to go in and out of Carrie Mathison’s skin with the flip of a switch. Much like James Gandolfini before her, it became clear to Nutter that actors want to be directed, whether they’re dealing with the pilot or any of the episodes that follow.

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Every other year, John Wells and Paul Abbott’s ‘Shameless’ (2011-2021) requested David’s experienced guidance for some of its episodes. The results were as expected—hilarious, profound, and startlingly dynamic. But it was Nutter’s work on HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ (2011-2019) that brought him two more Emmy awards, and deservedly so.

He did 9 episodes for the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’-inspired series, including the infamous ‘The Rains of Castamere’ and ‘The Dance of Dragons’. For the former, Nutter explained in an interview that the stakes were ridiculously high and the pressure almost crushing, as he’d been invited to do The Red Wedding earlier during season 2. By the time he got around to shooting the actual scene, the director decided to tackle the banquet massacre sequentially.

‘In some respects, I looked at it almost as an opera. It was all about how I set up the tables in the room, how I positioned who was going to sit where. […] It was sort of like dominos, where we could keep the tonality going so when we got to the really intense stuff, we were shooting it one after the other and building on top of the drama—building to a climax’, Nutter told DGA’s Quarterly Magazine. Yet it was the finale of season 5, ‘Mother’s Mercy’, that got the Emmy for Outstanding Directing.

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The Director’s Approach

For David Nutter, the craft of televised storytelling hangs on the emotional element. He won’t pick up an episode—be it a pilot or not—if the screenplay doesn’t move him, if the story being told doesn’t stir him on a deeper level. As a director, he follows the script, first and foremost, which is why the writing is so important. ‘I don’t like to be noticed. I don’t want to be someone whose shot takes you out of the dramatic sequence or takes you out of the emotional story that you’re trying to tell’, he says. The focus is always on making the story connect with the audience.

Working closely with the writers, Nutter is keen on forging tight bonds with the cast and crew, as well, which is why he dedicates a significant amount of time in dealing with the actors individually, taking them to hang around the sets and filming locations prior to the actual shooting so they can get a feel for their world and their characters within it. Over the years, he has built lasting rapports with specific industry professionals across different projects. Why, he’s done 10 pilots with editor Paul Karasick alone.

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Another aspect of his work is in the storyboard. Mr Nutter does many and plenty and more on top, in order to get as deep into the story as possible before the cameras even roll. This helps develop and illustrate the tone and attitude of the episode, which then translates into an organic cohesion between the show’s production departments—from the director of photography to the editor and the VFX technicians, to name but a few.

Given his success as a TV director, it’s normal to hear David Nutter say he is bombarded with pitches almost every day. Yet it’s the script that he’s usually interested in. Sure, the pitch might get a screenwriter through the door, perhaps, but if the story doesn’t captivate the director, he simply won’t touch it.

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And while he prefers pilots with their complete ‘birthing process’, he has also developed a keen sense of understanding for the directors that come in after him. After ‘Arrow’, Nutter arranged a big breakfast with the other directors, making sure they all sat down and watched the episode prior to starting work on the show. ‘A lot of times directors in television will come to a series, and they kind of feel like the odd man out’, he said.

He gladly references Sidney Lumet and Mark Rydell when describing his approach to helping the actors find their characters in the pilot. He declares himself a fan of rehearsals—most of the times. Other times, he says, blocking rehearsals altogether helps produce a certain kind of honesty one won’t get after a thorough repetition.

©JASON LAVERIS/FILMMAGIC

Nutter also acknowledges that there’s a common thread for the pilots of his choice. ‘I’m attracted to shows where the characters have a void in their life. It’s that deep emotional thing the audience can grasp onto that I try to bring out as a director.’

David Nutter has already established himself as the kind of specialist that any showrunner would want to work with. His devotion and detailed involvement have brought him additional executive producer credits since ‘Millennium’ on almost every episode under his care. He has directed the pilots for some of my all-time favourite series, and so I’ve learned to pay more attention to the opening credits of any show that I might be into next. There’s a chance he’ll be the creative engine behind that one, too.

There are few people on the screen that have had a lasting impact on my senses. Few performances that I am tempted to go back to, over and over, and enjoy as much as I did the first time. Which is why I’m so pleased to talk about Cara Gee. Truth be told, I knew nothing about her before ‘The Expanse’ (2015), but once she came up in season 2, I was struck and intrigued. By the end of season 5, I was irreversibly enthralled, having watched her grow and shine.

Born in Calgary, Alberta, Ms Gee is a proud Ojibwe and one of the few First Nations actors in the entire film and TV industry. While I do believe that North America can and should do infinitely better in terms of Indigenous representation, I am glad that Cara Gee has broken through and asserted herself as the exquisite artist that she is.

©THE 39TH ANNUAL AMERICAN INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2014

She got her start in theatre, building up a grand reputation on the Toronto scene. Among her most memorable stage performances one will find Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Penelopiad’, a rewriting of ‘The Odyssey’ from Penelope’s perspective; Daniel MacIvor’s ‘Arigato, Tokyo’, which follows a Canadian author on a publicity tour in Japan falling in love amidst the sacred stages of Noh theatre and the vibrant dance clubs; and ‘The Rez Sisters’, a two-act play written by Cree Canadian writer Tomson Highway which blends the sometimes darker aspects of living on a First Nations reserve with humour and bits of Aboriginal spirituality.

Her TV break came with the role of Alicia Pratta in ‘King’ (2011-2012), the Canadian procedural created by Bernard Zukerman and Greg Spottiswood, followed by an appearance in ‘Republic of Doyle’ (2010-2014). Shortly afterwards, Cara Gee made her way onto the silver screen and into the international limelight as Lena in ‘Empire of Dirt’ (2013), an independent feature film directed by Peter Stebbings. It brought her a Best Actress nomination at the 2^nd Canadian Screen Awards for her portrayal of a single First Nations mother struggling to bridge an ever-growing generational gap from her mother to her daughter.

Its theme of First Nations pride prompted the actress to address her own heritage during an interview with Toronto Now, where she said: ‘I wish my granny [an activist and defender of First Nations rights] were here so she could see this… Part of the struggle of being First Nations is that so much has been taken from us. My granny was the last person in our family to speak Ojibway. She had babies in the ‘50s, and she didn’t teach them the language because they’d get beaten by their teachers for speaking it. It was easier not to know it.’

‘EMPIRE OF DIRT’ (2013), ©REDCLOUD STUDIOS

One year later, ‘Inhuman Condition’ cast Cara Gee as Tamar, one of its leads, an anxious and vulnerable young woman with a mysterious supernatural affliction that caused her to accidentally murder 306 people as a child. The web series was created and written by R.K Lackie and had a great run on the KindaTV YouTube channel in 2016, after having been selected for funding by The Independent Production Fund back in 2014.

But it was 2017 that became the take-off point for this remarkable First Nations actress when she took on the role of Camina Drummer in ‘The Expanse’, developed by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby for television and based on the eponymous novels by James S.A. Corey—a penname used by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, who also serve as executive producers alongside showrunner Naren Shankar. At first, Camina Drummer was a recurring role, a faithful assistant to Fred Johnson and Belter head of security of Tycho Station. By season 4, however, the character became known as one of the best female leads of science fiction due to Ms Gee’s stupendous performance, which is driven gloriously by a most artful emotional intensity.

‘THE EXPANSE’ (2015), ©ALCON ENTERTAINMENT/AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

Going from a Belter nobody to captain of Medina Station and ultimately captain of her own crew on the Dewalt, a scavenger ship run by a polyamorous family, Camina Drummer can be effortlessly described as a masterpiece for both theatrical skill and social representation. Cara Gee may not be the first Indigenous lead on the small screen, but she is certainly one of its best—and she has put plenty of her Indigenous identity into Drummer.

In response to a comment by Mr Shankar from the New York Comic Con talks back in 2019 referring to the historical precedents incorporated into the show’s political world-building, Ms Gee said: ‘I think that’s why having such a diverse cast is such a huge asset to the story because we all bring our unique points of view to this story. I’m an indigenous woman and so, for me, of course I look at Belter issues from that perspective, and I think that’s part of what makes this story special.’

She went on to add that, for her, Belter issues such as access to clean air and water are painfully relevant, considering that there are still so many First Nations reserves that do not have access to clean water across the North American continent. When the Ring Gate opened in season 3, thus providing an opportunity for human exploration, one cannot help but observe the historical reference made to the European invasion of America—which makes Cara Gee’s presence on the show downright crucial.

‘THE EXPANSE’ (2015), ©ALCON ENTERTAINMENT/AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

Another aspect that makes Drummer such a wonderful character in terms of representation is her positioning at the head of a polyamorous family, one of the many reasons why season 5 has been such a spectacular rollercoaster ride, to begin with. In the show, her plural marriage is sometimes referred to as a ketubah, and it’s a place of comfort and solace for her character after having experienced traumatic losses (Klaes Ashford, Fred Johnson, and presumably Naomi Nagata). For Ms Gee, this development was enticing, to say the least.

‘I was so excited that we got to represent this polyamorous Belter family. I think that respectful representation of polyamory is nowhere to be seen in the television landscape, and I’m so proud that we did that. I think that for our queer fans to see Drummer finally get hers is so satisfying’, she told Screen Rant in an interview, adding that ‘nobody shipped Drummer and Naomi harder than me and Dominique. […] So, to finally see her – I wouldn’t say happy under the circumstances of the show – but happy with the relationship, is really beautiful. The relationship between all of those polyamorous characters is so tender and vulnerable.’

‘THE EXPANSE’ (2015), ©ALCON ENTERTAINMENT/AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

Alas, the good times do not last. Drummer is soon forced to make gut-wrenching choices as captain of her crew/family, to whom she is bound through a love and devotion as powerful as the emotions that once bound her to the aforementioned and recently departed.

She has no choice but to cooperate with Marco Inaros, the terrorist whom she once spared only to watch him kill her friend Ashford by tossing him through an airlock. If she wishes to keep her ship and her people safe, Drummer must join Inaros’s Free Navy. Oksana, her partner and lover advises her to make this sacrifice, while Drummer becomes consumed with rage and guilt. Unavoidably, she hits rock bottom and comes apart completely before she finds the strength and resolve needed to push through and rise against Inaros’s tyranny.

‘THE EXPANSE’ (2015), ©ALCON ENTERTAINMENT/AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

The entire performance of Cara Gee as Camina Drummer is a spectacular tour de force, unlike anything I have ever seen. Her emotional intensity breaks boundaries and transfers itself onto the viewers. Her power transcends the screen and the universe itself, as she is broken down into bits and pieces for everyone to see before she comes back up and smashes into anyone and anything threatening to take those she loves away. She doesn’t plan on making the same mistakes twice.

Having followed the show since the beginning, I find myself genuinely impressed by Ms Gee’s range as an actress, effortlessly going from the proud, strong and ruthless Drummer of earlier seasons to the softer and deeply emotional Drummer of this penultimate arc in the series. Knowing that this is still the early stage of her acting career, I can’t help but feel excited as I look forward to what other projects await her in the future, given that ‘The Expanse’ is set to end with its sixth season later this year.

‘THE EXPANSE’ (2015), ©ALCON ENTERTAINMENT/AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

Despite her onscreen growth, however, Cara Gee has yet to abandon her first love, the theatre. As early as 2019, she played May in Sam Shepard’s ‘Fool for Love’, a story that explores the fiery love-hate dynamic of a couple. The play ran from July until August of that year at Soulpepper Theatre Company and was met with a plethora of radiant reviews. In an interview with Muskrat Magazine, Ms Gee delved into the complexity of May and Eddie’s relationship and the play’s treatment of toxic masculinity:

‘We are seeing a couple who are really struggling with violence. It’s not just Eddie. May is also perpetrating physical violence against Eddie – we are looking at how we break this cycle, and what actions they should take to treat each other with kindness and respect. We see a lot of them getting it wrong. We see a lot of a certain kind of entitlement to each other’s bodies.’

 ‘FOOL FOR LOVE’ (2019), ©DAHLIA KATZ

In 2018, Cara Gee played Phoebe to Kristian Bruun’s Damon in ‘Red Rover’, a romantic comedy that follows a lonely geologist who is disappointed in his life on Earth and tries to qualify for a one-way mission to Mars. Directed by Shane Belcourt, the film sparkled on the independent circuit, earning Ms Gee a Rising Star Award at the Whistler Film Festival.

Two years later, she appeared as Françoise in ‘The Call of the Wild’ (2020) alongside Omar Sy and Harrison Ford—an adventure film based on Jack London’s 1903 novel and directed by Chris Sanders of ‘Lilo & Stitch’ (2002) fame. It was met with a mixture of hot and cold, truth be told, but mostly because of the audience’s discontent with what the Razzie Awards called ‘that totally fake-looking CGI dog’.

‘THE CALL OF THE WILD’ (2020), ©20TH CENTURY STUDIOS

Her star is still rising, though. According to multiple sources, Cara Gee and Mpho Koaho, the latter known for his roles in ‘Falling Skies’ (2011-2015) and ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ (2016-2017), are set to star in ‘Levels’, a forthcoming sci-fi thriller written and directed by Adam Stern, with principal photography set to begin this year. Marking Stern’s feature directorial debut, the story follows Joe, a man who risks everything (including reality itself, according to the logline) to discover the truth about his girlfriend’s death.

When talking about his choice to work with Ms Gee, Stern said: ‘Cara’s phenomenal work as Drummer on “The Expanse” consistently blows me away, a combination of elegance and ferocity that’s perfect for Aislinn. I can’t wait to see [her] breathe life into [this role].’

My thoughts exactly.

This year’s pilot season is considered ‘unfinished business’ by many, as pilots have been ordered but few to none were shot. Even so and in these unprecedented circumstances as we battle a global pandemic that halted jobs, careers, and numerous cinematic projects, it still feels like business as usual in May of 2020. Three of the five broadcast networks have begun picking up series from the pool of pilot orders.

‘B Positive’, CBS’ new comedy, is the only one based on a completed pilot. The others were straight-to-series orders encouraged by two or more scripts and the creative reputations of their proposed showrunners. Forced to deal with expensive decisions (a high-end drama series could go anywhere between $50 million and $80 million), the networks have taken some measures to minimize the risk of investment by opting for projects that are either based on well-known IP’s or come from popular and accomplished creators/producers. Also considered are any big stars or big commitments attached to the project, though ideally the networks do prefer a combination of two or more from the above.

CHUCK LORRE AT PALEYFEST 2013

Over the past couple of weeks, seven straight-to-series orders have been made. Two of them are reboots (‘The Equalizer’ from CBS with Queen Latifah, ‘Kung Fu’ from the CW), one is a sequel to an iconic film (‘Clarice’ from CBS, a follow-up to ‘The Silence of the Lambs’), and one is a book adaptation (‘Big Sky’ from ABC, based on Cassie Dewell’s book series). We’ll also be seeing a ‘Walker Texas Ranger’ reboot starring Jared Padalecki of ‘Supernatural’ fame, and ‘Superman & Lois’, both straight-to-series orders by the CW since January.

Greg Berlanti and Chuck Lorre are CBS and the CW’s aces up the sleeve. Mr Berlanti’s company produces ‘Kung Fu’ and ‘Superman & Lois’, while Mr Lorre is a co-creator and executive producer of ‘B Positive’. The former also has nine other series on the CW, while the latter has three successful comedies on CBS. On top of that, Alex Kurtzman, CBS All Access/CBS TV Studio MVP and the architect behind the newer ‘Star Trek’ universe and co-creator of ‘Hawaii Five-O’, will be taking on the ‘Clarice’ project—likely his most ambitious endeavour yet.

David E. Kelley, one of the best TV creators of the past thirty years, will be writing and executive producing ‘Big Sky’, while Kari Lizer of ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’ fame will create and produce ‘Call Your Mother’, ABC’s newly picked comedy series featuring Kyra Sedgwick. ‘Young Rock’ will be put together by ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ creator Nahnatchka Khan and Dwayne Johnson for NBC, as well as ‘L.A. Mayor’, which will be helmed by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.

While no one can blame any of the networks for trying to play it safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s hard to deny the benefits of an actual pilot season, which has repeatedly been the way to go through screenings and testing of dark-horse projects that might end up being incredibly popular—CBS’s ‘Blue Bloods’ and ABC’s ‘Grey Anatomy’ are but two examples. Broadcasters still plan on shooting some pilots later this year, but most will be rolled into the next pilot season.

There are also a few promising titles based on original ideas that don’t bear the usual signatures of NBC and Fox producers, which are the only networks that haven’t yet ordered series for any of their pilots. Among them, NBC’s ‘Debris’ and ‘Ordinary Joe’ stand out, along with Fox’s ‘Blood Relative’.

The current disruption of the flawed broadcast development cycle is clear, though, and it comes with unexpected benefits in the long run. Today’s programming choices might seem conventional to most, but the pilot season has been forced to change its pattern. Many doubt it will ever go back to pre-pandemic standards, which might in turn help bring fresh ideas to the table and push broadcasters into taking more chances without hanging everything on a single pilot.

Of the directors who carved their place into the history of cinema, Guillermo del Toro stands out as an inventive visionary, a master of the whimsical dread, and a father of monsters and curious creatures. His films are different from most in the fantasy genre, the result of multiple influences that have shaped the Mexican director over the years. Mr del Toro’s Lovecraftian accents and fatherly love for horror tale monsters are but two of the elements that have defined his cinematic art since before he even picked up his father’s Super 8 to film his own version of ‘Planet of the Apes’ (1968).

Starting with ‘Cronos’ (1993), his first feature-length movie, and going through ‘The Devil’s Backbone’ (2001), ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006), to his more recent ‘Pacific Rim’ (2013), ‘Crimson Peak’ (2015), and ‘The Shape of Water’ (2017), it is easy to spot the director’s love of everything weird and spine-tingling. But if one wishes to truly understand Guillermo del Toro, one must first journey from his Guadalajara childhood all the way into Bleak House, his beloved museum of creepy, fantastic and otherworldly. There is plenty to unpack.

‘PAN’S LABYRINTH’ (2006), ©ESTUDIOS PICASSO/WILD BUNCH

Monsters, Cinema, Death

These are the three things that best describe del Toro’s imagination and its cinematic manifestations. In ‘At Home with Monsters: Inside His Films, Notebooks, and Collections’, the companion book to the eponymous Los Angeles County Museum of Art exhibit from 2016, he writes: ‘When I was a child—a very young child—a hairline fracture became evident in my soul. I felt growingly disfranchised, puzzled, and at odds with the adult world. It was made up of rules and notions that were both alien and unexplained, and life came to feel like a rigged game. It was entirely composed of lies.’

As adults, we lie about almost everything—how much money we make, how tall we are, what our natural hair colour is, what our dreams are made of. We lie to others and we lie to ourselves, and yet we frown upon fantasy and consider it childish. It was this sense of creative injustice that fuelled del Toro’s love of stories ever since he was a little boy.

‘THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE’ (2001), ©EL DESEO/TEQUILA GANG

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1964, Guillermo del Toro was mostly raised by his Catholic grandmother. His childhood, which he frequently revisits in his films, was marred by repressed Catholicism and bullying classmates. It was saved by books, movies, and horror comics. He started drawing at a young age, much like the orphaned Jaime in ‘The Devil’s Backbone’, and he hasn’t stopped since. His notebooks are standalone works of art that have nurtured his imagination and have given birth to memorable monsters. It’s where he records ideas, lines of dialogue, various lists and images—food for his films, he’ll say.

His love of cinema comes from this period, too. He devoured pretty much any B-movie and horror film that he could find, as well as the more classical works from Alfred Hitchcock and Luis Buñuel. He loved the Universal monster movies that made it to Mexican television, and he voraciously consumed fan magazines. Del Toro taught himself English in order to understand the slang and puns of American periodicals like ‘Famous Monsters of Filmland’.

A YOUNG GUILLERMO DEL TORO WITH RON PERLMAN

In his teenage years, he worked as a projectionist for his local cinema club, watching several movies every week and passionately discussing them with other cinephiles. It was Luis Buñuel’s ‘Los Olvidados’ (1950) that proved the art value of cinema to a young del Toro, his love of film only matched by his love of comic books. Moebius (Jean Giraud), Frank Frazetta and Richard Corben count as his earlier influences in illustration. This later transpired into adulthood through his work on two Hellboy films with Mike Mignola.

There are a couple of other elements that were absorbed into his cinematic work. One came in the form of James Whale’s ‘Frankenstein’ (1931), as del Toro identified with the outsider status of Boris Karloff’s confused and abused monster. He found in Frankenstein an eloquent analogy to his directorial approach, since his movies are collages of used, discarded and different source materials that were given new life and purpose.

BORIS KARLOFF AS ‘FRANKENSTEIN’ (1931)

Growing up in ‘60s and ‘70s Guadalajara, Guillermo del Toro had several disturbing confrontations with death, the second other seminal element. He saw corpses in the streets more than once, as well as in a morgue and in the catacombs beneath the local church. He was pummelled by the notion of the original sin and even subjected to the horrors of exorcism because of his grandmother, in a useless attempt to obliterate his obvious love of monsters and fantasy. Today, the director is an outspoken critic of institutional Catholicism, saying: ‘The fantastic is the only tool we have nowadays to explain spirituality to a generation that refuses to believe in dogma or religion.’

In his films, the prospect of immortality that is promised in Catholic doctrines as a reward for obeying the church is translated into an arrogant desire that ultimately leads to the self-destruction of those who chase such wild dreams. In the end and despite the array of both wonderful and terrible experiences, del Toro walked into adulthood with a clear sense of belonging in the world of horror fantasy. ‘I really think I was born to exist in the genre’, he says. ‘I adore it. I embrace it. I enshrine it. I don’t look upon it or frown upon it in a way that a lot of directors do. For me, it’s not a steppingstone, it’s a cathedral.’

ANGEL OF DEATH SCULPTURE, INSPIRED BY ‘HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY’ (2008)

Themes, Influences, Inspiration

In his films, del Toro often asks an interesting question: what happens when two opposing frameworks for understanding the world confront one another? Different protagonists fight against forces of disorder, struggling in their own way. Some refuse to admit the futility of this war, while others learn to accept chaos, emerging victoriously with greater powers of their own.

Colour plays an essential role in the way he communicates his cinematic vision. In an interview with Keith McDonald and Roger Clark, Guillermo del Toro points to Federico Fellini as a key influence. The Italian director once said: ‘When I transitioned into colour, I made a point of having the colour tell the story.’ Following in his footsteps, Mr del Toro applied similar purpose to colour in his movies. For example, he patterned ‘Cronos’ with the colours of the alchemical process—black, red, white, and gold, with an addition of water and fire elements into the overall canvas.

‘Colour gives you the key of the film in the same way that some songs are better in one key than another, and [the keys] define the genre of the song’, the director said.

‘CRONOS’ (1993), ©CNCAIMC/GRUPO DEL TORO

Many of del Toro’s creations feature children as central characters. They are witnesses, victims, or agents. Frequently, they are able to perceive alternate realities, producing unfiltered emotions in a way that adults cannot. Most importantly, the director refuses to shield his young protagonists from fear, abandonment, harm, or death. Well read in folklore and fable literature, del Toro insists that children cannot be protected, that they are vulnerable—and fairy tales often prove it. His films will sometimes reference classic illustrated editions of children’s stories from the 19^th century, with one instance being Ophelia in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, who is dressed similarly to Alice in Wonderland as rendered by Arthur Rackham.

‘PAN’S LABYRINTH’ (2006), ©ESTUDIOS PICASSO/WILD BUNCH

Victoriana is a copious source of inspiration for Guillermo del Toro. The Victorian Period, loosely considered to cover the Romantic era and the Edwardian age, is thoroughly represented by Charles Dickens in the director’s mind. He named his beloved Los Angeles personal residence/museum of curiosities after the English writer’s ‘Bleak House’ novel. Houses in both Victorian novels and his films are endowed with pasts as complicated and unresolved as their inhabitants. Mr Dickens’s memorable melange of realism and fantasy is but one of his many influences that can be found across the whole span of del Toro’s work.

INSIDE BLEAK HOUSE, ©JOSHUA WHITE/JWPPICTURES.COM/LACMA

Filled with puzzles, talismanic items, secret keys and quests for forbidden knowledge, his films draw their strength from a vast collection on the topics of magic, witchcraft, and the occult. Many of his characters are scientists, whom he considers ‘contemporary successors to the monks and alchemists who explored the boundaries between the holy and the unholy’—this is brilliantly exemplified by the fourteenth-century alchemist who kickstarts the present-day action in ‘Cronos’ with his scarab-like device that gives immortality along with a thirst for blood.

Guillermo del Toro also cites H.P. Lovecraft as one of the key influences in his creative life, whose work is foundational to both the horror and science fiction genres. The American writer’s vivid expressions of madness, transformation and monstrosity have been the source of inspiration and frustration to numerous directors, and Mr del Toro is no exception. There is a smidge of Lovecraft in almost each of his films. ‘Lovecraft did something very interesting with the traditional Gothic and horror narrative. He brought a scientific and existential point of view to it’, says del Toro in his exhibition book.

LIFE-SIZE STATUE OF H.P. LOVECRAFT IN BLEAK HOUSE, ©CHRIS MOORE

However, it’s the freaks and the monsters that are the true building blocks of his films. To him, they’re all fascinating—the movie ones as much as those found in nature, literature, in myths and in art. ‘It’s either tragedy or superiority that makes a good monster’, del Toro notes. These creatures are beautiful and heroic in their individuality, and they are also mirrors of society’s hypocrisy. According to the director, ‘the conventional standards of perfection that surround us in commercial culture are corrosive, demonizing the imperfections that characterize us all.’

While he usually identifies with the tragic type of monster, Mr del Toro is equally skilled at creating truly horrifying and indestructible fiends, too. The creation process begins with him thinking of the monster as a character, not merely a mixture of terrifying elements or a force that impacts the plot in one way or another. The creature must be visually convincing from every single point of view. Most importantly, his monsters strive to be instantly recognizable, impossible to forget, and downright iconic.

Many of them have insect-like features and behaviours. They’re designed for survival, usually in an elegant manner, but they still manage to cause an emotional reaction of fear and revulsion in most people.

‘PACIFIC RIM’ (2013), ©WARNER BROS.

Bleak House

‘I built a house made of books, art, film, and monsters. A house of many stories: dark and stormy stories. A house with secret passages and sliding bookshelves and portraits that follow you as you walk by. I dreamt it all those years ago, alone in the dark, but I only got to build it at age forty-four’, Guillermo del Toro speaks fondly of his home. It inspired an extraordinary exhibition that could be admired at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Art Gallery of Ontario in recent years. Parts of his collections were taken from Bleak House and put on display for the whole world to see the creepy and wondrous things that make his mind click.

Bleak House isn’t just Guillermo del Toro’s residence. It is a cornucopia of objects, notebooks, maquettes, drawings, paintings, film concept art, and artefacts—assemblies of film memorabilia, art, and literature which he considers to be essential sources of inspiration. Bleak House feeds his very soul. These collections grow organically, not chaotically. Del Toro is precise and personally involved in the arrangement and curation of every object. There is purpose in this dedication, as Bleak House is crucial to his working process.

GUILLERMO DEL TORO IN BLEAK HOUSE WITH A LIFE-SIZE STATUE OF SCHLITZIE AND H.R. GIGER ORIGINAL ARTWORK, ©JOSH WHITE/JWPICTURES.COM

Life-size sculptures of Hans and Schlitzie from ‘Freaks’ (1932), Edgar Allan Poe, and H.P. Lovecraft are among the more memorable ‘residents’, along with a plethora of monster figurines, and portraits and/or miniatures of Forrest Ackerman, celebrated magazine editor and literary agent who once represented Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov, giants of science fiction; makeup effects legend Dick Smith, whom the director studied under; and revered stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen.

The house is crafted into thematic sections, and there is an enormous head of Frankenstein’s monster adorning the foyer. A history section includes busts of magicians Harry Houdini, Howard Thurston, Chung Ling Soo, and Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin. In the rain room, there is a life-size sculpture of Boris Karloff in chair as he’s transformed into Frankenstein’s monster by renowned horror makeup artist Jack Pierce. Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil from ‘The Exorcist’ (1973) is also present.

THE FOYER OF BLEAK HOUSE, ©JOSH WHITE/JWPICTURES.COM

One will find thousands of books, as well, of both fiction and non-fiction. Among his most prized possessions, Mr del Toro mentions the entire collection of ‘Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of the Supernatural’, a twenty-four volume set that was published in 1970, and which the director loved to pore over as a child. Alas, Bleak House is any fantasy and horror aficionado’s dream home.

Into the Future

Guillermo del Toro has recently finished penning the script for Disney’s upcoming ‘Pinocchio’ (2021) and ‘Nightmare Alley’ (2021), along with a sequel to ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ (2019). Mr del Toro has also found a certain joy in animation with ‘Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia’ (2016-2018), and he is currently moving ahead with ‘Wizards’, the third instalment of the Arcadia series.

For almost a decade, the director has struggled with a repeatedly cancelled adaptation of Lovecraft’s novella, ‘At the Mountains of Madness’, originally published in 1936. Refusing to surrender and constantly surrounded by portraits and busts of the writer at Bleak House, del Toro continues to plot and work on a way to bring this particular story to the silver screen.

GUILLERMO DEL TORO IN BLEAK HOUSE NEXT TO A LIFE-SIZE STATUE OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, ©JOSH WHITE/JWPICTURES.COM

Refusing distinctions between high and low culture, Guillermo del Toro is utterly unapologetic about what moves him in this life. Having found inspiration in the comics of Bernie Wrightson and Alan Moore, in TV shows like ‘The Twilight Zone’ (1959-1964) and ‘The Outer Limits’ (1963-1965), in the moving images of Federico Fellini and James Whale, and in the art of Francisco Goya and James Ensor, he uses his influences as instruments for crafting deeply philosophical themes.

Like an alchemist, del Toro takes these bits and pieces and transmutes them into incredible film worlds where monsters and innocents are given new purpose, driven by the very mystery and uncertainty that defines the human condition.

There have long been stories that address the ‘what if’ question regarding various aspects of human history. What if the German Nazis had won World War II? What if Charles Babbage had gone further with his Difference Engine, thus pushing Britain through a more technologically advanced Victorian Era? What if slavery had never been abolished? Crafting alternate pasts is but one subsection of the greater speculative fiction genre. It is also an incredibly creative process to imagine what an entire world would have been like, had certain events occurred differently or not at all.

It’s one thing to change snippets of history to better fit a true story into its compressed silver screen format, like tweaking a character’s timeline or the order of events in a biopic, for example. Such modifications have led critics to accuse many films of historical inaccuracies. Some of cinema’s worst offenders on that topic include ‘Alexander’ (2004), directed by Oliver Stone and starring Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie, ‘Argo’ (2012), directed by and starring Ben Affleck, and ‘Marie Antoinette’ (2006), directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Kirsten Dunst.

But it’s a whole other thing to change history altogether and envision a world that basically exists theoretically in a parallel universe. Alternate history is a gargantuan challenge, and few writers and screenwriters have successfully taken it on.

‘ARGO’ (2012)

In Literature

A champion of the subgenre is Philip K. Dick, one of the fathers of modern science fiction. ‘The Man in the High Castle’ imagines a different political map, one where the Second World War was won by the Germans and the Japanese. There have been other stories addressing a similar topic, such as Robert Harris’s ‘Fatherland’, but Mr Dick’s novel—a winner of the Hugo Award, does a phenomenal job of envisioning the struggles of an America split in half. The east belongs to the Reich, while the west is owned by the Empire of the Sun. The plot catches fire when proof emerges of a parallel world where the Allies won the war, instead of the Axis. We’ll meet ‘The Man in the High Castle’ again, later on.

Michael Chabon published ‘The Yiddish Policemen’s Union’ in 2007. During World War II, the temporary settlement for Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution was established in Sitka, Alaska, in 1941, followed by the destruction of Israel’s fledgling state in 1948. The novel works as a detective story in present day, imagining a world where Sitka is a large, Yiddish-speaking metropolis. It won a slew of literary awards, including the Nebula, Locus and Hugo for its exceptional writing and daring creativity.

My third favourite novel of the subgenre was written by Ben H. Winters, titled ‘Underground Airlines’. It was published in 2016, and it presents an America where the Civil War never happened because Abraham Lincoln was assassinated prior to his 1861 inauguration. A version of the Crittenden Compromise passed, instead, leaving slavery legal in the so-called ‘Hard Four’ (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and a unified Carolina). The novel’s name is a nod to the Underground Railroad, a system used by freed and runaway slaves to escape the southern persecution—Harriet Tubman was one of its most proficient agents. ‘Underground Airlines’ does a phenomenal job of exploring racism through this alternate history mechanism, and I’m hoping to see a televised adaptation soon enough, since there have been reports of Mr Winters penning a pilot screenplay.

‘UNDERGROUND AIRLINES’ BY BEN H. WINTERS, ©MULHOLLAND/HACHETTE

On the Screen

Speaking of adaptations, and Philip K. Dick, in particular, ‘The Man in the High Castle’ (2015-2019) is one of the best series to come out of Amazon Studios. Created by Frank Spotnitz of ‘The X-Files’ (1998) and ‘Medici’ (2016-2018) fame, the dystopian drama features stellar performances from Alexa Davalos, Joel de la Fuente, Rufus Sewell, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Chelah Horsdal. It explores Mr Dick’s revised reality and a broken, trampled America where hope emerges in the form of a reel presenting a different ending to the Second World War.

It garnered plenty of applause, along with two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series and Outstanding Main Title Design, hitting the Prime Video streaming service in an era where the rise of nationalism and white supremacy were clogging news chyrons across the world. ‘The Man in the High Castle’ is as relevant today, in its televised form, as it was back in 1962, when its source material was first published.

‘THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE’ (2015-2019), ©AMAZON STUDIOS

The alternate history subgenre has done exquisitely well without source material, too. Quentin Tarantino has given us two brazen movies exploring different realities. The first, ‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009), follows a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers in Nazi-occupied France during WWII as they collide with a theatre owner in a bid to accomplish the same thing: the assassination of Hitler.

Sprinkled with plenty of ‘Tarantinian’ humour and the sharp thespian talents of Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger and Eli Roth, the film went on to collect an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, given to the aforementioned Mr Waltz. ‘Inglourious Basterds’ has plenty of the acclaimed director’s signature violence, as well, but its absurd hilarity and revenge movie vibe are what truly set it apart from other ‘revisionist’ endeavours. Plus, Hitler dies in this one, thus suggesting a different outcome for that war.

The second, ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ (2019), bends time as it retells the Manson family murders of Sharon Tate and company. The gruesome events are not the backbone of the story, however, though the Manson family narrative is weaved through the movie—Spahn Ranch, Tex Watson, and ‘Charlie’ Manson, along with the presence of Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate. The film focuses more on Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio’s characters, and it finally got Mr Pitt a much-deserved Oscar this year.

Mr Tarantino’s filmmaking bravura is crazy, to say the least, but it delivers bold, beautiful and brutal cinema. By most standards, ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ is his best since ‘Kill Bill: Vol. 1’ (2003), and beyond his touches of banter and constant movie references, it’s easy to see the craft that’s at play here.

‘ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD’ (2019), ©COLUMBIA PICTURES

‘C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America’ (2004) is a lesser known but critically acclaimed work of alternate history fiction written and directed by Kevin Willmott of ‘BlacKkKlansman’ (2018) renown. The film takes a satirical and humorous nuance through the lens of a British ‘mockumentary’, though it frequently presents us with downright frightening tones as it peruses the history of an America where the South won the Civil War.

This wasn’t Willmott’s only foray into the ‘what if’ explorations concerning the fate of African Americans. His comedy feature ‘Destination Planet Negro’ (2013), where African American leaders respond to Jim Crow segregation by building a rocket to colonize Mars in 1939, didn’t receive the same level of praise as ‘C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America’, however. The latter succeeds in recreating the documentary style of Ken Burns while dispensing a most ambitious second reality—one which could’ve easily come to pass, had the Confederate South prevailed against the North.

‘C.S.A.: THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA’ (2004), ©HODCARRIER FILMS

‘Swing Vote’ (1999), directed by David Anspaugh, gives us a world where Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. The State of Alabama has subsequently charged a woman with first degree murder for having an abortion. Andy Garcia’s Joseph Kirkland has just been appointed as a Supreme Court Justice, and he’s faced with an emotional issue, since he is basically the swing vote that could get Lisa Gay Hamilton’s Virginia Mapes convicted for murder.

The straight-to-TV film wasn’t as spectacular or as complex as other titles discussed above, but it does approach a topic that is important to most women today. Once again, considering the current social and political climate, it’s hard not to fearfully wonder what America would be like with the destruction of such crucial rights.

‘SWING VOTE’ (1999), ©COLUMBIA TRISTAR TELEVISION

Honourable mentions include ‘SS-GB’ (2017), the BBC television drama that follows a British homicide detective as he investigates a murder in German-occupied England—yet another speculation of the Second World War where the Third Reich claimed a crushing victory. ‘Red Dawn’ (1984) has Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen involved in a scenario at the dawn of World War III, when Soviet forces invade mid-Western America. Brian Flemming’s ‘Nothing So Strange’ (2002) mockumentary examines the 2^nd December 1999 assassination of Bill Gates, Microsoft CEO.

Truth be told, there are numerous pivotal points in our history where things could have gone the other way. It is our job as writers to continue imagining what such worlds would look like, not only for the purpose of creating extraordinary speculative fiction, but also to remind viewers of how important learning from our past truly is.

The thing with successful TV series is that fans can’t get enough of them. Alas, all good things must come to an end, but in a bid to satisfy the viewers and to keep profits high, producers often consider spin-offs as a solution. Often, spin-offs fall flat. In some cases, they’re more beloved than the originals from which they were forged.

Where the big screen is concerned, continuity is fundamental—especially with superhero flicks; vast universes and at least five sequels are planned before the first film has even gone into production. It’s not as easy for the small screen. There are certain do’s and don’ts that must be taken into account, and each of these elements could easily make or break the spin-off.

‘THE LONE GUNMEN’ (2001), ©20TH CENTURY FOX TELEVISION

The Yeas and the Nays

For example, it’s a great idea to take familiar characters in a new direction, like David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee did with ‘Frasier’ (1993-2004). Another fruitful avenue is to offer new heroes within the same fictional world, which we’ve seen working beautifully with Disney’s ‘The Mandalorian’ (2019).

And who doesn’t like a good prequel by delving into the past of a much beloved character? Viewers welcomed Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould’s take on Jimmy McGill in ‘Better Call Saul’ (2015) with arms wide open, after he’d already sparked their interest in ’Breaking Bad’ (2008-2013).

‘JOEY’ (2004-2006), ©WARNER BROTHERS TELEVISION

On the other side of the spectrum, the most underwhelming spin-offs have failed for a variety of reasons. Rehashing what was already done has not, does not, and will never work. ‘Joey’ (2004-2006) more than proved it by feeding viewers worn-out jokes that made ‘Friends’ (1994-2004) appealing. Too much of the same was bound to backfire.

Another major mistake is to simply overestimate the popularity of a minor character; what worked in ‘The X-Files’ (1993-2018) for Byers et al quickly fizzled in ‘The Lone Gunmen’ (2001), because no one was ever truly interested in watching a show entirely dedicated to three misfit conspiracy experts who played second fiddle to Mulder and Scully a few times.

Asking questions that nobody cared about has tanked its share of spin-offs, too; the only ones who wondered about what Superman’s grandfather was like were the Syfy producers who gave us ‘Krypton’ (2018-2019), which somehow made it through two seasons before being put out of its misery; sure, David S. Goyer and Damian Kindler had good intentions, but there’s only so much one can extract from a cinematic universe that has been basically bled dry.

‘KRYPTON’ (2018-2019), ©SYFY

Hitting the Mark

Of the spin-offs that weren’t just as good as the original but managed to exceed expectations, I can easily and wholeheartedly refer you to ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (1987-1994). Gene Roddenberry gave us a science fiction treasure trove with his tales of Starfleet adventures that took beloved heroes where no one has gone before. The original ‘Star Trek’ (1966-1969) embedded itself in television history as a revolutionary production that defied that era’s creative norms. It also made timeless stars out of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols as Uhura—the first African-American woman to have a continuing co-starring role on TV who also gave us the first interracial onscreen kiss. ‘Star Trek’ deserved better than it got, in retrospect.

It generated a multitude of spin-offs and feature-length films, but only ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ was able to rise to the occasion. The show grew into a veritable grand space opera adventure that stayed loyal to its original whilst exploring new avenues through new and charming characters. Despite its rocky start, the series gathered a massive fanbase, conquering us with Patrick Stewart’s brilliant Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Brent Spiner’s Data, the latter most appealing through an effort to reconcile his own desire for humanity with his robotic design.

‘STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION’ (1987-1994), ©PARAMOUNT TELEVISION

Mentioned earlier, ‘The Mandalorian’ is another prime example of a spin-off that hits the mark. It also shows how a creative team can mine TV gold from a well-known source. The series is based on a movie franchise, rather than a series, but Jon Favreau is triumphant in recreating the original ‘Star Wars’ look, imagining what happened once the Mandalorian character left the trilogy.

The show’s protagonist, Mando, has become an instant hero, splendidly brought to life by Pedro Pascal of ‘Narcos’ (2015-2017) and ‘Game of Thrones’ (2011-2019) fame. On top of that, few expected The Child, better known as Baby Yoda, to have such an impact on audiences. Favreau manages to take imagery from the past and craft it into something that stands to be highly anticipated in the future, as well.

‘THE MANDALORIAN’ (2019), ©LUCASFILM/WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

‘Better Call Saul’ doesn’t surpass ‘Breaking Bad’ which, to this day, is still a prime example for the television medium as an artform. The spin-off is excellent, however, as it is slated for a 6^th season in 2021. Chronicling the trials and tribulations of Jimmy McGill in a time before his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, ‘Better Call Saul’ offers us glimpses of other characters from the main series, such as Maximino Arciniega’s Krazy-8 and Jonathan Banks’s Mike Ehrmantraut, who show up from time to time like a blast from… well, the future, since it’s a prequel.

The show offers something fresh by digging into the past, collecting an impressive number of award nominations along the way and without making the viewers wonder about Saul/Jimmy’s post-‘Breaking Bad’ career managing a Cinnabon in Nebraska. It is absolutely delightful because it shows us how Saul truly came to be, in a sense.

‘BETTER CALL SAUL’ (2015), ©NETFLIX

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997-2003) took an average movie and turned it into a ground-breaking cult classic series. Joss Whedon changed the matrix of fantasy television with his take on vampires and the supernatural. One memorable and much-loved character that got his own spin-off was Angel, the vampire cursed with a soul, played by David Boreanaz. ‘Angel’ (1999-2004) came after two seasons of the original and lasted for five of its own, applauded for darker and more adult storylines.

Buffy, as a character, was designed to grow up with her audience, while Angel simply trusted that his viewers were already there and ready to go beyond the worries and distractions of high-school and college life. The show was also proficient in the art of crossovers, with more than one episode bringing the two threads together and never afraid of pulling punches. In fact, ‘Angel’ is considered by many as one of the rare instances in which the spin-off is better than the original.

‘ANGEL’ (1999-2004), ©20TH CENTURY FOX TELEVISION

‘Frasier’ recorded a similar success in its 11-season run. Building from the beloved ‘Cheers’ (1982-1993) which gave us memorable comedic performances from Ted Danson, Shelley Long and Rhea Perlman, to name but a few, ‘Frasier’ took Doctor Frasier Crane to Seattle to become a radio show psychiatrist.

The show struck gold with its eloquent, witty and intelligent humour, as Frasier—the oddball former member of the ‘Cheers’ blue-collar ensemble—doled out advice to his listeners. Focusing on the social ineptitude of its characters, the spin-off went on to win 37 Emmy awards, including five years in a row for Outstanding Comedy.

‘FRASIER’ (1993-2004), ©PARAMOUNT TELEVISION

Crashed and Burned

‘Bones’ (2005-2017) will always stand out as one of the better procedurals, mainly over the onscreen chemistry between empirical forensic anthropologist Temperance ‘Bones’ Brennan and tough all-American FBI Agent Seeley Booth, beautifully portrayed by Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, respectively. Hart Hanson tried to whip up the same magic with ‘The Finder’ (2012), which takes place in the same fictional world but fails miserably.

Its backdoor pilot premiered on the sixth season of ‘Bones’, and the show itself focuses on the investigative adventures of Walt Sherman who, after a traumatic brain injury during the Iraq War, can see patterns that others can’t. Geoff Stults, Michael Clarke Duncan, Mercedes Masohn and Maddie Hasson headlined the spin-off, which, like the original, was based on books—in this case, ‘The Locator’ by Richard Greener. It only lasted a season, lacking the appeal that kept viewers glued to their TV screens during ‘Bones’.

‘THE FINDER’ (2012), ©20TH CENTURY FOX TELEVISION

‘Happy Days’ (1974-1984) was a gem of American television, made memorable by the likes of Ron Howard and Henry Winkler, among others. It also launched a fruitful franchise on ABC, with several popular spin-offs such as ‘Mork & Mindy’ (1978-1982), which brought Robin Williams into the spotlight, and ‘Laverne & Shirley’ (1976-1983). ‘Joanie Loves Chachi’ (1982-1983), with Scott Baio as Chachi Arcola and Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham, however, flopped and then some.

Considered as one of the worst spin-offs of all time, ‘Joanie Loves Chachi’ followed its protagonists as they tried to break into the music business in the mid-1960s. It started off well, with its first season penned by the writers behind ‘Happy Days’, but it nosedived into its second season, leaving most audiences bewildered and disappointed. People wanted more of the Fonz, not Joanie and Chachi.

‘JOANIE LOVES CHACHI’ (1982-1983), ©PARAMOUNT TELEVISION

When Russell T. Davies took over ‘Doctor Who’ (2005), it opened the door to a plethora of spin-offs with varied degrees of success. ‘Torchwood’ (2006-2011) gave us wicked times with John Barrowman, and ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’ (2007-2011) was an absolute hit with younger audiences during its impressive run. ‘Class’ (2016) is one of the lesser ‘children’, mainly because it missed the ‘Doctor Who’ demographic by years, choosing to focus on a group of teenagers attending the Coal Hill School, where the Doctor once acquired his first companions.

Starring Greg Austin, better known as Travis Leich in ‘Hunters’ (2020), ‘Class’ was supposed to appeal to younger viewers with subtle nods to shows such as ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Teen Wolf’ (2011-2017). Despite its initial stellar reviews, the show began to slide into poor ratings, having found its rescue in a series of audio dramas from Big Finish. The small screen doesn’t want it anymore.

 ‘CLASS’ (2016), ©BBC AMERICA

The One That Got Away

Of all the TV series that fans would absolutely love to get a spin-off from, ‘Supernatural’ (2005-2020) has missed the mark three times with backdoor pilots that never got a full season order. The supremely adored cult favourite and genre-masher has been around for fifteen years and is currently saying goodbye with its final season. Given the superb dynamic between Jensen Ackles’ Dean and Jared Padalecki’s Sam, further aided by a slew of memorable characters such as the angel Castiel (Misha Collins), the demon king Crowley (Mark Sheppard), veteran hunter Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) and Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino), to name but a few, it’s hard not to imagine a good spin-off coming out of this gargantuan TV accomplishment.

‘SUPERNATURAL’ (2005-2020), ©KRIPKE ENTERPRISES/WARNER BROS. TELEVISION

But CW President Mark Pedowitz explained during a press tour at the 2018 Summer Television Critics Association that none of the three proposed spin-off projects had the promise of the ‘Supernatural’ boys past the first episode. Truth be told, Ackles and Padalecki have shouldered the series for a decade and a half, and the show’s writers have struggled to bring the same pizzazz to other pilots within the same universe. Mr Pedowitz has not fully dismissed the idea of a ‘Supernatural’ spin-off in the future, but most hopes were dashed when the ‘Wayward Sisters’ episode failed to get a greenlight.

In the end, spin-offs remain as elusive as ever. Sometimes they work and even surpass the originals. Sometimes they fail because the plot and characters weren’t strong enough to stand on their own. And occasionally, the original is just too powerful to allow an adjacent story to survive beyond the writers’ room. Caution is advised, either way, because a spin-off will always be faced with the challenge of following in the footsteps of giants.

I will never forget the day I discovered Neil Gaiman. I borrowed a copy of ‘American Gods’ from a colleague in film school, and I remember being unable to put it down. A little over a day later, I’d finished it, and my mind had just opened up to incredible new possibilities in terms of creating fantasy with compelling characters and unique worlds.

From a literary point of view, Mr Gaiman has earned his spot among the titans of his genres—yes, genres, because he is an incredibly versatile writer, authoring now-classical oeuvres such as ‘The Sandman’ series for DC Comics/Vertigo, the aforementioned ‘American Gods’, ‘Neverwhere’ and ‘Stardust’, among many others. Perhaps still a youngling at heart, he is able to delight readers of any age with his fantasy stories—from the brave Coraline who stumbles upon a strange and sinister version of her home, to Nobody ‘Bod’ Owens who was raised in a cemetery by ghosts, to Shadow Moon, the ex-con who finds himself sucked into a war between the gods themselves.

NEIL GAIMAN, ©MASTERCLASS

Neil Gaiman isn’t afraid of the strange or the unfamiliar. Maybe that’s what makes him a master storyteller—a fact further evidenced by his Masterclass course, which is, by far, one of the best things that any aspiring writer could spend their money on. His mind is clearly full of wonders, and we can only strap in and enjoy the ride.

Most of his novels have been or are currently being adapted for the screen, which makes him quite the asset for the cinematic industry. ‘The Sandman’ is getting its own TV series, as is ‘Anansi Boys’, following the roaring success of Canada Film Capital and Fremantle’s production of ‘American Gods’ (2017), which is currently distributed by Starz!, Amazon Prime and StudioCanal. Pretty much everything that Mr Gaiman touched has turned to gold, so no wonder he’s in demand.

Young Neil

Born in Portchester, Hampshire in 1960, Neil Gaiman was raised in a predominantly Jewish and Scientologist family—although, when asked about his personal religious views, he once said: ‘I think we can say that God exists in the DC Universe. I would not stand up and beat the drum for the existence of God in this universe.’

A VERY YOUNG NEIL GAIMAN, ©NEIL GAIMAN

Able to read from the age of four, young Neil devoured literary materials perhaps too complex for a child. When he was about ten years old, he completed the works of Dennis Wheatley, whose ‘The Ka of Gifford Hillary’ and ‘The Haunting of Toby Jugg’ left quite the impression on him. But it was J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy that really set him on the path of someday becoming a writer.

C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, Mary Shelley, Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe, Ursula K. Le Guin, Harlan Ellison, and Lord Dunsany also count as early influences on young Neil. When he was only nineteen, he wrote a letter to his favourite science fiction author, R.A. Lafferty, asking for advice on becoming an author. Mr Lafferty wrote back with an encouraging message, filled with literary advice. That was a pivotal point in the early days of Mr Gaiman’s career, though perhaps the most influential author is still Roger Zelazny—easily noted from Neil’s writing style and choice of topics.

Of Journalism and Other Things

In the early 1980s, Neil took up journalism to learn about the publishing world and to make connections that would eventually get him published. He spent his days conducting interviews with agents, publishers and writers, and writing book reviews, particularly for the British Fantasy Society. He published his first short story, titled ‘Featherquest’, in Imagine Magazine in May 1984.

His discovery of Alan Moore’s ‘Swamp Thing’ gave him the drive and the courage to write his own book. He started with a biography of the band Duran Duran that same year, then quit journalism altogether in 1987, stating that ‘British newspapers regularly publish untruths as fact.’

NEIL GAIMAN, ©DAVID J. MURRAY/CLEAREYEPHOTO.COM

After releasing ‘Don’t Panic: The Official Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Companion’ in the late ‘80s, Neil Gaiman went on to write the opening of what later became his critically acclaimed collaboration with Terry Pratchett on ‘Good Omens’. He also formed a friendship with comic-book writer Alan Moore, which, in turn, got Neil into writing comic books of his own. It was around this time that he also met and became friends with his favourite artist, Dave McKean, producing ‘Violent Cases’ and ‘The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr Punch’. These two works got him a job with DC Comics in February 1987.

He wrote the limited series ‘Black Orchid’ for them and was later noticed by Karen Berger, later head of DC Comics’ Vertigo division, who invited Neil to rewrite an old character of theirs, The Sandman, but with his own spin on the previously unexplored entity. Needless to say, it was smooth sailing from thereon, as ‘The Sandman’ is, to this day, one of the most compelling and exquisite comic book collections ever written.

MORPHEUS, ‘THE SANDMAN’, ©DC COMICS/VERTIGO

The series, following Morpheus, the ageless and anthropomorphic personification of Dream, began in January 1989 and concluded in March 1996. Working with Mike Dringenberg, Neil introduced Death, Dream’s older sister, in ‘The Sandman’, and she became almost as popular as the title character himself. DC’s Vertigo line was, in fact, launched in 1993 with a limited series named ‘Death: The High Cost of Living’, which was a resounding success. This further established Neil Gaiman as a preeminent writer of comics, and he even ended up as a co-writer with Jamie Delano for the ‘Swamp Thing’ series centred on Rick Veitch. Unfortunately, an editorial decision from DC caused both Gaiman and Delano to withdraw from the project.

Neil produced a number of additional stories for the DC Universe, including some Batman, Riddler and Poison Ivy-related tales, but he didn’t stick to that side of the aisle for long. In 2013, his Angela character, created with Todd McFarlane for his ‘Spawn’ series, was introduced into the Marvel Universe as part of the last issue for the ‘Age of Ultron’ miniseries. That whole collaboration ended with a lawsuit, however, which led to a joint ownership of the characters he created for McFarlane. One thing that stands out about Neil is that he understood the publishing industry and all its facets from a very young age. It helped him protect his literary works in the long run.

In the comic book world, Neil was known as a creator of characters, though he didn’t always stick around for the writing part, focusing mostly on his work for ‘The Sandman’. In an interview, and with regards to his passion for comics above other forms of storytelling, he said: ‘One of the joys of comics has always been the knowledge that it was, in many ways, untouched ground. It was virgin territory. When I was working on Sandman, I felt a lot of the time that I was actually picking up a machete and heading out into the jungle. I got to write in places and do things that nobody had ever done before. […] But with comics I felt like – I can do stuff nobody has ever done. I can do stuff nobody has ever thought of. And I could and it was enormously fun.’

The Books of Strange and Wonderful

Neil Gaiman’s first novel, a collaborative effort with Terry Pratchett titled ‘Good Omens’ was published in 1990. It was an instant success, chronicling the struggles of an angel and a demon who really don’t want the world to end, despite the fact that the Apocalypse has already begun.

In 1996, the novelisation of his teleplay for the BBC mini-series ‘Neverwhere’ came out, and the world was never the same again, even though he has since revised the novel twice—the first time to familiarize the American audience with the London Underground, and the second time because he simply felt he could do much better than the original. It’s a defining trait of Mr Gaiman’s, in fact, to try harder, to give more than what he’s already gifted us with.

‘NEVERWHERE’ COVER, ©WILLIAM MORROW/HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS

Influenced by Victorian fairy tales but with a fun and fresh twist of its own, ‘Stardust’ hit the bookstores in 1999. However, it was ‘American Gods’, published in 2001, that changed everything. It became an instant bestseller, gathering award after award for years before the idea of a TV adaptation was even considered. Fun and maybe a little terrifying fact: it almost didn’t get published because it was considered too long.

He followed it up with ‘Anansi Boys’ in 2005. Though not a direct sequel to ‘American Gods’, the book does tap into that specific universe by following Mr Nancy’s two sons—one a demigod and the other a simple Englishman, as they explore and eventually get tangled in their common heritage. In 2008, Mr Gaiman published ‘The Graveyard Book’, a work that was heavily influenced by Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’, securing its spot on the New York Times Bestseller Children’s List for fifteen consecutive weeks.

‘THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE’ COVER, ©HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS

With ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’, released in 2013 and voted Book of the Year at the National Book Awards, Neil touched on the search for one’s self-identity and the ‘disconnect between childhood and adulthood’ in a most fascinating style. ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’ was adapted for the stage and ran from 3 December, 2019 until 25 January of this year, at the National Theatre’s Dorfman venue in London. In-between the novels, he has also published several children’s books (‘Coraline’, ‘Mirror Mask’, and ‘The Wolves in the Walls’ among them), along with several collections of short stories, such as ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ and ‘Trigger Warning’. 

Most recently, Neil Gaiman has given us a beautiful retelling of Viking myths with ‘Norse Mythology’, where he took the time to compile, chisel and whittle through various pieces of folklore in order to produce a brilliant rendition of the Norse gods and their world, from their early days to their end in Ragnarok. 

Neil Gaiman, Executive Producer and Screenwriter

One thing is clear at this point and considering his illustrious career thus far. Much like with Stephen King, Neil Gaiman’s works are not easy to adapt for the screen. There have been a couple of misses, like with ‘Beowulf’ (2007), directed by Robert Zemeckis and featuring the voices of Angelina Jolie, Ray Winstone, and Crispin Glover, or the ‘Eternals’ animated series (2014).

‘MIRRORMASK’ (2005), ©SONY PICTURES

But everything else that has come from his stories has been exceptional from beginning to end. Take the case of ‘Mirrormask’, directed by Dave McKean, as a first example. Considered by most as an ‘underground art film’, ‘Mirrormask’ follows a young girl named Helena through a fantasy world of opposing kingdoms, playing mainly on the metaphor of a girl trapped in another world as a symbol of growing up. Its ‘Alice in Wonderland’-esque allure turns it into a magical children’s movie, and it certainly stands out through its overall visual design.

In 2007, ‘Stardust’ made it onto the big screen with a screenplay by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn, the latter also its director. Featuring brilliant performances from Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Robert De Niro, ‘Stardust’ brought the fairy tale back into the world of cinema in a most unexpected and charming fashion.

‘Coraline’ (2009), adapted for the screen and directed by Henry Selick, made its mark as a peculiar but truly unforgettable film for children. Starring Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher, ‘Coraline’ is also a stunning work of stop-motion animation. Nominated for the 2010 Academy Awards and Golden Globes, it won a BAFTA Children’s Award for Best Feature Film.

MICHAEL SHEEN AND DAVID TENNANT IN ‘GOOD OMENS’ (2019), ©AMAZON PRIME/BBC STUDIOS

His masterpieces remain ‘Good Omens’ (2019), starring David Tenant and Michael Sheen, and ‘American Gods’ (2017-present), with Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning, and Ian McShane. The former, produced and distributed by Amazon Studios and BBC Studios, was written by Neil Gaiman and directed by Douglas Mackinnon. The latter, created by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, has 16 episodes written by Mr Gaiman, along with his extensive involvement as an executive producer. Both are exceptional works of television, not only because of their source material, but also because the source material’s author stayed on and made sure his vision was accurately represented on the screen.

Neil is not one to shy away from changes between a book and a screenplay. But one could easily tell he was not directly involved in the writing and production of ‘Lucifer’ (2015), except for him voicing God. Based on a character created by Neil for DC Comics which was first seen in ‘The Sandman’, the FOX-then-Netflix production paired Lucifer Morningstar with an LA detective to solve crimes while dealing with his complicated and frustratingly divine family—it’s basically a supernatural cop procedural and hard to love. 

Aside from Tom Ellis and Lesley-Ann Brandt’s stellar performances, however, the show steers so far away from the original comics that it’s hard to even take it seriously, sometimes. In a Twitter Q&A, Neil has stated that ‘Lucifer’ is its own show, and on another occasion, he expressed relief when Netflix saved the series after FOX’s cancellation. Had Tom Kapinos and the original producing network relied more on Neil’s comics, I’m certain we would’ve seen something infinitely superior than what has somehow made it through 5 seasons. It’s a fun show, mind you, but the ‘real’ Lucifer Morningstar’s stories are infinitely more complex and fascinating, since he’s got more important things to do than solve crimes in Los Angeles.

‘AMERICAN GODS’ (2017-PRESENT), ©STARZ!

That being said, ‘The Sandman’ has finally been greenlit for the screen. Netflix ordered a series which boasts Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer, and Allan Heinberg as its creators. Little is known about the project so far, but given that the author himself is involved, there’s little doubt that it might fail. ‘The Sandman’ is one of Neil’s most precious works, and he will do everything in his power to do it and its metaphysical characters justice, though he has repeatedly said that he prefers being a novelist before a showrunner. Then again, if you want something done right… 

‘The Graveyard Book’ and ‘The Thing About Cassandra’ have also been announced. According to The Guardian and as of 2017, Neil is also in the process of writing ‘The Seven Sisters’, a sequel to ‘Neverwhere’ which is partly inspired from his work with the UN’s refugee agency. It doesn’t have a formal release date, but those of you familiar with Neil’s writing will likely agree that we’re in for quite the treat.

And to think that, according to an interview with MTV, George R.R. Martin was once approached by a ‘skinny British kid dressed in all black’ who had an idea for a character he wanted to introduce in Mr Martin’s ‘Wild Cards’ anthology—he blew that kid off, since he didn’t have any credits to his name. That same kid gave us ‘The Sandman’ just years later.

Historically speaking, our penchant for murder has always been a source of inspiration for many stories crafted throughout the centuries. We’ve gathered quite the collection of tales of war and savagery, bloodshed and violence, but also of love and friendship, of fantastical creatures and adventurous quests. But perhaps the most enduring genre of them all is, to this day, the Whodunit.

Much like its companions across the storytelling spectrum, the Whodunit has gone through an evolution from the beginning of the 20th century to present day. From the simple and classic band of guests at a dinner party trying to find out who killed the host, to the modern-day sleuths employing forensic and psychological methods to suss out murderers, the mystery has continued to fascinate viewers—albeit in slightly different forms for the big and small screen alike.

Our curiosity compels us to try to guess who did it. The screenwriter has this challenge to overcome, pretty much every time. We’ve learned from these stories. Our instincts have become sharper, and we are able to spot the signs, the subtleties that set certain characters apart. The foreshadowing is minimal in the Whodunit, and we have only ourselves to rely on as we investigate murders alongside the heroes on screen. Conventions and clichés are born, and the creators have to adjust. Success comes from misleading the readers with red herrings and false accusations before bringing forth the villain, an unexpected character.

Following the clues, picking up on the slightest facial expressions and fleeting elements of body language during the interrogations and interviews, our hearts race as we’re brought closer to the tipping point: the grand reveal, the unexpected twist, and the identity of the killer. Some of us will have figured out who it is about halfway through the story, though, most of the time, we still enjoy the ride all the way to the very end.

‘KNIVES OUT’ (2019), ©LIONSGATE/MRC

The Murder Mystery in Books

A typical Whodunit takes the classical detective story and presents it as a puzzle to be solved, by its characters and readers/viewers alike, through a series of questions that the investigator poses. It functions on a double narrative. The first focuses on the crime itself, what led to its commission, and the actual investigation, while the second is strictly about the reconstruction of the crime. In the latter, all the objects connected to the murder become silent actors themselves, and we must strive to interpret them, to beat the investigator to his or her conclusion. It is, by far, one of the most entertaining things to come out of the literary universe, and why it will never go out of fashion.

This is our quest for justice, in a sense. As readers and viewers, we are fascinated by violence and killers, hence our penchant for the macabre and why serial killers excite our imaginations. The Whodunit comes as a righteous response of sorts. In it, the guilty ones are identified and punished. They never get away with it, unlike real life, where many crimes go unsolved, adding to the cold case pile. The Whodunit gives us the satisfaction of justice delivered, proof that there is still good in this world, despite its many evils.

ANGELA LANSBURY AS MISS MARPLE IN ‘THE MIRROR CRACK’D’ (1980), ©G.W. FILMS/EMI

Quintessentially, the Whodunit blends our attraction to darkness with our desire for light, and books, cinema and television have delivered consistently over the years. The term was coined back in 1930 by Donald Gordon with his review of Milward Kennedy’s ‘Half-Mast Murder’. The origin of the term was disputed by Variety in reference to a film adaptation of Arnold Ridley’s play, ‘Recipe for Murder’. But the Whodunit truly flourished between the First and Second World War, with the most notable of its authors being of British origin—Agatha Christie is, even today, considered a master of the genre, alongside Nicholas Blake, G.K. Chesterton, Gladys Mitchell and many others.

Mrs Christie’s novels (of which there are sixty-six, not counting the short story collections), garnered numerous positive reviews after they were adapted for the screen in search of a wider audience, and it is here that the Whodunit begins its ample and irreversible transformation. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t until the 1940s that the Whodunit really took off.

The Classics on the Silver Screen

There is no better way to kick off a brief listing of the Whodunit’s greatest stars than with ‘And Then There Were None’ (1945), directed by Rene Clair and written by Dudley Nichols—an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name. In it, guests gather on an isolated island, summoned by an absent host. Someone starts killing them off, one by one, and the survivors must work together to figure out who the murderer is, always suspecting that it could very well be one of them.

In ‘The Big Sleep’ (1946), Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall share the screen for an unforgettable tale of noir crime and classic mystery, as private detective Philip Marlow is hired to investigate a most complex case where murder, blackmail and love seem to blend in seamlessly. Written by William Faulkner and Leigh Brackett, ‘The Big Sleep’ is, by far, one of Howard Hawks’ masterpieces.

‘MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS’ (1974), ©EMI FILM DISTRIBUTORS/G.W. FILMS LIMITED

Billy Wilder took on the Agatha Christie challenge, as well, by penning the screenplay of and directing ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ (1957). Starring Tyrone Power, the incomparable Marlene Dietrich, and Charles Laughton, ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ follows a seasoned British barrister who must defend his client in a murder trial that delivers twists upon twists, until the truth is revealed.

While the list could go on, we will stop at ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (1976), one of Agatha Christie’s most popular works adapted for the big screen. With a screenplay written by Paul Dehn of ‘Goldfinger’ (1964) and ‘The Spy Who Came in from the Cold’ (1965), and directed by cinematic titan Sidney Lumet, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ was an absolute success. Its 2017 reboot starring Kennet Branagh, Penélope Cruz, and Willem Dafoe, however, did not rise to the expectations, further proving that not all movies should be remade. In Mr Lumet’s oeuvre, Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, Anthony Perkins, and Jean-Pierre Cassel deliver enticing performances, easily turning the film into an icon of the entire Whodunit portfolio.

A Modern Take on the Silver Screen

Unlike the classics, modern and contemporary Whodunits tend to spice up the original formula by bringing them into a new era, where the characters are more three-dimensional, the violence escalates, and elements of pure thrill are injected into the mystery. With time, the audiences change, which is why today’s murder mysteries aren’t just fast paced, they’re also more complex and, in some cases, excellent spoofs.

‘CLUE’ (1985), ©PARAMOUNT PICTURES

‘Clue’ (1985), written by John Landis and Jonathan Lynn, is a hilarious and dark rendition of the popular eponymous board game. It stars Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Lesley Ann Warren, and Tim Curry, and it’s a charming cocktail of death, puzzles, and comedy. It also follows the classic Whodunit structure, as six guests are anonymously invited to a creepy mansion for a lavish dinner and end up investigating the murder of their host, working with the staff while bodies keep piling up. 

Following a similar formula but with a much darker twist, Bryan Singer’s ‘The Usual Suspects’ (1995) remains a classic of modern cinema. The story, penned by Christopher McQuarrie of ‘Valkyrie’ (2008), ‘Jack Reacher’ (2012), and ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (2018) fame, follows the interrogation of Roger ‘Verbal’ Kint, one of only two survivors of a massacre on a ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles. Using flashbacks and narration, ‘The Usual Suspects’ stars Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, and Kevin Spacey. It is one of American cinema’s finest neo-noirs which brought Mr McQuarrie an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for his illustrious screenwriting.

‘SCREAM’ (1996), ©DIMENSION FILMS

‘Scream’ (1996), written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, wasn’t just a smash hit at the box office that eventually kickstarted an entire franchise. It was also a new take on the Whodunit, bending genres and adding Mr Craven’s signature innovative horror into the mix. The main characters, though significantly younger than the usual cast of a Whodunit, manage to get our hearts pumping from the beginning until the very end. Starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, David Arquette, and Skeet Ulrich, ‘Scream’ qualifies as the landmark of a new horror generation, without abandoning the key features of an old-fashioned Whodunit.

Another interesting twist on this timeless genre is ‘The Hateful Eight’ (2015), written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, and featuring chilling performances by Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen. Unfolding in a wintery Wyoming, ‘The Hateful Eight’ follows a bounty hunter and his fugitive captive into a cabin currently occupied by a throng of unpleasant characters. With an Academy Award winning score composed by Ennio Morricone, Mr Tarantino’s foray into crime mystery is a well-executed Whodunit stage play with deep political and social undercurrents, and less of a nod to the Western.

‘KNIVES OUT’ (2019), ©LIONSGATE/MRC

As with all creative cycles and cinematic genres, the Whodunit came back to its roots this year thanks to Rian Johnson, who wrote and directed ‘Knives Out’ (2019). The story is simple but sophisticated and with a sharp political edge, concentrating on a detective’s efforts to investigate the death of Harlan Thrombey, the patriarch of an eccentric and highly combative family. The cast is as dazzling as one would expect for such an ample project. Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, and Katherine Langford all rise up to the challenge, offering viewers a riotously fun ride through the underbelly of family intrigue, rife with potential suspects and motives for murder.

The Small Screen Detectives

Our demand for such stories pushed television executives to adapt and create series designed after the Whodunit model, with each episode looking to unravel a new mystery, to solve a new murder, to keep pitting its heroes against all kinds of unexpected villains. Much like with cinema, TV series evolved in the span of several decades.

DAVID SUCHET AS HERCULE POIROT IN ‘POIROT’ (1989-2013), ©CARNIVAL FILM AND TELEVISION

Among the many true-to-form shows that many of us grew up with, ‘Poirot’ (1989-2013) was based on Agatha Christie’s most popular character, the eccentric but exquisitely sharp Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It was also one of the longest running murder mystery series, and it helped launch the careers of many great actors—among them Christopher Eccleston, Michael Fassbender, Joely Richardson, Emily Blunt, Greta Scacchi, and Zoë Wanamaker. Peter Ustinov and Albert Finney had guest appearances on ‘Poirot’, as well. But viewers will never forget David Suchet’s performance as he wonderfully personifies Mrs Christie’s iconic Hercule Poirot.

Across the pond, American viewers couldn’t get enough of the murder mystery, either. With greater financial possibilities, different television producing companies delivered a wide array of Whodunit series. One of the best remains ‘Columbo’ (1971-2003), created by Richard Levinson and William Link. Named after its main character, the show is centred around Lieutenant Columbo, who uses his ingenuous demeanour to reveal expertly concealed crimes. Peter Falk dedicated over 20 years of his life, as the show took a hiatus from 1978 to 1989, his portrayal of the seemingly meek and dim-witted detective garnering plenty of positive critique and even a Golden Globe in 1994.

ANGELA LANSBURY AS JESSICA FLETCHER IN ‘MURDER, SHE WROTE’ (1984-1996), ©UNIVERSAL TELEVISION

Another classic of American TV is ‘Murder, She Wrote’ (1984-1996), starring Angela Lansbury as the professional writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher, who uses her charm, intelligence and determination to solve the various crimes she comes across. Richard Levinson and William Link teamed up for this project as co-creators alongside Peter S. Fischer, given their previous success with ‘Columbo’ and an increasing demand from the public for more of these serialized Whodunits. Worth noting here is that Angela Lansbury also portrayed Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple in ‘The Mirror Crack’d’ (1980), alongside Tony Curtis, Kim Novak, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson.

In more recent times, the television genre stepped into a more technical arena, as did modern crime investigation in the real world. With the advent of fingerprinting and forensic sciences, the Whodunit was given a makeover—this, in turn, led to the expansion of multiple TV series that paired a number of experts and whimsical sleuths to take on a variety of increasingly more complex murders. The CSI franchise alone has been taking up a considerable amount of screen time, alongside NCIS and other similar productions. Policemen work with lab technicians and profilers throughout each episode, looking to solve crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice. 

Worth mentioning here is BBC’s ‘Sherlock’ (2010), Mark Gatiss and Stephen Moffat’s modern update on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary Sherlock Holmes. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are absolutely astonishing as the famous private investigator and his partner, Dr Watson. It is, by all intents and purposes, one of the oldest accounts of different minds and polar opposites coming together to reveal criminals and deliver justice, but with a new and exciting twist that makes it one of the best TV series of all time.

SIMON BAKER AS PATRICK JANE IN ‘THE MENTALIST’ (2008-2015), ©WARNER BROS. TELEVISION

The odd-pairing formula has worked well in the United States over the years, too. In ‘The Mentalist’ (2008-2015), created by Bruno Heller, a former psychic starts working as a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation so he can find Red John, the serial killer who murdered his wife and daughter. Teaming up with detective Lisbon and her team, Patrick Jane uses his mentalist skills to trick and catch killers, one episode at a time. Starring Simon Baker and Robin Tunney, ‘The Mentalist’ offers a fresh take on the Whodunit, while keeping the audiences guessing as its heroes combine standard investigative methods with Patrick Jane’s playful trickery. 

‘Castle’ (2009-2016), created by Andrew W. Marlowe, sees Nathan Fillion’s mystery writer Rick Castle partnering with Stana Katic’s surly, no-nonsense NYPD detective Kate Beckett to solve crimes. ‘Bones’ (2005-2017), created by Hart Hanson, has Emily Deschanel’s hyper-rational forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan working with David Boreanaz’s cocky FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. 

Needless to say, this type of duo has become a staple of contemporary television, though not always successful or long-lasting. But the Whodunit will continue to reinvent itself along the way. It will inevitably return to its incipient formula every time, and we will never find ourselves tired of the genre. From Agatha Christie to ‘Knives Out’ and everything in-between, our predilection for murder mysteries will withstand the test of time.

Let’s face it. From the moment Stephen King started writing, the world has never been the same. A master of blending suspense and horror with the supernatural in terrifyingly realistic ways, Mr King has given us at least 97 books up to date. It doesn’t look like he’s stopping any time soon, either—not that we mind.

His numerous bestsellers have become movie and TV rights darlings. Production studios continue to wrestle each other for a chance to put his stories onto the screen. Most of Mr King’s books have been adapted in one form or another: feature films (classics such as ‘The Shining’ of 1980 or ‘Carrie’ of 1976, as well as more modern takes like ‘It’ and ‘It: Chapter Two’ of 2017 and 2019, respectively); TV series (see Audience’s ‘Mr Mercedes’ featuring Brendan Gleeson and Harry Treadaway, or Hulu’s Stephen King-inspired ‘Castle Rock’ with Bill Skarsgård and Lizzy Caplan); and plenty of mini-series (remember the original ‘It’ of 1990, ‘Rose Red’, or ‘The Dead Zone’?).

BILL SKARSGÅRD AS PENNYWISE IN ‘IT’ (2017), ©NEW LINE CINEMA

He has written so much and so well that it’s a task and a pleasure to keep up. Not all of his book adaptations have been stellar, however. ‘The Mist’ (2017) was an absolute flop, while the earlier film from 10 years earlier, directed by King-aficionado Frank Darabont did noticeably better. The original ‘Pet Sematary’ of 1989 became a cult classic, but the remake of 2019 left much to be desired. ‘The Tommyknockers’ (1993) was dismal, yet John Carpenter’s take on ‘Christine’ (1983) brought the horror genre to a whole new level. Despite the risk of utter failure, the remakes and adaptations of Mr Kind’s source material keep coming. ‘The Stand’ (1994) was a moderate success for its time, starring Gary Sinise, Rob Lowe, and Molly Ringwald. It, too, is getting a remake this year, via CBS and featuring James Marsden, Jovan Adepo, and Whoopi Goldberg. We’ll see how that one turns out. The point is, Stephen King is a master storyteller, but his books are not always the easiest to transform for the screen. It’s a hit-and-miss game with his tales of the dreadful and the unbelievable.

‘THE OUTSIDER’ (2020), ©HOME BOX OFFICE/HBO

Enter ‘The Outsider’ (2020), HBO’s first foray into his world. Plenty of networks and hordes of more than capable producers have taken on his works, though few were able to reach the level of this most recent Stephen King adaptation. Based on the eponymous book published in 2018, ‘The Outsider’ follows a seasoned cop and a peculiar investigator as they try to make sense of a seemingly straightforward murder investigation that turns out to be anything but.

From the very first episode, we’re confronted with a difficult premise: how can someone be in two places at once?

Created by Oscar-nominated Richard Price of ‘The Wire’ (2003-2009) and ‘The Deuce’ (2017-2019) fame, ‘The Outsider’ offers a supernatural answer to the above question. The best part? It is so well put together, that we actually believe the unbelievable.

BEN MENDELSOHN AND CYNTHIA ERIVO IN ‘THE OUTSIDER’ (2020), ©HOME BOX OFFICE/HBO

The series is written by Mr Price and Mr King, with three directors at its helm: Andrew Bernstein, better known for ‘The West Wing’ (2000-2006), ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’ (2019), and ‘Ozark’ (2017-2018); Charlotte Brändström, of ‘The Witcher’ (2019) and ‘Counterpart’ (2019); and Jason Bateman, actor and director most famous for his work on ‘Arrested Development’ (2003-2019), ‘Bad Words’ (2013), and ‘Juno’ (2007). HBO has put together a truly exceptional team for this project, and it shows right off the bat.

As soon as episode 1, aptly titled ‘Fish in a Barrel’ opens up, we’re vehemently absorbed into the story. Terry Maitland of Flint City, Oklahoma—all-around good guy/dad/baseball coach for the local boys’ team, is arrested for the horrific murder of little Frankie Peterson. The evidence and a slew of credible witnesses are against him, while he insists on his innocence. His reputation is obliterated, his family torn apart, and then compelling proof and witnesses putting him miles away from Flint City at the time of the murder emerge. The mystery is set. How could Terry Maitland have raped, murdered and mutilated an innocent kid, when he was all the way in Cap City at a teacher’s conference? By the end of this episode, we’re left baffled, asking the same question, over and over. How is this possible? How is there solid and indisputable evidence and testimony both incriminating and clearing of Terry Maitland?

JASON BATEMAN IN ‘THE OUTSIDER’ (2020), ©HOME BOX OFFICE/HBO

This brings back one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most memorable quotes: ‘Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.’ It would be safe to assume that ‘The Outsider’ boldly spins the impossible and twists it into the truth. 

The HBO series is, at its core, a gruesome crime drama. The classic jump-style horror is swapped for a mood of pure dread. The characters are shaken out of their regular lives, their rhythms disrupted by this terrible murder—everyone is involved in it and in its aftermath, one way or another, and the series does an exquisite job of following them all.

JULIANNE NICHOLSON IN ‘THE OUTSIDER’ (2020), ©HOME BOX OFFICE/HBO

In an elegant set of parallels, Terry, superbly played by Jason Bateman, struggles to prove his innocence, while his wife, Glory, portrayed by Julianne Nicholson, juggles a suddenly chaotic existence—her husband in jail, her daughters scared and confused, and the whole town scowling in their general direction for the awful crime that Terry is blamed for. At the same time, Detective Ralph Anderson, brilliantly brought to life by Ben Mendelsohn (Danny Rayburn in Netflix’s ‘Bloodline’, Talos in ‘Captain Marvel’, and King George VI in ‘Darkest Hour’), tries to make sense of what was supposed to be a dead-to-rights arrest. His main suspect appears guilty and innocent at the same time. Meanwhile, the Petersons are falling apart in their grief, one by one, until none are left standing.

The writers do a stellar job of infusing fear and realism into what is basically a heart-breaking tragedy, neatly wrapped up in layers of the supernatural. When talking about ‘The Outsider’, Stephen King said: ‘I write stories that are supposed to be fun and scary and make readers believe the unbelievable.’ That can be easily observed throughout the series’ first few episodes. By the time we meet Cynthia Erivo’s Holly Gibney, that’s it. We’re hooked. Terry Maitland had to be innocent. Something else happened. We have to know the truth. Take us to the truth, Mr King, no matter how weird and unexplainable it is!

YUL VASQUEZ ‘THE OUTDSIDER’ (2020), ©HOME BOX OFFICE/HBO

In terms of performance, each of the actors manage to stand out, breathing life into their characters like few other thespians can. Jason Bateman completely sells us this baffled version of Terry Maitland, a guy whose worse crime was that cowboy-style belt buckle. Glory Maitland is absolutely fierce, the lioness who must protect her cubs at all costs, as they’re now living in a town that has basically turned on them. 

Yul Vasquez of ‘Russian Doll’ (2019), ‘I Am the Night’ (2019), and ‘Captain Phillips’ (2013) as Yunis Sablo of the GBI brings a certain flavour of his own—the moderate bridge between Detective Anderson’s empiricism and Holly Gibney’s strangeness. A favourite scene so far is when these three characters meet in the diner to discuss a partnership aimed at finding Frankie Peterson’s real killer. ‘I have no tolerance for the unexplainable,’ Ralph tells Holly. ‘Well then, sir, you have no tolerance for me,” says Holly before she goes on to briefly but eloquently explain why she is different and definitely the right person to investigate the glaring mystery behind the kid’s murder.

BEN MENDELSOHN IN ‘THE OUTSIDER’ (2020), ©HOME BOX OFFICE/HBO

Referring to Ben Mendelsohn’s character, Stephen King said: ‘I had the idea of writing about a guy who was in two places at once, and what really turned my dial, […] I thought to myself, I’d like to have a protagonist here who has skin in the game.’ 

And Ralph Anderson certainly has that. He’s a father who lost a child of his own to cancer—coincidentally, Derek was also part of Terry Maitland’s baseball team, just like the Peterson boy. If anyone has what it takes to make this truly personal, it’s this weathered detective. But as we begin to peel away at the inconsistencies, we begin to understand that nothing is what it seems. 

Where storytelling is concerned, ‘The Outsider’ has not only succeeded in bringing Mr King’s tale to life, it has exceeded all expectations and elevated the standard once more for the crime and horror genres worldwide. An ample degree of insight and finesse are required for a writer to be able to show us how a person copes with the unbelievable, when nothing else explains what is right there, in front of his eyes.

‘THE OUTSIDER’ (2020), ©HOME BOX OFFICE/HBO

Of course, ‘The Outsider’ would be nowhere near as effective without its prolific cinematography. Kevin McKnight, Zak Mulligan and Rasmus Heise were brought on to help Mr King’s vision reach its full potential. Worth noting here are the image compositions, not only where the characters are involved in terms of on-camera position, but also where lighting and the establishing shots are concerned. There is a certain intensity that comes into each frame, as well as a nagging feeling that something worse has yet to happen. In an interview with IMDb, Stephen King said that he learned his ‘chops’ from some of the writers behind ‘The Twilight Zone’ (1959-1964), a fact which becomes obvious once you read one or more of his books. The cinematographers thus had the task of setting that mood across the board, inviting viewers to accept the fantastic in order to justify the horror that has befallen Flint City. 

Art directors Jason Perrine and Justin O’Neal Miller do a marvelous job of enhancing the story through its set designs and impressive detail work. One particularly memorable scene is when Yunis Sablo enters the barn to investigate the bloodied clothes. The ensemble of cobwebs and old wood against the forensic spotlight leaves an impression onto the viewer’s mind, further following the show’s overall visual patterns. Aiding in the rendering of this frightening realism, the editing team, comprised of Tad Dennis, Leo Trombetta, Dorian Harris, and Daniel James Scott, proceed with great care as they weave the scenes together, delivering a smooth selection of haunting and petrifying moments. Frank Peterson’s suicide scene continues to haunt us, even now.

‘THE OUTSIDER’ (2020), ©HOME BOX OFFICE/HBO

In case you’re wondering why we’re going to such lengths to applaud each and every member of this production and post-production team, it’s because they all had a part to play in making ‘The Outsider’ a tour-de-force of modern television. 

They deserve a standing ovation, for it is truly rare and surprising for an adaptation to surpass the book’s original craft. It takes talent and visionaries behind and in front of the camera. 

Fortunately, when HBO gambled on this series, they understood its potential and assembled the right team to take on the project. Not only is ‘The Outsider’ loyal to its source material, it goes that extra mile of adding more, of seamlessly reproducing and magnifying that Stephen King vibe which is so difficult to attain.

When Netflix first announced its plans for ‘The Witcher’, many fans of the eponymous videogames were equal parts thrilled and worried. The fantasy genre is and always will be difficult to adapt for the screen, and readers know it all too well. We all wondered at the time: would ‘The Witcher’ live up to the epic success of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy or ‘Game of Thrones’, or would it flop like the ‘Star Wars’ prequels?

Now that the show is currently being streamed on Netflix and was renewed for its second season even before the premiere, the reviews are in. Not all of them are kind, but that was to be expected. ‘The Witcher’ is an ambitious project, naively compared to other fantasy giants before it hit the screens and tasked with living up to or exceeding the videogame’s reputation. 

Created by Lauren Schmidt of ‘Daredevil’ (2016), ‘The Defenders’ (2017) and ‘The Umbrella Academy’ (2019) fame, ‘The Witcher’ is basically a hybrid of subgenres from the fantasy arena. Some parts are excellent and bordering on spectacular, while others are confusing or dangerously close to mediocre, considering this decade’s cinematic capabilities. It’s good, but it could’ve been great.

‘THE WITCHER’ POSTER, ©NETFLIX

Henry Cavill plays the hero-not-hero Geralt of Rivia, a mutated superhuman who hunts monsters for a living, trying to find his way in a world where ‘people often prove more wicked than beasts’. Given that Mr Cavill is a huge fan of the videogames and actively worked to get the lead part in ‘The Witcher’, one can tell there is plenty of passion in his performance. He takes Geralt out of the books/videogames and turns him into something bigger, something of his own making, and the viewers love him for it.

Freya Allan is a part-Elven princess named Ciri, and her coming-of-age story is slow to unfold but definitely going somewhere. Her journey marks the passage from innocence to adulthood, where the safety of home and family have been forcibly left behind. She is left to fend for herself or, worse even, take a chance and trust complete strangers. Much like in real life, that can lead to good or disastrous outcomes. Ciri represents the future generation, but her character arc is missing something, and we’re hoping she’ll get a more rounded story in the next season.

FREYA ALLEN AS CIRI IN ‘THE WITCHER’, ©NETFLIX

Yennefer, brilliantly portrayed by Anya Chalotra, is given plenty of room to develop, and she is certainly one of the show’s strong points. Ms Chalotra is better known for her work on ‘Wanderlust’ (2018), and while she’s still young and relatively new to the scene, she has everything she needs to make her mark. Yennefer is a complex creature with a heart-breaking backstory who makes difficult choices for the sake of power. She could’ve been better, if only her screen time had been crafted more carefully. Her desire to have a child is not an easy pill to swallow, considering the horrific dangers she’s willing to put herself through in order to become a mother in the absence of a womb she traded for magic. It’s difficult to relate to her plight on that level, but with everything else, she’s a tour de force, especially alongside Geralt.

Jaskier the Bard is supposed to play Jiminy Cricket to Geralt’s Pinocchio, but aside from a memorable tavern song called ‘Toss A Coin to Your Witcher’, Joey Batey’s character means well but falls exceptionally short. There is potential in the elder and more seasoned secondary characters—take Mousesack, Fringilla, Triss or Stregobor, for example, but their arcs are barely touched, their contribution to the story minimal, at best. Mr Sapkowski’s books were more generous.

ANYA CHALOTRA AS YENNEFER IN ‘THE WITCHER’, ©NETFLIX

At first glance, one can safely say that ‘The Witcher’ delivers on many of the promises it has made to its viewers—most of whom are aficionados of the videogames and have read the original published works. It is, by all intents and purposes, a dark, saucy and gritty fantasy series, rife with magic and conflict, driven by interesting and multifaceted characters. There are epic sword fights, seductive witches and monsters galore.

One of its strong points is the interwoven timeline: we follow Geralt and Yennefer long before the Nilfgaardian Empire begins its bid for the north, and we also follow Ciri in the present day as she escapes from her castle and homeland, currently invaded by the Nilfgaardian armies. The way in which the story is told is worthy of praise, as the show’s creator has managed to comb through all the books and short story collections in order to take Geralt on his adventure and to drive the plot in the right direction.

HENRY CAVILL AS GERALT IN ‘THE WITCHER’, ©NETFLIX

The visuals are exquisite. Gavin Struthers of ‘The Alienist’ (2018), ‘Nightflyers’ (2018) and ‘Downton Abbey’ (2011), and Jean-Philippe Gossart of ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ (2016), ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’ (2017) and ‘The Legend of Tarzan’ (2016), do a marvellous job in terms of cinematography. Most importantly, the panoramic views and the gloomy forest imagery do more for the worldbuilding than the actual screenplay. Hungary has plenty to offer in terms of stunning landscapes, mysterious forests and old castles. The production value is obvious in pretty much every exterior shot.

Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelly have worked together before, composing scores for ‘The Romanoffs’ (2018), ‘Sacred Lies’ (2018), ‘The Mist’ (2017) and ‘Reprisal’ (2018), so seeing them team up on ‘The Witcher’ made sense. A dark fantasy needs an equally dark and intense score, and the duo rise to the challenge with a bewitching and diverse composition. It’s easily one of the show’s strong points.

JODHY MAY AS QUEEN CALANTHE AND HENRY CAVILL AS GERALT IN ‘THE WITCHER’, ©NETFLIX

Unfortunately, ‘The Witcher’ also falls flat in crucial parts of the story and on important aspects of its characters, but the source material bears some of the blame. From a perception point of view, it should have never been compared to ‘Game of Thrones’ in the first place. The worldbuilding in David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s novels is virtually flawless because Mr Martin took the time to explore the cultural details that set each of the kingdoms apart. His characters speak in certain languages and with specific mannerisms. There are laws and traditions in place, along with a homogenous visual attribute in terms of fashion and costumes, nations and cultures, as well as in terms of landscape, weather and architecture.

It is impossible to confuse House Lannister with House Stark, for example. It is easy to make the difference between the north and the south, between Winterfell and King’s Landing. We know how Valyrian sounds, as opposed to Dothraki. A lot of work went into every detail that built the realm of ‘Game of Thrones’. ‘The Witcher’ never got that far or deep into its world, and we’re therefore left with plenty of gaps and a superficial universe, at best.

EMMA APPLETON AS RENFRI AND HENRY CAVILL AS GERALT IN ‘THE WITCHER’, ©NETFLIX

How did the worlds collide? There’s a mention of it as ‘the Conjunction of the Spheres’, of how elves and monsters and humans ended up sharing this planet, but what of those who’ve not read the books or played the videogames? What is the Continent like? How can we tell the north from the south or the east? There is very little attention paid to the cultures and nations that make up this world and it shows. The lack of homogeneity cannot be covered with grunts and expletives, and the bane of every fantasy story is that it must feel realistic. Sure, elves aren’t real, but the writers have to make us believe that they are—after all, we wholeheartedly bought dragons like Drogon, Rhaegar and Viserion. We bought Legolas, Galadriel, Elrond, Arwen and all the other elves from J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece. We’re having a hard time doing the same with ‘The Witcher’.

The characters’ names are rather difficult to remember, too, and that can easily push people away from a story. Andrzej Sapkowski was clearly looking up to Mr Tolkien for many of the elements in his Witcher saga, but he didn’t stick the landing on character names—of course, we have no trouble remembering the main heroes Yennefer, Geralt and Ciri, but everyone else’s can easily slip the mind. It might seem like a small issue, but for the millions of people who haven’t read his books and still want to watch and love ‘The Witcher’, it’ll play a negative part.

HENRY CAVILL AS GERALT IN ‘THE WITCHER’, ©NETFLIX

On the plus side, the pilot episode fight scene from Blaviken was beyond exquisite. Perhaps one of the best in this decade’s worth of film and television. The smooth melange between fast cuts and slow motion, paired with Geralt’s close combat and swordsmanship skills offers a truly superb action sequence, worthy of all praise. It’s a pity we didn’t see more in the same style throughout the rest of the season. 

The monsters’ CGI is sloppy, at best. Given this era’s technological advances and the beast’s importance to Geralt’s existence in the story, we should be able to put a little bit more effort into otherworldly creatures like the Striga, the Kikimora, the Krallach or the other grotesque protagonists of ‘The Witcher’. It’s one more reason why comparisons to ‘Game of Thrones’ should be swiftly disregarded. The two fantasy series will never be in the same league, regardless of original aspirations and general assumptions.

At the end of season 1, one can see why Netflix has decided to renew the series. It has all the ingredients it needs to build a loyal following—though the base is pre-existing thanks to the videogames. It’s the others who might not click play when season 2 comes out, mostly for the reasons above.

‘THE WITCHER’, ©NETFLIX

Yes, we are glad to see more fantasy on our screens, and we hope there will be more, soon enough. But ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ have elevated the bar and it is difficult to rise to the same standard. Not impossible, just more tedious and definitely expensive. That being said, ‘The Witcher’ is rumoured to drive an $80-90 million budget. Not exactly pennies, but definitely enough to strengthen their creative force.

Maybe season 2 will bring us ampler worldbuilding details, sturdier character arcs and better monster CGI designs, along with fewer clichés and a less choppy dialogue. There is potential in this series, but the team behind this project must strive to surpass Mr Sapkowski’s literary works and expand Geralt’s universe into something more immersive and realistic. The formula itself isn’t difficult, but the devil is and will always be in the details.