Skelette und Kräfte
So far, we've learned about the importance of the first sentence, the three-act structure, plot points and midpoints, the hero's journey, and character development. All of this serves to structure and advance the plot, the action, of our story.
I watched the third season of Inspector Lund - The Crime on television. In it, the character of the intelligent but socially completely incompetent Inspector Lund, well developed by two previous seasons, investigates the kidnapping of a politician's young daughter. In the course of the plot, she discovers that the kidnapping is related to the disappearance of a teenager a few years ago. Apparently, the disappearance of the teenager motivated the kidnapper to commit his crime. A suspenseful, psychological drama unfolds over the season's ten episodes. Will Inspector Lund succeed in freeing the kidnapped girl against all odds, and will she uncover the background to the covered-up crime against the missing teenager? So far so good. But I also have major problems with this series. The story is stretched out to ten hours, when in my opinion the story could be adequately told in a good third of the time.
The plot is exciting and well told, but the timing is tedious. Ten episodes sell better than three.
The makers of Kommissarin Lund have basically done everything right. The 'skeleton' of the plot follows the scheme. But that is the problem. I like to use the image of the plot as a framework, or skeleton. But actually that is the wrong image. The skeleton of Commissioner Lund is just right. But the pull of plot and character development are too weak. So the plot of our story is more than just a scaffold and a structure but it also describes a balance of power. Even if the rigid framework seems fine, this does not necessarily make for a great story. The balance of forces has to be right. That's why the image of a physical force is perhaps better than that of a skeleton. The plot is all that moves the characters in the story. To paraphrase Ben Kenobi, "The power of plot surrounds us, it permeates us, it holds the story together."
Okay, a little esoteric. Let's try something simpler. In his book 20 Master Plots, Ronald B. Tobias describes how not only the structure (The WHAT) is important to a good plot, but also the very power relationships of the plot (The WHY).
Let's take MI3 as an example again and add to the already known WHAT structure, the explanation of the WHY.
1. Ethan Hunt celebrates the engagement with his companion Jules in his ordinary world. (WHAT)
Ethan wants to live a normal life after being a secret agent (WHY).
2. Ethan receives a call from his old friend Musgrave to go on one last adventure as a secret agent. (WHAT)
Musgrave uses his old friend Ethan for his own purposes (WHY) - Here is interesting: this information is initially kept secret from Ethan and the viewer.
3. reluctantly, Ethan meets with Musgrave. Ethan is to free his former protégé Lindsey. Ethan refuses. That life is behind him. (WHAT)
Ethan doesn't want to be used. He wants to live a different life (WHY).
4. Ethan dreams about Lindsey. His conscience comes forward and acts as a mentor here. He can't abandon Lindsey. He has trained her. He accepts the assignment. (WHAT)
Ethan is a man of integrity. He feels responsible for Lindsey's fate. He can't start a new life if his old life is still unfinished. (WHY.)
5. Together with his team, they manage to free Lindsey. However, Lindsey dies in an insidious way at the hands of the evil Owen Davian. The first threshold of the adventure is crossed. There is no turning back. (WHAT)
Ethan realizes through Lindsey's death that his old life is not yet complete. (WHY.)
6. Ethan, along with his allies, undergoes a great test of his abilities. He kidnaps Owen Davian from the Vatican. For the first time, Ethan comes face to face with his enemy. Owen Davian vows revenge. (WHAT)
Ethan wants closure with his old life. The capture of Owen Davian should allow him to do so. He also harbors feelings of revenge against Davian, who is responsible for Lindsey's death. (WHY.)
7. All seems well, but then the prisoner Davian is freed and Ethan's companion Jules is kidnapped. Ethan is now in the lion's den. He must steal the 'rabbit's foot' for Davian if Jules is to live. (WHAT)
Davian is freed and kidnaps Jules. Instead of closure with his old life, it brutally invades Ethan's new life. Instead of control, Ethan experiences helplessness. (WHY.)
8. Ethan must undergo the ultimate test. Together with his companions, he manages to steal the 'Rabbit's Foot'. (WHAT)
Ethan makes a pact with the devil to save his new life with Jules. (WHY.)
9. Ethan now expects to be rewarded with the release of Jules. However, Jules is shot in front of him. All seems lost. (WHAT)
The devil Davian does what a devil must do. He betrays Ethan and kills Jules. Instead of having a new life with Jules, Ethan is left alone in the wreckage of his old life. (WHY.)
10. Only now Ethan realizes the truth: His friend Musgrave is working with Davian. And Jules is alive! He makes his way back from the darkness to Jules. (WHAT)
Ethan only now realizes that he has been used by his friend Musgrave from the beginning (that is, since point 2). His best friend has been working with the devil Davian all along, and thus is also to blame for Lindsey's death. Ethan's assumptions about his old life and his new life were wrong. His old life is not yet complete. Musgrave has prevented this from happening. But Ethan's new life isn't over either. (WHY.)
11. In order to finally defeat his adversary Davian, Ethan must make the ultimate sacrifice and 'die'. Jules manages to take out Musgrave and revive Ethan. (WHAT)
To start a new life with Jules, Ethan must accept that he is not solely responsible for the relationship. Jules is capable of her own decisions and actions. After Ethan takes out Davian, he lets Jules 'kill' him to deactivate the detonator in his head. Jules kills Musgrave and brings Ethan back to life. (WHY.)
12. Ethan returns from the realm of death proverbially victorious. All is well. (WHAT)
Ethan has learned to leave his old life behind and start a new life together with Jules. Ethan has grown and can finally accept an equal partner in his life. (WHY.)
