Episode 1.10 "The Crash"

[Dallas]

The season finale, episode 1.10 "The Crash"

Lydia warns Celeste to stay away from Cole ... Houston and Stacey prepare to tell their families about their engagement ... Lydia gears up to take down Mac ... and much more!

I hope you've enjoyed the first season!

[Michael]

Hi, Dallas! I hope I'm not screwing up your forum by pulling this thread to the top, but I gobbled up all ten episodes in pretty quick succession (I was doing two a night before bed), so I wanted to leave overall thoughts without the risk of spoiling the story for readers who didn't binge.

This was such a fun read. As I said in my post about the premiere, I've been missing that over-the-top primetime soap vibe that The Blackthornes brought to the community, so I was thrilled you were doing something like this. I like that you used a lot of familiar archetypes -- the patriarch's second marriage to a younger woman, the corporate rivalry, etc. -- but put your spin on them. I really enjoyed the contrast between Cole and Lex: one the screw-up who doesn't quite fit in at the family business, the other the seeming perfect heir who has *two* secrets that could distance him from his father. Great setup for lots and lots of drama. And I thought the pace was great. Every scene moved story forward, but you clearly know who the characters are, and that's a strong throughline.

I think Lexington might be my favorite character, or at least the one I find most interesting. His character and storyline are pretty complex. He obviously loves the mining business, as does his father, but he's also scared of how Mac will react to the news of his sexuality. I like that he isn't struggling with his sexuality, but rather with coming out itself. That feels fresh and modern. I never felt like there was any doubt that he wanted to be with Jarek (or at least with men), but he's clearly hesitant to come out with it. I was even doubting he'd do it in that final meeting. It seems like he prizes business success (and Mac's approval) over his personal life, no matter the cost, and I could see that being a real issue down the road. I also appreciated the way you played the reveal that Lex isn't Mac's biological son, with the hint and the fakeout and then the admission elsewhere. That twist has been done so many times (though it's a staple, and one that creates so much valuable story), so I liked how you took a circuitous route to the reveal and didn't assume your readers would be too dumb to notice what was going on. I look forward to Mac's reaction and the fallout.

If I were to have one criticism, it's that everything felt a little "small." As I said above, I liked how focused everything was, and how you kept the story moving. With a limited number of episodes (as opposed to the daytime model of ODAAT), of course you have to pick and choose. But I wouldn't have minded seeing more of these characters' world. It felt like, in many episodes, all we saw were the primary ten or so characters. Like, no one else even spoke or was really referenced. On the plus side, we got to know those people well, but things felt a little contained. I guess it isn't a criticism that I'm curious to know more about things like Celeste's family (what's her background?), or if Cole or Stacey or Lex have any other friends, etc. And who is Houston's mother? There's a lot to dig into. I also wondered where Lucinda got to. She seemed poised to be a major presence and then wasn't featured after the wedding, I don't think.

Anyway, congratulations on a really fun first season! I wish there were more people in the community putting out as much content as you are, and I hope it won't be too long until Season 2.

[Dallas]

Jul 17, 2016 21:46:43 GMT -5 Michael said:

Hi, Dallas! I hope I'm not screwing up your forum by pulling this thread to the top, but I gobbled up all ten episodes in pretty quick succession (I was doing two a night before bed), so I wanted to leave overall thoughts without the risk of spoiling the story for readers who didn't binge.

Not at all! I purposely posted them all so whenever someone wanted to comment they could. Do you mind if I ask how you enjoyed having the entire season released at once? I, for one, enjoyed it because the story reads pretty fast, so it's good for people to read as many episodes as they like in one sitting.

Michael said:

This was such a fun read. As I said in my post about the premiere, I've been missing that over-the-top primetime soap vibe that The Blackthornes brought to the community, so I was thrilled you were doing something like this. I like that you used a lot of familiar archetypes -- the patriarch's second marriage to a younger woman, the corporate rivalry, etc. -- but put your spin on them. I really enjoyed the contrast between Cole and Lex: one the screw-up who doesn't quite fit in at the family business, the other the seeming perfect heir who has *two* secrets that could distance him from his father. Great setup for lots and lots of drama. And I thought the pace was great. Every scene moved story forward, but you clearly know who the characters are, and that's a strong throughline.

THANK YOU! That means so much to me! I wanted the story's to be classic set up; so I don't think I told any "new" storylines, exactly, but I did (like anyone who writes) put my own spin on it. I'm glad that you enjoyed that!

Micahel said:

I think Lexington might be my favorite character, or at least the one I find most interesting. His character and storyline are pretty complex. He obviously loves the mining business, as does his father, but he's also scared of how Mac will react to the news of his sexuality. I like that he isn't struggling with his sexuality, but rather with coming out itself. That feels fresh and modern. I never felt like there was any doubt that he wanted to be with Jarek (or at least with men), but he's clearly hesitant to come out with it. I was even doubting he'd do it in that final meeting. It seems like he prizes business success (and Mac's approval) over his personal life, no matter the cost, and I could see that being a real issue down the road. I also appreciated the way you played the reveal that Lex isn't Mac's biological son, with the hint and the fakeout and then the admission elsewhere. That twist has been done so many times (though it's a staple, and one that creates so much valuable story), so I liked how you took a circuitous route to the reveal and didn't assume your readers would be too dumb to notice what was going on. I look forward to Mac's reaction and the fallout.

One of the things I loved about the way I set up Lexington is that he was the most like Mac, but he isn't really Mac's kid. I think that everyone seeing and knowing how close they are and how much Lex wanted to make Mac proud was a huge driving force for Lex. I have to admit, I rewrote so many of the scenes with Lex and Mac a few times, because I knew that Lydia had lied to him about Lex being his child, but I didn't want Mac to come across as dumb (which we've seen so often on soaps). I hope I did that justice!

Michael said:

If I were to have one criticism, it's that everything felt a little "small." As I said above, I liked how focused everything was, and how you kept the story moving. With a limited number of episodes (as opposed to the daytime model of ODAAT), of course you have to pick and choose. But I wouldn't have minded seeing more of these characters' world. It felt like, in many episodes, all we saw were the primary ten or so characters. Like, no one else even spoke or was really referenced. On the plus side, we got to know those people well, but things felt a little contained. I guess it isn't a criticism that I'm curious to know more about things like Celeste's family (what's her background?), or if Cole or Stacey or Lex have any other friends, etc. And who is Houston's mother? There's a lot to dig into. I also wondered where Lucinda got to. She seemed poised to be a major presence and then wasn't featured after the wedding, I don't think.

I appreciate these comments!
In terms of the cast, yes, every scenes was really the "core" group of characters. I did that on purpose in this season, mostly, because I wanted the readers just to get to know the main cast. Season two, we already see some new faces come on and people interact with them. Spoiler alter: One of the new characters is Houston's mother! I just didn't want to have too many characters in the first season, if that makes sense.

With Lucinda, I loved writing her, however, she really was just a recurring character. I loved how bitchy she was to Lydia but she didn't really serve much other purpose than being the protective mother/grandmother. That being said, she is another character that makes more appearances in season 2!.

Micahel said:

Anyway, congratulations on a really fun first season! I wish there were more people in the community putting out as much content as you are, and I hope it won't be too long until Season 2.

Thanks so much for reading! I'm that you enjoyed season. I haven't officially decided when season 2 will be released (mostly because I don't know how much I can actually keep up writing two series at once!). But I will make the announcement when I've decided.

I really appreciate your feedback,
Dallas