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[gray-publications]

Debris Should Get Picked Up by A Streaming Service, Here’s Why

The NBC show Debris was sadly canceled by the network after a 13-episode first season run. Debris is the story of a new task force known as Orbital tasked with finding and securing pieces of a fallen alien spaceship, each piece of debris yields a different effect on the environment and people around them, meaning every episode is a new mystery. Debris is emotive and weighty in that the episodes are driven by the main characters Finola (a MI6 operative) and Bryan (a CIA operative) and their very personal connections to the debris around them and their intrapersonal work relationship. They go from investigating these wild anomalies that create extraordinary situations to coping with real-life heartbreak and terror. The first season did a good job of demonstrating the scope of what the debris can do as well as some exploration to the motivations of others, including Finola’s once-dead-now-alive father George. However, the show failed to get off the ground with viewers, so why was that and why would another network pick it up despite that?

Debris season one drops the viewer directly into the mystery, we don’t know how or why the debris is entering the earth but with each episode we get more familiarized with the pieces. However, despite this the show writers aren’t huge on giving direct answers, season one primarily was to set up the main characters of Bryan, Finola, her father George, along with the main groups of Orbital and INFLUX (a secret organization trying to acquire pieces of debris before they are acquired by government agencies) and show generally what debris can do. We, the viewers, are dropped into a mystery box situation. If you aren’t familiar with what mystery box storytelling is, think of Lost. As explained by Justin Kownacki on his blog, “If you’ve never heard the term before, the Mystery Box is the term that Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams uses to explain the structure of a good mystery story: you drop people into the middle of a mystery-in-progress that leaves them wanting to know answers in both directions.”

I contend that good mystery box storytelling isn’t encouraged by network television anymore, Lost was itself an anomaly by standards. Networks approve of more procedural shows like Law & Order: SVU or even Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the ratings show this to be true. However, streaming services don’t have that same issue, for today’s viewers a mystery box show is better for bingeing a season as opposed to weekly one hour viewing. Streaming services are more open to creators saying, “I have a five season show here,” (like Netflix did when it greenlighted SheRa and The Princesses of Power) rather than the uncertainty of needing to be renewed every season on a network that wants you to stretch would was meant to be 5 seasons into 15 (like CW did with Supernatural). The creator of Debris J.H. Wyman stated, in a Deadline interview here, a few weeks before the season one finale that he had a five-season arc planned and that he knows exactly where it would end. This gives incentive to a streaming service to pick the show up with an end in sight.

Beyond that though, let’s talk about why a streaming service should be interested in Debris. I’ve already touched on the intrigue of the debris and how its mystery box storytelling is compelling for many viewers, but Debris does something a lot of science fiction on television shies away from: emotionality. Debris is wonderfully acted by Riann Steele and Jonathan Tucker and viewers get a sense of how serious these events are from the jump. We feel Finola (Riann Steele) cope with the loss and return of her father and we see Bryan (Jonathan Tucker) manage with PTSD and the effects of being lied to from higher ups in Orbital. These issues and other occurrences in Debris are profound and poignant without being over-the-top or embarrassing (due to being badly written or acted). Despite watching highly unusual science fiction settings you still feel what the characters feel in these extreme conditions.

The finale of season one answers a few questions but left viewers with a lot more that they deserve answer for. The viewers deserve to take the journey with Finola and Bryan and experience the debris piece by piece. The finale ended with a character saying, “Let’s begin” and I agree, we should begin. Let a streaming service pick this show up and deliver it to us. The potential is there, and NBC failed to promote it and see it for what it was: a great mystery box show with promise.

#nbc debris #debris #jonathan tucker #riann steele

[gray-publications]

You Definitely Need to Watch Black Sails

Black Sails, the underrated pirate show from Starz, that ran from 2014 through 2017 is everything one can want in entertainment. Black Sails is posed as a prequel to Treasure Island, the book written by Robert Louis Stevenson published in installments from 1881 to 1882. Black Sails is more than that though and more than the real-life historical pirates they utilize in the show as well. It is so much more! While most pieces of media that showcases pirates rely on cheeky one liners and silly adventurers, a la Jack Sparrow, Black Sails offers a well-rounded alternative reliant on amazing character development, a diverse cast, queer representation, and philosophy unseen in pirating adventures.

Black Sails avoids being cheesy by avoiding a narrative that’s similar to history channel dramatizations of pirates, the writing is sincere and philosophical from the jump. The actors are genuine and well-portrayed, and the characters do not come across as cartoonish as Jack Sparrow so often does. While many viewers agree the first season is the weakest, it only gets stronger from there (so stay in it!) The characterization strengthens and with each episode the characters explore each other, their goals, and their values so that by the end of season four a viewer not only knows the characters but understands their viewpoint. I theorize that Black Sails’ first season was an attempt to get male action viewers engaged in the show before turning the story on its head. This, admittedly, wasn’t the best plan by the network (Starz) or the marketing team. Black Sails got a second season to the surprise of many, and the creators Robert Levine and Jonathan E. Steinberg ran with it, as Brook Wentz states in this Hypable article, “The creators of Black Sails respect their audience and they’re not remotely interested in spoon-feeding any sort of narrative.”

The long-lasting fanbase for Black Sails ended up being women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. For good reason, too, without spoiling a major plotline Black Sails tells the stories of members of the LGBTQ+ community who are marginalized from society. These members of the LGBTQ+ community are relegated to a pirating hub, Nassau, where they wage war against the nation that wronged them (England). The identities displayed in the show range from bisexual, to lesbian, to asexual, and demisexual. (One can argue it included a trans person, as well, but they are introduced more as a historical nod towards the end.) These stories are so rarely told in fiction, let alone in a context like a pirating adventure, and Black Sails does so exceptionally well. Not only does Black Sails tell queer stories but it also showcases stories of women and freed slaves. When most often adventure, and especially pirating, narratives focus straight white men this inclusivity makes Black Sails unique.

Though the show does have some intense action sequences they are not used in a way that masks a lack of narrative, plot, or storytelling. The action, arguably, is secondary to the ideology and philosophy presented by each character. From Captain Flint’s personal war against England in which he declares, “They took everything from us. And then they called me a monster. The moment I sign that pardon, the moment I ask for one, I proclaim to the world that they were right. This ends when I grant them my forgiveness. Not the other way around.(episode VII)” to Jack Rackham’s main ambition to become someone that everyone knows, “A place that, fifty years hence and when I'm long gone, would force the world to acknowledge Jack Rackham was here. (episode XIX)” almost every character on the show has an amazing passage of speech or soliloquy that showcases their viewpoint in a way that’s generally not done in television shows or movies. The main take away here is that watching Black Sails is like reading a really riveting book rather than watching a shallow, action-filled show. The writers and creators embrace intelligence and incorporate a slow-burning plot betwixt action sequences. Finally, as pointed out in this Inverse article by Lauren Sarner, “Best of all, the show is not afraid to get downright literary in between its action set pieces, whether it’s with allusions or debates about books.”

Even though Black Sails only ran for four seasons, it was a complete story from beginning to end. The writers led the story right up to the door of the beginning of Treasure Island, as promised, but also maintained their own incredible story without sacrificing inclusivity or scholarly principles. It’s absolutely worth your time and attention, and in my opinion it’s literally the best piece of media ever made.

#black sails

[gray-publications]

Why NBC’s Debris Should Get Picked Up By Another Network

Description: The NBC show Debris was sadly canceled by the network after a 13 episode first season run. Debris is the story of a new task force known as Orbital tasked with finding and securing pieces of a fallen alien spaceship, each piece of debris yields a different effect on the environment and people around them, meaning every episode is a new mystery. Debris is emotive and weighty in that the episodes are driven by the main characters Finola (a MI6 operative) and Bryan (a CIA operative) and their very personal connections to the debris around them and their intrapersonal work relationship. The first season did a good job of demonstrating what the debris can mean to individuals and humanity as a whole. This article will detail how and why another network or streaming service should pick up the show.

  Sources: • https://collider.com/debris-review-nbc-jonathan-tucker/ • https://deadline.com/2021/05/debris-finale-spoilers-recap-jh-wyman-jonathan-tucker-interview-nbc-renewal-1234763390/

[gray-publications]

Why You Should Watch Black Sails

Description: Black Sails, the underrated pirate show from Starz, that ran from 2014 through 2017 is everything one can want in entertainment. While most pieces of media that showcases pirates rely on cheeky one liners and silly adventurers, a la Jack Sparrow, Black Sails offers a well-rounded alternative reliant on amazing character development, a diverse cast, philosophy unseen in pirating adventures, and queer representation. This article will cover why a viewer should take the time to watch Black Sails and what they can learn from it. This would include but may not be limited to, why queer stories are important, why wit and philosophy are important in storytelling, and why Black Sails is not your average television show.

  Sources: • https://www.hypable.com/black-sails-and-how-we-define-good-tv/ • https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/you-should-be-watching-black-sails • https://www.inverse.com/article/25208-black-sails-binge-watch