The Question On Everyone's Mind

[Editor's note:  This marks the first blog by Cole Fowler, a charming and talented young man from Austin, TX.  We at The Board think you'll find it most enjoyable.]

As the new writers' intern at B & S, I must say I am privy to some exciting information about upcoming storylines. It's truly an adrenaline rush to sit in the writers' room and realize you are one of only a handful of people to know the upcoming twists and turns. Over the internet, I see fans reeling over whether Rebecca is actually a Walker. And knowing the answer, I can't help but get a small, mischievous grin.

My mother, who has recently become a fan of the show, calls me and emails me with her own theories.

"I know you can't say anything Cole, but I JUST want to tell you my theory…"

My mom prides herself that after a lifetime of television viewing, including 20 years of All My Children, she is an expert at deducing plot twists.

"I was just watching the Valentine's episode from season one. Holly invites Saul to a Valentines' dinner, and Saul says that they've been down that path BEFORE…"

Saul and Holly have a long and checkered history.  But how long?

"Uh-Huh." I rack my brain, trying to remember this scene.

"So WHAT IF Holly was sleeping with William AND Saul? That'd be a great twist. AND Rebecca would still be a Walker."

"That's an interesting theory Mom." It's the standard reply that we've agreed upon. I will acknowledge her theories, and in a month when the episodes begin airing again, she will be able to say, "See, I told you so." Or "not so," as the case might be.

My mom also prides herself in her random tidbits of knowledge. Another of her theories relates to eye color, and the passing down of genetic traits.  "William had blue eyes. Holly has blue eyes. Two blue-eyed parents can ONLY have blue-eyed children. I learned that in school."

"Yeah Mom, I know."

"Your father has blue eyes. I have blue eyes. You, your brother, and your sister all have blue eyes. Rebecca has deep BROWN eyes. That's just scientifically impossible."

She has a point, but come on, this is television. "Mom, the vast majority of educated college students don't know genetic rules offhand. Plus, I don't think eye color becomes a number one priority when casting a television show. I can guarantee you that it's the last thing on the writers' minds."

Too bad this picture of the cast of Eight Is Enough is in b&w... or we could really have some fun with TV genetics!

Last week she read the Spring TV issue of Entertainment Weekly, and her theories have only gotten crazier. In the EW feature, our very own Monica Owusu-Breen responds to the question of whether Rebecca is actually William Walker's biological daughter: "It gets resolved, but then it brings up something that no one will see coming. There's a surprise in store for the Walkers. When Greg Berlanti (one of Brothers' executive producers) pitched it, we were dumbfounded for 10 minutes. It's just amazing.''

Since this, I've gotten multiple emails.

"What if Rebecca isn't even Holly's daughter? Holly has been tricking us all along!"

"What if Nora was married before and Sarah, the oldest child, is actually her daughter from that previous marriage?"

"OR what if Rebecca is actually Nora's daughter? Rebecca and Justin were twins, but William felt bad for Holly and, unknowing to Nora, separated them at birth?"

Same reply as always. "That's an interesting theory Mom. You'll have to wait and see."

"I know, I know. I want to be surprised."

-- Cole Fowler, Writers' Intern

Comments

[Scott]

Thanks for the amusing blog, Cole. Your mom sounds like a hoot.

I've already said my piece on how there's only one outcome that is at all consistent with Season 1's events (both Rebecca and Justin being Walkers), so I'll leave it at that.

Just saw the new preview for 2.13 and already April 20th can't come soon enough. I really have missed the Walkers.

[Kong Chang]

Thank you Cole for this amazing new blog experience. I've been waiting for something new to read. Glad you're aboard and welcome to the family!

KC
Maintainer of Luke MacFarlane Online

[sylviane]

Funny, Cole! A lot of your mother's theories are familiar to me. Others have come up with these sort of ideas too. :-)

As a fan of Kevin/Scotty I look forward to 2.14 and 2.16.

And all I can hope and pray for is that our worst fears about Justin/Rebecca will not come true.

[will]

I've had it up to my eyeballs with these damned season-end "plot twists"! Good episodes have to be GROUNDED on good, solid, interesting dialogue. Period.

Example: Tennessee William's play "Suddenly Last Summer" features insanity, a gay poet, a lobotomy, sexual favors & heavy sexual appetites, and cannibalism (which the film set on an exotic, white, tropical beach called Cabeza de Lobo). There are plot twists up the ying-yang. What makes it all work is summed up in this sentence: "lyrical dialogue pours forth like white-hot lava from the seething depths of Tennessee William's volcanic talent."

Lyrical dialogue
Balmy afternoons
Sexual deviance
Madness & Cannibalism
All beautifully woven together (like "Streetcar" & "Cat", "Suddenly Last Summer" has some astonishing dramatic, fluid dialogue), all opening you up to WHAT IS POSSIBLE with the spoken language, dialogue that gives you pleasure & goosebumps.

At any rate, I'm not sure I care any longer if Justin & Rebecca are incestuous or not. Just give them interesting dialogue and set their sexual roundelays at the beach to give us some air (all those Walker interiors can get oppressive).

[Phil]

We could have read that on any of a number of message boards, write something interesting!

[will]

P.S. Cole: Don't let Dan bully you around. In "The Missionary Imposition" Dan gave us a fabulous title & a whole truckload of disposable dialogue. Whip him into shape for us. He's an fine, off-beat, unconventional writer, though you'd never guess it from the scripts. I believe Dan's been getting seduced into the CORPORATE structure side of B it's flattening out his talent. Please nurse him back to health for us. Dan used to be beautifully exaggerated in his blogs; weird & oddball & slightly funky, wonderful stuff used to come out of him. Dan is now a replica, a POD PERSON of his former self. Grab a crucifix & garlic and exorcise the corporate out of him. RELEASE the artist trapped within.

[Scott]

Question for Dan (or whoever else is reading these comments)...Can you confirm how many episodes have been slated for Season 3? There are conflicting reports on this.

Thanks!

[Scott]

As an addendum, I was curious about the eye color theory so I did a bit of research. It turns out it is indeed possible for two blue-eyed parents to produce a child with brown eyes...although it's unusual.

Here's a great article on the subject: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/aprilholladay/2004-10-14-wonderquest_x.htm

[will]

Cole: Tell Dan that he must use his clout to change his writing partner to David Marshall Grant. My instincts tell me that David's occasional looseness (the Kitty-Nora-Kevin scenes in "American Family", en route to San Diego, listening to conservative talk-radio) will have a freeing effect on Dan and allow him to come out of his reserved (cautious) corporate-influenced closet and really let his hair down as a writer. Those two could write a hell of a script together, and they should be given artistic freedom to shape scripts a little differently than we're accustomed to (meaning if I have to sit through one more B&S montage moment stuck in three-quarters through the episode, usually accompanied by a Sarah McLachlan or Tori Amos-type ballad, I'm going to lose my cool).

We need a constantly fresh approach. We need real art & drama & unexpected comedy pushing through. Don't get mired in the formulaic. Formula may be comforting to studios & producers, but it's death; no revivifying oxygen. It's the equivalent of a laugh track. Pass this message on. I believe David can shake Dan up a bit, and give us something beautiful. Thanks.

[Stacy]

Cole this blog is hilarious! YOU are a wonderful writer, lets hope you are writing some episodes soon!

[Joe]

Cole,

Since you're from Austin, were you responsible for getting the shot of the church that served as Justin's war vets' meeting place?

I had wondered how a show shot in LA could get an Austin scene.

[Fabio]

Hey there Cole!
I'm from Portugal and I watch the show every week on TV, it's absolutely amazing! And love the blog too... And while I was reading it I detected a "myth" that I would like to explain. Both blue eyed parents can actually have brown eyed children, because the eye colour is not determined by a specific gene... therefore, Rebecca could be daughter of William and Holy. Just felt the need to correct that, so you don't have to worry about it. Continue the good work and make another 20 seasons of B&S

[SLRaissis@msn.com]

Thank you for this commentary. I love this show, but find it better to watch online than on regular TV. The reason being, you promise new shows, everyone gets excited for the premiere, and totally out of the blue you spend so much money in advertising (are you even conscious of the money you spend to lear viewers to watch your episodes.

For an example, I recently was on vacation and heard that your show started its new season on January 5(could have been 6 or 7), well I was not here. Come to fing out you only showed 1 or 2 episodes and then talked about coming attractions for the February. What is this! And if you need to show repeats, why can't you show a repeat of the the shows that you obviously need to show for people to catch up. But again why would you do that, after promising the public all new shows!

Please respond

Would like to see the best of your best. Could you please list the times and days of all your shows so that I know what I have to see online, TV, or computer download.

Thank you
Susan Raissis