September 25, 2006

2.12 - ...the World

As Xavier lays dying, Nadja slips into a coma-like state where she dreams some powerful and prophetic dreams. Foxtrot's plan rolls on.

TEASER Lisa dispatches Armstrong and Desiree to go find Nadja. Xavier is loaded into an ambulance as Lisa and Trey watch. Unseen by the Krewe, a large black dog watches menacingly as the ambulance pulls away.

Hospital

At the hospital, Xavier's condition is critical. He's intubated, hooked up to monitors, and rushed into an operating room. A surgical team closes in and begins their work.

Lisa, talking on her cellphone, doesn't see the black dog from the teaser trot unhindered down the hallway and disappear into a closet.

Nadja

After trying the apartment, Desiree and Armstrong find Nadja on the floor at Carmen's. She's dazed, pale as a ghost. She's lost a significant amount of blood and will require medical attention.

Xavier

Xavier is hooked up to more tubes and wires than we can count. Lisa sits by his bed. She speaks briefly with the doctors; he's suffered massive internal injuries and may not survive.

When Nadja is brought in Lisa leaves to go check on her.

We see a doctor with shaggy black hair exit the closet we saw the black dog enter earlier. This is the "dogtor" -- the dog is a shape shifter. He enters Xavier's room and attempts to smother him with a pillow. When the actual doctors and nurses (and security guards) enter (Xavier's coding) the dogtor holds them off with one hand.

A non-corporeal Xavier moves towards a great, bright light. He stops; the light fluctuates and there is sound. Xavier nods his head as if agreeing to something. CUT TO: Extreme closeup on Xavier's face. His eyes fly open. The camera flies into his abdomen where we see a magical glow. His intestines and organs move, twining together like the roots of a plant, knitting him back together. His hands come up and grab the dogtor. There's a blinding flash as the dogtor and everyone in the room are knocked backwards. CUT TO: Xavier, levitating in the air above the bed.

Xavier gets dressed, preparing to leave. Astounded hospital staff try desperately to get him back in bed.

Nadja

Nadja is hooked up to an IV and getting a blood transfusion. Two needles, no waiting. Lisa watches from the bed side. The doctors explain that Nadja is in some sort of fugue state; they aren't sure exactly what the cause is or when it might end.

Dreams

It's not what you think... I've just been drinking vampire blood.
--Javier, as Jack the Ripper

The next portion of the episode takes place completely inside Nadja's head. The various and sundry member of the Krewe take on roles in the dreams. Nadja appears in three of the dreams and always in the role of Lady Consuela Flores.

Dream #1: Police Patrol

Armstrong and Desiree are beat patrol cops in London's East End. It's Sept 1888, the height of the reign of terror of the "Whitechapel Monster." You might know him better as Jack the Ripper. They encounter an extremely well-dressed woman (Lady Flores) standing alone on a street corner and urge her to find a safer place.

Dream #2: Consuela and Jack

Consuela and Jack (played by Javier) are out scouting locations for additional crimes. When asked why his tie is blood-stained, Jack replies "It's not what you think; I've just been drinking vampire blood."

Dream #3: 13 Miller's Court

Gotta say, luv, that seems a bit daft. Wha're you gonna do wif 'em bits? What? Put it under the bed?
--Lisa, as Mary Jane Kelly

This dream stars Javier as Jack the Ripper and Lisa as Mary Jane Kelly, Jack's final victim. Mary, already dead, talks calmly with Jack as he mutilates her corpse. She also asks him about his bloody tie and gets the same answer.

Dream #4: Golden Dawn

Here we see Consuela's initiation into the Golden Dawn. Also featured are Xavier as Samuel Lidell MacGregor Mathers, one of the founders of the order; and Desiree as a medium. The rest of the Krewe stand in for the chanting throng.

Nadja

When we come back to "reality," Nadja has just finished recapping her dreams for the benefit of the assembled Krewe. She understands the implications and tries to explain.

Carmen Fuentes

In addition to being an old vampire, it turns out that Carmen is also a powerful witch. She's been around for at least 120 years as she was a member of the Gold Dawn. It also seems that she was at least involved in Jack the Ripper's killing spree. (This might explain why Anna delivered a copy of "Jack the Ripper's Black Magic Rituals" to Armstrong earlier in the year.) We're not sure exactly what Jack was trying to accomplish, but it seems like Carmen is trying it again -- on a much larger scale. As above, so below.

Nadja leaves the group to "get ready". When she returns many hours later, her hands and forearms showcase lots of intricate henna very like the kind she had immediately after Anna's demise, but with a heavy moon motif.

The Next Day

People getting up early for work are quire confused when the sun doesn't come up Friday morning. Vampires are not so confused; they react immediately and begin a wilding spree.

The National Guard -- and Joel Cohen's military monster squad -- are called out to deal with the menace.

Bayou St. John

Where else could the showdown with Foxtrot occur? She's here with her vampire legion. Xavier's new mortal canine enemy is also present with minions of its own. It's shaping up to be one major-ass throwdown.

At the outset, Carmen seems more amused than actually hurt by the Krewe's efforts, while her own attacks inflict terrible wounds. Fortunately, Carmen does not seem all that determined to kill them, or at least not quickly. The battle continues and only gradually do the Krewe begin to see any weakening on Carmen's part. As soon as they finally have the upper hand, a thunderclap sounds from the edge of the battle. A shockwave of light spreads outward, and everything it passes through is instantly frozen in place -- except for Carmen and Nadja.

Nadja drags Carmen to the source of the spell: Bob Ackerman, Anna's Watcher. He leads them back to Nadja's car. Nadja opens the trunk, extracts some rope, and begins tying up Carmen.

Bob: "I still don't see why all this is necessary. The safest thing to do is kill her right here, right now. Why risk it? How will--"

Nadja: "I've been meaning to give this to you. It's Anna's diary. Read page 42. I think you'll understand."

Nadja sets about stuffing Carmen in the trunk. As Bob reads, he seems increasingly confused. Nadja closes the trunk and stands before him. "So the rest of it will work too, right?" Nadja inquires. Bob does not answer or react. He appears completely frozen with a perplexed countenance. A voice behind Nadja answers, "It will meet all your requirements, as agreed." Nadja turns around to face Toby Manning. Nadja appears satisfied with that answer, and Toby watches her drive off.

The Shack

Cut to the interior of the dilapidated shack where Anna was tortured and desecrated. Carmen is still tied up but hanging by her hands. Nadja is now dressed as the High Priestess. Several items are spread out on a table: a piece of black silk cloth, a scroll, the Moon card, and a pair of pliers. Nadja takes the pliers and begins extracting Carmen's teeth, waiting until she inevitably changes to game face before snapping off her incisors.

Nadja next uses the scroll to invoke a spell of some kind. She then carefully rolls up the Moon card inside the silk, and coerces this mass inside Carmen's mouth. Nadja cuts away Carmen's clothing using The Knife. Nadja removes the pendant from around her neck and touches Carmen's shoulder with it. Nothing happens. Nadja cuts the palm of her hennaed hand with The Knife and smears her blood on Carmen's shoulder. She again touches Carmen's flesh with a corner of the pendant. This time, it burns like a cattle brand. Nadja begins engraving a design all over Carmen.

Cut back to the battlefield, where the rest of the Krewe remains frozen stiff along with the remaining soldiers and vampires. Toby uses some mojo to free the Krewe and explains that Nadja has taken off with Carmen. Outraged by Nadja's betrayal, the gang decides to confront her before she completes whatever ritual she has embarked upon. Correctly surmising that she would have taken Carmen to the shack, they set out on foot.

The rest of the Krewe bursts in upon Nadja just as she is cutting down Carmen. They insist she explain what the hell she's doing and why. Nadja is extremely rattled by this unhappy turn of events and demands they let her finish, and even suggests that it does not concern them (!). There is an extended argument that almost comes to blows as Xavier tries to pull Carmen away and finish her, forcing Nadja to protect Carmen. Lisa finally ends the standoff knowing that Nadja is determined to see it through regardless of the cost to anyone. Lisa convinces the others to let her go, though they monitor her actions from a safe distance.

Bayou St. John Redux

Nadja takes Carmen back to Bayou St. John once again, and drags the naked Carmen into the water, to the very spot where Anna was killed. Nadja extracts something from a pocket in her dress. She holds out her fist and closes her eyes in concentration. She slowly opens her fist to reveal ... nothing. Empty. She opens her mouth as she bends toward Carmen, and it is apparent that Nadja now has fangs of her very own. She attacks Carmen's neck with gusto. Finally, in a moment of ecstatic catharsis, she slowly pulls back with something clenched in her upgraded teeth. It is the black silk cloth, which is unfurling from Carmen's neck like a sail. The cylindrical Moon card falls out into her waiting hand. She flattens it over Carmen's heart, and plunges The Knife right through it.

The End?

The world seems to slow down; a hush falls over the collected melee. All the vampires (and the dog demon and its minions) stop what they're doing to turn and look. The sun bursts out from wherever it was hiding -- bad news for the vampires. Its brightness is intense after the unexpected darkness but is eclipsed by the eldritch glow that emanates from Carmen. A keening sound, like a very fast wind only higher pitched, comes from her, building to an insane crescendo.

Her body begins to dissolve into a swirling mass of particles -- not dust, exactly, but not unlike it. A beatific smile crosses her face only seconds before it too dissolves into the swirl. The glow she gives off changes, taking on multiple hues as it and the forming whirlwind intensifiy.

The swirling and keening stop. For one brief instant the mass seems to become Carmen shaped. Again we see -- almost subliminally at this point -- her enigmatic smile.

The cloud bursts violently upward and outward though no dust appears to fall on anyone or anything. The accompanying flash of light is almost too bright to bear.

After what seems like several seconds, a small object flutters to the ground near the assembled Krewe. It's Key 21, "The World."

---

Music

• Jet, "Look What You've Done"
• Nine Inch Nails, "Suck"
• Green Day, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

Press Release

Bowie, MD -- Surprising news from the Slay Do-Do front. Director John Addis announced today that the part of Javier De Torres will now be played by Steve Harris.

When asked about the last-minute recast and wether it had to do with money disputes, Addis would say only: "I don't really want to talk about that right now. Steve Harris is a great fit for this role. I really liked his work on 'The Practice' and I'm thrilled to have him in this role."

In addition to the Javier recast, Addis also announced that two-time Emmy award winner Blythe Danner had agreed to an unspecified recurring role in the series.

Catch the next all-new Slay Do-Do episode on Sunday, October 22.

September 18, 2006

Season 3

Bowie, MD -- In a press conference held earlier today, A42 Studios had a few announcements about the much anticipated third season of the "Slay Do-Do" tabletop RPG series.

Sources had been saying for some time that the seies would be moved to Sundays from the Friday time slot they had for the first two seasons. "We feel that we'll be able to attract a different -- and larger -- audience than we had on Friday nights" said director John Addis. "Plus, we'll be able to stay awake. Most of us, anyway."

Addis also confirmed that the part of Armstrong Domingue will now be played by Percy Daggs III of "Veronica Mars" fame. "We were no longer able to ignore the fact that Harold Perrineau is 25 years older than Armstrong," Addis explains. "Besides that, his Lost commitments just didn't allow us to work out a schedule that everyone was happy with. We're all thrilled to welcome Percy on board and really look forward to working with him."

When asked about guest stars the director had this to say: "We'll have Kim Director for 2-3 episodes early this year. Plus, Julie Berman is signed for a 6 episode arc starting in October or November. We'll have some other surprises, but that's all I can tell you now."

Slay Do-Do returns with an all new episode "Where Were You Hiding?" on Sunday September 24th.

September 15, 2006

Google Stuff

Just a quick update... if you look at the bottom right area of the page you'll see a couple of new things.

First, the "Add to Google" button will add the Slay Do-Do RSS feed to your Google Home Page if you have one. (And if you don't, why the heck not?)

Second, the "Google Calendar" link will take you to the Slay Do-Do calendar. (This is for people in the group only. To access it you'll need a GMail or other Google account.)