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Spoilers & Speculation: The Drawn Curtain

David T. Cole

By David T. Cole
in Emerald City [V]

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Camera One

Camera One

Emerald City

TBA on NBC

Desperate for clues that will lead to the identity of her biological mother, a young woman breaks into a sinister underground facility somewhere in the Midwest. Unable to complete her mission and surrounded by security, our feisty heroine steals a K9 police dog and drives away into the night… and headlong into the path of a raging tornado. In the blink of an eye, she is transported to another world, one far removed from our own — a mystical land of competing kingdoms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. This is the fabled Land of Oz in a way you’ve never seen before, where wicked witches don’t stay dead for long and 20-year-old Dorothy Gale becomes a headstrong warrior who holds the fate of kingdoms in her hands. You’re not in Kansas anymore, and this is not your Grandmother’s Oz.

Writer Matthew Arnold (“Siberia”) serves as executive producer with Josh Friedman (“Terminator” The Sarah Connor Chronicles”). “Emerald City” is a production of Universal Television.

 

Does this mean Dorothy will be travelling into Oz for the first time?  Or would she have been there when she was a little girl and now she's going back?

 

I never watched "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" but was there any care and attention to building good characters and having emotional moments, or was it just a bloodfest?

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Kromm

Kromm

Does this mean Dorothy will be travelling into Oz for the first time?  Or would she have been there when she was a little girl and now she's going back?

 

I never watched "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" but was there any care and attention to building good characters and having emotional moments, or was it just a bloodfest?

Actually T:TSCC was very very character oriented.  It was a very well done show, with virtually no blood, a magnificent lead actress (Lena Headey), who was nothing short of amazing in the role, and Summer Glau  giving what I've always thought of as the performance of her life, in my opinion (at least as good as her as River Tam and better than she's done in anything since).

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Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

That's good to know.  I saw the word Terminator in the title and assumed the worst.  

It was, to my mind, the best done piece of the Terminator legacy after T2 (although it's very unlike that film, or any of the films to be honest). It pretty much ignores the existence of any film after T2 (I suppose allowing them to still technically exist as alternate timelines), but basically takes up the story left behind by T2 in a serious dramatic way, rather than as a shoot-em up.

 

Also, Lena Headey is several times the actress that Linda Hamilton is (not that Hamilton is horrible, but Headey is just magnetic, as Game of Thrones fans can attest to).

Edited by Kromm
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Kromm

Kromm

There was a list of characters released in June:

http://tvline.com/2014/06/19/emerald-city-cast-nbc-wizard-of-oz/

 

And here is a tongue in cheek commentary on that list:

http://www.avclub.com/article/lets-meet-depressing-characters-nbcs-wizard-oz-sho-206078

It's hilarious that even a press release could try and claim that a "Dark Oz" is "the Land of Oz in a way never seen before".  Riiiight.  I suppose the 3 dozen or so novels, comics, and even plays with that take don't count.

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Camera One

Camera One

(edited)

I wonder if Season 1 would be very loosely based on the "Wizard of Oz" story of Dorothy getting to Oz, wanting to go home, being sent to the Emerald City to see Oz and then being sent to kill the Wicked Witch.  Though they're also adding in Tip and Jack, which means they use part of the second book "The Marvelous Land of Oz".  In some ways, it makes sense since the backstory of the rule of Oz was in that second book, and it might be better to put that into motion right from the beginning.

 

The purported darkness of the show and the absence of many key characters makes me a little bit worried that they might miss some of the emotional beats in the name of claiming to be the "darkest" Oz ever, or by focusing too much on action.

 

I mean, given the NBC description of the show:

 

 

Desperate for clues that will lead to the identity of her biological mother, a young woman breaks into a sinister underground facility somewhere in the Midwest. Unable to complete her mission and surrounded by security, our feisty heroine steals a K9 police dog and drives away into the night... and headlong into the path of a raging tornado. In the blink of an eye, she is transported to another world, one far removed from our own - a mystical land of competing kingdoms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. This is the fabled Land of Oz in a way you've never seen before, where wicked witches don't stay dead for long and 20-year-old Dorothy Gale becomes a headstrong warrior who holds the fate of kingdoms in her hands. You're not in Kansas anymore, and this is not

 

 

 

DOROTHY GALE | A natural, and not waify, beauty scarred by past experiences, Dorothy has patched a life together for herself despite the fact that she sells herself short. Outward insecurity and lack of self-awareness hide the savior survivor that she will discover she truly is.

 

While I like that they will explore Dorothy's parentage (there's lots of potential for her parents to have some connection to Oz), Dorothy doesn't sound like a normal or remotely relatable person in that description.  Breaking into a sinister underground facility?  That makes it sound like she will be a hardened spy type person.  That could be done well, but they need to be careful.

 

I hope they will still have Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, since they link Dorothy to humanity.  I don't mind her having gone through horrible life experiences, but I hope they don't have the aunt and uncle murdered or some over-the-top story of misfortune.

 

 

 

WEST | This 30something femme is a corruptive — and fearsome — force of nature, a drugged-out virtuoso filled with self-loathing. She’s equal parts compelling and unsettling.

 

 

 

NORTH | In her 30s or 40s, this Type-A manipulative perfectionist has a bit of a “big sister” relationship to West.

 

This looks like they will be doing the Wicked redux of trying to humanize the evil Witch of the West.  Is North supposed to be based on Glinda then?  It looks like they're not going to make her good, if they are describing her as manipulative.  While I understand they can't have a fully good witch with powers, since she would just solve all the problems, I am a little tired of shows dirtying the good guy to make the villain look good or to give them some reason to do despicable things.  I'm also disappointed there won't be four witches.

 

 

 

HENRY | The series’ male romantic lead, this handsome and well-built gent presents a seemingly open nature that belies a bit of a past.

 

Naming him Henry is a bad idea, and is a bad sign for Uncle Henry.  

 

So no Tin Woodman or Cowardly Lion, then. :( 

 

 

 

THE WIZARD | On the exterior, this 40something male is a charismatic and politically astute leader, earnest in his beliefs and intentions but also an “ends justify the means” sort. His showmanship however conceals a dangerous, and perhaps deadly, seriousness.

 

In the books, it was sort of weird how he was a sham and a coward in the first book, yet had some magical powers and seemed to be blatantly evil in the second with the backstory of him making a deal with Mombi to take the baby who was supposed to ascend the throne.  So it is possible for them to make the Wizard into a pretty deep character.

 

 

 

TIP | All of 15 and harboring a secret past, this lass is undergoing the discomfort of discovering her sexuality.

 

Maybe her inclusion is the reason for not having the Tinman and the Lion, since Dorothy would already have a few travelling companions.  So they're doing the reverse since Tip is going to start out as a girl but question her sexuality rather than starting out as a boy and realizing he's a girl.

 

It might be interesting to see her come to grips with being the legitimate ruler of Oz.

 

 

 

JACK | Tip’s neighbor and closest friend, an adventurous and energetic teen.

 

It looks like he will be the comic relief, which would be consistent with the book, I guess.

Edited by Camera One
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CooperTV

CooperTV

(edited)
5 minutes ago, Morrigan2575 said:

Question. How do people know that Tip is Ozma? Was that spoiled somewherem I didn't read the books but the impression I got from Wikipedia was that Tip and Ozma were different characters

Tip is Ozma. It's a book canon.

Quote

While still an infant, Ozma, the baby daughter of the former King Pastoria of Oz, was given to the witch Mombi of the North by the Wizard of Oz. Mombi transformed Ozma into a boy and called him "Tip" (short for Tippetarius) in order to prevent the rightful ruler of Oz from ascending to the throne. Thus, Ozma spent her entire childhood with Mombi in the form of the boy Tip, and had no memory of ever having been a girl.

 

Princess Ozma

Edited by CooperTV
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Ripley68

Ripley68

Do we know what  happened to the Witch of the South?  Could it be Dorothy's mom? (though I guess the witch of the west would have known that when she took her form).  The tattoo Dorothy has...Do any of the other witches have it? Have we got a close enough view of their hands to see it?  I can't remember if its 3 or 4 dots. If 4, I'm thinking the cardinal directions?

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phoenics

phoenics

(edited)

Those could be flashbacks - she looks younger there than now.  Smaller, somehow.

Wonder what's Dorothy doing with Lucas - it looks like she's stringing him up?

And does West turn Tip back into a boy?

This episode looks better than 7 was.  Hope we get a 2nd season.

Edited by phoenics
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phoenics

phoenics

55 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Interesting shot of Langwidere on Jane's table... Jack's there, too, so not a flashback.

True - but the scenes of her with the Wizard were the ones I was referring to.  I guess we'll see.

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phoenics

phoenics

(edited)

Wait - is she not wearing a mask when she's on Jane's table with Jack?  Now I need to rewatch that video.

I can't tell - but it does look like it's the same dress from when she's standing with The Wizard so maybe you're right and it isn't a flashback.

I had a thought for a while that she wasn't wearing a mask because she was physically disfigured.  That it was either to protect herself like Queen Amadala or she was mentally disfigured (like she's cursed to see ugliness)?

Edited by phoenics
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KingOfHearts

KingOfHearts

(edited)

1x09 Promo Pics

Here are the pictures for 1x09 without being in video form.

Quote

Isn't Eamon featured in the promo image of the cast? I guess I've been assuming all along that he's meant to be the Cowardly Lion, although I wasn't sure what made him so.  He definitely has the hair that implies a "mane," even if it's not golden.

In one of the promos, there's a man in a suit of armor wearing a lion head. It's impossible to tell for sure if its Eamonn, since there's no face. But, that's where I'd put my money.

Edit: In Eamonn's character poster, the lion is clearly visible in the lower-left corner. That pretty much confirms it. Source

Edited by KingOfHearts
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djinn

djinn

On 2/11/2017 at 6:27 PM, cooksdelight said:

Well crap, I expected huge scars or some type of black hole in her head.

Me too. It's hard to tell from the angle, but it's still possible that she does have a some kind of disfigurement and she's on Jane's table to wear a very subtle mask that makes it seem like it's her real skin.

In the episode 8 pictures (link below), it seems like Glinda incapacitates West. But since West is alive in 9 and 10, she is obviously not killed. Also, do we see our first glimpse of Mother South? A pregnant female being assisted by Dorothy? Also, the young witches seem almost zombified in certain pictures.

http://www.spoilertv.com/2017/01/emerald-city-episode-108-lions-in.html

The press release for 10 is ambiguous about Glinda's motivations, but it's clear about the Wizard's. It's not clear where Roan ends up.

http://www.spoilertv.com/2017/02/emerald-city-episode-110-no-place-like.html

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dragonsbite

dragonsbite

Sooooooo, this "Beast Forever".  Doesn't it arrive at the same time as Frank, Jane, et al?  And aren't the actions of Frank/The Wizard going to lead to everyone's deaths?  Could Frank actually be the Beast (without realizing that he is)?

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WearyTraveler

WearyTraveler

I was thinking about the press release for episode 10 which basically states that everybody, including Dorothy, will be going against the Wizard.  Those are some serious odds Frank is facing, how could he win?  Also, when does Dorothy change her mind and why?

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MarySNJ

MarySNJ

On February 28, 2017 at 0:54 AM, WearyTraveler said:

I was thinking about the press release for episode 10 which basically states that everybody, including Dorothy, will be going against the Wizard.  Those are some serious odds Frank is facing, how could he win?  Also, when does Dorothy change her mind and why?

I speculate that the Wizard will reneg on his promise to send her home and target Dorothy for execution or assassination. She wasn't able to stop Glinda and she can control the stone giants which makes her a threat to him.  Also, despite what the Wizard believes, I don't think Dorothy trusts him or thinks he's the good guy in this. She said in a previous episode that she intends to take him with her when she leaves Oz. 

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sjohnson

sjohnson

(edited)

The show actually said Dorothy's total indifference to the way "Sylvie" killed a man was a noble attribute? True if some people really are worth more than others. In real life I imagine being an artist (like a director?) is a lot like being magical.

If there is a future, which I very much doubt, there is no reason whatsoever to think Dorothy has anything to offer anybody, much less to a struggle against the Beast Forever. The only one who cared about that was the Wizard but the show has condemned him and all his works, including the fight against the Beast Forever. 

Edited by sjohnson
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phoenics

phoenics

3 hours ago, sjohnson said:

The show actually said Dorothy's total indifference to the way "Sylvie" killed a man was a noble attribute? True if some people really are worth more than others. In real life I imagine being an artist (like a director?) is a lot like being magical.

If there is a future, which I very much doubt, there is no reason whatsoever to think Dorothy has anything to offer anybody, much less to a struggle against the Beast Forever. The only one who cared about that was the Wizard but the show has condemned him and all his works, including the fight against the Beast Forever. 

Is there something I'm missing?  This is an oft-repeated refrain I've seen in your posts and I'm trying to understand.  I don't think the show is anti-human at all.  Dorothy is human and so is Tip - Tip only recently gained powers.  Jack?  Human and very sympathetically presented.  Jane?  Human.  I don't see a narrative presented by the show that supports the theory that the show thinks all humans are "bad" and all magical beings are "good".  I mean - look at Glinda, lol.  All of the characters are gray - which is refreshing.

Dorothy didn't show indifference to the man killed by Sylvie - she understood that Sylvie is just a little girl who struggles to control her powers.  What was she supposed to do?  Berate Sylvie?

And I think the show condemned The Wizard's use of TBF as a way to keep hold of his power.  The Wizard lied, schemed and tricked to get into power - and he labeled the witches "TBF" so that he could cajole everyone to go to war against them and kill them with guns.  After he did that, he proved he didn't care who TBF was - because he NEEDED it to be witches so he could continue manipulating everyone with fear.

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sjohnson

sjohnson

4 hours ago, phoenics said:

Dorothy didn't show indifference to the man killed by Sylvie - she understood that Sylvie is just a little girl who struggles to control her powers.  What was she supposed to do?  Berate Sylvie?

 

Perhaps these weren't rhetorical questions...Try to explain to her that she was the one who people should fear, not the other way round. That turning people to stone for existing when you don't like it is wrong. But you're right the show would have regarded anything like that as "berating" her. I think that's not the case at all, that seeing her as beyond reproach expresses the magical people ueber alles very clearly. Of course, I don't think children that age are really so limited either.

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phoenics

phoenics

I see your point though - the show didn't show Dorothy explaining that Sylvie could try to control her powers so as not to hurt innocent people.  Even when Sylvie turned the house on Dorothy and Lucas, neither of them seemed to chide her for it.  I remember thinking - okay - she can't just react like a spoiled child when she's upset or doesn't get what she wants.  Of course, I understand a child not wanting to lose a parental figure though.

I do think Sylvie and the old man was a sad, unfortunate accident though - I don't think the show meant to imply that she did it on purpose or maliciously at all - or that she turned him to stone because he existed.  I think she did it because she was scared.

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WearyTraveler

WearyTraveler

I don't think the show was saying that Dorothy was indifferent or that having a non-reaction to a witch killing a human is noble.  Before reaching that conclusion one has to see the context.

First, this was said by Glinda, who has been portrayed as being a bit power hungry and almost as bad as the Wizard but on the opposite side (all for magic instead of all for science).  It was this grey character who said the words, which is by no means the show trying to make a moral point or to get the audience to agree with Glinda.

Second, Glinda is talking to Dorothy making it sound like she's about to concede to Dorothy and that she might just listen to Dorothy's reasons for not going to war because Dorothy didn't react like the Wizard who rejected all magic or was horrified by a witch killing a human, even though it was an accident, and immediately cast her out of her life (as someone who fears witches and magic would do).  Then she made Sylvie start to destroy the giant.

If anything, the show was making a point about Glinda being intransigent, a bit of a zealot when it comes to magic, manipulative, sarcastic, and perhaps even treacherous. 

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MarySNJ

MarySNJ

On March 4, 2017 at 7:34 PM, phoenics said:

I see your point though - the show didn't show Dorothy explaining that Sylvie could try to control her powers so as not to hurt innocent people.  Even when Sylvie turned the house on Dorothy and Lucas, neither of them seemed to chide her for it.  I remember thinking - okay - she can't just react like a spoiled child when she's upset or doesn't get what she wants.  Of course, I understand a child not wanting to lose a parental figure though.

I do think Sylvie and the old man was a sad, unfortunate accident though - I don't think the show meant to imply that she did it on purpose or maliciously at all - or that she turned him to stone because he existed.  I think she did it because she was scared.

I think the show failed to explain a great many things, not just about the consequences of Syvie's emotional  outbursts. My biggest problem with the show is that they seem to have deleted almost all dialog or exposition that could have tied some of the disconnected (or inconsistent) pieces together. Maybe it was too many cooks trying to write the story or too much meddling by executives. I wonder how much was left on the cutting room floor. Who knows? 

Anyway, I don't think Sylvie intended to hurt the King or even those two kidnappers. It's how she reacted out of fear. Both incidents were accidents. I think Dorothy and Lucas understood that, and I recall that when Lucas surrendered for his crimes in Emerald City he did tell Sylvie "no magic" in view of the danger of exposure. The problem is that she was a frightened child who couldn't control her magic when she was afraid. I think she turned the house upside down out of fear of being abandoned by Dorothy, and subconsciously tried to prevent Dorothy from leaving. The thing that bothered me about that scene was Dorothy suggesting that they run away to Kansas together. Dorothy was trying to allay Sylvie's fears, but she should probably have said that they would be together for as long as Sylvie needed. By then it should have been abundantly clear that a young witch needs to be where she can learn to harness her power. 

Another thing that bothered me was how quickly Sylvie seemed to lose her emotional attachment to Dorothy after she got to Glinda's and made some friends. I didn't expect her to run off with Dorothy, but I would have liked it if she said something like "this is where I need to be" instead of acting like Dorothy was a threat to her.  

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