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In this episode, we discuss places we need to see more of in the TV show. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 1:37 Diagon Alley. In the book, this is the meeting point of the Muggle and magical worlds. It is the first place Harry sees that is truly magical, and also acts as a sanctuary for him later on. When it is taken over, that should mean something for the larger state of the wizarding world.

· 10:29 The Burrow. We get a lot of the Burrow in the film, but it’s not exactly the same feel. The Burrow is a representation of what Harry lost, and the life he could have had. That doesn’t really come across in the films, and the TV show should focus on that more.

· 16:30 The Hogwarts Grounds. We never really get to explore the grounds. Something standing in exploration’s way is the plot. With the limited time of a film, we have to have a reason to go out into the grounds. But with hours more in a TV, we should be able to walk about the grounds without a direct reason that relates to the plot.

· 21:32 The Ministry of Magic. This is a weirder one, but world building is important. The Ministry works in the shadows and has a big effect on the plot. We should be able to understand more about how it works and why Voldemort taking it over means so much.

· 27:04 Hagrid’s Hut. It is a magical house and a cool place, but it is also where the trio are in danger. If it’s being out of bed after dark or running from werewolves, they seem to be in peril in Hagrid’s hut. But I’d rather the hut be a place for them to decompress and feel safe. That would be much more valuable than fearing for their lives. When it burns down, it would be a stronger symbol if it was a warm, happy place.

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In this episode, we discuss some of the major castings that HBO recently confirmed. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 2:17 Still nothing on the trio? We’ve already heard a lot surrounding other characters, and now we have confirmed other casting. But the series revolves around Harry, Ron, and Hermione, not these others. They are still important, but why would HBO cast the trio last? Perhaps they are going to dive into the past more…

· 9:38 More past? If we have castings of characters that have an important role in the past events of the story, that might mean that the filmmakers are going to give us more of that backstory. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape are some of the most important people for the lore of Harry Potter. That must mean something.

· 16:29 These choices are overall good. They all have the look and their interviews and previous roles are in support of their choices. My only worry is with Paapa Essiedu. He has a very active energy that could be put to good use, but thinking of Snape, energetic doesn’t come to mind. Alan Rickman portrayed a very cool and stoic Snape to a perfect degree. I don’t want to put Essiedu in a box, but that portrayal is going to be hard to top.

· 23:45 I want Voldemort! There have been no whispers about who he might be, other than perhaps Cillian Murphy which will probably not come to pass. He is the center of the conflict of the story and the one who drives it forward. Without him, there is little to be had when it comes to backstory and plot. We should be afraid of him. He should be a deadly calm that breaks into madness. When will we find an actor like that?

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In this episode, we discuss scenes that should never change. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 1:37 Ollivander’s wand shop. This scene sets up the conflict between Voldemort and Harry, and without the careful assembly of this scene, the effect is lost. There’s wind and light when Harry finds his wand, and Ollivander tells him of the twin cores and the greatness and terribleness that awaits him.

· 8:41 Ron leaving the tent. This scene is really hard to watch, and that is because of the intensity of it. Harry and Ron exchanged words they never would have, and even have a little scuffle. Without the slow bubble and the escalation, this scene means less. We should be mad at the both of them, then realize what just happened when he leaves

· 16:05 Battle of the Ministry of Magic. What a great scene. We don’t need the exact shots and lighting, but we absolutely need the intensity that is brought by the progression of the battle. The true fight is between Dumbledore and Voldemort, so the run up to that should be a slow ramp up to an explosion of a duel.

· 21:00 Final sequence of the Prisoner of Azkaban. Starting when the trio goes down to Hagrid’s hut, this is a long sequence. We need to have Sirius standing up to Lupin and getting terribly injured so we realize just how hard he is willing to fight. We also need the fear inspired by the dementors and the fight by the lake to understand the growth of true evil in the world.

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In this episode, we discuss why certain scenes shouldn't have been from Harry's perspective. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 1:50 James and Lily’s murder. This scene is pretty blurry and vague because it’s from Harry’s perspective. Now that we know what’s going, seeing what Voldemort is feeling and how he is defeated would mean more than shots of a baby. This scene from Lily or James would show us how they stood fast and fought for their family and gave their lives so Harry could go on.

· 11:21 The sorting ceremony. This is a smaller moment, but we could consider it the beginning of Harry’s journey. We should be able to see Dumbledore and how he acknowledges this as the true commencement of the second war against Voldemort.

· 16:15 The graveyard. This is Voldemort’s big moment and his return. Who else to show us how Voldemort is feeling than the big man himself? After thirteen years of suffering, he can finally walk on his own two feet again and bring darkness to the world. We would learn something about him if we could experience his triumph.

· 21:17 The Battle of the Ministry of Magic. Sirius, Bellatrix, Dumbledore, or Voldemort would be such a better choice than Harry! We could begin with him, but once the fighting starts, seeing the duels from Harry’s eyes is pretty lame.

· 26:48 Dumbledore’s death. This is the climax of Snape and Voldemort’s plan. Snape kills Dumbledore to cement his place by Voldemort’s side. Notice how Harry isn’t really involved? Yeah. Snape’s eyes are really the only ones we should be seeing through in this scene. He is forced to kill his mentor and protector, and move into the final stages of their plan. This is the end of their friendship and the end of Dumbledore’s life.

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In this episode, we discuss the core trait of certain characters in Harry Potter. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 1:23 Dumbledore – Wisdom. He had lived through a lot. Wars, duels, deaths, and so much more. The lessons he has learned are infinite, and can be synthesized into some pretty potent knowledge bombs. Those lessons he teaches Harry are some of the most valuable Harry ever learns.

· 8:39 Harry – courage. When it comes to his friends, he never shies away from a challenge. In the Deathly Hallows, Voldemort make it clear that if Harry didn’t sacrifice his life, the rest of his friends would be killed. Harry swallowed his fears and was willing to give his life for Voldemort’s defeat.

· 14:23 Ron – loyalty. From his family, Ron learned that being true to your allies is the most powerful connection. He is intensly loyal to Harry and Hermione, and will protect them to a fault. During the chess match through the trapdoor in the first book, he gives himself up so the other two could go on.

· 18:36 McGonagall – principles. She is a very ridged person through many years of fighting Voldemort and teaching at Hogwarts. Her principles of integrity and loyalty are at the fore of her person all the time, and when they come under attack, she meets the challenge. Umbridge tried to take the spirit of Hogwarts in the fifth book, and McGonagall puts her down.

· 23:25 Snape – love for Lily. It took me a long time to boil down his character to one trait, but this was the one thing that influenced his path the most. He made all of his major decision because of his love for Lily and his growing desire to protect Harry. That’s why he joined Dumbledore, turned spy, and sacrificed his life for Harry’s victory.

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In this episode, we design what the first episode of the Harry Potter TV show should be. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 1:33 We open in Godric’s Hallow. It’s important that we see the Potters as one big happy family so we can better understand the conflict of their death. For a good few minutes they’re living their lives; perhaps Sirius is there too.

· 9:14 Voldemort arrives and kills them. This should be more than a few flashes of light and some long, dark cloaks. Not as scary as a horror movie, but some level of true fear might go a long way. We should also get more of Lily and James protecting Harry.

· 15:25 Hagrid takes Harry away. The key part of this scene is Sirius. We only learn he was there in the third book, but to see his reaction would plant some great seeds for the later books. Hagrid is also not too distraught in the films. Only McGonagall shows any kind of emotion, which shouldn’t be so. Two people were just murdered!

· 18:47 Dumbledore talks to the Dursleys. It should be too long, but he should knock on the door and explain the situation with more than a letter and a kid on their doorstep.

· 20:23 Now we flash forward. Opening in Harry’s cupboard under the stairs on Dudley’s birthday. This would be a nice homage to the film. Dudley should be just as nasty, and Vernon and Petunia should be ordering Harry around just as we saw in the film.

· 24:37 The reptile house. This scene should remain the same. The only change I would make is the magic. When the magic disappears, there’s a comical woosh and it’s gone. If the magic could be more magical, we might have a greater sense of awe.

· 26:58 The letters and the hut on the rock. It should play out pretty much as we see it in the film, but when they arrive at the hut on the rock, Hagrid should be a little scarier than the film. He’s very lumbering and big, some more suspense would go a long way. Then, he says, “Harry, you’re a wizard” and the journey begins.

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In this episode, we discuss the casting annoucement of John Lithgow as Dumbledore and what we can expect. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 2:00 What did we get in the book versus the film? In the book, Dumbledore is very wise and much more chill than the film. In the film, Dumbledore has a much more intense way about him. Especially when Michael Gambon took the part, Dumbledore became an intense guy with a lot of energy.

· 12:51 How will he be translated? In an ideal world, it will be in the small moments. It’s the little conversations and interaction that really give the characters their dimensions, so if we could have that with Dumbledore, we could get a more rounded view of him.

· 17:00 Was he translated well? Yeah, I guess. On the whole it was fine, there were just little details that weren’t so great. The change in character gave the films a challenge to match the characters yet continue to build upon them.

· 21:52 Should he be the same? No, defiantly not. But that isn’t because he was bad in the film, but because he should be more expanded. If one of the films was stretched out, would Dumbledore be the same? Probably not, the same way the show won’t be the same in the best possible way.

· 24:31 Prediction. I predict that Dumbledore won’t be perfect, which might be a fail in my book. Absolute perfection would be the only way to succeed, and the bar is too high for true perfection. But that’s not to say that he won’t still be a fantastic character.

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In this episode, we discuss how certain things give the wizarding world its magic. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 1:38 Owls. Owls are closely tied to the story because they are symbols for magic. In the beginning, owls are the first introduction we have to the wizarding world. Later, Hedwig’s death represents the beginning of a new era for Harry and the difficulty of the path ahead.

· 7:34 Moving portraits. They aren’t at the very core of the story, but they are integral for the overall feel of the castle. The point of a painting is for it to be frozen in time, which is why the portraits moving are such a fascinating part of Hogwarts.

· 12:57 Hogwarts grounds. One of the most interesting parts of the grounds is their lack of magic. Of course, there is a giant squid and a forbidden forest, but its just the lake, the mountains and the castle. Nature surrounding the castle is very important for the feel of the story.

· 17:35 Diagon Alley. This is the first place where Harry sees a bunch of wizards and magical things in one place. Essentially, this is the first place he lands after entering the world of magic. For him, this is the coolest place he has ever seen. Later in the story, the darkness represents the state of the wizarding world as a whole.

· 21:59 Great Hall. This is a fantastic place. It has an enchanted ceiling, candles floating in the air, and suits of armor and torches everywhere. You really can’t beat the ambiance of the Great Hall. The beginning and the end of the story as we know it happens in the Great Hall, which speaks to its importance.

· 25:30 Quidditch. Something that can never be replaced is quidditch. What is the story without this sport? There is so much development of the story and of characters that would be lost without quidditch. Just like the rest of the things in this episode, all these little details are the very things that make this series so great.

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