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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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In this episode, we discuss characters we should have known better. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 1:34 Luna. We hear something of her backstory, but we don’t have the chance to truly understand who she is and where she came from. We did get to meet her father, but only for a moment.

· 6:31 Lupin. He has only a few moments of venerability, but those give us such a sophisticated perspective of who he is. More of those would go a long way.

· 11:47 Dumbledore. It’s pretty obvious why we need more of Dumbledore. He has such a big impact on the story, and it is too big to overlook his past.

· 14:35 Snape. We do get a good look into Snape’s inner workings, but we don’t understand why he hates James so much. Absolutely, his relationship with Lily is explored, but not his interactions with James.

· 18:07 James. Our view of James is through other eyes, whether that be memories or some other form. All we need is a few moments of him being himself. That would give us a more neutral view of his character.

· 21:45 Sirius. We know a lot about him, but always it is always helpful to have more context around the Marauders.

· 23:21 McGonagall. She is one big question mark. We don’t know a thing about her past, what she did before Hogwarts, or where she found her rock-solid morals. It might give us an interesting perspective on her interactions to know where they came from.

· 26:10 Voldemort. The line between Tom Riddle and Voldemort is a little too solid for my liking, so a few scenes that could show us more plainly his transformation would go a long way.

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