17th September 2012

Notes on Waterloo road episode:

Starts off: exciting music loud (dub step) someone running- enigma, training
Lots of enigmas
Headmaster controlled by woman- unusual
Teacher- bit of a bitch- boys mum- jealous
Other mum is flirt- slag
Imogen- hearing aids
A lot going on- school
Boys being boys '£10 says I smash her'
Head teacher busy- newspaper- students leaving (hillsborough)
Head teachers dad comes into it (HT left him to die)
Stranger burning part of school- close shots no see his face till he leaves- bitchs son
HT dad helping him
Fire bell- serious
Tom puts out fire
Language young- 'this is whack FAM'
Mother/ daughter rivalry (Imogen and slag)
Bitch needs vodka, son took it
Imogen and Connor going to drink vodka, Imogen runs off (has a secret)
Cheerleaders helping rowers- completed challenge for tariq- 80 miles but HT and assistant (fit) say the money has to go towards boiler
HT dad proves that injured man isn't injured
Boy wants slag, gets her 'text me your number'
Conner is late to lesson- pissed, drank the vodka
Injured man outside school talking to parents
HT meets dad- music, 'realisation' moment dad says he deserved it defending son, dad admits he was a wife beater
HT walks off dad says 'who's the bigger man now'
Imogen and slag still arguing, mum tries to be nice but Imogen not listening
Mum phones someone 'still fancy the drink?'
Conners mum (teacher) called in about pissed Connor, mum tries to cover up but then blames him 'he won't listen, he's such a big lad...'
'does he hit you?'
'no but he scares me'
Connor comes into office
'how long you been drinking?'
'bought it for a party'
Connor gets grounded, no party
'bought it from off licence'
Nasty assistant becomes nice, buys more kayaks (she drives a Ferrari... How?) (antagonist-patagonist)
Party- grantleys house
Imogen's mum having drink with boy talking bout Imogen
Boy kissing her ass
Imogen and connor getting together
Imogen was going to tell Connor something- cake interrupts
Mum turns up just as C and I about to kiss
Mum has bottle of wine- Imogen not happy
Connor asks I's mum to leave
Boy on date with mum gets 'shirty'
Mum kisses boy
Boy asks where mates room is
Grantley has to make mum leave haha
Boy and mum find room
Another story- Nigerian and boy talking (under the radar) Nigerian wants boy to teach her about England
I thinks mum has left
C and I have 'moment'
I shows C she has hearing aids
Close up on lips then kiss (bit gross)
Close up on lips smiling
Random girl peeks into room where boy and mum are
I and C dancing- cheesy
C gets told to go home (mum rings house)
Random girl tells I
I goes into room 'SUCH A SLAG'
Mum slaps I, everyone goes quiet
(cuts back to HT dad)
HT assistant come to apologise
HT dad gets really ill- coughing
I mum apologising to I
I had meningitis and mum missed signs
I- 'you want my life'
I and mum alone
I dad left 4 years ago
Mum doesn't want I to be treated badly because she's deaf
I tells mum to leave
(cuts to HT in pub with hot assistant and injured man)
HT wants to be friends, injured man leaves
(Connor gets home)
He threatens to tell teachers about mums drinking habits
Mum calls his bluff
She's drunk
(cuts to next time)
Overall:
Levi-Strauss' binary opposition theory-
Does good triumph over evil?
Yes and no, Imogen and her mum work out a few things, Connor and his mum carry on their dislike for one another (series long storyline) and the head teacher proves his critics wrong and becomes clean

Propp's character types theory-
Hero- head teacher
Villain- injured man, press
Donor- head teachers dad
Dispatcher- none
False hero- Connor (tries to burn school down)
Helper- assistant who goes to see head teachers dad
Princess- the school

Todorov's theory of narrative equilibrium:
There is not a fully balanced state of affairs at the end because it is a series and story lines need to continue. Although there are lots of disruptions to the story lines eg the head teachers dad getting involved even though he hasn't seen his son in so long.

Syd field's three act structure
The first act- set up- the beginning of the show, new storylines are brought up eg the injured man and it helps us to get to know any new temporary characters

Second act- confrontation- we see the head teacher being challenged and children leaving the school, also we see Imogen and Connor facing challenges in their mothers and the bad relationships that they have.

Third act- resolution- some resolution in that the head teacher has a clean slate however problems are still there between Imogen, Connor and their mothers