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How HR would have ended

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From an interview with Frank Spotnitz:

https://www.xfilesultimate.com/forums/viewt...232746244eb1199

https://xfilesitalianfansite.net/intervistafrank.htm

Q: I must say, that I watched and own all your tv series and I am so sorry Harsh Realm and Night Stalker didn't get the chance to be on air a little more. Did you plan the end of the 2 shows? May I know it?

FS: “Harsh Realm” would’ve ended with Hobbes defeating Santiago and reuniting with Sophie – we hadn’t worked it out yet any more specifically than that. As for “Night Stalker,” you can find my thoughts about the ending at length on the DVD commentary.

Interesting!

Now I'll try to erase this information from my head before I actually watch HR... :censored:

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Guest Laurent.

Don't worry. It's really not a big spoiler as HR never got close to even starting. Chris Carter has given a bit more details about what he had planned for HR. I know the second or third season was supposed to be set in South America (I won't spoil you anything but it will become clear to you if you watch the series) and would have moved later on to another continent. He had also enrolled William Gibson to help him construct a deeper virtual world and enrich the mythology. Darin Morgan was also suppose to join the writing team and his alleged first episode could have been the third installment in the Jose Chung saga. William B. Davis (X-Files' cigarettes smoking man) was also meant to join the cast. Anyway, of all canceled series, this may well be the one with the most potential (with Carnivàle, sadly).

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Yup, it's not a big spoiler because from the very beginning it's pretty obvious that at the end Hobbes would defeat Santiago and he would reunite with his annoying Sophie. :)

I rememer Chris said that third season would take place in Australia.

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Guest Laurent.

Yeah I thought it was Australia... but I played it safe ("another continent") to avoid any misinformation.

I think it was just a frame that Carter had in mind... not definitive plans. Spotnitz also had the structure of the first two seasons of Night Stalker planned... but fate has a strange sense of humor/taste (or is that the fox executives?)

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I just remembered that Vince Gilligan was also supposed to write an episode for HR. He was consulting producer of the show at that time. By the way, does anyone watch new Vince's show, "Breaking Bad"? It's really cool. Just like everything Vince does. :) And in few weaks there's going to be a premiere of new Will Smith movie, "Hancock," -- and Vince wrote a screenplay for it.

think it was just a frame that Carter had in mind... not definitive plans.

Yeah, I agree. He said in many interviews that he never had any definitive plans for his shows and he kinda hates story bibles. :)

Spotnitz also had the structure of the first two seasons of Night Stalker planned...

It seems like studio made him do this. I don't know why but I'm sure Frank hates story bibles, too. LOL

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Guest Laurent.
Yeah, I agree. He said in many interviews that he never had any definitive plans for his shows and he kinda hates story bibles. :)

Right, I remember him saying exactly that in one of The X-Files' dvd sets' bonus features. Although he then added that there were some unofficial rules that writers followed; for example (if I remember correctly), he said that he did not want any time travel story and to avoid if possible the use of aliens in stand-alones episode (which I understand.. to preserve the integrity of the mythology).

I figured most shows are like LOST and X-FILES... they make it up as they go along (maybe with only an ending in mind) and at one point or another they get some short-term idea of how they want to reach that end point. But you can't plan a tv show five or nine seasons ahead. Because you know some things are going to come up, either in the world or in the personal lives of those involved.

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he said that he did not want any time travel story

But they did kind of time travel story in Synchrony, didn't they? lol But it wasn't Mulder and Scully time traveling so I got Chris' point.

I figured most shows are like LOST and X-FILES... they make it up as they go along (maybe with only an ending in mind) and at one point or another they get some short-term idea of how they want to reach that end point. But you can't plan a tv show five or nine seasons ahead. Because you know some things are going to come up, either in the world or in the personal lives of those involved.

You know, I'm sure ALL multi-season shows make it up as they go along because it's absolutely impossible to foresee all complications. I mean, in 1st season of The X-Files it was impossible to predict that Gillian Anderson would become pregnant or David Duchovny would leave the show 8 years later. The difference is some showrunners have courage and honesty to admit that they made it all up during the course of the show and other showrunners say that they have everything planned from the beginning which is a lie, IMHO. :)

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Guest Laurent.
You know, I'm sure ALL multi-season shows make it up as they go along because it's absolutely impossible to foresee all complications. I mean, in 1st season of The X-Files it was impossible to predict that Gillian Anderson would become pregnant or David Duchovny would leave the show 8 years later. The difference is some showrunners have courage and honesty to admit that they made it all up during the course of the show and other showrunners say that they have everything planned from the beginning which is a lie, IMHO. :)

I agree completely with you. But I have to say that I trust Carter when he says that the end of The X-Files was planned durings the first seasons. I mean, it's quite conceivable that, as soon as he started working on the alien conspiracy storyline, he thought "eh it would be pretty cool if all ended with Mulder learning that the date of the invasion is set and that their is absolutely nothing he can do about it".

Then the years passed and he gave more and more away with every single mythology episodes and nine years later; the storyline had grown so much bigger than he expected that the end he had planned was not "pretty cool" anymore. In fact, the invasion was announced in earlier mytho. episodes and all we learned in The Truth was the actual date. But don't get me wrong; I'm a big fan and defender of The Truth. I just think it illustrates the danger of planning a storyline too far ahead.

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I agree completely with you. But I have to say that I trust Carter when he says that the end of The X-Files was planned durings the first seasons. I mean, it's quite conceivable that, as soon as he started working on the alien conspiracy storyline, he thought "eh it would be pretty cool if all ended with Mulder learning that the date of the invasion is set and that their is absolutely nothing he can do about it".

Yes, it is pretty obvious now and I totally agree that he had that "last episode" in his mind from the very beginning. And he said it in many interviews. He just didn't know how to get there and after 9 years he managed to do it. Also, if you look at Requiem and Existence (these episodes were supposed to be the last) there's definitely same theme presented in each of these episodes -- aliens are ready to colonize our planet. And I remember in some interview he was asked how the show will end, and he said (kinda joking) that Mulder and Scully will be in bed together. LOL I think it's really funny that the show is actually ended that way. :) Again, in Requeim Mulder and Scully were also in bed together and in Existence they kissed. So it really looks like he always wanted that ending: alien colonization and Mulder and Scully are together. :)

But don't get me wrong; I'm a big fan and defender of The Truth. I just think it illustrates the danger of planning a storyline too far ahead.

I am a huge fan of The Truth, too. :)

Sorry for my possible mistakes, I'm in hurry now and don't have much time to correct my awful English LOL

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