Reviewaverse Saga Episode 7 (Part 3)

I avoided this for a long time. Truth is, my heart just isn't into it. I don't want to put out a half-assed product, no matter what that product is. It means always pushing to go the extra mile. For this final part, I spoke to Matt about doing an audio read. Perhaps even getting Justin and Lewis in for something over Skype. I was toying about approaching an artist to create images to go along with it.

Matt never fully committed, and I didn't push the point.

I can't blame him. This Saga represents so many mixed feelings. The production was likely the most ambitious undertaking that had ever been made in the internet reviewing community at the time, and it never really received due credit or recognition.

It irks me somewhat when people dismiss his accomplishments out of hand because Matt went to film school where so many others in the community didn't. As if knowing basic shot composition somehow makes it easier to make a special effects heavy science fantasy epic. The simple truth is that Matt at times had to drag his creation kicking and screaming into the world. The filming of the Saga was very often a miserable affair. People dropped out. Friendships were stressed. Nobody was paid. Matt pushed six episodes to see the light of day through sheer force of will.

The result was an odd mix of Battlestar Galactica, Tokusastsu and reviewing. Against the odds, the Saga worked more often than it had rights to. While it requires a certain mindset going in, there is a definite charm to the lead character as well as a surprising sense of scale, urgency, and stakes.

Matt's entire team deserves credit, of course. In particular he praised collaborator Will (The Blackalgia Critic), who directed many of the episodes. It was the lack of Will's enthusiasm as much as anything else that killed Episode 7.

This needs closure.

The following, with admitted reordering and flavour text, is the original text of the treatment I pitched for the final episode. It's rough and woefully unpolished, but the story's there.

For anyone who still cares, I hope this satisfies.

REVIEWAVERSE SAGA EPISODE 7 - THE LAST HOPE
THE AUTHORIZED TREATMENT

PART THREE

It takes Cinera a moment to notice the camera is off. She considers killing the cameraman, then notices ExSied. Cinera congratulates him on his glorious return. The still silent ExSied will have nothing to do with the Triad and takes a shot at her, but Cinera dodges. Realizing she's outmatched, Cinera retreats.

Back to Linkara and the Trenchcoat Anti-Critic, who've become uneasy allies. They are ambushed by Revuer 2. A fight ensues. Trenchie, it's established, is basically tactical support, able to aid very little in actual battle. Linkara uses the device he rescued from the ship to transform into his power ranger costume. During the battle, a figure is spotted observing the battle from a distance. Trenchie's damaged and glitchy registers the presence of another reviewer. Dramatic reveal of J-dub, who joins the fray with his own transformation and briefly it seems as though the good guys may be able to win.

Dramatic reveal of Ares, now transformed into Revuer 3.

Trenchie ends up paying the price of his life, sacrificing himself to give the other two time to escape. Jew Wario and Linkara barely escape with their lives.


Ares will at some point betray Cinera, and absorb her power into himself. Then he will execute the now human Cinera.

Revuer 3 ultimately becomes the main antagonist. This serves as the strongest emotional stake for Apollo. He was the closest ally and his was the ultimate betrayal. This may not be the most satisfying conclusion to Cinera's arc, though. Maybe the ExSied confrontation should come later with him soundly defeating Cinera, all but killing her. It's too late to do that in this as that scene is in Part Two of this thing, but that ordering of events would make the most amount of narrative sense. Would've. So, uh, just imagine things happened in that order. Yeah.

Ultimately J-Dub and Linkara encounter ExSied. They are hopelessly outgunned, but using Trenchie's handheld computer they're able to restore his memory... which nearly destroys Apollo.

And it's at this point that Ares arrives.

Apollo, emotionally crippled by the weight of his actions, welcomes it when Ares shows up as he "deserves to die for what I did.". But watching J-dub and Linkara stand up and fight despite overwhelmingly outmatched Apollo realizes there is still something left worth fighting for. He stands up to Ares and the ultimate battle begins.

The end, Revuer 1 and Revuer 3's ultimate attacks end up rebounding. This has the effect of a massive explosion. When the smoke clears, neither Ares or Apollo are visible.

It's over.

Linkara and J-dub are now faced with what to do now. How to carry on or if it's even worth it.

All the reviewers are dead.

It's at this point Linkara points out that Spoony died once before. "I cloned one bastard-son-of-a-bitch back to life, I can do it again." "It'll take some time." "The world's toast and the baddie's dead, we've got nothing BUT time!".

And as they walk into the sunset, we fade in on Apollo and Ares. Their respective Revuer units lay cracked and smoking in the rocks nearby.

Suitless and worse for the wear, Apollo slaps a roped up Ares awake. "You good yet?" "Eat dirt, Hack!" "Answer's that."

Apollo tases Ares back unconscious, sits down and squints in the setting sunlight.

He looks down and notices a round pair of blue-tinted sunglasses with the left lens empty laying on the ground. He dusts them off and puts them on, the blue lens aligning with his remaining eye.

"Time enough for redemption, my friend. Just not right now.".

THE END