Send us a text

In this episode, we discuss characters that don't deserve a second chance. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 1:30 Umbridge. She will never deserve a second chance. She was an evil toad in the books and and an even worse person in the books. She likely didn’t have a good time of it when she was carried away by the centaurs, but it’s hard to feel bad for someone who was as horrible as her.

· 7:37 Bellatrix. She’s a hotshot in the death eater business ladder, and she is making her way up. That’s only because she is a terrible person who kills and tortures. In the third book, she breaks out of Azkaban and then kills Sirius in the fifth. These aren’t actions that we can forgive.

· 13:46 Lucius. This one isn’t as certain, and I might revise my original thoughts to say that he does deserve a second chance. He seems like a mean person on the outside, but as the story progresses, we realize that perhaps what he really wants is family. It becomes increasingly obvious that that is what he really desires.

· 17:55 Peter Pettigrew. Peter searches for power, and the biggest bully on the playground. This leads to his betrayal of James and Lily, and eventually why his hand exacts revenge on him in his last moments. He has no loyalty, and therefore no honor.

· 22:16 Quirrell. He isn’t pure evil like some of these characters are, but he still doesn’t deserve a second chance because I don’t think he would make the most of it. He only seeks power, and he certainly finds it. He succumbs to Voldemort’s draw.

· 25:25 Voldemort is not on this list. He has a complicated past with a lot of dark twists and turns, which leads to his complexity as a character as we know him. I don’t think we can fully understand him, so perhaps a second chance would give him the opportunity to choose a better path.

Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text.
ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.com
thepotterdiscussion.com

Nox

Send us a text

In this episode, we talk about moments in the films that should be in the TV show. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 2:10 Harry breaking the elder wand. In the book, Harry simply repairs his own wand then returns the elder wand to Dumbledore’s grave. It’s a nice message, but the film does this much better. Harry snapping the wand and throwing it off the bridge shows a much more powerful ending and a more finite ending to a painful journey.

· 10:04 McGonagall teaching the students to dance. This is a really funny scene and one that deserves a spot in the TV show. But it is also a perfect example of what is to come. Just as Harry has to learn to dance, he also has to learn how to fight and hunt Voldemort.

· 15:15 Harry and Hermione in the tent. After Ron leaves, Hermione wallows in sadness. Harry sees this and leads her in a dance. This illustrates Harry and Hermione’s relationship which is one we don’t get to see to often.

· 19:14 A weird Voldemort death. Voldemort isn’t human at the end, but in the book, he just dies and they put him in a room off the Great Hall. The film makes the wise decision of showing a weird death fitting of someone who has departed humanity, and the TV show should be taking notes. This moment should be more than an old man keeling over.

· 24:21 Neville’s bridge. He is always making progress, and this last sequence is the final test for him, a test he passes. This bridge scene where he takes down a hoard of death eaters is such an important scene that isn’t in the book, and the TV show should include it to finish off Neville’s arc in style.

Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text.
ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.com
thepotterdiscussion.com

Nox

Send us a text

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.

Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text.
ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.com
thepotterdiscussion.com

Nox

Send us a text

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?

Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text.
ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.com
thepotterdiscussion.com

Nox

Send us a text

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.

Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text.
ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.com
thepotterdiscussion.com

Nox

Send us a text

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.

Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text.
ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.com
thepotterdiscussion.com

Nox

Send us a text

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.

Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text.
ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.com
thepotterdiscussion.com

Nox

Send us a text

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.

Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text.
ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.com
thepotterdiscussion.com

Nox