Yep, so pretty much everything that ever meant anything to us (kind of exaggerating, kind of not). Anyway, that means someone ELSE will be at the helm this time around. Meet Lynne Stopkewich. Yes, they totally spelled her name wrong at Creative Productions (see above), but I assure you this is the right woman because she was at the helm as Director for two episodes of the SSD series---"The Edge of Forever" & "The Future Me." |
Now there are a couple things that strike me about this change-of-director development, all of which could tell us something about SSD 4. First, there is the fact that the episodes that Stopkewich directed had outdoor components. Much of "The Edge of Forever" was shot in mountainous terrain. And don't forget that "The Future Me" had that great barn in the middle of nowhere where Ellie and Bobby's wedding was held. Remember that they spent some early days of SSD4 filming in the wilderness, as it were. |
Remember, also, how that barn was where ShOliver reconciled after that massive falling out in "The Edge of Forever." Lynne presided over that episode, too. That was the first time we saw Shane and Oliver trading some serious passive-aggressive shade at one another, and the first time their relationship was seriously jeopardized. Hold onto that thought for a second. There's another critical connection between Lynne's previous SSD directorial credits, and that's the strong female characters dealing with strained, or increasingly straining, relationships. Ellie was struggling to find acceptance and affirmation from her father, while the sisters in "The Edge of Forever" reconciled after many years of estrangement stemming from the loss of their father on 9/11. |
How? So glad you asked!
As much as I want to choke on the words I'm about to type, the fact Lynne was there when Shane and Oliver had their first falling out gives me reason to believe there may be some trouble between the pair this time around. Is it "Edge of Forever" bad? Probably not. But Lynne had a distinct way of gently handling the ShOliver tension in the series, and we may well see that repeated in SSD4 should something arise.
We could also see some NoRita tension that needs smoothed over. They haven't really had an argument before, and any good relationship needs the added benefit of having successfully navigated serious conflict--their first certainly won't be their last, especially if they end up spending a lifetime together!
If nothing else, this is me encouraging you to pay attention to everything. While the reason Stopkewich came on board could be as simple as Kevin Fair taking on another gig, whether a purposeful occurrence or not, a change in director will have an impact on the final product.
Still Considering Consequences,
~C