DZ-119: Final Character Choices & Great Endings

Listen if you want to understand how to better dramatise a character's internal journey

In this episode, Stu and Chas focus solely on the final choices made by protagonists and how that reflects their character journey and successfully, or not, dramatises the internal.

We compare and contrast different uses of narrative POV in respect to these final choices. And in particular whether and when the audience is made aware of the options available to the character, the act of making the choice, and the consequences of the choice.

We breakdown examples from DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES, FINDING NEMO, MICHAEL CLAYTON, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN and TALK TO ME.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

A character has to make the most difficult decision of their life, and it becomes the crisis because each alternative poses a loss as well as a gain. And so, therefore, characters have to weigh what really matters most to them.

— stu

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→ Read the transcript for this episode.

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CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 – Opening
• 00:00:18 – Why Final Choices?
• 00:10:45 – DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
• 00:19:09 – FINDING NEMO
• 00:28:45 – MICHAEL CLAYTON
• 00:53:11 – PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
• 01:16:38 – TALK TO ME
• 01:41:45 – Key Learnings
• 01:50:13 – Thanks awesome patreons!

FILMS

• DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES (2023) — (w) John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, Michael Gilio (d) John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
• FINDING NEMO (2003) — (w) Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds (d) Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
• MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007) — (w) Tony Gilroy
• PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (2020) — (w) Emerald Fennell
• TALK TO ME (2022) — (w) Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman (d) Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou

SCRIPTS

• Study the script: FINDING NEMO (2003) — Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds
• Study the script: MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007) — Tony Gilroy
• Study the script: PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (2020) — Emerald Fennell

SHOT ZERO DEEP DIVES

• The Gags of the Scene - Dungeons and Dragons
• Perp & Victim 2: Opening Kills in Horror (2000s+)

LINKS

• Watch: TALK TO ME by Danny Philippou & Bills Hinzman based on a concept by Daley Pearson
• YouTube: Michael Arndt - What makes an insanely good ending?
• YouTube: Every Frame a Painting - Snowpiercer - Look Left or Right

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-04: Catharsis and the Post-Coital Cigarette
• DZ-33: Protagonist vs Hero - Dawn of Character Function
• DZ-34: Game of Choices - Decision Making and Character Implications
• DZ-58: Game of Thrones - Character Exposition
• DZ-84: Choices & Decisions 1 - Booksmart
• DZ-87: Keeping Genre Fresh

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We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2025/dz-119/