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In this episode, Harry and Ron crash their flying Ford Anglia into the Womping Willow. Snape brings them both up to Hogwarts, and they serve their detentions. A mysterious voice echoes from somewhere far away, and Harry begins to wonder who, what, and where it is. Something is afoot at Hogwarts....

Topics/Summary:

· 3:33 Quick recap and Snape taking Harry and Ron up to the castle. It is important that Snape is the one to bring these two up to show his ability to move outside the lines, especially early on. Dumbledore defends Harry and gets his punishment down from expulsion to detention.

· 15:23 Detention. I was debating whether to have any middle time between their conversation with Snape and their detention. Of course they need time to put their bags down and say hello to their friends, but that might change the air of the detention. Harry is addressing Gildroy Lockhart’s fan mail and hears a voice. As he walks back to his dormitory, he hears it again and begins to wonder what it might mean…

25:25 The final beats of the story. The whole quidditch practice showdown happens, and Ron’s wand backfires on him. We also have Professor Lockhart’s class and we begin to understand just how incompetent he really is. The final sequence of the story is the Deathday Party. Harry, Ron, and Hermione go to Nearly Headless Nick’s party, and as they leave, Harry hears the voice again. It is closer and more intense than ever before, so he runs after it. They come across the horrible scene with Mrs. Norris, the water, and the writing on the wall: “The Chamber of Secrets has been opened; enemies of the heir, beware.”

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In this episode, we analyze the second trailer released by HBO for the Harry Potter TV show. This one is for a behind-the-scenes special called Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic. It is a behind the scenes look at the production of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first season of the Harry Potter TV show. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

Listen to episode 326 analyzing the first official trailer here!

· 2:54 Dominic McLaughlin looks so much like Harry! But it’s not in the way that he looks like Daniel Radcliff, but that he looks like the Harry from the books. There are still some differences, but that continues to support the idea that these characters will be similar, but not the same.

· 9:00 Wow! We’re getting behind the scenes footage! It’s crazy to think that we just got the release date to the TV show itself, and we’re already getting full releases of behind-the-scenes specials. We’ve almost graduated the point where the product itself is the goal, but an expansion of the fandom and the story.

· 14:56 Philosopher’s Stone? Christmas? We glossed over some of the most important pieces of information we learned from the trailer. For one, the project is called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, not the Sorcerer’s Stone. And it will be released this year! Christmas has the right feeling of magic and family to make for the perfect release date.

· 21:13 Still no Voldemort? HBO has confirmed that he has been cast and will appear in at least a few seasons, so it’s odd that we haven’t heard a peep. They’re really keeping this under wraps! I don’t really care about the name of the actor playing him, just the interpretation of the character. In this way the casting does actually matter, so any information would be great!

· 27:29 Snape and Dumbledore and still stealing the show! Even in the special trailer, these two had big features and interviews. I want them to have a heavy feature, but it would be a shame if they took over the screen.

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In this episode, we analyze the trailer for the Harry Potter TV show. We have our first looks at Hogwarts, The Hogwarts Express, 4 Privet Drive, Snape, Dumbledore, and many more exciting characters and places in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 1:36 4 Privet Drive looks similar to the films. The Dursleys clearly have a mean streak, and Petunia has a big feature. Is she going to be the one doling out punishment to Harry the most? The cupboard under the stairs is more depressing than the films for sure. The whole house looks similar, but it feels a little darker.

· 12:40 Harry looks great in action! This is the first time we’ve seen him acting live.

· 14:22 Rubeus Hagrid makes an appearance, but it’s not what I imagined. His voice is just the voice of a normal person, not the big clumsy person we know and love. I’m sure we will grow to love him as we always do, but right now I don’t see the vision.

· 18:35 The Hogwarts Express is fantastic! It looks pretty much the same which is the right choice. They did it right the first time and I’m glad they didn’t mess with it. However, King Cross is something of an improvement I think compared to the films. Hogsmeade Station is also a cool place which comes across well.

· 23:41 Hogwarts is …… interesting. In every shot, I thought one of two things: this is a sky lodge, or this looks exactly like the film. I’m a little disappointed that this is our first impression of the castle because the best parts of the castle are big and bright, not closed off and lit with torches like the majority of what we saw.

· 30:30 The characters look awesome. I am blown away by Snape and Dumbledore! Snape clearly has such depth and I’m so looking forward to seeing him develop. And Dumbledore looks like a combination between the Gambon and Harris versions which might be the best of both worlds. Ron is something of a dufus, but that might open the door for the biggest character transformation in the whole series.

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In this episode, we compare Gilderoy Lockhart and Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. With the upcoming Harry Potter TV show, there will be many opportunities to dive deeper into both of these characters. Though Riddle doesn't teach at Hogwarts and Lockhart doesn't make horcruxes in his spare time, they are far more similar than what meets the eye.

Topics/Summary:

· 1:59 Gilderoy Lockhart and Tom Riddle seem different, but the truth is they are eerily similar. They are both mirrors for things waiting for us in the future of the story. Tom Riddle is a mirror for the later form of Voldemort, showing us what is to come. Lockhart is a mirror for the fear Voldemort inspires in us as he rises to power. It isn’t enough for the story to tell us to be afraid of Voldemort; we have to see it too.

· 17:18 Similarities and differences. On the surface, these two characters seem like total opposites. They come from different lives, even different times. However, the deeper we go into their character, the more similar they become. They both have power over people and that leaves a mark.

· 24:09 Both Lockhart and Riddle disappear in this season and will reappear in a different form in a future season. What does that mean? An interesting question to ask within this subject is: who changes the most? The truth is, it’s really hard to tell.

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In this episode, Harry finally sees the Burrow for the first time and meets the entire Weasley family. They go shopping for their Hogwarts supplies at Diagon Alley, and meet Gilderoy Lockhart for the first time. Finally, Harry and Ron miss the Hogwarts Express and have to take the Ford Anglia to school. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 3:10 Quick recap and life at the Burrow. I want to see what a wizard family does in a day. How do they live? This is Harry’s first time seeing a magical dwelling like the Burrow, and I want to make the most of it. The Weasley family is a lively bunch and that should come across.

· 9:59 Off to Diagon Alley! Harry’s mistake with the floo powder sends him to Knockturn Alley and he sees Draco and Lucius shopping for some dark artifacts.

· 16:48 Flourish and Blotts. Now that Harry has escaped, we get to see the famous Gilderoy Lockhart in his element. He is a rambunctious idiot. We officially meet Lucius, and he plants the diary with Ginny.

· 27:07 Trip to Hogwarts. They cram their car full of things and people and the rush to the platform. Harry and Ron can’t pass through to Platform 9 ¾! They are stuck so they have to make a decision. They decide to take the flying Ford Anglia to Hogwarts. The episode ends with Hogwarts fading into view and another year on the horizon.

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In this episode, we examine characters like Dobby, Petunia Dursley, and Severus Snape and discuss how their defining moments differ between the Harry Potter books, films, and what we should hope for in the new Harry Potter TV show. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· Listen to episode 322 Tea Leaves S2 E2 here!

· 2:10 Dobby. He’s the foundation for this episode. Dobby has his big moment at the very end of his arc when he sacrifices himself for Harry and friends to escape Malfoy Manor. That shouldn’t be his moment to shine! Earlier on, perhaps he runs into Draco at Hogwarts and refuses some ridiculous order. The TV has room for moments like these.

· 13:49 Petunia Dursley. She is Harry’s last connection to his family, and it’s super easy to forget that when she’s being mean to Harry. But a few moments earlier in the story when we see Petunia’s softer side would go a long way. She really wanted to go to Hogwarts, and her refusal is why she’s so bitter. We should have an opportunity to see past that ice wall.

· 20:19 Snape. His story is truly heartbreaking story, and his love for Lily just wasn’t meant to be. But I don’t want to see that side to him only after he has died. The climax of his arc should be his death and the memory he shares with Harry, but we should see little hints of that emotion behind the greasy hair.

· 24:18 Horace Slughorn. He needs more screen time! After the Half-Blood Prince, Slughorn falls into the background. In the Harry Potter TV show, there should be no characters looked over for the sake of time. He has such a heartwarming story, and he showed real courage in overcoming his shame. We should see more of that!

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In the this episode, we discuss Harry's conflict with Mr. Dursley and the Weasley's rescue from 4 Privet Drive in our version of the Harry Potter TV show. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 1:59 Quick recap and Harry at Privet Drive. He is back in Sad Harry mode with his previous life. We want to set this baseline of him hating his muggle existence so later on it means something to him.

· 9:37 The Masons are the driving force. Their story is why Vernon is so uptight, and why he is so adamant that Harry be as quiet as a mouse. This will be the conflict that leads to Harry’s imprisonment, so it’s very important that we set it up early.

· 18:08 Things start to heat up. The Masons arrive and while the Dursleys are greeting them in the driveway, Dobby apparates into Harry’s room with a loud crack, and maybe knocks something off a shelf. The Masons hear it from all the way outside and the tension is already set before they even walk in.

· 29:27 Harry can’t believe what he has done. The whole cake fiasco had lead Harry to believe that he is expelled and will never see Hogwarts ever again. After Dobby drops the cake on Mrs. Mason’s head, Vernon locks Harry up. After a few nights, Ron and the twins come to Harry’s window bars, rips them off, then struggles with the Dursleys to get Harry out. Finally, he’s free.

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In this episode, we discuss the latest news on the Harry Potter TV show and what it might mean for the story. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

· 1:18 So what happened? HBO announced that they are already casting for season two, and they also mentioned that they have cast Louis Shelton as future Ron for the first season. He won’t play a huge role in the story, but it opens the door.

· 9:14 Filmmakers are following the books closely. You could also argue that they are completely branching out, but we have to know more before we can say for sure. With characters like the Flamels, the TV is breaking new ground. But with a future Ron, we technically have seen him before.

· 15:16 Flash-futures are dangerous. Imagine we are in the Great Hall or something like that and we flash forward. We watch a scene that is to come, and then are pushed back to the present. In that moment, the present loses some value. It feels like we’re losing ground, even though we saw something from the future.

· 21:09 It is very possible to avoid that danger. If we keep the flashes brief and avoid full scenes, and integrate them into the story, the flashes will only enhance the present. Dumbledore thinking about the future in his office is a great opportunity to explore this.

· 25:46 Despite all the negatives, there is a huge upside. If we avoid the full scenes, the filmmakers can make these visions of the future truly impactful. The truth is we don’t know everything. Some actors and creative choices are still unknown to us, so there is still potential to be surprised.

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