Narrative: Todorov

Narrative Features:
Story structure (3 act, 5 act, etc):
    Introduction, setting, characters, scenarios. Equilibrium.
    Problem/conflict introduced.
    Climax - the tension gets to its highest point.
    Resolution, leading to new equilibrium at the end. Unless this is Peep Show in which it's            exactly the same as how it started.

Todorov and his narrative theories and other such wonderful things:
    5-act story structure:
    1. State of Equilibrium. All is not necessarily as it should be, Mr Knight, change your                    PowerPoint. But things are somewhat stable.
    2. Disruption of order. Knocks things out of balance and throws things into action.
    3. A recognition by the characters that this disruption has happened.
    4. An attempt by the characters is made to fix this disruption (this is usually where the                majority of the narrative takes place), leading probably to your finale.
    5. Now we have our new equilibrium. Things are usually better than they were at the start.            Unless this is an episode of a sitcom or the entirety of Peep Show in which things                   often end up exactly how they started more or less.

Todorov applied to Iron Man by someone who hasn't actually seen Iron Man yes I'm sorry:
1. Equilibrium - Tony owns a load of weapons and sells them to people including some terrorists and he has a load of money.
2. Disruption - These terrorists kidnap him.
3. Recognition - Tony realises that he has been kidnapped. He also realises that his own weapons are being used by the terrorists and has big moral discovery.
4. Attempt at recovery - Another man makes a magnet while Tony makes a suit in a cave from a box of scraps instead of the thing the terrorists want and that other guy dies. Tony Detroit: Becomes Iron Man and makes some electricity. Also Jeff Bridges is a twist villain who also exists and was behind the terrorist group I think because he wanted the company for himself.
5. New Equilibrium - He says he's Iron Man to the press for some reason.

Todorov applied to Spider-Man (2003) because I have seen this one:
1. Equilibrium - Peter is a bit of a loser who misses the bus.
2. Disruption - He's taking an uncomfortable number of photos of Mary Jane for 'the school paper' and is bitten by a spider, which gives him the various powers.
3. Recognition - He realises the powers he now has and tries to figure out what to do with them, attempting to win $3,000 from a wrestling match to buy a car only to end up with $100 and a dead uncle. This makes him realise he can use these powers to help people.
4. Attempt at Recovery - He tells off Willem Dafoe (and kills him).
5. New Equilibrium - He continues helping people.

Todorov applied to Back to the Future:
1. Equilibrium - Marty has a slightly below average life.
2. Disruption - Doc Brown makes a time machine and Marty ends up in the 50s while trying to escape the terrorists from which Brown stole some plutonium why are there always terrorists. While there he messes up his parents meeting.
3. Recognition - He talks to 1955 Doc and realises he needs to undo his messing up.
4. Attempt at Recovery - He has various attempts at getting his parents together. Meanwhile, Doc works on how to send Marty back to 1985. Both of these end up happening on the same night with very little room for error.
5. New Equilibrium - Marty has a somewhat above average life.

Todorov applied to Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Series 1):
1. Equilibrium - Elijah Wood has no money and is a bit miserable. He's playing Todd but saying Elijah Wood is funnier.
2. Disruption - He's in the wrong place at the wrong time and becomes a suspect for a murder. Dirk Gently arrives in his house and enlists Todd to help him solve the murder.
3. Recognition - Todd realises if he helps then his name can be cleared. I think. It's been a while since I've seen this.
4. Attempt at Recovery - They try and solve the mystery with the help of the murdered man's head of security or something. Eventually the murder is solved.
5. New Equilibrium - Todd, Dirk Gently, security woman and I think possibly also Todd's sister who had a subplot I didn't mention decide to form their Holistic Detective Agency, setting up for the underwhelming second season.

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