Author Topic: TV Series Timeline  (Read 50055 times)

Offline Priscellie

  • Timeline Chick and Industrious Little Gnome
  • The Gatekeeper
  • Seriously?
  • ******
  • Posts: 12791
  • Icon by Daoine! <3
    • View Profile
    • Priscellie.com
TV Series Timeline
« on: February 04, 2007, 04:53:01 PM »
I am painfully predictable. :D

We don't have many dates or much of a coherent timeframe yet, so this will be much less orderly than the Book Series Timeline I maintain.  At the moment, it's organized by character, because it just makes more sense to me that way.  Additionally, all episode numbers I use will be in reference to their production order, as opposed to the order in which they were aired.  I realize I'm pretty much the only person in the fandom that uses this convention, but I enjoy being stubborn. 

I'd appreciate any additions, clarifications, or corrections you guys have to offer!  However, this is NOT the place for "discussing" the changes, positive or negative.  There are a dozen other threads for that.  This is also not the place for book timeline discussion.  Please keep this thread restricted to TV series timeline-related discussion ONLY.  I'd like to thank Shiggy in advance for her awesome Transcript-Fu, without which this process would be a lot more painful.

For those curious about the show production timeline, check out this post by Robert.  It details the chronology of the show's development.


Harry Dresden
(do we know if his middle names are kept for the show?)

(1971) His mother, Maggie, dies in childbirth, but Harry is aware at an early age that hers was not a natural death.

1981: Harry is given his mother's shield bracelet.  Soon after, during one of Colm's shows in Atlantic City, Harry uses his abilities publicly.  He quickly comes to the attention of his uncle, Justin Morningway.  We're led to believe Harry is about 10 year old.

1982: Colm dies of a heart attack, and Harry goes to live with Justin, his next of kin.  It was Bob, and not Justin, who taught Harry his magical basics--Justin being far too busy and important for such things.  He let Bob do the dreary part, and then took over once Harry got his magical black belt. --Jim

(2001/2): (Five years before the events of the show)  Harry uses black magic to "self-defense [Justin] to death."  The High Council rules that Harry did it in self-defense, but his probation officer Morgan suspects otherwise. He would be only too happy to catch Harry in another transgression. 

Harry burns Bob's first Grimoire. 

In the wake of Justin's demise, the High Council apparently judged that Bob would be a good Jiminy Cricket for Dresden--and, the way their twisty minds work, they probably planned to use him as a snitch/informer/witness for the prosecution if Dresden started getting out of line again. --Jim

Robert notes: Since we've simplified the backstory a bit and since we have Dresden kill Justin much later in life than in the books, there's not much room for Ebenezar.  In some ways we cannibalized the book version of Ebenezar into Justin and a bit into Morgan and a bit into Mai.

2007:  The events of the show!  Hopefully we'll get some dates to better pin down the episodes.


Constanza ("Connie") Murphy

Date Unknown: She becomes a Lieutenant in the Chicago Police Department.  (The S.I. department does not exist in the show's mythology)

Dates Unknown:  She gets married, then divorced.  We don't know how this corresponds to the dates of when she became a Lieutenant.  The only date we have to deal with is:

1997-8: Daughter Anna is born.  She is 9 years old at the time of the show.


Bob, aka Hrothbert of Bainbridge
"Hrothbert" is old English for "Robert"

A thousand years or so ago:  The wizard Hrothbert wrote his first Grimoire, which includes a nasty little device called a "Doom Box."

Hrothbert went warlock, and wound up taking an axe blow to the back of the head as a result.  Now he's essentially a ghost, cursed to haunt his own skull for all eternity.

When it comes to magic, he can't do it himself any more, and he can't interact with anything physically, but he bears a certain amount of professional pride.  Oh sure, some of the stuff he did was black as hell, but it was frickin' elegant, dammit.  Just look at those formulae!  Sure, he was a fool to go down that road, but since he was going down it anyway, he did it in style! 
 --Jim

The 16th Century:  Hrothbert learns some showtunes.

Time Unknown:  Hrothbert comes into Justin Morningway's possession.  He serves him well.

See Harry's entry for their chronology together.


Other:

1996/1997:  Scott Sharp is born and given to Sheryl Sharp and her husband.  The boy is followed by ravens from day one--we later learn these Ravens are mercenaries, hired the to protect the boy for the Council.  The husband soon leaves.  Scott is ten years old at the time of "Birds of a Feather" (1x03).

Late 2005/Early 2006: Gus Boone serves five years for aggravated assault, gets out, and kills 17-year-old Lisa Harding the next day in the process of stealing the Lock of Anubis.  He then steals the body of wealthy stockbroker and very eligible bachelor, Edward Miller.  One year later, the girl's father, Charles Harding, brings Harry in on a case of haunting in "The Boone Identity" (1x04).

2007:  The events of "Storm Front" (1x01) actually happen first in terms of episode continuity, regardless of viewing order.

2007:  The events of "Birds of a Feather" (1x01).  Melissa and the real Whitney Timmons are killed.  According to Robert, Melissa was a records keeper for the High Council.  A middle class type operator with limited abilities.  She could access the Council records from anywhere with a thought.  Pretty much a one trick pony.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2007, 03:12:18 AM by Priscellie »

Offline Priscellie

  • Timeline Chick and Industrious Little Gnome
  • The Gatekeeper
  • Seriously?
  • ******
  • Posts: 12791
  • Icon by Daoine! <3
    • View Profile
    • Priscellie.com
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2007, 05:07:26 PM »
(On the off chance I exceed the character limit of this post as well, I'm leaving this empty post as a placeholder.  That way, I can expand the timeline without creating a new thread!)

Offline Shiggy

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 747
    • View Profile
    • Twitter
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2007, 05:20:32 PM »
Priscellie...you rock!  And, um, 'Transcript-Fu'?  It's a martial art now?  Does this mean I get another Black Belt to put beside my other one?

Oh, and the Grimoire was destroyed at the time of Justin's death.

Offline Priscellie

  • Timeline Chick and Industrious Little Gnome
  • The Gatekeeper
  • Seriously?
  • ******
  • Posts: 12791
  • Icon by Daoine! <3
    • View Profile
    • Priscellie.com
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2007, 05:34:12 PM »
Priscellie...you rock!  And, um, 'Transcript-Fu'?  It's a martial art now?  Does this mean I get another Black Belt to put beside my other one?

Oh, and the Grimoire was destroyed at the time of Justin's death.

That's what I figured, but since they didn't say so explicitly, I chose to put it slightly afterward.  *shrug*  Though it'd probably make more sense to move it to before Harry's trial...

Offline Shiggy

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 747
    • View Profile
    • Twitter
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2007, 05:37:24 PM »
It may have been before Justin's death.  But you're right, this isn't very clear:

Bob:  My first Grimoire.  Your uncle had a copy of it.  I believe you burned it.
Harry:  Pretty nasty stuff in there Bob.
Bob:  Yes, well, it served him well, as did I, right up until you self-defenced him to death.


Offline cbmurphy

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 589
    • View Profile
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2007, 02:47:29 PM »
Bob, aka Hrothbert of Bainbridge


The 16th Century:  Hrothbert learns some showtunes.


I love your attention to detail.  One hopes that Bob's threat may be realized in a future episode.
Malt does more than Milton can, to justify God's ways to man.

Offline Mickey Finn

  • Encyclopedia Salesman at the Gates of Mordor --- http://tinyurl.com/Amazon-Page-for-Finn
  • White Council
  • Posty McPostington
  • *****
  • Posts: 8382
  • Moderator, Thematic Consultant for Comic
    • View Profile
    • Amazon Profile
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2007, 03:16:05 PM »
I was under the impression that Bob was only about 500 yrs old, not a thousand...where'd the thousand come from?

Also, if it helps, I believe (could be wrong) that he died in the 16th century.

Maybe showtunes drove him to be a warlock?
We are not nouns. We are VERBS. -Stephen Fry
The Universe is made of stories, not of atoms. -Muriel Rukeyser

Podcast: http://thegentlemennerds.com/

Wormwood Mysteries:
"All The Pretty Little Horses" http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W8FE3FS 
"Sign of the Times" http://tinyurl.com/DirtyMagick

Offline Dark Puck

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 87
  • Wingless Archangel Studios
    • View Profile
    • That Merry Wand'rer of the Night
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2007, 03:52:35 PM »
*Gasp!* How did you learn our deep, dark, secret?  No matter; one day we shall RULE THE WORLD!  AHAHAHAHA

I mean, uh, what a silly idea!


TV!Bob: "I'll be in my bunk skull."

Character Essay: In Defence of Morgan  (Spoilers for books 1-8)

Offline Shiggy

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 747
    • View Profile
    • Twitter
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2007, 04:54:30 PM »
Quote
Harry Voice Over: Not all ghosts are spooky or have unfinished business, some are just annoying. Especially when the ghost has 1,000 years of supernatural knowledge he feels compelled to share. Constantly.

Priscellie, I hope this quote from The Boone Identity didn't make you think that Bob was 1k old.  Just that he has that much knowledge.  I think book!Bob also has more years of knowledge than his actual years of existance.

Offline Adastra

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 53
  • No, I haven't read the books.
    • View Profile
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2007, 02:10:50 AM »
I was under the impression that Bob was only about 500 yrs old, not a thousand...where'd the thousand come from?

I think it was in the second episode that Harry said Bob had 1,000 years of magical knowledge.

Offline Priscellie

  • Timeline Chick and Industrious Little Gnome
  • The Gatekeeper
  • Seriously?
  • ******
  • Posts: 12791
  • Icon by Daoine! <3
    • View Profile
    • Priscellie.com
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2007, 04:23:29 AM »
Quote
Harry Voice Over: Not all ghosts are spooky or have unfinished business, some are just annoying. Especially when the ghost has 1,000 years of supernatural knowledge he feels compelled to share. Constantly.

Priscellie, I hope this quote from The Boone Identity didn't make you think that Bob was 1k old.  Just that he has that much knowledge.  I think book!Bob also has more years of knowledge than his actual years of existance.

That's the bunny.  We may have to pester Robert, though 16th Century makes a lot more sense.

Speaking of showtunes, who else is utterly convinced that duty-obsessed book!Morgan is a closet Gilbert and Sullivan fan?

Offline jtaylor

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 4127
  • Bob: Offline but not forgotten.
    • View Profile
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2007, 04:30:10 AM »
Quote
Harry Voice Over: Not all ghosts are spooky or have unfinished business, some are just annoying. Especially when the ghost has 1,000 years of supernatural knowledge he feels compelled to share. Constantly.

Priscellie, I hope this quote from The Boone Identity didn't make you think that Bob was 1k old.  Just that he has that much knowledge.  I think book!Bob also has more years of knowledge than his actual years of existance.

That's the bunny.  We may have to pester Robert, though 16th Century makes a lot more sense.

Speaking of showtunes, who else is utterly convinced that duty-obsessed book!Morgan is a closet Gilbert and Sullivan fan?
He is the very model of a modern magic general.
He has information vegetable, animal, and ethereal
He knows the Queens of Faerie, and He quotes the fights fantastical
He is the very model of a modern magic general.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2007, 04:36:52 AM by jtaylor »
A noble spirit enbiggens the smallest man.

Offline Priscellie

  • Timeline Chick and Industrious Little Gnome
  • The Gatekeeper
  • Seriously?
  • ******
  • Posts: 12791
  • Icon by Daoine! <3
    • View Profile
    • Priscellie.com
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2007, 04:35:42 AM »
Oh, hey!  Could it be possible that wizard!Bob was a few centuries old when he died, and he was offed in the 16th Century?  I feel like that would satisfy all criteria.

Offline Adastra

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 53
  • No, I haven't read the books.
    • View Profile
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #13 on: February 22, 2007, 07:12:44 AM »
How long do wizards typically live?

Offline jtaylor

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 4127
  • Bob: Offline but not forgotten.
    • View Profile
Re: TV Series Timeline
« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2007, 12:51:01 PM »
Book Wizards can live a hell of a long time. I think both Ebenezar and The Merlin are over 300. They don't call Ancient Mai Ancient for nothing... We don't know if TV wizards live as long with magic being generally lower powered than in the books.
A noble spirit enbiggens the smallest man.