Godfather in space

[Joe Washington]

A show that takes place in the far future about a protagonist who starts out as one of the good guys but gradually changes into a ruthless, calculating criminal or leader of an intergalactic Empire. Would you watch something like that? Would something that work?

I do not planning on making this show. It's just an idea I'm throwing out for your viewing.

 

[The Comedian]

I think Malcolm Reynolds was heading in that direction in Serenity before the Alliance ticked him off.

 

[Lt. Trull]

sounds like the sci fi book santiago, by mike resnick which is set to become a movie....

 

[LitmusDragon]

I like this idea.

 

[RoJoHen]

I think Malcolm Reynolds was heading in that direction in Serenity before the Alliance ticked him off.

I'd say he was heading in the opposite direction.

But yeah, I definitely think something like this would work. I am all for serious scifi shows, and I love it when happy characters descend into darkness.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Sounds like a terrific idea. I still think Heroes should have been Godfather x The X-Men.

 

[Joe Washington]

How so?

 

[cardinal biggles]

A show that takes place in the far future about a protagonist who starts out as one of the good guys but gradually changes into a ruthless, calculating criminal or leader of an intergalactic Empire.

Isn't this pretty much Anakin Skywalker's character arc over the Star Wars prequel trilogy?

 

[Joe Washington]

Not like Anakin Skywalker. More along the lines of Breaking Bad or, like i said in my topic title, the Godfather as we get to see this character's road to hell which starts off with the best of the character's good intentions.

The show would take place in a future in which Earth is destroyed and humanity has been fractured into a number of warring factions.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

How so?

Petrelli family power struggle. All the elements were there, they just needed to make use of 'em.

A show that takes place in the far future about a protagonist who starts out as one of the good guys but gradually changes into a ruthless, calculating criminal or leader of an intergalactic Empire.

Isn't this pretty much Anakin Skywalker's character arc over the Star Wars prequel trilogy?

Well, Ani is more an egotist with delusions of godhood but even if you rewind the story, take out the Force/religious overtones and just make it about money and power, I'm sure it could be lots better than the PT.

 

[WillsBabe]

I think the Godfather in Space idea sounds great. I'd like to see sf cartels and mob groups, and what kind of awesome scams rackets they'd get into to. I'd like them to take sci-fi concepts and turn them into malevolent schemes. In fact, the more I think about this idea the more I'm liking it. Set it in a gritty "realistic" universe like bsg and watch it happen.

 

[kalysto]

Sounds interesting, but then I always find that kind of character evolution great to watch.

 

[Joe Washington]

For those of you interested in the idea of this show, let's do something like this. I start off the Godfather in space story and one of you pick up where I left off adding to it to see if it has the potential of growing into a series. Okay, here it goes:

In the beginning of the show, the character starts out as someone simply trying to survive and provide for his family in the midst of the chaotic conflict between the warring factions of humanity. Then, something happens like the leader of the faction he's a part of gets assasinated by his men who felt the time has come for a change in leadership. The protagonist witnesses the whole thing. But instead of killing him, the conspirators instead try to keep him quiet by offering a position close to the throne of the faction's leader which would give his family a better home and more supplies to rely on. Tempted, the protagonist accepts the offer for the sake of his family. Despite his acceptance of the offer, the conspirators secretly decide on keeping a close eye on him and if there's any sign of him sharing what they did with others, they'll order the death of him and his entire family. As time goes by, the protagonist...

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The protagonist witnesses the whole thing. But instead of killing him, the conspirators instead try to keep him quiet by offering a position close to the throne of the faction's leader which would give his family a better home and more supplies to rely on.

What is special about the protagonist that would impel the conspirators not to just kill him, which of course would be easier?

Sure, it could be a whim or whatever, but it's best to have a protagonist with some special element. Like Luke with the Force, only in this case, it needs to be more grounded in reality.

 

[RoJoHen]

What is special about the protagonist that would impel the conspirators not to just kill him, which of course would be easier?

A super intimidating glare.

 

[Joe Washington]

What makes him special to the conspirators is that they need someone for the meantime to put a honest face to the leadership that would help with the people accepting the change in leadership and the protagonist is that face.
Or maybe one of the conspirators is an old friend of the protagonist's dead father, which is why he was allowed to live but that gratitude has its limits which is obvious by the whole 'killing him and his family if he talks' decision.

The protagonist doesn't have any special abilities like Luke Skywalker. He's just a normal guy who lives in the future who finds himself thrust in extraordinary circumstances. I don't want to make him superhuman. Maybe a prophecy will emerge that hints at his future turn to darkness. But that's all in that department.

 

[Lapis Exilis]

No prophecies - that's an overused and poorly understood plot device if there ever was one. It also introduces an element of mysticism that doesn't sound like it would fit with your tone.

Does the protagonist have to be a man?

It might be better to put the protagonist in a Brutus role - recruited, reluctantly, into helping the conspirators in some minor way because he is convinced by them that the current leader is corrupt. I agree with Temis - the prtagonist would have to have some talent, skill or something the conspirators need, like the right position to distract some vital person who would normally protect the leader who's being targeted. That way the protagonist is involved, but not in any way that would get blood on his hands. I'm thinking some kind of counselor or lawyer.

Shortly after the murder, he discovers that the situation is not as simple as the former leader being a bad guy and these folks being liberators - but it should stay pretty ambiguous. The former leader was doing something iffy, such as making arbitrary decisions about which families would live and which would die due to limited resources. But the new leaders are either doing the exact same thing (except choosing people more to their liking to live) or doing something equally as iffy. The protagonist is now enmeshed in the power structure of a group, his family's well-being is dependent on his staying on decent terms with them, but he insists on his job with the organization being clean. They agree and set him up, as you say, to keep good relations with the public, providing services to the community. But then someone comes to him for help who has ended up on the wrong side of the current leadership...

 

[Joe Washington]

The protagonist feels sorry for this person and uses his position to get him or her off the leadership's wrong side. The leaders notice this and doesn't appreciate his act of rebellion, fearing that it would grow further after already showing some qualms about the way they are doing things since they took over. So to show him they are serious and to keep the protagonist in place, they kill a member of the protagonist's family. They warn him if he acts aganist them like this again, they'll kill each other member of his family, one by one, but slowly and painfully until he gets the message. Outside, the protagonist seems to have given into their will but inside, a rage is born along with a determination to save his family and the faction at large from this leadership's tyranny, which is worst than the old one....

Take it away, who ever is next.

 

[intrinsical]

Interesting.

I had been planing for such an NPC character in my scifi web game. He starts out as a cocky hero, a decorated military officer. However after Earth's destruction, he tries too hard in trying to save the remaining human survivors. Unlike Captain Sisko who only had to face a single "In The Pale Moonlight", this character goes through a series of Pale Moonlights. It finally broke him, turning him from a protagonist into an antagonist for my players. In his eyes he is still saving what's left of Humanity, but in the process he's lost his own humanity.

 

[Joe Washington]

Adding to my last post, the protagonist's decision to take action aganist the tyranny partially driven by revenge will be THE moment. The moment when the protagonist begins his slide to darkness by making a choice. You saw THE moment on Breaking Bad when Walt decides to make crystal meth to make enough money to support his family. You saw THE moment in the Godfather when Michael Corleone decides to join in on exacting revenge for his father's shooting. It all begins with a choice.