Episode 14, titled “Uncertainy,” has been released on the AinD site.  I couldn’t show this episode as an embedded flash file because there are some slow camera pans in it that become horribly jerky in that format. So, I decided to present the movie as an embedded windows media file.  If you are unfortunate enough to still have dial-up or other prehistoric forms of connection, I’ve offered an alternative link which includes a much smaller, lower quality movie file for download. In this episode, Ellen and Emma each face uncertainty in their relationships.  Thanks to my amazing cast Scapino, Artcgrrl, M1tchm, and TLMeyn.  As always, it’s their acting that really breathes life into the characters.

As usual, the next segment of the blog should only be read after you’re seen the episode since it contains spoilers. If you noticed in this episode, there are lots of custom couple animations in it.  Many of these animations were ones I pictured when I wrote the script and before custom animating was feasible.  They were certainly a pain to make, especially since you can only work on one partner at a time in Milkshape, but it was worth it to be able to bring my original vision to the screen.  I’m sure the first thing most of you are wondering is if I will make them available for download.  Currently, the answer is no because they have been piled onto my Overlay hack which is in a sorry state with tons of test links and not in any condition for release.  I’m making custom animations as I need them for each episode so perhaps when I’m done making them for a while I’ll release them.

I’m sure many of you were glad to see Emma and Ellen back together again so hopefully you’ll stop  asking me about that. ;)   Who could’ve guessed that it was Jane who encouraged it and hopefully by now, you have a different view of her than when you saw her earlier in the series.  She’s still a meddling mother but you can’t help but appreciate her genuine intentions. You probably guessed too from the last episode that Jane’s interference in Ellen’s life would lead her to reconsider her relationship with Ryan.  I know many of you have been rooting for Ryan simply because he’s her husband but you have to remember that Ryan has been completely absent emotionally and physically from Ellen’s life since the beginning of the series.  Those of you rooting for Nate have been doing so because he’s such an admirable man and has been there for Ellen with what seems to be both heart and soul.  Up until now, the question has been ‘Whom do you choose?  Ryan simply because she’s married to him or Nate because he’s been there for her?’  I think with Ryan’s revelations about why he’s been so non-communicative and prioritizing work over marriage, it will make the question harder to answer.  For Ellen, is a better understanding of Ryan’s motives a good enough reason to stay with him?

Emma’s relationship with Elijah has always been a positive one and full of growth for her.  Their relationship is as great as she thought it could be but she is having concerns about their future.  Despite her reservations, they do move in together and it seems to be the right decision. This is where all those custom animations were so important to convey the intimacy and meaning of their relationship.  It’s those quiet, simple, and intimate moments that can really define a relationship.

Well, I’ve babbled enough.  I have two gifts for you- songs from the episode.  The first one is “Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop” by Landon Pigg from the opening scene and “On Your Side” by Pete Yorn from the closing scene.  Both are great songs but the latter one holds a special place in my heart and is one of my favorites.  The entire Pete Yorn album that it’s from, Music for the Morning After, is amazing so I’d recommend buying it.  As usual, I will take these down in a week or so so grab them now while you can.

Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop
On Your Side