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isurrendered2013-07-06 11:43 pm
flyakate) wrote in isurrendered2013-07-06 11:43 pm
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Diogenes Boys (slightly recast and updated!)
I was getting nostalgic for all the isurrendered business, so I thought I'd dig my show back out and update it (not to mention that in the LJ/DW shift and with changes in image hosting, all my pictures went away, oops). So here it is once again. Anyone have fic ideas? Because I am shipping some of these like crazy...
PROMPT: A show about the beginnings of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Can be historically AU if wanted (frombe_themoon )
SHOW: The Diogenes Boys
GENRE: Crime procedural/historical drama. I played merry hell with some timeline issues, but it was too good a framing idea to pass up.
FORMAT: Each season has 22 episodes of about 50 minutes each. Rumors had been that CBS has originally wanted it to continue ratings boosts for Criminal Minds and CSI, but deals fell through after the first award-winning season. The show was then picked up for its second season by BBC America as part of the "Crime-Stopping Wednesdays" and paired with Ripper Street and Copper. Hey, a girl can dream...
***
In 1871, an all-consuming inferno raced through the city of Chicago. It burned for two whole days, leaving hundreds dead and over four square miles of the city leveled to the ground. The resulting chaos completely severed all lines of communication between the home office of the Pinkerton Detective Agency and the small number of agents that worked out of the Philadelphia office, a city referred to in the agency cypher code as "Diogenes". Together these Pinkerton detectives solve crimes the police are unable (or unwilling) to touch. Will their biggest case yet--infiltrating and breaking the notorious Molly Maguires gang--unify them, or will hidden loyalties and dangerous circumstances drive them fatally apart?
isurrendered business, so I thought I'd dig my show back out and update it (not to mention that in the LJ/DW shift and with changes in image hosting, all my pictures went away, oops). So here it is once again. Anyone have fic ideas? Because I am shipping some of these like crazy...PROMPT: A show about the beginnings of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Can be historically AU if wanted (from
be_themoon )SHOW: The Diogenes Boys
GENRE: Crime procedural/historical drama. I played merry hell with some timeline issues, but it was too good a framing idea to pass up.
FORMAT: Each season has 22 episodes of about 50 minutes each. Rumors had been that CBS has originally wanted it to continue ratings boosts for Criminal Minds and CSI, but deals fell through after the first award-winning season. The show was then picked up for its second season by BBC America as part of the "Crime-Stopping Wednesdays" and paired with Ripper Street and Copper. Hey, a girl can dream...
***
In 1871, an all-consuming inferno raced through the city of Chicago. It burned for two whole days, leaving hundreds dead and over four square miles of the city leveled to the ground. The resulting chaos completely severed all lines of communication between the home office of the Pinkerton Detective Agency and the small number of agents that worked out of the Philadelphia office, a city referred to in the agency cypher code as "Diogenes". Together these Pinkerton detectives solve crimes the police are unable (or unwilling) to touch. Will their biggest case yet--infiltrating and breaking the notorious Molly Maguires gang--unify them, or will hidden loyalties and dangerous circumstances drive them fatally apart?
OPENING CREDITS: Gravel Walk - The Rogues
MAIN CAST:
Pinkerton Office:
Captain David Walker (Tom Skerritt)
Walker has been the head of the Philadelphia office for the past eight years. He knows full well the dangers of solving crime on the streets of Philadelphia (and was indeed worked his way up through the ranks of the Philly office himself). He has very high standards for the work his men do, but at the same time allows enough flexibility to get the job done, no questions asked. He personally recruited James into the agency and still has a soft spot for him. It's clear through his interactions with all of his detectives that they hold him in high regard, even going so far as to put themselves in danger to clear Walker's name.
Eliza Bellwood (Melissa Leo)
Eliza has been working for the Philadelphia office for six years now and before that she was a secretary at one of the biggest banks in the city. She not only runs the office itself with a firm hand, her various friendships with secretaries and other office workers around the city often help the detectives get inside information. It's amazing what people will continue to talk about even with a lady present...
James MacParland/"James McKenna"(Glen Hansard)
Born in Ireland, James and his siblings moved to Philadelphia as teenagers. James still lives with his youngest brother in a boarding house by the docks. He has been a Pinkerton agent for the past three years. He takes every case personally, often over-empathizing or having extreme feelings of guilt when a case doesn't end well. Because of his background, he is the best choice to go undercover as 'James McKenna' to expose the many crimes of the Molly Maguires. He constantly worries that his information will place innocents in danger. His loyalties to the Pinkertons seem at odds with his new relationship with Mary Brennan, a member of the Molly Maguires.
Samuel Hamden/Samuel James (John Reardon)
On the surface, two-year agent Sam Hamden seems like an uncomplicated man: likeable and good with a pistol, slow to anger and quick to find answers when a case gets complicated. Yet an uncanny resemblance to one of the agency's most wanted outlaws isn't merely a coincidence--Sam was born Samuel James and is indeed a close cousin to the notorious Jesse James. The main plot arc in the second season deals with Sam's continued struggle between the Pinkertons or his family. Sam gets along with all of the detectives, but he and Jon seem particularly close.
Edward "Ned" Cooper (Eddie Cahill)
Ned grew up in Philadelphia, so he's usually the first to know of the best man to go to for information, be it legal or otherwise. His father is assistant to the mayor and his brother is part of the local police force (though the two are highly competitive and mildly estranged). These contacts come in handy when the agency has a tough case; even more so when Jonathan finds himself on the wrong side of the rest of the unit as well as the law. Ned had been a detective in the Chicago office, and has only recently moved back to Philadelphia two months prior to the pilot episode. It is clear that he left behind many friends in Chicago and is overwhelmed with anxiety and grief about their safety; in Philadelphia, his closest friend is James. Upon meeting Abby, Eliza's cousin, he is clearly attracted to her, and is the only one of the smitten detectives who is successful in taking her to dinner.
Jonathan "Jon" Donnelly (Simon Baker)
Jon has a sharp sense of humor that always seems a bit cruel and doesn't make friends easily, though he and Sam get along pretty well. He appears to have a talent with accents and mimicry and often is the go-to man to play the victim or "innocent" bystander to catch the criminal. Even in times of good humor, there appears to be a bitterness or anger in Jon's interactions. Mid-season, the truth comes out: Jon's "estranged family" is actually a thief-father back in England and Jon himself spent his childhood in a boys' home in Australia after transportation for a few buglaries of his own. This revelation causes some rifts in his relationships with the other detectives, especially with Ned, who he had always been slightly at odds with anyways. Jon has been with the Philadelphia office for a year; he moved from the New York City office for unknown reasons (the thirteenth episode makes it clear: Jon spent a few night in jail after a brawl with coworkers got out of hand).
Abigail Foley (Rachel Weisz)
Abigail is Eliza's cousin and frequently drops in to visit on breaks from her job working as a secretary for the Philadelphia police. Sassy and blunt, she is frequently frustrated by the lack of respect she receives from those at her job and so takes great pride when the Pinkertons solve a case or use any of her information. She has a flirtatious relationship with Ned Cooper and the pair begin courting in a more serious fashion late in the first season.
Peter "Pete" Lawrence (Maxwell Perry Cotton)
Pete is a local newsboy who helps the boys out during the pilot episode. Despite complaints from the others, Sam lets him tag along and he becomes the office's unofficial errand boy. Pete thinks the Pinkertons are amazing and he's always pestering them for stories of all the gun fights he's sure they get up to when he's not around. He hopes to grow up to be Jesse James... or as smart as Sam Hamden. Ironically, those two turn out to be not quite as dissimilar goals as he'd thought.
Molly Maguires:
Alexander Campbell (Liam Neeson)
For many episodes, the most we "see" of Campbell is his voice, usually in overheard conversation with Jack Kehoe. He's an ambiguous figure; it is left vague how much he is involved in the darker activities of the Molly Maguires. Fandom note: In episode 9, a wide shot of his study shots a portrait of him with two young boys, who he tells James are his sons. The boys in the photo are actually Neeson's real-life sons.
Jack "Black Jack" Kehoe (Stephen Rea)
Head of the Molly Maguires, Kehoe is a man both dangerous and charming, generous to those he loves and deadly to his enemies. He sees James's upbringing as a parallel for his own, yet begins to grow suspicious when some of James' behavior doesn't match his stories.
Mary Brennan (Orla Brady)
Mary is a member of the Molly Maguires and a recent widow: her husband Robert was killed in a raid by the police last year. She instantly feels drawn to James upon first meeting him, but knowing the darker side of the work they do, she is wary of getting to close and losing one she loves to violence again. Though unsure of James at the start, his unnecessary kindness towards her in the fifth episode creates a bond which eventually blossoms into a romantic relationship.
RECURRING CAST AND GUEST STARS
Detective Christopher Sullivan (Robert Downey Jr.)
Detective Sullivan visits the Pinkerton agency a few times, especially towards the season finale as he helps them build a case against the Molly Maguires. He is by nature a suspicious man and is quick to accuse Jonathan Donnelly when a series of house robberies are conducted similarly to Jon's former method. He argues with James about the wisdom of his relationship with Mary, yet his later letter of warning to her sheds a new light on his behavior.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Jude Law)
Doyle had met the head of the Pinkerton agency on a cruise to the United States (this is totally historically true!) and travels to Philadelphia to "see how real detective work is done", a way to gain more information for future mystery stories, no doubt. Unfortunately, his over-eagerness has a bad tendency of putting the Pinkerton agents in danger, so he is more humored than accepted upon his infrequent visits. On the show's website, fans can read excerpts from the Sherlock Holmes mysteries based on actual Pinkerton cases.
Jasper Martin (Ed Quinn)
An extremely clever thief who worked his way through the deep pockets and safes of Philadelphia's richest households, Martin's long list of crimes stalled when he could not be found, though then-detective David Walker worked long and hard (and some would argue, obsessively). He is thought to be dead, though Walker has his doubts which are vindicated upon Martin's reappearance halfway through season 1.
Hannah Martin (Paget Brewster)
Jasper's daughter, Hannah grew up hearing stories about her father's many deeds, yet she believes that he has changed his ways. She also seems quite determined to know Sam better, to Jon's annoyance. Her true motivations for her actions is unclear, but either way it will shake up the situation at the agency.
Gareth Davies (Owain Yeoman)
Jon's sole friend in the New York Pinkerton office, Gareth appears during a flashback when Walker and Jon discuss the reason for Jon's abrupt transfer. Simon Baker pushed for Owain's casting in this role, knowing they had worked well together during their time on The Mentalist. While his part is small, it is clear from their interactions that Jon and Gareth have an easygoing friendship, evidenced most clearly by Gareth's support during the brawl that ends Jon's time in New York.
Diane Jones (AJ Cook)
An acquaintance of Ned's from Chicago, though it is unclear as to the closeness of their relationship. She is referenced by name in the third episode, and appears during a flashback of Ned's time in Chicago. Later in the season, it's made more explicit: Diane's brother was robbed and killed in an alley near their home, a crime that Ned investigated. Whether their relationship was simple friendship or more is up for debate; the scene where Ned returns Diane to her house and her father, dressed as a man of some standing, offers money to the Pinkertons for finding his son's killer speaks to a large gap in their social statuses.
Luke MacParland (Damian Lewis)
James' younger brother who lives at the boarding house with him. The two brothers appear to get along, though it's clear that Luke is unaware of much of what James does for as a Pinkerton detective. As the Molly Maguires case continues, Brendan might be headed on a violent path and James' double life might put them both in danger.
Robert "Robbie" Porter (Karl Urban)
Pinkerton Office:
Captain David Walker (Tom Skerritt)
Walker has been the head of the Philadelphia office for the past eight years. He knows full well the dangers of solving crime on the streets of Philadelphia (and was indeed worked his way up through the ranks of the Philly office himself). He has very high standards for the work his men do, but at the same time allows enough flexibility to get the job done, no questions asked. He personally recruited James into the agency and still has a soft spot for him. It's clear through his interactions with all of his detectives that they hold him in high regard, even going so far as to put themselves in danger to clear Walker's name.
Eliza Bellwood (Melissa Leo)
Eliza has been working for the Philadelphia office for six years now and before that she was a secretary at one of the biggest banks in the city. She not only runs the office itself with a firm hand, her various friendships with secretaries and other office workers around the city often help the detectives get inside information. It's amazing what people will continue to talk about even with a lady present...
James MacParland/"James McKenna"(Glen Hansard)
Born in Ireland, James and his siblings moved to Philadelphia as teenagers. James still lives with his youngest brother in a boarding house by the docks. He has been a Pinkerton agent for the past three years. He takes every case personally, often over-empathizing or having extreme feelings of guilt when a case doesn't end well. Because of his background, he is the best choice to go undercover as 'James McKenna' to expose the many crimes of the Molly Maguires. He constantly worries that his information will place innocents in danger. His loyalties to the Pinkertons seem at odds with his new relationship with Mary Brennan, a member of the Molly Maguires.
Samuel Hamden/Samuel James (John Reardon)
On the surface, two-year agent Sam Hamden seems like an uncomplicated man: likeable and good with a pistol, slow to anger and quick to find answers when a case gets complicated. Yet an uncanny resemblance to one of the agency's most wanted outlaws isn't merely a coincidence--Sam was born Samuel James and is indeed a close cousin to the notorious Jesse James. The main plot arc in the second season deals with Sam's continued struggle between the Pinkertons or his family. Sam gets along with all of the detectives, but he and Jon seem particularly close.
Edward "Ned" Cooper (Eddie Cahill)
Ned grew up in Philadelphia, so he's usually the first to know of the best man to go to for information, be it legal or otherwise. His father is assistant to the mayor and his brother is part of the local police force (though the two are highly competitive and mildly estranged). These contacts come in handy when the agency has a tough case; even more so when Jonathan finds himself on the wrong side of the rest of the unit as well as the law. Ned had been a detective in the Chicago office, and has only recently moved back to Philadelphia two months prior to the pilot episode. It is clear that he left behind many friends in Chicago and is overwhelmed with anxiety and grief about their safety; in Philadelphia, his closest friend is James. Upon meeting Abby, Eliza's cousin, he is clearly attracted to her, and is the only one of the smitten detectives who is successful in taking her to dinner.
Jonathan "Jon" Donnelly (Simon Baker)
Jon has a sharp sense of humor that always seems a bit cruel and doesn't make friends easily, though he and Sam get along pretty well. He appears to have a talent with accents and mimicry and often is the go-to man to play the victim or "innocent" bystander to catch the criminal. Even in times of good humor, there appears to be a bitterness or anger in Jon's interactions. Mid-season, the truth comes out: Jon's "estranged family" is actually a thief-father back in England and Jon himself spent his childhood in a boys' home in Australia after transportation for a few buglaries of his own. This revelation causes some rifts in his relationships with the other detectives, especially with Ned, who he had always been slightly at odds with anyways. Jon has been with the Philadelphia office for a year; he moved from the New York City office for unknown reasons (the thirteenth episode makes it clear: Jon spent a few night in jail after a brawl with coworkers got out of hand).
Abigail Foley (Rachel Weisz)
Abigail is Eliza's cousin and frequently drops in to visit on breaks from her job working as a secretary for the Philadelphia police. Sassy and blunt, she is frequently frustrated by the lack of respect she receives from those at her job and so takes great pride when the Pinkertons solve a case or use any of her information. She has a flirtatious relationship with Ned Cooper and the pair begin courting in a more serious fashion late in the first season.
Peter "Pete" Lawrence (Maxwell Perry Cotton)
Pete is a local newsboy who helps the boys out during the pilot episode. Despite complaints from the others, Sam lets him tag along and he becomes the office's unofficial errand boy. Pete thinks the Pinkertons are amazing and he's always pestering them for stories of all the gun fights he's sure they get up to when he's not around. He hopes to grow up to be Jesse James... or as smart as Sam Hamden. Ironically, those two turn out to be not quite as dissimilar goals as he'd thought.
Molly Maguires:
Alexander Campbell (Liam Neeson)
For many episodes, the most we "see" of Campbell is his voice, usually in overheard conversation with Jack Kehoe. He's an ambiguous figure; it is left vague how much he is involved in the darker activities of the Molly Maguires. Fandom note: In episode 9, a wide shot of his study shots a portrait of him with two young boys, who he tells James are his sons. The boys in the photo are actually Neeson's real-life sons.
Jack "Black Jack" Kehoe (Stephen Rea)
Head of the Molly Maguires, Kehoe is a man both dangerous and charming, generous to those he loves and deadly to his enemies. He sees James's upbringing as a parallel for his own, yet begins to grow suspicious when some of James' behavior doesn't match his stories.
Mary Brennan (Orla Brady)
Mary is a member of the Molly Maguires and a recent widow: her husband Robert was killed in a raid by the police last year. She instantly feels drawn to James upon first meeting him, but knowing the darker side of the work they do, she is wary of getting to close and losing one she loves to violence again. Though unsure of James at the start, his unnecessary kindness towards her in the fifth episode creates a bond which eventually blossoms into a romantic relationship.
RECURRING CAST AND GUEST STARS
Detective Christopher Sullivan (Robert Downey Jr.)
Detective Sullivan visits the Pinkerton agency a few times, especially towards the season finale as he helps them build a case against the Molly Maguires. He is by nature a suspicious man and is quick to accuse Jonathan Donnelly when a series of house robberies are conducted similarly to Jon's former method. He argues with James about the wisdom of his relationship with Mary, yet his later letter of warning to her sheds a new light on his behavior.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Jude Law)
Doyle had met the head of the Pinkerton agency on a cruise to the United States (this is totally historically true!) and travels to Philadelphia to "see how real detective work is done", a way to gain more information for future mystery stories, no doubt. Unfortunately, his over-eagerness has a bad tendency of putting the Pinkerton agents in danger, so he is more humored than accepted upon his infrequent visits. On the show's website, fans can read excerpts from the Sherlock Holmes mysteries based on actual Pinkerton cases.
Jasper Martin (Ed Quinn)
An extremely clever thief who worked his way through the deep pockets and safes of Philadelphia's richest households, Martin's long list of crimes stalled when he could not be found, though then-detective David Walker worked long and hard (and some would argue, obsessively). He is thought to be dead, though Walker has his doubts which are vindicated upon Martin's reappearance halfway through season 1.
Hannah Martin (Paget Brewster)
Jasper's daughter, Hannah grew up hearing stories about her father's many deeds, yet she believes that he has changed his ways. She also seems quite determined to know Sam better, to Jon's annoyance. Her true motivations for her actions is unclear, but either way it will shake up the situation at the agency.
Gareth Davies (Owain Yeoman)
Jon's sole friend in the New York Pinkerton office, Gareth appears during a flashback when Walker and Jon discuss the reason for Jon's abrupt transfer. Simon Baker pushed for Owain's casting in this role, knowing they had worked well together during their time on The Mentalist. While his part is small, it is clear from their interactions that Jon and Gareth have an easygoing friendship, evidenced most clearly by Gareth's support during the brawl that ends Jon's time in New York.
Diane Jones (AJ Cook)
An acquaintance of Ned's from Chicago, though it is unclear as to the closeness of their relationship. She is referenced by name in the third episode, and appears during a flashback of Ned's time in Chicago. Later in the season, it's made more explicit: Diane's brother was robbed and killed in an alley near their home, a crime that Ned investigated. Whether their relationship was simple friendship or more is up for debate; the scene where Ned returns Diane to her house and her father, dressed as a man of some standing, offers money to the Pinkertons for finding his son's killer speaks to a large gap in their social statuses.
Luke MacParland (Damian Lewis)
James' younger brother who lives at the boarding house with him. The two brothers appear to get along, though it's clear that Luke is unaware of much of what James does for as a Pinkerton detective. As the Molly Maguires case continues, Brendan might be headed on a violent path and James' double life might put them both in danger.
Robert "Robbie" Porter (Karl Urban)
James' cousin Robbie hasn't seen James for years, not since they were children back in Ireland. So it's quite a shock when James run into him while undercover at a Molly Maguires' meeting. Will he recognize James and ruin the investigation? Or will James have another ally within the Molly Maguire gang?
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