User:PhyreflyH/Emporium

Emporium is a TV series, created by the creative team behind Lost. It has been plagued by commitment issues, even though it was planned as a short series, but has still been successful, and has a small but devoted following.

Set in an alternate earth, where technology was held up at the steam age for longer than on our world, Emporium has a steampunk feel, with a twist. One of the themes of the world seems to be an underlying stand-off between the technological nations, and the "Gaian" nations, who have a more magical approach to life. This theme was not explored much in the first season of the show, although the creators did intend for it to be a more major theme if the show is taken up for more seasons.

The main characters are: Vitoli, a Russian monk; Bess, a pirate Queen; Martin, a mad scientist; Spinwood, a pilot; and his friend Edgar, a… well, and Edgar.

Repeating characters in the series include: Samuel, the contact between the characters and the Emporium; and Michelle, Spinwood's daughter.

Plot synopsis:
Webisode/teaser Martin is convinced to work with pirates in an attempt to bring them down. He is reluctant, but faced with the opportunity to develop new technology - and explore the pirates' new inventions - he becomes excited and agrees to help.

Pilot episode: Emporium (first aired 29 June 2009) Vitoli (played by Gustav Andersson) awakes on a ship, to see a strange half-man, half ape swinging down the corridor outside his cabin. He has no memory of how he got here, but instantly realises there's something wrong. He gets up to leave, stopping only to grab a book-bag he spots near his bunk. He gets out on deck, and sees a small ship being chased off by a larger pirate ship. The pirate ship was too late - as the ship goes down, but the pirate Queen (Bess, played by Imogen Bayfield) rescues all hands.

It's a short lived rescue, as Bess's ship, the Retribution, is captured by the Albion Navy as soon as they cross land. All crew, passengers, and any human cargo, are all arrested, and carted off towards a London prison. Just outside London, they are stopped, and the main characters are led aboard a much fancier (but still secure) carriage, which takes them in a different direction to the others.

They are taken to the Emporium where they meet Samuel, and are introduced to Martin(played by Richard Hensman). Samuel explains that he has rescued them from certain conviction and a prison sentence, as they have certain unique skills, and he needs them to perform certain jobs for him in exchange for their freedom. Eventually (and not without struggle) - they all agree. The first job - to reclaim the Retribution from the law.

A plan is quickly drawn up, in which we discover Vitoli's skill with potions (He turns out to be a skilled Alchemist, a common pastime for the Russian monks) and his connection to his pet owl. Spinwood, still unconscious, is carried by Edgar(Matthew Price) throughout, as he refuses to leave him in the care of their new boss. The plan succeeds, with a slight delay caused by Martin's forgetting to cut the chains as Bess attempts to fly the ship away.

The crew arrive at their rendezvous, to find the police officer who arrested them. "Don't worry," he says, "I am your contact for the Emporium. How do you think they got you free?" He hands over a small wax recording and gramophone player.

Once it is fitted, it begins to play, but here the pilot ends, leaving us waiting for the series to find out the plight of our heroes.

Episode 1: Spinwood Awakes (first aired 13 July 2009) The first episode of the regular series, "Spinwood Awakes" is the first glimpse of the world at large. The new crew of the Retribution travel first to France, to have the ship repaired and refitted, and then to Egypt to rescue a diplomat's kidnapped son. Spinwood (played more actively in this episode by Jonathan Higgs) finds an old "associate" or two, who haven't forgotten that he owes them money. He manages to see them off quite successfully, however, and accompanies Vitoli to a seedy part of Paris where Vitoli finds an old colleague, and is informed that a member of his department back home has been murdered.

When the crew arrive in Cairo, they look through the market, Spinwood buying a gift for his daughter, who's birthday he has just missed. They encounter the local religious police, who show them to the Embassy. There they meet the Ambassador - none other than Martin's cousin. They are told they will have to travel by land to ransom the kidnapped boy. A guide shows them the local form of travel, a sand-fairing ship-like vessel called a sand-skiff.

He takes them to the kidnappers camp, where they prepare for whatever is going to happen next. A strange change comes over the usually shy, retiring Vitoli, as he suddenly comes out of his shell, and starts asking for more - and bigger - weapons. The group go through the motions of paying the ransom. At the last minute, however, Martin sets off two tear-gas bombs he and Vitoli made. They are completely innefective, apart from setting fire to the nomad's camp. In the confusion, they manage to flee, and get away with the boy and the money. Proving that a bungled plan can still work out ok in the end.

Episode 2: Return to the Smokey City (first aired 20 July 2009)