|
Reporter Jake Fischer arrives in Bright Falls, surveying the late-night culture at the Oh Deer Diner while prepping for his interview with Dr. Hartman. On the way to his motel, he encounters a very strange deer. 
- ― Episode summary on Phillip Van's website
The cardboard cut-out of Alan Wake
Oh Deer is the first episode of the Alan Wake prequel live action mini-series, Bright Falls. This episode was released on the Bright Falls Website on 27 April 2010.
Plot[]
A man wearing a diving suit appears from under a lake, dragging himself and an unknown object onto a boat. He deposits the object on shore, opening it up to display an assumed corpse inside the previously submerged body bag. The diver steps back onto the boat and heads out toward water. Looking at the bag again, we see that the body is suddenly gone.
In the next scene, a car is traveling on the road in a heavily wooded area. The driver is revealed to be Jake Fischer, who is calling his colleague Hal. The two converse about a third person named Riley who may or may not surprise them in the near future with unknown news pertinent to both men. This dialogue suggests that Riley might be the boss of Hal and Jake, and that the surprise will center around possible instability at their place of employment. Hal stresses the importance of Jake's upcoming interview, which might solve their troubles, especially since Riley is a fan of the book which the interview is covering. A woman named Libby, possibly Jake's wife, is also brought up in conversation by Hal; Jake did not tell Libby he would be leaving for Bright Falls, and Hal has seemingly been covering for Jake to Libby in his absence.
Jake arrives at the Oh Deer Diner and reads through articles about Dr. Emil Hartman, oblivious to the strange looks given to him by others in the diner: a woman at the counter with a cup of coffee, and a mechanic and a bearded man sitting in a booth nearby. Rose Marigold, waitress and soon-to-be revealed super fan of Alan Wake, has a short but flirtatious conversation with Jake regarding his intentions in town and the Alan Wake decor in the restaurant. A brief interval later, Jake is given food which he did not order and a birthday cake is carried to him by diner attendant Juanito, complete with lit candles and a song from everyone in the diner.
Afterward, Jake returns to his car and uses his GPS to find the Mountain Air Motel at 65500 Piper Road. While on the road, Libby calls Jake, distracting him enough to inadvertently collide with a large deer on the road. Taking a flashlight with him, Jake exits the vehicle to determine exactly what has happened. The deer can be heard breathing heavily in pain; when Jake turns on the flashlight and points it towards the deer, it bellows loudly. The light fails and the animal runs off into the woods. Jake then resumes his travels, and shortly thereafter drives past a Deerfest sign.
Cast[]
Full series credits can be found here.
- Christopher Forsyth as Jake Fischer
- Merette Bartles as Rose Marigold (credited as Rose Darkens)
- Tom Noonan as Hal (voice)
- Hervin Perez as Juanito
- Marilyn Hickey as Woman in Diner
- J.J. Johnston as Mechanic
- Edward Stiner as Man with Beard
Partial Transcript[]
| Transcript |
|---|
|
1:42 - 2:30 Hal: So Riley's, uh, surprising us again tomorrow. Jake: There's not going to be anyone left. Hal: You're a dying breed. Jake, lighten up; we need the interview. You know Riley loves the book. Jake: I bet. Hal: Oh, and make sure to get him a signed copy. Jake: Are we done? Hal: Libby... called again. Jake: Hey, hold on a second alright? Hal: I'm running out of excuses. Hello. Are you there? Jake: Sorry you had to deal with that. Hal: Have you been home? Jake: Come on, Hal. Hal: She, uh, didn't know you were going to Bright Falls. Jake: Guess she does now.
3:04 - 4:03 Rose: So, what are you - a detective or a peeping tom? Jake: Uh, both. A reporter. Rose: Kinky. Jake: Interesting choice of decor you have there. Rose: That's Alan Wake. The writer. I'm a big fan. Jake: I can see that. Rose: What can I say - I like writers. Jake: Whoa - I didn't order this. Diners and Cook (singing): Happy birthday... |
Episode Video[]
Trivia[]
- In an interview with G4TV, series director Phillip Van was asked about the scene where Jake is "accidentally" given a large plate of food and a birthday cake in the Oh Deer Diner. Van commented about his inspiration and the purpose of the scene:
I was writing in a coffee shop that gives away free pastries at the end of the day. For a strong two dollar cup of coffee you can eat your fill of danishes and muffins. They inspired that birthday cake, the idea of them and the sugar rush they gave me. Like the giant plate of food, it was a way for Rose to show her appreciation of writers while messing with Jake a bit.
By having the rough clientele joining in on the singing, the scene is designed to give you an early window into Bright Falls and show immediately that this isn't just a voyeuristic, dismissive look at a small town, it's an interactive experience, where a number of supporting characters will have their own arcs and will come to play some greater roll in the mystery. No one should be dismissed. Characters that might function as wallpaper have a voice, and like to sing with it. This is a nod to the game and a good way to look at stories in general - any character could be of importance, none are stock or secondary; they're all of interest.- ― Interview: Bright Falls Director/Co-Writer Phillip Van