#((and yeah; with all the drama coming out; his friendships with predators; his overall treatment of people?))

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"I liked it," Dorian shrugged affably as he drained the last of his glass as he continued to tuck into his shrimp etouffee, admitting, "Probably one of the few lessons I actually enjoyed, if only because it got me outside for a bit, and that I quite liked my horse, very sweet girl named Lilac. Father took it all very seriously, of course, but I much preferred to go on slower, more leisurely rides, especially since the lessons were so early in the morning."

"I envied him fiercely," Elizabeth confessed with a little grin, saying, "I loved horses growing up, I loved taking care of them in the stables, and I sincerely wished I could have learned to ride too. Lilac was the sweetest of all the horses the Gracey's had, she loved me-even if she did have the naughty habit of sticking her snout in his pockets in search of sugar cubes!"

"You think those ghost horses out in front of the house would mind being taken for a ride? Might be a nice change of pace from being hitched to the hearse," Randall asked curiously-while said horses appeared invisible to the mortal guests, they were ethereal, skeletal mounts to the ghosts of Gracey Manor, tethered to the foreboding-looking hearse outside of the Mansion (Dorian's own funeral hearse, actually). They seldom got a chance to stretch their legs, and might welcome the change all the same.

And Dorian agreed, nodding a little as he smiled, "That might not be a bad idea! You just might get that chance to learn after all, Emily."

"Count me in too!" Wilhelm grinned, a little delighted at the idea of taking lessons alongside his daughter-in-law, while June smiled happily for her husband, before turning to her parents, asking, "What about you, Mother, Father? Would you be interested in learning?"

"Ah, no, thank you," August smiled shyly; spotting Lon and Erika's quizzical looks (especially Erika-who wouldn't want to learn to ride a pretty horsey?), Josephine elaborated, "Your granddaddy got spooked by a horse once, when we were courting."

"Spooked?" Lon echoed, as his grandfather elaborated, "Yes, your grandmother and I were out one afternoon in the park, and she had left to feed some of the birds congregating there, while I stayed back, I'd been thinking of buying us something to drink and, uh, a horse came up from behind me, very quietly, I have to say, leaned over my shoulder, and, uh...ate the carnation I had in my lapel."

"The poor dear fainted!" Josephine recalled, squeezing her husband's arm adoringly as she thought back to that day: The horse had eloped from its job ferrying young lovers around the park in a carriage and decided August's carnation would make a lovely snack, startling her beau so badly that he dropped like a sack of bricks. When he came to, his head was in Josephine's lap as she gently fanned him with her handkerchief, relieved to see he was alright after yet another tumble.

[imagitory]

Hi, everybody! So recently I did a review of Disney’s Zootopia, and in it I mentioned how I would personally love to see a spin-off TV series for the film, as Disney has done with movies like Aladdin, Lilo and Stitch, and so on. I’ve felt that feeling for a while, but after mentioning it recently, I got to thinking and I finally just decided – I’m going to write a treatment for what I have in my head, so y’all can read it. So here is my pitch for Zootopia: The Animated Series!

Overall summary: Judy Hopps and her new partner Nick Wilde are the newest rising stars at the Zootopia police department. After successfully taking down the corrupt politician Dawn Bellwether, they have more than proven their worth to the city. Unfortunately life is messy, and stopping one criminal does not stop all crime. A new political giant – the ambitious, opportunistic Weelma Hogwash, has replaced Dawn Bellwether as Mayor of Zootopia. Tensions between predator and prey are still on the rise, and anti-predator groups are becoming more prolific and more violent. Worst of all, the ZPD has to examine their own prejudices and reexamining their old “species profiling”-style techniques that prompt suspicion and distrust between officers and regular citizens. Judy and Nick must work together to solve crimes and navigate this dangerous new world they’re in, with help from friends new and old.

Overall rating: PG -- this show would delve into dark, real-world subject matter, but would not depict any actual gore, sex, or violence. The characters and the humor would hopefully alleviate the more “adult” story-lines, but that “adult“ quality should not be shied away from. It’s what made Zootopia work as a film, and is what can make this series so memorable.

~~Episode Summaries~~

Episode 1: Law and Otter: ZVU

Salutes Law and Order. Reintroduces our central cast – Judy, Nick, Bogo, and Clawhauser. Judy and Nick, now partners, apprehend a possum robbing a bank. They are also introduced to the legal side of the show when a controversial new lawyer, a sleek otter named Kerry Potter, starts getting criminals off the hook by attacking the protocol of the officers arresting them on the stand. Her latest target – newest ZPD officer Nick Wilde and his similarly bending-the-law partner Judy Hopps. By the end Judy and Nick get some vindication when, thanks to some evidence fed to them by old pal Finnick, Potter loses the case and the criminal they arrested is convicted. New characters include Kerry Potter the witty and slick defense attorney and Judge Deerborn the grand, respectable stag judge.

Episode 2: When Pigs Lie

Judy and Nick meet the new Mayor of Zootopia, a pig named Weelma Hogwash – yet another corrupt politician, voted for the quality of their smile rather than their policies. It proves difficult to work with her when she’s determined to take credit for the ZPD's achievements and take shots at their shortcomings. Introduces Judge Deerborn's demure wife, Fawn Deerborn. 

Episode 3: Fantastic Mrs. Fox

Title a play on the Roald Dahl book. Nick-centric episode where Nick’s mother Trixie gets caught up in an investigation at her apartment complex and we learn more about Nick’s background, including how he and Finnick first met. Reintroduces Mrs. Otterton, who has become a part-time 911 operator, and introduces Trixie Wilde, a sassy “furdresser.”

Episode 4: Of Mice and Dens

Officer McHorn arrests a raccoon for breaking-and-entering, but Judy and Nick soon wonder if the raccoon is guilty after meeting with the raccoon's defense attorney – an idealistic and determined mouse named Timothy Smalls. Introduces Timothy Smalls and elephant prosecutor Jim Jumbo. 

Episode 5: The Furner Diaries

Title references the Nazi novel The Turner Diaries. Salutes the Timothy McVeigh case. A bomb goes off in a government building and as the town is gripped by fear Judy, Nick, and the ZPD fight to find the criminal before it's too late. Introduces the "preyist" movement, a movement that promotes the "superiority" of prey over predators, and its supporters, including armadillo criminal Dill Rolo and Uther Fierce, shrew author of "The Furner Diaries" book. 

Episode 6: O.J. Spotson

Salutes the O.J. Simpson trial. A famous and well-liked cheetah athlete gets busted and arrested by Judy and Nick for mauling his girlfriend, but gets off because of his popularity in Zootopia. New characters include O.J. Spotson, "mama bear" prosecutor Rasha Bearnstein and puffed up lion defense attorney Ryan Manello. 

Episode 7:  Benny-on-the-Spot

Clawhauser-centric episode that focuses around why he became a cop – interestingly, the same story also chronicles the start of his and Bogo’s friendship.

Episode 8: Do the Bite Thing

Title references Spike Lee’s famous film Do the Right Thing. Salutes the American Nazi Party's “right to March” case in Skokie, Illinois. The preyist movement tries to March in the Rainforest District, a heavily predator-populated area, and is sent threats by anti-preyists. Now Judy, Nick, and the remainder of the ZPD are put at odds with their own beliefs and the city by having to defend the preyists’ right to free speech from the counter-marchers. As in the original case, the preyists decide in the end to hold their rallies outside the Rainforest District, but only once the courts decide to let them march in city parks. Judy and Nick hate this outcome, but their old friend Judge Deerborn sadly explains it was the only way to both follow the law and keep things from blowing up.

Episode 9: Sahara Square Story 

Salutes West Side Story. Judy and Nick get trapped in the middle of a war between two rival gangs – the Pride (made of lions) and the Pack (hyenas) – all started by an illicit romance between a male lion and a female hyena. Introduces the Pride and the Pack, most notably Lionel the lion and Marina the hyena. For my previously written and more complete post about this idea, click here!

Episode 10: The Horne Identity

Title an obvious pun of The Bourne Identity. Bogo-centric episode, which is focuses around Bogo’s rationale for becoming a police officer and at the end going to see his father, who is in prison. Bogo doesn’t tell anyone where he’s going, and Clawhauser makes sure no one asks him.

Episode 11: Pelter Skelter

Salutes the Charles Manson case. Famous celebrity Gazelle is attacked in her own home, and the evidence points to predators being responsible. But Judy and Nick soon are able to link the crime to sheep conman and serial criminal Ewell Ramson. Introduces Ewell Ramson and his "family" of kidnapped and brainwashed mammals.

Episode 12: Deer Murderer

Season finale. Title references the 1947 crime drama. Deerborn is assassinated, and everyone presumes that the culprit was getting back at him for his strong stance against crime. Judy, who takes his murder very personally, almost railroads Deerborn's most recent convict, the monstrous Ewell Ramson, for the crime. Harboring doubts about the case and worried about his partner, Nick recruits McHorn, Mrs. Otterton, Lionel and the Pride, Marina and the Pack, and defense attorney Smalls to help him catch the real criminal, who ends up being the Judge's own wife Fawn, who solely wanted out of her marriage and thought to take her husband’s life insurance payout rather than just file for divorce. Judy comes to grips with her mistake and comes to appreciate the value that the courts have – if the court hadn’t checked her facts, the wrong man would’ve been convicted and the real criminal would’ve gotten away scot-free. She wouldn’t feel sorry for Ramson being falsely convicted, of course…but justice wouldn’t have been served. She and Nick both visit Deerborn’s grave and pay their respects, before getting back in their car and driving off.

…So yeah! That’s about it. Just a few ideas I had rattling around in my head. *shuffles off*