#once again sorry i don't have citizen kane with me (tho i'm pretty sure i have 2 different scripts for it with different versions)

[magentagalaxies]

Kids in the Archive: Episode 5

told you it wouldn't be long until you saw kids in the archive again! originally i wanted this episode to be about the citizen kane sketch as requested by the lovely @oliviaskithworld but unfortunately i left my citizen kane script at home when i went off to college, so i'll make sure to do that episode as soon as i get home for thanksgiving break. for now, let's get into today's iconic kids in the hall sketch and break down a behind-the-scenes comparison of script and screen

Previous Episodes: Episode 1 - armada finale ("do we make it?") Episode 2 - fran & gordon: the vacation Episode 3 - comfortable Episode 4 - cathy & kathi: is he?

today we're diving into a highly cinematic sketch, s3e7's "Kidnapped"

i feel like this is the most popular danny husk appearance, as it's the one i see brought up most often. personally, there are danny sketches i'd rank higher (my favorite is "husk musk" followed closely by "brown stuff." i don't have scripts for either yet) but i feel like this sketch exemplifies everything great about a danny husk appearance: his doofy personality, corporate bureaucracy, and a touch of the surreal.

The Cinematography

while this sketch doesn't compare to the art house cinematography of later works like "love and sausages," this sketch is still full of striking visuals that are not noted anywhere in the script. as you can see above, this script opens on dave and doesn't showcase the headline until we already see danny husk holding the newspaper. compare that to the more powerful opening of a stack of newspapers being dropped on the ground. other beats, such as danny sleeping on his desk under a newspaper, are missing as well.

Kevin's Character

most of the changes to this script in its final version were additions, such as the "i think this phone might be bugged" beat or bruce's kidnapper character being one he's played in previous sketches. however, the one part of the sketch that was trimmed down is kevin's character (referred to as "terry" in the final version, though the script never mentions his name). terry is the person in charge of the printers, he speaks to danny in multiple scenes, and in the script it's actually his idea to photocopy the last two-dollar bill. also he might be hinted as being into danny i'm not sure

The Ending

once again, the ending is for the most part unchanged, just with a few beats shortened.

unlike the final version, danny doesn't return to the newspaper boy, instead having his "i'm free" triumph in the same location where he met with his kidnapper. his celebration is also much shorter - cutting out his hug with the newsboy, his dance, and limiting his flight to just running while making the sounds of an airplane.

scott would later reference this sketch's ending when stating how he regrets not putting danny husk in brain candy, opting to replace him with a doppelganger "wally" instead. sure, danny husk isn't gay, but he also can't fly and his pits didn't cause world peace. he's such an ordinary character that his ordinariness becomes malleable, and unlike a character like buddy who tries to adhere to a sense of continuity, danny can be carried wherever the plot takes him.