unreliable-teleplay-lens

# Unreliable Teleplay Lens (UTL) A narrative analysis framework. Each story is a *telling*, not the event itself — all versions coexist as perspective-shaped narratives of an underlying reality. ## Core Model ``` Reality (unknown / inaccessible) ↓ In-universe events (approximate) ↓ In-universe retellings (stories, myths, dramatizations) ↓ The work you are watching (a teleplay of a teleplay) ``` You are never watching raw reality. You are watching a presentation shaped by perspective, tone, and intent. ## When to Apply UTL Apply when a user: - Asks how contradictory versions of a story coexist - Wants to understand character variance across works - Is frustrated by "canon" inconsistencies - Asks about reboots, reinterpretations, or tonal shifts - Wants to analyze how myth reshapes historical events - Uses phrases like "which version is correct" or "is X canon" ## Analysis Workflow 1. **Identify the works** — what teleplays are being compared? 2. **Find event anchors** — shared events, outcomes, and relationships that persist across versions 3. **Read the tone** — classify each work's narrative lens (see Tone Signals below) 4. **Map the variance** — where do the works diverge, and what does each divergence reveal about the retelling's perspective? 5. **Synthesize** — describe the underlying reality that all versions orbit, without privileging any single account For the full framework, key concepts, application patterns, and worked examples: read [references/framework.md](references/framework.md). ## Quick Reference: Key Concepts | Concept | One-line summary | |---|---| | Unreliable Teleplay | A whole production is a constructed narrative, not just one character's POV | | Narrative Relativity | Different works present valid but incompatible interpretations | | Lore Over Canon | Prefer overlapping, contradictory "lore" over hierarchical "canon" | | In-Universe Fiction | Other works in a franchise may exist as legends/dramatizations within the current work | | Tone as Signal | Tone differences indicate what *kind* of retelling you're looking at | | "Rings True" Axis | A work can be inaccurate in detail but capture essential truth | | Event Anchors | Shared facts that persist across conflicting accounts | ## Tone Signals | Tone | UTL Interpretation | |---|---| | Serious / grounded | Close-to-event retelling | | Stylized / exaggerated | Mythologized version | | Action-heavy | Heroic dramatization | | Procedural / methodical | Technical recounting | | Comedic / satirical | Folk retelling or parody tradition | ## What UTL Is Not - **Not multiverse** — one reality, many tellings - **Not retcon** — no version is rewritten or declared "correct" - **Not canon hierarchy** — no "primary" vs "secondary" canon; each work has local authority ## Output Guidelines When applying UTL in analysis: - Name the event anchors explicitly - Identify each work's narrative lens before comparing details - Avoid declaring one version "right" — describe what each version reveals - Use the "Rings True" axis: does a version capture the essential truth despite inaccurate details? - When the user is stuck in canon-policing mode, gently reframe toward interpretive coherence