Little Black Book Season 2 Episode 1- Guess Who’s Back?

It’s Little Black Book season again!

Hey family! It’s been a year, I think? Or more? Or less?

I’m so sorry for my absence. Life and work have finally taken me away from here 😩I wish things could be as they used to, but e don get as e be.

How have you guys been though? I have so missed you and I’m happy to pop in today to do this.

So, yes! Little Black Book 2 is out. You should go and see it and let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you guys. You know the story already and you know the characters, so it won’t be anything new to you.

But before I get on with what brought me here, I want to do something I have been meaning to do since season 1 aired. I want to apologize to you guys. Some of you reached out to me privately to give me honest feedback, as you always do, concerning the story. The general consensus was that some things were off in the story. Stuff like Anna being switched to Tade, Leonel being broke, and the interpretation of the characters by the actors, etc.

*Deep sigh. I wholeheartedly agree. Someone even asked me, “Sally, are you happy with the way the story went?”

My honest response to that would be that I was happy to see my story out there. It is a dream come true. However, there were parts that didn’t work for me because I didn’t write it alone. All the same, we worked as a team (from writing to production); and in the grand scheme of things, it’s not my work alone. My feelings as the creator over certain aspects should not supersede what others on the team feel about the overall story. But hey, it got nominated twice at the AMVCAs. That means we did something good, yeah?

So, the thing about adaptation of a story is that it doesn’t have to follow the story exactly. Secondly, with production, the end product is not always what the screenwriters put out, which is why you shouldn’t blame the writers all the time when stories in film have issues. We have amazing writers in Nigeria. A testament to this is the prose community where writers have creative control of their work. They get published and go on to get awards and accolades outside Nigeria. Our screenwriters should have the same honors, but they do not have the final say on the final product of their creativity. Producers and directors have the power to take the story in new directions for reasons best known to them and for better production value. Is that a good thing? Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no. And as a writer, you really don’t have the power to do anything when your story goes a certain way. You can only watch from the sidelines and weep.

Against this backdrop, I want to clearly state that Season 2 of Little Black Book has left me with mixed feelings. I won’t fully share my thoughts on it now. Maybe a time in the future would come for that.

I was blessed to be the headwriter on the project with Marycollette Matiki Motul and Owen Dadzie. They both developed and co-wrote the story with me. What we did was to delve into Leonel’s world a little more in this season with Captain, Kyenpia, and Jaiye, making appearances. All things being equal, expect an amazing story. I pray that nobody comes to me privately again to ask me if I’m happy about it. Hopefully, what’s in the script is what we see on screen.

What I want from you this season is your honest and very brutal reviews. Please, don’t hold back because you love me. Be open about how each episode makes you feel, from storyline to characters. Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts on TNC’s YouTube. They appreciate all feedback. But while you do that, please, be easy on me and my team. We had an amazing story. It was back-breaking work. So, if you want to drag anyone, please, drag production. The executive producer has given me permission to tell you this.

Below is an excerpt from the script of Episode 1. If you want me to do this for every episode, please let me know. I have plans to include what we have in the script into the book. This means that we would have a new edition of the book. That way, you’ll have an unaltered version of the story.

Wishing you an amazing week ahead and God bless!

See excerpt below:

FADE IN:
BEGIN DREAM SEQUENCE
EXT. A BUSH SOMEWHERE – NIGHT 1.1
This dream is also a FLASHBACK.
CAPTAIN is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by thick vegetation. The headlamps from a car are on him, but we cant see his face, just his back, as he digs a hole, wide enough to dump a body in.
He is wearing a white shirt with sleeves that have been folded. This shirt is stained with blood.
The POV is from LITTLE LEO who sits in the front passenger seat of the car, watching him. We do not see him, though. Captain is done digging the hole, so he walks to the back of the car and Little Leo’s eyes follow him.
He then opens the trunk.
END DREAM SEQUENCE

1.2 INT. LEO’S APARTMENT. BEDROOM. LEON HOTELS – DAY 1.2
SPIRIT is lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. As the view widens, we see him stretch out his hand towards the empty side of the bed where it’s obvious that someone has lain. He picks a necklace from there and gets off the bed, heading towards the living room. As he gets closer, we hear the sound of the television and see the light streaming out to the bedroom.

TADE is in the living room and she is just done wearing her dress when he enters.
He walks up behind her and tries to help her clip on her necklace, but she moves away. She walks to the center table, picks up her purse and phone and starts towards the door.

SPIRIT
Tade, I’m sorry.

TADE
(Stops and turns
slightly)
Sorry for what exactly? Burning
down the hotel or telling me about
it while I was cuming?

She walks out. Spirit picks up the remote control and switches off the TV.

1.3 INT. CRIS’ APARTMENT – DAY 1.3
CRIS is dressed for work. He steps out of his bedroom into the living room.
We can see a ring light in a corner. Cris stares at his new girlfriend, ZAINAB, 23, typical Gen Z-looking.
She is seated on the dining table, doing something on her phone. Cris walks up to her, leans over and kisses her. She responds with a smile as she tosses the phone aside and they start to make out.

1.4 INT. CAB – DAY 1.4
Tade is in the backseat of a cab, heading towards Cris’ home. There’s music on the radio, but the volume is low. Tade is doing something on her phone. She’s just about done with it and she looks up.

TADE
Oga Sulaiman, please increase that
volume for me small.

The driver, OGA SULAIMAN, does as she says and Radio Girl’s voice comes on.

RADIO GIRL (V.O.)
So, Lagos, our own dearest unburnt
is throwing an opening party this
night. Yes, you heard that right.
It’s a Monday and there’s going to
be a partey!
(Laughs)
Who does that, though? Who else,
but Leonel Igwe, can throw a party
on a Monday night that’s going to
be fire? He’s on everybody’s lips
right now, and the hotel has been
trending since yesterday. If you’re
just joining us and you’re
wondering who the unburnt is and
what the fuss is all about, Radio
Girl is here with all the tea.
(beat)
So, three months ago, Leon Hotels
was razed down by fire, everything
burnt to the ground. Fortunately,
there was no casualty.
Unfortunately, not a single
property was saved from that fire.
And it seemed that was the last we
would hear from Leonel Afamdi Igwe.
But silently, under three months,
he bought an entire hotel, fixed it
up, and he’s back on his grind
y’all.
(chuckles)
Anyways, he’s been trending since
yesterday when he did a live video
on his IG, to announce the hotel
opening today…

Tade’s cab pulls up outside Cris’ apartment. As Tade picks up her handbag and opens the door, Radio Girl continues.

RADIO GIRL
I guess the question on everyone’s
mind is: How did he do it? How did
he go from losing everything to
buying and owning… well, a lot?
TADE
(To cab driver)
Oga Sulaiman, I’m coming o. You’ll
take me back to the hotel.

Oya, go and watch the first episode and let me know what you think.