| The Guild | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | Felicia Day |
| Starring | Felicia Day Vincent Caso Jeff Lewis Amy Okuda Sandeep Parikh Robin Thorsen |
| Composer(s) | Don Schiff |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 58 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Felicia Day Kim Evey Jane Selle Morgan |
| Location(s) | Los Angeles, California |
| Running time | 3–13 minutes |
| Distributor | Microsoft (2008–present) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | YouTube MSN Video Xbox Live Marketplace Zune Marketplace |
| Original run | July 27, 2007 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The Guild is an American comedy web series created and written by Felicia Day, who also stars as Cyd Sherman (aka Codex). It premiered on YouTube on July 27, 2007.[1] Subsequent webisodes premiered on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace, Zune Marketplace, and MSN Video. The webisodes were later made available on the official Guild website, YouTube, and iTunes.[2] The webisodes are also available via DVD and on Netflix and Hulu.
The show revolves around the lives of an online guild, The Knights of Good, who play countless hours of an MMORPG video game, aptly named "The Game". The story focuses on Codex, the guild's Priestess, who attempts to lead a normal life after one of her guild-mates, Warlock Zaboo (Sandeep Parikh), shows up on her doorstep.
Joss Whedon credits The Guild as one of the inspirations for Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, which also starred Felicia Day.[3]
The series is currently pending renewal for a sixth season, which would have it continue to premiere through Microsoft's services.[4]
Contents |
The Guild was inspired and written by Felicia Day, an avid gamer, in between acting roles in several American television shows and movies.[5] After two years of video game addiction, Day decided to make something productive from her experiences and wrote the series as a sitcom television pilot. The series was purposely kept generic to avoid copyright problems and to appeal to a wider audience of massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) fans. Day also hoped to show that the stereotypical man living in his parents' basement is not the only kind of gamer. Believing the niche setting wouldn't appeal to television marketers, she decided to produce the series online with Jane Selle Morgan and Kim Evey.[2] Day already knew Sandeep Parikh and Jeff Lewis from Empty Stage, a Los Angeles-based comedy theatre, and their roles were written for them. The rest of the cast was filled through auditions.[6][7] After filming the first three episodes in two and a half days, they ran out of money. After donations were invited through PayPal, the fourth and fifth episodes were almost solely financed by donations.[8][9]
Each episode opens with Codex (Felicia Day) recapping the previous events in the story in the form of a video blog. Usually it gives the audience a recap of the previous episode and shares Codex's feelings on the subject. The video blogs appear to be outside the timeline, as she is usually wearing an outfit (typically her pajamas) different from that in the episode itself, though some blogs take place in time line with other character or situations interrupting Codex.
Cyd Sherman struggles to limit her time online, where she games as her alter ego Codex, a member of the Knights of Good. After the guild realize that Zaboo has been offline for 39 hours, he appears on Codex's door step. Zaboo misunderstood Codex's in-game chats as flirting, and became a stalker living in the same apartment.
On the in-game side, trouble also arises when Bladezz is banned from the game for using a macro (to spam expletives "a few thousand times") in the trade house. Codex uses this as an excuse to have the guild help her with her Zaboo problem. The guild (sans Bladezz) reluctantly meets up in person — for the first time — at Cheesybeards, a local restaurant, only to find out that Vork had transferred all of their in-game valuables to Bladezz's account as part of a team building strategy. If they decided to kick out Bladezz, they would lose everything.
Things get worse when Bladezz begins to slander the Knights of Good by showing inappropriate videos of the members' characters, and Codex is no closer to getting Zaboo to go home. Then, Zaboo's home comes to him in the form of his overbearing mother. Zaboo confesses that his mother controls every aspect of his life besides the Internet, which she is beginning to read about. He saw this as his only escape.
Codex comes up with a plan to bring Bladezz down, using Zaboo's stalking skills. Zaboo finds out about Bladezz's modeling career and blackmails him into giving the gold and equipment back to the Guild. The Guild then fights off Zaboo's mom, and Bladezz redeems himself by landing the final blow. Codex soon realizes that she got Zaboo's mother's loot... Zaboo!
Zaboo's mother takes revenge for losing Zaboo, by having Codex evicted. Codex and Zaboo move into a new apartment, where Codex meets a new love interest: Wade (Fernando Chien), a stunt man. Codex tries to get Zaboo to move out by telling him that he needs to level up before they can be together. She arranges for him to live with Vork, who will take in-game gold as rent, something Zaboo is really good at: farming. Codex focuses on trying to get Wade interested in her.
The Guild finds an a valuable in-game orb which Clara and Tink fight over. Just as Vork lets it go up for bid, Clara's children unplug her computer and Tink wins it. Clara vows revenge on Vork for giving it to Tink, and spends an entire weekend betraying Vork by corpse camping him on an alternate account as well as searching for her own orb.
Bladezz believes Tink is romantically interested in him and begins to max out his mother's credit cards to buy her stuff, when, in fact, Tink is using him to get what she wants. Vork is annoyed with Zaboo's lack of logic and his antics in trying to 'man-up' for Codex. Codex finds out that the stunt-man has a "stupid tall hot girlfriend," Riley.
The Game announces that the online play will be shut down for maintenance for 4 hours, during which Vork plans a strategy lecture for Zaboo and Bladezz, while Codex plans a quiet party with Clara and Tink. Bladezz coerces Vork to abandon the lecture in favor of a poker game (offline), hoping to make up some of what he spent on Tink. Clara advertises Codex's party and it becomes a crowded kegger.
Among Clara's random invitees, Wade and Riley (Michele Boyd) come to the party. After finding out that Riley is Wade's roommate and Wade is single, Tink and Clara try to hook Codex up with him. Zaboo, learning of this, persuades Vork and Bladezz to go to Codex's party to try to stop it. Vork discovers that Clara has been attacking him, and begins to question his quality of leadership. Bladezz confronts Tink about their relationship; upon learning that he has been used, Bladezz steals Tink's laptop and deletes her character. Meanwhile, Zaboo walks in on Wade and Codex kissing and challenges Wade to a fight. Wade is a much better fighter, but Zaboo's seriousness about Codex leads to Wade giving up his interest in her. Codex yells at Zaboo that she doesn't like him, and he leaves dejected. Then Codex sees a drunken Clara kissing with Wade, and decides to chase after Zaboo to apologize, but is hurt when she sees him making out with Riley.
Codex was able to recover from the disastrous party by the announcement of the new expansion pack for the game, Spires of Dragonor. The Knights of Good are first in line at GameStop until a rival guild, the Axis of Anarchy, cuts in front of them. After the Axis tricks a GameStop worker into sending the Knights to the back of line, Vork, still not over the events of the party, resigns as Guild Leader. Codex is elected as his successor, causing Tink to leave the Knights and join the Axis.
Most of the Knights are too busy with life to explore the expansion pack. Vork goes on a self discovery journey, Zaboo is preoccupied by his domineering girlfriend, Riley, Clara's husband finds photos of her kissing Wade, and Bladezz's sister keeps bothering him. The expansion also requires at least six members in a party, and without Tink they have only five.
Clara's husband demands that she spend more time with him, so Clara proposes that her husband take Tink's place, after auditions for a sixth member fail. Riley offers to join, but Codex chooses Clara's husband instead, adding "Mr Wiggly" to the guild. Riley then forces Zaboo to choose between her and the game. Bladezz begins to be targeted by Tink and the Axis of Anarchy, who expose his modeling alias to his school and plant weapons in his locker; later, a member of the Anarchists seduces his mom. Codex issues a message on the game's public forum to stand up against the Axis for the behavior, and in retaliation the Axis puts a bounty on the Guild. Mr. Wiggly unknowingly gives away information about the Guild to other gamers in exchange for loot, which leads to his expulsion from the Guild; with this he tells Clara to quit the game, which she does to save her marriage.
To end the Axis's harassment of Bladezz, Codex and Zaboo track down the Anarchist Valkyrie at his job, where is he playing the game on company time. After they take away some of his character's possessions and threaten to expose him, Valkyrie tells them where and when the next Axis of Anarchy meeting will take place. Vork returns after regaining his confidence to lead and, with Codex, reassembles the Guild to challenge the Axis at the Internet café where they planned to have a group raid. The battle begins, but both sides lose members quickly. Some of the Knights die in-game when their real life problems manifest: Clara's husband shows up, angry that she is playing the game; Riley destroys Zaboo's computer because he forgot to give her a massage. Clara tells her husband that they are going to have another child and he forgets about their argument. Zaboo breaks up with Riley, who then proceeds to make out with Venom.
Finally, only Codex is left to face off Tink and Axis leader Fawkes (Wil Wheaton). After Codex makes Bladezz apologize to Tink, Tink decides that the Axis members are even bigger jerks than she can stand and lets Codex kill her in-game. Codex, in a hallucinatory conversation with her game character, musters the courage to defeat Fawkes. The Knights welcome Tink back into the guild, and Bladezz makes tentative peace with the Axis member who seduced his mother. Fawkes invites Codex for drinks; she initially refuses but, in a twist ending, wakes up in bed with him the next morning.
An unexpected and unintentional one-night-stand with Fawkes (Wil Wheaton) causes Codex to stress over what the guild thinks of her and persuades him to cover for her in a pretend relationship. But after spending more time together, Codex realizes he is a "total tool-bag" and reevaluates her criteria for relationships with men. Her computer breaks and she is forced to get a job at Cheesybeards to pay for repairs but has no idea how to fulfill the expectations of her boss, Ollie (Frank Ashmore).
Zaboo tries to be a good friend to Codex during her fake relationship with Fawkes instead of trying to win her love. He dives into this new pursuit with his usual smothering intensity. When the truth of the relationship is revealed he realizes that his feelings for Codex have changed and he wants to be her friend.
An earnings competition for a new guild hall sparks a real life business for Tink and Clara that strengthens and strains their friendship.
Vork enlists Zaboo's mother, Avinashi (Viji Nathan), for her "brilliant economic mind" in his pursuit of his vision for the guild's hall and he sets up a stock market and loan company that is bankrupting players. However, her smothering tendencies enrage him to the point that he "make[s] a giant gesture that's really inappropriate" and proposes marriage in an attempt to repulse her. To his horror she accepts.
Codex and Bladezz film an online Cheesybeards commercial but the result is so horrible that it spawns a series of prank calls to the establishment. Ollie is furious and fires Codex. The guild helps Codex get her job back by organizing a celebration at Cheesybeards that attracts a large population of gamers. Bladezz attempts to perform a magic trick involving fire, which ends up torching the restaurant (costing Codex and Bladezz their jobs).
Zaboo begs Codex to intercede in the upcoming nuptials between his mother and Vork. And when Zaboo reveals he has used the money from auctioning a romantic painting of Codex and Fawkes he had commissioned to buy her a new computer she is touched by the gesture and resolves to break up the wedding.
Avinashi and Vork are about to speak their vows to each other, at a virtual wedding ceremony in the newly purchased prison-like Knights of Good guild hall, when all of the guild members object. Codex manages to convince Zaboo's mother that it is wrong to marry "someone [she] can't stand in order to be close to someone who doesn't want to be near [her]". Zaboo helps by suggesting that she visit every few weeks when she gets lonely, causing Codex to realize that he possesses all the qualities on her new litmus test, and consider a relationship with him.
The season wraps up with an official gamemaster crashing the ceremony to put an end to Vork's "Trogothian Stock Market" scheme. Codex convinces the GM, Kevinator (Simon Helberg), to change the design of the guild hall to the "bitchin' fairy palace" that Tink and Clara wanted. Kevinator is impressed to meet Bladezz, who has become an internet celebrity, and invites the whole guild to a gaming convention.
The Knights of Good travel to MegaGameORama-Con, a three-day gaming convention. Bladezz is convinced by Kevinator that he is invited as a special guest, but his name is not on the invite list. With all nearby hotels booked and no board offered for them, Rachel, a member of the convention staff, manages to secure a room from a special guest who cancelled at the last minute. However, the room is not offered to them for free, and Bladezz convinces the rest of the guild that he will clarify the situation to Kevinator. Meanwhile, Codex is more interested in getting close to Zaboo. However, Zaboo becomes engrossed in attending the events and panels.
On the first day of the convention, Bladezz and Vork discover that Kevinator had been fired from The Game before the day of the convention and Bladezz was one of his joke invites. To compensate for hotel fees, both of them start up a photo booth for the Cheeseybeard's pirate. Tink attempts to sell the t-shirts she and Clara made, but is forced to find a booth to avoid from being caught by the convention staff for selling without a permit. When she and Clara come upon a steampunk-themed booth, Clara is more interested in it than selling the shirts. Zaboo is denied entry to a panel because the seats are full, causing him to form a seat-saving network.
Codex tries out the new demo at The Game's booth, but unknowingly insults the creator, Floyd Petrovski, when he asks for her opinion. She becomes even more preoccupied when Zaboo spurns her advances, and is continuously stalked by a convention-goer in a furry costume. When she follows Petrovski to apologize, she discovers that he plans to sell The Game into a mainstream market. Concerned about the future of the game, which is the only thing in her life holding her friendships together, she tries to convince the rest of the guild to help, but all are concerned with their own matters.
Codex attempts to talk Petrovski out of the deal, but he is too stressed and urges her to face reality. Tink, who continuously changes costumes to hide her identity, unexpectedly reveals to Codex at a party, that she is hiding from her adoptive family. Her family still believes that she is studying pre-med when, in fact, she had changed her major into fashion design five semesters ago. Codex arranges a dinner with her family to explain the truth to them against Tink's will, and to Tink's surprise, her family is fine with the change. Meanwhile, Clara tries to join the steampunk group and is trained as their fourth member to help them win the costume contest, but the members of the group ultimately turn her away. Zaboo, who has not slept for two days, has become so preoccupied with his seat-saving network that he allows his companions, two Master Chiefs, to beat up celebrities. He is stopped by Clara, who brings back his old personality and urges him to go to sleep.
Bladezz and Vork's booth becomes successful, but Vork rejects all of the celebrities who want to spend time with Bladezz. His attention, however, is turned towards Madeleine, an actress who played his favorite character, Charity, on the show Time Rings. The two are invited to a celebrity party that night, but Bladezz realizes that all the celebrities lead normal lives, instantly finding them boring. Despite that he had promised to spend time with Rachel and her friends at the same time, he still rejects them for the celebrities and openly humiliates them. Vork, on the other hand, ends up repulsing Madeleine to the point where she loses interest in him too.
The next day, Bladezz has lost all support from the celebrities and his fans, so he is unable to continue the Cheeseybeard pirate's photo booth. Zaboo ends his involvement with the seat-saving network and helps Clara build a steampunk-themed blimp. Codex and Tink discover that Codex's stalker is Fawkes, who wants to join their guild after the Axis of Anarchy broke up, whom Codex instantly rejects. The girls later eavesdrop on Petrovski's conversation and discover he plans on revealing his decision at the costume contest that night. Both of them convince the rest of the guild to help them with the possibility that extra charges may be applied to future versions of the game. The guild is able to stop the changes and it is implied that Floyd Petrovski has given Codex a job.
The Guild currently has over 69 million upload views on YouTube as of September 2011.[11] The series has won several awards since its launch, and in February 2009, Rolling Stone named it one of "The Net's Best Serial Shows".[12] The Guild has inspired many fan efforts, including the tribute song "I Wanna Be in Your Guild".[13]
On March 24, 2010, the first issue of the comic book limited series based on the show was released from Dark Horse Comics. It acts as a prequel to the show, and was written by Felicia Day and illustrated by Jim Rugg.[18] The second issue was released on April 23, 2010, and the third and final issue was released on May 26, 2010. The collected volume was released on November 24, 2010.[19]
A second five-issue series will be released in 2011. Each issue will focus on a single character (Vork, Zaboo, Clara, Tinkerballa and Bladezz) and be illustrated by a different artist.[20]
The Guild cast have appeared as their characters in two music videos to promote the series. In (Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar, the cast appear as their game characters. The song and video were released shortly before the start of Season 3 and were used to promote the show. Game On is a Bollywood-themed video about Zaboo trying to convince Codex to play the game. This second video was used in a similar fashion and promoted Season 4.
The Guild was originally intended to be a pilot episode for a TV series, but Felicia Day was advised that it would be much more suited for a web series. The show changed its format and script to fit a web series. The first episode "Wake-Up Call" premiered on YouTube on July 27, 2007. After the first three episodes, the group ran out of money; but a link to Day's PayPal brought enough donations to fund "Cheesybeards" and "Rather Be Raiding". The first season ended on May 15, 2008, consisting of 10 episodes and two specials (including the Christmas special, "Christmas Raid Carol").
The Guild season 1 DVD was released on Amazon.com on May 19, 2009. For Canadian audiences it was bundled with season 2, released on September 29, 2009, also available on Amazon.com.
Filming for season 2 began in August 2008. "Link the Loot" premiered on Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft Zune Marketplace, and MSN Video on November 25, 2008. Season 2 ended with "Fight!" on February 17, 2009 and featured "Love During Wartime" by the Main Drag, as well as visual effects by Doug Luberts.
On November 24, 2008, Microsoft announced an exclusive distribution deal with Guild creator Felicia Day. All twelve episodes of season 2 premiered on Xbox 360, Zune, and MSN, with a four-week delay for release on The Guild's official website. The Microsoft releases will be free, but supported by Sprint advertisements and product placements.[21][22] Creator Felicia Day retains the IP rights to the series, with Microsoft paying an "unspecified" license fee upfront.[23] Sometime in late February 2009, when all episodes of season two had been released, Day and her team were free to sign a new nonexclusive distribution deal should they choose to do so.[24]
The Guild season 2 DVD was released on Amazon.com on May 19, 2009, containing commentary tracks, gag reels, audition footage, and a "behind the scenes" documentary. It was also released for the Canadian audience along with season 1 on Amazon.com.
Season 2 was nominated for eleven Streamy Awards and won three: Best Comedy Web Series, Best Ensemble Cast in a Web Series, and Best Female Actor in a Comedy Web Series (Felicia Day).
On August 17, 2009, a music video – "(Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar" by Felicia Day – was released on Xbox Live to promote season 3, which would premiere on August 25, 2009 on Xbox Live for members with Gold Accounts first. Later it was announced that it would be released for members with Silver Accounts, as well as Zune and MSN Video users, on September 1, 2009.[25] The season premiered with "Expansion Time" on August 25, 2009 and ended on November 24, 2009 with "Hero". The season featured guest star Wil Wheaton as the leader of a rival guild out to destroy the Knights of Good.
In April 2010, The Guild's official website announced the show was renewed by Microsoft for a fourth season.[26] On June 9, 2010, the official recap of season 3—an Auto-Tuned music video by The Gregory Brothers—was posted on Bing; the video included a message that season 4 would begin on July 13, 2010.
On July 27, 2010, a second music video, called "Game On", was posted to promote season 4. On September 14, 2010, another promotional video was posted of the Cheesybeard's full commercial.
Season 5 takes place at the gaming convention mentioned at the end of season 4.[27] Shooting began on April 21, 2011.[28] The first episode of Season 5 was released on Xbox Live and Zune on July 26, 2011,[29] and was released on MSN on July 28.[30]
Streaming webisodes
In-universe websites