Listen if you want to write morally compromised characters without endorsing their choices. In this two part series, Mel and Chas use Noir (the genre) as a lens to interrogate flawed characters. How can characters doing reprehensible things still engage audiences? How can you ensure representation isn’t endorsement? And whether these characters undergo transformative arcs, or simply reveal their true natures? Part 1 (DZ-123) focuses on two (now classic) noirs: DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE LONG GOODBYE. While Part 2 (DZ-124) looks at two more contemporary examples DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS and WOMAN OF THE HOUR. Despite Chas claiming to have edited this episode it was, in fact, Chris Walker who saved the day and got this done by the end of 2025. Thanks Chris. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. LIKE THIS EPISODE? Discuss with our Patrons on Patreon. Watch and comment on YouTube. Send us feedback. Thanks to our Patrons, especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis and Khrob. → Read the transcript for this episode. ——— "This is the philosophical question, right? When you get drunk, do you change what you do or do you simply allow your inhibitions to fall and do what you would normally want to do?" — Mel Killingsworth @ 00:42:04 ——— CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Cold Open 00:00:17 – Flawed Characters and Noir 00:03:06 – › Writing morally compromised characters without endorsing their worldview 00:08:41 – › Defining film noir as genre, style, and worldview 00:14:27 – › Noir's reach across decades of screenwriting 00:16:40 – DOUBLE INDEMNITY 00:21:41 – › Diegetic confession and its structural function 00:27:17 – › Telling the audience the crime upfront removes justification burden 00:32:24 – › How everyman framing sustains complicity in a morally bankrupt protagonist 00:41:43 – › Whether morally compromised characters genuinely change or self-reveal 00:49:17 – › Film worldview versus character desire: crime without endorsement 00:53:38 – THE LONG GOODBYE 01:00:17 – › Save the cat: establishing a morally complex protagonist 01:06:26 – › Transgression, personal code, and the inevitability of noir failure 01:14:13 – › Character change versus worldview shift at the ending 01:21:15 – Wrap Up and Key Learnings FILMS DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) — (w) Raymond Chandler, James M Cain, Billy Wilder (d) Billy Wilder THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) — (w) Leigh Brackett, Raymond Chandler (d) Robert Altman SCRIPTS Study the script: THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) — Leigh Brackett, Raymond Chandler SHOT ZERO DEEP DIVES Blocking a Sneak: DOUBLE INDEMNITY LINKS Read: Mel's A Brief History of Queer Coding in Film Part 1 EPISODES IN THE NOIR SERIES DZ-123: Flawed Characters in Noir DZ-124: Making the Despicable Compelling ——— More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2025/dz-123/