The Beginning of the End
May 25, 2014
Spoiler alert: I will be discussing the details of Mad Dog Chronicles and Mad Dog Chronicles - the Prequels. If you have not read them yet, you might not want to read further.
What can you say about the time between the end of Mad Dog Chronicles and the start of Mad Dog Chronicles - the Sequels?
Stephanie gave birth to her triplets (Brontë Elizabeth, Juliet Grace, and Parker Lucas) on April 1, 2011. When she returned to work, Andy stayed at home with the kids becoming a stay-at-home dad. His decision to stay home with the kids was heavily influenced by Stephanie’s other job. He wanted to be close to the kids to protect them and keep them safe.
Donna gave birth to her son (Evan Marshall) on January 17, 2011. She returned to work, leaving him with Andy and the triplets. (Andy has found his true calling with the kids.) At Mad Dog Chronicles, she has moved beyond her previous Society beat to cover the Capitol. Drew, through a strange set of circumstances, quit to work for NCIS. How did that happen? It’s a long story that will not be answered within the sequels. But his new job will be featured soon.
Max has spent the past two and a half years searching for Maddie and her daughter, who he believes is his. (Does anybody other than Max believe he is baby Madigan’s father?) He does not appear in the first sequel story. But he plays a pivotal role in the next one.
Maddie has spent the past two years living in XXXXXX. (Sorry, that information has been redacted.) I am unable to say where she has been living, but it will be revealed soon. After all, this is really her story.
In the first two installments of the Sequels, we learn that Stephanie’s niece is now an agent. The title of this issue is Learning to Fly. Does that mean this is now Andi Brennan’s story, too?
Andi is part of the next generation of agents. It’s a fact that Stephanie does not handle well. Through Andi, we will learn more of how this mysterious agency works. She has been forced into this role as Stephanie and Maddie were before her. Andi is learning to accept her fate, and refers to the Mystery Agency as “The Empire.” (Does that explain the stormtroopers above?)
So, where are we headed next?
The first story within the Sequels takes us to France and will revisit characters previously introduced. I won’t say who, but I think it will explain the direction the Sequels are taking to the end.
Is this really the beginning of the end of Mad Dog Chronicles?
In these last 36 installments, we will say goodbye to Maddie. I would never say never, but Maddie’s final appearance will be in the 36th installment. I have ideas for various spinoff stories, but Maddie is not likely to make an appearance in them. Who will appear in them? Well, I have a planned trilogy for Blanchi and a planned duology for Belle LePennec. Before those, I will write the two spinoff stories that take place immediately after the events of the 36th installment. (But that doesn’t mean we won’t revisit St. Augustine before that first spinoff. We will.)
