Narrative Theory: Todorovs Model of Equilibrium and Disequilibrium

Home work task: LO To develop understanding of Todorovs Theory by applying to a Tv Drama

Watch a whole episode of a TV drama and make notes re: its narrative structure in the table
below. Use BBC iplayer if you have to. Try to avoid soaps as they have many narrative strands
which can be complicated to analyse.

TV Drama title:
Genre of TV drama:
Date:
Stage of narrative Basic details of this stage in episode How does this stage
contribute to the episode
overall? Why is it effective?
1) An initial state of
equilibrium (usually calm
and settled) at the onset of
the narrative.


2) A disruption of the
equilibrium by some action
(something happens)


3) Recognition that there has
been a disruption of the
initial state (usually noticed
by characters)


4) An attempt to repair the
disruption (by characters)


5) A reinstatement of the
equilibrium (everything
may go back to normal,
restoration of balance)



Did this episode break any of Torodovs rules? If so, why?
The episode 2 from series 1 of Luther is all about a man who
begins too murder a vast number of police opfficers in order
to 'serve justice' to this father who is in prison for killing a
police officer, which he claims was 'self deffence'. It turns out
that the murderer was being told too do this through visits to
his dad at the prison, and was forced to do it due to the
horrific history of his childhood with his father. Luther under
goes a risky search, alone, to finally capture the killer.

/ /
The start of episode being a murder
entices the audience to continue to
watch the whole episode in order to find
out who and why the murderer
commited that designated crime against
the police force/officer. By it not starting
with the full insite of who they are and
their background makes it more
mysterious and intreiging.
During the episode, 2 police officers are shot dead and take
out of their vehicle and left in the road at night. The audeince
fully sees the attack and how the murder was committed in
order for them to understand the scenario that has occured.
The effect of this scene and how it is shot
shows the audience what has happened
and has foreshadowed who has done and it
and the scene of where it appened without
giving too much information away- keeping
the audience interested in continuing to
watch it.
The way in which the audience recognises that there has
been a disruption too the intial area/surroundings is by the
murder scene at the opening of the drama. The first murders
occur under a train bridge at night which could be seen as a
typical place for a murder but still is shocking for the
audience to witness. This shows that this occurance should
not be happening due to it being a crime, and is noticed by
another charactor after it being reported at some stage
which is not classified during the scene.
This is contributes to the episode overall
because the whole episode is based on
murders and crime, and wihtout one, then
their would be no storyline due to everyone
within the drama being in the police force.
This is effective because starting with a
murder and fully seeing how it occurs gives
the audience an insite on what and whom
the episode will be based on.
The whole police force within the police station which the
drama is based at all aim too capture the murderer yet, the
main charactor, Luther, captures the killer on his own,
showing his determined independabce. He tries to figure
out the source of the problem to the killers morals of why
he is killing the police force and even though the case gets
dropped and is classed as terrorism so is beyond their
control, Luther continues to get to the bottom of it.
This stage contirbutes to the episode as a
whole because it allows the audience to
understand that Luther is the main
concentration of the drama and tends too
be a very strong minded, determined and
persistant worker and will not give up the
job- No matter how dangerous showing his
risk taking methods. It is effective because
it portrays that Luther is a very risky
charactor and isnt bothered about the
consequences as long as justice is served.
After the killer is captured by Luther and questioned,
restoration is stored by him being within the polices control
and not causing anymore harm to the public. So, the
audience believes that harmony is restored, yet, once we
understand why the killer (Owen Llynch) had done what
he did, we realise that it was his father in prison that had
put him up to all the serial murders- leabing us to wonder
how he is going to be punished further, leaving the
audience on a cliff hanger- Making us want to watch the
next episode.
This stage contributes to the rest of the
episode because it gives the impression
that once Llynch is caught- Then
everything will go back to 'normal'; but it
doesnt. This is effecttive because it leaves
the audience gripped, and wanting to
watch the following episode.
Thsis episode does break some of Torodov's rules because everything does not result in an equilibrium.This is because the audience believe that once the
killer is captured, that justice would of been served an everything would end happily. But, by it resulting it Luther realising that Llynch did what he did because
of his dads tormenting and how he is scared of him because of his childhood, we realise that they need to question him- and make him pay. This leaves an
abnormal ending because it leaves it on a non-resolved ending, causing a cliff-hanger for the audience.