pared down its plots and characters to a few rather than dozens 
(ROOT (S (VP (VBD pared) (PRT (RP down)) (NP (PRP$ its) (NNS plots) (CC and) (NNS characters)) (PP (IN to) (NP (NP (DT a) (JJ few)) (CONJP (RB rather) (IN than)) (NP (NNS dozens)))))))
(ROOT (S (VP (VBD ) (PRT (RP )) (NP (PRP$ ) (NNS ) (CC ) (NNS )) (PP (IN ) (NP (NP (DT ) (JJ )) (CONJP (RB ) (IN )) (NP (NNS )))))))