LG15: Outbreak

Executive Producers

**LG15: Outbreak** (also known simply as **Outbreak**) was a fictional webdrama produced by Tempest Pictures which ran from January 11th, 2010 to March 24th, 2010. It was the sixth and (currently) final LG15 show, and was the second not produced by EQAL. The series was the winner of the second season of *LG15: The Show is Yours*.

The show followed a girl named Crystal who packs up her entire life and moves to a new town to start over. Along the way, she meets questionable characters, becomes reunited with her brother, and becomes involved with a new faction of the Order called SHENtek. The series proved controversial among fans largely due to its use of the LG15 mythology, specifically in the video "Catching Up, Closing Out" where the Hymn of One, a staple of LG15, was written out as having been taken down by the FBI off-camera. Additionally, the final video ended on a cliffhanger that suggested that the main storylines of *LG15: The Resistance* and *OpAphid* would return.

Upon the premiere of *LG15: Anchor Cove*, showrunner Jenni Powell stated that *Outbreak* and events such as the destruction of the Eiffel Tower would not be acknowledged in *Anchor Cove*.

The show's only season contained eight weeks of text blogs and interactive videos. After these eight weeks, a 12in12 finale aired.

## Behind the Scenes

#### Outbreak = Breakout Jonas

In a 2016 video essay, ***Did I Kill LonelyGirl15**,* Gregory Austin McConnell revealed that his series title "Outbreak" had been meant as a hidden message to its plot. "Outbreak" was a reversal of "Breakout" and the storyline had been conceived as Mason seeking to break Jonas out of the Order's captivity following the finale of *LG15: The Resistance.*

The intent was that the final video of *LG15: Outbreak* would feature Mason walking down a tunnel and find Jonas Wharton via a brief appearance from actor Jackson Davis. This would resolve the cliffhanger of *LG15: The Resistance* and lead into a potential second season of the main *LG15* show*.*

McConnell said that in mid-filming, it became clear that *Outbreak* would be unable to feature any "outbreak" for Jonas. McConnell and EQAL were unable to secure Davis even for a separately filmed insert shot. The plot was then rewritten to remove the "breakout" idea, although McConnell had Mason declare his intention to rescue Jonas in the final video.

McConnell criticized himself for being over-ambitious, saying that *This Show Is Yours* had never been intended for fans creators to create prequels for hypothetical, future EQAL-produced shows.

#### Other Changes During Filming

McConnell also noted that the original contract had been for 16 episodes over eight weeks but he had chosen to produce 42 episodes and overstretched himself.

He cited other divergences from his intentions after filming had started. Due to problems with the LG15 website, the puzzles prepared for fan interaction could not be posted on time or at all, forcing McConnell to rewrite and remove multiple plot points. *Outbreak* also experienced camera and microphone failures, winter weather that made filming locations unusable, and YouTube uploading issues that delayed the narrative.

In addition, actor unavailability for Dani Martin and Lance Little during filming also caused storylines for Crystal and Will to be truncated or abandoned in mid-production, leading to what McConnell describes as the "unravelling" of his plot.

## Cast of characters

* **Gregory Austin McConnell** as **Gregory "Mason" Almeida**, a member of the Resistance who trys to return to a normal life to correct the mistakes of his past, but ultimately discovers that he can't hide from the Order.
* **Dani Martin** as **Crystal O'Brien**, Mason's younger sister and a college dropout. She has deep emotional issues from being abandoned by her brother as a child, and may not be as innocent as she seems.
* **Lance Little** as **William Powers**, Crystal's new neighbor who finds himself in the middle of a battle between SHENtek and The Resistance. Socially awkward, he attempts to woo Crystal while holding onto some semblance of a normal life.
* **Emma Wharton**, A long-hidden member of the TAAG with emotional ties to Mason. Camera shy ever since Gina's death, she hides in the shadows and enjoys a new life in Europe. (Katherine Pawlak never appears onscreen as Emma).
* **Maxwell Glick** as **Spencer Gilman**, A longtime friend an ally to the TAAG who resurfaces after contacting Emma about Mason's whereabouts. He helps Mason and Will in their final take-down of SHENtek.
* **Jordan Bush** as **Jordan**, A sixteen-year-old computer whiz from the East Coast who offers advice to Crystal and helps Will and Crystal break into SHENtek and hacks their closed files online. Not to mention Crystal finds him adorable.
* **Jessica Johnston** as **Jessica**, A mother and friend of Jordan's from the East Coast who offers advice to Crystal and Mason at every opportunity. However, some think that she can't be trusted, a claim that she vehemently refutes.
* **Mitchell Wright** as **Mitchell**, A new friend of Crystal's online who frightens her at first with his queries about the Hymn of One. Later proving to be a valuable ally, he takes down SHENtek's security system.
* **Francis LaFleur**, A Resistance mole inside SHENtek who sends Mason clues about KAVION and how he can save Crystal. Ultimately pays with his life after his cover is blown and he is killed by a vindictive Order Agent.

## External links

* Announcement on LG15.com
* LG15: Outbreak on YouTube

 Additional Content