# Lens: Continuity

## The Core Question

**"Does every episode honor what came before?"**

If a character knows something they shouldn't, is somewhere they couldn't be, or ignores a previous cliffhanger - flag it.

---

## Detection Criteria

### MUST FIX (Continuity Breaks)

| Issue | Detection Pattern | Example |
|-------|-------------------|---------|
| **Broken Cliffhanger Chain** | Episode N doesn't address Episode N-1's ending | Ep 5 ends with explosion, Ep 6 opens calmly |
| **Character Location Error** | Character in wrong place without travel | Was in Location A, now in Location B with no transition |
| **Knowledge Leak** | Character knows information they shouldn't | Knows a secret before it's revealed |
| **Forgotten Injury** | Physical damage not referenced | Got stabbed in Ep 10, running freely in Ep 11 |
| **Resource Inconsistency** | Items/resources appear/disappear | Lost the key in Ep 8, uses it in Ep 12 |
| **Timeline Contradiction** | Events happen in impossible order | "Yesterday" event happened "two days ago" |

### COULD IMPROVE (Weak Continuity)

| Issue | Detection Pattern | Example |
|-------|-------------------|---------|
| **Unearned Relationship Shift** | Relationship changes without scene | Enemies in Ep 3, allies in Ep 5 with no bridge |
| **Voice Drift** | Character speaks out of pattern | Tactical character suddenly verbose |
| **Thread Abandonment** | Setup without payoff | Mystery introduced, never resolved |
| **Missing Callback** | Opportunity for payoff missed | Object could have been used but wasn't |

---

## Severity Thresholds

- **Episode fails** if: 1+ MUST FIX issue (continuity breaks are critical)
- **Episode marginal** if: 2+ COULD IMPROVE issues
- **Episode passes** if: 0 MUST FIX and ≤1 COULD IMPROVE

---

## Audit Protocol

### Phase 1: Cliffhanger Chain

For each episode transition:

```
CLIFFHANGER CHAIN AUDIT
Episode [N-1] ended with: [cliffhanger]
Episode [N] opens with: [opening action]
VALID CONNECTION? [Yes/No]
If No: MUST FIX - [description]
```

### Phase 2: Character State Tracking

For each character appearing in the batch:

```
CHARACTER: [NAME]

LOCATION:
  Previous: [from last appearance]
  Current: [in this episode]
  Valid movement? [Yes/No - explain how they got there]

PHYSICAL STATE:
  Known injuries: [list]
  Referenced in episode? [Yes/No]

KNOWLEDGE:
  What they know: [list]
  Any knowledge leaks? [Yes/No - what do they know that they shouldn't?]

RESOURCES:
  What they have: [list]
  Changes valid? [Yes/No]
```

### Phase 3: Voice Consistency

For each character with dialogue:

```
CHARACTER: [NAME]
Expected pattern: [from characters.md]

Lines in episode:
- "[quote 1]" - Matches pattern? [Y/N]
- "[quote 2]" - Matches pattern? [Y/N]

VOICE DRIFT DETECTED: [Yes/No]
WORST OFFENDER: "[quote]"
SUGGESTED FIX: "[rewrite]"
```

### Phase 4: Thread Tracking

```
THREADS IN THIS BATCH:

Advanced:
- [Thread name]: [What progressed]

Opened:
- [New thread]: [The question raised]

Should have been addressed but wasn't:
- [Thread name]: [Why it's overdue]
```

### Phase 5: World Logic

```
WORLD RULES CHECK:

Established rules referenced correctly? [Yes/No]
- [Rule]: [How it was applied or violated]

Geography consistent? [Yes/No]
- [Location issue if any]

Timeline coherent? [Yes/No]
- [Timeline issue if any]
```

---

## Rewrite Guidance

### Broken Cliffhanger Chain

**Before:**
```
# Ep 5 ends:
The explosion TEARS through the corridor. David is thrown—

# Ep 6 opens:
INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY
David sips his latte.
```

**After:**
```
# Ep 6 opens:
INT. CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS
David SLAMS into the wall, ears ringing. Smoke everywhere.
He scrambles up, coughing—
```

**Technique:** Episode N must immediately deal with Episode N-1's final moment.

---

### Character Location Error

**Before:**
```
# Ep 10: David is in the basement
# Ep 11: David enters from the roof
```

**After:**
```
# Ep 11 adds transition:
David hauls himself up the last rung of the fire escape,
lungs burning from the climb.
```

**Technique:** Add a brief transition beat or reference to travel.

---

### Knowledge Leak

**Before:**
```
DAVID
I know you killed Marcus.

(But Marcus's death hasn't been revealed yet)
```

**After:**
```
DAVID
Something happened to Marcus. I can see it in your face.
```

**Technique:** Replace certainty with suspicion until revelation scene.

---

### Forgotten Injury

**Before:**
```
# Ep 10: David gets stabbed in the leg
# Ep 11: David sprints across the room
```

**After:**
```
David pushes off the wall, favoring his right leg.
Each step a wince. But he moves.
```

**Technique:** Injuries don't have to slow the plot, but they must be acknowledged.

---

## Quick Checklist

Before approving any episode:

- [ ] Does it address the previous cliffhanger immediately?
- [ ] Are all characters where they should be?
- [ ] Do characters only know what they should know?
- [ ] Are injuries/resources tracked correctly?
- [ ] Does dialogue match each character's voice pattern?

---

## Integration Notes

This lens focuses on NARRATIVE LOGIC. It does not flag:
- Visual filmability issues (use `visual_richness` lens)
- Word count or format issues (use validation scripts)
- Emotional pacing (use `arc_structure` lens - future)

When fixing continuity issues, preserve the episode's emotional beats and cliffhanger strength. The goal is coherence, not disruption.