Lead writer Emma Reeves takes us behind the scenes of The Best I Can Be…

With this episode, we began to expand beyond the immediate world of the novel, introducing new plot elements which will run throughout the series.

We asked ourselves: what do tyrants have in common? What do they want, and how do they try to get it? What, if anything, can be done to stop them?

In episode 1, Lizzie Warren stood alone against the hypnotic despot who took control of her school. In the second episode, she finds an ally who helps her to resist, but under the Headmaster’s regime it’s not safe to trust anyone – even yourself.

Having established his totalitarian state in a bloodless coup, the Headmaster is now attempting to shore up his power in the time-honoured fashion of egomaniacal dictators – militarising the population, breaking down the bonds of family and friendship and replacing them with a mindless, slogan-chanting cult of loyalty to the state (Hazelbrook) as embodied by its beloved leader, the Headmaster. And so we are introduced to the Hazelbrook Pioneers. Being chosen for membership is a great honour, and accepting the honour is mandatory.

After the Headmaster’s re-education, Lizzie is now an overnight martial arts expert and the most committed Pioneer of all – but Soccer Superstar Ethan Prendergast has seen something in Lizzie which makes him suspect he might finally have found somebody in whom to confide his doubts about Hazelbrook. Ethan and Lizzie work together to enable each other to resist the Headmaster’s conditioning – but discover that when the Headmaster warned that “resistance will only mean pain”, he meant it literally.

With Ethan’s help, Lizzie scores a notable win against the Headmaster when she manages to stop herself hurting her brother. And Tyler conquers his own fears to demonstrate his loyalty to his sister. It seems to be a victory for the forces of love and friendship, but the celebrations don’t last long. The Headmaster is not the only person in Hazelbrook with secrets…

Read our review of this episode here