title: County Tipperary

text: Tourism plays a significant role in County Tipperary – Lough Derg, Thurles, Rock of Cashel, Ormonde Castle, Ahenny High Crosses, Cahir Castle, Bru Boru Heritage Centre and Tipperary Crystal are some of the primary tourist destinations in the county.


title: County Tipperary

text: Road transport dominates in County Tipperary. The M7 motorway crosses the north of the county through Roscrea and Nenagh and the M8 motorway bisects the county from north of Two-Mile Borris to the County Limerick border. Both routes are among some of the busiest roads on the island. The Limerick to Waterford N24 crosses the southern half of Tipperary, travelling through Tipperary Town, Bansha, north of Cahir and around Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir.


title: County Tipperary

text: Tipperary also has a number of railway stations situated on the Dublin-Cork line, Dublin-to-Limerick and Limerick-Waterford line. The railway lines connect places in Tipperary with Cork, Dublin Heuston, Waterford, Limerick, Mallow and Galway.


title: County Tipperary

text: County Tipperary has a strong association with the Gaelic Athletic Association which was founded in Thurles in 1884. The Gaelic Games of Hurling, Gaelic football, Camogie and Handball are organised by the Tipperary GAA County Board of the GAA. The organisation competes in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. Tipperary, with 28 wins, are the only county to have won an All-Ireland title in every decade since the 1880s.


title: Japanese television drama

text: , also called , are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thriller, and many others. Single episode, or "tanpatsu" dramas that are usually two hours in length are also broadcast. For special occasions, there may be a one or two-episode drama with a specific theme, such as one produced in 2015 for the 70-year anniversary of the end of World War II.


title: Japanese television drama

text: Japanese drama series are broadcast in three-month seasons: winter (January–March), spring (April–June), summer (July–September), and autumn or fall (October–December). Some series may start in another month though it may still be counted as a series of a specific season. The majority of dramas are aired weekdays in the evenings around 9pm through 11pm. Daytime dramas are typically broadcast daily, and episodes of the same drama can be aired daily for several months, such as NHK's "asadora", which usually span six months each. Evening dramas air weekly and are usually ten to fourteen hour-long episodes.


title: Japanese television drama

text: In many cases, instead of being episodic, drama series are serial, with one story running throughout the episodes. Since they are of a fixed length, dramas have a definite ending, and since they are relatively long, they can explore character, situation, and interesting dialog in a way that is less possible in most movies. Structurally, Japanese dramas can be compared to American or British miniseries. Dramas are rarely canceled mid-season, but they usually do not continue into the next season, even if extremely popular. Popular dramas do, however, often give rise to "specials" that are made after the final episode if the show has been a huge success. Some genres such as jidaigeki, police procedurals, or family dramas, however, feature series that are episodic or that sometimes continue for years on end, with "Mito Kōmon", "Taiyō ni Hoero!", or "Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari" being famous examples.


title: Japanese television drama

text: A characteristic of Japanese drama that differentiates it is that each episode is usually shot only a few (two to three) weeks before it is aired. Many fans have even been able to visit their idols while shooting scenes as the show is airing.


title: Japanese television drama

text: Most people associate today's Japanese dramas with the modern style of screenwriting which has coined the term "trendy dramas". The ultimate inspirations for many Japanese dramas are "The Big Chill" (1983) and "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985). The "trendy" formula was invented in the late 1980s when screenwriters decided to reach the television audience with themes that covered real-life Japan, at a time when the Japanese were experiencing a bubble economy. The "trendy" formula was improved in the early 1990s, when the story lines changed with the times. By gambling on harder issues, including teenage violence, child abuse, and modern family life, the trendy drama formula is tweaked to fit the television viewers' changing taste. Even today, the success of Japanese dramas is a result of sticking with the trendy drama formula. Many of these shows employ young actors who use them as springboards to bigger projects.


title: Japanese television drama

text: Although some people consider Super Sentai and tokusatsu type shows as dramas, they do not fit the "trendy" definition. Generally, most evening dramas aired nowadays are "trendy dramas", and the term does not apply to other types of dramas such as "asadora".


title: Japanese television drama

text: Dramas that are broadcast on Fuji Television (Fuji TV), NTV, and TBS are generally the most popular in any given season.


title: Japanese television drama

text: Fuji TV is widely known as the inventor of the drama formula. During the 1980s and 1990s, Fuji TV popularized trendy dramas with their use of young and popular actors/actresses. The network's 9:00 p.m. dramas shown on Monday nights are commonly called "Getsuku" (a shortened phrase meaning Monday at 9), which historically have revolved around love stories. Although a popular time slot in the past in which dramas generally brought in high ratings during the season, the popularity of "Getsuku" dramas appears to have declined in recent years, with most dramas not crossing the 20% mark for average rating. Most modern "Getsuku" dramas have also abandoned the traditional love story format.


title: Japanese television drama

text: Other Japan television networks have their own focuses. TV Asahi, for example, focuses heavily on jidaigeki and crime stories (famous examples of the latter are the long-running series "", now on its 21st season. , now on its 21st season). NHK puts more effort into programming that reaches an older demographic, focusing mostly on epic period shows of historical significance, often with all-star casts, called "taiga" dramas, as well as inspiring dramas that focus on a young, strong-willed hero or heroine.


title: Japanese television drama

text: Theme music and background music set the overall tone of Japanese drama series. Most dramas will start off with one or two minutes of theme music during the opening credits. Other dramas will have, at the very least, a catchy melody in the beginning, displaying the show's name for a few seconds, and then one to two minutes of ending theme music during the closing credits. Background music is placed and used at strategic points of the episode to set the mood.


title: Japanese television drama

text: There is a sub-genre of Japanese drama fans that are also huge fans of the drama's original soundtrack. Most television networks work with music companies to produce original soundtracks. Most opening and closing theme music is written especially for the drama series, while other theme music is licensed from other sources. Once the library is put together, the television network will release the original soundtrack compact disc, usually a few weeks after the start of the drama. Closing themes are often sung by a popular J-pop singer or band.


title: Japanese television drama

text: NHK produces its own theme music and is one of the only Japanese television networks that has its own orchestra. Most of the theme music heard in their taiga and asadora dramas were written and produced in-house.


title: Japanese television drama

text: In recent years, many theme songs have been licensed from sources outside Japan. In some instances, theme songs have been licensed from some of the biggest names in the Western recording industry. This practice has disadvantages. When the Japanese drama is licensed outside Japan, theme music licensing becomes very costly. For example, in the Fuji TV drama "Densha Otoko", the opening song and some of the background music had to be replaced in the release that aired on the Nippon Golden Network because they couldn't get the rights to them.


title: Japanese television drama

text: As in many other countries, Japanese television is arguably the most important media type. A survey completed in 2000 by NHK, Japan's public broadcasting network, showed that 95% of Japanese people watch television every day. Eighty-six percent said they consider television an indispensable medium, and 68% said the same of newspapers. There are other forms of media that can be used to promote products and services, such as the Internet. Most of television network, such as Fuji TV (CX) where operates Fuji Network System, also have online streaming website for service. However, Shinji Takada, a television executive at Nippon Television (NTV), believes that although the Internet is popular among drama fans, "We don't regard broadband as mainstream media. It will never happen. Broadband is a complementary medium."


title: Japanese television drama

text: Television ratings are calculated by several researching firms. Video Research Ltd. is one of the more reliable firms. More television networks, advertisers, and Japanese drama fans use the numbers from this firm than any other. The ratings focus on the Kanto (Tokyo) and the Kansai (Osaka) areas, which are believed to be a good representation of what most of Japan watches. The ratings become available for the general public every Wednesday.


title: Japanese television drama

text: The rating system is very simple. All the major Japanese television networks make up the television market, so a research firm must determine the size of an average audience. The audience size is determined using two factors: the amount of content that is transmitted and the amount that is received, as market size varies from firm to firm. The viewer count of a given episode is calculated using a variety of polling methods. Ratings are calculated using a percentage or point system. This is based on the episode's viewership numbers divided by the market size. Finally, the numbers are published on the research firm's website. A hard copy is also produced.


title: Japanese television drama

text: There is no solid science on how to interpret these rating percentages. For fans, simply the drama with the highest percentage is the "winner" for the week. The fans use these numbers to decide which dramas they should watch during the remainder of the season. Despite this simple interpretation, there are one or more factors that may come into play that explain why some dramas receive higher percentage points than others. For example, evening dramas draw better ratings than those that air in the mornings and afternoons. Although the transmission size is virtually the same in the mornings, afternoons and evenings, the evenings draw higher numbers because most evening viewers work during the day, and fewer people are at home watching television. There are, however, some exceptions: For example, the NHK Asadora drama "Oshin" drew an average rating percentage of 52.6%, a number that would be extremely good for an evening drama but even more extraordinary for a drama that airs in the mornings and six days a week.


title: Japanese television drama

text: Finally, rating percentage plays a heavy role in the success of a drama artist. The numbers of an artist's previous work are used by TV producers to determine whether or not the artist is a marketing success. If the ratings drawn by the artist's previous work are good, he or she would be able to receive offers to star in dramas that are better written and produced. Likewise if the ratings drawn by the artist's previous work are good, some artist could build their career as acting singer.


title: Japanese television drama

text: In evening dramas, cast members are carefully selected and tend to be famous actors that audiences are very fond of. The choice of cast members frequently affects the drama's audience rating, and pairing the right male and female artists is especially important in a renzoku ren'ai (romantic or love) drama. Cast members of morning and afternoon dramas are not as popular as those of evening dramas, as reflected by ratings, but with time good actors can gain popularity.


title: Japanese television drama

text: is a general term used in Japan to refer to drama series and soap operas, regardless of the country where they were filmed or produced. In the Western world, the word dorama was initially used to refer exclusively to Japanese television dramas, however in recent years it has become a general term used to refer to all Asian television dramas due to the international rise of Korean and Chinese dramas.


title: Reconnaissance aircraft

text: A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as well as measurement and signature intelligence. Modern technology has also enabled some aircraft and UAVs to carry out real-time surveillance in addition to general intelligence gathering.


title: Reconnaissance aircraft

text: Before the development of devices such as radar, military forces relied on reconnaissance aircraft for visual observation and scouting of enemy movement. An example is the PBY Catalina maritime patrol flying boat used by the Allies in World War II: a flight of U.S. Navy Catalinas spotted part of the Japanese fleet approaching Midway Island, beginning the Battle of Midway.


title: Reconnaissance aircraft

text: Prior to the 20th century machines for powered and controllable flight were not available to military forces, but some attempts were made to use lighter than air craft. During the Napoleonic Wars and Franco-Prussian War, balloons were used for aerial reconnaissance by the French.


title: Reconnaissance aircraft

text: In World War I, aircraft were deployed during early phases of battle in reconnaissance roles as 'eyes of the army' to aid ground forces. Aerial reconnaissance from this time through 1945 was mostly carried out by adapted versions of standard fighters and bombers equipped with film cameras. Photography became the primary and best-known method of intelligence collection for reconnaissance aircraft by the end of World War II.


title: Reconnaissance aircraft

text: World War I also saw use of floatplanes to locate enemy warships. After the battle of Jutland demonstrated the limitations of seaplane tenders, provisions were made for capital ships to carry, launch, and recover observation seaplanes. These seaplanes could scout for enemy warships beyond the visual range of the ship's lookouts, and could spot the fall of shot during long range artillery engagements. Observation seaplanes were replaced by helicopters after World War II.


title: Reconnaissance aircraft

text: After World War II and during the Cold War the United States developed several dedicated reconnaissance aircraft designs, including the U-2 and SR-71, to monitor the nuclear arsenal of the Soviet Union. Other types of reconnaissance aircraft were built for specialized roles in signals intelligence and electronic monitoring, such as the RB-47, RB-57, Boeing RC-135 and the Ryan Model 147 drones.


title: Reconnaissance aircraft

text: Since the Cold War much of the strategic reconnaissance aircraft role has passed over to satellites, and the tactical role to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This has been proven in successful uses by Israel, and by the United States in Desert Storm operations.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: As the Kingdom of England is torn between the House of York and the House of Lancaster—each claiming their leader to be the rightful king—young Richard III, the intersex son of the Duke of York, is fighting a battle within himself. Despised by his mother, adored by his father, and alienated from most others, Richard grapples with frightful spirits haunting him, unsteady and unintentional alliances with his enemies, and his own passion for a throne.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: "Requiem of the Rose King" was written and illustrated by Aya Kanno. It was serialized in Akita Shoten's (girls') manga magazine "Monthly Princess", starting in the magazine's November 2013 issue on 4 October 2013. On 4 June 2021, Kanno announced that she had completed the storyboard for the final "Requiem of the Rose King" chapter. On 6 October 2021, "Monthly Princess" revealed that the series would end in four chapters. "Requiem of the Rose King" concluded in the magazine's February 2022 issue on 6 January 2022. Akita Shoten collects the series' individual chapters into (bound volumes) published under their Princess Comics imprint; the 17th and final volume will be released in Japan on 16 June 2022.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: Internationally, the series is licensed for an English-language release in North America by Viz Media under the company's Shojo Beat imprint. It is also licensed in French by Éditions Ki-oon, in German by Carlsen Comics, in Polish by Waneko, in Spanish by Ediciones Tomodomo, in Italian by Edizioni Star Comics, and in Chinese by Tong Li Publishing.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: A spin-off manga series, "King of Idol:" , began serialization in the February 2021 issue of "Monthly Princess" on 6 January 2021. The series is written and illustrated by . It portrays the "Requiem of the Rose King" characters as high school students training to become "idols" or entertainers.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: A second spin-off manga series, , began serialization in the April 2022 issue of "Monthly Princess" on 4 March 2022. The series is written and illustrated by Kanno, and its chapters will be collected into two volumes. The series focuses on events not covered in the main series, including stories about the characters' everyday lives and Queen Margaret's past.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: "Requiem of the Rose King" has inspired three drama CDs produced by Akita Shoten in Japan. The first, based on volume three of the manga, was bundled with the February 2016 issue of "Monthly Princess", released on 6 January 2016. The second, based on volumes four and five of the manga, was included with a limited edition of volume seven, released on 16 January 2017. The third, based on volumes five and six of the manga, was bundled with the March 2017 issue of "Monthly Princess", released on 6 February 2017. All three drama CDs starred Mitsuki Saiga as Richard III and Daisuke Namikawa as Henry VI.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: On 16 September 2020, Akita Shoten announced via their YouTube channel that "Requiem of the Rose King" would be adapted into an anime television series. The series is animated by J.C.Staff and directed by Kentarō Suzuki, with Hiroki Uchida writing and supervising the scripts, Tsutomu Hashizume designing the characters, and Kow Otani composing the musical score. The series was originally scheduled to premiere in October 2021, but was delayed due to production issues. It aired from 9 January to 26 June 2022, on Tokyo MX and other channels in Japan. The series aired for two consecutive "cours", for a half-year continuous run. The first opening theme is "" (, "I'm Obsessed with Roses") performed by Makoto Furukawa, while the first ending theme is "" (, "Nightmare") performed by Zaq. The second opening theme is "" (, "Rose Briar Rondo") performed by Makoto Furukawa, while the second ending theme is "" () performed by Nowlu. Funimation licensed the series as part of their Winter 2022 simulcast lineup in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Australia, and New Zealand. Medialink licensed the series in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania minus Australia and New Zealand.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: A stage play adaptation of the manga is scheduled to run at the Nippon Seinenkan hall in Tokyo from June 10 to June 19, 2022. The play will be directed by Fumiya Matsuzaki, with its script written by "Requiem of the Rose King" anime screenplay writer Hiroki Uchida. It will star both a female actor, Yumi Wakatsuki, and a male actor, Sayato Arima, as the intersex Richard III. Additional cast members include Takuma Wada as Henry VI; Yūki Kimisawa as Edward IV of York; Gaku Takamoto as George, Duke of Clarence; Shō Katō as Catesby; Yūsuke Seto as Warwick; Ryōta Hirono as Prince Edward of Lancaster; Sena as Anne Neville; Sayaka Fujioka as Cecily Neville, Duchess of York; Ryōko Tanaka as Queen Margaret; and Masashi Taniguchi as Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: A bonus manga chapter, , was published in the July 2015 issue of "Monthly Princess" on 5 June 2015. The chapter depicts Kanno's trip to England with her editor for the reburial of King Richard III in March of that year.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: A spin-off novel, , was published by Akita Shoten on 15 December 2021. The novel was written by Yō Makusu, with cover art by Kanno.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: A fanbook was published by Akita Shoten on 16 March 2022, collecting character information, tribute illustrations, and manga previously omitted from the bound volume release of the main series.


title: Requiem of the Rose King

text: In the 2015 edition of Takarajimasha's guidebook, "Requiem of the Rose King" tied with "Tanaka-kun is Always Listless" for number 17 on the list of the top 20 manga for female readers. Japanese actor Kenji Urai, who portrayed Henry VI in a production of the Shakespearean play at the New National Theatre Tokyo, stated that he is a "big fan" of the manga. Moto Hagio, a pioneering manga artist, praised "Requiem of the Rose King"s depiction of "a whole new Richard III", calling it "more interesting than Shakespeare!"


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: John Michael Gaudreau (born August 13, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the NCAA Division I's Boston College Eagles from 2011 to 2014. Gaudreau was selected by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round, 104th overall, of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Nicknamed "Johnny Hockey," he was the 2014 winner of the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in the NCAA, and, during his first full NHL season in 2014–15, he was selected to play in the 2015 NHL All-Star Game and was a Calder Memorial Trophy finalist for the NHL's best rookie. He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player for the 2016–17 season.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Gaudreau was born in Salem, New Jersey, and grew up in Carneys Point Township, New Jersey. As a youth, Gaudreau played for Penns Grove little league baseball, and played in the 2006 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Hershey, Pennsylvania. He attended Gloucester Catholic High School in Gloucester City, New Jersey, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. He graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in Dubuque, Iowa.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Gaudreau played the 2010–11 season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he played in the 2011 USHL All-Star Game and helped his team win the Clark Cup as the USHL champions. Gaudreau's outstanding play during the season was rewarded with him being selected to the USHL All-Rookie Team and to the All-USHL Second Team. He was also recognized as the USHL Rookie of the Year.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Gaudreau was selected in the 4th round, 104th overall, in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. Listed at 5'6", Gaudreau was one of the shortest players taken at the Draft.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: After attending the Calgary Flames’ training camp ahead of the 2011–12 season, Gaudreau started his career in the NCAA with the Division I Boston College Eagles team in the Hockey East conference. He originally signed a Letter of Intent to play with Hockey East rival Northeastern University, but opted for Boston College when Northeastern Hockey head coach Greg Cronin resigned in June 2011 to take a position with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: As a freshman at Boston College, Gaudreau scored 21 goals and 23 assists (44 points) in 44 games, leading all freshmen in scoring. He played an integral part in Boston College's win in the team's National Championship, scoring a highlight-reel goal late in the third period in their 4–1 win in the final over Ferris State University. Gaudreau was awarded the Bill Flynn Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Hockey East Championship Tournament. He also helped the Eagles win the traditional Beanpot Tournament for the third year in a row and was named Beanpot MVP after the tournament.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: In his sophomore campaign, Gaudreau emerged as the star of the team and improved upon his already impressive stats, achieving a 21–30–51 scoring line in 35 games, leading the nation in points per game, at 1.46. He then led the Eagles to a fourth consecutive Beanpot championship after helping to win a gold medal for the United States at the 2013 World Juniors. Despite losing to archrival Boston University in the Hockey East tournament semi-finals and bowing out of the NCAA tournament in the first round against Union College, he was awarded Hockey East Player of the Year and was named an ACHA First Team All-American for his tremendous offensive output. On April 3, 2013, Gaudreau was named one of the three finalists for the 2013 Hobey Baker Award, along with Eric Hartzell and Drew LeBlanc. St. Cloud State's Drew LeBlanc eventually won the award.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Gaudreau opted to remain at Boston College for his junior year, despite rumors of him turning professional and joining the Calgary Flames. One of the main reasons he stayed, he claimed, was to play with his younger brother Matthew, who joined the team in the fall. Gaudreau's decision to remain was fortunate for Boston College, as he dominated the NCAA in every major scoring category, scoring 36 goals and 44 assists for 80 points in 40 games, a 2.00 point per game pace, the highest production by any player in the country since 2003. After a 5–4 Eagles loss to Holy Cross in November, Gaudreau was paired up with Bill Arnold and Kevin Hayes on a line, which quickly became collegiate hockey's most offensively-potent line, producing 46 goals and 68 assists for 114 points as a trio. In addition, Gaudreau tied Paul Kariya's record for the Hockey East single season scoring streak at 31 games, scoring 29 goals and 61 points during the span. For his tremendous season, he was named the league's Player of the Year for the second straight season, as well as the league's scoring champion with 36 points in 20 games, and was named a unanimous First-Team All-Star. He was also named a Hobey Baker top ten finalist on March 20 and a top three "Hobey Hat Trick" finalist for the second-straight year on April 2.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Although the team lost to Union College in the Frozen Four on April 11, Gaudreau was named the 2014 recipient of the Hobey Baker Award, awarded to the NCAA's top ice hockey player.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Gaudreau entered the NHL on the same day of his receiving of the Hobey Baker award. On April 11, 2014, shortly after the ceremony, Gaudreau and Eagles' teammate Bill Arnold signed entry-level contracts with the Calgary Flames, Arnold having been drafted by Calgary in 2010. Both made their NHL debut in the Flames' final game of the 2013–14 season, against the Vancouver Canucks. Gaudreau scored the Flames' only goal on his first shot of his first professional game.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: To begin the 2014–15 season, Gaudreau earned a spot on the Flames' roster to continue his NHL career. Starting off slowly, Gaudreau did not record a point until the sixth game of the year. However, he then heated up quickly, amassing 12 goals and 30 points through 37 games. He scored his first career NHL hat-trick against Jonathan Quick on December 22, 2014, in a 4–3 comeback win over the Los Angeles Kings, becoming the youngest Flames player to record a hat-trick since Joe Nieuwendyk in the 1987–88 season.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Gaudreau was selected to play in the 2015 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio, on January 25, 2015, and participated in the Skills Competition, garnering attention with Jakub Voráček for their antics during the shootout challenge. The shootout move, which imitated the previous move performed by Ryan Johansen (who helped seven-year-old Cole Vogt, the son of Columbus Blue Jackets trainer Mike Vogt, score a goal on Corey Crawford) went viral. Voráček, who went immediately after Johansen, "helped" Gaudreau score a goal in the same manner as Johansen did with Vogt, making fun of Gaudreau's size and youth, as his small stature in comparison to other NHLers lead some to believe he looks like a child. Gaudreau was originally named to the All-Star Skills Competition Rookie Team, limited to only the competition portion, but was promoted to the All-Star Game itself as a replacement to Sidney Crosby, who could not play due to injury. Gaudreau was named to Team Toews and recorded two assists in the game, both on goals scored by the Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: On March 11, 2015, Gaudreau scored his 50th point of the season, becoming the first Flames rookie to reach the mark since Jarome Iginla in 1996–97. Gaudreau finished the regular season tied for the rookie scoring lead with Mark Stone of the Ottawa Senators. Gaudreau had 24 goals and led all rookies with 40 assists, while Stone had 26 goals. He was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie, but the award went to Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers, with Gaudreau finishing third. He was named to the NHL's All-Rookie team for the 2014–15 season.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: The 2015–16 season was a banner year for Gaudreau, as the sophomore set career highs in goals, assists and points en route to finishing tied for sixth among all NHL players in total points. For the second straight year, Gaudreau participated in the NHL All-Star Game, the 61st in NHL history. Gaudreau was selected as a finalist to be the All-Star Game MVP, an honor eventually given to controversial and unlikely write-in candidate John Scott. However, Gaudreau's Flames failed to live up to high expectations bestowed upon them after their surprisingly successful 2014–15 season, finishing 26th in the NHL and missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Gaudreau missed the entirety of the Flames' training camp due to a contract dispute. On October 10, 2016, two days before the Flames' season opener, Gaudreau signed a six-year, $40.5 million contract worth $6.75 million annually. On November 16, 2016, in a game against the Minnesota Wild, Gaudreau suffered a finger fracture. He had surgery the following day. Despite speculation he would miss up to six weeks of the season, Gaudreau returned after ten games. Gaudreau finished the season with 61 points in 72 games, leading the Flames in scoring. Gaudreau also recorded two assists in four games during the team's first round matchup against the Anaheim Ducks in the 2017 playoffs.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Gaudreau set a career-high in points scored during the 2017–18 season, leading the Flames and finishing top-20 in the NHL with 84; his 60 assists finished within the top-10 for the category. He was named an NHL All-Star for the fourth consecutive year, but would not participate in the playoffs as the Flames came up short of a late-season push for the last wild card spot in the Western Conference.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: The 2018–19 season proved to be Gaudreau's best regular season to date. He finished with a career best 99 points, including career highs in goals (36), assists (63), and points (99). He was tied for seventh place in league scoring. The Flames won the Pacific Division, and were the Western Conference's top seed heading into the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Gaudreau finished fourth in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association to the league's most valuable player.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: However, in the first round of the playoffs, the Flames lost to the Colorado Avalanche. Gaudreau managed only one point, an assist, in the five-game series, which was singled out as a key weakness for the Flames in the postseason.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Following his success in 2018–19, Gaudreau had a disappointing season, hitting career lows of only 18 goals and 40 assists in 70 games. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic lead to the regular season being prematurely halted in March. The NHL eventually arranged to hold the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs in a bubble in Edmonton and Toronto. The Flames had been eighth in the Western Conference at the time the regular season was suspended, and so played the ninth-place Winnipeg Jets in a special qualifying round. In Game 1 of the series, Gaudreau scored his first playoff goal since 2015, helping the Flames win the game 4–1. After ousting the Jets 3–1 in the qualifying round, the Flames faced the Dallas Stars in the first round. Gaudreau again struggled to produce in the playoffs, and the Flames lost the series four games to two.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Due to the ongoing pandemic, the NHL realigned its divisions temporarily for a shortened season. To eliminate cross-border travel, all seven Canadian teams played in the North Division. The year began slowly for Gaudreau, and further difficulties arose when coach Geoff Ward was replaced midway through the season by Darryl Sutter. Adjusting to Sutter's style was challenging, and Gaudreau posted only seven points in a span of fifteen games following the switch. However, his scoring improved dramatically during the final months of the regular season, alongside general improvement of the team. He recorded his 300th career assist on a goal by teammate Sam Bennett in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. Gaudreau again lead the Flames in goals (19) and assists (30) during the regular season. The Flames did not qualify for the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, coming four points short of the Montreal Canadiens for the final berth in the North Division.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: The NHL's divisions and format returned to their pre-pandemic norms for the 2021–22 season, the Flames' first full season on returning coach Sutter. It would prove to be one of the most successful regular seasons in team history, with Gaudreau at the center of its success. With centreman Elias Lindholm and left winger Matthew Tkachuk, he formed one of the most dominant forward lines in the NHL, and all three members hit numerous personal and collective milestones over the course of the season. On April 12, he hit the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Gaudreau scored his 40th goal of the season in an April 29 loss to the Minnesota Wild, joining Lindholm and Tkachuk in this feat, the first time in 28 years that linemates had all achieved this, and only the fourth time in that span that a team had three 40-goal scorers. He finished the season with 40 goals and 75 assists for 115 points, finishing second overall in points standings for the Art Ross Trophy, behind only Connor McDavid. This was also the second-most points ever for a Flame, behind only Kent Nilsson (131) in 1980–81. Gaudreau's performance through the season lead many to argue that he should be a serious candidate for the Hart Memorial Trophy, though he was ultimately not a finalist, finishing fourth in the voting. The Flames won the Pacific Division and finished sixth in the league.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: The Flames drew the Dallas Stars in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, a rematch of the bubble playoffs two years prior, and a matchup in which the Flames were considered the favourites. In light of disappointing results in preceding years, Gaudreau's prospective performance was the subject of considerable speculation. The Stars proved a greater challenge than many had anticipated, largely due to an exceptional performance from goaltender Jake Oettinger. After falling behind 2 games to 1, Gaudreau scored the game-winning goal to help tie the series in Game 4, his first of the playoffs. His performance through the early games earned the praise of coach Sutter, who said he felt that Gaudreau had "taken that step" to perform as well in the playoffs as he had during the regular season. Gaudreau's second goal of the playoffs was also a game-winner, this time in overtime in Game 7, sending the Flames through to the second round for the first time in seven years. The Flames drew the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, the first playoff "Battle of Alberta" in 31 years. The Flames were defeated by the Oilers in five games, bringing the playoff run to an end.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: With the pending expiration of Gaudreau's contract, he was regarded as the top unrestricted free agent of 2022 by many, and whether the Flames would be able to re-sign him was a topic of considerable discussion. On July 12, 2022, the Flames announced that Gaudreau would not return to Calgary despite an aggressive internal campaign by the club to re-sign him, including a monetary package that would have made Gaudreau one of the highest paid players in the league. General Manager Brad Treliving described Gaudreau's decision as a "disappointing day, to say the very least," but noted Gaudreau's desire to move closer to his family, saying "I respect that fully. John has every right, and we have nothing but respect for John the player and John the person."


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: On July 13, the opening day of free agency, Gaudreau agreed to a seven-year, $68.25 million contract with an average annual value of $9.75 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets, accepting less money than offered by Calgary and comparable deals offered by the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders to play for the club. His decision to sign in Columbus "stunned" the hockey world, both because it had not been among the most commonly mooted destinations beforehand and because Columbus had acquired a reputation as an undesirable destination for free agents. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen expressed the hope that with the signing "we can finally get rid of the bullshit that this is somehow a bad destination, a bad city, whatever. Because it’s never been true."


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: In 2013, Gaudreau was selected to represent the United States in the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He led the entire tournament with seven goals and tied for the team lead with nine points, as the U.S. won the gold medal. Highlighted by a hat-trick in the quarter-finals against the Czech Republic and another two goals against Canada in the semi-finals, he was named to the tournament All-Star Team.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: In 2014, Gaudreau was named to the senior United States team that played in the 2014 IIHF World Championship in Minsk, Belarus. He scored his first international goal as a professional in a pre-tournament game against Germany, scoring the second goal in a 3–1 victory. He scored in the first official game of the tournament, the third goal in a 5–1 victory over hosts Belarus. Although the U.S. bowed out of the tournament in a quarter-finals loss to the Czech Republic, Gaudreau finished the tournament tenth in scoring, with two goals and eight assists for ten points, including a four-point performance in a 5–4 win over Germany.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: In 2016, Gaudreau joined Team North America for play at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, playing alongside other NHL stars from both the United States and Canada who were 23 years old and under at the time. He scored four points in three games, two goals and two assists.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: In 2018, Gaudreau was named to the American squad to compete at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He scored one goal and eight assists during the tournament en route to a bronze medal for the U.S.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: On April 19, 2019, Gaudreau was selected to represent Team USA at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, held in Bratislava and Kosice, Slovakia.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: Gaudreau's younger brother Matthew is also a professional hockey player and currently plays on the Reading Royals of the ECHL. He previously played for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League (AHL) and their ECHL affiliate, the Worcester Railers. Gaudreau and his brother played together at Boston College during the 2013–14 season. His parents are Guy and Jane Gaudreau. Guy Gaudreau is a native of Beebe Plain, Vermont. He played college hockey at Norwich, after playing high school hockey at North Country Union High School, and was inducted into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. He settled in southern New Jersey and spent 11 years coaching hockey at Gloucester Catholic.


title: Johnny Gaudreau

text: In January 2015, Gaudreau filed a trademark application for the nickname "Johnny Hockey" in both Canada and the U.S. due to concerns people would abuse his nickname for their own marketing gain.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: The Guildford Four and Maguire Seven were the collective names of two groups whose convictions in English courts in 1975 and 1976 for the Guildford pub bombings of 5 October 1974 were eventually quashed after long campaigns for justice. The Guildford Four were wrongly convicted of bombings carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA); the Maguire Seven were wrongly convicted of handling explosives found during the investigation into the bombings. Both groups' convictions were eventually declared "unsafe and unsatisfactory" and reversed in 1989 and 1991 respectively after they had served up to 15–16 years in prison. Along with the Maguires and the Guildford Four, a number of other people faced charges relating to the bombings, six of them charged with murder, but these charges were dropped. No one else was charged with the bombings, or supplying the material; three police officers were charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, but found not guilty.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: After their arrest, all four defendants confessed to the bombing under intense coercion by the police.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: These statements were later retracted but remained the basis of the case against them. They would later be alleged to be the result of coercion by the police, ranging from intimidation to torture—including threats against family members—as well as the effects of drug withdrawal.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Conlon wrote in his autobiography that a key factor in his purportedly coerced confession was the fact that strengthened anti-terrorism laws passed in the early 1970s allowed the police to hold suspects without charges for up to a week, rather than the previous limit of 48 hours and that he might have been able to withstand the treatment he had received had the original time limit been in effect.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: The four were convicted on 22 October 1975 for murder and other charges and sentenced to life imprisonment – mandatory for adults convicted of murder. Richardson, a minor at the time of the bombings, received an indeterminate "at Her Majesty's pleasure" sentence for murder and a life sentence for conspiracy. Justice Lord John Donaldson, who also presided over the Maguire Seven trial, expressed regret that the Four had not been charged with treason, which still had a mandatory death penalty. Although no hangings had been carried out in the UK since 1964, treason still carried the death penalty until 1998. The normal practice was for judges to be consulted by the Home Secretary when considering release from a life sentence, rather than giving a tariff at trial but the judge, believing he might be dead by the time they were released, recommended 30 years for Conlon, 35 for Armstrong and until "great age" for Hill.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: The Guildford Four did not "fit the bill" of IRA involvement according to the way they lived. Paddy Armstrong and Carole Richardson, an Englishwoman, lived in a squat and were involved with drugs and petty crime. Conlon asserted at several points in his autobiography that the IRA would not have taken him due to his record for shoplifting and other petty crimes, and that he had been expelled from Fianna Éireann, an Irish republican youth organisation with strong ties to the Provisional IRA.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: The Maguire Seven were charged with possessing nitroglycerine allegedly passed to the IRA to make bombs after the police raided the West Kilburn house of Anne Maguire (Conlon’s aunt) on 3 December 1974.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Giuseppe Conlon had travelled from Belfast to help his son, Gerry Conlon, in the Guildford Four trial. Conlon, who had troubles with his lungs for many years, died in prison in January 1980, while the other six served their sentences and were released.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: The Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven sought leave to appeal their convictions immediately and were refused. Despite this, a growing body of disparate groups pressed for a re-examination of the case.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: In February 1977, during the trial of the Balcombe Street ASU, the four IRA men instructed their lawyers to "draw attention to the fact that four totally innocent people were serving massive sentences", referring to the Guildford Four.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Despite claims to the police that they were responsible they were never charged with these offences and the Guildford Four remained in prison for another twelve years.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: The Guildford Four tried to obtain from the Home Secretary a reference to the Court of Appeal under Section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 (later repealed), but were unsuccessful. In 1987, the Home Office issued a memorandum recognising that it was unlikely they were terrorists, but that this would not be sufficient evidence for appeal.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Following the failure of the 1977 court appeal, a number of 'lone voices' publicly questioned the conviction; among them David Martin in "The Leveller", Gavin Esler and Chris Mullin in the "New Statesman" and David McKittrick in the "Belfast Telegraph". On 26 February 1980, BBC One Northern Ireland aired "Spotlight: Giuseppe Conlon and the Bomb Factory", which contained an interview by Patrick Maguire and the BBC's Gavin Esler.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: In 1989, detectives from Avon and Somerset Constabulary, investigating the handling of the case, found significant pieces of evidence in relation to Surrey Police's handling of the Guildford Four and their statements. Typed notes from Patrick Armstrong's police interviews had been extensively edited. Deletions and additions had been made and the notes had been rearranged. The notes and their amendments were consistent with hand-written and typed notes presented at the trial, which suggested that the hand-written notes were made after the interviews had been conducted. The notes presented had been described in court as contemporaneous records. Manuscript notes relating to an interview with Hill showed that Hill's fifth statement was taken in breach of Judges' Rules and may well have been inadmissible as evidence. The information was not made available to the DPP or the prosecution and the officers involved had denied under oath that such an interview had happened. Detention records were inconsistent with the times and durations of the claimed interviews, as reported by the Surrey police.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: An appeal was already under way on the basis of other evidence. Lord Gifford represented Paul Hill, and others were represented by human rights solicitor, Gareth Peirce. The appeal hearing had been adjourned to January 1990 at the request of the Guildford Four but once the findings of the Somerset and Avon report were available, the hearing was resumed, with the Crown stating that it did not wish to support the convictions. The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Lane, concluded that, regardless of the impact of the content of the material discovered by Avon and Somerset, or the alibis or additional evidence the appellants wished to introduce, the level of duplicity meant that all the police evidence was suspect, and the case for the prosecution was unsafe.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: The Four were released on 19 October 1989, after having their convictions quashed. Paul Hill had also been convicted of the murder of a British soldier, Brian Shaw, based on his confession while in the custody of Surrey Police. This did not fall under the ambit of the Lane appeal, but he was released on bail pending his appeal against this conviction. In 1994, Her Majesty's Court of Appeal in Belfast quashed Hill's conviction for Shaw's murder.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: On 12 July 1990, the Home Secretary, David Waddington, published the "Interim Report on the Maguire Case: The Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the convictions arising out of the bomb attacks in Guildford and Woolwich in 1974", which criticised the trial judge, Mr Justice Donaldson and unearthed improprieties in the handling of scientific evidence, declared the convictions unsound and recommended referral back to the Court of Appeal.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: The report "strongly criticise[d] the decision by the prosecution at the Guildford Four's trial not to disclose to the defence a statement supporting Mr Conlon's alibi." The convictions of the Maguire Seven were quashed in 1991.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Neither the bombings nor the wrongful imprisonment resulted in convictions. The bombings were most likely the work of the Balcombe Street ASU, who claimed responsibility. They were already serving life sentences, but were released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Three British police officers — Thomas Style, John Donaldson and Vernon Attwell — were charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, but each was found not guilty.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: On 9 February 2005, Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, issued an apology to the families of the eleven people imprisoned for the bombings in Guildford and Woolwich and those related to those who were still alive. He said, in part, "I am very sorry that they were subject to such an ordeal and injustice... they deserve to be completely and publicly exonerated."


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Anne Maguire was awarded a Benemerenti medal by the Roman Catholic Church for her "remarkable ability to forgive" and her community work. In 1993, Paul Hill married Courtney Kennedy, a daughter of assassinated American senator Robert F. Kennedy and a niece of assassinated president John F. Kennedy. They had a daughter in 1997 named Saoirse. Paul had a daughter in a previous relationship named Cara with Gina Tohill in 1975. Paul and Courtney legally separated in 2006. Their daughter, Saoirse Kennedy Hill, died in 2019 at the age of 22.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Hill had a televised meeting with the brother of murdered soldier Brian Shaw, who continued to accuse him. He travelled to Colombia to attend the trial of the Colombia Three.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Gerry Conlon's autobiography "Proved Innocent" was adapted into the film "In the Name of the Father", with actor Daniel Day-Lewis portraying Conlon. The film depicts Conlon's attempt to rebuild his shattered relationship with his father but is partly fictional, Conlon never shared a cell with his father. He is reported to have settled with the government for a final payment of compensation in the region of £500,000. Conlon gave support to Tommy Sheridan in relation to the charges brought against him.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Sarah Conlon, who had spent 16 years campaigning to have the names of her husband and son cleared and helped secure the apology, died on 20 July 2008.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Paddy Armstrong had problems with drinking and gambling. He eventually married and moved to Dublin. Carole Richardson married and had a daughter soon after her release. She kept out of the public eye and died in 2012 aged 55.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: The autobiography of the youngest member of the Maguire Seven, Patrick Maguire, "My Father's Watch: The Story of a Child Prisoner in 70s Britain" was released in May 2008. It tells his story before, during and after his imprisonment and details its impact on his life and those of his family.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Gerry Conlon later joined a campaign to free the "Craigavon Two", Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton, convicted of the murder of a police officer in Northern Ireland.


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Conlon died at home in Belfast on 21 June 2014. His family issued a statement:  "He brought life, love, intelligence, wit and strength to our family through its darkest hours. He helped us to survive what we were not meant to survive. We recognise that what he achieved by fighting for justice for us had a far, far greater importance – it forced the world's closed eyes to be opened to injustice; it forced unimaginable wickedness to be acknowledged; we believe it changed the course of history".


title: Guildford Four and Maguire Seven

text: Sir John Donaldson went on to an illustrious judicial career and became Master of the Rolls, Head of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal. The appeal case itself for "R v Maguire 1981", is now the leading case for disclosure to the defence. In November 2018 the BBC broadcast a documentary "A Great British Injustice: The Maguire Story", with the involvement of surviving members of the Maguire family.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Trapped in the Closet is a musical soap opera series by American R&B singer, songwriter & producer R. Kelly, with 33 "chapters" released sporadically from 2005 to 2012. Written, produced, and directed by Kelly, the series tells a story of a one-night stand that sets off a chain of events, gradually revealing a greater web of lies, sex and deceit. The music follows a distinct E major pattern, and most chapters feature the same melodic theme.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: The first five chapters of "Trapped in the Closet" originally appeared as the final tracks on Kelly's album "TP.3 Reloaded". R. Kelly wrote and produced all five chapters, and they were recorded by Andy Gallas. The first chapter was released as the lead single from the album in 2005 by Jive Records. Kelly and Jive Records promoted the songs by releasing each of the first five chapters to radio stations one at a time.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Following the success and popularity of the "Trapped in the Closet" song series, R. Kelly lip synched a "new chapter" at an appearance at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. In November 2005, Jive Records released a DVD titled "Trapped in the Closet", which included seven new chapters in addition to the first five from "TP.3 Reloaded", bringing the total number of chapters to twelve. The material previewed by Kelly at the MTV Video Music Awards revealed an early version of some parts of the twelfth chapter in the series.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Nearly two years later, in August 2007, Kelly and Jive released ten more chapters on another "Trapped in the Closet" DVD.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: In December 2007, the first 22 chapters were released in a DVD entitled "The Big Package", which included a "commentary remix" with a preview of chapter 23. On December 21, 2011, Kelly told TMZ that he had written thirty-two more chapters, and was seeking investors in order to continue the saga. IFC announced in October 2012 that it would show new chapters of "Trapped in the Closet" on November 23, 2012.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: When asked about the writing of the song, Kelly said: "I don't know how to explain how I wrote it. It just keeps rhyming and rhyming." He stated that "Trapped in the Closet" had taken on "a life, mind and body of its own", and called the series an "alien", crediting “the aliens” with its creation. Kelly claimed that the song's dark and moody instrumental was influenced by his frustrations and depression following his removal from the ill-fated "Best of Both Worlds" tour with Jay-Z in October 2004.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Each chapter follows a storyline that continues throughout the series. Kelly voices the role of the song's protagonist, Sylvester (Kelly's middle name), who wakes up after a one-night stand with a woman. As he prepares to leave, however, the woman's husband returns and Sylvester is forced to hide in a closet. This sets off an escalating series of events.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Sylvester wakes up in bed with a woman who is not his wife. As he prepares to leave, the woman tells him her husband is coming up the stairs and tells Sylvester to hide in the closet. The couple begins making love when Sylvester's cell phone rings, prompting the husband to investigate. After searching elsewhere, he slowly approaches the closet. Sylvester, prepared for a confrontation, takes out his Beretta pistol.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Having discovered Sylvester in his wife's closet, the husband nearly attacks him but stops because Sylvester is armed. He tells Sylvester that he is a pastor and not prone to violence. When Sylvester tries to leave, the husband tells him to stay because he wants to reveal a "secret". He then calls someone he calls "baby" and says to "turn the car around". Sylvester is anxious about what the husband is about to reveal and becomes threatening, but then someone knocks on the door. The husband opens the door and the person turns out to be another man—revealing the husband (Rufus) to be bisexual.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: A shocked and confused Sylvester prepares to leave but the wife asks him to stay. She then argues with her husband, Rufus, over his own infidelity. When Sylvester demands more explanation, the other man, Chuck, begins explaining how their affair came about. Rufus calls his wife Cathy, which shocks Sylvester, who thought her name was Mary. Rufus, Cathy, and Chuck all begin yelling at each other, prompting Sylvester to shoot his gun in the air to quiet them. Sylvester then calls home but is stunned when another man answers the phone. He quickly bolts out of the apartment.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Sylvester is seen rushing home, angered and belligerent, but is pulled over by a police officer, who gives him a ticket for speeding. He breaks in his own back door and surprises his wife in the shower only to find her alone. She reminds Sylvester that her brother Twan was coming home that day, and he answered the phone. Sylvester apologizes, and they begin making love. In the middle of it, however, Sylvester's wife, Gwendolyn, discreetly covers something on the bed and then jumps on top of Sylvester and begins to go wild. When Gwendolyn finally climaxes and rolls off him, Sylvester flips the bed cover to find the used condom that she had tried to hide.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Chapter five starts with Sylvester demanding answers about the condom. They argue, and Gwendolyn retorts with her own knowledge of Sylvester's infidelity, saying she saw Sylvester in the club the night before. He ignores that and demands she name names. She begins talking about friends of hers named Tina and Roxanne and also mentions Chuck and Rufus, which confuses Sylvester. She then explains that she and Cathy were friends in high school, and it was Cathy who introduced Gwendolyn to the police officer that stopped Sylvester, confirming that the police officer was her secret lover.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Sylvester and Gwendolyn begin laughing at the entire situation. She admits that the cop she slept with is really the one who answered the phone. And he explains the events of earlier in the morning. Meanwhile, the cop-lover turns his car back around, concerned for Gwendolyn's safety. He sees the back door broken in and mistakes the laughter for abuse and bursts into the bedroom, gun drawn. Sylvester pulls his gun on the cop, whose name is revealed to be James. Gwendolyn pleads with Sylvester, and he puts his gun down. But then James winks and smiles, and Sylvester rushes him. They wrestle over the gun, which inadvertently discharges.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: This chapter reveals it was Twan, Gwendolyn's brother who was just released from prison, who was the one who was shot. After realizing who it was, Sylvester and James argue at who was at fault with the shooting, with Sylvester blaming the entire incident on the cop. Twan is presumed to be dead, but in the middle of Sylvester, James and Gwendolyn arguing, Twan coughs, assuring them he is okay and that he was only non-fatally shot in the shoulder. As Twan recovers in the bathroom, Sylvester begins telling him what caused the incident when someone knocks on the door. After being hesitant with answering the door, Sylvester grabs his gun and aims it at the door, Twan joins him, snatching James' gun. At the count of three, Twan opens the door and it is revealed to be the next door neighbor, Rosie, who is shown with a spatula in her hand. A relieved Sylvester and Gwendolyn invite Rosie in while James snatches his gun back from a bewildered Twan's hands and leaves.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: In this chapter, a tired and frustrated James drives back to his house and calls up his wife Bridget (Kelly sings all of Bridget's lines with a Southern accent). James tells a concerned Bridget that he was heading home, to which Bridget happily tells him she had baked him a cherry pie. Meanwhile, at Sylvester's house, Rosie, the next door neighbor, tells Sylvester, Twan and Gwendolyn that she could not stand the cop that just left their house causing Gwendolyn, Sylvester and Twan to laugh. Back at James' house, he pulls up to the garage. A panicked Bridget rushes to the door and kisses James. When James asks her why she looked jittery, Bridget excuses it as "may be that time of the month". The "may be" makes James suspicious. Bridget laughs it off, saying "you know what I mean". Bridget tries getting him upstairs, or enticing him with fresh pears, but James insists on heating some leftover chicken. Bridget's nervous breakdown finally leads to James demanding a straight answer from Bridget. James then starts to wonder if Bridget had also cheated on him. Unbeknownst to him and from the looks of a nervous Bridget, it becomes clear another man is still in the house.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: James starts investigating his house for any possible intruders. When he hears a noise, he begins to search all over the kitchen while a panicked Bridget stands over by the dishes. After James checks the oven and looks behind the fridge, he notices the cherry pie with a slice cut out. When he realizes that Bridget is allergic to cherries, he turns to her and moves slowly to a scared Bridget. After demanding Bridget to move from her spot, which she eventually does, he sees the cabinet and slowly approaches it. Just as he opens it, the video suddenly stops and the narrator exits out of the kitchen pantry and, breaking the fourth wall, tells the audience that the man, hiding in the cabinet, is a midget.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: In this chapter, the midget jumps out of the cabinet and fights with James. After James' constant roughing up on the midget, Bridget runs upstairs where she pulls out a number from her purse. Meanwhile, back downstairs, James puts the midget on the table and demands to know why he was at his house. The midget continues telling him that he was paid not to tell, which only angers James, who pulls his gun on him. When he does, the midget defecates. Back at Sylvester's house, he, Twan and Gwendolyn are playing cards when the phone rings. When Gwendolyn answers it, she hears a panicked Bridget, who tells her she found her number in James' pocket. After a minute, Gwendolyn hangs up and gives Sylvester and Twan the address to the house, presumably to stop the fight. Back at James' house, James and the midget continue fighting until Bridget comes back to the kitchen with a double-barreled shotgun. When James points his gun at Bridget, the midget takes his inhaler out. A few seconds later, Sylvester and Twan burst through the door and Sylvester points his gun at James. Sylvester and Twan notice a peculiar odor in the house. Due to Sylvester and Twan's entrance, the midget faints on the table.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: In this chapter, the midget wakes up peculiar to seeing three guns and tries to get out of the situation. Sylvester then begs Bridget and James to put their guns down, to which they adamantly refuse. Bridget then tells Sylvester she will drop the gun if James does not hurt the midget, whose name is revealed as "Big Man", a stripper at a club called Dixie's. When Sylvester asks why he was named that, the midget points down to his pants and tell him he is "blessed." After seeing Sylvester and Big Man communicating, James shuts them up calling them "Chuck and Rufus", which confuses Sylvester, who demands to know how James knew of them, though James acts bewildered to Sylvester's question. Just as James looks as if he was going to answer, Bridget starts getting sick. It is then revealed that Bridget is three months pregnant, presumably with James' baby. After James' constant prompts to Sylvester, Twan and Big Man with his gun to leave, Bridget stops him and admits paying Big Man and even admitted that she knew that James had been cheating on her with Gwendolyn, saying that she had followed him around. When James demands to know what Bridget is really telling him, Bridget says that Big Man is her baby's father, which negates her previous excuse from chapter 8 as being "that time of the month". Big Man again faints at the news.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Back at Cathy's house, she, Rufus and Chuck get up from the floor. After Cathy closes the door, she and Rufus argue about the reasons why Sylvester almost shot at them in Chapter 3, with Cathy angered about Rufus "creeping" around with Chuck, who is the deacon of Rufus' church, telling him "ain't no telling what I've got", referring to sexually transmitted diseases. Chuck gets angry at this and threatens Cathy with a knife, which prompts Cathy to force him to do it. Rufus then calms them down and tries to resolve the matter but neither Cathy or Chuck listen, as they continue arguing, even as the phone rings. When it rings a second time, Cathy answers it and it is Gwendolyn and she begins telling Cathy about the drama that had gone on. When Gwendolyn mentions that she saw Sylvester in Paje's club with "some crusty wig-wearing ass ho", Cathy realizes the man she had slept with that night was Sylvester. When Cathy tries telling her who the "ho" was, Gwendolyn stops her and tells her more about James and his situation. When an angry Rufus demands Cathy to finish their conversation, Cathy shuts Gwendolyn up and tells her she was the "ho" that had been with Sylvester.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: In the original version of Chapter 12 (which was originally going to be Chapter 6), Rufus said he was going to take back Cathy. This idea was later incorporated into the later chapters. Also, Gwen never called Cathy so Gwen would've never known Cathy was the one that slept with Sylvester.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: The chapter initially starts with Sylvester and Twan in Sylvester's car though it is not clear at first where they are going. When Sylvester tells Twan to be on his best behavior and reminds Twan about how he got sent to jail, Twan says it "was because of Roxanne and that bitch Tina", which makes Sylvester remember his wife mentioning their names in chapter five. The scene soon cuts to Rosie the nosy neighbor and her husband Randolph (played by R. Kelly), who argue over Rosie spying on other neighbors. The argument ends when the scene cuts back to Sylvester explaining to Twan that he has to collect money from someone, he tells Twan to leave the car in drive and be on the lookout and enters a restaurant. An hour goes by with no sign of Sylvester.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: In chapter fourteen, it is revealed that apparently Sylvester and Cathy, who shows up in a blond wig and black dress, made a deal for Sylvester to get caught by her pastor husband Rufus but the deal had apparently backfired, not only by Cathy's realization that Sylvester and her best friend Gwendolyn were married but also due to Cathy not wanting to end her marriage to Rufus, with Cathy later admitting she had changed her mind on the deal. When Sylvester threatens to leave, Cathy tries to explain the reasons why. A waitress comes by and offers them drinks. Sylvester looks at the waitress thinking to himself that she looks familiar. Meanwhile, outside at Sylvester's car, Twan gets a call from a friend (only shown by a close-up of his mouth) about Tina, telling him Tina had stopped being a prostitute and was working at a "legit" place. He later tells Twan that Tina was working at the same restaurant where Sylvester is meeting Cathy. Back at the restaurant, Sylvester notices the waitress but can't think from where he knows her, until he sees her name tag which says "Tina." Sylvester then says he wants to talk to her but she gets scared and calls for her friend/co-worker Roxanne, who runs out with a frying pan. After Tina breaks a beer bottle and makes karate-styled moves saying to Sylvester that she and Roxanne take Tae Bo classes, Cathy and the rest of the patrons leave quickly, leaving Sylvester alone with Tina and Roxanne. Just as Tina and Roxanne are about to attack, Twan comes busting through the door threatening them.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: With Twan, Sylvester, Tina and Roxanne in the now-empty restaurant, Twan seeks revenge on Tina and Roxanne on his arrest three years ago. Sylvester tries calming Twan down reminding him he's on house arrest and that a violent outburst would lead to a more serious time in prison. After convincing Twan to let him talk to them, Sylvester approaches the two ladies and ask them what had happened on the day of his arrest. Tina and Roxanne explain that they were on a "simple operation" describing a "trip" to Atlanta. Roxanne tells Sylvester that a high Twan was swerving on the road and cutting up on the both of them, even turning his music loud playing "Mary Jane" and screaming "I'm Rick James, bitch!" Tina explains that as soon as that happened, they heard not only police squad cars but also a helicopter. Twan's car breaks down and all three are eventually arrested. In the interrogation room, the police tell the women that Twan blamed the drug deal on them in order to save his own skin. Roxanne tells Twan that that is when she turned him in. Roxanne says Tina protected him because Tina was pregnant with Twan's baby at the time.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Indie folk musician Will Oldham makes a cameo in this chapter as one of the police officers in the interrogation.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Sylvester, stunned at first at the news of Tina having Twan's child, congratulates Twan on the news but Twan is not convinced, accusing Tina of lying to him. This makes Tina's eye twitch, which had started when Sylvester had first approached her near the end of chapter 14. When Sylvester asks Roxanne about it, Roxanne explains a pimp had hit Tina in the eye a year ago and that she's had bad nerves ever since. Twan then pulls Sylvester to the side and begins wondering if he is really the father of Tina's child. Sylvester convinces him that a child would calm him down. When Twan tells Tina that he wants to make this work, Roxanne kisses Tina and reveals they are lovers.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: In the commentary remix on the "Trapped in the Closet" DVD, Kelly tells the audience that in the upcoming chapters he will probably give Tina about three chapters to explain her nervous eye twitch.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Stunned at the news of Roxanne and Tina being lovers, a frustrated Sylvester points his gun at the both of them, but soon stops because of his tolerance to lesbians, while Twan kept egging him to shoot them. Sylvester tries to get Twan to leave the restaurant. It's only after Twan threatens Tina and Roxanne that he will buy a gun and come back for them later that Sylvester finally convinces Twan to leave.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Back at the car as they drive away, Twan is still angry over seeing Roxanne and Tina together, despite Sylvester's efforts to calm him down. Around this time, Sylvester gets a phone call from Gwendolyn, who tells him that his father Dale had been drinking and cursing people out, and his mother Myrna had Dale put in jail. The scene then shifts to Rufus' church where he is leading the worship song, "Jesus Will Work It Out", with Reverend Mosley James Evans and the Peace Within Choir. When the song reaches a climax, Rufus gets a phone call and excuses himself to his office. It's Chuck, who's crying and upset over not seeing Rufus since the incident in the earlier chapters. Rufus and Chuck argue when Cathy walks in Rufus' office. When Cathy asks Rufus who was on the phone, Chuck, who can be heard accidentally on speaker phone, cries out for Rufus, which angers Cathy and the two argue before Rufus sends Cathy out to deal with the situation. Rufus then tries to let Chuck come see him so they can talk but Chuck refuses. Rufus then tells Chuck that he wants to stay married because he loves his wife and is a Pastor as the reason he doesn't want to see Chuck anymore. This angers Chuck, who threatens to reveal their relationship. When Rufus again tries to get Chuck to come see him, Chuck reveals he is in a hospital.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Reverend Mosley James Evans and the Peace Within Choir attempt to persuade Pimp Lucius, a pimp with a severe stuttering problem, to stop pimping and to turn his life around. As the choir sings "you can do it Pimp Lucius", Lucius pretends to accept the offer and leaves the church. However, he then tells his pimpin' partner, Bishop Craig, that he is never going to "stop p-p-p-p-p-pimpin'", because "p-p-p-pimpin's the life". Then he tells Bishop Craig "now let's get this mmm-mmmm-money."


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: This chapter shows Rosie the Nosy Neighbor's house where Rosie is seen in her chair reading the Bible when her husband Randolph comes in shouting, "he's got the package!" to Rosie. Unwilling to listen to reason, when Randolph tells her he has news on the pastor (Rufus), she demands to know what was going on with him. After some bickering, Randolph tells Rosie the story: while working as a janitor for the church, Randolph hears Rufus coming into the office. Randolph hid in the closet and unintentionally overheard the conversation seen in chapter eighteen among Chuck, Rufus and Cathy. After relaying the story, Rosie asks Randolph why he had said the pastor had "the package", Randolph says that Chuck told him he was at the hospital. Rosie immediately decides to inform the masses, despite Randolph's protests. The chapter ends with Randolph sitting on the couch, falling asleep.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Sylvester and Twan go to visit an apparent mobster named Joey. Sylvester informs Joey of some job that could get them a lot of money. While there, Joey accuses Twan of being a cop, as well as calling him "LL Fool J", deeply offending Twan. Sylvester, trying to defuse the situation, asks Twan to wait outside the office while he and Joey discuss business. As Twan leaves the room, he remarks, "I'll be listening from the outside." Joey replies, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Mama said knock you out, fuck outta here." While waiting outside, Twan has a nightmare of Sylvester and him in the same situation, being pointed at with guns. In the end, Sylvester wakes Twan up, then Joey and Sylvester say their goodbyes, and Joey asks Sylvester to tell Gwendolyn he says hello, as their deal is sealed.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: The scene opens to 'ol' Dale and Myrna's' voicemail and eventually fades into the middle of the voicemail box where the narrator (Kelly) says, "and now the rumor". Throughout a series of phone conversations among all of the original characters from Chapters 1–12 and those introduced in Chapter 13–22, rumors of "The Package" circulate. Because Chuck has it, it has possibly been passed to Rufus, to his wife Cathy, to Sylvester, and to Gwendolyn. In addition, Bridget realizes that James knows both Chuck and Rufus, though he tried to hide it from her earlier, suggesting he may be on the "down-low" with Chuck as well. Gwendolyn also cheated on Sylvester with James. However, she used a condom as revealed in Chapter 4. This would still put Bridget, Big Man, and James at serious risk. Lastly, Pimp Lucius gets a similar concerned call from an unidentified woman.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: This chapter starts off with Sylvester and Gwendolyn watching TV and getting a mysterious phone call. Then it goes over to Cathy and Rufus, who decided to go shopping downtown. Cathy's phone rings and she exclaims its 'those people' again. Rufus tells her to hang up. Bridget gets an offer that might make her famous, Twan is proffered money in exchange for an unknown service, and most of the rest of the cast also get a mysterious phone call.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: The chapter starts off with Twan winning a bet during a sports game at the local barber shop. Meanwhile, outside, Pimp Lucius is yelling at his prostitutes over a lack of money that's been coming in. He then states if he doesn't get his money soon he'll start hitting the girls, and it is revealed that he is responsible for Tina's nervous twitch. Sylvester and Twan come outside where after a comical encounter with Lucius, they attempt to walk away ending the chapter.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: The chapter begins directly after the previous as Pimp Lucius calls Sylvester over to ask him for a couple of "racks". He then says that he'll pay Sylvester back on the first chance he gets. Sylvester tells Lucius he needs to go and see his parents, and then Sylvester and Twan depart from the scene, frustrating Lucius more.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: This chapter contains Cathy's confessional for Out of the Closet with Larry and her ultimatum for her husband, Rufus.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: This chapter begins with Rufus getting on his knees and praying to God to change his ways. Meanwhile, Doctor Perry tries to convince Cathy to go back inside the room and console Rufus as well as make amends. He details a past couple that had a relationship that he was upset never got fixed, and pleads for Cathy to not do that to her own relationship. Back in the office, Rufus calls out to God asking how God was going to help him. Just as he does this, Cathy comes back in the room and forgives Rufus—saying she's willing to work it out.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Rosie and Randolph are the central characters in this chapter. Randolph can't sleep and wakes Rosie up, and asks if she meant it when she called him Mr. Can't-Get-It-Up in Chapter 13. She tries to leave the conversation but Randolph begins dancing around, taunting her and saying he's going to take off his pajamas and flash her. The doorbell rings, interrupting their shenanigans, and Randolph goes to answer the door. The scene switches to Rosie in her confessional, she calls Randolph 89 and insinuates that he has a tiny penis. Then it goes to Randolph's confessional. He attempts to defend himself from Rosie's insinuations; she comes on the set and two begin to fight comically. The off-screen director is yelling for them to stop, but they only continue.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: The chapter starts off with Reverend Mosley James Evans in an advertisement about his new book, "Trapped in the Closet". He dances around and compares his book to the Bible. The scene changes to Roxanne talking about the Preacher to Tina and saying that the man is a con artist. Tina tells Roxanne not to say those things about the Reverend. A fight ensues and Tina ends up dumping Roxanne and saying she's going to go find Twan. The chapter then goes to Tina's confessional where she says she appreciated Roxanne for taking her in but she says it's time for her to find her own identity. She also states she will be coming onto the "Out of the Closet" show. The scene then switches to Roxanne's confessional, where she talks about how ungrateful Tina is being and that the argument isn't over.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: This chapter starts off with Sylvester and Twan in a private garage going over their plans for a future meeting with an unknown gangster. Twan lifts his shirt up and shows Sylvester that he bought a gun, Sylvester takes it from him until after the deal. Sylvester warns him one more time about the delirious mobster they're about to meet. The two of them then get into the car. The chapter then switches to the simultaneous confessionals of Sylvester and Twan. Twan starts off by saying that Sylvester never lets him have fun. Sylvester then informs the viewers that Twan likes to talk a lot but can't really back it up. He then informs him that true thugs move in silence. After a comical dialogue, the chapter ends with them laughing.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: The chapter involves Pimp Lucius going home to see his parents, who turn out to be Randolph and Rosie. Randolph is at first angry and doesn't want to let Lucius in but Rosie insists he come in. Rosie gets mad at Randolph and calls him by his middle name, Douglas. The chapter continues with Lucius explaining the mysterious phone calls he's getting and his need for money and a place to sleep. It ends with Randolph answering the door again to find Lucius' prostitutes whom he compares to En Vogue.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Pimp Lucius chews out his prostitutes in this chapter trying to find out why they didn't stay in the car while he talked to his parents. The girls say the blind prostitute got worried and asked them to go up to the door to find out if Lucius was okay. Pimp Lucius doesn't believe them and sends them back to the car. Lucius then reflects as the girls walk away. The chapter then goes over to the dramatic confessional of Pimp Lucius alongside his four prostitutes. He talks about his father denying him money and a place to sleep. He wonders why his father could have done something like this to him, considering the fact that he is family.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: The last chapter involves Sylvester and Twan meeting up with the mobster, Beeno. The conclusion of Part 3 begins with the character Bankhead opening the door, at first reluctant to let the men in. He warns and threatens them and then guides the men to Beeno. Beeno is eating sunflower seeds aggressively and listens to Sylvester as he makes his proposal. Something seems to be bothering Beeno's throat and he reveals that Joey shot him in the neck during a past deal. Beeno doesn't much care for Sylvester's humor and tells his men to kill them after revealing that he is aware of Sylvester making deals with the Italians. Twan saves the day and takes Bankhead's gun and the two flee, but not before Beeno has promised Sylvester and Twan that their families and friends "won't live to see the weekend". Then the melody changes to an upbeat one, as Bankhead and his crew chase Sylvester and Twan. The two men run and end up hiding behind a garbage bin. After assuring that they weren't followed, Sylvester reveals to Twan that they're standing outside of the back entrance to the show that the cast has been doing confessionals for, "Out of the Closet with Larry". The two men walk inside and the chapter ends as the show is about to begin.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Roger Cormier wrote that "when journalists write about..."Trapped in the Closet", they tend to throw out a high-brow literary reference", but then described it as "a subtlety free, it's-so-dumb-it's-brilliant work of art" comparable to "Laurence Sterne's 18th-century novel "The Life and Opinions of Tristam Shandy, Gentleman" ".


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Writing for Flagpole, Hillary Brown linked "Trapped in the Closet" to the Renaissance concept of sprezzatura and compared it to the work of Stendhal and John Ashbery.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: John Lichman warned "once you start watching "Trapped in the Closet", whether out of curiosity or because you think it's a joke, you will find yourself sucked down a hole into something more obsession-friendly than "Arrested Development" when it comes to jokes, plot twists and fan-service."


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Chuck Klosterman writing for "The Guardian" called it a cult classic and wrote: "Describing "Trapped in the Closet" to anyone who hasn't seen it themselves is virtually impossible, simply because there's no other art to compare it with (it falls somewhere between a parody of musical theatre, a soap opera from the late 1970s, and a BET version of the "Red Shoe Diaries")."


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Writing for Pitchfork, Jen Pelly stated "If you haven't seen "Trapped in the Closet" before... stop what you're doing and watch all of it right now. It is truly mind-blowing."


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: Until Kelly's conviction of sexual abuse allegations against him in 2021, the first 22 chapters of the "Trapped in the Closet" series were released via VEVO and were viewed for free as the videos were ad-supported. As of May 2012, the series averaged 7,000,000 views for the first 22 chapters on the website itself, and also an average of 7,000,000 views on Kelly's VEVO YouTube page. However, chapters 3, 5, 6, and 13 were cut short. Days after Kelly was found guilty on September 27, 2021, his YouTube channel was terminated.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: R. Kelly stated in an interview with Rap-Up TV that he was, at the time, working on a movie version of "Trapped in the Closet" that would have been released to theaters. The movie was rumored to be called "Trapped in the Closet: The Movie". The movie has most likely been cancelled due to the allegations against Kelly.


title: Trapped in the Closet

text: "Trapped in the Closet: The Book" is a yet-to-be-released book by Kelly. The book was set to be released sometime in 2018 alongside the Broadway debut of "Trapped in the Closet", however neither of these projects were released to the public. The book is about what happened before the characters actually meet in the musical. The book has been shown in the latest chapters of the show in 2012, "Chapters 23–33". R. Kelly dubbed it "the prequel meeting the sequel".


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: In computer science, a disjoint-set data structure, also called a union–find data structure or merge–find set, is a data structure that stores a collection of disjoint (non-overlapping) sets. Equivalently, it stores a partition of a set into disjoint subsets. It provides operations for adding new sets, merging sets (replacing them by their union), and finding a representative member of a set. The last operation makes it possible to find out efficiently if any two elements are in the same or different sets.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: While there are several ways of implementing disjoint-set data structures, in practice they are often identified with a particular implementation called a disjoint-set forest. This is a specialized type of forest which performs unions and finds in near-constant amortized time. To perform a sequence of addition, union, or find operations on a disjoint-set forest with nodes requires total time , where is the extremely slow-growing inverse Ackermann function. Disjoint-set forests do not guarantee this performance on a per-operation basis. Individual union and find operations can take longer than a constant times time, but each operation causes the disjoint-set forest to adjust itself so that successive operations are faster. Disjoint-set forests are both asymptotically optimal and practically efficient.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: Disjoint-set data structures play a key role in Kruskal's algorithm for finding the minimum spanning tree of a graph. The importance of minimum spanning trees means that disjoint-set data structures underlie a wide variety of algorithms. In addition, disjoint-set data structures also have applications to symbolic computation, as well in compilers, especially for register allocation problems.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: Disjoint-set forests were first described by Bernard A. Galler and Michael J. Fischer in 1964. In 1973, their time complexity was bounded to formula_1, the iterated logarithm of formula_2, by Hopcroft and Ullman. In 1975, Robert Tarjan was the first to prove the formula_3 (inverse Ackermann function) upper bound on the algorithm's time complexity, and, in 1979, showed that this was the lower bound for a restricted case. In 1989, Fredman and Saks showed that formula_4 (amortized) words must be accessed by "any" disjoint-set data structure per operation, thereby proving the optimality of the data structure.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: In 1994, Richard J. Anderson and Heather Woll described a parallelized version of Union–Find that never needs to block.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: In 2007, Sylvain Conchon and Jean-Christophe Filliâtre developed a semi-persistent version of the disjoint-set forest data structure and formalized its correctness using the proof assistant Coq. "Semi-persistent" means that previous versions of the structure are efficiently retained, but accessing previous versions of the data structure invalidates later ones. Their fastest implementation achieves performance almost as efficient as the non-persistent algorithm. They do not perform a complexity analysis.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: Variants of disjoint-set data structures with better performance on a restricted class of problems have also been considered. Gabow and Tarjan showed that if the possible unions are restricted in certain ways, then a truly linear time algorithm is possible.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: Each node in a disjoint-set forest consists of a pointer and some auxiliary information, either a size or a rank (but not both). The pointers are used to make parent pointer trees, where each node that is not the root of a tree points to its parent. To distinguish root nodes from others, their parent pointers have invalid values, such as a circular reference to the node or a sentinel value. Each tree represents a set stored in the forest, with the members of the set being the nodes in the tree. Root nodes provide set representatives: Two nodes are in the same set if and only if the roots of the trees containing the nodes are equal.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: Nodes in the forest can be stored in any way convenient to the application, but a common technique is to store them in an array. In this case, parents can be indicated by their array index. Every array entry requires bits of storage for the parent pointer. A comparable or lesser amount of storage is required for the rest of the entry, so the number of bits required to store the forest is . If an implementation uses fixed size nodes (thereby limiting the maximum size of the forest that can be stored), then the necessary storage is linear in .


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: Disjoint-set data structures support three operations: Making a new set containing a new element; Finding the representative of the set containing a given element; and Merging two sets.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: The codice_1 operation adds a new element into a new set containing only the new element, and the new set is added to the data structure. If the data structure is instead viewed as a partition of a set, then the codice_1 operation enlarges the set by adding the new element, and it extends the existing partition by putting the new element into a new subset containing only the new element.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: In a disjoint-set forest, codice_1 initializes the node's parent pointer and the node's size or rank. If a root is represented by a node that points to itself, then adding an element can be described using the following pseudocode:


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: In practice, codice_1 must be preceded by an operation that allocates memory to hold . As long as memory allocation is an amortized constant-time operation, as it is for a good dynamic array implementation, it does not change the asymptotic performance of the random-set forest.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: The codice_5 operation follows the chain of parent pointers from a specified query node until it reaches a root element. This root element represents the set to which belongs and may be itself. codice_5 returns the root element it reaches.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: Performing a codice_5 operation presents an important opportunity for improving the forest. The time in a codice_5 operation is spent chasing parent pointers, so a flatter tree leads to faster codice_5 operations. When a codice_5 is executed, there is no faster way to reach the root than by following each parent pointer in succession. However, the parent pointers visited during this search can be updated to point closer to the root. Because every element visited on the way to a root is part of the same set, this does not change the sets stored in the forest. But it makes future codice_5 operations faster, not only for the nodes between the query node and the root, but also for their descendants. This updating is an important part of the disjoint-set forest's amortized performance guarantee.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: There are several algorithms for codice_5 that achieve the asymptotically optimal time complexity. One family of algorithms, known as path compression, makes every node between the query node and the root point to the root. Path compression can be implemented using a simple recursion as follows:


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: This implementation makes two passes, one up the tree and one back down. It requires enough scratch memory to store the path from the query node to the root (in the above pseudocode, the path is implicitly represented using the call stack). This can be decreased to a constant amount of memory by performing both passes in the same direction. The constant memory implementation walks from the query node to the root twice, once to find the root and once to update pointers:


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: Tarjan and Van Leeuwen also developed one-pass codice_5 algorithms that retain the same worst-case complexity but are more efficient in practice. These are called path splitting and path halving. Both of these update the parent pointers of nodes on the path between the query node and the root. Path splitting replaces every parent pointer on that path by a pointer to the node's grandparent:


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: The operation codice_14 replaces the set containing and the set containing with their union. codice_15 first uses codice_5 to determine the roots of the trees containing and . If the roots are the same, there is nothing more to do. Otherwise, the two trees must be merged. This is done by either setting the parent pointer of 's root to 's, or setting the parent pointer of 's root to 's.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: The choice of which node becomes the parent has consequences for the complexity of future operations on the tree. If it is done carelessly, trees can become excessively tall. For example, suppose that codice_15 always made the tree containing a subtree of the tree containing . Begin with a forest that has just been initialized with elements formula_5 and execute codice_18, codice_18, ..., codice_18. The resulting forest contains a single tree whose root is , and the path from 1 to passes through every node in the tree. For this forest, the time to run codice_21 is .


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: In an efficient implementation, tree height is controlled using union by size or union by rank. Both of these require a node to store information besides just its parent pointer. This information is used to decide which root becomes the new parent. Both strategies ensure that trees do not become too deep.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: In the case of union by size, a node stores its size, which is simply its number of descendants (including the node itself). When the trees with roots and are merged, the node with more descendants becomes the parent. If the two nodes have the same number of descendants, then either one can become the parent. In both cases, the size of the new parent node is set to its new total number of descendants.


title: Disjoint-set data structure

text: The number of bits necessary to store the size is clearly the number of bits necessary to store . This adds a constant factor to the forest's required storage.