Oxford Comma

1. FADE IN.

2. 
   

3. Act 1

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5. INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY

6. 
   

7. Relaxing on a sofa, PETER is reading something on his phone.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): What's that Oxford comma?

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11. Peter surfs the web.

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13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's a comma used after the penultimate item in a list of three or more items, before "and" or "or". It's grammatically optional in American English.

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15. Reading.

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17. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Is using the Oxford comma bad? Some opine that it litters writing and interrupts the flow of a sentence.

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19. Reading.

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21. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Some opine that lawyers insisting on using the Oxford comma makes bad writing.

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23. Pausing.

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25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What is my practice? I tend to omit the Oxford comma.

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27. Pausing.

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29. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I wouldn't dwell on this Oxford comma, but for my visit to Oxford last September.

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31. Act 2

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33. FLASHBACK

34. 
    

35. INT. HOME - DAY (2019)

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37. Peter's WIFE is chatting with Peter.

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39. WIFE: When we go to UK and help settle down our younger daughter in university, we'll visit Oxford.

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41. PETER: Why? She's not going to Oxford.

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43. WIFE: I just want to visit the city.

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45. PETER: In the mid-1980s, I passed through Oxford only as I found parking difficult. Okay, we'll go, as you like it.

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47. MONTAGE OF PETER'S FAMILY VISIT TO OXFORD (2019)

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49. A. In an underground car park Peter, his wife and DAUGHTER get out of a car.

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51. B. They visit Oxford monuments - University Church, Radcliff Camera, Bridge of Sighs and others.

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53. C. In the Grand Cafe, the oldest coffee house opened in 1650, they have high tea.

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55. END MONTAGE

57. RETURN TO PRESENT

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59. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): That was just several months ago. We felt good to have a break from Hong Kong then. Now, even without the 14-day quarantine, I've no interest to go.

60. 
    

61. Pausing.

62. 
    

63. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): But the US Secretary of State went there. He's building a political coalition against China. UK, after Brexit, needs a good free trade agreement with US.

64. 
    

65. Pausing.

66. 
    

67. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While UK might still cherish its empire, the return of Hong Kong to China marked the end. US states were British colonies too; but now, UK acts like a US dependent territory.

68. 
    

69. TV news has distracted Peter's attention. We hear the US Secretary of State remarking:..the right thing to do.

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71. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, for UK to submit to US dominance is the right thing to do.

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73. Pausing.

74. 
    

75. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When China rises, it has become US' perfect enemy. Hong Kong, China, has been one of the chess of UK and US. Their principal excuse in encroaching China is that their national security are at stake.

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77. Pausing.

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79. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): So US and countries subject to its dominance act together to "punish" China for protecting its national security in the context of Hong Kong, China.

80. 
    

81. Pausing.

82. 
    

83. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While US has always had the hegemonic mindset, UK is still regretting that it had to return Hong Kong to China.

84. 
    

85. Pausing.

86. 
    

87. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But any empire has a life cycle. When old China was weak, it lost the Opium Wars and had to cede and lease territories to UK, forming the colony of Hong Kong.

88. 
    

89. Pausing.

90. 
    

91. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Then, UK used opium and force to get Chinese tea and silver.

93. Peter surfs the web.

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95. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Officially, tea trade between UK and old China began in 1664.

96. 
    

97. Pausing.

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99. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Grand Cafe at Oxford was open in 1650. If the British were content with their coffee, rather than tea and/or coffee, would the Opium Wars be prevented?

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101. Thinking.

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103. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No, aggression and dominance are human nature. People always like to dominate others if they can, unless they're really civilised and peace-loving.

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105. Sighing.

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107. Act 3

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109. INT. SITTING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

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111. Peter checks a new phone notification. We see on screen: Is Prof Sir Bell of Oxford University right to say that COVID-19 will be with us for many years if not forever...

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113. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's the professor's expert opinion before a UK committee. In terms of confidence level in health science, an expert opinion is the weakest.

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115. Pausing.

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117. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): On June 26, 2020, a team from Barcelona University released their finding that the coronavirus was first found in Spain in March 2019. The level of confidence of a descriptive control study is stronger than an expert opinion.

118. 
     

119. Pausing.

120. 
     

121. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But many people dismiss the Spanish finding outright, based on their bare assertions.

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123. Pausing.

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125. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Objectively speaking, they should have more confidence in any control study than an expert opinion.

126. 
     

127. Thinking.

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129. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But if people don't want to reduce their bias and prejudice, it's really hard to change them. That also explains the recurrent human conflicts.

130. 
     

131. Reflecting.

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133. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I verily believe their primitive and confrontational approach can't stand the test of time - just like the bad Oxford comma, can be do without.

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135. THE END

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137. FADE OUT.