When a bitten-to-death passenger is found dead in his cabin, a dad with son-issues aspires to catch the killer and redeem himself to his son.

"Because for the purpose of a logline and a plot, a protagonist should only have 1 objective goal"
In this case, I think it matters how you view these, because in reality they could be viewed as only part of a larger goal: to balance work and personal life. In that case repairing the marriage and doing the job are only steps to take to get to the goal. Just as in real life, most people's goal is to live life to the , but everything else falls under that. But in a story is it too broad? I think in that case the focus goes on the trials the person faces to achieve that grand goal. In this case, having to be able to do the job and keep the marriage together.
Anyway, I still stand by my earlier stance where I said seeing the protagonist losing at the end would be refreshing compared to all the happy endings..

You raise good points, as usual, Dkpough 1. ?In response to

>>>?But not both.?
>>>Wouldn't that be the real challenge? To be able to do both? To somehow be able to get her spouse to remain with her, and catch the killer?

Because for the purpose of a logline and a plot, a protagonist should only have 1 objective goal. ? The Biblical adage that "no man can serve two masters" is as true for reel life as it is for real life in the sense that no protagonist can serve 2 objective goals. ?He can try. ?But one must inevitably taken precedence; one must inevitably be sacrificed for the sake of the other. It's S.O.P. in drama.

True dilemmas are a good thing in drama, a way par excellence to infuse a story with complications and rising tension.

Dilemmas aside, there's the matter of the initial objective goal --before the inciting incident-- and the new objective goal created by the inciting incident.

Case in point: ?"Die Hard"

The movie opens with NYPD officer John McClane flying to LA to visit his kids and his wife from whom he is estranged. ?His initial objective goal is to repair their broken marriage.

And then the terrorists attack-- the inciting incident.

As a result of that inciting incident, what becomes his objective goal? ?To repair his marriage by by impressing his wife with how he single-handedly outwits and defeats the terrorists?

No. ?His objective goal becomes to outwit and defeat the terrorists. ?That's how the plot is framed.

Yes, his wife is among those in jeopardy. ?But even if she weren't, even if there was no one else in the building but himself and the bad guys, John McClane would take on the terrorists. ?Why? ?Because he's a stand up guy, a good cop. ?Because it's his job, his calling.

And in the process of defeating the terrorists, he wins her back -- that's his Christmas bonus, the unintended consequence of his achieving his objective goal.

There, I submit for your consideration, is the template for the premise of this logline.

fwiw

You raise good points, as usual, Dkpough 1. ?In response to

>>>?But not both.?
>>>Wouldn't that be the real challenge? To be able to do both? To somehow be able to get her spouse to remain with her, and catch the killer?

Because for the purpose of a logline and a plot, a protagonist should only have 1 objective goal. ? The Biblical adage that "no man can serve two masters" is as true for reel life as it is for real life in the sense that no protagonist can serve 2 objective goals. ?He can try. ?But one must inevitably taken precedence; one must inevitably be sacrificed for the sake of the other. It's S.O.P. in drama.

True dilemmas are a good thing in drama, a way par excellence to infuse a story with complications and rising tension.

Dilemmas aside, there's the matter of the initial objective goal --before the inciting incident-- and the new objective goal created by the inciting incident.

Case in point: ?"Die Hard"

The movie opens with NYPD officer John McClane flying to LA to visit his kids and his wife from whom he is estranged. ?His initial objective goal is to repair their broken marriage.

And then the terrorists attack-- the inciting incident.

As a result of that inciting incident, what becomes his objective goal? ?To repair his marriage by by impressing his wife with how he single-handedly outwits and defeats the terrorists?

No. ?His objective goal becomes to outwit and defeat the terrorists. ?That's how the plot is framed.

Yes, his wife is among those in jeopardy. ?But even if she weren't, even if there was no one else in the building but himself and the bad guys, John McClane would take on the terrorists. ?Why? ?Because he's a stand up guy, a good cop. ?Because it's his job, his calling.

And in the process of defeating the terrorists, he wins her back -- that's his Christmas bonus, the unintended consequence of his achieving his objective goal.

There, I submit for your consideration, is the template for the premise of this logline.

fwiw