Story Problems

[Josette]

This first one doesn't bother me too much, given all of the suspension of disbelief needed in these stories, I find this quite acceptable.  However, the I Ching presumably isn't meant as a means of time travel.  When Barnabas used it, he thought he would be contacting Quentin's spirit.  He didn't know he would travel in time.

Even if the hexagram of change does mean a change of time, it wouldn't necessarily mean the same time.  Yet Barnabas and Julia both go back to 1897.  Since they went "back" in time, why does Petofi assume he'll go forward?  And why necessarily to 1969?  Yet both Charles in his attempt and then Petofi do, indeed, go to 1969.

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The more problematic one is Petofi's hand.  I think they forgot what they wrote about it.  The entire beginning of that story was "our" people's possession of the hand, Petofi's search for it, and then finally getting it reattached.  He went 100 years without it, and if he didn't get it back at that point would have died (presumably).

Now, I'm sure he still had formidable powers without it, but why are Kitty and Charles so afraid when he holds out the hand and asks if they remember what it can do.  They could never have known the Hand.

[Gerard]

That hand thing is the one that really got me.  I mean, they would play with "facts" when something from a previous storyline is mentioned in another to make it fit (like Josette's portrait being painted in 1797), but here it's in the same storyline.

Here's a rather interesting aside that deals with the same problem.  It's in Stephen King's novel "Carrie".  In one part of the novel, mention is made of Carrie's father being gone before she was born.  Later, however, another mention is made of him still being around (preventing his wife from killing their infant daughter).  I think this was just a whoopsie-daisey that got past King and the editors.  It has never been corrected in any edition that I know of.

Gerard

[Connie]

Even if the hexagram of change does mean a change of time, it wouldn't necessarily mean the same time.  Yet Barnabas and Julia both go back to 1897.  Since they went "back" in time, why does Petofi assume he'll go forward?  And why necessarily to 1969?  Yet both Charles in his attempt and then Petofi do, indeed, go to 1969.

All I can figure, is that it's the person's INTENT, that determines where they go.  Since Barn wanted to deal with the Quentin problem, he ended up in the time band where the situation took place.  Petofi wants to go to '69, so that's where he went (if all too briefly).  I dunno -- seems as plausible as any other explanation I guess.  lol 

But wait - I don't remember now.  Did Julia and Barnabas intend to go to 1995?  It's all so confusing.

-CLC

[Connie]

Hey, I have a BIG story problem.
What's with Quentin's portrait??  As clearly as I can remember, it was on canvas.  NOW, it's become a poster!  What the...  Did I miss something?  I couldn't believe it watching the tape tonight.  There he is rolling it up and it's all wrinkled and everything.

Really enjoyed the shows though - hadn't seen parts of them before.

[Midnite]

This first one doesn't bother me too much, given all of the suspension of disbelief needed in these stories, I find this quite acceptable.  However, the I Ching presumably isn't meant as a means of time travel.  When Barnabas used it, he thought he would be contacting Quentin's spirit.  He didn't know he would travel in time.

Even if the hexagram of change does mean a change of time, it wouldn't necessarily mean the same time.  Yet Barnabas and Julia both go back to 1897.  Since they went "back" in time, why does Petofi assume he'll go forward?  And why necessarily to 1969?  Yet both Charles in his attempt and then Petofi do, indeed, go to 1969.

I absolutely agree that it was a huge stretch to use a divination tool that's thousands of years old as a means of time traveling.  But I thought Professor Stokes' explanation that 1897 was somehow running parallel with his present plugged the hole about characters and their letters going back and forth to those times at will (hmmm, though I guess they'd actually be going sideways?).  It wasn't a tight explanation, but I figure they at least gave it a shot.

Now, I'm sure he still had formidable powers without it, but why are Kitty and Charles so afraid when he holds out the hand and asks if they remember what it can do.  They could never have known the Hand.

Yeah, when Quentofi put his gnarly hand in front of Kitty's face and asked if she remembered it, I though she should've said, "Uh.... no."

[DSFAN4EVER]

How about when  Beth says to Quentin "but Barnabas is your friend!"
Quentin was friends with the old vampire Barnabas, not this new and improved "cousin" version.