Discuss - Ep #0520

[Watching Project]

Robservations #520

And if you'd care to look back, the first WP discussion topic for this ep:

Re: Discuss - Ep #0520

[DarkLady]

The end of this episode could have been tedious and repetitious, but JB and JF make it seem brand new.

I love Elizabeth's dress in the first part of this episode--navy blue with lace ruffles at the neck and wrists. Young mod ladies were wearing those in 1964, but on her it looks classic and timeless. I also love her black velvet robe (with the inevitable pearls) later on.

Barnabas is wearing a strange brown suit--luckily it never appeared again. Roger is worried because he hasn't seen Cassandra in twelve hours--even her clothes are gone. (This is a very sartorial post!) Barn and Julia wonder if this means Trask has fulfilled his purpose. Sure enough, his skeleton is back in its accustomed spot (now with a proper left arm, not its former misshapen one). They take this as a sign that he succeeded in exorcising Angelique and is now resting in peace (or whatever). Barnabas's call to Angelique is met only with silence, but not for a moment does he believe she is gone forever. Julia is more optimistic.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth is now in full Naomi mode and accusingly asks "Joshua" why he didn't tell her that their son is one of the living dead. Julia tries to get her to lie down, but "Naomi" gets angry at being given orders in her own house and stalks off. Julia wants Roger to have his sister hospitalized, but he won't hear of it.

Standing in the coffin room (with Trask’s skeleton still looking on) Barnabas and Julia realize the peril Barnabas is in. Thunder rumbles as Barnabas reacts with horror to Julia’s news about Elizabeth’s transformation and her statement that he is one of the living dead. And what if she takes it one step further? he asks. What if she makes the connection between the living dead-- And vampires? Julia finishes as he turns away guiltily. Even more worrisome is the possibility that Roger will put all the pieces together. Barnabas says, I’m sure Cassandra is very much alive and will not be satisfied until Elizabeth says the word _vampire_. A peal of thunder follows. I think you should go to Collinwood, Julia urges him. And give Elizabeth a chance to accuse me? Barnabas retorts. Perhaps if she sees you-- Julia starts, but Barnabas asks, What about my seeing her? What about my reliving that night? That terrible night when my mother-- What happened to Naomi Collins? Julia finally asks Barnabas. At last he must reveal the painful truth that he has hidden from Julia until now. His grief and shame undiminished by time, he answers, She took her own life rather than face what I had become. Then you must go! Julia urges him again. Full of dread, Barnabas asks, Do you think that Elizabeth might--? Yes, Julia insists, yes, unless you go. Barnabas worries, But the sight of me might-- Might bring her back her back to reality--unless you give yourself away, Julia finishes. I must be careful, Barnabas agrees. Julia reassures him, Just remember one lie: that that Barnabas Collins no longer exists. In a way it’s true, she continues: The vampire is dead--only the man lives. Come with me, Barnabas tells her, and they hurry upstairs.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth retraces Naomi's steps almost exactly, writing a letter to Joshua, taking the poison, and starting upstairs to the Tower Room.

Barnabas unhappily recalls the storm on the night his mother died--and that she wrote a note to his father. Julia spots Elizabeth's note, and they race upstairs.

Barnabas gets to the Tower first. Elizabeth hurries to him. Elizabeth, you’re under a spell! he tells her. I’m not under a spell, she insists. Tell me what has happened. Nothing, Barnabas answers. Now you tell me--you need a doctor. No! Elizabeth says. Seeing you is enough. I’ll keep your secret, she pleads as the poison drains her strength away. Tell me what you took! Barnabas begs her. I don’t know, Elizabeth answers. It was in the drawer where I put it so long ago. Just then Julia arrives. Elizabeth gasps to Barnabas, It’s too late! Hold me! She collapses in Barnabas’s arms exactly, as his mother did on that terrible night long ago. Julia, do something! Barnabas implores her as he gently lowers Elizabeth to the floor....

[dom]

Anyone surprised that Roger didn't go to Tony's to look for Cassandra?
Roger's wearing an interesting jacket. I can't figure out if it's an outdoor jacket or a sport coat? Whichever, it's snazzy.
Barn's back to the wet look (or stiff look).
The exterior shots have a purple tint on my TV.
Everyone but Frid looks pretty damn good.
"But you're not a vampire anymore!" Yeah, what she said.
Interesting that they'd write Liz questioning herself as Naomi in a voice over. So Liz is still in there fighting or at least questioning.
This episode was on the shabby side. It had it's moments but when it wasn't boring it was poorly acted and poorly staged.

[MagnusTrask]

I don't think Roger knows about Tony-and-Cassandra, dom... though it's hard to keep track of all this.   Cass seems to be smiting anyone who sees them together, to keep them from talking.

Julia leaps to one of many weird assumptions, which disappointing DS storylines will be filled with.   She declares with certainty that a restored alcove will mean Cassandra's vanquished.  It's the kind of plot "information" that's just thrown bluntly at the audience, who are expected just to swallow it because some "expert" said it, so the plot can speed along.    Julia knows nothing that could lead her to the conclusion and is hardly an expert on any of this.   

I've seen bad horror and bad sci-fi written like this.  I think this kind of writing assumes an attitude of befuddled, uncomprehending awe for "experts", with no expectation whatsoever that the audience will ever have the slightest hope of understanding the reasoning leading to the conclusion.   Experts are those magical wizards who just "know"-- so it's enough for them to have "eureka" moments where everything becomes clear to them.   We don't expect to follow their train of thought, therefore no need to explain it and make it believable.

I'm over-analyzing that little moment.  I really think it's more a matter of being rushed and not caring so much, and believing they were writing more for children, or DC pressing them to think this way.   What I said above is worth saying still, though, I think.   

The exact opposite of the attitude I was criticizing is the better stuff from 90s Star Trek, in which half the interest is with the drama, and the other half is how they explain the science so even a smart layman can follow, in just a few words.   I'm watching DS9 all over again now, and appreciate this more than ever.   I hate plots that depend on godlike "experts" going "eureka" for no explained reason, as if we'd never understand...

Cass programs Liz to fear being buried alive, then changes minds in midstream and reprograms Liz to poison herself.   All this was handled unexpectedly well.   There were reflective moments, mood moments, some good dialogue.   Sam Hall's name means nothing, no writers' credits do, since quality doesn't seem related to them anymore.   I'd forgotten this stuff happened, Liz poisoning herself like Naomi.   

Ninth and tenth mentions of the word "vampire", by Julia and Barnabas?   Since I'm unsure, it's time to stop counting.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

DS is most certainly guilty at times of wanting its audience to swallow some huge pronouncements, but I can honestly say that I've never felt that what Julia says about the skeleton has ever come across to me as some sort of expert proclamation. To me it's always been a fairly logical conclusion that might have occurred to almost anyone who was as deeply involved in the situation (the seance, Trask's skeleton's disappearance, followed directly by the appearance of Trask ghost) as Julia was. It makes a lot of sense that if Trask's ghost had accomplished his goal, his skeleton could have reappeared in the alcove. It's an idea that occurs to Julia after she pauses to give some thought as to what sort of sign there might be that Trask succeeded. The skeleton reappearing is the theory she comes up with, and given the way the scene plays out, the process of reaching that theory has always felt pretty organic to me.

And as an aside, one thing that's interesting about the scene where Barn and Julia go down into the basement to check for the skeleton is that back in the '80s when DS was syndicated in my area, the TV station running it used a clip from the scene up to the point where Barnabas proclaims "It is true. He has done what he came to do, and Angelique is no more," as one of their promotional ads for this section of the 1968 storyline.

[MagnusTrask]

Well, I did say that scene wasn't the best example of what I was talking about.   Later though, Stokes comes up with some whoppers, which make sense because he says so.... I can buy Julia thinking Trask returning to the alcove was a possibility, and that it might mean Cass is dealt with, but to consider it definite proof of that is going a bit far...

I wish it had been syndicated near me.  I guess it was but I only managed to catch a glimpse one day before it was gone.  Other than that, from the final ep's airing in 1971 up to 2002, 31 years, I never saw DS.

[alwaysdavid]

Roger tells Julia that Cassandra is missing and Julia appears hopeful. I found a likeability in Hall's protrayal today that seemed to overcome that feeling that Julia has gone beyond protecting herself and trying to keep Barnabas from other women.

[dom]

Interesting observation about Julia, I'll have to take another look.