Discuss - Ep #0337

[Watching Project]

Robservations - #337

[IluvBarnabas]

I really felt like wanting to slap Woodard for his stupidity today. I understand his wanting to tell David that he now believes him, but why in hell did he have to go volunteering the information to Barnabas that he's seen Sarah?!!

Good old Dave says something stupid things like I can't wait for Burke to come back (patient fella, isn't he? or I feel time isn't on my side. Well time would have been much kinder to him if he actually had been patient enough to wait for Burke to return and look into the matter and get some hard evidence instead of blabbing his big mouth to Barnabas, letting the vampire know he's on to him.

Well, I still enjoyed this episode, even if it is infuriating to watch Woodard march headlong all too willingly to his own doom.

[loril54]

I wonder if that is how it really was going to be before the strike. Since from what I was told there was some days between shooting. Maybe  people didn't really think that if you get mad you got written out. In DS it sure makes sense, they might be able to do that with a Vampire on the loose. 

Dr. Woodard kind of reminds me of how David behaved, went plunging right ahead and didn't think of the consequenses.  David might have an out, he was a lot young

[Lydia]

I don't like Peter Murphy nearly so much in the caretaker role as I liked Daniel Keyes.  Daniel Keyes was off in some ghost-ridden world of his own.  Peter Murphy is too down-to-earth.

Nicely done conversation between Elizabeth and Roger.  Elizabeth's position reminded me of a point in 1795 [warning: spoilers ahead] in which Naomi, with the best of intentions, persuaded the newlywed Barnabas and Angelique to stay at the Old House, which led to doom and destruction.  Now Elizabeth, also with the best of intentions, wants to keep David at Collinwood, which is very dangerous to David.  It's a weird situation.  If Julia can cure Barnabas without interference, then it is quite possible that he will reform his evil ways and everybody will live happily ever after, except for Jason and a few hapless cows.  There is very little for anybody to gain by exposing Barnabas at this point.

[loril54]

If Julia can cure Barnabas without interference, then it is quite possible that he will reform his evil ways and everybody will live happily ever after, except for Jason and a few hapless cows.  There is very little for anybody to gain by exposing Barnabas at this point.

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But what would they do if they cured Barnabas, where would the show have gone.  We might never have seen Angelique. 

[EmeraldRose]

I also wanted to slap Dr. Woodard into reality.  It seems so out of character for him to suddenly be acting so stupid. I can't imagine Robert Gerringer acting this way. Spoiler:

Dr. Guthtrie's demise at the hands of Laura was similar to this - and I was angry about that also!  Why is it that so many doctors get stupid on this show and end up getting killed?

That was a great scene between Barnabas and Dr. Woodard, though.  That sure was an awkward pause - I guess somebody forgot his lines?

I liked the scene between Dr. Woodard and David, also.  They were talking on the same level.  He reassured David that nothing would happen to him - boy was that not true!

----- Sally -----

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Why is it that so many doctors get stupid on this show and end up getting killed?

Because DS is a Gothic story, and as such the good often do stupid things because they honestly believe they're the righteous ones and they're protected by their righteousness - BUT in the Gothic realm Fate often tends to laugh at that belief, and so they end up dieing at the hands of the evil. Generally, though, the evil do get their comeuppance in the end - though, of course, that will never happen with Barnabas (much to some DS fans' chagrin - right, Raineypark   ).

In this instance, in order to keep Barn around, it was absolutely necessary for Barn to get rid of Woodard. The interesting thing to think about here, though, is it was originally supposed to be the other way around...

That was a great scene between Barnabas and Dr. Woodard, though.

I've always loved Barnabas' great display of indignation with his remark about receiving one slap in face after another (MPI used that sequence to hilarious effect in one of their TV promos for the VHS tapes). But talk about indignation that couldn't be less justified. The act and the facts are completely at odds.

[Sunny_Collins]

Did it used to be customary for families to keep their family journals and records with the caretaker of the cemetery? I know I wouldn't want my personal journals lying about for anyone to peruse on request.

Also, Dr. Woodard says he thinks it's strange that both Barnabas and Sarah contracted a fever, but it could have been like any contagious illness, spreading from one person to the next. As a doctor he should realize this and it shouldn't really cause suspicion. But then again, he already has enough to make him suspicious of Barnabas. I just think it was a rather odd observation coming from him.

Roger's idea of sending David to a military school is ridiculous! what he needs is an understanding father who will actually listen to him.

I think it was foolish of Dr. Woodard to continue the investigation alone. He really should have enlisted help from someone. Perhaps then things might have turned out differently for him. 

[Misty]

I thought the conversation between Dr. Woodard and Barnabas was one if Frid's best acted scenes. I also wondered about the unusually long pause. This Woodard is soooo unlike Gerringer-----I also tried to imagine how he would play the scene. If the Doctor were so convinced that Barnabas was one of the undead (implied), why would he EVER visit him alone---and be so confrontational????? 
                                                              Misty

[loril54]

Very good observation. Why did woodard go see Barnabas. People under stree do not always to the smartest things. All the charactors have done that, i mean dumb things.

[MagnusTrask]

SPOILER


Had they already decided to reform Barnabas's character, when writing and shooting this thing that's going to happen to Woodard?   They had clearly intended to keep Barnabas around longer, but were they planning to make him a protagonist, and not just in 1795, but the present day, after he came back?   I mean, they could have shown him innocent in 1795 to show his origins, without making him reform once they came back from the past.

If Woodard was done in so that his killer could become a hero soon, that's an awfully twisted decision.    More and more, the Woodard thing is coloring my impressions of Barnabas in all later storylines.

[Midnite]

That was a great scene between Barnabas and Dr. Woodard, though.  That sure was an awkward pause - I guess somebody forgot his lines?

When the same dialogue was taped for the beginning of #338, Turgeon not only spoke his line without the awkward pause, but his head didn't block Frid.  

When Liz described the West Wing as an independent unit, what did she mean?  What comes to my mind is a kitchen, private entrance, and separate servants' quarters, but I doubt that's it.  I'm sorry, but its own sitting room and bath doesn't cut it for homeyness.  And we all know who their maid would be. 

[michael c]

the whole business of liz offering the west wing to vicki and burke is a bit of a continuity gaffe.

the wing had never been described as an "independent unit" before but just another part of the vast unused part of the house.even if it had it's own entrance it had been closed off for so long rooms like the kitchen and bathroom would need to be completely updated to be functional.

it's highly unlikely burke would have wanted to spend the money to renovate someone else's house so was the collins family supposed to fund this?or would liz just "thoughtfully" dispatch mrs. johnson to clean the place up as she did when barnbas moved into the old house?

[Midnite]

the wing had never been described as an "independent unit" before but just another part of the vast unused part of the house.

Exactly!  When David and Amy Spoiler:

fussed about sneaking out of the house with the toy chest, they marched, not directly to a separate entrance that served the West Wing, but down the main staircase and out the front doors of Collinwood (bypassing even the secret passage to the drawing room and the servant's entrance behind the staircase).

[loril54]

I guess they only had one staircase built. So they had to keep using it.

Spoiler.

 The first new staircase was Quentins and we all knew where that went. Don't want to be losing people.