Interesting episode. In the beginning we've got some heartwarming interaction between Barnabas and Adam. Adam says Barnabas's name and is thrilled to be saying it, and Barnabas is thrilled that Adam can say it. I'm thinking to myself, "Adam deserves a hug right now," but that's not Barnabas's style. Barnabas carries a makeshift table over to Adam's bed, and I think: "Wonders never cease! Barnabas is doing manual labor!" Barnabas leaves, saying he'll come see Adam tomorrow, and I think "Why not later today?" but then it becomes clear that it's Adam's bedtime. It would have been nice if Barnabas could have sung a lullaby to Adam, but again, that's not Barnabas's style.
Next, after Adam's escape, we go to Collinwood and see another father-and-son pair, Roger and David, interacting. This too is pleasant and heartwarming, within the limitations of the participants. Side note: I would have liked to see Cassandra and David in Collinsport together. When they met for the first time, in the drawing room, Cassandra's smile was obviously false. Was it less false today, or had Cassandra used some more black magic on David?
After that we get a brief interaction between the father of one pair and the son of the other. If arashi were to watch this episode using her headphones, I imagine that she would hear Lela Swift calling, “Barnabas and David, bow to your opposite corners.”
Next we get some interaction between the two fathers, at Collinwood, and the two sons, in the woods. It's not so pleasant as the previous interactions. “Two houses, both alike in dignity, In fair Collinsport, where we lay our scene...”
Finally, we get the two father-and-son pairs together for a foursome. After Barnabas persuades Adam to put David down, David runs into the arms of Barnabas, not into his father's arms, and Barnabas the non-hugger puts his arms around David right in front of Adam. And Roger, in clear violation of the rules of reciprocity and also of square dancing, shoots Adam.
Very, very interesting.
