Discuss - Ep #0045

[Watching Project]

Robservations #45

[DarkLady]

Bill offers to help Burke prove his innocence if Burke will promise not to harm the Collins family. Bill mentions Elizabeth, David, and Carolyn--but pointedly leaves out Roger. The exception doesn’t escape Burke’s notice, and he realizes that Bill knows that Roger must be involved.

Carolyn visits Roger at his office, which is decorated with an essential piece of office equipment--a dartboard. While confronting Roger, Bill stands right next to the dartboard and doesn't flinch even once when Roger throws darts at it.

Roger takes THE PEN away from her because he thinks it was improper of her to accept it--especially from Burke. When Roger tries to give it back, she turns it down because it's "spoiled" now.

Bill sets up a meeting at his office with Burke....

[MagnusTrask]

Why'd Burke give Carolyn Blair's real name?   I like how Malloy acknowledges that others can be smarter than him, while still looking them in the eye and not feeling inferior... and actually bosses them around.   The dartboard was a nice touch.   LE was really throwing darts near FS's head, or some of that expensive editing was going on... in which case, someome still sent real darts sailing by the man's head.

Josette LaPrenniere from Paris?   Malloy would have been a nice non-namby-pamby protagonist to have on DS long term.   

[Lydia]

Oh, gosh, people, where are your priorities?  Mr. Mustache (or might it be Colonel Mustache?) makes his very first appearance today in Roger's office, and all you can talk about is the dartboard!

We got a maiden name for Jeremiah's wife Josette: La Frenière.  This is rather fascinating.  It wasn't necessary for this detail to be included in Carolyn's little soliloquy; she was talking about Jeremiah and what he'd think of the current-day Collinses.  So it looks as though the whole point, from the perspective of the writers, was to throw in this tidbit about Jeremiah's wife.  But why?

How exactly is Bill Malloy planning to pull off his big coup?  He keeps talking about a "hole card", and I guess he's talking about what Sam said while drunk, which Sam doesn't even remember saying, so I don't think it's much of a hole card.  If there's something else, I don't remember it.  And anyway, I don't think Liz is going to be at all happy to see her brother carted off to jail.  Bill can talk all he wants about how he did it for Liz's own good, but she's not going to like it.

[MagnusTrask]

I got the impression that Malloy had gone off and found some evidence while the camera was off him.

[DarkLady]

Or maybe he just wants to get the whole business out in the open and is dropping hints that he hopes will push events forward.

I can't think of any reason that Burke would NOT give Carolyn Blair's real name. After all, what could a kid like her (as I'm sure he thinks of her) do about it?

[MagnusTrask]

I can't think of any reason that Burke would NOT give Carolyn Blair's real name. After all, what could a kid like her (as I'm sure he thinks of her) do about it?

He's very, very careful, especially about this one thing.   If you don't give out a piece of dangerous information at all, not even to someone you don't take seriously and think will forget it two minutes later, then it can't get out and ruin your plans.

[DarkLady]

True, MT, but even Bill is aware (and has told Elizabeth) that Burke is asking around about buying up all of the Collinses' IOUs. That seems even more explosive to me.

[alwaysdavid]

The way Bill storms into Roger's office, makes quite a statement in how Bill views Roger in the whole scheme of things involving Collins business.  And it all leads up to plans for an 11 o'clock meeting in Roger's office.

[Midnite]

No one stirs (or stares) like Bill Malloy!  But at least this time the coffee he was stirring wasn't black.

Malloy tells Burke he wants to "lay the cards right on the table" but reveals his "hole card" only to Roger.  One thing's for sure, though-- he was not bluffing.

The set used for Roger's office will be seen, wholly and in part, MANY times throughout the series.  They were still using it as late as 1970 (as Professor Stokes' flat).