Discuss - Ep #0232

[Watching Project]

Robservations - #232

[Lydia]

I wonder what would have happened if Jason had found and destroyed the vampire while he (Jason, not the vampire) was blackmailing Elizabeth.  Would it have been an additional hold over her?  "Now remember, Liz, I helped you.  I didn't tell anyone that it was your own cousin who victimized that poor innocent girl, Maggie Evans."  I'm not sure what evidence he'd have threatened her with, but then, lack of evidence never worried Jason.

This time around, I keep rooting for Barnabas to complete the transformation of Maggie into Josette - which says a lot for Kathryn Leigh Scott.  She makes it look as though union with Barnabas were her Manifest Destiny.  And the alternative, Joe, is very sweet, but not very interesting.  I guess that was Joel Crothers's complaint about the character anyway - but I'm not much of Joel Crothers fan.  Sorry - I've read all the posts about how wonderful he was, and I just find him limited.  If David Selby had played Joe, with the exact same lines, there would have been something extra there.  But as played by Joel Crothers, Joe was just Joe.

I was thinking today what a perfect medium the soap opera is for supernatural stuff.  The time-honored themes of "Which suitor will the fair maiden choose?" and "Will the poor, suffering kid recover from his multisyllabic disease or will he kick the bucket?" get such an interesting twist when one of the suitors is a vampire and the multisyllabic disease is vampirically transmitted anemia.  I'd say, "Gosh, Dan Curtis was brilliant!" but I'm not sure that he thought much about it.  He just took what was available, and was perfectly happy to make movies and prime-time series and miniseries later on.

[Gothick]

Wow.  That scene between Jason and Willie is so brilliant it almost eclipses the suspense and harrowing emotional rollercoaster brought on by the steady progress of Maggie's "illness."

Again, I thought the camerawork throughout was brilliant.  All the more so given that they were flying by the seat of their pants on this show.  There are a number of beautifully accomplished shots, but the most haunting, for me, is the silhouette of Willie's battered face in the half-light of the Old House drawing room.  The contrast between the elegant setting and this memento of Barnabas' ravening violence is nothing less than stunning.  And Karlen's performance foregrounds the quiet pathos beautifully here.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I wonder what would have happened if Jason had found and destroyed the vampire while he (Jason, not the vampire) was blackmailing Elizabeth.  Would it have been an additional hold over her?  "Now remember, Liz, I helped you.  I didn't tell anyone that it was your own cousin who victimized that poor innocent girl, Maggie Evans."  I'm not sure what evidence he'd have threatened her with, but then, lack of evidence never worried Jason.

I like it! 

I'd say, "Gosh, Dan Curtis was brilliant!" but I'm not sure that he thought much about it.

Or that he'd even had much to do with it. From what I've read and DC himself has said, it seems as if his main concern was that Barnabas be evil and it was the writers who'd convinced him the show needed to introduce all these subtle elements and twists into the storyline to make it more interesting. Thanks heavens they won out in this instance.

[Alondra]

Episode #232

Joe watches Maggie as she sleeps and makes a noise with his coffee cup which awakens her. She asks why he's there. Was she walking in her sleep again? He says she was restless all night but at dawn fell asleep. She says she feels better (because that vampire wasn't able to get to her is why!) She doesn't remember anything that happened the night before. As she has coffee he tells her that she tried to leave by the french doors and her father had to tie her down. He tells her she was found at the cemetary. She says she'd feel better if people would stop asking so many questions and just leave her alone. He says they're just trying to find out what's wrong with her. She says she's tired and he doesn't have to stay. He tells her they're concerned about the marks on her neck and how she got them. They're nearly healed now.

The dogs start howling, meaning that Barnabas is up and wants to see her. At this time her mood changes drastically and she becomes angry and nasty. She tells him to stop worrying about her, get out and don't come back! She doesn't want to see him anymore! Joe is stunned, surely she doesn't mean that!

Joe goes out to the living room and calls Vicki to come sit with Maggie. Since she's thrown him out he has to have someone sit with her and Sam isn't around for some reason. He has to go to work anyway. Vicki agrees to come.

As she hangs up the phone, Jason comes out of the service entrance and starts asking a lot of stupid questions. If I'd been Vicki, I would have just told him to leave me alone and left, but no. She had to be polite. Why? She can see his presence upsets Mrs. Stoddard and my loyalty would be to her. So while there is a storm on the way, he detains her asking idiot questions and she needed to leave and get to Maggie's before the storm hits. He asks about Maggie's illness, why can't she be left alone, is she in the habit of sleepwalking, what about this phone call you got from someone telling you she could be found in the cemetary? She politely answers his questions and ends up giving too much information. He comments on how mysterious all this is (and I was losing my temper with him, it looked like Vicki was irritated but still she was polite. In a way I was getting mad at her for NOT telling him to get lost!) He wants to know who made the call, where did it come from? She doesn't know, the voice was muffled, and all the time the storm is breaking and she has to go out in it because Mr. Nitbrain wouldn't shut up and let her go. Finally she gets away but only after HE says oh, you should go now before the storm breaks! Giving her permission! Vicki is too nice for her own good sometimes.

After she leaves, he leaves himself and shows up to the Old House. He knocks but when there is no immediate answer he lets himself in. Willie appears and Jason starts demanding answers. What is with this jerk and his constant demanding of answers from everyone? He should mind his own business! Ain't it enough he's blackmailing Liz Stoddard? Why does he have to make this Maggie situation his business, he doesn't even know her!

Willie stands with his head turned away from Jason and we clearly see the gashes put on that sweet face by that rotten lousy vampire. I know Barnabas is jealous because his servant is so much handsomer than he is.  Otherwise, when he caned him, he'd aim for his backside not his face! Finally Jason asks what happened and Willie won't tell him. Jason promptly forgets all about that and goes back to his demanding questions. (he could show more concern for his friend, like he did when Willie was sick before. He doesn't even ask if he's been clobbered by that vampire!) He wants to know if Willie's been back to the cemetary. He says no and Jason mentions the girl that was found there and during this conversation, neither mention her name, only 'the girl.' She had puncture wounds on her throat, the same as he found on Willie's arm, what about that? It's not a coincidence! He practically accuses Willie of attacking and harming the girl, and all the time I want to throttle him. What a complete moron. Hey, idiot, hello??? Willie had the same marks on him, leading one to conclude that they were both attacked by the same animal/whatever, NOT that Willie attacked himself and then the girl! Where's your brain, McGuire??? Willie claims that he wouldn't hurt the girl, he'd even-- and Jason knows he means to say protect her. Willie claims she means nothing to him. Jason accuses him of having made the phone call alerting Vicki of Maggie's wherabouts. He denies it and then Jason says something I found rather incredible. He says he's letting Willie stay there (!!??!!!) because he claims he's working, but if something Willie does fouls up HIS (Jason's) plans, or bring the cops down on either of them, well! I had to laugh when he said he was letting Willie stay at the Old House and work for Barn. Yeah right. First, even if Barn wasn't what he is, Willie is NOT your son and he's a grown man! You do NOT have the authority to tell him what to do. Then, of course, there's the fact of what Barn is. If Barn had heard that statement he would have laughed his head off.

At this point, Willie warns Jason that it's getting dark (meaning get lost nit before HE finds you here!) Barnabas doesn't like him to have visitors. Jason continues his demanding questions and won't let up and promises that he will get to the bottom of it. Willie tells him to leave it alone. Jason says he's changed and he may need to get to know the new Willie Loomis. Willie comments that Jason is not a man who keeps his promises.

Vicki arrives at Maggie's and Joe tells her about Maggie giving him his walking papers, she sure has changed. Vicki thinks it's just Maggie's illness, she didn't mean it. Soon she'll be well and all will be ok. Joe hopes so, he says something sad, he was with her all day, but he had never missed her so much. Joe is really sweet, I think most girls would love such a guy for their boyfriend, though he may be a bit on the boring side, he's a dependable and good man. You can sure do worse.

Maggie stirs and calls for Joe, which is a good sign. Vicki tells her that Joe has left, she's going to stay with her for a while. Maggie reacts to the lightening and thunder and Vicki says she's always hated storms. (same here) She asks Maggie about breaking up with Joe, and Maggie says she doesn't want to see him anymore, he must never come back. (I wonder if maybe she wants to protect him from Barnabas who might hurt him or kill him?) She gets up and looks out the window. Vicki tells her she needs to get back in bed. When Vicki fixes her covers, Maggie starts to rag on her, telling her to leave her alone. The doors blow open and we see a definite outline of a man, and it's clear to me it's Barnabas, because of the inverness coat. We do not see his face. Vicki screams and he disappears. Vicki closes the doors and Maggie says to leave them open, then says very calmly that everything is ok now.

Very exiting episode, especially the scene with Willie and Jason. Jason was such a jerk in this episode, first detaining Vicki with his idiot questions and then bullying my Willie for answers. I can see that later on when [spoiler]Barnabas kills him, Willie will be partly sad and partly relieved because at least there will be no more interrogations by his so called friend.[/spoiler]

Alondra

[IluvBarnabas]

Gosh, Jason really was a pest wasn't he? He knew Vicki was in a hurry, but he kept asking her more and more and MORE questions. It's a wonder Vicki made it to the Evans Cottage before the storm. I would have been like "move it or lose it!" to the nosy Mr. McGuire.

Also Jason telling Willie he's letting him stay on around Collinwood, sheesh he acts like he's Master of Collinwood. He may be blackmailing Elizabeth but it is still legally HER estate, not his. He apparently believes  he's the boss of her, and unfortunately she seems to believe it too and has to put up with it because of his "hold" over her.

Felt sorry for Joe, he loves Maggie so much, is very much concerned for her and she gave him his walking papers (though Vicki is right, poor thing can't really help it under her present condition).

Love the exchange between Jason and Willie. As for Jason's lack of concern for Willie's condition, I think at this point Jason is pretty much out for himself and can't be concerned any longer with what happens with Willie (unless of course as he put it, it endangers his own plans).

Great episode.

[Lydia]

Willie stands with his head turned away from Jason and we clearly see the gashes put on that sweet face by that rotten lousy vampire. I know Barnabas is jealous because his servant is so much handsomer than he is.  Otherwise, when he caned him, he'd aim for his backside not his face!

Actually, I figure there Willie got hit all over his body.  Barnabas looked too angry to stop at one or two strikes.

How interesting that people can't stand Jason in this episode!  I don't have any problem with him.  He's not tightening the screws on Elizabeth (after all it's a B day, not a J day, even if J is present and B isn't) and if he manages to stop Barnabas without Woodarding himself, that would be a good thing, right?

[IluvBarnabas]

and if he manages to stop Barnabas without Woodarding himself, that would be a good thing, right?

No it wouldn't. If anyone is gonna stop Barnabas it should be someone good and decent and honest. Jason does NOT fall under any of these catagories and as someone said if he had been the one to destroy Barnabas he would use it as more leverage against Elizabeth. Jason never ever did anything out of the goodness of his heart (then again WHAT HEART?!). He's a grade A prick after all and I so wished Barnabas had beaten him with his cane instead of poor Willie.

[CT!_CTP/FITBs]

Be sure to check out these (hopefully  ) humorous topics related to this episode:

From "Caption This!":
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From "Complete This Phrase / Fill In The Blank(s)":

[loril54]

Just wanted to say that these episodes are great.  Can you imagine if every one would have come together and discuss what had been happening they would link it to  Barnabas. Just to concure what everone else has said.

[spoiler]I'm glad Jason gets killed, but don't you say, use a bad guy to catch a bad guy[/spoiler]

Just an aside. Things that I noticed was that someone changed Maggie's night gown and combed her hair. Didn't have bed head; not like sam who had the same shirt all the time.

Vickie's skirt with the pin on the side. weren't the wrap around skirts really popular. It looks like they were trying to go with the times. But wasn't  Collinsport a back water? They had TV but we never saw one.

[dom]

They had TV but we never saw one.

(Talk about suspension of disbelief.) Poor David. You'd think Liz would have at least purchased a set for his room. No wonder the kid was so susceptible to possession, lol. He had nothing better to do than to look for ghosts in that big old spooky house. Of course nowadays the TV isn't even a safe haven from the supernatural (Poltergeist, The Ring, etc.)

I believe the only television set we ever saw on the show was a few years later in parellel time in Buffy Harrington's apt. (or hotel room - can't remember what type of dwelling she lived in).

[Lydia]

But with storms 24x7 at Collinwood, reception would have been terrible, so what would have been the point of having a television?  They didn't have cable back then.  Maybe there were satellite dishes - I don't remember - but can you see Elizabeth springing for one?

[dom]

Oh geez, Lydia, I'm thinking about the images we see of Collinwood's exterior on the show with one of those big ol' TV antennas protruding from the roofline! Remember those things? I guess they are still in use in some places, but your mention of satellite dishes brought that image to mind. Definitely doesn't lend itself to gothic imagery.

[Lydia]

We had an antenna in our attic.  The TV was on the first floor.  Somebody would go up to the attic to adjust the antenna, and somebody would be on the second floor to relay messages from the person at the TV as to how the picture was.  One time our babysitter's boyfriend went up to the attic to adjust the antenna.  He stepped onto the wrong place, and punched a hole through the attic floor and through the second floor ceiling, right over my parents' bed.

[Midnite]

I believe the only television set we ever saw on the show was a few years later in parellel time in Buffy Harrington's apt. (or hotel room - can't remember what type of dwelling she lived in).

The TV in Buffie's apartment was the only one we glimpsed in Collinsport.  But we did see one in a real time character's hotel room:

They say a picture is worth a thousand blah blah blah...