DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '13 I => Topic started by: Watching Project on April 24, 2013, 05:04:12 PM
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Robservations #442
And if you'd care to look back, the first WP discussion topic for this ep:Re: Discuss - Ep #0442
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Stiff Clarice VO. Barnabas to Trask: "Perhaps you'll be pleased to know that your imagination is in no way involved!" Good one.
Farewell, No-First-Name Trask?
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Why would Forbes try and deter Trask from the Old House? <head scratch>
The Old House - I like Barnabas' use of the word 'reward' while describing to Ben his plans for Trask. That said, the writing in this scene is a bit sloppy, unless it's Frid's delivery. And I am not too keen on the music here either - vaguely reminiscent of Lost In Space. I did love Barn on the Old House porch though, it was perfectly lit and staged and acted.
Would you enter a house you were summoned to by spirits if the front door opened by itself? And if you would, would you then close the door behind you as you followed a voice down into a cellar?
Trask knows that Barnabas is dead? Barn cooks Trask's goose with mental torture and makes him sign a confession that Vicki is innocent. I don't remember Vicki being freed by this confession but time will tell. Barn walls up Trask. This scene was poorly acted by Frid.
I'd have preferred that Trask had been made aware that Angelique was the witch. As far as I'm concerned, Trask died believing Vicki was the witch. Trask should be hearing Angelique laughing as he is committed to darkness - his final reward. Not sure this is really justice - but, ha, ha, ha, on you, Trask!!!
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I like Barnabas' use of the word 'reward' while describing to Ben his plans for Trask.
Yes, I love that, too.
I am not too keen on the music here either - vaguely reminiscent of Lost In Space.
Really, I can't say I've ever thought that. Now I'm going to have to go back and rewatch.
I'd have preferred that Trask had been made aware that Angelique was the witch. As far as I'm concerned, Trask died believing Vicki was the witch.
He did indeed die still believing Vicki was the witch. But if he had learned it was Angelique at this point, it would have ruined something that's coming up after things shift back to the present. And who knows, they may have already had that present day twist planned, so they may have deliberately chosen to keep Trask in the dark about Ang here. [easter_wink]
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I am not too keen on the music here either - vaguely reminiscent of Lost In Space.
Really, I can't say I've ever thought that. Now I'm going to have to go back and rewatch.
Yeah, OK, the second piece, the one that plays over the bit with the candle (I forget the piece's title) does sound vaguely LIS-like. [easter_wink] (And the funny thing is that this past Saturday I just finished rewatching all of LIS on MeTV.) Though I can't say I find it ineffective for the scene.
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It will be interesting to see/hear if the cue is ever used again.
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I'm pretty sure it is - though don't ask me where. All I can say right now is when I heard it on whichever soundtrack CD it's on, I did recognize it as music heard on the show. And I doubt I would have recognized it from the one use in this ep. [easter_wink] My memory for things DS is good - but it's not THAT good! [easter_cheesy]
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I don't find it so odd that Nathan tries to talk Trask out of going to the Old House. Trask has promised to help Nathan in his career in exchange for his perjury, so I suppose Nathan has some vested interest in keeping him alive. And who knows, Nathan may have some tiny trace of good left in him, or at least a nagging conscience.
After Nathan finds out from Trask that Millicent looked as if she wanted to stop Naomi from tearing up his (N.'s) letter, he warns Trask one more time, You must not go to the Old House! Then Nathan leaves, never to see Trask again.
Barnabas tells Ben, "I am planning some entertainment for my guest, to be followed by a "reward" for his treatment of Victoria Winters." The "entertainment" line is pretty good too. Ben looks sick with dread, but Barnabas clearly is enjoying himself. For some reason, he's not wearing the famous onyx ring, but maybe he just didn't want to get mortar on it. From this point on, Ben has no part in the proceedings, and we have to assume he's off drowning his sorrows somewhere.
After Nathan leaves, Trask hears Abigail's summoning voice. Come to the Old House, she tells him again. He picks up a candle and looks around the room fruitlessly for the source of the voice. I will obey your summons, he calls out. Setting the still-burning candle down, he leaves his room at the Three Bells for the last time. After he does, some unseen agency blows the candle out.
Yes, how DID Trask find out that Barnabas had died? Did the doctor blab? That doesn't seem likely, though, especially since Barnabas supposedly died of a plague.
I think Barnabas was so bent on revenge for Vicki that he didn't want to waste time trying to persuade Trask that Angelique was the witch. I think it might have been more effective for him to show Trask some incontrovertible proof (I don't know what) and break his spirit. But I suppose DC couldn't resist the opportunity to steal yet another plot (from "The Cask of Amontillado").
When I first saw this ep., I thought it was pretty strong stuff for daytime TV.
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Yes, how DID Trask find out that Barnabas had died? Did the doctor blab?
If anyone blabbed, it was most likely Abigail. (In fact, in the '91 DS, they made a point of it being Abigail who told Trask.)
When I first saw this ep., I thought it was pretty strong stuff for daytime TV.
Back in the day there was quite the backlash against this episode. Not just for the simple fact that Barnabas walled up a person to die - but because that person happened to be a reverend. We as fans may see Trask more as a self-proclaimed reverend and misguided religious zealot (misguided as in willing to cross any line to convict Vicki), but there were apparently a whole lot of people who were only too happy to consider Trask the real thing and to go after the show for persecuting him, and by extension, religious leaders in general. It wasn't pretty.
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That's the problem, people will overlook any flaw in a religious leader. They deserved and needed this episode.
I think it was established when Josette, Natalie, and Trask were hanging out together, and planning what to do with the trial, that they had all shared the fact that Barnabas had died. Trask needed to know to do his part in the trial.
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From this point on, Ben has no part in the proceedings, and we have to assume he's off drowning his sorrows somewhere.
Perhaps a sign that Barn is becoming more sensitive to Ben's wishes not to be too involved in Barn's murders?
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MB, it was very interesting to see what you said about the response to this episode when it first aired. I've always thought that DS had a surprisingly strong anticlerical streak, and I always wondered what people thought about this episode. Thanks.
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The Old House - I like Barnabas' use of the word 'reward' while describing to Ben his plans for Trask.
I quite enjoyed it myself.
Barnabas shows Trask his new quarters and throws him into the niche as the stone wall shakes. Trask is walled in and the last bit of light from the final brick leaves him in darkness. I wonder how long before he will die?
So people thought Trask was okay? I wonder how they rationalized his treatment of Vickie or maybe they thought she was guilty.