Stories: 1841 Parallel Time. Almost everyone I know personally on a day-to-day basis hates this story, but I personally adored it.
I'm reappraising everything these days, since I seem to be having an overall shift of perspective that has something to do with age.
Last time, for the first time 1841PT seemed solid and good, though not the kind of storyline I would have chosen. My impressions were that they were gearing up for DS to become a different type of program, and 1841PT was the start of this. I can't characterize what type that would be (yet). Same exact sets, same actors, same music-- yet the feel of everything was subtly different. It didn't seem like the stale dregs of DS anymore, but a fresh start for something else.
The music seemed wrong. It was what they had to work with, though, so moments that weren't supposed to be creepy had the cello and bass viol music going. I love that music, but if they'd gone on, I wonder if it would have changed.
This new DS is probably not the kind of program I'd have sought out to watch. I won't say I like it a great deal, but I can tell that it's good, and that they knew what they were doing. It's just not my kind of thing, so far.
I saw the Olivier Wuthering Heights a few months ago, and now I see where certain elements were taken from, and why they don't make sense in 1841PT. Still, differences between the two meant that 1841PT wasn't ruined by seeing WH, and actually it helped. I got the feeling that this was probably not the best film ever made from that novel.
Ditto, Summer 1970 is creepy & mysterious, especially after the terrifying thrill ride that is 1995.
I just wish there had been more pay-off in 1840.
David--- Unfortunately, I think the payoff
was 1995 itself, where we see the full extent of the damage. If we'd seen all those events unfold in 1840 that led to 1995, then those bad events would not have been averted, and the happy ending they were engineering for DS in general wouldn't have happened. In that case, we'd be hearing even more complaints about DS not having a satisfying conclusion. I know what you mean, though.