The biggest question I have after watching this episode is: Just how different is Willie Loomis? Has he lost any of his memory? Was Julia supposed to take care of that problem? He remembers going to Maggie’s and knows he was going to warn her. Does he remember what of? He realizes Barnabas being ‘awake’ during the day is odd but Barn more or less had to jar his memory – or did he? Is Willie holding back? And, is he mentally impaired? His crazy-faced smile was for no one’s benefit but his own (and ours?). At this point I think it is a representation of his true state of mind.
This ep’s tape quality is so-so, and the green tint/hue quality is back. Grayson does a nice job with the OVO. I think that’s pretty much a given at this stage of the game. Willie sneaks into the Old House but an anxious Barnabas snags him and confronts him about lying/leaving/Maggie etc. and threatens to send him back to the sanitarium. This scene left me with a weird vibe – I didn’t know how to interpret it. I think it goes back to being unsure about Willie. I was definitely with Willie the whole way. Anyone think Willie expected Barn to beat him with the rifle if he handed it to him? It appears as though their old relationship dynamic is rearing its ugly head, but again, Willie seems different. He’s lost the antagonistic edge of familiarity he had before being carted away. I also have to wonder if Barn thinks Willie might want to shoot him for all the grief he’s caused him, but I don’t know if Willie even knows that Barn can now be killed (I’m not sure myself).
Barn starts to tell Willie about the plan/experiment/operation as Julia enters unnoticed and eavesdrops. (I love the new Julia so far. Perhaps much hasn’t changed, but for whatever reason, it seems so to me. Maybe I am sensing less fear and vindictiveness in her demeanor.) An informed yet irritated Julia makes herself known and pretty much tells Willie what she wants him to know (i.e. the truth as she sees it), taking the stage from Barnabas. (Loved her ‘I knew it!’ attitude with Barn. And their brief sidebar was amusing.) It’s quite clear that Julia wants to dissuade Willie from helping Barn & Lang but the alternative is not an option for Willie and he accepts Barn’s offer of indentured service, much to Julia’s obvious disappointment. BTW, love Julia’s outdoors outfit – especially the lifted collar (shades of Barn) and all black accessories. I believe it’s the same as in yesterday’s ep but it impressed me today.
Julia & Lang: Grayson holds her own much better than Frid opposite Powell. I liked the context of this scene. Julia trying to stop the plan/experiment/operation by convincing Lang that Willie is too much of a risk, and with damn good reason. I love the duality here. She’s trying to stop Lang & Barn from proceeding with the plan/experiment/operation by any means possible and yet what she says about Willie is totally plausible. Lang tries to recruit Julia as his assistant but she refuses. (I loved Grayson’s nonchalant nixing of the idea. Lately she’s been adding a very natural subdued quality to her response performance repertoire and I am captivated by it.) Lang backs Julia into a corner by claiming the plan/experiment/operation will go on with or without an assistant. (Personally, I think Jules is gonna cave.)
Jeff & Lang: Jeff passes the dream to Lang and once again we get an unforgettable performance by Powell in the form of his Dream Curse dream. Did I make the mistake of saying out loud that I hate the dream curse? OMGoodness, so far, I am loving it. This time I was fascinated with the revelation of the progression of the dream as described by Jeff, that he was meant to tell Lang specifically about the dream, as was Maggie to tell Jeff. I also for the first time realized that each progressively opened door is specific to the opener. I don’t quite get the correlation between Maggie and the skull, but we did get Josette’s music box theme, as the unmistakable tie-in. (IMO. it should have been Josette’s wedding veiled disfigured image, but hey, give me a reasonable explanation for the use of the eye-popping skull and I will never bring it up again.) Next is the guillotine for Jeff and I am almost certain that ties into upcoming events regarding Jeff and his tie-in to Eve. Then Lang with the headless body – very obvious – though I am wondering why they always refer to the plan/experiment/operation as needing a face and not a head. I’ve always assumed it was a head. Too gruesome in the minds of the censors perhaps? I’ll probably catch flack for this but I would assume that by now that the show was firmly established as a kiddy-soap, and for that reason I can accept some obvious censorship that I would deem silly now as an adult. Anyway – Powell’s dream performance is so bad that it is marvelous. I really think that I could watch it over and over and over. The performance aside, I absolutely loved the smoke effect – it was fabulous. The combination of over-acting and fabulous effects was blissful. It was very strange to feel the same emotion for two totally opposite reasons in the same moment. I actually cupped my cheeks and jowls in amazement.
Afterthought: Davis looks horrid in close-up – it reminds me of the sheriff in 1958’s Attack Of The Fifty Foot Woman when he looks into the glass orbs at the gems while aboard the spaceship. Obviously, Julia is next in line for the dream and we know what she’ll be wearing, lol. I don’t remember what’s behind her door but I have a good guess. I am starting to give some thought to Cass/Ange’s role in this. Is she controlling every aspect of the Dream Curse or did she simply set it in motion and it takes on a life of it’s own. I remember that this aspect of Ange’s control over her witchcraft has been theorized about before. As a matter of fact, I believe DarkLady brought it up during 1795. I only mention it because I half expect Cass/Ange to show her face at some point during everyone’s dream, or maybe hearing her laugh at dream’s end. I am also starting to speculate about the relationship or ties each of the dreamers have to each other (so far it all makes perfect sense) and also to Barnabas, as the dream will ultimately end with him and be his undoing (or will it?).
