Discuss - Ep #0569

[Watching Project]

Robservations #569

[Lydia]

I'm reminded of A Midsummer Night's Dream every time I watch this episode, at the point when Julia, summoned by Tom, wanders out into the night followed by crazy Liz.  It's a wonderful moment in an episode filled with wonderful moments.  You can say what you like about Elizabeth's obsession with death, but when it's mixed up with Julia's victimization by Tom, it makes for a magical mixture of comedy and drama.  (Hmm...RobinV thinks differently.)
 
If I remember correctly, when Elizabeth was carted off to Windcliff, she was sure she was Naomi Collins, and she had no thought of being buried alive.  Where did the buried alive obsession come from?  Cassandra put quite a lot of time into the whole Naomi business, and now it's gone with the wind.  Was the fear of being buried alive something to do with Elizabeth being buried alive inside of Naomi's personality?  No, it couldn't have been.  It definitely came from outside Elizabeth.  Very mysterious.  But never mind.  Joan Bennett did a fine job with it today, and I just love the moment when she shows Mrs. Johnson the chopped phone cord - though I think that in fact the phone cord wasn't chopped: I was sure I saw a connector there.
 
I was impressed by the way Julia came up with an explanation for her initial dithering away about Tom.  Just the right combination of plausible story and "I haven't the faintest idea."
 
And I adore the way Grayson Hall pulls out all the stops to show Julia's need of Tom.  She does it perfectly.  It looks easy - you just pretend your world has come to an end - but I suspect that if I had watched Addison Powell do it, I wouldn't think it looked easy anymore.

[alwaysdavid]

This was my introduction to the beautiful Joan Bennett and I loved this storyline.  I think i can still recall Carolyn's word's on the eventual payoff much further down the road.  The Tom and Julia story is also one of my favorites and was the only one in the series that gave me a nightmare. 

[MagnusTrask]

I think I remember that Julia and Liz scene, Lydia--   I enjoy seeing two differently crazy or possessed characters interacting, with no "sane" person for the audience to identify with.  I don't know why.  I'm reminded of "Pansy Faye" talking through the locked door to Edward when he thought he was a butler (not technically a "butler" I guess), each one unaware that they were really Charity Trask speaking to Edward Collins.

[Sandor]

Great observations and reflections on this one, Lydia and MagnusTrask.  A highly energetic, physical episode for the cast, but they were all in perfect form for it.  Grayson and Joan were fun to watch in their scenes.  Anyone watching this episode as their introduction to DS might query, "What is wrong with all these people?!!" 

[EmeraldRose]

It was nice to see Roger be so worried about Elizabeth. I was relieved when Roger found Elizabeth just as Tom started coming towards her. He was so patient with her as he was trying to determine her sanity. I'm glad she heard him and Mrs. J. talking about sending Elizabeth back to Windcliff. I cheered when I saw that Elizabeth had cut the phone line! But there are more extensions in the house, so it only delayed the inevitable. It was funny when Julia ran out to answer Tom's summons, Elizabeth followed her, and then Julia tried to convince Elizabeth that the coffin was not hers!  It was both thrilling and comical to watch Julia say, "Get out, get out, GET OUT!"

So, when Julia ran out of the Old House, she couldn't find Tom!? That was quite perplexing to me. I enjoyed watching her stumble into Collinwood and say she couldn't find him. Roger and Mrs. J. probably thought she was crazy!

The last scene between Tom and Julia was really erotic. [spoiler]It's a shame that Barnabas never bit Julia. Then she really would have been in ecstasy! [/spoiler] I love how Tom opened his mouth wide and "posed" for the camera before she bit Julia.

----- Sally -----

[MagnusTrask]

I love how Tom opened his mouth wide and "posed" for the camera

   That can't be a spoiler by itself... when anyone says DS is camp, and you want to dissuade, DON'T show him/her Tom as a vampire....

[Sunny_Collins]

I can't believe Nicholas is calling Mrs. Johnson supersticious, considering what he is!  But she's closer to the truth than anyone realizes, too bad no one will validate her.

It's obvious Roger is getting more and more frustrated with Elizabeth's condition, and who can blame him? Nothing seems to help her.

[loril54]

I was LOL with Julia and Liz. 

The telephone scene reminded me of Sound of Music at the end. (OK I like musicals).

Don really played the vampire very campy, he sure made if different than Barnabas and
Angelique. Very good show.

[Roland]

I really love all the comments in this thread...very amusing indeed.

Sometimes I wonder about Tom's taste in women.  With such delectable morsels as Vickie, Carolyn and Maggie hanging around, he's so far "hit on" Julia and Elizabeth.   Barnabas was clearly more discriminating as a vampire than Tom is.

I like how they always have Tom lurking in the literal dark shadows.  It does add to his sense of menace. 

[MagnusTrask]

On last viewing, Tom seems creepy as long as he doesn't talk.   His body language in Nosferatu-like and implies someone who's become a creature so different that he may have no connection to ever having been a human being.

[Roland]

Yea, I like the otherwordly quality he conveys.  Speaking of not talking, I find it interesting that, unlike all the other vampires on the show, Tom doesn't speak and act like a "normal" person, more like a ghoul or creature.

[Taeylor Collins]

I always thought DON'S over the top Tom vampire scenes made ever other over the top performance look like child's play.  I honestly thought it was kind of horrid.  And I agree Magnus.  I wouldn't try to get anyone hooked on DS with his scenes, for they are cringe worthy!  Not offense to Don Briscoe lovers.  I just thought his Tom vampire was just way off. It seemed to me as if the director or someone would have told him to tone it down.  Who knows what was going on with that performance.

[MagnusTrask]

Recently I picked up viewing at a sort of random spot, when Clark finds out about the experiment.  This was somewhere in the middle of Tom's stint, and I was spared talking "Count Floyd" Tom I think, and this time only saw silent Nosferatu Tom.  I found I didn't hate him anymore.   Of course he talks in [spoiler]Joe's dream,[/spoiler] but that's not really him, and he talks like a regular person.

[michael c]

interesting observations about tom jennings...

where as barnabas played the vampire as the personification of "old world charm" tom played him much more as a "monster".it's the stuff of a 'scooby-do' episode.

it is during this period in 1968,with monsters coming out of the woodwork,that i believe the program,perhaps deservedly,begins to acquire it's "camp" reputation.don briscoe's eye-bugging,tongue-rolling performance does little to dissuade this argument.

however i agree with those who find tom quite easy on the eyes and his scenes with julia do have a sexy edge.it's as if julia's experiencing some sort of repressed middle-aged sexual frustration percolating to the surface.one can almost see the steam rising through the tweeds.