Discuss - Ep #0532_0533

[Watching Project]

Robservations #532_533

[IluvBarnabas]

I was so touched by Barnabas willing to give himself up to Cassandra to spare Vicki any more suffering. He really CAN be selfless when he wants to be.

Lo and behold, Cassandra DOES still have loving feelings for Barnabas (of course I suspected this all along). She was all ready to do away with the dream curse and go running into his arms, I'm sure, but Nicholas put a stop to that. He won't have his "sister" give up her evil schemes for love.

How ironic, then, in the same episode he meets Maggie and is instantly attracted to her. It might even have been love at first sight. If that's the case, then he's a hypocrite for criticizing Cassandra for being in love.


I loved Vicki telling off Cassandra. Despite this point in the show of her not understanding anything, Vicki still has some spirit in her.

[Lydia]

I understand what impelled Barnabas to make today's offer, and it is admirable.  But does he really expect things to work out any better in 1968 than they did in 1795?  The marriage between Barnabas and Angelique was a mess right from the start, even before Barnabas figured out that Angelique was a witch.  But never mind: right now I suppose this is his only hope.
 
Sheriff Patterson wasn't this dumb back in 1966, was he?  He doesn't believe Stokes's story about handing food out to Adam, but he's not even trying to think of a way to prove Stokes a liar.
 
The disconcerting thing about Nicholas Blair is that he has enough virtues so that one has to reconsider one's definition of virtue.  He is cheerful, polite, and unflappable, and he does not blame people for what is not their fault.  Furthermore (and this counts hugely with me) he has a very pleasant sense of humor.  Maybe these aren't all really virtues - but true virtue starts to look overrated.  Vicky is virtuous, and - to quote Barnabas from yesterday's episode, but with a different meaning - "You know how I feel about Vicky."
 
It suddenly occurred to me today that, in view of upcoming events, it is very interesting that Maggie looks just like Josette - but the catch is that Maggie's character is not so much like Josette's.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Virtue is highly overrated, Lydia. 

And, yes, IluvBarnabas, Nicholas does act like a hypocrite when it comes to his relationship with Maggie and Cassandralique's relationship with Barnabas - but that's the whole point. [spoiler]Nicholas adamantly believed he would never be swayed by anything as foolish as human emotion, yet in the end it's that very human emotion that contributes greatly to his downfall...[/spoiler]

[MagnusTrask]

I enjoyed Diabolos giving him a hard time about that.

[EmeraldRose]

I also was quite impressed by Barnabas' selfless act to save Vicki from anymore torment. Nicholas was a damn hypocrite! If it weren't for Nicholas, Barnabas' plan would have worked!  Angelique was poised to take Barnabas up on his offer! Nicholas shot her down, but then he met Maggie and then he fell instantly in love with her. With Nicholas, it's "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" and "Do as I say, not as I do..." 

Vicki, not wanting Barnabas to die, was quite willing to put off telling him the dream. I admire her spunk and determination.

----- Sally -----

[MagnusTrask]

I don't think Nick "fell in love" as much as Mr. Maybe-the-Devil chides him about that.   He doesn't exactly look out for her interests.... I don't think it was just lust either.    That I'm sure he could take care of in other ways that don't require an elaborate deception and courtship.    I'm mystified by it, but it may be the same phenomenon I'm mystified by with many, many people in general.   

A series of new words need to be invented for all the different states lumped together under the word "love".    Different kinds of mere fixation would enter into many I'm sure, and a need for control over someone else to shore up a threatened ego.   Just think, if we'd been raised with names for such states, no one would ever just say "I'm in love" ever again, without stopping to think what that actually means.    That could do the civilization a world of good.

[Lydia]

No, Magnus.  You can have as many words as you want for the various different kinds of love or supposed love, and people will still call it love if they're talking about themselves, and infatuation, obsession, or heaven knows what else if they're talking about somebody else.

As for Nicholas...I've expressed my own opinion before, and now I'm waiting to see if it changes this time around.

[Roland]

Has everybody in the story suddenly forgotten Roger?  I mean it isn't as if Cassandra were free to marry whomsoever she pleases, especially the cousin of the man she's already married to.

I love how the men at Collinwood are always dressed in three-piece suits no matter what time of day it is.  Only the poor working-class stiffs like Joe and Willie get to wear casual clothes.

I like how DS is able to make even its most notorious villains sympathetic at times.  That is certainly the case with Cassandra in this episode.  Who doesn't feel at least a little sorry for her when Nicholas is chewing her out for being in love with Barnabas?

[Lydia]

Has everybody in the story suddenly forgotten Roger?  I mean it isn't as if Cassandra were free to marry whomsoever she pleases, especially the cousin of the man she's already married to.

I'm not worrying about it.  All Cassandra has to do is dye her hair lavender or something and nobody at Collinwood will know her.

I like how DS is able to make even its most notorious villains sympathetic at times.  That is certainly the case with Cassandra in this episode.  Who doesn't feel at least a little sorry for her when Nicholas is chewing her out for being in love with Barnabas?

Me.  She made her bed, now let her lie in it.