Discuss - Ep #0782

[Watching Project]

Robservations #782

[Taeylor Collins]

VO: JL

Charity is turning out to be really useful! She convincingly pulled off that lie.  A good song for Charity would be “OH FATHER” by Madonna.  I need to add that to the song list game.  

UGH! Trask goes against everything I believe in. If you ask me, the DS writers really tried to touch on issues in DS. Especially with all the various Trask’s! There are so many “religious” zealots who try to control people, it's sickening!  I personally believe in GOD, but no the one he serves! OR the one he thinks he serves!  

GO Charity!  I actually liking her in this episode! The garlic myth has never made sense to me. Does anyone know how it originated? Charity's gown looks sinful if you ask me.  I am surprised she can wear it!

Great nosy Nora, doesn't even knock on the door! Something which infuriates me is people who don't knock on closed doors!

[Pansity]

We pick up with Charity the klutz in the cellar, of course getting herself caught even by the not so perceptive Edward.  (This now confirms -- as if we needed it confirmed -- that the native earth thing was merely a plot devise to get her caught so Edward, Trask and Co can get  info on Barnabas.)

Good girl Charity – there’s a brain in there.  She is doing this whole thing about being afraid of Barnabas and horrified by it all, JUST to fool Edward.  Quite a skillful act, makes you wonder whether she’d done the same – and had it work – when dealing with one or both of her parents.

Odd effect when Barn is in Charity’s room.  The BG music just STOPS.  For a moment I thought the DVD froze on me, but there was movement , so it was just a music blooper.

Oh, Charity is GOOD.  She managed to play her father so well, feeding right into his ego.  She’s doing well at fooling him too – until Edward uses his head and makes a very sensible suggestion that Barnabas will have to contact Charity, so to find Barnabas they stay with Charity.

Someone REALLY needs to give Barnabas a watch!  Once again he’s trapped far from safety way too close to beddy bye time.  Unfortunately she overplays her hand – thanks to Barn’s carelessness.  Lovely, time is of the essence and Barn stops to gloat over the earth he takes from the purse, rather than beating a hasty retreat.

Oh here we go again, he’s calling to her, and it is SOO much chapter and verse from Dracula.  Locking her up, the garlic, the crosses on the window that the victim removes because of the siren song of the vampire’s call.   That doesn't even touch on her vampire lady nightdress, or the out of period loose flowing hair. Taeylor, I think you're absolutely right, Trask would have burned the thing if he'd found it.   Anyone know what copyright law was in 1968 regarding a novel written in 1897?

Jeannie

[EmeraldRose]

Wow! I'm surprised that after almost 4 weeks, there's only 2 posts here so far! I guess I'm not the only one who is behind on the Watching Project.

Major Milestones:

1. Barnabas was forced to disappear in front of Trask.
2. The first time garlic was mentioned as a protection against vampires.
3. Edward stayed at the school all day.
4. Charity was wearing her hair down for the first time.
5. Nora caught Barnabas biting Charity!

This episode was exciting when Barnabas, running out of time, was forced to wait for Charity to come back from the Old House! He was really cutting it close! I thought it was neat when he created a diversion by appearing as a bat elsewhere so he could get the "earth" from Charity.   Later, I found it to be very romantic when Barnabas told Charity to remove the cross from the window so he could come into her room.

This episode, with Charity stuck in her room, was one of the few episodes I remember from when I was a kid. I recall flashes of scenes of her and Barnabas in her room and when she removed the huge cross from the window. I love Barnabas's low, sexy voice!  

Denise Nickerson was great with those expressions of surprise. She did an excellent job as Nora at the end of this episode, when she caught Barnabas biting Charity.

----- Sally -----

[Midnite]

Charity told her father she didn't have a crucifix to hold and he responded that she always kept a small one in her purse, and while I realize this was done to create suspense by having Trask notice that her purse was missing, it doesn't make sense that Barnabas was able to touch her purse and handle the soil with a cross in there.  And if she emptied the purse before collecting the dirt, why wasn't she able to tell her father where the cross was?

(This now confirms -- as if we needed it confirmed -- that the native earth thing was merely a plot devise to get her caught so Edward, Trask and Co can get  info on Barnabas.)

Maybe also as a launching pad for the Dracula ripoff, since his native soil figured prominently in the novel's climax?

Good girl Charity – there’s a brain in there.  She is doing this whole thing about being afraid of Barnabas and horrified by it all, JUST to fool Edward.  Quite a skillful act, makes you wonder whether she’d done the same – and had it work – when dealing with one or both of her parents.

I was thinking that Charity's lying to her father shows, along with the changes in her appearance and behavior, that she's been corrupted by the vampire.  Before Barnabas came along, I suspect she was every bit the good and respectful daughter, but that's JMO.

Edward uses his head and makes a very sensible suggestion that Barnabas will have to contact Charity, so to find Barnabas they stay with Charity.

This is also so right out of Dracula, where Van Helsing & Co. [spoiler]put Mina's psychic connection to the vampire to good use.[/spoiler]

Oh here we go again, he’s calling to her, and it is SOO much chapter and verse from Dracula.  Locking her up, the garlic, the crosses on the window that the victim removes because of the siren song of the vampire’s call.   That doesn't even touch on her vampire lady nightdress, or the out of period loose flowing hair.

Can't you almost hear DC telling his writers to give him the climax from Dracula, dammit?!  I'm only speculating, of course.  A few other connections to the novel-- Dracula's gypsy protectors while the men have him on the run, Mina's worsening health (Nora expresses confusion over Charity's ill appearance), the senseless loss of one of the men in pursuit of the vampire, and the repellent placed on the coffin to banish the vampire from it, though in the novel a sacramental wafer was used.

Anyone know what copyright law was in 1968 regarding a novel written in 1897?

LOL  Hey, wasn't Nosferatu's production company actually sued for copyright infringement in the 1920s?

3. Edward stayed at the school all day.

I don't understand, Sally.  It was still daylight out when he mentioned having just returned from checking on the coffin in the Old House to look for Barnabas.

4. Charity was wearing her hair down for the first time.

MB's caps showing newly victimized Charity in #728:

 

[EmeraldRose]

Oops! Sorry about that! I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention when I watched this episode, or maybe I remembered this incorrectly when I posted my reply yesterday. I just watched this episode again to get the whole Edward thing straight. He brought Charity to the school early that morning, just before dawn, after catching her in the basement of the Old House getting the "earth" for Barnabas. Later, when he was sitting at the table and chatting with Nora about Charity, it was that evening, just before dusk. I guess I assumed that he had been there all day, but I was wrong... Trask said Edward had returned, and they chatted about Edward being at the Old House to look for Barnabas. (I must have missed this part - not paid close enough attention.) Maybe Edward was at The Old House all day, but I don't think so... There's no proof of that. So obviously, my Milestone #3 was incorrect!

My bad!  I forgot about the first time, as you clearly illustrated, that Charity wore her hair down. A more accurate way to write my Milestone #4 is this way:

4. Charity wore her hair down again.

However, I don't think that would really be a milestone, would it? So that means there are only three milestones on my list instead of five. I guess I'd better tone down those milestones, unless I'm sure they are right!  

Hopefully, when I am caught up with the Watching Project, I won't be making these errors, because the episodes will be more clear in my mind.  

----- Sally -----

[Lydia]

The garlic myth has never made sense to me. Does anyone know how it originated?

I've never looked it up, but I assume that the reason garlic came to be believed to prevent disease was that nobody was likely to go near somebody wearing garlic, so that person was less likely to catch somebody else's germs - though the cause wouldn't have been understood early on, only the effect.  And then the healthful effect of garlic would be assumed to be valid against vampires as well.  But, as I said, that's just a surmise on my part.

Good girl Charity - there's a brain in there.

Yes, she was a pleasure to watch today as she avoided telling her father and Edward anything about Barnabas.  Much smarter than yesterday.  But I agree with Midnite that before Barnabas got to her she was an honestly dutiful and devoted daughter, as was demonstrated in the way she went running to Trask when she discovered that Rachel was at Collinwood, in episode 727.  There was not a trace of slyness or sucking-up in her demeanor at that time.

Can't you almost hear DC telling his writers to give him the climax from Dracula, dammit?!

Oh, dear, I'm such a defective Dark Shadows fan.  I wasn't thinking of Dracula at all.  I was thinking of Hitchcock, and enjoying the suspense of wondering whether Trask or Edward would figured out about the dirt in the purse before Charity delivered it to Barnabas.  I simply couldn't remember how it ended.  It was great.  By the way, Barnabas smiled quite unpleasantly when he got his hands on the dirt.

Later, I found it to be very romantic when Barnabas told Charity to remove the cross from the window so he could come into her room.

Yeah.  Romantic.  That's always the vibe that's hyped when Barnabas is with Charity.  As I have said before, I don't get it.  It's always beautifully done - Frid and Barrett do a lovely job of it - but what does Barnabas feel towards Charity?  If it's love of any sort, why does he bite her?  I mean, granted that's how a vampire vents his love, apparently - but Barnabas knows it's harmful for the victim.  He desperately tried to avoid biting Josette - but he deliberately went to Charity's room, way back when, to bite her.  Is it simple vampire lust?  It doesn't come across that way.  Everybody throws fits about how Barnabas killed Carl - but his victimization of Charity bothers me much more.

[Pansity]

Yeah.  Romantic.  That's always the vibe that's hyped when Barnabas is with Charity.  As I have said before, I don't get it.  It's always beautifully done - Frid and Barrett do a lovely job of it - but what does Barnabas feel towards Charity?  If it's love of any sort, why does he bite her?  I mean, granted that's how a vampire vents his love, apparently - but Barnabas knows it's harmful for the victim.  He desperately tried to avoid biting Josette - but he deliberately went to Charity's room, way back when, to bite her.  Is it simple vampire lust?  It doesn't come across that way.  Everybody throws fits about how Barnabas killed Carl - but his victimization of Charity bothers me much more.

Interesting point.  I hadn't thought of it that way before.  In running it over in my mind, I'm thinking maybe the victimization of Charity wasn't that noticeable per se is that its essentially the way he treats most of his female victims.  He targets the woman for whatever reason, sometimes spur of the moment, sometimes it seems thought out in advance.  But, once the decision is made, he seems to have precious little concern for the effect his involvement will have on THEIR lives -- it's all about HIM.

The approach with Carl seems part of the same pattern --perhaps it's more noticeable since this time it's NOT one of the SYTs?

Jeannie