Discuss - Ep #0312

[Watching Project]

Robservations - #312

And if you'd care to look back, the first WP discussion topic for this ep:

Re: Discuss - Ep #0312

[Lydia]

I stopped off at Best Buy this morning on the way home and bought the Depp Dark Shadows DVD.  I watched it when I got home - the first time I've seen the movie since May 11 - and then I immediately watched this episode.  What a difference!  Going from wide open spaces to the small series set with all the necessary close-ups.  It felt very immediate and bright and alive and un-epic.

The near-bite of Vicky by Jonathan Frid was beautifully done.  I could really feel Barnabas's need.

And now Barnabas is prepared to kill David if necessary, and Willie is saying, “Aw, he’s just a kid.“  I never can quite understand that attitude.  Kids grow up.  I wouldn't want to hurt anybody - but I can never quite get the "kids are special" thing.

I do like this plot turn, with David stuck in the secret room.  I’ve got The Mistletoe Bough stuck in my head - or anyway, as much of it as I can remember, which is very little: just a woman singing sadly, “Oh, the mistletoe bough!”  For all David knows, he could die in the secret room.  But I’d like it just as much if it were an adult that was trapped.  Come to think of it, why isn’t it Vicky who is trapped?  It’s been months since we’ve seen her locked up anywhere.  That’s just not right.

[DarkLady]

I also thought that Barnabas's near bite of Vicki was very well done.

Carolyn and Vicki wonder if they should phone Roger and Elizabeth, who are away in Boston. Hooray for Elizabeth! And it's also great that she started her travels right away. Roger hasn’t been seen since the costume party.

At the Old House, Barnabas has to call Willie TWICE, so he's already in trouble even before he hurtles down the stairs at what seems like amazing speed. No doubt terror gives wings to Willie's feet! Even so, Willie is getting increasingly bolder about speaking up. I don't know if Barnabas would kill David outright, but he certainly would have no scruples about scaring him really thoroughly.

Vicki FINALLY connects all the dots and realizes that Sarah was the little girl at the costume party. I think the costume party was the only time Vicki ever sees her. Maybe Sarah felt drawn to her because Vicki was wearing Josette's gown--a gown that Sarah easily could have seen Josette wearing in life.

I really liked the way JF portrayed Barnabas's calm exterior as he plays a very private, very desperate game of beat the clock while Joe and Sam insist on searching the Old House and Joe even suggests breaking the door down. It's another good instance of Barn's Great Lie--he's probably just as frantic on the inside as Willie is on the outside. He is rescued by Carolyn's arrival--but doesn't escape the suspicious looks that Joe and the sheriff give him as they leave. Still better than being burned to a crisp by the rising sun, I guess.

[alwaysdavid]

Elizabeth and Roger are in Boston. I guess it tells how unimportant they have become that there was no big send off particularly as it was most likely Elizabeth's first voluntary trip.  Barnabas is back in his taking steps mode if David knows too much.  The tension was in the air over the searching and dawn breaking. 

[Lydia]

Roger hasn’t been seen since the costume party.

What an interesting thought.

[DarkLady]

If I remember, Roger's absences are usually explained as business trips on behalf of Collins Enterprises and usually take him all the way to-- Boston. (Don't get me wrong--I've been there twice and liked it both times!)

[dom]

I have to wonder if Barn's concern for Vicki (in the recap) is at all sincere. Are we supposed to think that Barn is in love with Vicki or is he just intent on replacing Josette? I'm not even sure if he plans to turn her into Josette or if he is expecting her to be with him as vampire Vicki. He did give her the music box. Is he biting Vicki because he can't resist a pretty neck or is it because it's Vicki's neck. Maybe both.

It's fun to think that Carolyn foils Barnabas in the opening scene, then saves his hide (literally) near the ending scene. I'd say she saved his butt twice. Who can you count on if not family?

I enjoyed the sinister lighting on Frid when the conversation between Barn & Willie regarding David turned evil, as in Barn possibly having to "take care of David" if David knows too much; They have Frid walk into underlighting to make him look evil. As obvious at is was, I loved it just the same. I keep thinking that Barn should move away if he's getting to the point of having to kill his own flesh and blood, but I guess at this point in time, he doesn't have that strong sense of family protection & loyalty. I do think Barn would kill David if he had to, I think we as viewers are supposed to be thinking that.

Once again you gotta feel for Willie, now he has been given the task of finding David and bringing him to Barn for who knows what end? I just had a funny thought, I wonder if Willie, knowing he has a good 10 hours before Barn reappears, procrastinates until the last minute? And when does he sleep? I'm sure the question of his sleep time had been bandied about in fandom for decades.

I also appreciated the sheriff mentioning David possibly having been kidnapped and Carolyn getting hysterical. That revelation would have pushed me right over the edge.

Is it me or do Carolyn's and Vicki's dresses make you crave sweets? At one point I felt as though the color of their outfits interfered with the sense of drama.

Frid had some fine moments in this episode and I liked his physical appearance as Barnabas. And while I am at it, I was mesmerised by Karlen's hair and waistline. And I was also quite taken with the beautiful crystal candelabra (or holder?) on the fireplace mantle.

I wonder how many fan letters "Willie" got asking him to please repair that whole in the wall in the Old House entry way.

How about that look of distrust Joe shot at Barn before he left the Old House? Joe's on the fast track to becoming enemy #1. And the sheriff's parting shot? Barn's ruffling a lot of feathers lately. I felt the writers could have come up with better dialogue for the discussion about the cellar door being locked and the lost key, etc. but I'm no writer so I guess the awkwardness and silliness of the dialogue is supposed to create tension with it's impracticality. If everything were nice and neat it wouldn't be suspenseful - I guess.

A close call for Barn as the rooster greets the dawn. Anyone wonder just who that rooster belongs to? Do you picture Willie gathering eggs in the morning for breakfast? I used to but I don't anymore.

[onyx_treasure]

     Do we know when exactly  the powers that be decided to keep the Barnabas character?  He was so evil and dangerous that it would be a climactic relief in the storyline to have him killed off by the hero(whoever that would be).

By the way, dom, roosters don't lay eggs.   I think poor Willy's diet consists of Moxie and whoopie pies.

[dom]

I knew that was coming,  .

[IluvBarnabas]

Kids are young, they have their whole lives in front of them, and they're innocent, especially the younger ones. I think in view of the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, this point has really hit home for many of us, even those of us who don't have children.

I hate to say this, but I too think Barnabas was ready to kill David. He said he would do whatever he took for his survival...and yes at this point his survival takes top priority over family.

I do think Barnabas cares for Vicki but we see he's not above trying to take advantage of her in her emotional upset over David on the terrace. Fortunately for her, Carolyn interrupts before Barnabas can sink his fangs into her.

Barnabas blew it with Joe and the sheriff today, but even if he wasn't worried about what David might know about him, I don't see how he could have avoided their questions. He just flat out got lucky that Carolyn came in when she did to tell them about a report on David's possible whereabouts. Carolyn sure was good at saving people's necks today and she didn't even know it.

Barnabas had his reasons for not wanting them to look into his cellar but I can perfectly understand why Joe and the sheriff started to mistrust him. He wasn't being as helpful as he should have been in their view, especially since this was a RELATIVE of his that's missing. I wonder if Barnabas could have avoided all this if he had just let them look in the cellar and when they found the coffin, he could have played dumb...."A coffin you say! I had no idea!!"

[dom]

About the search and the coffin: I think Barn could have done better to keep them at bay and not incur suspicion. I would have at least said the basement was locked when he moved in and that he had never had a key and then insist on Liz's or Roger's permission to break down the door, etc. At least that would have made more sense as to why David couldn't be in the basement to begin with and given him time to move the coffin once they left to get permission.

With my luck, one of them would have stayed while the other went to get permission, lol.