Discuss - Ep #0449

[Watching Project]

Robservations #449

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

Re: Discuss - Ep #0449

[MagnusTrask]

Welcome Bathia Mapes, played by Anita Bolster, a name I like.

Interesting beginning.  They start right off with an unexpected meeting, with Joshua and Natalie.   Natalie already knows Barnabas isn't dead (gone) though.   Right here is where DS starts getting "wacky", a tendency that just keeps increasing up until they get it all under some sort of control with the start of the Chris/Quentin storyline at the end of this year.   Natalie isn't a witch, oh no, but she happens to be able to send a thought-o-gram, and summon up a witch expert out of thin air, from the West Indies, presumably.  That beats most of Angelique's tricks.

[DarkLady]

At the Old House, Natalie misses the portrait of Josette, which Barnabas hung over the mantel. (Some undistinguished male Collins has been hanging there ever since Barnabas got Josette’s room ready when he planned to call her back from beyond the grave. But her portrait will be above the mantel again when David Collins plays in the Old House.) And speaking of portraits, as the two prepare to leave, Natalie looks back at the portrait over the mantel. Seeing Angelique's portrait staring down at them, they realize she must know what they're planning--and that they must hurry.

Joshua tells Natalie that Barnabas isn't dead--but he never tells her his son's true state, only that he's under a curse.

When Millicent discovers Barnabas in the Tower Room, he tries to be fair by asking her not to tell anyone that she's seen him. We can see the regret in his eyes when he realizes the only way to silence her is to bite her.

I also like Anita Bolster. She is one of the very few actually elderly actors on the show. Her imdb entry says she was born in 1895, so she was in her mid-seventies when she was on the show. She died at 85, but not before appearing in Scarlet Street with Edward G. Robinson and our very own Joan Bennett.

[alwaysdavid]

When did Angelique have her painting done? I guess I missed it. It's not very flattering so if she conjured it up herself she should curse herself.  Nathan calls Millicent a chicken and she goes to the tower to prove him wrong. She says she sees a light, but then enters a dark tower. She finds Barnabas who sinks fangs into her craziness.  When Joshua tells Natalie about Barnabas we get a dramatic fade out reaction shot from Grayson. I will guess this is not an episode by her husband.

[DarkLady]

I think this is the first time we see Angelique's portrait. I have no idea when she had it done--or why she would be portrayed in her plain servant's gown and cap instead of in a gown that would display her very brief status as mistress of the Old House. Or maybe it was never painted by human hand but instead produced in hell. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Or maybe it was never painted by human hand but instead produced in hell. 

I do believe that is exactly it - especially considering the importance the portrait will hold once the plot returns to the present. (One odd thing about the portrait is these eps, though, is the color of her dress is all wrong. And if it's simply the way it's lit, I have no idea how they did it.)

But one thing that's far more important than the appearance of the portrait - and something that I'm quite surprised that no one has brought up - is that this is the infamous ep in which director Lela Swift immortalized the crotch of Joel Crothers/Nathan Forbes in one of the most, uh, unique, or rather notorious segway shots ever seen on DS!!

It's almost enough to make one not even notice that the ep also features more great light/shadow shots:

[dom]

Joshua waits for Natalie at the Old House. Upon entering, Natalie appears to be her old irreverent witty self with Joshua. I had a comic thought that Natalie might’ve thought for a moment that Joshua asked her there to start an affair. I enjoyed the entire scene as acted and written. Joshua’s desperation is palpable.

Is anyone feeling bad for Millicent? I sure am and I can barely stand to look at Nathan anymore. Good storytelling.

You’ve got to be amazed at the change in Joshua, maybe not surprised at this point, but somewhat in awe of his coming to grips with his circumstances. I love what the writers are doing with him.

Damn it, Millicent, shut your trap! Barrett is awesome – she gave me goose bumps.