Jenny

[dom]

Do we ever see Jenny sane in flashbacks?

[David]

that would have been nice, Dom, but no.
she does appear as a reasonably sane ghost, though.

David

[dom]

Thanks, David.

Anyone think flashbacks to a sane Jenny could have served any useful purpose in the 1897 storyline as we know it?

I'm also wondering if anyone thinks that Diana Davila (Julianka) would have made a good Jenny? I can totally see her in the role, especially in flashbacks because if I remember correctly, part of Jenny's allure was her dancing. DD more than M. Wallace comes across to me as someone who could pull off a wild and sexy gypsy dance. I can't picture MW doing cartwheels, lol.

Also wondering if anyone thinks that a less sympathetic portrayal of Jenny would have worked as well in the storyline?

[ProfStokes]

if I remember correctly, part of Jenny's allure was her dancing. DD more than M. Wallace comes across to me as someone who could pull off a wild and sexy gypsy dance. I can't picture MW doing cartwheels, lol.

I thought Jenny's talent was singing.

Also wondering if anyone thinks that a less sympathetic portrayal of Jenny would have worked as well in the storyline?

I think such a portrayal would have been at odds with the goal of the 1897 story, which was to show what a louse Quentin was and how he came to be cursed and then to haunt Collinwood as an evil ghost.  If Jenny were a shrew who drove her husband into the arms of another woman, for example, then the audience would side with Quentin and see him as a victim rather than a villain.  As the story actually played out, it was a tragedy for all concerned.

Seeing flashbacks of a not-so-crazy Jenny would have been delightful, since she is one of my favorite DS characters and I've often wondered what her early life at Collinwood and her relationship with Quentin was like.  However, I don't know where such scenes could have fitted into the 1897 storyline; they most likely would have slowed the pace or detracted from the other mysteries and issues of the time.  Although, I suppose there's always fan fiction.

ProfStokes 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Seeing flashbacks of a not-so-crazy Jenny would have been delightful, since she is one of my favorite DS characters and I've often wondered what her early life at Collinwood and her relationship with Quentin was like.

I agree. Apparently Jenny became the unstable woman that we see her as after Quentin left her and Collinwood. It would have been interesting to see if there were any hints to her instabilty priot to that point and quite interesting to see how it fully developed after Quentin left [spoiler](being alone and pregnant probably had much to do with it).[/spoiler]

However, I don't know where such scenes could have fitted into the 1897 storyline; they most likely would have slowed the pace or detracted from the other mysteries and issues of the time.

Unfortunately, that's true. But as you say:

I suppose there's always fan fiction.

[IluvBarnabas]

Jenny's talent was indeed singing. Great voice she had I always thought.

I feel the role of Jenny was Marie's best role on the show and I don't think anyone could have done a better job, not even Diana who made Julianka a memorable short-term character nonetheless.

Yeah making Jenny a lot less sympathetic than she was would have indeed defeated the purpose of the storyline......I mean the character of Quentin really changed thoughout the 1897 storyline and very believably too. We were meant to hate him at the beginning and then we wind up sympathizing with him as he matured beyond the womanizing, selfish boozer to a real mature adult finally capable of think about the needs and welfare of others beyond his own.

I really don't think the story would have played out as greatly as it did had we been on Quentin's side from the beginning.

[Nelson Collins]

How exactly is Jenny [spoiler]related to magda?  I know J is M's sister, but dark skinned black haired Magda and light skinned red haired Jenny? [/spoiler] Were any questions of Jenny's pedigree brought up?

[Brandon Collins]

I don't think that was ever brought up, Nelson. Other than the fact that the Collins family detested [spoiler]Jenny and Magda and Sandor because they were gypsies and obviously "below" them,[/spoiler]nothing more was really said about it. [spoiler]Magda and Jenny were sisters,[/spoiler] that was that.

And I agree that it would've been great to see flashbacks of Jenny and Quentin. Maybe when they first met, then flashfoward to them getting married and Quentin bringing her home for the first time, etc etc. It really would've played out well if they had've made Jenny remember these things while [spoiler]sitting in the cell. Instead of cooing to her babies[/spoiler]she could've been reminiscing about Quentin, remembering how she loved him only to snap out of her flashback in a fit of rage.

[Nelson Collins]

Well, given that every other gypsy in 1897 (IIRC)[spoiler]is swarthy and black haired, perhaps Jenny was stolen as a baby. That or perhaps there is a redheaded fair skinned milkman or postman ....[/spoiler]

[Midnite]

Discussing how ethnic groups were portrayed is a natural part of discussion about the show, but it should be done without sweeping statements that perpetuate racial myths.  I realize the edited comment was made in jest, but that doesn't make it less offensive.

[loril54]

Just wanted to comment that it has all to do with genes and dominant and resesive genes. Think of Mendle's flowers Red flower and white flower makes a pink flower.  Also in the past people have been known to bleach their skin.  I can understand why people would have done this, but I wish that they never would have been forces to do this. It is wrong. Also this was right after the Civil War and there was still strong fealings on the subject. 

In some way this was a very strong comment on how people view people at times this was a very powerfull statement on how it was wrong to view people that way.  Maybe an suttle comment on what was going on in the 60's

[Nelson Collins]

Maybe an suttle comment on what was going on in the 60's

You may have a point there, but the cynic in me thinks it was probably more likely to surprise viewers who might have guessed there was another reason why the gypsies kept hanging around the estate if Jenny had been made up to look more like Magda.

And Midnite - I apologize for any offense.  My earlier comment was indeed an ironic one, not intended to be an actual opinion on my part.

[dom]

Was it Jenny who:

[spoiler]stabbed and killed Quentin?[/spoiler]

I can't remember at what point in the storyline this took place. I'm almost certain it was pretty early on. I am having a real hard time with how the family dealt with:

[spoiler]him being a zombie and then coming back to natural life. Was zombie Quentin only seen by a few who were dismissed as having halucinations? That kind of sounds right. But everyone knew he was dead and he did come back into the storyline as a living breathing normal person. (The poor guy should have stayed dead, he would have been much better off, lol.)[/spoiler]

Hell, I don't even remember what happened to Jenny. I guess I need to find a concise synopsis of 1897 somewhere on-line. 

[Nelson Collins]

Hell, I don't even remember what happened to Jenny. I guess I need to find a concise synopsis of 1897 somewhere on-line. 

IIRC,
[spoiler]Quentin vows to kill Jenny, and eventually finds and strangles her.  Magda then puts the werewolf curse on Quentin in revenge (because Jenny was her sister).[/spoiler]

[Brandon Collins]

Jenny did the deed after he saw Quentin and Beth together. She [spoiler]waited at the cottage for Quentin to come--I can't remember if he was meeting Beth or Laura, I think it was Beth--and then stabbed him. Eventually Quentin killed Jenny prompting Magda to place the curse on him.[/spoiler]

As for Quentin becoming a zombie [spoiler]that was after Barnabas got Angelique to help to bring him back to life because he wasn't supposed to die yet (according to Barnabas who I guess had done research on him before traveling back through time or something) and as a result he became a zombie because Angelique wanted to use him as a bargaining chip[/spoiler] or some such nonsense.