Discuss - Ep #0740

[Watching Project]

Robservations #740

[Pansity]

How can Barnabas be so surprised that someone found marks on Charity's neck? It's not like she had a garment with a high collar, or a scarf or shawl to cover it.  Sometimes he is so careless you wonder where his brain is -- or whether he subconciously wants to get caught. 

Ok here's a continuity glitch, or maybe just a question.    Barnabas asks Magda if she was there when Laura Collins first came.  She says yes, and that she knows about her what everyone knows about her.  Now, I'm taking this as "when Laura Collins first came" = when Edward brought her there as a bride.  Now, that has to have been minimum 11 years or more before this.  Are they telling us Magda and Sandor have been at Collinwood that long?  [spoiler]If so, where does Jenny fit in, and how she apparently didn't know that Magda and Sandor were there, why she warned them to stay away from her(and not rat her out). [/spoiler]  The gypsies being there that long puts a new interpretation of a lot of what we have been -- and will be --  told.

This scene between Edward and Laura is very good.  He reminded me SO much of Soames Fortsythe in the original Forsythe Saga (haven't seen the new version).  Keep in mind the series was made AFTER DS ended, so by no means am I accusing Louis Edmonds of copying. As if an actor with his skills would have had any need to anyway!

Intersting how this Laura hears the chipping of stone when Sandor and Barnabas do their little detective work. And the coffin SLOOOOWWWLLLLYY opens.....

Jeannie

[Midnite]

Pansity, Magda has said things in the storyline indicating that she and Sandor spent time on the road.  So her presence when Laura arrived doesn't mean she stayed put.

We got some other interesting tidbits in this ep as well; thank you, Sam Hall:

Barnabas has been feeding on the local girls, with the attacks attributed to a "mysterious animal."

Magda got paid for her servitude.

Sandor was summoned by Barnabas to the coffin.

Quentin was always interested in Beth.

And Q didn't just have a passing interest in the occult; he was obsessed with it.

Barn feared Laura's powers (which serves him right for not minding his own business).

Laura owns only one dress.

Another terrific Laura/Edward scene.  I'm repeating myself, but I wish we had more of them.

That looked just like the Stockbridge crypt seen in the pre-Barn eps, and Jeremiah's wife was, after all, a Stockbridge.  But using the same set created a continuity error-- the know-it-all caretaker would have alerted Guthrie & Co. in 1967 that not only was there another Laura in there [spoiler]who died by fire,[/spoiler] but that one happened to be a Collins. 

[alwaysdavid]

The present day crypt had only the initial L on the tombstone making it appear that it could be any gender. 
Another Quick Magda transformation of the cottage.  She must be some kind of cleaning woman.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

She must be some kind of cleaning woman.

It's all that practice she's been getting doing Barnabas' bidding when it comes to the Old House's upkeep. 

I love when she complains in Ep #718 about Barnabas wanting her to wax the floors. 

[Midnite]

The present day crypt had only the initial L on the tombstone making it appear that it could be any gender.

Ah, good point that it had only her first initial, though the caretaker informed Vicki that "she" died by fire.  And in #180, [spoiler]the creepy cryptkeeper told Laura that he was searching books in the crypt for any information he could find on the Murdochs, Stockbridges and Radcliffes for Dr. Guthrie, plus he knew the doc was already focused on the two women who died by fire, so...[/spoiler] ...I'm still thinking that putting Jeremiah's wife (maiden name Stockbridge) in that crypt is yet another example of bad continuity.

[Pansity]

The present day crypt had only the initial L on the tombstone making it appear that it could be any gender.

...I'm still thinking that putting Jeremiah's wife (maiden name Stockbridge) in that crypt is yet another example of bad continuity.

I agree.  Keep in mind how totally family conscious and cliquish we've been shown the Collins' are -- and as early as 1795.  I can't see them burying a Collins anywhere else in the cemetary.  It's not like they died away from Collinsport.  Quentin's wisecrack about the Collins' having their own family only section in Heaven seems to support this "we don't associate with the commoners, even in death" attitude.

Hmm, thats making me wonder if when we see [spoiler]Jenny's grave[/spoiler] later, whether that's in the Collins section of the cemetary.  Since it's not long to that episode, I'm going to resist the temptation to cheat.  After all,  I'm already far enough behind due to the last two weeks at work kidnapping me from all things not work or sleep.

Jeannie

[EmeraldRose]

I thought it was neat when Laura could hear Sandor chipping away at Laura's grave. Magda couldn't hear it.

Yes, indeed, that does seem strange that Magda and Sandor were there when Edward first married Laura. But, as Midnite pointed out, they did do a lot of traveling, so they probably were not there the whole time.

It was fascinating to watch the exchange between Barnabas and Edward about Laura. Barnabas was quite the detective. It was determined that Laura "just appeared", and nobody knew where she came from.

----- Sally -----

[Lydia]

We got some other interesting tidbits in this ep as well; thank you, Sam Hall:
...
Quentin was always interested in Beth.

Was there ever a pretty woman in whom Quentin was not interested?

Grayson Hall's arms look like toothpicks.  It doesn't fit Magda's character.  They should be big and muscular from all that cleaning, not to mention lugging around the crystal ball.

Barnabas said something to Edward about being too old to believe in first impressions.  So why did he go dashing back to the Old House to find Josette's music box the second he saw Rachel?

And I am thoroughly disgusted with Barnabas for showing the portrait to Laura.  If she's dangerous, then surely he should be more careful not to appear to be a threat to her.

Laura in 1897 is a slightly different kettle of fish from Laura in 1967.  1967 Laura had a well-established background, but 1897 Laura appeared out of the blue.  I haven't yet finished watching the 1967 Laura storyline, but my impression is that 20th century Laura was an ordinary woman - with mental problems albeit - until the fire happened in Phoenix, but apparently 1897 Laura had phoenix attributes (for lack of a better word) from the get-go.  Was she trying to shake them off and lead a normal life until the fire priests caught up with her?  In that case, it's surprising that she went to Alexandria - but maybe Karma (an Indian word, not Egyptian, but never mind) was too much for her.