Discuss - Ep #0445

[Watching Project]

Robservations #445

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

Re: Discuss - Ep #0445

[dom]

Millicent/Barrett looks absolutely stunning in (royal/baby/powder? Help, DarkLady!) blue - everyone (but Ben, of course) is dressed to the nines today. Naomi looks like she's going to a presidential inauguration and Joshua looks quite 'cleaned up' & particularly handsome. Even Nathan looks spiffy donning his cape.

Millicent reveals to a drop-dead gorgeous Noami that she plans to marry Nathan, and is overheard by a stately Joshua. Joshua insensitively calls it as he sees it and at first Millicent will have none of it. And that answers my question raised previously about whether Millicent would adhere to Joshua's 'recommendations'. But he then threatens her with commitment (it's a man's world, isn't it) and sends her into a tizzy. Just then, Nathan comes-a-callin' and sets the scene for a fabulously contentious discussion between him & Joshua and the writers do not disappoint! And at his best, Edmonds delivers the goods. As a matter of fact, IMO, this episode's entire cast delivers. For me, the one or two miniscule errors take nothing away from an episode this well done.

Bennett's scene with Crothers may have seemed the weakest for content but it was well executed and not without merit. Bennett's tone of voice was spot-on for the scene and Naomi's bringing to bear Millicent's 'fragile' condition and it having no effect on Nathan (telling Naomi all she needs to know) was marvelous. And Crother's visibly perceivable 'state of mind' & presence as Nathan was perfect. His drifting around the drawing room before and after his discussion with Naomi had no and needed no dialogue as his actions & expressions 'spoke' volumes, culminating in his self-assurance with pouring himself a drink - even after Naomi left, obviously on her way to convince Joshua to stop the marriage. 

Edmonds'/Joshua's voice at the realization that Barnabas is in the coffin and rising from it was perfect and really stirred my emotions. It is not ordinarily easy to feel sympathy for Joshua.

I really enjoyed this episode, especially for content. All the business with Forbes and Millicent and Forbes exposing Barnabas to Joshua (heart wrenching)- Joshua & Ben at the Old House (intense)- Barnabas rising in front of Joshua - really great drama and intensity. I can't come up with a single noteworthy dissatisfaction - and that's sayin' somethin', lol. I was totally engrossed from beginning to end.

Random Thoughts: Joshua warns Millicent not to make him take steps. Much has been made of this phrase as uttered by Grayson's character in The Night Of The Iguana - so it caught my attention and I thought I'd mention it. Also, I saw something that may have been a stagehand's hand or arm by the drawing room window as Nathan approached it. 

[MagnusTrask]

It's good that dom handled the (good) substantive remarks, since I'm dry this time.   Does Millicent have her own theme music, the light flute thing?   Josh harrumphs at Millicent's wedding plans.   He could win gold medals at the Olympics for harrumphing.

[dom]

Joshua harrumphs/harrumphing - I am on the floor! The mental image I have of when Edmonds does that physical move - priceless!

I looked up and listened to the music selection called Millicent Collins on the DS Music CD Volume 3 and it's not the music we hear in this episode's opening scene behind Millicent. In the DS Music Library CD set the piece we hear is labeled, [cue #] 59: High Flute - Wall To Wall - Neutral Romance. I couldn't find a tune to match it with a character name at this time.

I was figuratively thinking recently about what percentage of what Dark Shadows 'is' can be credited to Coberts' music.

[MagnusTrask]

Thanks for the lightning-fast, thorough research, dom!

I think the sombre cello and bass viol type background is crucial to DS.  The other music which doesn't fit with that dark feel, less so.  There are some rare moments when it seems likely that a snippet of very generic incidental music has been pilfered from another show's library, and it really ceases to be DS for those few moments.

[DarkLady]

I'd call it baby blue, dom. And yes, NB looks stunning in it. And JB looks equally beautiful in that pale green-themed gown! Joshua's new (?) jacket is very smart too, and Nathan is hatefully smug.

All parties concerned know full well that even though Joshua is the head of the family, Millicent is of age and can marry whomever she chooses without Joshua's consent, so in this case the consent is a mere formality. And of course there were no married women's property acts in any U.S. states for another 30 years at least. So if anything happened to Millicent, Nathan would get it all.

In the study, Joshua takes a pistol from a box and tucks it inside his coat just before Naomi comes in to find out what he and Nathan talked about. Later, he tells her, and quickly leaves the room and the house. Thinking that her husband has rejected her yet again, Naomi sadly turns to a decanter and slowly pours herself a glass.

Ben does his best to warn Joshua not to linger at the Old House, now that the sun is setting. Joshua threatens him with life in prison for his seeming insubordination. Eventually Ben reluctantly departs, for once apparently equally concerned for Joshua and his son.

Joshua descends the very stairs that his sister and Trask did before him, and is equally surprised to find a coffin in the cellar. With great dread he approaches it. The lid slowly begins to open. As a hand wearing a black onyx ring emerges to push the lid up, Joshua is transfixed with horror. Barnabas, he chokes out….

My hair stands on end just thinking about this! 

[alwaysdavid]

Joshua in his don't force me to take steps mode threatens to have Millicent declared insane. Her simple mind does not seen to comprehend that would be quite easy for him to accomplish. With much ado, Joshua makes it to the Old House at dusk to see a hand with Barnabas' ring emerge from the coffin.