Episode 494

[Gothick]

Many thanks to the MB for the captures from episode 494.  I seem to recall that this is the episode where I thought the writing for Julia really went off the cliff... I remember some very bitchy dialogue from the good Doctor to Willie and how icy she was with him.

I know she was supposed to be on edge with the whole Adam thing, but when I've viewed that episode, it really seemed out of character to me.  Did anybody else find that an odd scene?

G.

[Heather]

To be completely honest, I also found it a bit uncomfortable to watch at first. Now, you know I adore Julia regardless (I tend to think of her character as a divine work in progress throughout the series), but ironically enough this is the very scene that a few acquaintences have pointed out as being a reason they can't stand/hate Julia. Who wrote her dialogue in this episode?

However, since I have a tendency to look at things from a...bent perspective, I have rationalized/joked that this scene was a result of either: 1. Barnabas was in an equally snappy mood that morning and left her to clean up the ancient kitchen, run tests, take care of Adam, and handle a still recovering Willie at the same time (I know that would piss me off - lol,) 2. It was a bad time of month, and Barnabas, after he'd accidentally thrown out a box of...personal items she'd been sorting through, consumed the last cup of coffee and chocolate bar in the house, 3. The results of her latest therapeutic salon visit were ruined when Barnabas accidentally spilled something acrid on a divine number she'd just purchased, leaving her to drag out that unflattering mottled suit. The only highlights being the orange shell and loud jewelry accenting her still new-ish 'do...

And I hate to say it, but [spoiler]I kinda chuckle when (after Willie had come back from giving Maggie Josette's earrings,) Willie says something to the effect of (I'm paraphrasing here) "I didn't go nowhere." Julia snaps back "nowhere must be a very muddy place..." pointing out the muddy shoes he'd just dragged through the house. I don't think anyone but Grayson could pull off that scene...[/spoiler]

Then again, maybe the stress of the situation just made the divine Doctor go back into sly minx mode for a moment... yeah, that's the ticket.

[ClaudeNorth]

Is this the episode in which [spoiler]Julia and Willie are in the basement room and she's ordering Willie to stay with Adam?[/spoiler]

I always had the feeling that Grayson didn't quite know her lines that day.  I recall her glancing towards the camera quite a bit during that scene, as if she were trying to read her lines.  Perhaps she was feeling frustrated on the set and that frustration translated into bitchiness during taping.

[Gothick]

Yes, Claude, it's that episode, and Grayson didn't seem to know her lines, but part of what may have been going on was that she was aware that her dialogue was WAY out of character for Julia and felt pissed--and the discomfort showed in her performance.

Heather, DAHLLING, you crack me up, especially with the line about Barn consuming the last cup of coffee AND chocolate bar when Julia was having a DIFFICULT time of the month!  Too much!  (and I can just see him waltzing around completely oblivious to Julia's frayed nerves, being completely self centered, which would fray her nerves even more, of course!)

I watched this episode again last night--it had been a couple of years since I last viewed it--and I found myself wondering after it was over whether Grayson somehow got stuck with dialogue originally written for Barnabas and then hurriedly rewritten because Jon wasn't available that day?  The tone of the dialogue sounded much more like the way Barn spoke to Willie, than anything Julia ever said to him in any other show.  Of course, Barn generally did not run around on the show wearing long glittery gold necklaces,so at least that bit must have been meant for Julia.

cheers, G.