Discuss - Ep #0765

[Watching Project]

Robservations #765

[Taeylor Collins]

VO: GH  "Collinwood before the turn of the century..."  That beautiful gravely voice gets me every time. I am partial to GH, however I really loved her voice overs, in that hushed husky tone! I think in one of the threads about voiceovers she was one of the top rated persons.

I love Terry Crawford's makeup in this episode! She is painted beautifully. Her skin is quite lovely!

Jonathan seems to be really comfortable in this episode and in general he seems (to me) more comfortable in episodes that are set in the past.  Just an observation. I could be totally off base.  Perhaps Jonathan did a lot of work in period pieces?  I am sure Nancy could tell us or any other JF aficionados who may happen to be a part of the WP.

Apparently Quentin shrinks when he becomes the werewolf?  Shouldn't it be the other way around?? LOL 

Did Joan miss a cue when she was on the phone?  She finished her conversation and then stood there for what seemed to be at least 5 to 10 seconds with phone to ear.  I think perhaps she did!  Joan Bennett cracks me up when she screams.  It's quite funny because it almost seems as if she is a bit embarrassed too. Again I could be off base.

I love the stunt when Alex Stevens jumps from the top of the landing. I cringe every time (even though I have seen this before)  because it looks as if he almost hits the table.    I really like Joan's long night coat that sweeps the ground.  I noticed her hair was down in this episode (since she was in her evening attire) and to me it doesn't look long enough to be put up in the elaborate curls she sports during the day.  I am pretty sure those are hair pieces. Hey they were rich, maybe Judith wore them!    I guess the producers didn't think a 31 year old man (and many others) would be analyzing DS in the year 2009!     

I particularly LOVE the rock set that the Sy has designed for the werewolf to climb up and down. 

Great face Grayson makes at the ending!  I think in her biography one fan pointed out that she can register 16 different faces per emotion. Which is VERY true! 

NOTE:  I was reading some older posts back in the Adam era and it seems that we don't get as many posting in the WP.  I know life gets in the way but I really miss hearing from everyone! Hopefully more will come to the party!

A+  Good episode furthering along the plot of 1897 with Barnbas finding out who the werewolf is.  Now with Laura removed and that threat taken care he can get to the point at hand:  THE Q MAN!

[Pansity]

LOL the werewolf dumped his jacket somewhere, but looks very natty in his shirt and vest.  Not a spot of blood on him or a sign of ripped clothing where the bullet supposedly went in his chest.

Another snicker in the replayed scene from the last episode is the timing on the “What are you”.  First time Barn had his fangs bared, and that’s why she said it.  This time, he didn’t get his mouth open yet when she said the line.  And interestingly enough for someone who’s scared and wants him to stay away, she’s offering up her neck  on just the right angle. 

Apparently Beth is still able to resist Barnabas. It takes him quite a few attempts, despite her post bite languor, before she finally tells him what he wants to know.  He seems awfully surprised; surely there’s a pretty short list of people Beth would defend so carefully, so he must have considered Quentin as a possible suspect.

Again different angle of the room, with a huge chifferobe in addition to the chest of drawers by the bed.  I say it again, real impressive room for the ladies maid.  Another nice job by TC in this scene.  Once Barnabas gets her to talk, I think it’s more than just his powers that make the whole thing spill out.   She said right out she doesn’t know if she trusts him (again, interesting considering the total power we’ve seen him exert over other victims), but the poor thing has been keeping it all inside for so long, no one she could even breathe a word to, that once he knows, all the doubts and fears come spilling out.  I’m wondering though if he should have told her more, so she could know and between them try to change the outcome.  Later on, we find out they let Quentin in  on what he would become, so one would think Barnabas would use that here, given Beth has the same vested interest that Quentin does in NOT ending up dead.

Magda  and Judith are a fun scene as always.  Bet Magda thought real hard about fishing that gun back out and aiming it at Judith.   And Magda leaves the  window OPEN with Wolfie Q running loose.
 

Of course Beth and Barn pick right then to come down and talk in the vestibule, so Magda knows all.   Ok NOW wolfie is looking properly messed up.    Beth almost gave it away there, telling about Barnabas, then added the story about him coming by.  No comment from Judith on Beth’s new jewelry?   That pentagram is awfully obvious the way she’s wearing it.  Its like taking out an ad.   Good thing she was wandering the vestibule, she does back and her room’s been trashed again -INCLUDING THE BLACK BORDERED AFGHAN we see under the mattress.

And the werewolf corners Judith in the vestibule.   Interesting how Beth made it down in time and confronts it so confidently with the pentagram.  She’s never tried it before, but she’s sure confident that it will work.   Judith apparently didn’t spot the pentagram and how it was used, but scared or not she picked up on how Beth scared the wolf away.    Though, apparently though she noticed the wolf had clothes, she didn’t recognize the ONLY set of clothes her baby brother apparently owns.   

And there’s wolfie on the rock again, doing his imitation of the White Rock mermaid, when Magda shoots him and he falls.

Jeannie

[Midnite]

Ah, we have an urn on the portico right when it's needed.  Add Magda's 6-chambered gun to the growing list of 1897 anachronisms.  (Though I saw her load only 5 bullets.  )

We learn that Beth bought a second pentagram for herself earlier that evening.  Was there a "Magic Box" in Collinsport, a shop where one could purchase protective charms, powdered nightshade, silver bullets, etc., when needed?

In one continuous scene, Judith made sure the drawing room window was closed before she turned off the lights and followed the noise into the foyer where the werewolf confronted her.  So, when Beth chased it away, how is it that the same window was wide open for him to jump through, hmmm?

Did Joan miss a cue when she was on the phone?  She finished her conversation and then stood there for what seemed to be at least 5 to 10 seconds with phone to ear.  I think perhaps she did!  Joan Bennett cracks me up when she screams.  It's quite funny because it almost seems as if she is a bit embarrassed too.

Poor Joan.  (tee hee)

This time, he didn’t get his mouth open yet when she said the line.  And interestingly enough for someone who’s scared and wants him to stay away, she’s offering up her neck  on just the right angle.

I won a keychain about 10 years ago (I remember Jim P. handing them out in the WTC lobby) that has a lenticular of this scene.  I'd forgotten all about it til I saw Barnabas sink his fangs into her very exposed neck, lol.

Bet Magda thought real hard about fishing that gun back out and aiming it at Judith.

Rim shot!!!

And there’s wolfie on the rock again, doing his imitation of the White Rock mermaid, when Magda shoots him and he falls.

The White Rock mermaid??

[Midnite]

Since I seem to be focusing on inanimate objects (bullets and guns, urns, windows, pentagrams, keychains ) tonight, I'll add that the grey bust in the Collinwood foyer during 1897 showed up in MB's screen grab for today's quote... in Dr. Lang's office in 1968.

[Midnite]

Great face Grayson makes at the ending!  I think in her biography one fan pointed out that she can register 16 different faces per emotion. Which is VERY true!

I came across this and thought of you; have you seen it?  [Author] Peter Joseph Swanson created a slide show of her different facial expressions throughout the series:

http://graysonhall.spaces.live.com/

[Taeylor Collins]

Thanks so much!  It brightened up somewhat of a dreary day!

[Midnite]

I'm so glad, Taeylor!

[ProfStokes]

Ah, we have an urn on the portico right when it's needed.  Add Magda's 6-chambered gun to the growing list of 1897 anachronisms.  (Though I saw her load only 5 bullets.  )

Is it an anachronism?  I recently finished reading The Devil in the White City, a book about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.   Patrick Prendergast's assassination of Mayor Carter Harrison figures prominently. He used a 6-chambered revolver to commit the murder, but only loaded 5 bullets as a safety measure for himself (that type of gun was known to go off suddenly. Maybe Magda knew that too?). Author Erik Larson places a lot of emphasis on the type of weapon used because the jury ultimately convicted Prendergast, reasoning he couldn't be insane if he was capable of taking such precautions.   

ProfStokes

[Midnite]

Many thanks, ProfStokes, for the info and the interesting story.  I did some checking and found this:

Sam Colt's success story began with the issuance of a U.S. patent in 1836 for the Colt firearm equipped with a revolving cylinder containing five or six bullets. (http://www.huntingsociety.org/HistColt.html)

Violet Welles' writing had Magda asking for 5 bullets, which I knew was right, and now I know that Gordon Russell was also correct when he changed it to 6.

[Pansity]

Thanks, Midnite and ProfStokes, that information was great.  I've said it before, but I really love it when small things like that are so very accurate; it's great worldbuilding.  Not to mention a good balance for all the "what were they THINKING moments we keep hitting in contrast. 

ProfStokes -- interestingly enough that book is on my ever teetering to be read pile, but got shoved down by all the history books I got in DC.  Guess it's time to move it closer to the top.

Jeannie

[Taeylor Collins]

I love attention to detail as well cousins.  Especially back in those days when information wasn't at the tip of ones fingers!

[EmeraldRose]

Major Milestones:
1. Beth sadly told Barnabas about Jenny's murder, Quentin's curse, the children, and that she loved Quentin.
2. Magda saw bite marks on Beth's neck.
3. First time Beth used the pentagram against Werewolf Quentin.
4. Magda shot Werewolf Quentin with a silver bullet! Oh, no!

I purposely counted how many silver bullets Magda loaded into that gun - it was six. I think it would be useful to know that, so we can keep track of how many bullets were fired, and how many were left.

Judith said she closed the drawing room window, but Magda was able to crawl into that same window. Either Judith was mistaken about closing the window, or this was a blooper.

Judith should have recognized Quentin's clothes. That was an exciting scene, when Werewolf Quentin jumped off the balcony, and Beth held up the pentagram!

Barnabas was slowly learning more and more about how the events of 1897 were related to 1969. I'm glad it took him such a long time, because this storyline is my favorite! More time to enjoy it.

Note To Self: Time to watch more episodes! I have a way to go to catch up.

----- Sally -----

[MagnusTrask]

I warp-marathoned, and sped far past the point where everyone else is right now, ODing on 1897 in the process.  My eyes are bigger than... than my eyes, I guess.   (Coincidentally, my eyes are literally bigger today.)

I love "worldbuilding", Jeannie.   It's out of fashion now.   People seem to hate continuity and a show's internal history these days, preferring to ditch it all in favor of a "reboot", as if it's a storytelling hindrance rather than the priceless  storytelling resource that it is.

[Taeylor Collins]

I am a huge fan of continuity and honestly get really bothered when it's not utilized.  One of the best continuity masters of this time, in my opinion is Joss Whedon who created Buffy and Angel.  I think DS did fairly well with continuity.  I forgive soaps a bit, especially ones that are on for years and years.  One thing I cannot stand is however the rewriting of history, something that happened recently on General Hospital and has pissed the viewers to no end!