Discuss - Ep #1125

[Watching Project]

Robservations #1125

[MagnusTrask]

I like Gabriel's rationale about Q #1 leaving the decision to Samantha, and how Gerard must be terrified she'll choose him.   I also like Desmond's saying that he needed Gabriel's opinion because Gabriel had a good mind.   This CP character's as weaselly as the others, maybe more so, but he's smart too.  He's less of a 2-D villain.

Desmond's hair's under control now.   In crypt or whatever that place would be called... great big creepy cross that means business.   This is the best part of 1840, the sense that's built up of what a huge force Judah was, that had to be stopped at any cost.

Did precious jewels really need to be put into Judah's mask?

[Lydia]

Magnus, it's good to see you being enthusiastic about 1840 when I'm being thoroughly unenthusiastic.  You don't persuade me, but it's nice to know that it's not that bad, it's just me.  So here I am getting distracted by that cinnamon bun thing - that great big creepy cinnamon bun thing that means business - on Leticia's head because I'm not getting pulled into the story.  If Julia ever wants to hypnotize me, she doesn't need any old medallion.  All she has to do is bend Leticia over and tell me to find the center of the cinnamon bun.

Couldn't they have hauled out Mr. Juggins to lie on the floor in Otis's stead?  I hadn't realized Otis was still supposed to be there when Leticia found him, so there I sat wondering what was bothering her.

I'm having trouble seeing any connection between Gerard and Leticia.  Maybe that's how it's supposed to be, because he's just using her as he uses everybody, but after all, they've been together a while, and whether or not they've slept together, there should be more between them than what I'm seeing.

Did precious jewels really need to be put into Judah's mask?

Maybe they weren't put in the mask.  Maybe they were supernaturally attracted to it, or maybe they just grew there.

[MagnusTrask]

Magnus, it's good to see you being enthusiastic about 1840 when I'm being thoroughly unenthusiastic.  You don't persuade me, but it's nice to know that it's not that bad, it's just me.  

Well, you and all the people who seem to have dropped out of the WP lately...  For me, 1840 is the reward for my having trudged through Leviathans, PT, and Sunner 1970.   (1995 was cool.)    1840 is not as good as the other period storylines, and it has some logical flaws, but there are far more of those throughout DS than I ever realized.   Still, the atmosphere and vitality are back.   I expect all precious jewels to have flaws.

I've been concerned that it's just going to be you and me here, you very reluctantly.   Taeylor's on his way though, I guess.   I honestly don't get how people who got through the last few storylines (complaining about them in some cases) might consider this one too much to bear.

[DarkLady]

I emerge from months in lurkdom to make my first post here. Although I'm coming in late, I'll try to keep up with the WP by reading the Robservations--I do enjoy them! As far as storylines go, 1840 is one of my favorites, although I think 1995-Summer 1970 was one of the best,  gradually adding to the mystery as Barnabas and Julia try to put the clues together. Of course they fail, but it's fun to watch them try!

Anyway, why the jewels in the mask? I guess if you're going to have a mask it might as well have jewels!

I suspect Desmond's hair is under control now because they remembered to comb it out after they took the rollers off. He looks a tiny bit like Franz Schubert, doesn't he? The fact that he is ordinarily such a pleasant fellow makes it all the more awful that the Head is possessing him. I've always enjoyed this particular conversation with Gabriel! Having Gabriel be wheelchair bound was a neat touch--I wonder who came up with that idea.

And I've always thought that Gerard and Leticia have had some previous history of whatever kind (probably, um, romantic). At the very least, he believes her psychic powers are genuine and that he can use them to his advantage, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered to schlep her to Collinwood with him.

Anyway, enough of me for a first post. I will try to be consistent and keep you guys company!

[MagnusTrask]

Welcome DL, and thanks for dropping in on the Watching Project!   I hope you can stay.

[Midnite]

Wonderful to see you joining in, DarkLady!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Back in AOL's glory days of the '90s, when it had its own special and high profile areas for fans of various TV shows, DS had a very strong and thriving presence there with Dark Shadows Online. In '98 DSO held a kind of DS Academy Awards. Voting wasn't just limited to AOL members, it was open to all DS fans online, it was heavily promoted, and several hundreds participated in the voting (Diana Millay was even Mistress of Ceremonies when it came time to announce the winners). The top three vote getters during the preliminary voting round (to set the top three selections for each category for the final voting) for the category of Favorite Storyline were 1897, 1795 and 1840. (It was quite interesting that none of the present day storylines even came close to making the top three.) Ultimately 1840 came in third - but it was a very close vote with only a few dozen votes separating each storyline. So, the point of all this is that 1840 definitely has a significant fanbase in fandom...

And, yes - it's great to see you posting in the WP, DarkLady.  

[Robot_Quentin]

Also welcome Dark Lady!

1840 for me was always a return to previous glories for DS. Its probably my 4th favorite behind 1897, 1970 and 1795. The present-day lead up to this was so very boring and definitely seemed to be a re-hash of the Quentin haunting but I will admit with many new elements thrown in. It just seemed to drag on so long before Julia went back in time. BUT the destruction of Collinwood by undead zombies will always be a crazy and horrific moment for myself. Holy Crapatola Batman! The new menace of Judah Z seemed very original and cool. I've seen many criticizisms of 1840 on the net (not here) claiming it to be just a repeat of 1897, but not for me.

Ok, I will admit Quentin [spoiler]does get wrongly accused and put in jail... for the 3rd time is it? [/spoiler]

[Janet the Wicked]

So here I am getting distracted by that cinnamon bun thing - that great big creepy cinnamon bun thing that means business - on Leticia's head because I'm not getting pulled into the story.  If Julia ever wants to hypnotize me, she doesn't need any old medallion.  All she has to do is bend Leticia over and tell me to find the center of the cinnamon bun.

Just think. If she had a couple more cinnamon bun things, she could play ring toss.

[Janet the Wicked]

Gallows Hill in Bedford. Bedford, Ma is a couple hours from Portland. Scotty beaming these people back and forth? They way the people come and go, you’d think Gallows Hill was a half mile down the street.

[DarkLady]

Thanks so much for the warm welcome, guys!

If she had a couple more cinnamon bun things, she could play ring toss.

Actually, if she had two of them, she could be Princess Leia.

Janet, remember how Eagle Hill seemed to shift around to be nearer to or farther from Collinwood as the story line required? The same went for Windcliff. Maybe Collinwood just has that kind of effect on nearby geography.

The 1840s story line is one of my faves. But the writers (and we) got so invested in the Head of Judah Zachery that we (or I at least) tend to forget that Barnabas originally went there to try to prevent the destruction of Collinwood in 1970. What I mean is that there are only a few moments where Barn and Julia stop to realize that they haven't prevented it yet.

But that's just a small quibble....

[MagnusTrask]

I suppose that their stategem was to look for the biggest source of trouble and deal with that, assuming it leads to Collinwood and the zombies later.

[Lydia]

Welcome, DarkLady!

Actually, if she had two of them, she could be Princess Leia.

If she had two of them, she'd topple over.

Gallows Hill in Bedford. Bedford, Ma is a couple hours from Portland. Scotty beaming these people back and forth? They way the people come and go, you’d think Gallows Hill was a half mile down the street.

I keep thinking like you, Janet, but I've been listening, and I don't think they ever say that it's the Massachusetts Bedford they're talking about.  I think this Bedford must be in Maine.

[Janet the Wicked]

No Bedford in Maine. Maybe they meant Biddeford. At any rate, it's sloppy writing and lack of research.