(I finally got a chance to write up my notes from the first three installments.)
I like the little hints that are dropped about David's background and his mother. I particularly love the scene between Roger and Elizabeth and the ominous remark that David did something so horrendous that he will never be let back into the local school.
Say what you will, but I love the use of the smoke - especially in the outdoor scenes. Overall I think the cinematography is wonderful and adds such atmosphere. It's a shame that so much of it is ruined on the DVD set (which is why I'm watching my MPI VHS tapes instead).
I love the Collinwood set. It's easy to see why the series cost over $15 million to produce because much of it is on display on screen. The detail of the production design is incredible.
It's probably worth noting again that Maggie and Sam were only supposed to appear in the pilot and never be seen again. But when TPTB saw Ely Pouget on screen they instantly decided that they had to develop the Maggie character to make her a part of the series - and Eddie Jones was lucky enough to get to go along on the ride as Sam.
I really like how Vicki has a perception about people. She could easily see that Willie was an outcast, and apparently feeling sympathy for him rather than being turned off by his behavior at the Blue Whale she agreed to go along with him to Collinwood rather than accept Joe's offer to drive her. I also like how, after Vicki admitted that art was her favorite subject to teach and Roger cynically remarked that he supposed that art was how she got to know children, Vicki comes back with how their art actually helps children to get to know themselves, showing Roger there is more to her than he gave credit at first. It's a real shame that scene was cut from the NBC broadcast.
I love Barbara Blackburn as Carolyn. I was familiar with her work from when she played Siobhan Ryan on
Ryan's Hope and I enjoyed her then - but her Carolyn is on a whole different level - if not on a whole different planet. It's more than a shame that some of her best moments were cut from the NBC broadcast. But then, as we all know, DC's sad motto is "when cuts need to be made, jettison character moments because, hell, who needs them?"
Another telling remark of Roger's (and naturally, one that was cut from the NBC broadcast): how he never expects anything - that way he's never disappointed. I suspect that has a lot to do with how his marriage has played out. But we'll get a few more clues about that down the line...
I definitely like how the great hall at Collinwood seemingly has dozens of portraits on display. They could have been the perfect set up to introduce a whole slew of ancestors/characters. But alas...
I love the look on Barnabas' face after the one-two punch of seeing Vicki and hearing about Sarah. His remark about possibly upsetting David is far more meaningful when one considers it from the POV that it's actually Barnabas himself who's far more upset but summoning all his power to cover it.
I never noticed before this viewing, but I find it quite interesting that all the outdoor scenes in this half of the pilot either take place at night or in the rain - both of which contribute greatly to creating an extremely suitable dark, dank atmosphere. Even when it isn't raining, the ground is often wet.
