It's great to see Joan Bennett again. And I like the model of the mausoleum. If I were to order a model of a mausoleum that was to be built for me, the architect wouldn't put all those cute little trees in, but Elizabeth Collins Stoddard is rich, so she gets miniature greenery with her miniature mausoleum. It was a bit of a letdown, though, to find out that the thing was made of paper.
I liked the effect of Elizabeth's own voice talking to her and telling her what was going to happen. I realize that this was only because Dan Curtis didn't feel like paying Lara Parker for a day's work to do the dictating and the laughing, but the result was very pleasing: Joan Bennett being cruel to Joan Bennett.
What I didn't like was that we didn't see any of the hours that Roger had spent talking with Elizabeth, when he tried to be sympathetic, and also the times when she seemed like her old self. Clearly we're getting a Reader's Digest condensed version of Elizabeth's problem, and that's just not how Dark Shadows should be. I fully understand that Joan Bennett is entitled to the time off that's stipulated in her contract and that if she didn't have the time off she wouldn't have gotten this storyline - but that's not my problem.
I like Vicky's dress. (It's an "I like" day. Some days are "It's interesting" days, but this is an "I like" day.) I liked it the last time I saw it, but didn't mention it, though I can't remember why not. Today I'm mentioning it. And I liked the way Vicky stuck to her guns, because she was absolutely right. And I didn't like the way Jeff avoided saying straight out, "I'm sorry." It wouldn't have changed Vicky's mind, but he should have said it anyway.
