The Justin-Josette affair is terrifically interesting, from the point of view of everyone affected by it.
We have always been told what a fine, upright man Justin was, and now we learn that he cheated on his wife, fathered a child out of wedlock, and foisted the child on his unsuspecting wife. Josette glides over the actual infidelity - Melanie just sort of happened, apparently - but babies don't just sort of happen, even in parallel time, as we have learned from Catherine's situation. Did Justin sleep with any other women besides Josette? Josette believes that she herself was somebody special in his life - but Justin (said Josette) was always very kind - so maybe he was kind to other women as well. Maybe infidelity relieved the stress that the knowledge of the Room's existence put on him. Or maybe I myself am being kind in suggesting that.
Meanwhile, Josette is abruptly knocked off her pedestal. The woman whom Barnabas loved throughout the centuries slept with another man practically the minute Barnabas died. Of course it's not like that. It would probably have been several weeks after Barnabas died, and the Josette of parallel time isn't the Josette of our time, so she's not exactly the woman whom Barnabas loved throughout the centuries. Nevertheless, I daresay the writers were amused. As for the timing, from the way Josette told the story, it seemed that Bramwell was still a child, and from the fact that he didn't know that Melanie was Josette's child, I'd guess that he was age three or under. But DarkLady's right that Bramwell is much older than Melanie, so her idea that he didn't go to Boston with his mother must be correct - but it's still difficult for me to swallow.
Flora - poor Flora! So devoted to Justin, true to him in all the years after he emerged insane from the Room. Never knowing that her husband had cheated on her. Always believing he was the finest man she ever knew. (No, I'm not quoting anything she said. But it's obvious she felt that way.) Should she have suspected something? I don't know.
And Julia. Protecting her brother's name, and desperately protecting the feelings of her sister-in-law. Suddenly the friendship between Julia and Flora is far more moving. It sounds as though Julia didn't learn the truth until after Justin went into the Room, because apparently she never discussed the affair with him - and, Julia being Julia, I find it hard believe that she would not have confronted Justin. What must she have felt!
If Josette had settled in Boston with Bramwell and baby Melanie, would Bramwell have ever met Catherine?
Wonderful work by KJ in Daphne's recovery and death scene
Yes indeed.
By the way, when I watched this episode in 1971, my mother was sitting in the same room - the only episode for which that was the case for me. It was an excruciating experience. Especially the snort that came when Josette said, "Boston was another world." I can guarantee that Boston was
not another world to my mother.
