Discuss - Ep #0307

[Watching Project]

Robservations - #307

And if you'd care to look back, the first WP discussion topic for this ep:

Re: Discuss - Ep #0307

[IluvBarnabas]

However misguided it was, I have to admit I loved the way Vicki stood up to Burke on Barnabas' behalf...she poked holes in every one of his theories on why Barnabas can't and shouldn't be trusted. Burke's instincts are right, but bottom line he still does not have one iota of proof against Barnabas. Well, maybe the Bradford thing might be a problem, but as far as linking Barnabas with Maggie...well we the viewers know he was responsible but what proof does Burke have? Maggie's remembering a tinkling kind of music and her collapsing at the Blue Whale screaming 'no!' in front of Barnabas is purely circumstancial, hardly enough evidence to go take to the sheriff.

I knew it would only be a matter of time before Maggie got fed up with being fussed over by her Pop and Joe.
I understand why she'd get bored to death hanging around the house all the time....I really don't see why as long as someone was with her she couldn't be allowed to leave the house at least once a day, even only for a walk. Can't really fault the two men for wanting to protect her though. At least Maggie did get her way (this time) and got to go to the Blue Whale.

While alone together at the Blue Whale, Vicki and Joe compare notes on Sarah and realize how important she is to finding out what happened to Maggie. This is a development that neither Barnabas nor Julia could have foretold. Now that a lot of folks are starting to realize what finding Sarah could mean to discovering the truth, Julia's experiments may become a moot point...though would Sarah really expose Barnabas?

[dom]

Yeah, you gotta wonder if Sarah would have taken David to the crypt if Barn was still using it to rest during the day. Does Sarah need any more reason to expose Barn than she all ready has? At this point I have to assume that she has no intention of exposing or bringing harm to Barn. I mean, she won't even appear to him. There's gotta be something up with that.

(gotta walk the dog)

[Lydia]

I think Sarah could indeed expose Barnabas, but not yet.  Here's how I figure it: her primary function, the task that keeps her from her rest, is the obligation to keep Maggie safe, whether or not Sarah likes that task - and, of course, at this point she doesn't much like it because Maggie has forgotten her.  When Sarah showed David the coffin in the secret room of the mausoleum, it was on the pretext that she wanted to keep David playing with her.  But there were other ways to hold David's interest.  Although Sarah didn't know it, her choice of lure to keep David from going home that day came from her obligation to protect Maggie.  She's unknowingly feeling her way towards the conclusion that the only foolproof way to keep Maggie safe is to expose Barnabas.  But, as I said, I don't think she realizes yet what she's doing.

As for why Sarah won't appear to Barnabas: perhaps she simply can't at this point.  I yet worked out why, but there's time.

Meanwhile, we got the confrontation between Burke and Vicky that we thought we had missed the other day.  Apparently Vicky had managed to avert the storm that day, hoping that Burke would stop being so silly about Barnabas.  But Burke still is suspicious of Barnabas, so now Vicky is threatening to break off the engagement.  If only she would!

[DarkLady]

I don't think Sarah wants to harm Barnabas. Just as he needs her forgiveness, she desperately wants an explanation for all the awful things she's seen him doing. I do think she knew the danger that David would be in if she showed him Barnabas asleep in the coffin at the Old House. I think she showed him the empty coffin in the hope that he might have some ideas about what's going on with her big brother--and to keep David with her a little while longer.

I like the interplay among Maggie, Sam, and Joe. The actors work very well together, and these three characters make a lovely and affectionate family unit.

Vicki is waiting for Burke at the BW--why didn't he pick her up at Collinwood? Barnabas would huff that a gentleman would escort her into town--and wouldn't keep her waiting.

Anyway, while Vicki is waiting for Burke, Joe tells her about the mysterious Sarah, who keeps appearing and almost certainly knows something about what happened to Maggie. When Maggie and her pop arrive, Vicki shares her theory, and they all compare notes on Sarah. Maggie has a brief memory flash of some “tinkling music,” but unlike Burke two episodes ago, Vicki fails to make the connection to her music box. C'mon, Vicki!

Shortly after Burke arrives, the Evanses and Joe leave. Sam doesn't finish his drink!

I love the way Vicki takes apart every one of his arguments. This is a glimpse of the old Vicki, who stood "on her own two feet"! This scene gives us a hint of what happened when Burke ordered her to stay away from Barnabas. I imagine this command met with a frosty silence, and the date ended soon after.

[Lydia]

DarkLady, I don't think Sarah wants to harm Barnabas either.  But I believe she's not a free agent.

Vicki is waiting for Burke at the BW--why didn't he pick her up at Collinwood?

Maybe it was Vicky's idea for them to meet at the Blue Whale, because she thought she might not want him driving her home.

[dom]

I am going to assume that Vicki placated Burke at the Blue Whale because she hasn't seen Barnabas since then. (I am not keeping track of time, perhaps it was last night and what I am saying is moot) but she certainly had no hesitation when she opened the door to him.

The scene with Vicki and Burke played out well. I certainly like Alexandra's soft spoken acting style and it worked beautifully in this scene. Everything that transpired pretty much made sense -- the only thing that gave me pause was Vicki's statement that she couldn't marry Burke if he continued his surveillance/investigation of Barnabas. I think that was a bit extreme. And I was surprised the writers had her be so up front about her distaste for Burke at that moment when she turned her head away from his kiss. I would have thought that Vicki would have waited to show him a sign of disapproval after everyone had gone.

Do you think everyone was ready to go or do you think they left because of the tension between Burke and Vicki?

Oh yeah, lovin' the interplay between the Evans' & Joe. I credit KLS' acting style for that. She is a such a great "natural" actress. I think she is basically just playing herself here. Goodness knows her stint as Lady Kitty was godawful so she's no Betty Davis who can count on mannerisms as acting tools. Maggie is a great character. And I agree that they do make for an endearing family unit.

[dom]

Vicki should have put the Old House, Sarah & Barnabas together if not during, then after the round table discussion, when Burke started explaining his theories. Even a moment of pause would have been nice.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Do you think everyone was ready to go or do you think they left because of the tension between Burke and Vicki?

Interesting question. I doubt anyone missed Vicki's cold reception of Burke - and Maggie had barely even spent any time at the Blue Whale at all. But then, how many times on soaps do characters eat two bites of their food or take two sips of their drinks and then they're ready to leave? (It's like why did they even order the stuff in the first place?!) So who knows? But one thing we can be sure of is that their departure was certainly needed to facilitate the private conversation between Vicki and Burke. 

[dom]

Well, at least they had the wherewithal to leave the half empty (or half full if you will) drinks on the table. Poor Maggie can't catch a break.

Oh yeah! Was this the first and last episode we actually here normal everyday songs on the jukebox?! We hear A Man & A Woman by Francis Lai, and I Caught the song BRAZIL, made famous by Xavier Cugat and a third lounge number I couldn't identify.

Oh yeah! And something else really caught my attention! Anthony George gave a practically flawless performance. Well, I believe he remembered all his lines and never skipped a beat. His delivery was just above mediocre but I still think a footnote is warranted in future literature.

And one more thing, I thought Alexandra looked lovely. I'm thinking I might have seen freckles had I not been watching a VHS tape.

Oh, and one more thing, it seemed odd to see Joe smoking-- just sayin'.

[Lydia]

Oh, and one more thing, it seemed odd to see Joe smoking-- just sayin'.

I thought so too.

[alwaysdavid]

At the Evans cottage Joe was looking offstage every time he said a line almost as much as the real Burke Devlin did. I didn't remember Joe smoking before. There's been a lot recently. Maybe they got a cigarette sponsor.