DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '07 I => Topic started by: Watching Project on April 05, 2007, 05:17:06 AM
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Robservations - #269
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Great episode. (I know what else is new? lol).
Thank heavens Vicki got there in time to stop Elizabeth...and she used the best persuasive argument to talk her out of killing herself too....Carolyn. I think Carolyn would be haunted for the rest of her life by her mother's suicide and would believe she drove her to it (not really, that "honor" would belong to Jason for causing all the friction between mother and daughter in the first place).
Despite their differences in the past, you could see Burke really did want to help Elizabeth out. He never really liked or trusted Jason very much either and would like to help prevent her from making the biggest mistake of her life.
Jason was so detestable in this episode (again what else is new?). Too bad Elizabeth didn't blow the whistle on the whole affair when Burke confronted her and Jason with the list of Jason's illegal activities.
Again, Joan really shined in this episode.
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This is where I'm supposed to give credit where credit is due, and say, "Well, Vicky scotched Elizabeth's suicide plans where Mrs. Johnson and Barnabas only delayed them." And I do say it. Granted, she had a head start: unlike Mrs Johnson and Barnabas, she knew why Elizabeth was planning to jump, so she could speak about the real problem instead of just saying vaguely, "Death is not the answer." But Vicky fought well. And now I'm the one who's being less than warm - but I never can bring myself to say, "Hurray for Vicky!" I'll leave it to others.
When Elizabeth and Vicky come back to Collinwood and Elizabeth looks around, it's obvious what Liz is doing, even before she says it. Very nice. And then Jason comes in like a bull in a china shop. What is his problem? Well, we know what his problem is: Dennis Patrick wants out of the show, so Jason has to push Elizabeth too hard so Elizabeth will push back. And given his previous history as described by Burke, it makes sense: he never quite succeeds in his schemes, but always ends up jumping ship and looking around for a more promising victim. I keep wondering about Jason. What sort of person walks into a roomful of people and immediately sets about making them hate him? Clearly Jason doesn't believe that kind hearts are worth more than coronets - but at his age, he might want to start thinking about the future. Who is going to come visit him after he's been carted off to the nursing home? [spoiler]Perhaps, in the long run, Barnabas did him a big favor. After all, he'll never be lonely in the secret room of the mausoleum. That place is like Grand Central Station.[/spoiler]
I feel sorry for Vicky, who has been given the task of erasing the date of death from Elizabeth's entry in the family Bible. She's definitely not going to be able to make it look as though nothing had ever been written there, and I hope she won't make a hole in the paper scraping away the ink. Her best bet may be to use white-out - although the paper probably is more like off-white. Incidentally, I liked the handwriting on the date of death - so elegant!
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Good thoughts, I did check out White Out, developed around 1966. In this sense Collinsport was a head of time. Didn't we use a wet erasor?? I think my mind might have left me.
I'm thinking that if MJ or BC hadn't said anything to Vickie, would she have gone into the room?
I do like the fact that Burke is trying to help, I think that he is doing this for Vicki, but he does respect Liz. I like the way that Liz stood up to Jason in the end. I think that she got power from the house.
[spoiler]This is where Liz could have used Julia Hoffman, Medicine Woman, Liz could have used her magic bag[/spoiler]
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It wasn't Dennis Patrick's decision to leave DS, his character served it's purpose and wasn't necessary anymore. I believe he was hired for the short term this story was to run.
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On one of the DVD interviews he said that he wanted off the show, to do something else. I don't remember which one, don't have them all yet, But saw it through renting netflix.
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Maybe he wanted off the show when he was playing Paul Stoddard and not JM?
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Maybe he wanted off the show when he was playing Paul Stoddard and not JM?
He did leave during Leviathans to appear in the film Joe with Peter Boyle. That's why we were subjected to the ridiculousness of having [spoiler]Peter's ghost rather than Paul's haunt Jeb. ::)[/spoiler]
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If I remember correctly, Dennis Patrick said in the interview that lori54 mentioned that he wanted to go to his daughter's highschool graduation. This would mean that the character that he left behind had to be Jason McGuire rather than Paul Stoddard, since Paul's return to Collinsport happened in the wintertime - but perhaps Patrick mixed the two memories up. When I was watching the interview, I thought that his daughter's highschool graduation must have been rather late in the season, so perhaps he was throwing in, free of charge, a memory that had nothing to do with Dark Shadows at all.
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It does seem odd that a graduation - a one day event - would be a reason to leave a job. Particularly when DS often videotaped shows out of sequence to accommodate different actors' schedules/commitments. But who knows? :-
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Keep in mind that a lot of the DS actors memories aren't like the fan's memories and tend to blur things together. Still, I dont see how Dennis could have stayed on in DS, especially at that time actors didnt play more then one role.
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Be sure to check out these (hopefully ;)) humorous topics related to this episode:
From "Caption This!":
From "Complete This Phrase / Fill In The Blank(s)":
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I just found the Dennis Patrick interview. It's on disc 3 of DVD set 2, and it's very funny. Patrick stated clearly that he wanted out. Besides graduating from highschool, his daughter was in the senior play as well. A classic motive for quitting a job.
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And this was during his stint as Jason, Lydia?
PS - Thanx mucho for locating, watching, & reporting on the interview.
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You're welcome, dom, but I just happened to come across it. (You are free to assume that I play Frisbee with the discs in my spare time.)
Dennis Patrick did not say when this was, but the interview is placed on a DVD with Jason episodes on it, and Patrick was talking a lot about John Karlen, Mitchell Ryan, and cows, so I think his mind was on Jason rather than on Paul.
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Thanks Lydia, I always say I have a great memory but it is short. I guress talking about cows so early makes me glad that I don't live on a farm and don't have to milk them. My mother did, she grew up on a farm.
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I liked this episode very much - from what I remember.
Let's face it - no matter who showed up, with the possible exception of Carolyn who is pretty stupid these days - they would have figured it out and Liz would have never followed thru as it was too obvious that she planned to go for it. But it did make sense for Vicki to be the one and the scene played out beautifully.
Did anyone notice how Liz's spine literally snapped back into place once Vicki stated that it was not in Jason's best interest to turn her in, because of his involvement in the crime. I loved how Joan played that scene, ending with her telling Vicki it was okay to leave her alone with Jason and her discussion with him culminating in the proclamation that their's would not be a proper marriage (or was it traditional marriage, or something like that). Sexual thoughts aside, you just knew that Liz was telliing him that she would not be playing the stereotypical role of wife - that he was going to be as miserable as she, one way or another. I wonder if Jason thought he'd be having a sexual relationship with Liz once they tied the knot? I mean, he really could make her do whatever he wanted it seemed. I can't picture it.
Needless to say - it was a big let-down at eps end when Liz's spine reverted back to mush but I don't feel the need to take it out on the episode as I would give this one very high marks. Even the widows get a free pass.
Oh! I almost forgot! Hurray for Vicki!!! ;D
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Excellent episode, as usual. [bigok] Hooray for Vicki, indeed! [cheer] I loved how Vicki was so protective and understanding of Elizabeth. This truly seemed like a mother/daughter relationship. I'm repeating myself here, but I once again state that it's too bad they never revealed on the show that Vicki was Elizabeth's daughter. Vicki resembles Elizabeth more than Carolyn does. Oh well... I digress... [color]
Jason is a scoundrel to the max! I hate him! [angryf] It just goes to show that DP was a great actor to be able to make his character so hateable. [winkg]
----- Sally -----
[coolg]
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Maybe he wanted off the show when he was playing Paul Stoddard and not JM?
He did leave during Leviathans to appear in the film Joe with Peter Boyle. That's why we were subjected to the ridiculousness of having [spoiler]Peter's ghost rather than Paul's haunt Jeb. ::)[/spoiler]
No..... so many things in life are even stupider than I think. Scribble out "Paul", write in "Peter".... hey. why not Sarah? I'd have liked to see her again! Get her out of school! There's stupid show business history to be made! Or the ghost of that guy Tate created by drawing him who lived for a few hours.
I have that movie "Joe"... Susan Sarandon's first, I think.
They weren't doing multiple roles yet, but there were about to start, and were planning for 1795. DP could have been in that if he'd wanted.