i can only guess that the writers must have felt that vicki's compulsion to always tell the truth in spite of the perilous situation it placed her in was supposed to make her seem "virtuous"...in other word good girls don't tell lies.

this quality of of "virtue" imposed on the character is what eventually lead to her coming across as so dimwitted.

it's probably not what the writers intended at the time but ultimately(especially when put into a contemporary context)that's the impression one gets.

p.s. it's funny that the whole "witch" thing started because vicki showed up in a short skirt and a charm bracelet.

i've been watching the laura collins story and i'm delighted at the level of cattiness that's often achieved here.

however this week's slide show is reminding me of another time when things got quite catty.

in 1967 when carolyn was under a particular "influence" things sure got bitchy between her and a certain lady historian.

the scenes between the two during this period,including a particular gem where carolyn rather snottily informs "miss hoffman" that the family dresses for dinner,are among my all-time favorites.

i believe i'm one of the posters who refered to this book as "bad fanfiction" and for me that is how it read.

i didn't really have a problem with the part of the story set in the 1600's because i could have been reading anything.it was a totally different time and place and set of characters from what i knew of d.s..

but the part set in 1971 really annoyed me because the characters i knew(as well as anyone can "know" fictitous television characters)bore little resemblance(except for the names)to what lara parker put on the page.

again i don't think she understands the material as well as one would think.

what is most disturbing about this book(as opposed to fanfiction)is that because it was written by someone so intimately involved with the show and it had the approval of 'dan curtis productions' is that it has the air of "canon" about it.meaning it could be interpreted as being the "real" story of what happened to these people(again,of course,these being fictitious characters)when everything about it seems wrong to me(ms.parker didn't even bother to get the backstories of most of the characters correct...julia "family doctor" exchanging her services for room and board???collinwood open for tourists???where did she get that stuff?).

so again i found this book to be the absolute lamest.

oh the obscure thrills of d.s. fandom!

i just love that we all know who lovelady powell is.

i don't think that it was so much that burke expected vicki to leave her job once they were married as much as it was that at the time a position as governess was suitable to an unmarried girl.it was clear that everyone,including vicki herself,was aware that she would be leaving the position if she ever got married.

also i don't think burke objected in general to vicki having her own hobbies and friends...just that he was rightly worried about her obsession with josette collins,the old house and the remote history of the collins family.he seemed to be the only one(besides dr.woodard)to see how dodgy barnabas' story was.his tone might have been bossy but he was certainly right in his objections to all the time vicki was spending at the old house.

i mean look what was being planned for her at the time.

for me the character of burke devlin is one of the show's great "what ifs?".

what if mitch ryan had not left the show abruptly?what if he had fulfilled the obligations of his contract?what if he hadn't been replaced by an actor who played the character so differently?

if "factor x" had been "factor y" the whole show might have played out differently.

i sort of do have a fondness for burke because as had been said he sort of ties the show to the earlier more reality based storytelling techniques i prefer(i.e.he's not a monster).with burke i got the impression that vicki was somehow protected in the world.jeff clark couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time let alone take care of another human being...and look what happened to vicki under his watch.

in some ways burke is sort of the forgotten main character.he was an enormous presence during the first year or so but once he's gone he's never mentioned again.
whenever a new version of the show is proposed or put into production(the 1991 series,the 2004 pilot)early characters like vicki,elizabeth,roger,etc. co-exist with characters like barnabas,julia and angelique who represent the later more supernaturally themed part of the show.even relatively "minor" characters like willie loomis,joe haskell,sam evans and mrs.johnson get to take their place at the table...but never burke.

i guess in the end both burke and barnabas were too willfull and domineering to exist on the same plane for long.

the topic of dark shadows' "scariest moments" has come up here recently.

now dark shadows can be thrilling and spooky and goosepimply...but it's never genuinely "scary".

"the excorcist" is i.m.o. the most genuinely scary movie ever made.i saw it as a child and it terrified me for months on end.to this day it is the only movie i cannot watch.

even now when i see linda blair as a middle-aged woman all i can see is that awful girl...it's something about the eyes...too scary!

i really enjoyed suki forbes,buffie harrington and hannah stokes.

even though i disliked the adam storyline as a whole i got a kick out of "leona eltridge" too.

and another vote for the lovely and stylish portia fitzsimmons.would have loved to see more of her.