Happy belated birthday Nancy!

The women all look so ’68 contemporary and quite fabulous.

I picked up on what seems to be a lackadaisical tone to AM’s OVO. As if she started with a deep sigh and rolling eyes. Cass meets Maggie and decides she will start the dream curse because of her resemblance to Josette, noting the irony. Vicki asks Maggie to room JC temporarily and Maggie says she’ll do her best to convince Sam to comply. The JClark & Lang shout fest was a big bore. Lang subdues JC with an injection and straps him to a gurney. Jeff wakes and realizes that his face will put the finishing touch on Lang’s creation. Did I say I hate the dream curse? I loved the first dream – KLS, is a natch for this type of scene. I loved the whole thing except the skull at the end (the eyeballs really made it silly). I was a bit put off seeing JClark in the dream thinking it was stupid but knowing that he is supposed to move into the Evans cottage I can see where it will come into play later. I also very much enjoyed Cass/Ange’s incantation at the drawing room window. Did you catch the lilt in her voice as the scene faded into Maggie’s dream, as if she were starting to sing? It made me giggle – in a good way.

Afterthoughts: The wig is still holding up. As a kid my intro to these 1968 characters was 16 Magazine – this was during the 1897 storyline. I used to get back issues at a flea market and I think perhaps also saw photos when 16 ran the “Whole True Story” series. I was so taken with Parker as Cassandra in that wig that I fell in love with the name and was determined to name my first female child Cassandra, lol. This episode started with a bang but the whole Lang/JClark thang brought the episode down. Two mediocre talents together in the same scene - there was more ham in their scenes than on the table at a three family Easter dinner. It was so comforting to see Maggie again. I’m beginning to wonder why so many wigs? Is it less work than styling the actresses hair? I can see in some instances – like – Liz – where no one has that much hair to create such a style, and I believe Bennett goes natural eventually but ‘Vicki’ & ‘Maggie’? I don’t recall having seen ‘Carolyn’ in a wig. I wonder what the thought process and considerations are behind these decisions. And dig that crazy psychedelic ending credits! Groovy, man!Or was it far out?!!

Lang tries to sell Barn on his plan but Barn will not commit. He asks Julia’s advice regarding Lang as a trustworthy and competent MD, but when pressed refuses to reveal details of Lang’s plan. She asks and Barn admits that he could die (permanently, lol). This is all the info Julia needs to advise against cooperating with Lang. While he and Lang wait to dig up a freshly buried body at the cemetery, Jeff refuses to go thru with it, essentially terminating his association with Lang. We learn here that Lang’s hold over Jeff is that he was accused of murdering women – we also learn that this is according to Lang and that Jeff has no memory of it – or of his past for that matter as he latter explains to Vicki in the garden as a hiding Barnabas watches/listens. JC & VW close their conversation with a romantic kiss – pressuring Barn back to Lang’s to agree to take part in the experiment and requesting a face resembling Jeff’s. Lang says he can go one better and give him Jeff’s actual face. Barnabas smiles…fade to black.
 
Afterthoughts: Decent warm-blooded Barnabas – we hardly knew ye. Is Barn bad by nature? I hadn’t expected to dislike him again so soon. Again the lighting was horrible, the outdoor scenes were flattering to no one. Davis & Powell’s scene was ghastly written (IMO). And what’s with all the touching?  Swift & Russell are not new to the scene, correct? It seems more & more episodes lately have been lacking (acting, directing, writing, lighting) – starting during the final days of 1795. I wonder if this is a trend or if it is just my take? On the other hand I am, I marveled by the camera work. Go figure. The lifeless unfinished body can be seen breathing, especially in fast-forward.

If it were meant to be a wig, I imagine that Barn Or Julia would have pulled it off in some big AH HA! moment sooner or later.

_Dr. Lang used him as a guinea pig and he now has three penises!!"

Cassandra tries to convince Roger to cancel the honeymoon. Liz confronts Cass with a request for an annulment. Vicki tells Liz, “Cassandra is the woman in the picture.” Liz scoffs at the suggestion accusing Vicki of having an overactive imagination. Cassandra has Julia confirm and treat a fake injury in order to force the cancellation of her honeymoon and makes good use of their time together pumping Julia for info about her relationship with Barn. Perhaps because of her failure to convince Liz, Vicki now trysts with Julia in the garden to convince her that Cass is Ange and once again has her concerns ridiculed. At least Julia is skeptical and not dismissive. Cassandra drugs Roger before bedtime. Why? Did she know he would soon be coming out of his spell (is he even under a spell?) or perhaps as so not to have to consummate the marriage? Before Roger goes under, he questions his actions of the past 24 hours aloud with his bride. Cass confronts Barn’s portrait confirming all of Vicki’s suspicions.
 
Afterthought: Victoria Winters, the smartest girl in the room.

And the Julia/Barnabas show begins…
 
Barn learns from Julia that Roger stayed overnight at the Inn but has since moved on, presumably with portrait in tow. Barn tells her about Angelique and ties her into the portrait and Roger’s peculiar behavior. Julia then shows him Lang’s headgear and he puts two & two together. Barn concludes that Lang is in danger and with Julia, heads for Lang’s office. Roger shows up at Lang’s - Roger attempts to kill Lang but is interrupted by Julia & Barn. Julia takes Roger home and Barn gives Lang the lowdown. Lang scoffs and Barn offers the proof. Julia returns and tells them that Roger escaped. He shows up at Stokes with the portrait and offers it to him but when he unwraps it the portrait is missing from the frame. Barn and Julia arrive at Collinwood to find the portrait there in the drawing room.
 
Afterthoughts: As DarkLady notes, Julia grabs Barn’s forearm, a gesture indicating the change in their relationship status (IMO also). I would hazard to guess that this was of Hall’s own doing because the rest of the direction of this episode was pretty shabby. Barn’s reaction to the portrait was laughable (the pointing was ludicrous - Bela Lugosi - nice, MT! lol). Fire the director!  Keep the cameraman though – for whatever reason, I was taken by most of the camera work in this episode. The opening scene with Hall & Frid was framed beautifully. Hall looked lovely and I am digging the ‘madedown’ Barn too. Seeing these two as I had always remembered them, working together as a team, (and especially Julia with short hair) stirred an old familiar sense of comfort in me.