Discuss - Ep #0735

Robservations #735

The creepiness of Trask rubbing his hands together the way he does adds so much to the character.  Jerry Lacy does a great job.  Why didn't Laura just have him call in his wife or Rachel or the children to identify her?  Of course Laura doesn't let this stop her.   

Why didn't Laura just have him call in his wife or Rachel or the children to identify her?

Trask was not about to let the children slip from his grasp, so I doubt he would have granted any of those requests anyway.

The character seems to be spiraling out of control.  Gregory was originally written as a corrupt man masquerading as a pious headmaster, but here he's foul all the time.  It's not about molding young minds through harsh discipline anymore, but all about exerting sadistic power.  There's no longer any attempt at pretense.  A punishment book?!  Puhleeze.  By the time he declares that he follows his own conscience, both Tim and the audience are well aware that he doesn't have one.  He's so over the top in this ep that it's a wonder that Tim didn't knock him upside the head and leave him in the secret room.

Hmm, what did I like about the ep?  The special effect of Laura lighting the candles with her finger.  I don't know how it was done, but it looks awesome, even now!

Not to mention that Laura, too, is into power.  I think she was miffed that she didn't get her way, so decided to take matters into her own hands.

Jeannie

The confrontation between Laura and Trask is one of those great scenes that shows up every so often in Dark Shadows - and which make the show so much fun to watch - in which two evenly matched personalities square off against one another in a verbal battle to the death, like the one in which Julia literally pulled off the gloves and more or less b****h-slapped Nicholas Blair  into the next century (or when Quentin and Barnabas had it out a few weeks ago - with a drawn sword no less).   This scene between Laura and Trask was particularly memorable for Laura’s stinging wit (“I’ve heard your wife was a bit of a gossip”).  And if none of the hopeless wimps - Rachel, Tim - can gather the intestinal fortitude to put Trask in his place, it’s at least nice to see someone do it with such flair and aplomb.  It’s a sign of great writing when you can get the audience rooting for the less unctuous villain to pulverize the more unctuous one. 

Nicely done review, Roland!

Thanks for the compliment midnite.   

It was fun to watch Trask and Laura sparring against each other. Trask was really creepy in this episode.  I hated it when he insisted on taking Nora to bed... he said he didn't want Rachel to show favoritism, but wasn't he showing favoritism? Hypocite! 

I thought it was really cool when Laura lit the candles with her bare hands.

Well, now I've got to watch more episodes! I've still got a long way to go to catch up.

----- Sally -----

In regard to Tim Shaw and perhaps other characters, the reason they didn't "just" tell off Trask was that circumstances didn't allow it.  Trask had a hold over Shaw, and as long as he wanted to marry Charity he couldn't "just" tell Trask to shove it.   It wasn't because he was a "wimp".   

A lot of people like to say "I don't take crap from anybody", but a great deal of what life is about is taking a certain amount of crap from people.   Those who can't can create a lot of problems for themselves.

I like Shaw, and his sarcasm and commentary on Trask, and his trudging onward despite that twisted idiot Trask cracking his whip all the time.

That makes perfect sense to me, Magnus.  You have to pick and choose your battles, especially with abusers.  Someone like Trask would be very likely to try and push someone's buttons just to have a reason to play head games and say its all THEIR fault.  Tim's best chance is to play along until an opening with a realistic chance of success opens up, then grab it and RUN.

Jeannie

Well said.

I wish Diana Millay had agreed to play somebody besides the phoenix on Dark Shadows.  She is so incredibly good as Laura that I'd like to see for myself if it was luck or skill.

Trask's scenes with Rachel made me surprised that Rachel didn't throw up.

I think Tim and Rachel need to take some lessons from Barnabas.  If he can get away with telling the Collinses that he's their long lost cousin, then surely Tim and Rachel could stow away on a ship to England and change their identities there.  Or anyway, Tim could.  Rachel would blab the truth to the first kind male face she saw.

In regard to Tim Shaw and perhaps other characters, the reason they didn't "just" tell off Trask was that circumstances didn't allow it.  Trask had a hold over Shaw, and as long as he wanted to marry Charity he couldn't "just" tell Trask to shove it.   It wasn't because he was a "wimp".  

A lot of people like to say "I don't take crap from anybody", but a great deal of what life is about is taking a certain amount of crap from people.   Those who can't can create a lot of problems for themselves.

I like Shaw, and his sarcasm and commentary on Trask, and his trudging onward despite that twisted idiot Trask cracking his whip all the time.

Circumstances or not, and no matter what Trask threatened me with....I would still have told him off. He is a merciless monster who needed to put in his place now and then. However, I can understand why Tim and Rachel couldn't do it...Trask was still holding the nasty business of the death of Minerva's brother over their heads.

I never saw much affection between Tim and Charity. Sounds like an arranged marriage to me.

I'm not sure I would say Laura was less villainous than Trask, considering what she had in mind for the future of her children. I have to say Trask was the lesser of two evils here...but not that much less.