Discuss - Ep #0521

Robservations #521

Hooray, today we have the arrival of my all-time arrival Nicholas Blair! Now things are REALLY going to get good...

Well, Elizabeth survived her suicide attempt, thank goodness. Roger should stop worrying about how it would look to the people in town (yes, I do think that's his objection to having her committed) and do what's best for his sister. Julia knows best here and, if nothing else, at least Elizabeth could be watched by professional people to make sure she won't try and kill herself again.

Nice to see Professor Stokes teaching Adam. Adam acted with much bitterness when he heard Barnabas' voice on the phone, and then later through the door. He hasn't forgotten Barnabas caning him, and one can't really blame Adam for still being angry about that.

This episode marks the first appearance of Humbert Allen Astredo - as Nicholas Blair! At times, he was refreshing, funny, sly, aggravating and sophisticated. He reminded me of JR Ewing on Dallas - a man you loved to hate. As usual, they waited until the last scene to have him show up at Collinwood. It reminds me of when Barnabas first visited Collinwood after Willie released him from the coffin. Things were never the same again in both cases.

Thank goodness for the wonders of modern medicine! In 1796, Naomi died after taking the poison. But in 1968, Elizabeth lived! I'm glad Julia was able to find the antidote.

I enjoyed watching the scenes of Prof. Stokes teaching  Adam how to read. Kindness, understanding and praise allowed Adam to soar. 

[spoiler]Now that Nicholas has arrived, Adam's personality will take a turn for the worse when Nicholas is through with him. It's a shame, too. Adam could have been a wonderful, caring, gentle person if Nicholas hadn't influenced him. I sure do wish Trask had known about Angelique's protrait - then Nicholas may not have come, and Adam's life would have been different.  [/spoiler]

----- Sally -----

I found it interesting that Adam showed such animosity towards Barnabas.  When Trask walled Barnabas up, Adam felt Barnabas's physical pain.  At that point, despite the caning Barnabas had given him, Adam's gut reaction seemed to be to want to help Barnabas.  Adam hasn't seen Barnabas since then.  If the same thing happened now, how would Adam feel?

I was wondering, as Adam listened to Barnabas and Julia talking, if it might occur to Adam that he's not the most important being in the world.

When Roger and Barnabas were waiting in the foyer for Julia to emerge from Elizabeth's room, I thought to myself: "This episode is what enabled Julia to stay at Collinwood for as long as she wanted."

It is regrettable that Stokes had no fondness for the letter L.  Perhaps a woman whose name began with that initial - Lydia, for example - turned him down once upon a time, and doomed him to life as a lonely bachelor.

Nicholas Blair is one of my all-time favorite characters on DS!  How is it that Prof. Stokes can be so insufferably elitist and egotistical (referring to others as inferior to himself), yet so endearing at the same time?  Now THAT'S acting!

Did anyone else notice the disembodied arms in this episode?  One was when Roger was explaining how he kept expecting Cassandra to come through the door, and right at that moment an arm is visible in the doorway behind Barnabas and Julia.  Then, again, an arm appears momentarily in the closing credits.   Maybe it was Count Petofi's missing appendage making an early appearance, scoping out the place as it were.   

Also, I noticed that Prof. Stokes and Nicholas Blair were not included in the credits at the end.

  How is it that Prof. Stokes can be so insufferably elitist and egotistical (referring to others as inferior to himself), yet so endearing at the same time?   

That's a good superpower.