1897 at a glance...

[AndreDuPres]

Well, I've just gotten a hold of the latest DVD collection of this show--it features the last 30 or so episodes of the 1897 plot as well as the first few of the Leviathan story.  I was wondering if we could discuss the various aspects of this long, magnificent era of the show.  Here's a little survey I've cooked up:
     Which part of 1897 is your favourite?
Early (Barnabas' I Ching-ing to the past, his introduction to the family, Edith's secret, Rachel Drumond and her romance with Barnabas, the summon of Angelique, the return of Laura, etc.)?
Middle (complications with Trask and the death of Rachel, the Curse on Quentin, the Hand of Count Petofi, the arrival of Miss Faye with Carl and his subsequent death, the discovery of Barnabas' secret, Petofi's arrival with Aristede, Jamison's possession, etc.)?
Late (Quentin's painting, Charity's possession, arrival of Lady Kitty, Amanda Harris & associated dullness, Quentin and Angelique's engagement, body switcheroo, Julia's adventure in the past, Barnabas' "death," fading into the portrait, etc.)?
     Which character do you find the most engaging/interesting?
     Which character impels you to fast-forward?
     Which romantic pairing do you favour?
     Which couple makes you gag everytime they appear on screen?
     If you could change one aspect of this storyline, what would it be?
     Would you have wanted it to go on longer (knowing what comes next...)?
     Who was best dressed?
     "" most funny?
     "" best looking?
If you can think of any more, please post if you will.  Now I'll answer my own questions in the following post.

[AndreDuPres]

My favourite part of the show is definitely the later portion.  The whole Lady Hampshire character is marvelous before she's...well, made into a Josette clone, but even then, it's still well done enough to interest me.  I also enjoyed the whole Barnabas secretly being cured thing with Angelique--og, and I loved "Quentin's" (Petofi's) relationship with Angelique during this part:  finally Angelique has to deal with a strong-willed man who's not at all intimidated by her powers.  I think Quentin is probably the most charming character throughout the plot--he added much warmth and humour to his role.  Charles Delaware Tate, Amanda Harris, and Tim Shaw all virtually forced me to bypass their scenes; I'm not too partial to Aristede, either, all though he's at least somewhat interesting.  I really liked Barnabas and Rachel Drumond--sure, she might be another SYT to many, but I think she had a warm shyness and vulnerability which made her very appealing.  I also liked Beth and Quentin--it's a pity they didn't end up together...Of course, Magda and Sandor were another great couple, one of the best in the series.  Judith and Trask, however...yuck!  If I could change any aspect of this sotryline, I would definitely either get rid of Amanda's character or make it much more realistic than it currently is--I mean, she and Quentin are in a handful of episodes together, and then he suddnely declares his love for her--that makes no sense; he quickly forgets about the one woman he SHOULD have ended up with:  Beth.  Although I love this plot, I'm not sure I would want it to continue.  I'm sure the viewers were missing the present day cast a lot, and the way Barnabas returned via 1796 was neat.  I think Lady Hampshire was quite lovely in those rather low-cut gowns she wore...and Barnabas always had cool suits, as usual.  Quentin and the possessed Charity were funny, in my opinion.  Angelique is definitely the best looking--in this plot as in any other.

[Patti Feinberg]

Maybe I didn't read far enough, but, I voted late. I would assume (hmm) the PETOFI! incidents were part of the late 1897. Also, I think the Lady Hampshire COULD'VE been fun if the writers had been given more time.

Charity/Pansy was wonderful.

What would be best in my opinion for the middle is the Laura v. Angelique plot.

Patti

[Maria_Merriweather]

I liked the early part of 1897 with all the family intrigue.
The most interesting character is Quentin. I would have liked to have known more about his time in Egypt. Also, the gypsies in the Old House were interesting characters.
The most funny character is Carl.

[PennyDreadful]

 I picked the middle part.  Quentin getting cursed, etc was a great point in the series.

>    Which character do you find the most engaging/interesting?
 From 1897, I'd say probably Quentin.  Count Petofi and Jenny were also fascinating characters.

>     Which character impels you to fast-forward?
  Fast-forward DS?  No way Jose'!

> Which romantic pairing do you favour?
 Carl and Pansy.  They were a riot and well-suited for one another.

>     Which couple makes you gag everytime they appear on screen?
  Quentin and Amanda were definitely not my favorite pairing, though the only time I literally gagged when I saw them together was during the spittle kiss incident.  Icky.

>     If you could change one aspect of this storyline, what would it be?
   I know it would have made things even more complicated and insane, but I would have had a mummy involved as part of the Laura storyline.  I always wondered how DS would portray that type of being, and the Laura storyline was well-suited for that type of character.

>     Would you have wanted it to go on longer (knowing what comes next...)?
   No.  1897 was great, but it had lasted long enough to warrant moving on and back to the present.

>     Who was best dressed?
  Tie between Lady Kitty and Barnabas

>     "" most funny?
    Tie between Carl, Pansy and Magda

>     "" best looking?
   Quentin... as a werewolf. 

~Penny Dreadful~

[Barnabas'sBride]

     Favorite Part - I'd have to say it's very close between early 1897 and late 1897. The middle for the most part seemed to drag for me, and I started losing some interest. I love the early part because of the Collins family interactions: Judith, Edward, Quentin, Carl...but late 1897 kept me in suspense.

     Which character do you find the most engaging/interesting? - Well, Barnabas always captures my full attention, but I'd have to say Kitty, Judith and Quentin for this storyline's characters.

     Which character impels you to fast-forward? -  The Amanda/Tim/Tate's creations stuff.  Aristede...I just can't stand him. There's something about him, I don't even know what it is... but I don't fast forward, though I was tempted.

     Which romantic pairing do you favour? -  I really love Quentin and Beth, they're among my favorite couples on the show. I'll admit I enjoyed some of the interaction between Quentin and Angelique though. I also liked Barnabas and Kitty, but I wish she would've retained her edge a bit.

     Which couple makes you gag everytime they appear on screen? -  Quentin and Amanda. It just rings completely false.

     If you could change one aspect of this storyline, what would it be? - I thought the Petofi storyline started to drag. I think he was a great villain in the sense that I absolutely loathed him, but they over did it with him, IMO. I wish Kitty could've been brought in a lot earlier and been on longer. And Amanda wouldn't have been Quentin's "true love". Sorry, that's more than one...

     Would you have wanted it to go on longer (knowing what comes next...)? - I tend to get anxious to return to present time and its characters regardless, but 1897 was a good storyline and there were several things I truly liked about it.

     Who was best dressed? - I loved a lot of the clothes, but Barnabas and Kitty would be my picks.

     Most funny? - Carl. Charity/Pansy really annoyed me after a fashion.
     
     Best looking? - Barnabas and Quentin & Kitty and Angelique.

[PennyDreadful]

 Hmm.. now that I think about it, I think I like early 1897 best.  The whole thing is really good IMHO. Its hard to decide.

~PennyDreadful~

[Gothick]

My favorite part is late 1897 because it is just so OUT THERE.  I LOVE Count Petofi--he's one of my all-time favorite characters.  It was also great when Julia came out because we had not seen her in many months at that point.  And I think that Judith's revenge may be my favorite side-plot in all of DS.  I thought it really showcased the talents of Joan Bennett and Jerry Lacy. Joan in particular wasn't often given very interesting material in the later period.

I loved Nancy's creation of Charity/Pansy ("Pansity").  Her scenes are such a trip.  I particularly love when she starts doing the bump-and-grind right in front of her own outraged father.

Angelique also had superior material during this period, and some of the supporting characters, such as King Johnny, Aristede, and Wanda Paisley (gods, I hope I've got her name right) were just such fun.

As drama, I actually thought early 1897 was the best period in the entire series, rivalled only by the original Laura Collins storyline.  There was great psychological depth to the creation of the conflicted family, and there were only a couple of embarrassing continuity glitches.

Late 1897 is still my favorite, though.  I realize it is difficult in the context of today's culture to realize this, but one may still love something with fierce devotion even if one does not regard it as "the best."

G.

[arashi]

For me, I vote middle. Towards the end of 1897 I was just wishing to god they'd get back to 1970 so we could see what changes had been wrought (if any). Petofi was just too delicious a villan, and I absolutely love Aristede. One of the only villans on the show who did not have supernatural powers nor was he a religious fanatic. There were a few things later on that I loved as well though, Quentofi, Julia's soujourn into the past... Kitty was awesome until they turned her into Josette (AGAIN!) Plus the two Spetember 10th episodes are among my favorite in the show.

Which character do you find the most engaging/interesting?
Quentin, hands down. There is so much about his past that was never explained, let alone hinted at prior and post 1897.

Which character impels you to fast-forward?
Amanda Harris. Oh my God. And the only character in the storyline to do so.

Which romantic pairing do you favour?
Quentin and Beth. So tragic. *sigh*

Which couple makes you gag everytime they appear on screen?
Quentin and Amanda. *gag* They were just so totally thrown together at the last minute.

If you could change one aspect of this storyline, what would it be?
A tighter ending. Too many things were left hanging and unresolved. By the end it sort of fizzles out.

Would you have wanted it to go on longer (knowing what comes next...)?
If it would have allowed for a few more loose ends to be wrapped up then yes.

Who was best dressed?
Barnabas, Quentin, Evan and Aristede. Oh. My. God. I love frock coats, what can I say?

"" most funny?
Carl and Pansity. Magda had a great sarcastic sense of humor that I loved.

"" best looking?
Quentin. Of course. For actress.... I would have to say KLS was beautiful as Kitty. And despite her "Serpentine" dress, I have to say Angelique. I love the sausage curl hair style.