Fashion notes first . . .
Liz's long-sleeved green dress. I liked the brighter short-sleeved frock much better. This one looks like she could have worn it to lead a girl scout troop. I don't think I need to tell you what I thought of the hairbow.
Vicki is firmly into the A-line dresses and IIRC, we won't see her in anything but for the remainder of the series. I have nothing against the A-line. It's actually a very good look for her figure. Unfortunately, the color of this pink one is just kind of blah on her and some of the details of the dress just do not flatter. I think she would have been better off with sleeves. At least her makeup is back to normal though--that eyeshadow was yeech.
Julia's blue dress . . . I like the color very much, but the cut really does nothing for her. I did love the coat she wore over it though.
Okay, 'fess up, when Eric Lang appeared at his door in his cardigan, who here saw the resemblance to a very scary and heavily made-up version of Mr. Rogers?
Onto the show . . .
I'm trying to decide whether the writing is this bad intentionally or Gordon Russell just couldn't write. There are two explanations for it: they were (contrary to previously expressed opinion, "camping it up" or more simply, it just blew chunks. I'd much rather hear that Russell was trying for a
Batman effect than not, because frankly, these two episodes were pretty damn bad.
Yet another blinding sign that Eric Lang is supposed to be a mad scientist--they put him up in the Bates' Mansion. Unfortunately, no one in Collinsport is attuned to popular culture, or this one could have sunk in.
Did anyone else wonder if Jeff is doing his grave robbing at the Big and Tall Cemetery?
Very much liked the careful dialogue between Mrs. Johnson and Elizabeth, so much so that I'm wondering if Clarice Blackburn did a little script doctoring, because it doesn't match the poor quality of the rest of the show.
I've addressed Vicki's reaction to Harry on the other board, but honestly, even after she realizes that he's not Noah, instead of saying, "look, I'm so sorry, I blah blah blah," she turns around and continues to talk about him like he's not there.
Love the way Mrs. Johnson told him to be quiet when he tried to explain. The whole Johnson drama thing makes me deeply curious as to what the late Mr. J was like.
As for Harry. It's not just that he's an ex-con, he's apparently a 3rd rate one. You would think that it would occur to him that the Collinses probably aren't going to leave portable items of value just hanging around in the drawing room.
Regarding Barnabas and Lang, um, it's really a shame Barnabas never learned how to select a medical professional. I realize he didn't have much of a choice initially, not with Julia and certainly not when he was unconscious in the E.R., but . . . It's not so much that there have been signs from above that the man is just not a qualified doctor, no, there have not been signs but rather neon billboards the size of Texas screaming out "ERIC LANG IS A FRUITCAKE!"
Lang, however, had he been real surely thought he'd died and gone to heaven when Barnabas came along. Mr. Collins has "sucker" emblazoned across his forehead. Here's a clue, Barnabas, looking like your rival is not going to make you your rival, although I will grant you that Vicki is currently dumb enough to buy into it.
Unintentionally hysterically funny line of the show:
Julia: Who would want to kill Eric Lang?
Um, other doctors, nurses, orderlies, justifiably disgruntled former patients . . .
From now on almost everyone on the show will talk of how "brilliant" Eric Lang is.
Okay. Let's think about this. A man comes into your office and asks to see you. He is hostile. He was hostile the first time you met him. He tells you that he's hearing voices. He also mentions the voices told him he would die of a heart attack.
Now I'm not a doctor and I don't even play one on TV, but I'm thinking here that the immediate reaction from most certified physicians would
not be: "Why didn't you consult your family doctor?"
I'm thinking that while I might ask about heart disease and sudden deaths as a way to distract my new patient, I'd be asking a lot more questions along the lines of "Tell me more about these voices. What else have they been telling you? How long have you been hearing them?"
Also, I'm definitely thinking that while I might try and humor the patient along at least long enough to try and get an idea of the mental state of the patient (will he harm himself or others?), that I would be heavily discouraging said patient from handling sharp, dangerous objects such as harpoons. I would certainly not be turning my back.
Side note: the man collects harpoons. Need I say more?
At the very, very least, when a psychiatrist providentially appears in my office, I would certainly be communicating to her that my patient is suffering from auditory hallucinations. Hello?
After all of that, Lang (who believes in vampires, but not witches as he is a "man of science") remarks to Barnabas, "I'll grant you Roger is an eccentric."
Um, sure. Yeah. All I could wonder was this like that theory that the rich are never crazy, just quaintly eccentric, and that if Roger had been poor, Eric would have been consulting his DSM pdq?
I love Stokes' cottage. The living room set is marvelous.
And lastly, wasn't that so nice of Roger to dispose of Vicki's belongings without her consent?
Luciaphil
