Discuss - Ep #0290

Robservations - #290

I love this show. Tension and the fencing was great. I bet JF and GH had great fun on this day when they did it. I wonder how much of the reaction was off the cuff.

GH small motions and little reations were great. JF played it just right, even thuogh they knew what was in the script they played it for the surprise.

I really wonder what Barnabas was thinking. He must have been totally perplexed with Julia, trying to figure out why she was saying these things to him.  If he knew that she knew, didn't he think that she would have been prepared for him. But she didn't have a cross why not? Maybe it was her way of showing how strong she thought that she was, and that she had nothing to fear.

Of course he didn't know that Maggie was alive. Very fun show.

I'm surprised Dave didn't she that he was being played by Julia. I should know that she had lied before. Wouldn't he suspect her again of doing that?

Well, it's all downhill from here.  This is my favorite Dark Shadows episode.  Granted, I haven't seen all of Dark Shadows that there is to see - but I can't believe that any other episode will give me such joy.

Somehow I had forgotten that this episode contains one of Dave Woodard's attempts to get Julia to tell him something, anything about the Maggie Evans case.  That means that today we have Julia juggling three roles: innocent family historian for Vicky, concerned but clueless doctor for Dave Woodard, and serious (not to mention totally infuriating) threat for Barnabas.  Will the real Julia Hoffman please stand up?

And there's another moment that I had forgotten: Barnabas staring at Julia as she goes to get her notebook.  Vicky addresses him, and it takes him a second or two to adjust his expression from lethal to kindly.

I did, of course, remember Julia telling Barnabas that she understands completely that Barnabas can't meet with her in the morning.  Also the moment by the door - with him thinking "I know you know" and her thinking "I know you know I know" and possibly thinking, "Finally we're getting somewhere!"

I've been wondering for the past few days: was this the first night that Julia sat waiting up for Barnabas?  Or has she been putting that mound of clothes in her bed every night ever since she met him?

As for the lack of a cross, I'm assuming that the writers just hadn't thought of it.  It seems to me that it's quite a long time before anybody flashes one at Barnabas.  I can think of a reason why Julia might not want to use one, but to tell it would entail using a spoiler warning, and when I tried it just now, I couldn't get it to work.  Maybe Julia had just had an upgrade and couldn't get her cross to work.

I can think of a reason why Julia might not want to use one, but to tell it would entail using a spoiler warning, and when I tried it just now, I couldn't get it to work.  Maybe Julia had just had an upgrade and couldn't get her cross to work.

I'm suspecting not everyone has been reading the "*** Big Changes Ahead ***" on the Testing board - this despite the request to "PLEASE CONTINUE READING *** Big Changes Ahead *** on the Testing board to learn about known issues and about what to expect in the coming days," which appears on every page of the forum. But I suppose that's completely understandable in certain cases because, well, at least one certain someone did admit the other day:

I am unusually unobservant.

I hadn't expected the spoiler warning to work.  But given how unobservant I am, it seemed quite possible that I had missed a notification that it was once again working, so I figured I might as well give it a shot.  And having given it a shot, and seen it fail, I figured it was possible that the fault was mine.  I'm sitting here contemplating saying something about my general ineptness so you can quote it a later date...but I think I'll refrain.

I'm sitting here contemplating saying something about my general ineptness so you can quote it a later date...but I think I'll refrain.

That's OK. Should it become necessary at some future point, that remark alone could be quoted back and it would most probably suffice quite nicely. 

Be sure to check out these (hopefully  ) humorous topics related to this episode:

From "Caption This!":

From "Complete This Phrase / Fill In The Blank(s)":

OMG!  One of my favorite DS episodes!  That was a GREAT Friday cliffhanger!    Julia was either being very brave or very stupid.  It was exciting to watch Julia get the upper hand with Barnabas and tell him she knew who he really was!  And that scene where she said, "I understand completely why you can't meet me during the day." - very funny!   For the first time, it was Barnabas who was fooled - by a woman, no less!   Great show - DS at its best!

----- Sally -----

What on earth was all that crashing noise in the background when Barnabas and Vicki were talking?  It sounded like the set was falling apart, or someone was being machine-gunned upstairs...take your pick.

Poor JF.  Never the best at memorizing lines to begin with, he gets completely flustered and stutters out something completely incomprehensible.  It's moments like this that make DS so special. 

I don't remember Frid being incomprehensible at that point.  What I do remember is the feeling the racket was happening in my world, but that Barnabas and Vicky simply couldn't hear it at Collinwood.

There was a fire in the studio and you can hear the fire extinguishers in the background.  In an interview much later, Frid said he heard the commotion and smelled the smoke, and waiting for the director to stop the scene.  He said he trying to decide whether or not to stop the scene himself as he was not about to "die for the service of Dark Shadows."  Something like that quote.

They really and truly did not stop for much on that show, lol.

Nancy

What on earth was all that crashing noise in the background when Barnabas and Vicki were talking?  It sounded like the set was falling apart, or someone was being machine-gunned upstairs...take your pick.

There was a fire in the studio and you can hear the fire extinguishers in the background.  In an interview much later, Frid said he heard the commotion and smelled the smoke, and waiting for the director to stop the scene.  He said he trying to decide whether or not to stop the scene himself as he was not about to "die for the service of Dark Shadows."  Something like that quote.

They really and truly did not stop for much on that show, lol.

Oh my heavens, are you serious, Nancy? I don't blame him for wondering if they were going to continue the scene what with a fire happening. Knowing DC, if the fire would have gotten too much out of hand, they would have simply worked a brief story line in to incorporate a fire on the set!