Discuss - Ep #0286

[Watching Project]

Robservations - #286

[IluvBarnabas]

Great episode.

While Barnabas may want to make Vicki his next Josette, it's clear he doesn't really want to hurt her if he can help it. His bloodlust is clashing with his conscious here.

Love that line when he said to Willie "I daresay you will be amply rewarded for your generousity." Did he sound sinister or what?

I think Barnabas didn't punish Willie for trying to warn Vicki, because he realizes they both didn't want to see her harmed in any way.

[loril54]

I'll say one word Awesome!!! This is the type of show that mae DS what it was. Everyone did great, JF and AM carried the show. You can just see Barnabas going back and forth, and can't make up his mind to what he wants to do. He tried to do the right thing once, when offereing to take Vickie home.  He wanted to protect Vickie, when he asked Willie to stay with him, but then changed his mind.

He knew it was Sarah who left the ball, Sarah wanted to protect Vickie, and maybe she did. Barnabas didn't want to be bad, he knew that Sarah was watching him and trying to stop him from doing what was wrong. The London Bridge song and the ball is throwing him off his path. It is making him think twice.

His remark to Willie is the Old Barnabas. Also how he lied about Jerramiah chasing Josette. He being caught up in his own lies.

[Lydia]

Dan Curtis must have loved today's episode - he had to credit only three actors!  I'm assuming that that was Sharon Smyth's voice we heard singing London Bridge, though I didn't notice anything distinctive about the voice.  What were the rules for the ending credits?

Beautiful job by Jonathan Frid, of course.  This was just his sort of episode, with the conflicting emotions right on the surface.  I thought the final scene between Barnabas and Willie would have been better if it had been stretched out a bit, but time was limited.

Sarah is hanging around, spreading an aura of protection around Vicky, while Josette's ghost, the traditional protrectress of people in danger, is keeping herself to herself.  Why?  Did the moment of Josette's death (as it is currently understood to have happened) imprint itself on her to the point where she is scared stiff of Barnabas through all eternity?

[Mysterious Benefactor]

while Josette's ghost, the traditional protrectress of people in danger, is keeping herself to herself.  Why?

Well, in Ep #212 Barn did tell Josette that whatever power she might have had was gone. And seemingly since that point in the series the only time we ever see Josette's ghost is when Barnabas is in some sort of trouble. I don't believe she ever helps anyone other than Barn again.

[Lydia]

Well, in Ep #212 Barn did tell Josette that whatever power she might have had was gone.

I didn't remember that at all, so I checked the Robservations and sure enough it was there, and I do remember it...but I don't think it meant that Josette no longer had any power.  It strikes me as a speech of a defiance rather than a statement of fact.  Also, I get the impression that during that episode, the story was that Josette was already a ghost when Barnabas became a vampire, and that in fact he had never known her personally - although I think it unlikely that that's what the writers meant.

And seemingly since that point in the series the only time we ever see Josette's ghost is when Barnabas is in some sort of trouble.

If I remember correctly, Josette didn't become a one-trick ghost until after Vicky's jaunt to 1795.

These days I'm arriving at a Zen-like acceptance and embracing of the all the inconsistencies in Dark Shadows.  Nirvana is very, very close.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I didn't remember that at all, so I checked the Robservations and sure enough it was there

Well, as I said once before, I don't make these things up. 

and I do remember it...but I don't think it meant that Josette no longer had any power.  It strikes me as a speech of a defiance rather than a statement of fact.

I agree - I don't believe Barnabas actually removed any of Josette's ghost's actual power. But at the same time I do believe she took his words to heart and abandoned the Old House (at least as her seat of power) and her place as the Collins family protector as she never again tries to protect anyone but Barn.  :-

Also, I get the impression that during that episode, the story was that Josette was already a ghost when Barnabas became a vampire, and that in fact he had never known her personally - although I think it unlikely that that's what the writers meant.

Art Wallace's backstory for Barn had already been written before he ever made his appearance on the show, so the writers were already fully aware of Barn's relationship to Josette, even though the audience was not. 

[CT!_CTP/FITBs]

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From "Caption This!":

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

[EmeraldRose]

Sarah is hanging around, spreading an aura of protection around Vicky, while Josette's ghost, the traditional protrectress of people in danger, is keeping herself to herself.  Why? 

Maybe Josette and Sarah got together beforehand in "the great beyond" and decided that Sarah should be the one to stop Barnabas from being evil, since Barnabas would be more susceptible to her influence.  Also, it seems to me that Josette might have been angry with and/or afraid of Barnabas when he first came back. 

I noticed this happening before:  The part of the show when Barnabas couldn't bite Vicki was shown at the beginning of the next episode (#287) instead of at the end of this episode. However, in Robservations, she talked about this scene happening at the end of this episode.  I wonder why?

----- Sally -----

[Mysterious Benefactor]

However, in Robservations, she talked about this scene happening at the end of this episode. I wonder why?

Only Robin knows why she does that from time to time...

[Sunny_Collins]

This is the kind of episode that makes me admire Barnabas. He's trying so hard to fight against his nature, wanting to protect Vicki from himself. 

I wonder why at this point, Barnabas is so reluctant to believe Sarah has returned?

The combination of Sarah singing and the storm sounds really eerie. It's quite neat actually!