Josette is changing, and for the worse, because of what Barnabas has done for her. Her outstanding characteristic has always been her goodness, and now she is lying and behaving coldly to her loving Aunt Natalie.
I like Riggs. He seemed very troubled by what was happening. A couple of weeks ago, when Sarah told her mother that Riggs had told her how to make the candle for Josette, I thought it seemed strange for somebody in Riggs's position to be doing that, but now it fits. I don't think we see Riggs again, and if we did, then very likely I would be disappointed in how his character developed - but today I liked Riggs.
Barnabas's portrait is always a problem for me. I don't think the face looks all that much like him. It's OK for Josette's portrait not to look like her; I know how that happened, and I like the picture. But the face in Barnabas's portrait was painted after they hired Jonathan Frid for the role of Barnabas, so I'm always surprised when people in later times comment on Barnabas Collins's resemblance to his ancestor. And, watching 1795, I am surprised that the face is so stern-looking. Young Barnabas was a nice guy, and the face in the portrait has a very Joshua-like expression. I wish that today's dialogue between Joshua and the Countess could have had some reference to that. Perhaps when Joshua mentioned Barnabas's sentimental streak, he could have said that he was glad the portrait-painter had overlooked that. Sam Evans always talked about capturing his subject's soul, but this painter doesn't seem to have worried about that.
Joshua and Natalie had pretty much dropped their hostility towards each other today. I suppose Natalie was preoccupied with the ring, and Joshua was still dealing with the death of the last of his children.
