So many things to think about today. Here's the list, as I wrote it immediately after the episode finished, so as not to forget any of it: "buttons, handwriting, singing, basement, coat, spell not connected to Cassandra, fights".
Buttons. That's about Julia coming in from her walk (for which I envy her - beautiful morning, fresh air, beach, gulls mewing - who here has read and loved One Morning In Maine by Robert McCloskey?). Her suit jacket was all buttoned up, and she unbuttoned it, except for the top button. I imagine Grayson Hall buttoning it up before this scene so she could do the unbuttoning and thereby give a strong feeling of having been outside, rather than simply in another part of the studio. They do say, however, that the dressing rooms were cold.
Handwriting. Naomi's or Elizabeth's? Barnabas noted that the writing on the envelope was "her" handwriting - Elizabeth's? As she looked down at it, I don't suppose she would have noticed any difference, just as she didn't notice the very odd clothes that Joshua and the Countess were wearing. And by the way, who has seen the J in Joshua written that way before?
Singing. That's Joan Bennett, in the scene with Roger and Julia. Standing there with her hands clasped at waist height, and then the hands and hands flying apart at a couple of dramatic moments. It seemed like an aria, with the hand gestures specified as well as the words and notes. I felt I was watching a work of art.
Basement. That's Barnabas, of course. Still in the Old House basement when Julia came back to tell him about Elizabeth. Staring at the skeleton and wondering. For how many hours? Writing "basement" down, I think of that Stephen King story that Jonathan Frid reads - "Here Be Tigers"? - in which "basement" is used as a euphemism for "bathroom", but I don't think that's why Barnabas was down there.
Coat. Julia's. We saw it as Barnabas and Julia were talking about it just inside the front door of Collinwood, and I thought: "Who's going out?" because there are never any extra coats there. Maybe Mrs. Johnson checks David's crystal ball every morning to see which coats will be needed when. Anyway, sure enough, Julia grabbed her coat when she and Barnabas went out. Odd, when she hadn't worn it for her lovely morning walk.
Spell not connected to Cassandra. I don't know why it should be - but it keeps surprising me that Elizabeth's troubles continue after Cassandra is gone. Reminds me of an old, old heresy in the Catholic Church, whose name I can't remember, which said that if the priest is no good, then the sacraments performed by him don't hold water. Not quite the same idea, though.
Fights. Roger and Cassandra, of course. Now that Cassandra's gone, Roger has forgotten them. Or shoved them under the rug. There was something in the beginning voiceover about Roger being an innocent husband. I have some trouble with that characterization. Granted, Roger is Cassandra's victim, but he's not a snowy white lambkin.
There. Too, long, of course, so which subjects do I delete?
