Discuss - Ep #0551

[Watching Project]

Robservations #551

[Lydia]

Barnabas was insufferable today - using that condescending voice towards Adam.  It seemed appropriate back in the days when Adam was first learning to talk, but today it was insulting.  Nicely done by Jonathan Frid.

Harry Johnson was a far more sympathetic character today than he has been previously, and it didn't quite fit.  I was wondering how his lines could have been played to make it fit, but of course I didn't come up with anything.

I like the way Nicholas is worming his way into Carolyn's good graces.  And the way he is manipulating Adam is very clever: he's killing two birds with one stone.  He's telling Adam that Adam's problem his is his looks, so he's pushing him to thinking about superficial attributes: the dustjacket instead of the book.  And then Nicholas is using the lie he's telling Adam to get Adam to force the creation of a she-Adam.  With that super-intelligent brain of his, Adam should be able to think of the following question: “If I were to get Barnabas to create two women for me, would they both be in love with me because they would both be like me?  And would I be in love with both of them because I would be like them?”

[MagnusTrask]

Even super-intelligent newborns probably can't handle complex conundrums.    He's starting life over from scratch.    That's a weird frame of mind.    It's fascinating to imagine what someone at that mental point would think, but I can't imagine it.  It stumps me.

What your post makes me think about is how much you're managing to extract from a storyline that stunned me by being so much less than I expected.   Of course, I'm very grateful for the tapes.   Anyway, your posts give me some hope that later, in a different frame of mind, I might have a good DS experience in my future, with the 1968 storyline.

I am now also experiencing two early-70s Frankenstein-ish productions... "Frankenstein: The True Story" and Gene Roddenberry's "The Questor Tapes".    This is a compelling kind of subject and story.  "The Questor Tapes" begins with the Michaelangelo image of the creator reaching out to touch his creation.    I'm not sure any of these stories deals with all the implications, though, good though they are.

[Lydia]

You might try watching one episode per day instead of marathoning it, Magnus.  It takes patience, but it does force you to focus on the details.

I have to admit, when I look at the the 1967 episodes in the slide show every day, I think: "That's what I want to be watching."  I just don't like Adam.  Robert Rodan does an impressive job of playing him, and it's understandable why he turned into such an unsympathetic character - but ultimately, Adam is what he is, and I don't like what he is.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

it's understandable why he turned into such an unsympathetic character

Indeed. From this point on basically all Adam does (with all too few exceptions here and there) is scream, rant and rave. It's all really quite sad considering how interesting Adam was initially and how talented Robert Rodan was at showing a complex range of Adam's emotions. I've often wondered if Rodan eventually dreaded going to work after weeks and weeks of simply repeating the same complaints/threats over and over and over again?

[MagnusTrask]

For all we know, maybe he didn't.  Maybe he taped a few rants and raves one afternoon, You're stalling Barnabas, etc.., and then didn't come back for weeks.    No editing, I know.....

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Maybe Rodan faced it the way any good actor would have: by trying to somehow make it seem fresh. If so, I hope it worked for him because I can't say I've actually detected anything fresh about it - it seems like the same ole, same ole time after time. 

[EmeraldRose]

It's really too bad that Nicholas corrupted Adam. Before Nicholas influenced him, Adam was a different, better, more interesting person. He was gentle, kind and caring when others were that way with him. With the right mentors, he could have grown to be an extraordinary person. 

Barnabas made a mistake by "talking down" to Adam. He should have spoken to him on the same level. 

It was strange to watch Harry be so nice to Adam.  But I was relieved when it happened. It just goes to show that even a guy who breaks the law can be nice and think of others sometimes.

You might try watching one episode per day instead of marathoning it, Magnus.  It takes patience, but it does force you to focus on the details.

I must admit, I usually end up watching DS in marathons. It's hard to just stop at one episode. I read the Robservations about an episode to refresh my memory before I post here. It seems to work pretty well for me that way. But I see your point, Lydia, it would be nice to watch just one episode a day. I'm afraid I don't have the patience and discipline for that, though. 

Nicholas is quite the master manipulator. He's almost got Carolyn wrapped around his little finger. At least Nicholas didn't tell Harry to keep Adam's suicide attempt from her.

----- Sally -----

[MagnusTrask]

That probably is the right idea though, Lydia, not marathoning so much.    When I get out the tapes after a long time without DS, the music and atmosphere hit me, then three or four episodes in, my awareness tunes all that out because of the repetition of the music and sensory overload, and... then stuff just happens.   No impact.

[loril54]

YES Bearnabas didn't handle it well.  I think he might have been in a little bit shocked on how fast that Adam had changed.

I seemed to feel that Barnabas was thinking about what am I susposted to do here? Where is Julia?  Do I have to explain sex to Adam, I have problems in that area myself.  I still don't understand the ladies.

Nicholas is being very bad.

[Roland]

Is it just me, or does Carolyn look exceptionally pretty in that blouse/skirt combo?  Very attractive.

Don't despair just yet.  There's still a lot more to come with the introduction of a few new crucial characters in the next few weeks to go along with the Adam storyline.