Discuss - Ep #0554

[Watching Project]

Robservations #554

[Lydia]

This was an episode to treasure.  New beginnings are so much fun!
 
As the dogs howled away for Angelique, I wondered if the dogs howled for the whole 170 years that Barnabas was chained in his coffin in the secret room of the mausoleum, to the point that nobody even thought about them - until they stopped after he was unchained, and then their howling became unusual and scary again.

I've always liked Tom Jennings better than Chris.  He's a nice, uncomplicated, down-to-earth guy.  A little pushy - but that's OK, nobody's perfect.
 
I was moved by Barnabas's fear.  His inability to pay attention to anything else was completely believable.  And I could well believe that he couldn't remember running to the house - which of course made his fear all the greater.  What a nightmare for him!
 
When Barnabas explained that Adam must have kidnapped Vicky because he knew that Barnabas cared for her, I imagined Julia thinking to herself that she would be willing to be kidnapped if only that meant that Barnabas cared for her.  That was a nicely written exposition scene, by the way, when Barnabas told Julia what had been happening and Julia drew her conclusions.  Very choppy, the way it would be in real life.
 
And now there are two possibilities for an explanation of Vicky's disappearance: Adam could be responsible, or the newbie vampire could be.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

This is one of my favorite DS eps. Barnabas' fear is palpable and it perfectly sets up the things to come. 

One of my favorite moments: the look on Barnabas' face when Julia first encounters him at Collinwood -

[Sandor]

One of my favorite episodes too, MB - especially since it's the debut of dashing Don Briscoe as hapless vampire morsel Tom Jennings. The action definitely picks up from here. Wonder if, at the time, Dan Curtis sensed it was vital to bring the focus of the storyline back to "vampires" (Barnabas has been cured of his affliction for several months at this point, so the lack of coffins, fangs and howling dogs has been noticeable lately)!?

[alwaysdavid]

This was my first episode and I was hooked.  It was just as exciting to watch all these years later,

[MagnusTrask]

I wonder if I enjoyed the storyline way back then.  I just don't remember at all.   All I know is that I expected to this time around.    I was nine or ten before.    I do know that the "end" of Ang just before this had some of that gravity, and characters stopping to think and comment and put things into perspective, that I seem to need.    The stretches when everyone just "does" without clear reasons much of the time, without reflection, test my patience.   I'm willing to work at appreciating, but sometimes I feel I'd just like to relax and let it win me over on its own.

[michael c]

as sandor suggested i always wondered about the late 1968 move to turn angelique into a vampire and then the tom jennings storyline.

it had become known as a "vampire show" but for several months in 1968 there was no vampire.with the story in the thick of the adam plot at this point it seemed kind of out-of-left-field.

but perhaps those in charge sensed the need to bring that element back to the show.

[EmeraldRose]

Well, leave it up to me to bring up another milestone:  This was the first appearance of Don Briscoe. I'm sure I probably took it quite seriously the first time I saw this, but I couldn't help but laugh at his lines today. They seemed so hokey! Maybe it was because I knew what was going to happen to him. But I wasn't laughing because I thought it was funny - just hokey - and I was excited because I loved it so much!

Poor Tom!  He only got to be alive on the show for a very short time.  He had bad luck - he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. It's another case of "curiosity killed the cat" - except this time it was a very handsome, down-to-earth handyman. 

I loved the scenes when Barnabas was so scared of the dogs. For once, he heard them howling, and it wasn't because of him - it was another vampire! 

I loved Julia's hair - she looked very pretty in this episode. It was good that Julia brought Barnabas to his senses and talked him out of calling the police about Vicki. I liked that they finished each other's sentences and were working out the problem together.  (Is this another milestone? If so, here it is!)

----- Sally -----

[Lydia]

Well, leave it up to me to bring up another milestone:

EmmyRose, I always leave the milestones to you.  I simply do not have the authority to confer them.

[EmeraldRose]

LOLOL! Thanks, Lydia!  And... Just for the heck of it!

----- Sally -----

[loril54]

I agree the way this episode went it was great. I love the photography in this episode also. I also love the Blair pops in and out of the scene.

Blair, does have a way of creating suspensions.

[spoiler]Barnabas does act that way about Julia later.  Julia also gets kidnapped a few times. I think another milestone is coming up and it concerns a vampire. [/spoiler]

[Lydia]

Julia also gets kidnapped a few times.

You know something's wrong with your life when you can't remember exactly how many times you've been kidnapped.

[Roland]

Of all the characters in DS, I think I feel most sorry for Tom Jennings.  He was just a thoroughly innocent, good-natured guy who happened to come up against heartless destructive evil.  He did literally nothing to deserve his fate, just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

[Lydia]

I don't think Tom was 100% innocent, Roland.  When he said he'd take a look at that room in the basement, Nicholas told him not to bother (I can't remember the wording), but Tom went ahead.  If I had a handyman in my house who opened a closed door and entered a room without getting my OK first, at the very least I'd think twice about hiring him again.

But Tom certainly got worse than he deserved.  It happens a lot on Dark Shadows.

[MagnusTrask]

Did Nick leave an impression that there might be some innocent party in trouble, or something illicit going on?  He might have had good intentions. 

We don't get to know Tom in the slightest.   He's a vampire before we can remember his name.   My only pre-monster impression of him is that he sounded a little clueless.    As a vampire he was an insufferable ham.   Therefore... I just don't care.