The Inscrutable Nicholas Blair

[borgosi]

Off Topic:  I for one have never understood  why anyone would mind a compliment regardless of which sex did the complimenting, now matter which way one swings.

It's call being insecure.

(edited by admin)

[quentincollins]

I love those t-shirts too, and I have to agree the guy is a real cutie too. Woof woof!
Nicholas is a great character, one of the best villains in DS, he can be so charming even as he's planning the destruction of all humanity.

[Joy Collins]

I'm a HUGE Nicholas fan. He is definitely one of my favorite characters. I love all his mannerisms and he had some of the best lines in the show. All of his scenes with Julia and with Angelique/Cassandra are wonderful. I loved when he would make fun of Angelique!

[spoiler]However, I didn't like that, at the last minute, they decided that he was actaully "in love" with Maggie and wanted to be human. 
I thought that was completely out of character.[/spoiler]

[Mysterious Benefactor]

[spoiler]However, I didn't like that, at the last minute, they decided that he was actaully "in love" with Maggie and wanted to be human. 
I thought that was completely out of character.[/spoiler]

Well, we can certainly debate whether it was out of character or not, but [spoiler]Nicholas' attraction to Maggie was apparent practically from the first second he laid eyes on her in Ep #532/533. And their relationship built over time, so it's not like his feelings for her came from out of nowhere.  [/spoiler]

[Joy Collins]

Well, we can certainly debate whether it was out of character or not, but [spoiler]Nicholas' attraction to Maggie was apparent practically from the first second he laid eyes on her in Ep #532/533. And their relationship built over time, so it's not like his feelings for her came from out of nowhere.  [/spoiler]

That's definitely true. I didn't mean that his feelings came out of nowhere,
[spoiler]I just always got the feeling that he was planning to do something evil to her. I really didn't buy that he wanted to give up his powers and live with her as a human. But maybe that's just me.  [/spoiler]

[borgosi]

I would have.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

[spoiler]... I really didn't buy that he wanted to give up his powers and live with her as a human[/spoiler]

On DS, love often does strange things to several of the supernatural characters. With some it influences nearly their every move, while with others it causes them to turn completely about face and to act in opposition to the way(s) they had been. Angelique would be the perfect example of the former, while Nicholas would be an example of the latter. We can and often do debate whether what they're feeling is actually love - but the characters themselves believe it is - and that's what's most important.    And with Nicholas the true irony is that he criticized Angelique up and down for clinging to her feelings of human love, but [spoiler]in the end it's very similar feelings that lead to his downfall in the Adam/Eve storyline.[/spoiler]

Actually, the influence of love or lack thereof is quite possibly the biggest theme running through all of DS because it affects each and every character in one way or another. In rare occasions it leads to happiness - but most often it leads to tragedy...

[Gothick]

I watched the episode earlier this a.m.  Glorioski, but Nicholas was one S-M-O-O-T-H operator.  In fact, footage of him coming on to Maggie could be turned into a music video for that old song about the smooth operator.

I also watched an episode I seem to have missed entirely, although I think I did see it back in '68--when Barnabas is at the House by the Sea trying to persuade Joe to leave--and Angelique nearly attacks Barnabas--but holds off because of Nicky's threats.  Great work all round, especially from Joel and KLS in this one.

G.

[buzz]

Nicholas is one of my all time favorites as well, and NOT because he has the same first name as I do . He put personality into the character, as well as a sense of humor and a  certain charm even at his worst. His one on ones with Julia and Angelique was sensational, but he was equallly entertaining with the Reverend Trask as well. I'm sure someone will refresh my foggy memory, but I recall a scene where Trask is trying to use his "powers" to get rid of a ghost and fails? I do recall Trask sarcastically applauding Trask and calling him "Mr. Trask" instead of Reverend. This was a guy you didn't mess with! Another favorite scene is with Julia where he reveals his plans to create a race of superhumans. He is supremely sinister in that scene. As good as he was in other parts or returning later, he was at his best in the Adam storyline. In a radio interview I think he described himself as a "OO7 of the Underworld".

Nick (or, if you perfer, Nicholas...)       

[IluvBarnabas]

I always enjoy the character of Nicholas Blair (even though he was up to no good and did lead Adam astray from the honest path Professor Stokes was trying to lead him on).

They couldn't have found a better actor for the part of Nicholas than Humbert Allen Astredo, who infused Nicholas with such a charming, if sinster personality with great one-liners and zingers, usually aimed at Angelique. He was so funny when he was going at it with her too, especially when she was posing as Cassandra. I recall he called her a suburban housewife with human worries. He was hilarious.

Also loved his confrontations with Julia too. [spoiler] Especially when she confronted him over allowing Angelique to attack Barnabas. [/spoiler]

[MagnusTrask]

I get the impression he really enjoyed the part, and that that mischievous aloof sense of evil was part of him somehow.  I wonder if some things such as the snuffing of candles with fingers and tongue, and the sidestepping of certain God-centric terminology in casual conversation (even with Maggie!  "...before... your Christ was born..." !) were improvisations from him... does anyone know?

Still, as great as he was, I don't think any actor can pull a poor script out of the fire, and though he made 1968 much better than it would have been, to me he's much more enjoyable as the Nicholas Blair wanna-be Evan Hanley.

[Taeylor Collins]

Humber is still living isn't he.  I would love to see footage of his old treks to conventions!!

[Devlin66]

Blair will always be the ultimate power broker of Collinwood in my opinion.  Sad that he had one weakness which cost him dearly

[MagnusTrask]

Yes, he became just an old softie by the end....

[Patti Feinberg]

[spoiler]I really hope I'm not having a DSFMS moment...[/spoiler]

....I really loved Nicholas in Leviathan storyline.....

Patti