Willie and the cows

[buzz]

I've been watching the early Barnabas episodes and had a few questions I thought I'd toss out. I always thought the way they introduced the vampire situation, the slaughter of the cows, was unusual (in an interesting way) but wonder if this was something that occured due to network censors. Were the writers/producers treading carefully not having Barnabas kill a human early on? If so, I think the image of draining cattle of their blod was even more gruesome in some respects. Also, the way it was done was ambiguous, at least in my feeble mind. Since there were puncture marks on the cattle one would assume Barnabas bit the cows, but then what was Willie's job? To steal the cattle and bring them to Barnabas? Or did he have to kill them before he brought them to Barnabas who then drained them of  blood (which would be more grusome for Willie). Willie apparently was traumatized by what he had to do, so what exactly was involved? I suspect the writers wanted everything to be ambiguous, but am interested in others thoughts. 

Nick         

[Lydia]

It seems to me that Joe's uncle's prize cow was found dead at home on the farm, but my memory may be incorrect on that.  I like the thought of Willie leading a cow along a moonlit lane to an impatient Barnabas, and explaining that he would have gotten there sooner but that cow, you know, she just wouldn't listen to reason.  Maybe Willie shaved a spot on the cow's neck so Barnabas wouldn't get cowhair in his mouth.  Maybe what Willie really objected to in the business was that somehow or other he always ended up stepping in cow dung and ruining his shoes.

Come to think of it, I don't think there was any specific indication that Willie was a go-between for Barnabas and the cows.  The scene I remember of Barnabas traumatizing Willie early on was the one in which Barnabas said to Willie, very menacingly, "You know what you have to do."  My assumption has always been that Willie had to find some fresh blood for Barnabas, but it could be that what Willie had to do was to move the coffin to the Old House basement from the secret room in the mausoleum.

[buzz]

It was explained that the cow was found dead a few miles away from the farm, so was it Willie who had to drag the cow to Barnabas and then dump the cow in the woods? I'm sure Willie had to do the dirty work with those bovines one way or another!

[Lydia]

If I remember correctly, Barbara Woodhouse, the English dog trainer of "Walkies!" fame, said in her autobiography that cows are easy to ride.

[Gerard]

When I was a yung-un, we would visit extended family members who lived on farms.  It was always a fun treat when the time came to move the cows from the pastures to the barns and I and my cousins would sit on the cows and ride them like horses as they plodded away, guided by the dogs (who were trained by their mother and father dogs to herd cattle), not minding the least as we straddled their backs for the ride back.  Once back in the barns, they were hooked up for their evening milkings while they munched away on feed fed into the bins in front of them.  It's actually a rather charmed life for the bovines.  I certainly hope that Barnabas, when he decided on a nightly feeding himself on one of the Bessies, didn't accidentally get stuck in one of those milk machines if he got too close.  All I can picture is Willie pulling on his legs saying:  "Relax your lips!"

Gerard

[Shadowsfan]

Poor Willie ,    Later he would be forced to dig up newly buried human bodies...I hope Barnabas provided overtime and a good medical plan for his multi tasking servant .   

[alwaysdavid]

I think all Willie got was a sparsely furnished room with a candlestick the only decoration , light, and hiding place.   No electricity, hot water and Willie would probably have to draw water from a well as well as use an outhouse if there was one.  Not exactly an easy existence

[Lydia]

I always thought the way they introduced the vampire situation, the slaughter of the cows, was unusual (in an interesting way) but wonder if this was something that occured due to network censors. Were the writers/producers treading carefully not having Barnabas kill a human early on?

It popped into my head just now that vampire bats - real-life vampire bats - bite cows.  So I think this wasn't any form of censorship, but rather the writers being clever.

[retzev]

Poor Willie...I hope Barnabas provided overtime and a good medical plan for his multi tasking servant .   

I think all Willie got was a sparsely furnished room with a candlestick the only decoration , light, and hiding place.

and plenty of beatings, don't forget the beatings.

[Nancy]

Now that is udderly ridiculous!!!

I certainly hope that Barnabas, when he decided on a nightly feeding himself on one of the Bessies, didn't accidentally get stuck in one of those milk machines if he got too close.  All I can picture is Willie pulling on his legs saying:  "Relax your lips!"

[buzz]

It popped into my head just now that vampire bats - real-life vampire bats - bite cows.  So I think this wasn't any form of censorship, but rather the writers being clever.

Lydia,

Thanks for that info. I never knew that about vampire bats. The writers may well have been on top of things.