Stokes' House, &c.

[Philippe Cordier]

Some idle thoughts from an idle mind ...

During my first full viewing of the series when it ran last time, I believed Professor Timothy Elliot Stokes' home to be an apartment.  I think I had that impression because whenever anyone visits, Professor Stokes opens the door, and the visitors are already inside the building, standing in what apparently is a hallway.

Someone countered this view recently, saying that his home is indeed a house.

I think another reason why one might have the impression that it's an apartment was given when Barnabas and Julia recently paid a call.  They were shown knocking outside a door that had the number right on the door, which is the way it's usually done in apartments but less often with houses.  When I replayed the scene, though, it looked like Julia was wrapping her coat more tightly around her and I thought you could hear wind, thus indicating that they were standing outside in the cold knocking on the door.  (Nice touch, Grayson Hall!)

Now, however, whenever anyone stops by, they seem to be right outside that sitting room of Professor Stokes -- if this is a house, people sure seem to make themselves welcome by walking right in.

Do you suppose there's an enclosed porch, and most people walk right into that after knocking?

It's surprising that we're never given an exterior shot of the building/house -- why do you suppose that is?  Every other dwelling that I can think of -- at least that of a substantive character -- is shown from the exterior to establish the house (Evans' cottage, Dr. Lang's Victorian gothic, etc.).

I keep finding myself surprised at the wealth of interesting material like this in this storyline that I usually say is one of my least favorites ...

The establishing shot recently of Barnabas reading a book while sitting in the drawing room of the Old House when Vicki pays a call is one that I think we see many times.  I always wonder what he's reading ...  I'm sure it's a classic of some kind, considering the sort of urbane and educated man Barnabas is ... it's obviously not the latest paperback best-seller.

Cassandra/Angelique ... has anyone else noticed that the woman is deranged?  I mean, she's a combination of sadist and psycho ...

[Ben]

During my first full viewing of the series when it ran last time, I believed Professor Timothy Elliot Stokes' home to be an apartment.  I think I had that impression because whenever anyone visits, Professor Stokes opens the door, and the visitors are already inside the building, standing in what apparently is a hallway.

I haven't been able to watch much of the current storyline, but I recall (accurately, I hope) a few characteristics that strongly suggest an apartment, no matter what the reality may have been.

One is that there is no foyer or entranceway one would expect to see in a house.  Even the Evans cottage has a small, landing-like area immediately inside the front door that doesn't feel like the living room.  But take even a tiny step inside the professor's front door, and you're definitely IN the living room (and would you care to join me in a glass of sherry?  ).

Another is the backdrop behind visitors when the front door opens.  I don't get the sense that it is in the open or outdoors with lots of shadows.  The visitors themselves seem fairly well lit, which suggests that the entire area outside the door is evenly lit, like an interior hallway.

Another is the apparent lack of a visible hallway to connect various rooms of the house.  Prof. Stokes' bedroom (or study?) is literally attached to the living room.  

And another is perhaps more subtle.  The professor and his visitors tend to take slower, smaller steps as they carefully navigate his living room.  That kind of body movement suggests an apartment to me, and a small one at that.  There was even more space in Burke's hotel suite, gauging from how characters could take long strides between his living room and kitchen.  

But then Julia will fake us out by tightening her coat as she waits for the professor's door to open.   ?!?

I'm perfectly willing to accept the premise that Prof. Stokes lived in a house, if that's what was intended.  But then I'm left wondering whether there was a story behind the story why he chose to live in such cramped quarters.  Perhaps the real reason was the ABC budget, which has resulted in unintended inconsistencies that provide fodder for debates like this.  

Ben

[scout75]

The thing that bugged me about Professor Stokes' dwelling (be it house or apartment) is that the front door was all wiggy, since it opened to the outside... ?!?