Discuss - Ep #0756

Robservations #756

Nancy Barrett  voiceover.  Oh Joy, that means Charity the twit is in this ep.    Back to the graveyard, where Laura and her Renfield are doing their Pinky and the Brain routine at Ben’s coffin.  (And what, do you think possessed him to have his diary with THE SECRET buried in his coffin.  And who put it there, without reading it and letting THE SECRET get out.   If  it was family, you’d a thunk that some oral tradition, no matter how garbled by time, would have been passed down – but if so, Elliot sure is keeping it to himself in 1969.)

“Robbing a grave is a bizarre activity for a beautiful woman”... that’s our Barnabas, seeing Laura as a beautiful woman first, with her danger and threat only an afterthought.    Wonder why she didn’t try to use her powers on Barnabas?  We should have seen some evidence of it, even if she tried and failed.  But she stands there, even after Dirk is overpowered.  Even if she wanted to find out more about him, it’s at the price of leaving an enemy alive.  Interesting leap she makes there, connecting the dots of Barnabas with unusual powers, “not human” automatically meaning he’s the ORIGINAL Barnabas. 

Laura’s dress is starting to bother me.  Why does she get all gussied up in something that looks like a ballgown – just to go to Collinwood to check on her sick son?  Ramse Mostoller usually gets the costuming spot on, even if you don’t particularly care for an outfit, so this is weird. Though a line of Laura’s later in may explain this as she tells Charity how she “always surprised her (Nora) on festive occasions”.  This could explain the fancy dress – she is planning to go to Ra dressed in her finest.

Nora and the fire again, but Barnabas keeps her from getting hypnotized by it just in time.  Charity is even halfway human in this scene, being kind and helpful to Nora.  But now he’s the one hypnotizing Nora.  Denise Nickerson does a really good hypnotized/entranced kid.  And as long as Barnabas is there, he’s decided to get himself his midnight snack.   

You can almost feel sorry for Charity in this scene with Laura.  Barn has obviously just left, and she has to deal with a nosy Laura as she tries desperately to hide the marks on her neck.  But Laura isn’t destined to get the easy victory she’s assuming.  Whatever Barnabas did to Nora worked very well, as the child is refusing to go with her mother, and says she’s afraid of her.  Nora is immune to every argument Laura presents.  Laura knows it was Barnabas, but does she know what was done and how to combat it?

And the plotters meet once again in the graveyard, where Dirk explains  that when he searched the Old House, he found an empty coffin.  Again, Laura seems to have made some interesting logical leap to get “Barnabas is a vampire” from the disconnected evidence that the audience is shown she has.  Dirk, being Dirk, doesn’t believe it (he’s dealing with Laura and her supernatural doings and he doesn’t believe in the supernatural?  Not very bright, is our Dirk?)

OK, where’s Magda and Sandor when Laura and Dirk go sneaking into the Old House?  Isn’t the whole idea that they’re there to protect him?  Yet everyone from Jenny through Quentin and Beth, then Dirk are traipsing through the place, unchallenged, like it’s a tourist attraction.  Laura and Dirk have no problem getting to the basement (and as little trouble as Jenny getting in what should have been a LOCKED basement).  Laura gets to open the coffin then stand over Barnabas, gloating as she positions the stake and raises the hammer…..

Jeannie

The book sure looked in good shape considering it had been in the grave since 1816.  I agree with Pianist that it seems implausible that someone would put the diary in the coffin without reading it.  I remember as a child playing in the old cemetery and the sunken holes from rotting coffins buried less than 50 years.  And why would Ben take the trouble to keep a diary of his life and then have it buried with him?  Why even record Barnabas' secret?  I like the struggle betwen Barnabas and Laura , but not this part of the story.   It would also make more sense if Laura, who was Barnabas' aunt, would have burned to death with her children.    I wonder why Barnabas can mesmerize some people and not others?

The small speech Laura speaks while about to tenderize Barnabas was a good one.   It showed a real appreciation of the moment, and the character-- by the writers not Laura. 

Normally "I'm taking my secret to my grave" doesn't mean you wrote it down and actually had the secret physically put into the casket with you!    why would anyone do that?

And why would Ben take the trouble to keep a diary of his life and then have it buried with him?  Why even record Barnabas' secret?  I like the struggle betwen Barnabas and Laura , but not this part of the story....    I wonder why Barnabas can mesmerize some people and not others?

Talk about taking "willing suspension of disbelief" and stretching it like a rubber band. "Logic is a little tweeting bird," as a Vulcan once said.

As to Barn's on and off hypnosis ability:  Maybe the force DOES have a strong effect on the weak minded.  <g,d,r,>

Jeannie

"Logic is a little tweeting bird," as a Vulcan once said.

There was also something about its smelling bad, if I recall.

Yeah.  Isn't it downright scary when one can't remember important stuff at work for more than a few minutes, yet can still remember lines of dialog from TV and movies from years and years ago, as well as plots of zillions of books.

Jeannie

<g,d,r,>

d and r???

Yeah.  Isn't it downright scary when one can't remember important stuff at work for more than a few minutes, yet can still remember lines of dialog from TV and movies from years and years ago, as well as plots of zillions of books.

I have an impaired memory, but I don't really need to remember TV things... I can pull "I, Mudd" out and watch anytime I want!

A third staging of the opening scene might have been even better.  In the previous ep, the camera swept around to reveal the back of Barnabas, maybe because he missed his cue?  In the reshoot, JF merely strolls into the shot.  With better blocking, this could have been a fantastically creepy scene with the conspirators (and audience) suddenly realizing that Barnabas (wearing heavier than usual guyliner?) had been watching them all along, perhaps revealed by a flash of lightning.  <sigh>

While watching #755, I had it in my head that Barnabas created the storm, but I didn't know why I thought it.  But now I do, cuz Laura implies it in this ep when she says he can "control the elements, as he did tonight."

Ben Stokes 1756-1816  So what if the Professor told us when we first met him that Ben was 75 when he died?  And so what if Ben will be alive when the story switches to 1840?

Nora's faux side curls are gone, exposing some very cute ears.  (Thanks, ProfStokes, for providing that detail.)

Grin, Duck and RUN

 

Jeannie

Ah.

Oops, I meant to say this before--

Laura and Dirk have no problem getting to the basement (and as little trouble as Jenny getting in what should have been a LOCKED basement).

Surveying the grounds has been mentioned as one of Dirk's duties as caretaker, so having that set of keys to the Old House in his possession makes sense.

Oh, good, there was some logic to it. 

I'd rather it be something I missed, rather than really good writing being shot in the foot by a case of the stupids.


Thanks, Midnite. 


Jeannie

While watching #755, I had it in my head that Barnabas created the storm, but I didn't know why I thought it.  But now I do, cuz Laura implies it in this ep when she says he can "control the elements, as he did tonight."

I had wondered if he was able to do this while watching another upcoming episode I will be discussing.  Thanks for answering this question. 

Ben Stokes 1756-1816  So what if the Professor told us when we first met him that Ben was 75 when he died?  And so what if Ben will be alive when the story switches to 1840?

I actually watched that episode last night!  That also answers my question about discussing previous events. We don't have to spoiler them here, correct??

 VO: Nancy Barrett

I liked the talk Barney had with Nora.  I always liked Barnabas relationship with Nora and Amy.  It seems as if Denise and Jonathan had a nice rapport, they certainly worked well together.

I think it is interesting that Bram Stokers ‘Dracula’ was released in 1897. It would have been nice if it had some how been mentioned.  Maybe it hadn't reached the masses yet?  It seems to me though; the Collins family would have had access to all sorts of culture, as they are so rich. Again why didn't Barnabas lock the door??  UGH!!