Original Intent?

[tripwire]

and how the heck did that large cradle fit thru that small opening in the wall??

[Philippe Cordier]

In the beginning of 1897, it appears that Edward is married to Jenny and had her locked away in the tower.  She even tries to kill him.  DC must have then been able to get Diana Millay back on the show, so the writers changed Edward's wife to Laura.  The original intent for 1897 had probably been changed many times, especially when the story got under way.

DC stated 1897 was to run for three months originally.  it was most likely a simple planned story then.  Quentin kills a relative of Magda, she places the werewolf curse on him.  As a werewolf, Quentin kills Beth. Q is found out by Judith and Edward.  One of them shoot him and he dies in the room.  They seal up the room to prevent anyone from discovering Q's secret and state he went to France to live.

This is fascinating, JoeyTrom!  I had never heard any of these details, other than having read that the 1897 storyline had been extended a couple of times (which seemed pretty obvious just watching it).

What you've outlined sounds like a nice, compact story -- in some ways I think I would have preferred it to some of the extravagances we were entertained with as aspects of the story line became more and more outlandish.

And to think I had praised the writers to no end for their brilliant plotting, thinking that they knew already at this point that

SPOILER

the skeleton wasn't Quentin's but that of Judith's ... husband (won't spoil by giving the name).

Your scenario makes much more sense than thinking that nearly everything in 1897 had been mapped out at this point.  There were even specific lines indicating that the skeleton WAS Quentin's, which doesn't jive with what we learn later.

On the other hand, they must have had some very specific ideas such as the family connections between the Jennings and the Collinses, etc., since both Chris Jennings and Quentin were afflicted with the werewolf curse.

Still, it sounds like the writers were writing by the seat of their pants ... no small talent, either.

[Joeytrom]

I wish 1897 was written the way 1795 was...the writers had that storyline clear and mapped out.

[Philippe Cordier]

I wish 1897 was written the way 1795 was...the writers had that storyline clear and mapped out.

1897 has some of the best moments of the show, but the saga became too sprawling, IMO.

The 1840 storyline has a stronger inner unity holding everything together, similar in that respect to 1795.  

1840 was also the most multilayered and complex storyline, so I'm willing to forgive the false starts that Gothick mentions as setting up that storyline.  (I actually don't remember what those inconsistencies were, but perhaps they'll be more noticeable upon a second viewing.)

I think there was a lot of brilliance with the way much of 1897 worked out, with the werewolf curse for example.

[kuanyin]

According to Sam Hall in the interview he gave to Mr. Gross, Dan Curtis had a habit of dictating sudden changes in the storylines.  It's my view that DC is to blame for a lot of the stuff that doesn't add up over time in the development of the more complicated, extended storylines.

That makes a lot of sense. I have had bosses like that and they drive me CRAZY. If you are trying for logic, continuity and things making sense: that fly-by-the-pants, to heck with a game plan, I have THIS idea now, style is abhorrent! Plus, they are notorious for delegating  responsibility without any authority. As in "I micro-manage every stinking detail and decision, but if it doesn't go well, it is YOUR fault!"

[Philippe Cordier]

the above sounds all very typical of ds, write it from day to day, and the heck with the rest...but, they did seem to have some idea about magda and the curse.

I wondered what they were initially planning after today's first episode --  David and Amy, possessed by Quentin and Beth -- talk about "them" being against Quentin and Beth ... I got the impression that there were two people, a man and a woman, opposed to Quentin and Beth and possibly plotting against them.  And Beth/Amy warns Quentin/David to believe in "her" "powers."

Wonder what that was all about?

[Cassandra]

I wondered what they were initially planning after today's first episode --  David and Amy, possessed by Quentin and Beth -- talk about "them" being against Quentin and Beth ... I got the impression that there were two people, a man and a woman, opposed to Quentin and Beth and possibly plotting against them.  And Beth/Amy warns Quentin/David to believe in "her" "powers."

Wonder what that was all about?

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Vlad, I was under the impression that they were referring to Magda, on account of her curse and what she did to Quentin.  As for the other person,  IMHO I thought maybe they might have meant Petofi, but really can't say for sure.  Things change so much on this show all the time that one is always forced to "just go with the flow" sort of speak.  :-)