Caskets & Burials

[Luciaphile]

I am going to have a great deal more to say on this subject (and others) when I write up my column, BUT . . .

Elizabeth dies and Barnabas is just planning on burying her without notifying the authorities???

Excuse me?

I don't give a flying fig what idiocy she wrote in her will--personal preference takes a backseat to the laws of the locality and state in which you live.  If Uncle Ted dies and has expressed a wish to be buried in the backyard without anyone being told, you most certainly don't go out back there and start digging.  And hello?  You sure as hell have to let people know Uncle Ted is dead.  Maybe not blab it to everyone you meet, but authorities?  lawyers?  creditors?  Hell, yes.

Death certificates have to be filed!  

And Elizabeth isn't exactly that little old lady who lived in the suburban tract home who no one saw but the paperboy--people aren't going to suddenly wonder what's up when others are making business decisions and showing up at the cannery acting in charge?  

And that stupidity about not being able to contact Roger!  (I'm ranting now because this goes on for like weeks--aside from this one attempt to get ahold of him, no one apparently ever picks up the phone again)  He went to London, not the Amazon Rainforest.  They have phones, telegraph, the post.  

Ridiculously sloppy writing that there is absolutely no excuse for whatsoever.

Luciaphil
(who is holding off on the total lunacy of hiring a waitress to educate the future scion of an extremely wealthy family)

[VAM]

Luciaphil
(who is holding off on the total lunacy of hiring a waitress to educate the future scion of an extremely wealthy family)

Those rich folks are ALWAYS looking for ways of SAVING pennies...

[onyx_treasure]

    At first, I thought it was weird that a waitress was hired as tutor until Robin mentioned she could have been a teacher without a teaching position.  I think the writers should have used that explaination.  My high school math teacher sold ties at an upscale dept. store every summer and at Christmas.  My son's first grade teacher is a catalog clerk at JC Penneys in the evenings. Teachers pay in Maine is very low.
   Lucia, are you telling me it is illegal to bury someone at home?  I have a perfectly good root cellar in my home and I was hoping to save money by using it for that purpose.  I even told my husband a further savings could be found by using extra large lawn and leaf bag instead of a casket.

[Carol]

I always got the feeling that money was tight with the Evans family so the prospect of Maggie attending college was out of the picture. I'm sure she could've gone on a scholarship and was working her way thru by waitressing but I always thought she graduated from HS and was working full time as a waitress just to make ends meet.  Paychecks from Sam were few and far between so someone had to pay the bills and it looked like Maggie was the breadwinner.

Then again, did Vicki have any college education? I thought the foundling home just kept her on as an employee when she reached the age of 18.

[Craig_Slocum]

Then again, did Vicki have any college education?

I doubt it. I remember back then, most women didn't work, so why would college have been necessary?

[Luciaphile]

The inference with Vicki was that she had done teaching somewhere--had some sort of certificate to teach.

I could buy the excuse of Maggie having taken courses, but it's never, ever mentioned.  All we ever know of Maggie is that she was a waitress.  She has aspirations but they're never, ever articulated.  Aspirations to what?  To see the world?  To get out of Collinsport?  To become a businesswoman?  To teach?  

The chief problem I have with this is that David is not exactly a five-year-old.  He's what? 12? 13?  This is a kid who is supposed to be the heir to the Collins empire.  I realize that higher education wasn't expected for everyone in that time period, but it sure as hell would have been for a male in that social class and that income bracket.  They'd be looking at prep schools for him about now not another governess.

It's one thing that they've hired Maggie to be a glorified babysitter--it's entirely another if she's to provide his education.

All it would have taken to make this and the burial thing work would have been about two or three lines of dialogue which could have been incorporated perfectly well into what they had going.

Luciaphil

[VictoriaWintersRox]

From how the episodes have been written, it seems like Lizzie hired Maggie just to be a companion. And Barnabas says he wants to enroll the kids in public school in Boston, but if Maggie was going to teach them he wouldn't need to. I agree, David really doesn't need a governess at his age, he's old enough to be able to go to prep school. I could see Amy having a governess but not David at his age.

It seems Barnabas cares more about Victoria then Elizabeth. Okay, I realize she was important to everyone in the house since she was pretty much a member of the family by that point. But Elizabeth died and the family is in a state of shock. But it's still all about Vicki for Barnabas. I would think the welfare of Carolyn and David and Amy would be more important to him since he can change that, but he can't change Vicki's life to come back to him.

[jennifer]

Oh!Luciaphil can't talk about "uncle" Ted (Williams)here in the Boston area i wish his family did for him what Barnabas did for Elizabeth! but  This Collins family seems to do whatever they want! don't think Collinsport is even in The USA but it's own little country!

jennifer

[VAM]

The inference with Vicki was that she had done teaching somewhere--had some sort of certificate to teach.

The subject was briefly touched when Joshua interviewed Vicki in the 1795 storyline.

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Dear Luciaphil,

Concerning Barnabas' strange inability to contact cousin Roger in London, maybe Roger did NOT want to be found.

You know, off on his own across the pond, Roger could have acted out his fantasies as a real "middle-aged crazy" in mod, groovy London of the truly swinging and liberated 60's!  (Let's not forget, England swings like a pendulum do!)  And, of course, "randy" Roger might have met up with that notorious 1960's libertine/secret agent, Austin Powers, and proceeded to pursue lovely British "birds" in hopes of having some "shagadelic" fun with them.  

Bob the Bartender, who regrets that he never had the opportunity to take the ferry 'cross the Mersey.  

[Carol]

Dear Luciaphil,

Concerning Barnabas' strange inability to contact cousin Roger in London, maybe Roger did NOT want to be found.

You know, off on his own across the pond, Roger could have acted out his fantasies as a real "middle-aged crazy" in mod, groovy London of the truly swinging and liberated 60's!  (Let's not forget, England swings like a pendulum do!)  And, of course, "randy" Roger might have met up with that notorious 1960's libertine/secret agent, Austin Powers, and proceeded to pursue lovely British "birds" in hopes of having some "shagadelic" fun with them.  

Bob the Bartender, who regrets that he never had the opportunity to take the ferry 'cross the Mersey.  

Bob,
   I think you've hit the nail on the head. Roger was finally away from his nutty family and living the good life.
It doesn't take much to be incommunicado when you really want to be.

[kuanyin]

I think in most states Lizzie would HAVE to be embalmed. Tough luck, if she WAS alive at that point. It bugs the crap out of me that she has been talking for MONTHS about how they will think she is dead, but she won't be. Then, "Oh, she's dead, what a bummer." Never a mention of her obsession or the possibility that she could be not dead, it would appear that they didn't even get a second opinion! (And with Jooooliahh proclaming her dead, I think that would have been a decidedly good idea).

I think Roger is on a bender in London. No problems believing THAT part of the plot!

It may vary from state to state, but you do NOT need a teaching certificate to teach in a private school in either Arizona or Missouri. Some private schools have some education requirements, but that is up to them. You don't need a teaching certificate to be a substitute teacher in the public system here in Missouri also, though you do need some college, I think two years. My understanding was that Vicky grew up in the orphanage and then continued on a teacher there. Presumably, as a private school that would be fine. You don't need a teaching certificate to home school either, and that is essentially what they are doing with David and Amy. (Though was certainly not as common then, and would have been a whole 'nother enchilada than it is now.) Since David and Amy never actually have any lessons, I don't think it matters whether Naggie is qualified or not.  Personally, I thought it odd that Naggie wanted to go back to work at the diner so bad after her kidnapping ordeal, but after her dad died and she probably needed to, she didn't.

My older son has watched the show with me in the past. My younger one is now. He was really interested in the children's actions today!

[Cassandra]

It bugs the crap out of me that she has been talking for MONTHS about how they will think she is dead, but she won't be. Then, "Oh, she's dead, what a bummer." Never a mention of her obsession or the possibility that she could be not dead, it would appear that they didn't even get a second opinion! (And with Jooooliahh proclaming her dead, I think that would have been a decidedly good idea).  

I totally agree with you Kuanyin.  I mean this already happened once before with Julia pronouncing Liz dead right there on the sofa at Collinwood, and then suddenly. Liz bolts right up before everyone's eyes! You would think with all the strange happenings that go on there everyday that SOMEONE would have believed her! And yet, whenever someone has something out of the ordinary happen to them, (like Vicky's past behaviour on joining Jeff in the past)  everyone tells them "it's their imagination!!"  That is, until it happens to them!  These people never learn, do they?

[ROBINV]

I agree that Roger probably sank out of sight in London and didn't WANT to be found.  Once away from Collinwood, you'd have to be nuts to want to return!

As for the family not going through proper channels, I always figured The Rich Are Different (Susan Howatch) and they can be buried in the backyard like the beloved family pet if they want to be!  

Hey, do you think if Tony Soprano wanted to bury his dead mother in his backyard (as IF!), anyone in Joisey would have been able to stop him?

Love, Robin

[Raineypark]

Here in New York you don't need anywhere NEAR the qualifications for teaching in private schools that you need for public schools.  Many of my daughters teachers are forever taking new graduate courses  because the districts require them.

The REALLY idiotic thing about the way death is pronounced on DS is that no one attempts 10 seconds of CPR before throwing in the towel!!  Now, they start and keep up the CPR till they're in the hospital and then they keep the respirators going until the whole family gathers, the lawyer's been consulted, the holy man has come and prayed and the argument about donating organs has subsided.  Only THEN is anyone willing to say, "Yep, she's dead!"

Butif they had to do all that every time someone 'died' on this show every epidode would have been an hour long!

Raineypark