Idle Thoughts--Possession is Nine-Tenths of the Law 10/21-10/23

Fashion notes first . . .

Not that anyone will remember these, but here goes.

Maggie's smoke blue dress.  She looked dumpy in it, which is really kind of scary because the woman probably weighed 98 pounds soaking wet.

Maggie in the mystery 19th century dress.  Well, I am impressed.  I know Quentin was probably expert at removing ladies' attire, but who knew he was so skilled at the opposite?  And who do you suppose gave her that elaborate coiffure?  Beth?  As to whose dress it was initially, it sure as hell didn't look like anything Lady Hampshire would have worn (way too virginal) and it seemed to elaborate for any of Rachel's frocks.

Oooh, loved the sleeveless dress on KLS.  Good cut for her, very flattering.

I realize that that is all of Terry Crawford's hair, but it's such an elaborate do for a maid.  Still, she does look very pretty.

I forget who it was on the Vantagenet boards who said this (take credit, please, if it was you) but what an uncomfortable outfit Edith had on.  Yep, a beaded bed jacket and full Victorian dress is just what I would wear when I was bedridden.

And a scary thought--Sandor's wig.  I had an awful thought.  Was that the same thing they used for Buzz and Cassandra?

Onto the shows . . .

So all of the Collins family is camping out at the Old House, which I realize is much smaller than Collinwood, but let's be honest, here.  This is not a studio apartment.  It's still a mansion.  It kills me when Maggie comes tripping in screaming I've searched everywhere and I can't find the children!"  Yeah, yeah, so the kiddies weren't in the Old House, but you just know she got up, put on her "I am now a governess, but a trendy governess" clothes, poked her nose in one, possibly two rooms and then went into her screaming schtick.  I'm just saying.

I continue to be amazed at how clean these kids look after prowling around the west wing.  I mean, at work, they had us inventorying shelf space of the old I&A books and I got positively dirty just by standing still.  These tykes are brushing up against centuries old dust and dirt and they still look like they stepped out of a bandbox.

Someday when I've got the time (Ha!) I'd love to write a fanfic about all of the Collinses staying at the Old House.  That must have been fun . . . Not.  No electricity, no heat, no indoor plumbing.  Like camping but without the s'mores.

So little Amy is doing her "cute little girl" act and busily freaking Maggie out and all I can say is she is possibly the worst colorer I have ever seen.  I mean, if I were an educator and a child that old was that incapable of staying within the lines (there are two year olds who are better at it), I'd be testing the kid for learning disabilities.  Of course, maybe it was an interpretative choice or something.  A metaphor for the possession.  Yep, that's it.

God, what a little brat, "you'll see, you'll see."  These people haven't got the foggiest clue how to take care of children.  It's a bit like shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted, but wouldn't the most logical thing be to separate the little darlings?  Particularly after it became painfully clear they were playing off each other?

Incidentally, these episodes gave us some very nice performances from Denise Nickerson, Jonathan Frid and Louis Edmonds.

How do I loathe Ned Stuart?  Let me count the ways.  Creep.  Incestuous, violent creep.  To top it off, he obviously has no taste or ability.  That makeup is proof enough.  What? Did he study at the feet of Baby Jane Hudson?  

You know, when Ned said "we've been to doctors" in that nasty dismissive tone, I got the feeling that the doctor had maybe suggested that ned stay the hell away from Sabrina.  And just where the hell did he get that old-fashioned and incredibly uncomfortable looking wheelchair?  

A request.  If anyone should ever happen to meet Lisa Richards, I would dearly, dearly love to know how she refrained from hauling off and clocking Roger Davis when he started up with the naughty touching.  He did everything but stick his hands down her shirt.

Watching Barnabas with Chris (Creep #1; Ned is Creep #2), it occurs to me that Barnabas has never been very good at multi-tasking. It's a pity he never realized that.

Buy a watch, Chris.  No one's telling you to get a Rolex.  Just an ordinary drugstore Timex.  Buy one and use it.  If you could get a degree in architecture, surely you can learn how to tell time.

Okay, I realize that Barnabas feels this obligation and kinship with Creep #1, but at the moment, he's got eight houseguests (two of them are possessed), none of whom (or is it who?) are likely to be leaving any time soon.  Given the situation, you'd think he'd do some prioritization and let Mr. Chris "Why would I need to know when the sun is going to set?" Jennings fend for himself, but no . . .

Okay, take note: I didn't think it was possible to find someone more f*cked up (excuse the language) than Barnabas or Angelique, but I think we have a contender: Ned.

So when Ned was saying he wasn't letting Sabrina sleep 'cause she might talk, did anyone else get the feeling he pushes amphetamines down her throat to keep her awake?

Woo hoo!  Julia bitchslaps Ned.  You go girl.  "I'll send you a bill."

Barnabas, sweetie, forget about Chris.  The sister's the victim here.  Beside you have a house full of people who are never going to leave until Collinwood is dispossessed.  Forget about the guy you just met.  Yeesh.  Triage.  It's called triage.  Ask Julia about it, I'm sure she'll explain it to you.

So Creep #2 is resentful his sister is tired and that he has to stop putting his hands all over her body and go off to get a glass.  I'm wondering if Roger Davis had seen Bunny Lake is Missing and felt the need to play the Keir Dullea part.  

Back to the gang at the Old House.  Maggie scores Josette's bedroom?  If I were Liz, I'd be doing something about that.  They're probably stuck in those rooms that Barnabas never bothered with restoring.  Maggie finally clues into the fact that Amy's played her like a Strad.  Give the lady a kewpie doll!  Hello?  Did this woman never do any babysitting?  Mrs. Cleaver never bought Eddie's craft and she wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, so no excuses.

Stokes disappointed me.  He finds a box of I-Ching wands and instantly decides that Quentin a)used them and b)knew what he was doing with them.  Faulty logic. I mean, I own two decks of tarot cards but that doesn't mean I can use them.

My God, but Maggie is dumber than a sackful of hammers.  Amy could tell her about a deal on a bridge in Brooklyn and Maggie would be forking over her greenstamps.

And we're in 1897.

I always get a kick out of Magda and Sandor.  Actually, I get a huge kick out of the beginning of this story.  Everyone is so energized, so dare I say it? Fresh.  It makes for great TV.

Luciaphil

SO happy you decided to post this, Luciaphil! 'twas a laugh a minute (I'm a slow reader). Amy's coloring and Sabrina's wheelchair cracked a few ribs each (but it only hurts when I laugh!).

You were highly recommended by a forum member to me as someone who's posts would have me screaming, and they were right. The whole thing was marvelous.

Looking forward to the next installment,
Dom

A riot, as always!  I've always assumed that Willie had eventually restored at least a large part of the house.  The fact that they are all there would imply that it's livable.  However, it absolutely never occurred to me until you mentioned it about the whole family living there without electricity and other modern necessities.  

And, I did always wonder about Maggie in Josette's room.  In a way it seemed natural, but I didn't specifically think about Elizabeth or Carolyn.  That must have been an interesting decision!

    I know it was Willie's job to empty the chamber pots.
Gee, that poor man got some sh*tty jobs to do.
    Chris could not have gotten a degree in architecture.  It takes 5 years.  He said he was 21 when he graduated.  Draftsman, maybe.  Licenced architect,
no.
    BRAVA, Luciaphil.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think I will read it again.

    Chris could not have gotten a degree in architecture.  It takes 5 years.  He said he was 21 when he graduated.  Draftsman, maybe.  Licenced architect,
no.

Didn't he say he was an architect? Anyhow learning how to tell the time is probably something he was exposed to at some point.

Luciaphil

Didn't he say he was an architect? Anyhow learning how to tell the time is probably something he was exposed to at some point.
Luciaphil

    Yes, he said he studied architecture but between the 5 years in college, doing an internship, and taking the state licensing test he would have been howling at the moon long before he could ever call himself an architect.

Welcome back Luciaphil!  It's great seeing these again.

LOL!!!  I loved your comment about Sandor's wig!  What a hoot and a half!!

I was wondering whose 19th century dress Maggie was suppose to be wearing too?  I never remembered Rachel wearing something so elegant and like you've said, I doubt it was Lady Kitty's,  and as for Beth, since she is much taller than Maggie so I really don't think it belonged to her either. So this is another mystery. I was wondering if we do ever get to see anyone wearing it later on,  can't remember.

You know that's funny about the Old house with everyone staying there with out any indoor plumbing or electricity!!  I hadn't even thought of that one!  What a house!! And not once do we ever hear anyone complaining of it either.

It's a good thing that Barnabas is able to sleep at nights now or he'd really have a problem!  

that

You know, when Ned said "we've been to doctors" in that nasty dismissive tone, I got the feeling that the doctor had maybe suggested that ned stay the hell away from Sabrina.    

Ha! I think you are on to something there....

A request.  If anyone should ever happen to meet Lisa Richards, I would dearly, dearly love to know how she refrained from hauling off and clocking Roger Davis when he started up with the naughty touching.  He did everything but stick his hands down her shirt.

I STILL think he stuck his hands down her shirt when the cameras were rolling, but not on them. Just seems like the skumbag kind of thing he would do when she couldn't ruin the scene.

I STILL think he stuck his hands down her shirt when the cameras were rolling, but not on them. Just seems like the skumbag kind of thing he would do when she couldn't ruin the scene.

RD's been guilty of many things throughout the years, and it's no secret that he's not exactly my favorite DS performer, but I SERIOUSLY doubt he would have stuck his hand down anyone's clothes in full view of the DS cast and crew. Not even as a joke. And no matter how much DC may have liked him, something tells me that RD would have been sent packing if he'd even tried...

Chris could not have gotten a degree in architecture.  It takes 5 years.  He said he was 21 when he graduated.  Draftsman, maybe.  Licenced architect,
no.

I'd have to rewatch that episode to get the exact wording, but I believe Chris said he was going to be an architect, not necessarily that he actually was one at 21.

RD's been guilty of many things throughout the years, and it's no secret that he's not exactly my favorite DS performer, but I SERIOUSLY doubt he would have stuck his hand down anyone's clothes in full view of the DS cast and crew. Not even as a joke. And no matter how much DC may have liked him, something tells me that RD would have been sent packing if he'd even tried...

Oh, yeah, you are probably right. Sigh...It justs seems like it would be a small next step from what we DO see happening in front of the camera. I'll slink off now...

I'd have to rewatch that episode to get the exact wording, but I believe Chris said he was going to be an architect, not necessarily that he actually was one at 21.

Hi MB,
    Its nice when you and Midnite post once in a great while especially when its not about something technical.  Chris said he just graduated from college a few days after his twenty-first birthday.  I don't know how anyone can graduate from a 5 year program and be 21 no matter what the major is.

One of my daughter's friends has a cousin who was admitted to MIT last year at the age of 16.

I don't know if anyone ever referred to Chris as a genius, but this is Collinsport....where anything is possible.

raineypark

Hi MB,
    Its nice when you and Midnite post once in a great while especially when its not about something technical.

Thank you, onyx_treasure!  We do try to join in when we can.  

Luciaphil, fabulous comments as always.  Your wonderful notes about Ned the Abominable in particular had me in hysterics.  

As for Stokes, I wonder whether he might have had a psychic moment when he discovered those I Ching wands?  Rather as he did when he was showing Julia Ben's diary and then suddenly the spirit of Ben was writing in the missing words THROUGH him.  I'm sure that Stokes did some forms of meditation, lucid dreaming, and the like as part of his studies, and that generally fosters the innate psychic abilities we all possess to some degree.  Just a thought. (I realize I am going to great lengths to explain something that happened because the writers again needed to get from point A to point Z in 5 minutes.)

A sudden thought; could the dress Quentin gave Maggie have belonged to the young Judith?  

And talking of HER ... I'm still waiting for the next installment!

Steve who owns 4 decks of tarot cards and knows exactly what to do with them!