Fashion notes first . . .
And again with the red dress after a death in the family! Rachel, sweetie, just because an outfit has black on it doesn't make it appropriate. When you were doing your spending spree of your salary, didn't you buy anything remotely practical or somber?
The splendor of Sandor's pink coat has escaped me up until now for some reason that I can't pin down. It's so very . . . pink.
Speaking of pink, what an enormous pink bow Rachel had in her hair. This is the kind of fashion accessory that looked bad on Pickford and the Gish sisters even when they were under thirty. And oh, my God, that enormous quasi-bustle thing was too scary for words.
Loved Charity's hat. Her whole ensemble was cool. Just the right mix of prim & proper.
Nora's hairdo is very unattractive, but kudos for an attempt at historical accuracy.
Onto the shows . . .
I would like to take a moment here to address the telephone and its use in 1897. Now I can see that it's plausible that the wealthy Collins family would have a telephone. Also fully understand why the writers and Mr. Curtis would want them to have a telephone written in (otherwise you either have to pay extras to be delivering messages or you have to have lots of scenes with the actors reading notes or doing exposition). However, the Collins' have multiple extensions, no party line problems, no operators to deal with, and absolutely everyone they need to call has a phone as well.
No.
Not how it worked. Anyhow.
I notice that they did some creative camera work to hide the fact that Selby probably didn't fit in that coffin any better than Isabella Hoopes did.
Some very decent work from Karlen and Bennett in that scene discussing Quentin and their memories. They both almost lost their lines a couple of times, but recovered. And David Henesy was particularly good.
Stupid line of the day: "Your uncle Quentin is dead; you know that, don't you?" Well, duh. The kid is staring at a dead body in a coffin, what the hell else would he be thinking?
Quentin's signature tune is kind of surprising to me really. It's pretty mellow. I would have expected it to be something a bit wilder and racier.
Ooh, what an absolutely freaky dream sequence. Very cool. I do detect the master hand of Violet Welles.
Barnabas reveals he knows there's a secret panel to Rachel's room and Judith apparently gives Rachel such a look and the icy, "to the best of my knowledge, you have never been in Rachel's room." Heh.
This has come up before in other forums and lists, but I thought I'd bring it up again. So like, Quentin dies. Life goes on and as far as Barnabas should be concerned, problem solved. Future haunting of Collinwood and possession of kiddies no longer an issue. Soooo, why is he even sticking around?
Selby really does make one hell of a zombie (as kuanyin so aptly noted). Carnival of Souls anyone? Although, I'm not sure quite how this happened, but as he was terrorizing everyone I flashed to Duke and Zonker when Duke got turned into a zombie in G.B. Trudeau's homage to the Papa Doc regime.
Gruesome Gregory arrives. He's really one of Jerry Lacy's best characterizations. Not my favorite (which is dishy Tony Peterson), but I think arguably his best. Gregory is such a complex and utterly disgusting creation in such a very plausible way.
Hehe, I loved it when Judith slammed the doors on Barnabas with a "they're coming; be quiet!"
Lordy, but Trask lays it on thick with the smarm. Considering though the way her brothers describe and treat Judith ("dried up old maid" being one of their kinder epithets), it's not that surprising that she should lap it up like that.
Jamison has a pony?
Some really, really nice work from Bennett, Selby, Lacy and Henesy.
"There is one thing I cannot bear--a boy's dislike." You've got to hand it to the man; he is slick, all right.
Part of the reason the scenes between Frid and Lacy are so damn powerful is because both characters have the courage of their own, separate, deluded convictions and that they both get off some great zingers against the others. Gotta love it.
I really love the Charity characterization too. In the short time she has before becoming Vampire Victim #37, Barrett manages to infuse the part with the piety--real and hypocritical, the prissiness, and the whole stick-up-her-butt thing.
I'm missing something here. Why is Barnabas so surprised that Trask's school is still around? Hello? Still an era of children-seen and not heard? Remember that? Different values and opinions of childhood? Not all that different from his own era.
As horrid as Gregory Trask is, wow. What a great scene between him and Rachel. The threats, the insinuations, the bullying, the sexual innuendo. Sick, twisted and very convincing.
The vampire victim thing really suits Charity well--plays into that whole evangelism appeal/submission factor. What I would have liked to have seen was an attempt on the part of Barnabas to use her to help with the Rachel situation.
Wow. The Jenny/Laura discussion between Quentin and Edward. You practically needed a knife to cut through the raging ego and tempers present, it was that thick.
Very creepy f/x with the voices coming from the fireplace.
You know, as far as the writing goes, although there have been some definite clunkers, these episodes are a lot more coherent than usual. Even Sam Hall's work seems better lately.
Interesting how Quentin can take any situation and turn it into an opportunity to get laid. Gotta love that.
Luciaphil
