Discuss - Ep #0052

[Watching Project]

Robservations #52

[alwaysdavid]

Carolyn states that it was always strange at Collinwood, but it wasn't until Vickie and Burke arrived that things really began to happen. Could Vickie's arrival set off the spirit world?  or what about Roger and David.  They have just returned and David claims he is in contact with all the ghosts of Collinwood. Vickie is determined to stay and Carolyn says she knows it was a body at the foot of Widow's Hill.
Maggie mentions the summer people who come to Collinsport. They apparently don't eat out much at the diner or populate the hotel whose only guest appears to be Burke.
Carolyn and Vickie decide to sleep together in Vickie's room and then the phone rings so  Vickie gets up and runs downstairs.
They find the Collins History book on the floor.  After they leave the book opens by itself to Josette Collins 1810-1834. Another event that only the audience knows.

[Janet the Wicked]

Did someone mention earlier that Maggie is the sole provider in the Evans household? Man, that’s got to be tough. Even if Sam had the brains to pay off the mortgage when he took that money from Roger, it’s still gotta be tough going.

Aside from Vicki and Carolyn freaking out at every noise, this is a pretty depressing episode.

[DarkLady]

Either Vicki has graduated to heroine status, or Carolyn took her shopping. She's swapped her pajamas for a billowing nightgown, not quite as ornate as Carolyn's, but still. Poor Carolyn--this is probably her first slumber party ever. Vicki's twin bed has miraculously grown into a double in honor of the occasion. The girls get no sleep but manage to scare themselves silly.

Carolyn tells Vicki that her mother never let her swim at the foot of the cliffs because of the undertow. This may be the only time she ever mentions any form of exercise.

Sam has trusted Maggie to find someplace safe for his letter (the hotel safe, in fact) but forces her to swear on her mother's name that she won't read it. I don't have to swear, she replies patiently--I've never lied to you.

If Maggie knew how many times her father has lied to her over the years, she'd probably wish she had a dollar for each time.

[MagnusTrask]

               WELCOME, SUPERNATURAL DARK SHADOWS!!

The opening of the book to Josette's name was the first onscreen manifestation of the supernatural, that the viewing audience knows for a fact is supernatural, not old ghost stories to add atmosphere to a conventional-world crime story.   This wasn't even the end of the episode!   They drop that bombshell, then just move on...

For all we know, maybe Josette Collins (1910-1834) is a generation after the original Josette, a Collins named after her.   The ghost seems to possess little power to affect the living physical world, at least that's how I read it.   Her (?)purpose seems to have been to identify herself.  She went out of her way to do it.   She couldn't lift the book well or long enough, though, and it dropped before reaching a table.   She couldn't continue to try to act until Carolyn and Vicki left, so maybe living spirits overwhelm hers.   After Vicki got the book to the table and they both left, only then could the ghost open the book to her name.

Before all this... Petofi Box!   Is Vicki's room Judith's old room, as well as Josette's in Collinwood?   The Box is making me wonder.    After VW and CS went out into the hall, looked around [spoiler]for what I think will turn out to be Bill's ghost[/spoiler] and went back into the bedroom, I wanted the Hand to rise up a couple feet out of the Box, wave while whistling a little tune, and then thud down back into the Box, as the lid slams shut and we hear "S'Alright!"

Oh no, phone's ringing, time to run across a mansion to answer it!

[Lydia]

Either Vicki has graduated to heroine status, or Carolyn took her shopping. She's swapped her pajamas for a billowing nightgown, not quite as ornate as Carolyn's, but still.

Maybe ABC Standards and Practises didn't like the idea of a having a young lady in a nightgown sleeping with a young lady in pajamas.

Carolyn tells Vicki that her mother never let her swim at the foot of the cliffs because of the undertow. This may be the only time she ever mentions any form of exercise.

There was some horseback riding during 1968:

Collinwood - Carolyn, dressed for riding (and looking adorable and rich)

According to Carolyn, there are no cats at Collinwood.  Matthew must set traps, then, because I refuse to believe that a big old house like Collinwood wouldn't have a mouse problem.  Or maybe mice are afraid of ghosts.

The opening of the book to Josette's name was the first onscreen manifestation of the supernatural, that the viewing audience knows for a fact is supernatural, not old ghost stories to add atmosphere to a conventional-world crime story.

So you are of the opinion that the movement of the phone booth between the hotel lobby and the coffeeshop is not a supernatural phenomenon?

For all we know, maybe Josette Collins (1910-1834) is a generation after the original Josette, a Collins named after her.

Next question: how do you explain the dates for Josette Collins seen on her gravestone in episode 283?  If I remember correctly, they are 1800-1822.

But never mind.  The book opening by itself is definitely significant.  In an interview with Lela Swift on one of the DVDs she mentions an episode in the early days in which a character appears who has previously been established to be dead.  She says she called Dan Curtis and asked, "Are we going supernatural?"  Clearly we haven't reached that episode yet, and clearly what we saw today was supposed to be supernatural, so what was in Lela Swift's mind when she did this episode?

[Midnite]

Maggie's quilted robe is similar to what my sister and I wore and not the frilly peignoirs worn by the Collinwood gals.  But lots of girls with long hair wore the yarn headbands that Vicki starts using here.

Carolyn:  "Bill Malloy is the closest thing to a father I ever had."
That's very believable, considering her current weird relationship with her Uncle Roger, and also so sad in light of what we already know.

A mention of air pollution!  But that it's elsewhere and not in Collinsport, of course.

Vicki to Carolyn (before investigating the noise in the drawing room):  "Well, then, I'll see something I've never seen before."
And as it turned out, viewers got to see something they hadn't seen before either:

The guy on the left also held the slate.  Camera hog.

Vicki's twin bed has miraculously grown into a double in honor of the occasion.

That wasn't the same 4-poster bed she always had? 

In an interview with Lela Swift on one of the DVDs she mentions an episode in the early days in which a character appears who has previously been established to be dead.  She says she called Dan Curtis and asked, "Are we going supernatural?"  Clearly we haven't reached that episode yet, and clearly what we saw today was supposed to be supernatural, so what was in Lela Swift's mind when she did this episode?

Do you suppose it's possible that Swift didn't know about the book opening by itself since she didn't direct this ep?