And Even Yet Another New Slideshow

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And the script picks up where we left off with:

As David bolts from the bathroom, Victoria struggles to her feet, soaked, rubbing the back of her head.

VICTORIA
David, wait!

INT. UPPER CORRIDOR - COLLINWOOD- NIGHT

Victoria stumbles out and sees David running down the hall, looking over his shoulder like he's enjoying this. He runs into his bedroom and slams the door as Victoria follows.

INT. DAVID'S ROOM - COLLINWOOD - NIGHT

David's casually drying his hair as Victoria bursts through the door, glaring at him. His room's a typical kid's room, crowded with books, games and toys.

DAVID
Go away. "School" doesn't start
'til tomorrow.

Furious, Victoria SLAMS the door behind her.

And at this point is where David delivers today's quote:

Page 22 - David (CONT'D): 'This is my room!'

However, the other bits of dialogue, Vicki asking David to wait and David telling Vicki that "school" doesn't begin until the next day, were both dropped from the pilot.

Also, in the pilot there is no door slamming at either point where it's indicated in the script.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I'm going to hold off on getting into today's quote until after tomorrow's quote has come up in the slideshow because in the pilot they juggle around some dialogue, and it'll be a lot easier to get into what was done after I can show how it was originally supposed to play out. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The way the scene picks up in the script after David tells Vicki she's in his room is:

VICTORIA
You didn't have any problem
breaking into mine. And if you
think I'm surprised by your stunt,
think again. I know what you
pulled on your last tutor.

DAVID
And you still came? That was
stupid.

As David cavalierly turns away, Victoria grabs his arm.

DAVID (CONT'D)
Let me go!

VICTORIA
Not until we get something
straight.

However, in the pilot, off of David telling Vicki she's in his room, David continues with "Off! Go away! Let me go!" after Vicki grabs him, which happens earlier than in the script along with David telling Vicki to let him go. And then, rather than yesterday quote -

Page 23 - Victoria: 'You didn't have any problem breaking into mine. And if you think I'm surprised by your stunt, think again. I know what you pulled on your last tutor.'

- what Vicki angrily tells David is "Not until we get something straight. I know what you pulled on your last tutor." The bits about David not having had a problem breaking into Vicki's room and her not being surprised by his stunt were dropped - and the bit about them getting something straight is moved up - though it's still in response to David ordering Vicki to let go of him. Interestingly enough, though, today's quote -

Page 23 - David: 'And you still came? That was stupid.'

- then comes up, and even if it isn't delivered in the same place as in the script, it is delivered exactly as written and still in response to Vicki revealing she knows all about what David did to his last tutor.

So, what in the script was four separate sections of dialogue is switched around and combined into three in the pilot. And if I'm remembering correctly, this isn't the only place in the pilot where scripted dialogue gets switched around and combined in different ways. But we'll deal with those instances when we get to them...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

You've no doubt noticed that today's quote -

Page 23 - Victoria: 'Not until we get something straight. (intense) We do this as friends or as enemies, but trust me, I'm here for the duration.'

- contains the "Not until we get something straight" bit. Yesterday when I transcribed the script I didn't include the line after the intense directive because I knew that line was coming up today and because it's delivered in the pilot in the proper spot after all that I explained yesterday has already been switched around and combined in new ways. The only difference between the way it's scripted and the way it's delivered in the pilot is that Vicki says "We can do this as friends or as enemies, but trust me, I am here for the duration." But more than likely that's simply the way Marley Shelton chose to deliver it - and quite possibly in the "I am" vs. "I'm" instance because "I am" can often be interpreted as more emphatic than "I'm". And it's not the only place in the scene where she choose to drop a contraction for possible emphasis because another example will be coming up shortly...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Before today's quote -

Page 23 - David: 'What are you going to do now? Tell my dad?'

- comes up in the scene, the script indicates:

Victoria releases him. As David pulls back, angry...

Though the way David actually phrases it is as "What are you gonna do now? Tell my dad?"

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Picking up from David's question yesterday, the script indicates:

Victoria considers, then shakes her head "no."

And at that point is when today's quote -

Page 23 - Victoria: 'First one's on the house. But if there's a next time, we start talking consequences. (off his intense look) I'm not afraid of you, David.'

- is delivered - though Vicki delivers it as "First one's on the house. But if there is a next time, we start talking consequences. (off his intense look) I am not afraid of you, David."  And just as I theorized the other day, I suspect that with today's quote Marley Shelton made the choice to deliver "I'm" as "I am" and "there's" as "there is" in order to make Vicki's point more emphatic.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

After today's quote -

Page 23 - David: 'You should be.'

- which David delivers exactly as scripted, the script indicates:

Victoria hesitates a moment, surprised by David's anger, then leaves. As she goes, PUSH IN on David, staring darkly—

And end of scene.

It's interesting how these scenes between Vicki and David resemble similar scenes in the pilot for the '91 DS, yet they also have their own twists. And for those who've never seen the '91 DS, here's a synopsis of how the similar scenes played out:[spoiler]Int. Vicki's Bedroom - Night

After Carolyn leaves, Vicki picks up her robe and then goes into the bathroom.

Int. Bathroom

After hanging up her robe, and wanting to take a bath, Vicki goes to the bath tub and pulls back the shower curtain. David suddenly leaps out at her, shrieking. Pleased that his prank had the desired effect, David smirks and proudly proclaims that he scared her. She admits he did. Then he makes a point of saying that he doesn't want her there. Vicki tries to reach out to him, but he pulls away demanding that she not touch him and runs for the door. But Vicki beats him to it and blocks him. She then reassures him that she's not there to hurt him. However, all David wants is for her to open the door. Vicki does so, suggesting that they go to his room.

Int. David's Bedroom - Night

After refusing Vicki's help with his robe, David climbs into bed. He warns her that he's going to scare her again - and again. Vicki tries to tell him that she's there to be his friend, but David doesn't respond. And after she tells him to go to sleep and that she'll see him the morning, all David does is turn away from her onto his side. And after she leaves, he simply stares menacingly.[/spoiler]

Personally, I think David looking like he was drowned in Vicki's bath tub is a far worse trick then simply hiding behind the shower curtain to scare her, as he did in the pilot for the '91 DS. And the '04 Vicki is far more forceful with David than the '91 Vicki. The '91 Vicki mostly makes the point that she wants to be David's friend. But the '04 Vicki stresses that it doesn't matter if they become friends or not, she's in it for the long haul.

[Gerard]

Since I work with special-needs kids, including those are "EBD" (emotionally-behaviorally disabled), and have done so for years (including when this pilot was produced), Vicki's reaction, if she had training in EBD kids, is exactly how it's been done since then.  Schmoozing EBD kids does not work - holding them to the same standards at "regular" kids, while incorporating interactions specific to them, does.  That means when they do something like David in the pilot did, they are held accountable.  Afterwards, there's discussion about why they did it and why they shouldn't do it again and what it takes to acheive that.  The writers of the script - maybe - did their research.  I've done just what she did.  When the kids I work with do something like that, no pass is given - they get the appropriate sharp talk and any consequences. 

I can't believe how good this pilot was.  I can't believe the network passed on it.  What were they thinking?  Well, obviously they weren't, since the network doesn't exist anymore.

Gerard

[Uncle Roger]

This incarnation of David seems to be the emotionally disturbed, as much as Rhoda from The Bad Seed. Alexandra, Joanna or Bella's Vicki would have been easy pickings for him.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

As you'll see from this next version of the chart -

- the upcoming scene in the script/slideshow is another one that was never filmed for the pilot - the scene at the Blue Whale between Carolyn, Sam and Maggie. In fact, as I mentioned before, the roles of Sam and Maggie were never even cast.

One thing that makes the scene interesting for me is that before it reaches its conclusion it will actually give us more details about Sam's life than we probably ever learned about him in the entire '91 series - especially one particular detail that would have made Sam and Maggie's lives very different from what we've come to know and expect. Too bad we never got to see how it might have factored into their relationship. But, oh well...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The script sets up this next scene as follows:

EXT. BLUE WHALE BAR - NIGHT

Collinsport's one bar. Large, barn-like, badly weatherbeaten from its years on the waterfront.

INT. BLUE WHALE BAR - NIGHT

Rustic, decorated with fishing nets and old boat equipment. Neon beer signs and a CD jukebox are the only concessions to modern times. And tonight only, a plastic, light-up jack-o'-lantern decorates the wooden bar. As a mournful SONG plays,

CAROLYN

sips a drink while 50-ish bartender SAM EVANS comes over.

And at that point Sam asks today's quote:

Page 24 - Sam: 'No Joe tonight?'

[Nicky]

It's interesting that they relied on 1991 again for the characterization of Sam Evans, who was the bar tender of the Blue Whale in the revival series without much else to do.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

Without Burke, Sam is kind of pointless, so I can understand why '91 made little use of him.  The character would need some major reinvention and new ties to other characters in order to become truly dynamic.  Given Maggie's direction in the 1991 series, however, I'm glad he remained flat.   

Thus far, I love David and Roger in this pilot.  Everyone else is sort of "Meh..." for me.  I love the 1991 David.  JGL's performance was exceptional, but his dialogue helped a lot.  His interactions with Victoria were written wonderfully.  The same could be said of the pilot thus far.  I can only imagine how they played out on-camera.  The writing, though, is top-notch in this scene. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

As far as what we've gotten into the pilot thusfar, I definitely love the characterizations of Roger and David. But I also love Vicki. This pliot's Vicki has a strength, fortitude and intelligence not seen since the original series' Vicki in the pre-Barn eps. I really would have loved to have seen how she would have developed over the series and if she would have stayed that way or would she have been watered down into becoming a veritable perils-of-Vickiline. And as for individual scenes in the actual pilot, the one in the mausoleum's secret room where Barnabas revives is a definite standout for me. (Though on the night that I saw the pilot at the '05 Fest, there was an upcoming scene that outdid it - and it won't be long before it comes up in the pilot...)

[Cousin_Barnabas]

I too love the action written for the mausoleum scene. 

I guess I am not a fan of Vicki's opening monologue.  First impressions and all that.  Her interactions with David, however, are written well.