And Even Yet Another New Slideshow

[Mysterious Benefactor]

In response to Julia's scripted line saying she's not surprised that tracks weren't found, the sheriff is scripted to ask:

SHERIFF PATTERSON
Because...?

But considering that in the pilot Julia never says that she's not surprised, that line from the sheriff was also dropped. And when it comes to today's quote -

Page 31 - Hoffman: 'I got the results back on the swabs I took from Carolyn's wound. (knows this is crazy) The saliva tests out human.'

- what Julia actually says in the pilot in response to Roger is "It gets stranger. I got the results back from the swabs I took from Carolyn’s wound. The saliva tests out human."

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Julia's not surprised, and neither is any viewer out there...

Well, of course the viewers aren't surprised because they've witnessed the three attacks and they know the perpetrator is a vampire.     And considering that the audience is ahead of the characters in the show, there has to be some way to get the characters up to speed as far as some of the evidence goes. And to be fair to Julia, she never says she's surprised - only that the situation is strange. 

But when it comes to delivering exposition, getting to be the one to reveal the human saliva in the wound is actually a step up for Julia in this pilot because she never got to deliver such exposition in the pilot for the '91 DS. In that pilot it was the Dr. Fisher character who made that revelation to Sheriff Patterson.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

With regard to Julia's revelation about the human saliva, the script indicates -

That brings Patterson up short.

- at which point he's scripted to ask -

Page 31 - Sheriff Patterson: 'Meaning what? We're looking for some kind of "vampire?"'

- however, in the pilot Sheriff Patterson's lines are replaced with Roger making a scoffing sound and then incredulously remarking "You’re joking."

It's quite interesting that the only mention in the script of a vampire is dropped for the pilot, unlike in the pilot for the '91 DS, which is something that bothers some viewers of the '91 DS. But then, as some have theorized, the mention of a vampire so early in the pilot for the '91 DS might be traced to/blamed on DC's penchant to often sacrifice character and suspense in favor of his "hurry up and get his vampire freak on" - but unlike with the pilot for the '91 DS, which DC not only co-wrote, he directed, DC had little to do with the actual production of this pilot. And some might say that in certain ways this pilot is all the better for it - the lack of a mention of vampires being but one of them.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Today is one of those rare examples where a quote -

Page 31 - Hoffman: 'It's not as crazy as it sounds. Blood obsessions are fairly common in the medical literature.'

- is delivered in the pilot exactly as scripted.

And it's also another instance where the quote is a step up for Julia in this pilot vs. the pilot for the '91 DS because in that pilot it was Prof. Woodard who revealed that there actually are people with blood obsessions.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

On the other hand, today's quote -

Page 31 - Sheriff Patterson (incredulous): 'You're suggesting someone drank her blood?'

- is nothing like how Sheriff Patterson reacts in the pilot because he repeats "Blood obsessions" and then laughs like the idea is completely ridiculous.

[Gothick]

Wow.  I'm away for four days and the hospital scene STILL continues.  I guess it will simply go on till Yule...

But I'm grateful to you, MB, for carefully transcribing this dialogue, since I don't recall ANYTHING of the scene between Juiia and Patterson, and I wouldn't want to miss out on her juicy little line about "blood obsessions."

I think you said that Roger was written out of the scene as shot.

Thanks,

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Wow.  I'm away for four days and the hospital scene STILL continues.  I guess it will simply go on till Yule...

Not quite that long, but it will continue for a couple more days. The two hospital scenes take up over 2 pages in the script and it's mostly all dialogue, so that's why things are lasting so long in the slideshow. But starting on July 2nd things will move on to Barnabas finally introducing himself to the family. That scene takes up more than 4 and a half pages in the script, so it will be going on in the slideshow for all of July and into August. 

I think you said that Roger was written out of the scene as shot.

As scripted, Roger appears in the hospital room scene but not in the hospital corridor scene. But when the two scenes are combined in the pilot to make one corridor scene, Roger has bits inserted into the original corridor scene portion of the combined scene where he didn't originally appear. If you go back, you'll see that Roger's inserted bits come up in reply #388 and reply #392. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Instead of today's quote -

Page 31 - Hoffman: 'Look, I'm open to alternatives. But when Carolyn came in, she'd lost over 50% of her blood volume, and you said yourself there wasn't much spatter at the scene.'

- a version of which will show up in the pilot tomorrow because in the pilot at this point the lines for Julia and Sheriff Patterson swap places, the sheriff clears his throat, becomes serious, and, in reference to the possibility of a person with a blood obsession having assaulted Carolyn, says "That’s a hell of a theory, doc" - a version of which will be tomorrow's quote in the slideshow.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And instead of today's quote -

Page 31 - Sheriff Patterson: 'It's a hell of a theory.'

- Julia replies to the Sheriff saying that the possibility of a person with a blood obsession having assaulted Carolyn is a hell of a theory by saying "Look, I am open to alternatives. But when Carolyn came in here, she had lost over 50% of her total blood volume." The "and you said yourself there wasn't much spatter at the scene" part of yesterday's quote is dropped in the pilot in favor of what Julia will say tomorrow.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And when it comes to today's quote -

Page 31 - Hoffman: 'Maybe. But those bite marks are anything but theoretical...'

- what Julia actually says is "And those bite marks on her neck are anything but theoretical..." The "Maybe" bit is dropped because in the pilot Julia isn't replying to Sheriff Patterson's theory remark - she's following up her own statement about Carolyn having lost 50% of her total blood volume.

And after that quote the script concludes the scene with:

OFF Patterson, considering...

Though what happens in the pilot is that Julia goes off in the direction Carolyn was taken and the sheriff and Roger are left to exchange glances.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

As I alluded to the other day and as you can see by the latest chart -

- the next sequence of scenes will not only deal with Barnabas' introduction to the family but his first mention by name.

[Gothick]

Such excitement!  There's no business like show business!

cheers, G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The script sets things up as:

EXT. COLLINWOOD - NIGHT

Spires and gables looming in the darkness.

INT. FOYER - COLLINWOOD - NIGHT

There's insistent POUNDING at the door as Sophia rushes to answer. She throws the door open and STOPS IN SHOCK.

And it's at that point that today's quote -

Page 31 - Sophia: 'May... I help you?'

- comes up. However, it's actually delivered simply as "May I help you?" without the hesitation. And in the pilot things then deviate from the script, which goes on to say -

The dark figure enters, his face remaining in shadow. It's the VAMPIRE, now dressed in modern clothing.

VAMPIRE
I know it's late, but I'd like a
word with Mr. Collins.

Sophia finally shakes off the "spell," ushering him in.

SOPHIA
I'll... get him for you. Please,
come in.

As Sophia rushes away, the Vampire takes a moment to drink in the "feel" of the mansion, starting toward the great hall.

But in the pilot the "vampire" doesn't reply to Sophia before entering and, therefore, she never says that she'll go to get anyone. However, there is definite communication between Sophia and the new arrival because she does leave to announce his presence. And he does, as the script says, drink in the "feel" of the mansion as he makes his way to a room to await the family.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

As a sidenote before the next quote comes up, it's probably worth mentioning that today's quote is Sophia's last in the pilot - though it's not her last scene in the script, as we shall see in October...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

So, when it comes to today's quote -

Page 32 - Elizabeth (O.S): 'I don't believe it.'

- just what is it that Elizabeth doesn't believe? Well, I'm pretty sure every DS fan has already figured out that it's the uncanny resemblance the stranger bears to the portrait of Barnabas Collins:

And the way the script sets up this scene is:

INT. GREAT HALL - COLLINWOOD - NIGHT

He enters, transfixed, STARING toward the wall over the great fireplace. There, a magnificent portrait of

BARNABAS COLLINS,

the name etched on a gold nameplate dated 1788, hangs halflit by the flickering firelight.

And it's at that point that Elizabeth states her disbelief.

And as a bit of trivia, normally the interior of Greystone isn't opened to the public. But the exception is when it's hosting some sort of an event. And in 2007 Midnite was lucky enough to attend such an event - and to her amazement what did she discover hanging in one of the rooms but the portrait of Barnabas from this pilot. And, of course, she took a photo of it:

Who would have thought it would have still been there three years later...

And you'll note that there is no wolf's head cane to be seen in the full length portrait of Barnabas. That's because TPTB behind the pilot chose to forgo the cane (though there was talk that it might have made an appearance had the pilot gone to series). And while Barnabas does wear the black onyx ring, unlike in previous versions, no repeated special attention is paid to it. In fact, while the ring is referenced in the script in the scene in which Barnabas is revived in the mausoleum, no mention is made of it when Carolyn is attacked or when Barnabas returns to the mausoleum (in the never shot scene). And no mention will be made of it in this scene.