And Even Yet Another New Slideshow

Well, I personally thought David's entrance in the original 1966 episode was pretty shocking by the standards of the period.

We've become numbed out from the horrors of recent decades, so the stakes have had to be escalated when writers want to shock us with the spectacle of a child psychopath in fullblown mode.

It just occurred to me that the original David storyline might have been at least in part suggested by Patty McCormick's character in the brilliant film, THE BAD SEED.

G.

I also found David's entrance in the original to be chilling. 

The narrative of Dark Shadows has, since 1966, been a work in progress.  Attempts to balance all of the elements that became so important to the original series continue to be refined.  I doubt there will ever be an "ultimate" narrative for the Dark Shadows story, but -- in every incarnation -- we get a bit closer to finding a happy medium between the stories of Barnabas and Victoria. 

Before we even get into today's quote, it should be mentioned that after Vicki's quote from yesterday, Roger is scripted as:

ROGER
His mother? Why?

However, we chose not to include that in this month's quotes in the slideshow in favor of other quotes coming along in what will be covered in the script this month. And there's also the fact that it was dropped from the pilot, and unlike Roger's previous bit of dialogue, neither it nor a reworking of it was assigned to Elizabeth in the combined scene in the pilot.

And speaking of things that were dropped from the pilot, everything from Roger's bit above through to nearly the end of this scene was also dropped from the pilot, so obviously today's quote from Vicki -

Page 28 - Victoria: 'It's just... strange. There's not a single mention of her in the reports.'

- was also dropped. When it comes to the combined scene in the pilot, nearly everything that takes place after Vicki pointing out that there's no mention of David's mother in David's medical file is taken from the scene that takes place in the script quite a ways down the road. And because the slideshow is following the order of things in the script and not in the pilot, we won't be getting into just exactly what that is until the slideshow gets into that scene in September. For now, just enjoy what might have been had the scenes been kept separate and in their scripted order and Roger had indeed appeared in this one...

Love today's Roger quote. I like that he doesn't show contempt for his son as Roger OS & Roger '12 did.

It's really too bad Roger was cut from that scene.

I think we asked back at the time if there were script outlines or treatments for 13 episodes and if there were, those notes have never surfaced.  I'm sure something must have been prepared though when they were working on this project.

I still remember Jim Pierson saying when introducing a screening of the pilot (which I think was in the year 2004... or was it '05?), "it should have been a slam dunk.  It's hard to know what happened."

or words to that effect.

G.

It's interesting that given Roger's rather sharp quote for the 8th -

Page 28 - Roger (brusque): 'She hasn't been a factor in our lives for years.'

- Vicki doesn't exactly take the hint that David's mother isn't a subject she's going to get anywhere with and she presses on with the 9th's quote -

Page 28 - Victoria: 'Maybe not to you, but to David--'

- so it's no wonder that Roger reacts the way he does. But before we get to today's quote, it needs to be mentioned that the script indicates:

Face tightening, Roger cuts her off.

And, of course, Roger cuts her off with today's quote:

Page 28 - Roger: 'I won't discuss her. (off Victoria's surprise) David is my son and I need him to be strong. If you can't help him, then I'll put him somewhere that can.'

The script then indicates that:

Roger is standing, like he's about to leave, when

But we'll have to wait for tomorrow's quote to see what happens next...

Love today's Roger quote. I like that he doesn't show contempt for his son as Roger OS & Roger '12 did.

While this Roger may not have contempt for David, there will be a scene coming up in October that puts Roger's remark: "David is my son and I need him to be strong" into a different light. But more on that in October...

I think we asked back at the time if there were script outlines or treatments for 13 episodes and if there were, those notes have never surfaced.  I'm sure something must have been prepared though when they were working on this project.

There are some articles about the pilot and remarks from the cast and writer that get into what some of the thinking was when it comes to how a series would have progressed. But I'd rather wait until after the slideshow finishes to get into what was said. 

Don't forget, the 1991 revival Roger was also pretty contemptuous of David, especially during the pilot episode. (Of course it's shown mostly during the deleted scenes but nevertheless the lack of affection for his son is still quite obvious).

And the script picks up from where we left off with:

when Sophia rushes back in. Her face is stricken, shocked.

And that's when Sophia is scripted to say today's quote -

Page 29 - Sophia: 'Mr. Collins, Mrs. Stoddard... it's Carolyn. She's been hurt.'

- although, after all the stuff that gets combined with this scene from the upcoming scene, what Sophia actually says in the pilot is "Mrs. Stoddard! It’s the police. Carolyn."

The script goes to say:

Stunned, Elizabeth's hand flails out, knocking her water glass off the table so it SHATTERS on the floor.

ELIZABETH
No...!

OFF their shock...

But none of that is in the pilot. Well, except that Elizabeth and Vicki are shocked. 

And that's the end of the scene in the script

Here's the chart for the next sequence of scenes:

And as you can see, part of what was done in the pilot is another combined scene. But we'll get into that as the slideshow for the next sequence unfolds...

And as you can also see, we'll finally meet Julia and Sheriff Patterson, who are the last two major characters to meet in the pilot if you count already having met the desiccated Barnabas, even though we haven't met him by name. (Though in the script Sarah has yet to appear - but she was never cast and does not appear in the pilot.)

Were the writers planning to kill off Carolyn or just make her Barnabas' second slave right off the bat?

There were no plans to kill off Carolyn. As for her being Barnabas' second slave, I don't know. If so, it really would have complicated things with some of the stuff they were actually planning. But who knows - maybe they wanted really complicated. But we can get into that down the road after a certain scene shows up in the slideshow in October.

Before I share how the script sets up the new sequence, it needs to be pointed out that almost none of what was originally supposed to take place in Carolyn's hospital room was incorporated into the combined scene in the pilot. In fact, Roger's part in the scene was completely dropped (again) - as was Julia's. However, even though Roger wasn't scripted to appear in what was originally supposed to take place in the hospital corridor, he was inserted into what was taken from that scene for the combined scene. So at least for Roger, it all pretty much works out in the end. Not so much for Julia, who basically gets to deliver only what she was already scripted to say in the corridor scene.

So, on to setting the new sequence as it appears in the script:

EXT. COLLINSPORT MEDICAL CENTER - DAY

Small but modern.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - COLLINSPORT MEDICAL CENTER - DAY

As the rhythmic BEEP of a heart monitor sounds in the background, reveal an unconscious

CAROLYN

lying in bed. Her face is bruised and cut, her throat wrapped with gauze. Joe is sitting bedside, holding her hand, while Roger and Elizabeth stand watch nearby. After a moment, DR. JULIA HOFFMAN (attractive, professional) enters.) Joe stands, concerned.

And it's at that point that Joe is scripted to say today's quote:

Page 29 - Joe: 'Dr. Hoffman. What happened?'

However, what happens in the pilot is the scene begins immediately with Joe explaining to Elizabeth and Roger that "Ben Griffin found her outside his garage. From the injuries, Doctor Hoffman thinks… (pauses) She must have had some kind of fall." (Which is a reworking of info that was originally scripted to be delivered by an entirely different character in tomorrow's quote. But more on that when tomorrow's quote comes up...)

I'm just now finding myself thinking how strange it is that Collinsport had a hospital.  I never thought about this before.  I grew up on a waterfront town (on the Chespeake Bay) and the one hospital in the county was located in our town, so all the births happened there. 

In the original series and in the first episode, from what the old woman tells Vicki on the train, the last thing you would expect to find in Collinsport is a hospital... or medical center of any kind.  Since the college was in Rockport, that is where I would have expected the hospital to have been as well.

Thank you again MB for all the work you're putting in on this.  Just enjoying this so much.

The first sight I recall of Julia in this was [spoiler]a scene involving the discovery of a body; I'm guessing the body of Willie's girlfriend, but I really don't remember just whose body it was.  I don't remember a hospital scene at all.  Maybe towards the very end?  It's all so vague now. [/spoiler]

G.