Good episode. I like how the writers let us share Charles's journey toward his dreadful discovery. That's why we could all yell, "AHA! I knew it!" at the TV--as I remember doing myself.
I've also always loved the prominent place of the arts in this series. Many story lines hinge on portraits and musical themes. That would never happen today.
In Charles's latest portrait of Amanda, she is wearing the rose-pink gown of the previous (and present) episode. This is a different portrait than the one we have previously seen and will continue to appear through the rest of the 1897 story line. As Petofi reminded Charles, he has painted many portraits of his ideal woman. And yes, beware of the Terrible Twos!
Pansity practically has a cat fight with the unsuspecting Amanda before the Reverend arrives but gets a swing and a miss for strike one when he calls her Charity. Stop calling me that stupid name! C/P says. It won’t stop me from speaking my piece. Did you ask _her_ to stay here? she asks, sweeping her hand in Amanda’s direction as if to brush away a load of trash. Miss Harris is here as my guest, Trask replies, for strike two. Go up to your room, he orders his daughter, pulling her hand behind her back as she fights him. Wait here, he tells Amanda--I’ll be back shortly. For strike three, he drags C/P up to her room as she shrieks, Quentin, come help me! What kind of household is this? Amanda wonders to herself as she holds her aching head in her hands.
Nice scene with Quentin and Charles. (Charles seems to be RD's best character.) Quentin brings Charles upstairs to his room, probably via the servants’ door because Charles protests, I don’t like sneaking around. It’s because of _that_, Quentin says as he points to the covered painting. What do you think I’ll see? he asks. Your own face, Charles replies, mystified. Quentin pulls the cloth away, and Charles is astonished to see that the portrait depicts the werewolf. Just how did that face get there? Quentin asks. I have no explanation, Charles says. I’ll go to Petofi for an explanation, Quentin decides. Charles suggests, Maybe you should just accept that sometimes things happen for which no explanation is possible. You don’t have to know about everything in the universe. But as he looks more closely at the portrait, we can see that he is uncomfortable. Are you telling me not go to Petofi? Quentin asks. I wouldn’t tell anybody to go to Petofi, Charles answers. But you can do as you like--good night. As he leaves, Quentin grabs him and wraps a long arm around his throat. Very softly he warns, If you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you. I am an artist, Charles huffs. The only thing I tell anything to is my canvas. He pulls away and leaves. Frustrated, Quentin covers up the portrait again.
Charles runs into Trask and says he's ready to start Charity's portrait. Trask mutters that his daughter is unwell. Charles offers his sympathy, then Trask gets a brainstorm. There is someone I would like you to paint, he says--a dear girl, buffeted by life, in need of confidence and stability. Yes, it’s an admirable idea, he adds, pleased with himself. He brings Charles to the drawing room and announces, We have a great honor--Charles Delaware Tate wants to paint your portrait. Charles is absolutely thunderstruck when he sees Amanda. Mr. Tate, the oblivious Trask says, this is Amanda Harris. I know, Charles murmurs, I know.
Amanda has never seen Charles before, so she doesn't understand how he seems to know her. (She did hear Petofi mention Charles's name in a previous ep.) Bewildered and beginning to be scared, Charles presses her to tell him about herself. She is equally scared and insists that there's nothing to know--but that she feels as if she should tell him. Why?
Trask returns to Pansity's room, fuming that she's a disgrace. She fumes back that he should get rid of That Woman. Vowing to return to Collinwood as Mrs. Quentin Collins, she starts stuffing her belongings into a little bag.
Tell me about yourself, Charles begs Amanda. I don’t know anything about myself, she answers hesitantly. You have to tell me, Charles insists. Amanda says slowly, Well, I remember a newspaper lying on the street. I-- It was a strange street. I picked it up. I didn't have a purse or jewelry or... or anything that would give me a hint about myself. She gets more distraught as she continues, You don't know how many hours I read that newspaper, trying to find something ... just something that would help me remember anything before that date. It wasn’t that long ago. What was the date? he presses her. She says it was March 11, 1895. Charles tells her, Wait here for me. I can’t explain what I have to do any more than you can tell me about yourself. He runs from the room. Amanda hurries after him to the front door, but Charles is already gone. At that moment C/P comes downstairs with a ridiculous little green hat perched on her head and a gray-green boa around her neck. You’ve won the battle, she tells Amanda, but not the war. I’ll be back--and when I return, I’ll send you packing. You’ll be very unhappy in this house and so sorry you ever stayed. Charity laughs as she leaves.
Charles returns to his studio and finds the first charcoal sketches he made of Amanda--dated March 11, 1895. My hypothesis is that the medium is the message: In other words, charcoal isn't as permanent as oil on canvas, so maybe in order for Amanda to be a real live girl, Charles had to go all the way and paint her.
Quentin finds Amanda in the drawing room and tells her that Mr. Tate is not for her--he's much too serious. Q. takes Amanda in his arms and they dance to Quentin's Theme as we hear him recite the "Shadows of the Night" poem, and very nicely too. Trask bursts in, sexual jealousy oozing from every pore as he yells at poor Amanda that she is never, ever to be alone with Quentin again.
Meanwhile, poor Charles has his "aha" moment: Charles is busy sketching a still life of some fruit and a vase of ferns. He is almost done, but thinks to himself, Something is missing--something else should be on the table--a tall vase, he decides. In fact there is an empty space in the drawing, in the back and to the right. He starts to sketch, drawing a tall vase with two handles and flowers in relief on the front. Much better, he says with satisfaction. He looks up to check the arrangement--and is stunned to see that a vase identical to the one he just drew is now sitting in the empty space, precisely where he sketched it in. He touches the vase, then looks back at his drawing. He picks up the vase and finds it all too solid. No! No! he gasps........
