I decided to jump into the Watching Project, coincidentally during the same storyline that led me to abandon the show in 1969 and not look back until cancellation loomed. There were other things going on too, such as starting an all-girl's high school and making all new friends. My childhood friend that introduced me to the show and came to my house after school since then so we could watch together had recently changed in confusing ways, but it would be a years before I'd learn that I was witnessing very early signs of schizophrenia.
She and I loved 1795, felt awful for Barnabas, and wished the show would somehow make it turn out differently. We'd seen Quentin's haunting thwarted and Barnabas cured, but at this point in the series, which I was now viewing alone, it became clear to me that Josette was fated to die. It was a no-win situation for Barnabas (his Kobayashi Maru?); I gave up the dream of seeing any other result.
I don't know why I despised the changes that began in this episode, especially the change in Barnabas, so much that I turned away from DS altogether. But wait, Barnabas was already selfish and nasty. Sizing him up in this single episode now: After Natalie replaced him on Widows Hill, succeeding where he previously failed, and left Josette to report back to him despite her obvious fear of him, but then told him she wouldn't let him near her young charge (what aunt would?!), he dispatched her by biting her. What an ass.
Now, I LOVE Leviathans more with each viewing. I enjoyed Supernatural's Leviathan story; now there's a show that doesn't shy away from turning its popular characters totally evil. So if I could, I would vote now for Curtis & Co. to go ahead and make him as evil as they wanted for as long as the story needed it.
Oberon and Haza are mysterious and creepy and fantastically mystical. This Leviathan stuff was so daring for a 60s TV show. Looking forward to talking about it...
