Fashion notes first . . .
Carolyn has on some sort of short-sleeved dress that gathers at the neck and is loosely tied at the waist. It's a little school girlish for my tastes.
It's Vicki's infamous sweater! Well, infamous to me, anyhow. When I was living at home, I'd have to watch DS in the living room (before I got my own TV) and my brother would traipse through and usually share a comment or two about the show, which he did not care for. The one time he had something positive to say was when Vicki showed up in this sweater (in profile shot) and he said approvingly, "Boy, is she stacked!" I think this comment occurred later on in the series when Moltke may have filled out some because I'm not sure I'd call her "stacked" just now. Anyhow, more than anyone probably cared to know about my DS watching experiences. She's wearing a dark long-sleeved ribbed turtleneck. There's a dark skirt cut about an inch above the knee.
Liz is in one of her dark wool suits, wearing pearls and a lovely pin.
Onto the show . . .
Day 7. Francis wrote both of these and the action moves relatively swiftly, much to my relief.
Hotel suite: Mrs. Johnson shows up at Burke's hotel suite. Since she's convinced that Bill Malloy was murdered, that Roger did it, and that the Collinses are going to hell in a fast car, I think it should be obvious that she and Burke get along really well. My fascination with Clarice Blackburn burns ever brighter. Her lip positively curls every time she mentions Elizabeth. God, she had it bad for Bill. Really really bad. It figures that Bill apparently never noticed. Oh, my. She refers to Liz several times as "HER." I think it's safe to say that Sarah Johnson was definitely of a generation where it was considered rude to refer to others by indefinite pronouns, so that's definitely a slight.
Roger's office: Joe shows up to find Carolyn sitting in Roger's chair with a tryst on her mind. She suggests that he take her out. Joe points out that he can't do that and she pouts. Next thing I know he's in Roger's chair and she's on his lap. And no, Roger doesn't walk in. Miracle of miracles. They smooch pretty passionately. Then she brings up Burke. Because hey, you're on your boyfriend's lap, necking, and naturally it seems like a grand time to bring up the other guy you're hot for.
Hotel suite: The meeting of the club to lynch Roger Collins is in full swing. He must love the total validation he's getting right about now. They're both confused about Sam's role in the affair. Burke wants to get Mrs. J into Collinwood as a spy.
Roger's office: At least they're standing up now. They're still making out and if you didn't know it before, folks, you do now: Joe Haskell is the good solid working guy, because despite the fact that his girl is all hot and bothered, he still isn't about to skip out on his job to go play with her. Carolyn finally explains she's upset by Burke's accusations. Joe tries to use logic and gets nowhere. He then tells her that Burke and Laura were practically engaged before Roger came along.
Hotel suite: Burke brings up Vicki's substantiation of Roger's alibi. Mrs. J sees that as a no-brainer; Vicki must have lied to keep her job. Burke gets quite uncomfortable with that notion (Just wait till he finds out she agreed to go out to dinner with Roger). Mrs. J's pretty quick to pick up on his partiality for Vicki. She's actually got some darker visions of Vicki's involvement.
Roger's office: Joe is back in Roger's chair. He's doing his level best to persuade someone named Larry to take his shift, but it's no go. Carolyn is miffed. The phone rings and it's someone demanding Joe get back to work ASAP. She takes off in a huff (honey, not all of us have trust funds).
Hotel suite: Burke suggests is back on the idea of getting Mrs. J a job at Collinwood. She doesn't think that'll work (Liz being a recluse who does her own cleaning and all). Then it's French farce time when Carolyn comes on by for a little visit. Poor Mrs. J doesn't even get to disappear into the bedroom. No, this lady is doomed to the kitchenette. Meanwhile, Carolyn's ostensible reason for showing up? To report that Roger denied Burke's accusations. This is a non-shocker and Burke says as much. There's some shouting until Burke gets an idea and brings up Mrs. Johnson's situation. Carolyn, whose hormones are always driving her brain, obligingly gets the brainstorm that the poor lady could work at Collinwood. She even volunteers to talk to Liz about it. She traipses off and Burke callously says that everyone at Collinwood is fair game.
Drawing room: Liz and Vicki are talking and outside in the foyer we see Davy come down the stairs and put the inevitable ear to the doors. Liz wants Vicki's opinion on Bill's death. Vicki hopes it was an accident. Elizabeth thanks her for substantiating Roger's alibi and we get no farther because David starts screaming bloody murder. He runs into the room with Matthew hot on his heels.
David and Vicki leave. In the foyer, David pronounces Matthew "evil" (you'll get no argument from me here, although my adjective of choice would probably be "disturbed" or "obsessive monomaniac.") Since David has about two topics of conversation and he's not discussing Burke, we're back on the ghosts. David even has a favorite, the pretty lady in white.
In the drawing room Matthew informs Elizabeth he tried to kill Burke and that he's only sorry he didn't succeed. Liz yells at him, but calms down enough to thank him for the sentiment. He gets all warm and fuzzy from that. The look on her face when he leaves is most interesting. She's clearly relieved he's gone. You know damn well that she knows just how "devoted" Matthew is and that she's been using that to her advantage for years without a second thought. At the same time, he's starting to creep her out.
Vicki comes down with David's sketch of his favorite ghost. Matthew recognizes the subject and warns David to stay away from the Old House. First mention of the place ever, by the way. Later, Liz also looks at the sketch and pulls out the album. The prop person fell down on the job because I'm sorry, that's some babe we have never seen before. A mid-Victorian babe no less. Liz obligingly explains that the Old House is that house in the woods. The discussion promptly degenerates into a rant about ghosts and David runs out of the room with Vicki close behind just in time for Carolyn to come bounding in with her brand new social work project.
A calmer David dares Vicki to come with him to the Old House, which Vicki agrees to readily.
Carolyn, who has never been concerned about how hard her mother works before, is all gung ho to hire a housekeeper. Then she mentions Mrs. J and Liz is somewhat taken aback. I'd like to pause here and talk about the servant situation at Collinwood. Closed-off rooms or no, there are four adults and an active child living there, eating, sleeping, dirtying clothes. It's a huge house and yet we've never seen her do a stitch of work. As it is, I have a hard enough time imagining one housekeeper maintaining the whole place, but c'mon.
Old House: There's some great film footage of Vicki and David going through the woods to the Old House. Vicki tells him that it's far. The porch and the columns are absolutely massive which will make subsequent attempts at a set ludicrous. There are also a series of steps leading up to the porch. The early set inside is pretty cool. It looks totally decayed and the lighting is marvelous. I would also like to add that it is appropriately dark. None of this crap about discovering a crypt that's been sealed for decades but manages to have torches burning at all times. It's the kind of touch that makes the set very, very creepy. And I can't imagine it cost all that much to do it, so none of that when we get into later story arcs.
Outside we see what appears to be the back of George Allen approaching the Old House (he's thinner than Thayer David so I'm guessing it was earlier footage). Vicki recognizes Josette's portrait as matching David's sketch. David, of course, says she's a ghost. Matthew comes in and yells at them. David yells back. I have to admit, I find David's reactions to the grownups in his life kind of cute.
Drawing room: It's Round 3 and Carolyn shrewdly works on Liz's sense of guilt. She also says that Mrs. J is supposed to be a great cook. Liz finally says she'll think about it.
Old House: Matthew tells them a little about Josette and then walks them home. After they leave, we see Josette's portrait glow and her ghost step out of it. She walks around the Old House and then vanishes. Outside we see her walk around the pillars on the porch. Again, it's a creepy moment and I like the effects a lot. I just wish they'd cut the music, which is overdone here. I think it might have been an even stronger scene had they just left the sound of the crickets chirping and kept the score silent. We don't need the music to tell us this is disturbing.
