No fashion notes
It's still Day 8 and if I'm not mistaken Art's wrote both of these babies.
We have three, count ¢â‚¬Ëœem three sets for the first episode. Woohoo, Dan loosened the purse strings. From the looks of it, sometime recently (well in the fall of 1966 anyhow), they went back to their locations for more film footage with the actors. We've been seeing clips with Thayer David and David Ford, plus well, I won't spoil it, but they must have made a return trip.
Police station: Unfortunately, it doesn't look like George has any more interesting crockery for me to lust after. Sam turns up. Now, I generally really don't care all that much for Sam, but today I feel a little sorry for him. He starts out with an excuse for being there, but very quickly he admits that he's there because he wants to know about the coroner's report. He's honest about it; it's not like he staked the place out at 6AM (like Roger); he's asking nicely (unlike Burke). So is it really fair of the sheriff to try and use this as an occasion to play head games? George is making some cracks and it's plainly evident that Sam has no clue what the man is talking about.
Collinwood: David Henesy's scenes are pure comedy gold. He bluntly tells his aunt he was hoping she fired Vicki. He then tries to nark on her to Elizabeth, but she blithely tells him that Vicki is going to be a fixture in his life. He is ultra concerned about Burke, which she finds annoying. It's a very well played scene.
Police station: George kicks Sam out. It's kind of like being mean to a puppy. The guy was comparatively upfront with him about his reasons for being there. He has a vested interest in the outcome. Is it nice to threaten poor Sam by implying that should the coroner come down with a verdict of murder, that all these questions will reflect poorly on Sam? No, I thought not.
Collinwood: Liz catches David placing a call to the hotel. She attempts to use logic on David, but we all know how well that works. David accuses her of lying. Oh, that was a bad move, sonny. She grounds him. Then
she calls the sheriff, who's all sweetness and light with
her.
Diner: A rather depressed Sam comes by to talk to Maggie. He asks her if she's ever made plans for when he's gone. That's a good question, one she doesn't appear to have given much thought to. She lets him know that the grapevine has the report's result as being homicide.
Collinwood: Liz picks up the phone--Roger's calling. They're speculating on the report while David tries to sneak past. He gets caught once, but he's too fast for her and he goes racing out the door.
The sycophantic George drops by. God, what a brownnose he is. The coroner's decision: accidental death due to drowning.
Diner: David swings on by. He says no to ice cream, no doubt remembering that Maggie can't make a sundae to save her life, but amiably chats with Sam. He's quite excited to learn that Sam's an artist, but is disappointed to know that he also knows Roger. Before he learns that the two men really loathe each other, he takes off, leaving Maggie looking disconsolately at a badly constructed sundae. Sam predicts that Burke is going to freak if the coroner rules Bill's death an accident.
One of the things I love about these episodes is the inclusion on the VHS tapes of the production slate with the VTR and air dates. Occasionally, like today, you also get to see or hear the actors getting ready for the scene. We see the slate and we hear Mitch Ryan talking to "John" (I presume that's John Sedwick, who directed this episode) that he's going to ditch the coat because it won't match the film clip otherwise and that he's going to go straight toward the bedroom "like I'm gonna take a leak." This remark is greeted by some simultaneous hilarity and shushing.
Hotel suite: Burke indeed walks in the door and directly toward the bedroom just as he probably would if his aim was the bathroom. David pops out of the kitchenette. Burke is a little ticked. He's little taken aback when David informs him that "nothing's against the law unless you get caught." When he learns that David's merely quoting him back, he's even somewhat disturbed. Ah, yes, Burke, you really have to watch what you say to the little darlings because their memories? when you don't want them to remember? like steel traps. He's distracted from this troubling bit of moral relativism when David tells him that his father killed Bill.
Collinwood: Roger arrives. He is, in a word, jubilant. As far as he's concerned, all of his troubles are over. Liz doesn't look nearly so enthusiastic. I have to agree, Burke was making waves before Bill was killed and somehow I don't see him going away now that this little report is out. Not that he needs a reason, but Roger pours himself a celebratory drink. He then decides to head out to commune with nature. I like the whimsy of the staging. He opens both doors, stretches out his arms and then in a vaguely Henry Higginsish gesture puts on his hat.
Hotel suite: David confesses that "the voices" told him that Roger killed Burke. Burke decides that David is lonely (a much more palatable diagnosis than early-onset schizophrenia). David then suggests that Burke could move up to Collinwood with him. For some reason that escapes me now, he goes into the kitchen.
In walks Carolyn. She accuses Burke of having a woman stowed somewhere. She specifically names Vicki. Burke calls out to "honey" to bring out the drinks. Kind of like the look on Carolyn's face, although really for the maturity she's showing, it's clear she's nearly as jealous of David as she would be of Vicki. There are more than two people in that room looking for Daddy.
Her ostensible reason for this visit is to inform him about Mrs. Johnson. David asks some questions and Burke, who really seems to be done at the moment with being nice to children, sends him off to the kitchenette again. Vicki's name comes up as does the fate of the silver filigreed fountain pen. Carolyn gets hipped on this and makes a huge deal about it, although Burke seems as about as concerned about it as I do about losing a standard issue Bic. She makes a big show of calling Roger to see what's up and instead is over the moon to learn the ruling of the coroner's report.
Burke, of course, is not. In very short order, Carolyn and David are booted out.
Collinwood: Elizabeth is miffed. Carolyn comes home and she's in a manic cycle which doesn't improve her mother's mood any. Seriously, this girl needs some medication or something because these mood swings are so not normal. It's not just hormones driving that girl.
Police station: Although he looks like he wants to, Burke does not tear George Patterson limb from limb. George gets mad, but I'm not sure why he's surprised. When he warned Burke to stay away from Collinwood and Casa Evans, it's not like Burke obeyed. What the hell did he expect? His next suggestion, which is that Burke should leave town and the Collins family doesn't calm Mr. Devlin down any. Burke vows that he's taking the gloves off.
All in all some nice work. I like the increased intensity that's reflected in the performances. The writing made sense. The actors' choices made sense. It was funny. It was sad. It was dramatic. This is what a good soap is all about.
