Fashion notes first . . .
Carolyn has on a fitted top that has an off center vertical stripe and a flared, flouncy looking skirt. It's very cute.
Vicki changes her clothes a lot. Third outfit of the day is that dark sleeveless A-line dress.
Onto the show . . .
Ah, and it's still Day 8. Victoria's voiceover informs us that she's "no longer a stranger in this house." Considering what she's gone through in a week, I'm not surprised.
A new, very bad and very obvious outdoor set looks about as much like the top of Widows' Hill as does the gardening department at Home Depot. Matthew comes looking for Roger. It took me awhile to realize that Thayer David had shaved off some of the heavy facial hair. He's still got a mustache and beard, but the Grizzly Adams resemblance isn't as pronounced.
Foyer: Vicki is off for a long walk after exhausting hour of actually doing her job when Carolyn bounces in. She's currently in her stable cycle and acts like she's Vicki's bestest buddy and good pal. Understandably, Vicki is the teensiest bit confused and wary, but easily forgives her. Yeah, you've been in this house eight days, sweetie, and every single member of this house has yelled at you, warned you, and been pretty damn mean to you. Maybe it's them, Vicki. Think about it. Carolyn continues to be ecstatic about the coroner's report. She also seems to have forgotten Burke's reaction and seems surprised when Vicki suggests that Burke might not see this as good news.
Widows' Hill: I stink at skipping stones, but a) surely you want to be a little more parallel to the water and b) aren't you supposed to throw them in sideways? Cause I don't think what Roger's doing could possibly work. We know Roger's in a good mood because he's talking to the hired help and it's not an order to wash the car. He even jokingly suggests that Matthew could "handle" Burke for them should there be any further problems. Matthew has all kinds of questions about the sheriff, the coroner, and all those people bothering Mrs. Stoddard. If Roger were actually paying any attention, I think he might notice that Matthew doesn't seem all that balanced these days.
Foyer: Vicki is anxious to scope out more than the Rexall and Widows' Hill. She asks for some destination suggestions. Carolyn pauses long enough from her fixation on Mr. Devlin's likely reaction (honey, he threw you and a nine-year-old kid out of his room yesterday. How the hell do you think he feels about it?) to suggest Lookout Point. In case you don't commit my columns to memory, that would be the place where Bill Malloy fell into the drink. Matthew comes in so he can share the good news with Elizabeth.
Film footage of Vicki leaving the real Collinwood. I wish they'd kept up with this. It helps so much with the mood. Even now on modern soaps, the outdoor sets invariably look tacky and cheesy. I know it was probably not cheap to pack up a crew and take a couple of actors out on location, but sometimes this kind of thing is so worth the effort.
Vicki comes up from behind and startles Roger. The dialogue references their first meeting and for once, they're fairly friendly. At the same time. I even think Roger might mean some of it too. He's not thrilled she's going to Lookout Point, but at least he tells her why and he does show her the way.
Collinwood: Who would have thought that office supplies could cause so much angst? Roger is busy enjoying his euphoria when Carolyn has to go and bring up that damned pen. She makes a big to-do about it. Why? We know why. It's funny, I really hate Angelique. Always have, but you know, at least Angelique is honest with herself (and her victims) about her reasons. They may not necessarily be sane reasons and her actions are often deplorably, but at least she's generally fairly clear about the motives. Carolyn . . . Carolyn can't face the reality of her obsession/crush/feelings for Burke. Before it was building a bridge between her uncle and Burke. Then it was proving her uncle was wrong about Burke. Traipsing after Burke to Bangor, helping out poor Mrs. Johnson. Now it's the frigging pen--anything to keep up that contact with the man.
Meanwhile, Roger's forgotten all about the pen. I haven't been particularly fond of Roger this go around, but there's something about his ebullient joy at the moment and knowing that it's about to be shattered into bits that makes me feel very sorry for him. Maybe it's my advancing years, but I look at the guy and snarky creep that he can be, he's not exactly having the best year of his life right now. Granted most of it is his fault, but still--the wife's in some kind of sanitarium, the kid's troubled (to put it kindly), he had to tuck his tail between his legs and move back home because he's got nothing left. It's not a great place to be. Finally after much prodding on Carolyn's part, he remembers the thing. When she mentions that he must have lost it at Collinwood because he didn't have it at the meeting, he suddenly gets worried.
Down at Lookout Point, Vicki's finding something other than a pretty seashell. Why, yes it would be the silver filigreed fountain pen of doom:
Burke → Carolyn → Roger → Lookout Point → Vicki
We are treated next to the sight of him tearing up the drawing room. He's heading out the door when we hear some ominous knocking at the door. He doesn't look so much terrified as utterly miserable.
They open up and it's Burke of course. He rather dramatically announces that he's "come for Collinwood." I think it's safe to say that Roger and Carolyn are taken aback. There's some rather amusing dialogue between Burke and Carolyn. Basically, she throws all the claims and lines he told her. He likens all that to campaign rhetoric and when she calls that disgusting, he says something like "well it almost got me elected" (which we can take any number of ways--I prefer to read it as a rather subtle and adult statement). Anyhow, Carolyn takes offense and goes running for Liz.
I'll spare you all the details. Burke is mad as hell. Roger blusters. Carolyn freaks out. Burke's unnecessarily nasty to Carolyn and Elizabeth He offers to buy Collinwood for more than it's worth. If they don't, then he's going after everything they have. There is much discussion as to why he'd want a white elephant like Collinwood. Remember this is a year or so before Anthony George's Burke will act like anything constructed after 1960 makes for undesirable living quarters. Right now though, Burke's thirst for revenge is very much tied up with his resentment and envy of the old money that the Collinses represent.
About the only one keeping a cool head at the moment, is Elizabeth. Carolyn seems to think they'll be on the streets by nightfall. I'm serious, she keeps whining, "but Collinwood is my home!" It's an offer to buy, sweetie. It's not a done deal. Roger suddenly perks up at the mention of a sale price that's more than the assessed value and switches sides. Liz, he declares, should sell. It's actually a rather comical scene.
Elizabeth is not, of course, about to divest herself of her family home just so that Roger can lord it up in a mod place on her money. Also, she just doesn't scare that easily, not even when Burke tells her if she doesn't take the offer, it's going to be all out war.
Vicki's bedroom: Vicki comes in somewhere in the middle. I forget when or how, but there's a scene in her bedroom. By mid 1967, the dynamic between Carolyn and Vicki will be vastly different, but right now, it's Vicki who's the calm, shrewd one. She's not at all surprised that Burke wants Collinwood. She's actually pretty relaxed about everything.
Drawing room: Blah blah blah GINGER blah blah blah. Can't say that I understand Roger's strategy of openly campaigning his sister to move when Burke's right there in front of him enjoying his desperation. Liz clearly doesn't think this is a shrewd strategy either. They kick Burke into the foyer.
Foyer: The girls come down and confront Burke. It finally dawns on Carolyn that Burke is doing this out of spite. Laura is named. More viciousness. Vicki is appalled at Burke. He suggests that Carolyn talk to the people in town if she really wants to know what's going on with her family.
Drawing room: Predictably, Elizabeth fails to see why she needs to uproot herself to save Roger's neck. They have an interesting and rare moment of candor about Paul, which she most definitely does not like at all. I really find their relationship fascinating. It's the most curious mix of denial, acceptance, and pragmatism. Anyhow, I don't think anyone is surprised when she declines Burke. He starts in again and she coldly lets him know that up till now, she hasn't been using her family's influence against him, but if he wants to fight dirty, she can do that too. Carolyn runs after Burke and when Roger tries to stop her, Elizabeth grabs his arm. Oh, man, that lady so knows where it's at. Out in the foyer, Carolyn seems confused when Burke tells her she's a Collins and therefore the enemy. Vicki seems utterly disgusted with Burke, says as much. At this point, Roger comes into the foyer and looks speculatively at her.
Francis wrote the second episode. I have mixed feelings about these two episodes. On the one hand, I love Vicki's newfound maturity and perceptiveness. Long time in coming, but it's been appropriately gradual and gives her a great deal more depth. The relationship with Burke is interesting too and has been well developed. I suspect that they were possibly toying with the idea of throwing Roger into the mix, hence their dating, but the chemistry they enjoy is on the squicky side.
The gunfight at the OK Corral stuff I'm less enthused by. Burke's vendetta. Hating Roger, I totally get. Sam? Yeah, Sam knows something. It makes sense. Elizabeth? I presume he suspects that she brought pressure to bear on the interested parties at the time of his trial. We never do learn if that's the case, but it's not an unreasonable suggestion. I notice he doesn't seem to have any antagonism toward Laura, who arguably behaved the worst to him--they were practically engaged and then boom. She throws him over, testifies falsely, gets him locked up and then two seconds later marries his best friend. More on that when Laura shows up in the coming episodes. Anyhow, why he has to pull Carolyn and David into this mix, I so do not like or get.
