Fashion notes first . . .
Natalie's robe/evening gown was quite becoming. I do like that rust color. The wig could have used a little work though.
Josette's last dress. I guess this is why we should always make sure we're wearing our best underclothes should we be hit by a bus. Would you really want to be wearing that for the rest of eternity? I think my problem with it is the way it sort of bunches about her.
Barnabas. The makeup. Oh my God.
In the first episode, he looked (and I know I've made this comparison before) like an Edward Gorey flapper. I don't know when I've seen that much kohl on one human being before (and this includes Cyd Charisse in
Singing in the Rain).
And then in the second episode . . . what did they do? Take an entire tin of white shoe polish and spread it over his face?? He could have gone out an auditioned to be a mime!
Millicent's sackcloth and ashes. I absolutely adored the little black bows in her hair. They were perfect and whoever decided on them deserves kudos. Like a foreshadowing of her future mental state. Very Opheliaesque.
Rather liked Naomi's fur trimmed robe.
Onto the show . . .
Our Josette (on the board, I mean) brought up the question of what the character Josette actually knew about her intended future existence. Having watched these episodes, my conclusion is that Loverboy told her squat, which under the circumstances hardly falls under the term "informed consent".
I grant you that Josette wasn't exactly clamoring for details, but given the situation, surely it behooved Barnabas to share these with her. It's perfectly in keeping with his character that he didn't, but I still think it's a really lousy thing to do to someone you purport to love.
Thayer David was quite wonderful in these episodes. I have a tendency not to comment on his performances, mainly because the man was almost uniformly excellent (one exception, IMHO, was his Matthew Morgan). But his Ben is wonderful--and I love how Ben has become the voice of human decency for the show.
Psycho Barnabas was out in full force (so much for the theory about confinement bringing out the insanity).
Angelique's apparition. The head was cool and the evil laugh was well, evil. I'm lost with the logic here though. With Josette's death, she's now got a rival that she can never really overcome--she's created a martyr as it were. I really think it would have been so much more an effective punishment for Josette to become a vampire--I can't think Josette would have thanked Barnabas for it, and I can't quite see Barnabas living with what he'd done.
While I'm on the subject of Josette. I'm sorry. What an absolute nitwit. Possessed, not possessed. It's all the same. This is a first class twit. Angelique wasn't lying. That's what made it all rather interesting. She was presenting a rather accurate image of what Josette was going to look like. And y'know, if this were my choice, I might take the trip down the cliff too.
Poor Millicent has left the drawing room (figuratively) and is venturing into the haunted castle/abbey territory. Loved her particular monomania: she needs Barnabas so that he can avenge her honor
It was interesting watching Joshua in these episodes. I don't think it's so much that the character does not love; he just has no idea how to express it. And now, it's all too late. Really, in a way, it's not the witchcraft or the vampire or any of the mustache-twisting antics that are the tragedy-making agents. It's that these people are trapped in some kind of dysfunctional hell that was there all along.
And now, although it is very painful for me to do so, I must comment on the trial.
Anyone here ever see the movie of
Peyton Place? It's a wondrous piece of tawdry trash that's great fun and its denouement features what I once thought was the most absurd and wildly inaccurate depiction of our legal process.
Until now.
Apparently the Constitution never made it's way up to this part of the Massachusett's Commonwealth. For that matter, basic Common Law didn't either.
Not that it would make a difference. The most I can say for the legal aptitude of Mr. Bradford is that he's loud.
Of course, screaming at the judges (who outnumbered the spectators!) probably would not have helped even if he had the legal expertise of Bobby Donnell.
Vicki
well, I just
give up on her completely. I have seen grapefruit with more intelligence. All I can come up with now as a rationale for that kind of stupidity is total shutdown of the CNS because there is nothing operational between her ears. Of course, it doesn't matter much because her boyfriend doesn't have anything in that department either
.
(sigh)
Luciaphil