Fashion notes first . . .
Roger is wearing non-descript trousers, a smoking jacket, ascot, and for some reason a dark open-necked polo shirt. It looks a bit odd.
Vicki trumps him in yet another dowdy cardigan, blouse and an incredibly dumpy skirt. She is not a big woman, but she looks like she's about twenty pounds overweight. I get the sense that the sixties were not kind to women with hour glass figures.
Ah, yes, Sarah Johnson's plaid bathrobe. It's the perfect touch and it's exactly right for her.
Onto the show . . . The first episode is Day 13 and the second one is from what I can tell Day 14. Lela Swift and Francis Swann brought us the first episode; Lela also directed the second one, but Ron Sproat wrote it.
We open in the drawing room where Vicki and the family are having morning coffee. The mood is brisk, as in ice-cold. Carolyn and Elizabeth are tag-teaming Vicki in their version of the Freeze, while Roger's pleasantness is masking his glee. Yeah, it's a fun scene. A stronger or more forceful woman (say, Julia) would probably have said, "You know what? I don't need this. David terrorized me just the other day and you people should be falling on your knees in gratitude that I'm not suing you." But this is Vicki, so it's merely awkward.
After a little bit, it's just Vicki and Elizabeth. Vicki rescues her credibility on the Burke angle. The big and unanswered question is why did Vicki call Roger to bring her home. The ledger sheet and Betty Hanscombe take more doing. Elizabeth relents to a certain extent and then flat out tells Vicki that this is no connection between Collinwood and her. Vicki has the good sense to nod.
Roger, who I am really trying to like at the moment, doesn't have the sense to leave well enough alone. He's using too many different tactics with too many different people and since he can't keep the lies straight and he can't control what the people are telling one another, it's about to get very, very messy very, very fast. He goes so far as to suggest to Vicki that the reason she called him to take her home was because she's got a thing for him. Poor Vicki comes out of the room to a great deal of smirking. Roger leaves to talk to Liz. Carolyn is being pretty bloody snide until Vicki says very pointedly that she made the acquaintance of Frank Garner. She's also really cold with Carolyn--she knows damn well Carolyn called him to come down to the lobby the other day.
The $64,000 question on everyone's lips is still why Roger and why not Burke. Roger pleads ignorance, but implies that Burke was too drunk to drive. Ha! Look in the mirror, buddy. I notice he doesn't bother implying Vicki is hot for him. Probably because he knows damn well Liz would be laughing in his face.
Vicki is not having a good day. She's really not. There are people in this world who need to get angry to move ahead and I truly think Vicki's one of them. Carolyn tries to start up with her and Vicki shoots her right down. She's not about to impugn Burke's sobriety, but she does her level best to warn Carolyn off him. Again, when she's doing this, suddenly she seems a lot stronger, a lot shrewder, and a hell of a lot smarter. Roger tries to find out where she's going, but she ain't having none of that. She's really kind of fun when the claws are out.
The ensuing scene is a fun one. I'm not a big David Ford fan, but he does well with this. Sam is sober and singing (he's got a good voice too) when Vicki comes by. She's not done with Betty Hanscombe and wants to see the picture. There's some really well written and performed dialogue between the two of them. Sam and the late Mrs. Evans were from exotic Connecticut. They were pretty much wrapped up with each other. There are "natives" and there are "foreigners" and never the twain shall meet. It's not earth-shattering stuff, but it's the kind of material we rarely got on DS. Just two people who have a genuine affection for the other talking. It also gives Sam some much needed depth, while establishing again a sense of what Collinsport is really like without having to film a bunch of scenes with extras. This is what good writing should do. You can't have all melodrama or all action without the occasional piece like this. Well, you can, but it's never as good as it could be.
Sam gives Vicki the portrait. The prop and continuity people fall down on this score all of the time. Over the next four years or so, the portrait moves all over the place.
Back at Collinwood, Elizabeth confides in Roger about Vicki's visit to the Garner & Garner law firm. Roger, I might add, is mystified. He doesn't remember Hanscombe really (why am I unsurprised? I have the feeling he has no idea as to the names of half the clerical staff). He doesn't remember Betty at all, let alone the picture. Elizabeth, who has admits to never having seen the portrait, tells Roger that there is to be no resemblance between it and Vicki. This is a timely bit of information because Vicki walks in immediately after with the portrait. They both lie outright that she looks nothing like the subject. All of their good work is then totally undone by Carolyn zipping in and asking when Vicki had the portrait made. Hehe. Gotta love that.
So a new day dawns and Matthew is displeased to learn about Mrs. Johnson's impending arrival. Elizabeth puts up with a little of his worrying and grumbling, but ultimately she tells him to deal. She hired Sarah Johnson and that's that. Mrs. J. arrives with two rather small bags. Count 'em two. But hey, she probably only owns three dresses, some girdles, orthopedic shoes, that plaid bathrobe, a wig stand, and a pair of binoculars, so I guess that's about right. Not in the luggage, but very much present is her torch for Bill Malloy.
Elizabeth's introductory speech resonated a little too well with me. I think most of us have gotten a form of this speech from our new boss. Something like, "We're so glad to have you here. Now, don't mind so-and-so. He may seem like he's crazy. Just don't make eye contact and he'll settle right down. Did I forget to tell you that we want you to work Wednesdays till midnight. You don't mind, do you? Oh, and by the way, you need to clean the grease traps every Thursday morning at 5 A.M."
Her version indicates that there are a couple of people who are probably going to be really hostile toward her for some time, but they won't hurt her. She's it for the indoor work. Half the house is shut off and stay the hell away from the basement. In fact, never, but never, ever go down into the basement. Not ever. She's about as subtle as a Texas Cheerleader.
Sarah assures her that she minds her own business, yes, ma'am, she does. Uh huh.
David comes on in and proves to be far more hostile than Matthew, which is quite the feat. Elizabeth does her best to remedy his manners, but it's um, less than successful. As for Sarah, well, I know later on she's totally devoted to Master Davey, but right now? She's clearly one of those adults who neither like nor get along with children.
Master Davey and Matthew have a little chat. Matthew is busy preaching the Gospel of St. Elizabeth with more than his usual fervor. I really would have liked to have seen what George Mitchell would have done with this part, but guess, that's not to be. I love this next bit. Mrs. J comes in with David's lunch on a tray which she sets up for him on a table in the drawing room. David is totally freaked by this. The fact that he tells her in a slightly shocked voice that he's not allowed to eat in here makes me immediately wonder on earth Elizabeth said to him. This kid has no qualms about trying to kill his father or leaving the governess to die, but he won't disobey his aunt by eating in the drawing room? You just know Ice Queen Liz made one hell of an appearance to get that rule across. Henesy and Blackburn play the scene brilliantly. She's trying to pump him for information with too bright a voice and too fake a manner, and he is so not buying what she's selling. In walks Matthew and David is banished to the kitchen. You have to give Mrs. J props. When Matthew gets nasty, she hold her ground.
So it's now about 11 at night and Elizabeth is showing a surprising amount of leg as she walks around in her velvet gown when Matthew starts to lock up. Joan Bennett looks remarkably pretty in this scene, by the way. He does his best to get rid of Mrs. J by mentioning he saw her in the basement. I'm sure if he doesn't know what's supposed to be in that basement, he has a pretty good idea. He overplays his hand by being too emphatic and of course, that doesn't fly with the lady of the manor.
And then it was 3 A.M. Sarah can recognize a buried hint when she hears one and wastes no time in checking out the cellar. She pokes through the boxes and barrels with a thoroughness that is fairly unique. Usually, the DS characters walk into the requisite sealed room/secret chamber/shut up wing stand smack dab in the center of the floor and say "there's nothing here!" or "look! That must be it!" No, she's getting down and dirty. She also runs into David who's hidden himself in a crate. And they have a little chat.
David has her over the proverbial barrel and he knows it. She's not supposed to be there. So what if he's not, she isn't either. If she rats on him, he'll rat on her. He suggests she chill because he happens to know she's a friend of Burke's. She's just as cool as he is. This is not an easily intimidated woman. She lies with an elan that Vicki would do well to emulate. There's basically a standoff, but David finally departs. Poor Sarah is alone then when the sobbing starts. Yes, that sobbing. Very creepy end to a rather good episode.
