A tight backyard shot of Collinwood with a zoom-out to a wide view opens this episode. It was decades before I realized that this wasn't the front of Collinwood. I appreciate the many different opening shots in the beginning years of the show. It seems like they used only two in the later years - one for evening and for day. And it seemed as though all of 1897 took place at night.
I really like the voiceover (writing and Moltke's delivery). Vicki enters to start the daily lessons. David is reading Night Crawlers Comics - what else?! I couldn't find it online so I am guessing it was created for the episode.
Constable Carter is greeted at the door by Roger. Carter is all cop and Roger is all Roger (much to my delight). Carter's come prepared. He's read the police report, talked to Doc Reeves and seen Roger's wreck. I don't think he cares much for Roger. Everything out of his mouth indicates this as Roger shares the preliminary details of the case. Carter's got Roger's number for sure. Carter asks to make a phone call. Liz enters and asks Roger for help with a personal matter. She wants to discuss the letter Vicki received from the foundling home before Vicki gets the opportunity to talk to him about it. She states that it might cause trouble for her. Roger can't be bothered. The conversation about the attempted murder continues between the three of them. Carter's got awkward questions for Roger but he answers them truthfully. Roger admits to hoping he could force Burke into leaving Collinsport by bypassing the law and overlooking the crime. The Constable is none too pleased with Roger's handling of the situation thus far. (There is very sloppy edit after Carter mentions lecturing Roger a second time. I don't know if this is a recent edit on Tubi TV or one of the production's in '66. My DVDs aren't easily accessible for me to check. Though as I recall, the DVDs were edited? Or is that only the full series DVD coffin set? Though I think those edits were to weed out bloopers. Perhaps only the VHS tapes hold the answer. Liz reminds Carter of Roger's previous answers that we never heard. It's quite messy really.)
Carter asks to speak with Viki. Liz insists on getting her (not Roger) so as to avoid Vicki being able to ask Roger about the letter. I think Roger would have brushed Viki off too about the "stupid" letter, as he put it. (I love me some bitchy Roger.)
Vicki is tutoring David. He is only interested in keeping himself out of jail for attempted patricide. Liz comes for Vicki. She plants David in his seat and tells him to stay put and study. He freaks at the mention of the police being in the house. He sneaks downstairs and opens the drawing room door to hear Vicki explaining what she saw in the garage. And he gets an earful. Roger believes he's got Burke behind bars but Carter's not convinced. It is then that Vicki states she believes Burke is innocent. Roger's reaction is as expected. Carter asks Vicki to take him to retrieve the wrench she saw Burke holding the night before. David really panics now.
Liz calls David out from his hiding place in the foyer. She comforts him as best she can before sending him back upstairs. Liz goes back into the drawing room and gazes pensively out the window. David comes up behind her to try and gauge just how close he is to being busted. Carter, Collins and Winters come back with the wrench and Carter sets it down to take a call. David fixates on the wrench so much so that at one point Vicki has to stop him from picking it up. Desperate, moments later he slides the wrench off the table and then picks it up, much to everyone's horror, especially Roger, who vehemently calls him stupid. David's succeeded in his quest to have an explanation for his fingerprints being on the wrench.
I wanted to quote practically the entire episode. But this is my fave - Carter, regarding David's silence: "That's alright. He's probably just impressed with the dignity of my badge." I was going to thank the writer of this episode but strangely, there was no writing credit in the closing credits.
Speaking of the closing credits, I liked the wide view shot of David's room. And speaking of David's room, his desk chair is fabulous!
Ridiculously, no one notices David opening or closing the drawing room door.
Oh boy!, confirmation that there really is something major to hide regarding Vicki's hiring! Are we already supposed to be thinking that Liz is Vicki's mother? I don't think so, right? Anyway, I ate it up!
I'd mentioned that it was a good idea that Roger sent Carolyn off on her lunch date with Joe because she would have been a thorn in Roger's side during the meeting by proclaiming Burke's innocence. I bet Roger wishes Vicki had a lunch date as well. I can't wait to hear his take on that thorn.
David made good use of the teleprompter outside the drawing room window.
