Another great topic that I just hit in trying to play catchup.
I have to agree about Carl being a great character -- though to be fair he DID stray over the line into manic from time to time and annoy me.
I loved the set up the writers did with the siblings, with more than a wink at the cliches of Victorian melodrama. The two older, stereotypically VICTORIAN staid and respectable siblings -- then the two completely different variations on Victorian wastrels/party boys.
And here's what I find particularly interesting about Carl --he's SILLY, but not by ANY means STUPID. I may be wrong about this, but I can't recall any other character being able to reason out how to open the secret room from the INSIDE (not to mention he would have been doing it in total darkness to boot). The sense I got is that Carl had been the baby and been fussed over and coddled -- then along came a baby brother who was handed 4 aces in the genetic lottery, and there went all his attention. The jokes and pranks and silliness seemed to be attention getting devices -- or protective coloring depending on your point of view. In that respect he reminded me a great deal of Clau-Clau-Claudius (Any one else here remember Derek Jacobi in "I Claudius"?), who survived his family's murderous political machinations by appearing harmless and stupid.
As to those pertinent scenes with Carl, Quentin and Barnabas.... Back on the last run through of the series in 2001 forward I had just been watching casually to play catchup after accidentally catching the series from ep one. What hooked me into being active in the fandom were those scenes. Marvelous scenes with all sorts of moral dilemmas, decisions and consequences -- and so well played by all the actors involved.
[spoiler]Good point about the killing of Carl helping to develop and/or remind us of Barnabas's character.[/spoiler]
This was a good case of an actor leaving being used to good character effect for not just one, but two of the remaining characters.
[spoiler]For Barnabas it was a reminder that he could still revert to the Barnabas to whom life was cheap and who could kill with impunity. However, the scene with Quentin realizing that Carl ratting out Barnabas imperiled HIS survival was an even better case of character development in my mind. I think that Q not only thought that his only hope lay with Barnabas, but he also realized that if Carl would kill Barnabas, Carl wouldn't hesitate to kill HIM if he found out about HIS curse. It was the last seat in the lifeboat scenario, and in that case Q's self interest won. Compare this to a later time when he is given that choice: when Petofi orders him to stake Barnabas in the cave. Self interest is telling him he has to do it, but THIS time, he can't bring himself to betray someone to save himself. Lousy as Carl's death is, once they did it at least they used it to good effect because of that.[/spoiler]
... I couls only perceive it as a blunder before. Yes, Q actually did stand there, moments after finding out, and say "Well I guess you had no choice..." didn't he?! ....
Quentin's reactions in that scene seemed weird and off until I watched a few times. For what it's worth, this is the theory I came up with: [spoiler]I got the feeling that Carl dying wasnt real to Quentin till he saw his body. That seems to be when he lost it in that scene. As to him assuring Barnabas it wasn't his fault -- I think at that point Quentin (who we know is not slow on the uptake) had processed the fact that Carl was killed cause he knew about Barnabas -- and if he could kill Carl, would he then turn around and kill Quentin if he were crossed. I think at that point Quentin was making very sure he did NOTHING to make Barnabas mad for fear Barn would turn on HIM.[/spoiler]