Discuss - Ep #0048

[Watching Project]

Robservations #48

And if you'd care to look back, the first WP discussion topic for this ep:

Re: Discuss - Ep #0048

[dom]

Nice opening voiceover.

You'd think Vicki would wise up to David's possible antics especially regarding his father. And she walked right into it. She pretty much had no defense against his tantrum about her "borrowing" his drawing claiming she told him it was stealing when he borrowed her "birth certificate". I always get excited when she has good moments with him, as fleeting as they always seem to be.

Burke is definitely winning one Collins over. I would have loved having a crystal ball as a kid. Even as a teen I saw a very small one (compared to David's) in the book store I bought my Marilyn Ross DS novels in but it was 40 times out of my weekly allowance range. Coincidentally, David had a present for Burke as well - the drawing he ripped up when he found out his father contaminated it, lol.

Joe and David's exchange about the crystal ball was cute. Of course David made it ugly teasing Joe about seeing, or not seeing, his future with Carolyn.

Bill Malloy is officially missing. Liz is concerned. Vicki tells her he was at Collinwood the previous evening exposing Roger's lie that he hadn't seen Bill. Liz adamantly summons Roger home to talk about it. She just needs to consult the crystal ball as David claims it showed him that Bill is dead and Roger killed him. Burke has quite an ally in David. Creepy kid I say.

This was an easy episode to watch. B+ Joel had all the good lines.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Joel had all the good lines.

But did he use the word "must"? 

[dom]

Liz looks piss perfect in this episode. David and Vicki are wearing sweaters but not Liz. It made me wonder if there's a heating system in the house other than fireplaces. Back to Liz. Anybody wonder why she pretty much dresses to the nines every day? I guess because she does receive folks that work for her. Maybe it's just what rich people do? Maybe it helps keep her sane? Self respect?
I wonder if the rock on Joan's finger is real and hers?
Liz's phone call to Roger is quite comical as she speaks with him as if he were a 'bad' son she just got a bad report on. Roger must really hate Vicki, lol. She's always getting him in trouble.

[alwaysdavid]

David shuffles through some really childish drawings compared to his masterpiece that he is looking for. Vickie fawns all over it and reveals she showed it to Roger who liked it. David becomes enraged anD rips the contaminated drawing to pieces.
Elizabeth enters with wrapped gift. It’s a crystal ball from Burke. David is thrilled. I would be too.
Joe arrives looking for Elizabeth and it’s revealed Malloy is missing. Didn’t show up for work and his housekeeper Mrs Johnson hasn’t seen him since 10.00 when he ate supper.  Vickie reveals he was at  Collinwood before his supper to see Roger. 
In the foyer, David torments Joe with his crystal ball predicting that Carolyn will dump him and marry Devlin.
Elizabeth calls Roger and orders him home to discuss Malloy.
Upstairs, David finally sits down for his lessons, but pumps Vickie for information on Bill and reveals his crystal ball said Bill is dead and murdered by Roger. 

[Roland]

I'd always assumed that Mrs. Johnson had been the Collins' housekeeper from the beginning of the show, especially considering how devoted she is to them later in the series.

I just watched an episode from the 1995 storyline, and there is a reference to how Mrs. J used to brush Carolyn's hair when she was a little girl. I guess the writers forgot Mrs. J's origin story as well.

[McTrooper]

That’s a good point Roland. 

And anyone viewer coming in after she stopped being Burke’s spy would probably assume so too.
I’m sure ignoring it helped that 1995 scenes work better, but it makes Mrs. Johnson seem more one dimensional.  She became a background character, but it would have been nice if she kept her edge.

[Roland]

For me, the most egregious example of the writers losing touch with the full storyline is in how the 1795 section eventually becomes the 1797 timeline every time it's addressed later in the series (it's like they fused 1795 with 1897 and came up with a new date).  They probably assumed these episodes would all be played once, then lost to time, and never envisioned a bunch of nitpicky naysayers pointing out their mistakes so many decades later.

Ah well, at least it gives me a reason to yell back at the screen every time they make the mistake.

[Uncle Roger]

I found myself wondering if the show had continued would the year change to 1798.