Why were some of the main characters always so clueless?

[BuzzH]

I always wanted someone at Collinwood - one of the family - to find out about Barnabas. After a while, it got kind of tiring to see only Julia in on things.  I think it would've been interesting if one of the other characters had discovered his secret (and not forgotten about it). With good writing, it could've been fun to watch.

You guys are forgetting that a Collins *did* know [spoiler]Quentin found out in 1897, remember?  [/spoiler]

I agree that Stokes figured it out, he knew everything about everything anyway, LOL!  I think he would have helped Julia find a cure.

[Barnabas'sBride]

You guys are forgetting that a Collins *did* know [spoiler]Quentin found out in 1897, remember?  [/spoiler]

I didn't forget him, I just didn't count him. I meant someone from the present day - Elizabeth, Carolyn, Roger, Victoria....the regular Collins family. David knew, but it was never dealt with after 1795. I would've liked to have seen a story around one of the adults finding out.

[Roland]

But it isn't just their not knowing that Barnabas is a vampire.

None of the main characters knew Chris was the werewolf or who the heck this strange Adam guy was or what was really going on with those strange Leviathans.

Only Barnabas and Julia seemed to always be fully informed about what was happening at all times.  I guess, in a way, they functioned as the narrator for the rest of us.  I just wonder if the other actors ever resented it (much like many of the actors in "Lost in Space" apparently resented becoming second bananas to Will and Dr. Smith).

[michael c]

just a thought but perhaps the collins family and the other "normal" characters were supposed to represent "us" the viewing audience.

barnabas and julia knew all but the rest of the characters,like us,gained bits of information on an episode-by-episode basis.because the situations were so preposterous they just didn't see the "big picture" and couldn't put the pieces of the puzzle together themselves.then,as i said earlier,once that particular crisis was over with they acted like it had never happened or were somehow influenced so that they "forgot" it.

my feelings on professor stokes was that he was certainly aware of the fact that something highly unusual was always going on at collinwood but i never got the impression that the whole 'vampire' thing had fully fleshed itself out to him.especially since during much of their interaction barnabas was not actually in the vampire state.

[Josette]

Even if they tried to tell them, it generally didn't work.  Barnabas and Julia would learn things and perhaps figure out some more.  Sometimes they tried to warn the family, as when they returned from 1995 and knew the disaster was approaching.  They couldn't convince anyone it was true.

[retzev]

I would suggest waiting to see what happens. Trying to purchase the 50-something Collector's tapes would be time consuming if they have to be tracked down individually.

I just saw a complete set of the Collector's Series VHS tapes go for about $185.00 plus $25.00 for shipping on eBay. They show up quite a bit.

[BuzzH]

I didn't forget him, I just didn't count him. I meant someone from the present day - Elizabeth, Carolyn, Roger, Victoria....the regular Collins family.

[spoiler]But Quentin ends up in the present, so as I said before, a Collins, in the present day, DID know about Barnabas.[/spoiler]

[BuzzH]

just a thought but perhaps the collins family and the other "normal" characters were supposed to represent "us" the viewing audience.

Nah, we knew as much as Barny and Julie, sometimes more.  Case in point would be [spoiler]when Julia is being chomped on by Tom, Barnabas has no idea, at first, what's going on w/her.  And she certainly was in the dark about him being under the control of the Leviathans.[/spoiler]The clan was just clueless.  LOL! 

[stefan]

None of the main characters knew Chris was the werewolf or who the heck this strange Adam guy was

LOL .. by that time they really should have had a clue that "wierd stuff" was lurking around them thanks to the bizarre DS writing team. I thought it was a shame Maggie couldn't put 2 & 2 together regarding Barnabas especially since their storyline (makeshift Josette) was so potent and disturbing.

[AndreDuPres]

I thought it was a shame Maggie couldn't put 2 & 2 together regarding Barnabas especially since their storyline (makeshift Josette) was so potent and disturbing.

I love it when she actually DOES remember what happened to her!  Finally some normality!  Does she, as Julia and Willie did, accept what Barnabas did to her and move on?  No!  She limps all the way to Joe's apartment to get the heck out of Collinsport.  Only [spoiler]she discovers her b/f in the arms--and fangs--of Angelique.[/spoiler]Too bad her memory is conveniently erased soon afterwards...

[IluvBarnabas]

[spoiler] I think erasing Maggie's memory permanently was the only way the writers could have gone. She wasn't going to forgive and forget. She still believed Barnabas was a vampire and wanted to make her into Josette. She was determined to go to the police and expose him. Nicholas couldn't have that. Anything that happened to Barnabas would happen to Adam and vice versa.

I figure Nicholas came to the apartment, Maggie spilled the beans about Barnabas and what he did to her, so Nicholas had to make her forget. [/spoiler]

To the original question, as someone has already said, bad writing.

[Willie Loomis]

i think as they facial expressions showed, the speculated.  i mean, all this nonsense happened right after barny appeared at collinwood.   

and don't forget that angelique's curse cursed the whole family too, that is why after barnabas resurrected, all crazy things started happening.   

   does that make sense?

[Garth Blackwood]

for the most part, they never seemed to have a clue about all the strange supernatural forces at work beneath the surface.

How likely do you think it is that anyone could possibly deduce that someone is a vampire unless they actually saw him/her disappear or bite someone? I don't know about you, but if a bunch of people in my town were getting bitten and their blood drank, I would just assume some mental patient got loose, not that there was a vampire.