Steve, honey, this one's for you
Fashion notes first . . .
Not there are a lot. I'm still not crazy about the pale green dress. It's just too fussy. Bad makeup day for Joan on the first episode and exquisite for second day. You know, if we knew who the people were applying the makeup, it would be fascinating to create some sort of flow chart.
Millicent's curls are far less bouncy. Interesting really, sort of a meter for her mental state
Vicki's dress. Okay. Yeah, fugitive and all that, but they couldn't have found her something that was a complete gown? Much prefer her hair without the dorky bow.
Onto the show.
Another two episodes of standout performances. If there were a weak players, it was Moltke, but with I don't know what anyone could have done with the lines Moltke had.
Overall, I think this was Bennett's time to shine in the 1795 arc. Unfortunately, she had precious few moments after the arrival of Barnabas to do so, but this was one of them (she will have some great moments in 1897 and at the beginning of 1840).
I've given my opinions about Naomi's suicide in the thread in current talk, but I can't dissect these episodes without addressing it again.
In light of the plot, Bennett's portrayal, and the narrative clues we've been given of Naomi's life prior to Victoria's arrival, I agree with Gothick that there isn't anything implausible about Naomi's suicide.
Throughout the 1795 episodes, there have been indications that the character suffers from depression. There's the alcoholism. There's also the fact that she's so very much alone, even when she's amidst her family.
When she finds the coffin, it's as if she's in shock, overwhelmed, and still trying to make sense of it all. Her protection of Daniel is almost like her last hurrah.
It occurred to me while watching that really great scene with her and Thayer David that it might have gone differently for the character if her husband, son, and servant had ever attempted to treat her like an equal and tell her the truth. Both Joshua and Barnabas have always done this sort of cotton-glove/pedestal approach with her and it's done more damage than honesty and respect would have.
What they did is to isolate her further. Combined with a predisposition to depression and an addiction problem, the loss of her young daughter, and the realizations that her son is a murderer, who is somehow still alive, well, sadly, it's plausible to me that she killed herself. She saw it as the only way out of a never-ending nightmare.
Characters and fans assign blame here. It's not Angelique's curse, which I continue to see as so much as an attempt to psych out her husband; and it's not the fault of Barnabas. Naomi is a character with deep pain and problems that are obviously of longstanding duration. It's arguable that this might have been her fate regardless of the machinations of the various villains.
Nathan. It's been an interesting devolution of character. It does make sense to me. I think for Nathan, situation was everything. When the circumstances were favorable for him to be honorable, he did so, probably without thinking about it. When they weren't, he did what he thought he had to. And I think for Nathan, it bothered him initially--probably because it was a surprise to him that he was so dishonorable. He gives in to it and then starts to discover that it doesn't bother him as much as he thought it would.
Watching him with his scene with Vicki. You can see the excitement. He's enjoying the torment now. Naomi's been lost and knew it. He's lost and doesn't.
There's not a lot I can add to this. Edmonds, Bennett, Crothers, David, Barrett, all were so on top of their game here. Why the hell we had to suffer through Roger Davis shouting his lungs out and Vicki being dumber than a grapefruit, I do not know, but it pains me.
Luciaphil
