Dark Shadows

[donnie]

I'm through 197
Re 196:

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Jason is a character I dislike more than Laura!

Yes, pretty slimy character, isn't he? Maggie and Carolyn sure don't think so, though. Maggie appeared to be almost openly flirting with him, and it appears Carolyn is actually interested in him. (Yuck. )

When Vicky asked Carolyn if he had an Irish accent I was like um noooo and then Carolyn said yes. He does absolutely not have an Irish accent. What the heck?

I thought it was more of a Scottish one.

[donnie]

re 198

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Re Roger beating on the lock: hasn’t he ever heard of bolt cutter? A heck of a lot more effective than a hatchet—and quieter, too.

Maggie is wearing some hard blush in the scene at home when she's arguing with Sam.

What’s hard blush? Is it accidental or something done on purpose?

Ugh! Who does Sam think is going to clean up that mess he just made throwing the glass at the door?

In the highly desperate emotional state he’s in, I’m sure he didn’t stop to think of that.

That was an intense ending scene with Sam and Maggie.

Yes, David Ford was really good in this episode—he was so intense. That’s the best acting I’ve seen him do. Katherine Leigh Scott and Louis Edmonds were excellent as well. Great acting throughout in this episode.

re 199

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I can't believe after all these years of agony, Sam finally spilled the beans!

Yes. It’s funny how, with all that’s happened, the manslaughter storyline is still going on and moving toward a conclusion almost 200 episodes later.

I really feel sorry for Maggie.

re 200

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Sam told Burke that his wife died in a hospital in Boston and the money was useless.... But earlier he told Maggie she was sick for two years and was finally able to give her things he'd always wanted to give her. Well, which is the real story?

Yes, I was confused by the timing of that, too.

I missed what the power Jason has over Elizabeth?

You didn’t have to wonder long.

Jason's not just after the money; he's immensely enjoying making Liz squirm. He’s probably the sort of person who tortured animals when he was a child.

Roger looked at Burke and Sam like a deer in headlights.

Yes, that was a good DIH look.

re 202

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Dig that crazy dancing in the background at the Blue Whale. Did people really dance that way, like they were almost falling over, catching themselves?

I think so. This was the era of the frug and those kinds of dances—though that one does look kind of extreme.

Ew, I don't like this guy hitting on Maggie like that.

Nice guy, huh? I wonder why Maggie keeps responding to his questions and comments instead of just saying nothing, or better yet, walking away. And why does he call Maggie "speedball"?

I think it’s funny that with all Jason's suaveness and dictating to Liz, he can’t control Willie.

By the way, a little heads up: be on the lookout for an actor change for the character of Willie (sometime soon, I would think.)

[Kitty]

re 198

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Re Roger beating on the lock: hasn’t he ever heard of bolt cutter? A heck of a lot more effective than a hatchet—and quieter, too.

I didn't think of that, though I thought he was being so stupid with his noisiness.

Maggie is wearing some hard blush in the scene at home when she's arguing with Sam.

What’s hard blush? Is it accidental or something done on purpose?

Hard blush, very obvious and not blended. Kind of like that tell-tale very severe bun spoken of in another part of this forum!

re 199

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I can't believe after all these years of agony, Sam finally spilled the beans!

Yes. It’s funny how, with all that’s happened, the manslaughter storyline is still going on and moving toward a conclusion almost 200 episodes later.

Well, it sort of needed to conclude, anyway, because that's the whole reason Burke came to Collinwood. By the way, it's just too bad that Vicky seems to totally forget about searching for her birth parents. That could have been interesting to hear that Vicky also had rights to the mansion or something.

I think it’s funny that with all Jason's suaveness and dictating to Liz, he can’t control Willie.

Maybe he only has powers on women.

I have never heard of the frug. That's a new term for me!

[donnie]

Hard blush, very obvious and not blended. Kind of like that tell-tale very severe bun spoken of in another part of this forum!

Severe blush, then. So is it something that's accidental or careless, or done on purpose for a certain look (or in bad taste)?

I have never heard of the frug. That's a new term for me!

From Wikipedia: "The Frug was a dance craze from the mid-1960s, which included vigorous dance to pop music. It evolved from another dance of the era, the Chicken. The Chicken, which featured lateral body movements, was used primarily as a change of pace step while doing the Twist. As young dancers grew more tired they would do less work, moving only their hips while standing in place. They then started making up arm movements for the dance, which prompted the birth of the Swim, the Monkey, the Dog, the Watusi, the Mashed Potato, and the Jerk. The Frug is sometimes referred to as the Surf, Big Bea, and the Thunderbird."

So I don't know if this is properly the Frug, the Chicken, the Swim, the Monkey, the Dog, the Watusi, the Mashed Potato, the Jerk, or some or all or none of the above.

[Kitty]

Hard blush, very obvious and not blended. Kind of like that tell-tale very severe bun spoken of in another part of this forum!

Severe blush, then. So is it something that's accidental or careless, or done on purpose for a certain look (or in bad taste)?

I usually see it on children who just got into their mother's makeup kit, so I don't think it's usually done on purpose.

[donnie]

re 203

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Vicky, no! This is a gross classic way of shaming a girl who feels threatened, and bullying her into an 'I'm fine' answer.

Yes. She should have stood her ground and told exactly what he said, and that he physically blocked her from leaving the room. (Nor should Liz have backed down later to Jason in her insistence that Willie leave immediately.)

This situation is way more uncomfortable than the Laura one, but I guess it's a sign of good casting.

Not sure exactly what you mean.

re 205

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I bet you $10 that gun isn't there when she really needs it later.

I would certainly have kept that thing on my person at all times if I’d been her!

Hey!!! That picture of Barnabas is totally new. Where did it come from???

Yeah, kind of just popped up out of nowhere, didn’t it?

How did you feel about this inner monologue from Willie? I believe this is the first time that's happened.

Now you mention it, I don’t believe they’ve ever used that technique, either—I guess because it might have been difficult to do with a live taping?

And what did you think of the eye thing in Barnabas's picture?

Kind of odd. I don’t like that portrait of Barnabas, by the way—it doesn’t look at all like a realistic period portrait, but more like a blown up frame from a comic strip. I think they might have done a better job matching it up to the other portraits in the house. The expression on the face might have been better, too—perhaps more mysterious and less sullen? Just my opinion.

Hurry up and catch up!!!!

Done.

[Kitty]

Responses

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This situation is way more uncomfortable than the Laura one, but I guess it's a sign of good casting.

Not sure exactly what you mean.

The two men are genuinely horrifying, and are capable of anything. I'd expect the very worst if it wasn't 1960s tv.

And what did you think of the eye thing in Barnabas's picture?

Kind of odd. I don’t like that portrait of Barnabas, by the way—it doesn’t look at all like a realistic period portrait, but more like a blown up frame from a comic strip.

It looks a lot like a photo stylized to sort of look like a painting. I agree that they should have tried harder to make it fit.

Hurry up and catch up!!!!

Done.
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Great job! I'll be back to watching soon.

[donnie]

Miscellaneous thoughts:

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You haven't said what you thought about the revelation regarding Liz. Do you think she did it? Does it affect your opinion of her?

Talk about Liz being in an awkward spot—having to try to make believable excuses for "inviting" the likes of Jason and Willie into Collinwood. By the way, if I were Carolyn, I would be moving out for the time being. I'd tell Liz I was headed for a room in the Collinsport Inn, or better yet a hotel in Bangor. And if I were Vicky, I'd go along with her.

I plan to watch 206 tonight. (I like to watch better after dark—spookier that way. ) I believe 206 is probably the episode where John Karlen takes over the role of Willie—one of the best actors on DS.

[Kitty]

Responses to miscellaneous

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Miscellaneous thoughts:

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You haven't said what you thought about the revelation regarding Liz. Do you think she did it? Does it affect your opinion of her?

This is going to sound totally ridiculous to you, but what is it that they're saying she did? I thought it was that maybe she had her husband buried in the basement or something, but I honestly missed that part, if they mentioned. If that's the case, I'm sure Liz had good reason to knock him off... But I'm going to guess that she didn't do it, anyway.

By the way, if I were Carolyn, I would be moving out for the time being. I'd tell Liz I was headed for a room in the Collinsport Inn, or better yet a hotel in Bangor. And if I were Vicky, I'd go along with her.

I would take David with me, too. You wouldn't want him to start pal-ing around with Willie, that's for sure.

(I like to watch better after dark—spookier that way. ) I believe 206 is probably the episode where John Karlen takes over the role of Willie—one of the best actors on DS.
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I like to watch better at night, too, and I hope the charm doesn't go away when the show goes to color.
Funny, I thought Willie threw his hands up in the last episode and left. I assumed that was the last of him.

[donnie]

Responses to responses to miscellaneous:

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This is going to sound totally ridiculous to you, but what is it that they're saying she did? I thought it was that maybe she had her husband buried in the basement or something, but I honestly missed that part, if they mentioned.

Yes, according to the dialogue between her and Jason, she killed her husband, Paul Stoddard—the intimation is that she murdered him—and his body is buried in the ground within the locked room. Jason makes reference to having helped her cover up knowledge of the killing by burying the body for her. And now he’s holding this over her to blackmail her, threatening to expose her to the police if he doesn't get what he wants, which is apparently going to be a demand for a very large sum of money.

And of course this explains why she was so protective of the basement, and why she's not left the house in 18 years.

One thing I can't figure out: why would Jason have brought Willie into this? I can't think of anything Willie could do that would help him put through the scheme. (And as Jason points out, he's about to wreck the plans.)

I would take David with me, too. You wouldn't want him to start pal-ing around with Willie, that's for sure.

Yes, David has a history of being drawn to the wrong people like a magnet.

Another question: What do you think of Burke's being satisfied (apparently) with merely a private confession from Roger? It seems with all the pent-up desire from revenge he's had for so long, he would want Roger taken to account for it (and Sam, too).