Fashion notes first . . .
Faux-Vicki was wearing what looked very much like a negligee set of Carolyn's. I speak here of the pastel number. Durkin and Barrett had very different body types, however. Not sure if it was the same thing or not.
Speaking of Durkin, the A-line look is not a good one for her. She isn't fat, but she's busty and short-waisted and the line just makes her look dumpy. She didn't do too well in the wardrobe sweepstakes. Take a gander for instance at that horror she wore for the wedding night. It was close to being a granny nightgown. Not very attractive (unless of course, you were trying to discourage the attentions of Roger Davis, in which case, it was a good choice).
I absolutely flat out loved the dark reddish purple dress that Elizabeth wore for the wedding. Great neckline and I wish it had gotten more air time than that red thing with the sleeves that I did not care for.
Maggie, single-girl and recovering from black mass, had a nightie that was more the kind of thing Vicki should have been sporting at the hotel. BTW, I'm in the minority here, but I think KLS looks better with the red hair.
Onto the show. . .
Can't say I'm as overjoyed at Nicholas' departure as Julia and Barnabas were, but of course, I speak only as a viewer not a participant
I have to say that I don't have a lot of sympathy with Adam at this point. Sooner or later everyone needs to accept that life sometimes hands you a lousy deal and there's nothing you can do about it but suck it up and move on. Of course, this is lesson that seems to have passed most of the main characters way by, so what am I thinking?
All the same, Adam's reaction to the end of the Experiment is way over the top. He was practically drooling, it was so extreme. It's kind of a shame, because Robert Rodan really did a good job with must have been a very difficult part.
Okay, did it give anyone else pause when Eliot calmly called his "resident physician" and was quite clearly confident that the doctor wouldn't go to the authorities? Let's think about this here. In the case of a gunshot wound, it's pretty much a standard law that doctors are supposed to report it. Julia, by this point, is so outside the boundaries of society and legality that it wouldn't be surprising if she didn't tell the cops, but most doctors would need a damn good reason not to. Eliot has someone he can just casually tell not to say anything. Kind of makes you wonder . . .
Bless Betsy Durkin's heart. I'm sure she's a truly lovely person, kind to small children and animals, but she couldn't act her way out of a paper bag, could she? I hate to pass judgment because she only had ten or so episodes to play the part and maybe she would have found her comfort level sooner or later (It probably didn't help that she was stuck with Lela Swift directing and Roger Davis most of the time), but based on what we do get of her performances, I'm glad she didn't stay around longer.
Unfortunately most of these six episodes seemed to involve Roger Davis playing tonsil hockey and alternately moaning about being drawn back to the past. It made for very dull viewing.
It also left me puzzled. What exactly was there in 1795 to draw Jeff back anyhow? He didn't have any family or friends. All that was waiting for him was an appointment with the gallows. This is an instance where TPTB should have gone Star Trek and threw in some lines about time bands and physics or something.
"You know something? I didn't know the first thing about the law." I can't make my mind up whether that's just a lousy bit of writing or if it's a great bit of writing. It all depends on the intent behind it. In any case, it's very revealing in that Jeff just told us what a loser he truly is.
I mean, Jeff, hon, we noticed. Maybe it was when you started screaming at the judges and practically telling them they were stupid that your inexpertise showed just the teensiest bit. And my God, Vicki's reaction to this little statement certainly tells us loads about her, because I have to tell you that if my new husband just revealed that he had no frigging clue as to what he was doing when he was trying to defend me against a capital crime but heck he was going to take a shot at it anyhow, he wouldn't be my husband for long? (That sentence may not make sense, but I'm too tired to rework it).
Incidentally, I'm thinking that these two did not consummate their marriage, which is probably a good thing.
And now, now, I get to talk about Chris. I don't care much for Chris. He's played by the yummy Don Briscoe, but Chris really does nothing for me. I think it's because Chris is a first class wanker.
If I had not come to this conclusion earlier, I would have come to it after watching these particular episodes. He hands Julia Hoffman a wad of bills for Amy because he "won't have time to go to the hospital himself." Let's step back for a minute and think about this. In the first place, Julia is affiliated with the hospital, yes, but she's not exactly the billing department now, is she? In the second place, she's not even anywhere
near the hospital. And lastly, there's this little American institution called the United States Post Office. Chris couldn't get a bank check and say,
mail it???
Now I am the first to agree that Chris has problems, a very big problem in fact. However, it afflicts him three days out of thirty and really, he seems to bring a lot of trouble on himself. Buy an almanac, sweetie. And maybe a watch. That would eliminate a lot of unnecessary grief.
And frankly, we all have problems and obligations, some of them are pretty heavy--maybe not lycanthropy, but I think it's safe to say that no one gets through life without some kind of large burden. Let's look at this for a bit. Amy has lost her parents and a brother in apparently very short order. She's already had a stay in a mental hospital. I don't much care for children myself, but I think that if one was put into my charge, particularly under those circumstances, I would be moving heaven and earth to keep the kid out of yet another institution--of any kind. I also, would not cavalierly be handing over her care to a virtual stranger. He's got time to go out for cocktails, but not to spend with his little sister? Uh huh. I ain't buying.
Speaking of Amy, I rather enjoy Denise Nickerson's performance as well as the character. I loved how she reacted to Collinwood. At this point in the show's run, so many characters (supposedly lower or middle class people) walk into the mansion and you would think they were in a tract home. Not Amy. I also have to say she's a plucky little thing. Fresh from a hundred mile journey through spooky dark woods, in strange old dark house, in the middle of a raging storm and she decides to go play Scooby Doo. Ya gotta admire that.
I'm not as thrilled with Carolyn's sudden infatuation with Chris. The attraction to a troubled guy is perfectly in character for her, but c'mon. She was in a serious relationship with Tony Peterson and then had all these conflicted feelings for Adam. A day later and it's as if neither man ever existed.
Looking forward to Quentin. He'll make such a nice change from Adam
Luciaphil
