Fashion notes first . . .
I'm not really sure who had the bright idea to combine electric blue and black netting together, but it was not a good concept. Millay
might have been able to carry off the electric blue, but the black was not a good look. Plus the cut of the dress is very unflattering. Millay's gown has the opposite problem of Lara Parker's purple bib dress. What seems to be happening here is that the dress is accentuating (or creating) problems rather than hiding them. She looks too pointy/heavy up top, short-waisted and then the whole bubble butt action in the back. It's just overall not a flattering look. The shot, however, of her black-gloved, bangled hand reaching out from nowhere to touch Nora was great.
Speaking of the little darling, they really outdid themselves with Nora's clothes. The little cape and dress she had was charming.
Eek, the purple/red dress is back. What was with the purple part? It could have been so much prettier if it was just the one color. Nicky would not agree, but I am longing for the poison green outfit.
Bennett, however, usually winner in the wardrobe sweepstakes anyway, looked stunning in that blue and green dress. Particularly after they ripped off those weird things from the backs of the sleeves (someone on the old Vantagenet forum had a great post where they conjectured that maybe Bennett had a fit and made wardrobe take them off. I just read a book on Mitchell Leisen, who directed Bennett a couple of times. He considered her a professional, pleasant and liked her. The only time he says anything negative about her was for some film where she evidently gave him grief about having to wear a Chanel dress that had Christmas ornaments tacked onto it (by Chanel). So I can see how Bennett could conceivably have demanded that they remove the waterwings from this one. But I digress
.) Anyhow, I like how the lines of it flatter her. She's really a tiny woman, but unless she's standing next to someone like Selby or Lacy, you never know it.
I want Minerva's hat. Too, too much.
Onto the show . . .
I very much enjoyed the oh-please-take-me-back/not-on-your-life scene, which was then topped with the Quentin/Laura bit. She's so firmly in control while Edward's blustering (although if I were him, I wouldn't want her back either) and Quentin's panicking. Hugely entertaining.
Two very well-constructed episodes here.
Enter Tim the Dim. Good looking and none too bright. A combination that usually gets by. However, right now he's too stupid to live. Aside from the very reasonable arguments voiced on the Current Talk board about how weak the Trasks would look in a court (Lawyer: "Let me get this straight. You knew instantly that Mr. Shaw and Miss Drummond had killed your brother, but you waited several years before going to the authorities and you gave your blessing to an engagement?"), burden of proof, my darling boy, is not on the accused. It's on the prosecution.
Moving on. You have to wonder just what life was like for Quentin and Laura during their "trip." How soon did it take for them to become bored with each other? How soon did it take for them to despise the other? And was Laura always such a bitch? Hehe. I did get an enormous kick out of watching her tormenting Quentin.
The Rachel situation. I realize she eventually considers this, but right after the Trasks show up, you would think she'd collect her salary and go. And before anyone tells me she had no money only that garnet pin, let me point out that she's got an extensive wardrobe and she's been bejeweled with a few pieces as well. She wouldn't need hundreds to get out of Dodge. Presumably she had some kind of references; I can't see stuffy old Edward hiring her without those.
"I'll be sweet and gentle and tender if that's the kind of woman you want me to be."
Somewhere in hell, legions of the damned are laughing their heads off at that one.
Also am wildly amused to hear Angelique passing judgment on Quentin's lifestyle. Methinks somebody's let their new job go to their head a bit much. Angelique, when you stop casually torturing people just because you can and defending yourself for doing it, then you feel free to get all holier-than-thou. At least Quentin's victims get a good time in the sack.
Nothing to do with anything I've been saying, but the lighting is just going downhill. The cast generally ranges between looking like their in the last stages of cyanosis or that they've all just come from the audition for
Star Trek to play vulcans.
Regarding Rachel's "I thought we were friends" statement. Now that I've viewed it again, I think I see where she's coming from psychologically: Barnabas had treated her as a suitor would. She had encouraged him. He gave her pretty things and she took them. She had made assumptions, that he did nothing to discourage, about him. She had pinned her hopes on him for getting her out of the clutches of the Trasks. Bitchy hitherto unmentioned fiancee shows up. Foundation of straw collapses.
Now what's Rachel to do? Frankly, I think if she'd kept with the being sneaky and devious at this point, she'd be in a better position, but she's going for honorable now, so we'll go with that. She
can't turn to him for help, because it's not proper and because she feels she can't trust him. By turning out to be affianced, he's just proved himself unreliable--if he concealed that, then what else has he concealed? what else is he not telling her? And let's remember, he's disappeared on her a couple of times already (dawn and all). So yeah, I see why she's writing him off.
"Poor, plain Judith." Ha. I should be that plain.
Clarice Blackburn does such a great job as Minerva. Although, hello? Murder? See above. Rachel would have done well to quote the Duke of Wellington and move on. And speaking of Rachel, she also would be wise to write Timmy boy off as a dead loss then and there. Really loved the whole scene though and there was a nice little moment where Minerva's twisting the knife in about Charity and Tim and Judith gives Rachel this brief little look. Heh.
The subsequent scene between Blackburn and Millay was priceless. They both dug into their lines with such relish.
In reference to Barnabas and Angelique, Magda remarks, "they deserve each other." Truer words were never spoken.
The combined brain power of Tim the Dim and Rachel isn't much and they certainly lack even the most basic knowledge of the legal system, and I do mean basic.
Trask was giving off the child abuser/rapist vibes off but good today. He is so creepy. I wonder how contemporary audiences read these scenes. Are we reading more into them today than was intended?
I can't really add much about the scene between Lacy and Millay other than to say I thought it rocked.
Worthington Hall looks very much like the once and future abode of Dr. Eric "I can't sew" Lang.
Lots of interesting things happening to Laura and Dirk there. I'm afraid, however, that anything that extends the screen time of Mr. Davis doesn't generally meet with my approval and my fingers tend to stray toward that FF button.
Ugh. I hate continuity errors. So first Jeremiah was this old creep who'd married SYT Josette. Then he and Barnabas were (ahem) young men of the same age. And now once again, Jeremiah was an old man, because Barnabas was very young when Jeremiah brought Laura home.
Blah, blah, blah from the self-righteous whack job. Yeah, go all Dr. Who on him. Like Angelique actually gives a flying fig for the continuity of the future or for David's health and welfare and for anything except being Mrs. Barnabas Collins. Get over yourself.
You could practically see the lightbulbs turninig on in Gregory's eyes as Judith offered him money and a building for his little school there. Minerva's toast.
Luciaphil
