No fashion notes because we're still on Day 3 . . .
Some must have really messed up because the board thingy reads "Take #2."
So for those of us who still care, it's the night of Day 3. David has traipsed into town and has eluded the eagle eye of Maggie "Loose Lips Sink Ships" Evans. Vicki can't understand why her new employer isn't thrilled about discovering that her little nephew is an embryo killer, while Carolyn doesn't get why no one is ecstatic to learn that Burke's good name is unsullied.
Elizabeth is busy staring out the window at nothing. Now I have to admit that my mother and I are not always on the best of terms and that under stress I have been known to press her buttons just to get a reaction. But I don't think I've ever deliberately needled her when it's a really serious time. Which is what Carolyn is doing at the moment. In fact, she's being downright nasty: Maybe David's run away for good. He is a little monster. He did try to kill Uncle Roger. Maybe he won't come back.
So, so not cool.
Granted, David has a healthy sense of self-preservation and I will gladly buy that this was thought to be a more innocent time period and all, but that only goes so far. What we have here is a nine-year-old child who has run away after being accused of trying to kill his own father deliberately. No matter how you slice it there isn't much about this situation that's comforting. I also have to say I've read my share of 20th century literature, both fiction and memoirs, and there's enough about unsavory happenings even in small town America to make you cringe. The kid is missing. It's late. It's dark. A thunder storm is brewing. Meanwhile he's either attempted murder in the most premeditated fashion or he's been framed and believes everyone's against him. The kid's father openly despises him. His mother had to be committed to some kind of a hospital because she was either too drunk or too crazy to be on her own. There's nothing here that's amusing or lighthearted and Carolyn's utter callousness is really appalling. Appropriately enough, Elizabeth cuts her down. She then goes on to blame Vicki, which is less appropriate, but more on that later.
Unaware that his cousin is half hoping he doesn't come back, or that his aunt is darkly wishing doom upon his governess, Davy is hanging out by Burke's room. What's more, he's indignant that Burke has stayed away so long. Heh. Burke is a lot more comfortable with the kiddies than Maggie. Not derailed by this friendly reception, David plants the bleeder valve under the sofa cushion.
Elizabeth is not a happy lady. And when Elizabeth isn't happy, nobody's happy. Our temperature went below 0º F this weekend, and I was still warmer than watching her let Victoria have it. She actually kicks Vicki out of the room, which I love. Why Vicki is surprised, I'm not sure. If ever there was a case where nobody's gonna like the messenger, surely, she can see that this one would be it.
I also think it's time to address the question of Vicki's parentage. I know it's a very popular theory that Elizabeth is Vicki's mother. I also know that Bennett went for this theory herself. And yeah, it has some possibilities, except that well, I'm not buying it. From the moment Vicki steps in Collinwood, Elizabeth's actions don't bear it out. She displays a total lack of interest in Vicki and her life in New York at the best of times. In fact, the few instances where she's been friendly with her, it's been more like what you'd expect from the lady of the manor to the hired help than a woman with the daughter she was forced to give up. And right now? Elizabeth is inches away from booting Vicki and her sad little plaid suitcase out the door. For good.
Having made her mother squirm, Carolyn moves onto Vicki. I could be wrong. Maybe Carolyn just really knows David. But still. I can also kind of understand that Carolyn has a lot of pent up hostility toward her mother. Where the anger is for Vicki is another story. The girl is upset. She's living in a completely unfamiliar environment and she's got no one and nothing. Is now really the time to needle her about how the house is haunted? And really, honey, get some priorities, cause I don't think anyone but you really cares that Burke's welfare and reputation are once more in the clear.
The Burke Devlin Special! Move over
Sandra Lee. It is so seriously one of her bizarre cocktails. Just go into your pantry and take out sickly sweet cans of juice and you're going to love this, because it is absolutely fantastic! Add ginger ale! Can you believe this? Oh, and to make a cocktail for the adults, just add about five cups of vodka from one of those plastic jugs of Smirnoff. Oh, I just have to taste this. Let me gulp down a huge glass.
Sorry, she drives me nuts. And no, Burke does not add alcohol to David's drink.
David, who probably comes from a severely limited culinary background, is impressed by the drink. He is quite loquacious though. As is Burke. We learn, among other things, that back before the hit and run, Burke, Laura, and Roger were bestest buddies. Can't say I admire Burke's response to David having hitchhiked into town. He compliments the kid on his ingenuity. Considering that David is all of nine-years-old and Burke has done a stretch in prison, you would think he would know better. They do some goofy, rather unfunny horseplay about Burke being a circus show freak (to quote Dave Barry, I'm not making that up).
Miss Diplomacy and Tact has the gall to take her mother to task for upsetting Vicki. Elizabeth isn't at all interested. My whole reading of this episode is that there's a combination of denial and damage control going on in Elizabeth's head. I also think it's interesting that Carolyn is out in the cold with Vicki when this kind of stuff happens. Elizabeth may confide in Roger, or vice versa, but she doesn't let a lot of people in all that close. Makes you wonder what their childhood was like.
And in the category of disturbing revelations, Carolyn confesses to fantasies of killing Paul. Yikes. Oh, factoid, Paul disappeared before Carolyn was born. That gets retconned in a big way later on. For this first time, Liz's facade cracks and she's visibly upset. She theorizes that Vicki could have done the brake job, but finally confesses she has doubts about David. They get updated on David being last seen in town, and Liz sends Carolyn out to find Roger. She also implores the almighty to bring David home safely, which I do believe is the first and last time we see God invoked in a positive context.
Elizabeth apologizes to Vicki. I'm still not getting a warm and cozy vibe from Elizabeth toward Vicki though.
David freely dishes the dirt with his new best pal. Some interesting gossip. Roger and Laura evidently partook of daily screaming matches--let's hope for their Augusta neighbors' sakes that Roger's inheritance was partially blown on a well-built home on a large property lot--and the bone of contention du jour was usually Burke. David also expresses a wish for his father to be more like Burke. The mind boggles. Despite all this bonding, however, when pressed as to why he's there, David lies through his teeth. I do get the sense, though, that these two genuinely like each other. Burke sends David off to wash and then removes the bleeder valve from underneath the sofa cushions.
Believe it or not, this is the first of the countless thunderstorms to plague Collinsport. The power goes out in the drawing room and Vicki has to use a candle. I love the lighting in these early episodes. It's actually dark when there are no lights. Someone uses a flashlight or lights a candle, and the light increases in the room. We also have our requisite spooky incident as the doors mysteriously stick, then fly open to reveal a shadow of a creepy figure in the door way. As someone who routinely freaks out when my downstairs neighbor walks down the interior hallway (the noise sounds like it's in my apartment), I can sympathize.
Disappointingly after the commercial break, the power goes back on and Vicki braves the foyer and spots Roger coming out of that kitchen area. He has no idea what Vicki is talking about and cares less. He's also remarkably unconcerned about his missing son. And I do mean remarkably unconcerned. Yes, it's 1966 and the world was still in this post-Eisenhower glow or whatever, but his son has been gone for half the day and it's thundering to beat the band, and all the man wants is a drink. Can you tell I don't care about the "it was a more innocent time" argument? Because I don't. Bad stuff happened back then. Just open a contemporary newspaper. I think we also have a tendency to look back at our past in a kind of a haze. I mean, I remember racing around the neighborhood like crazy and yeah, it was fun, but the other day someone mentioned the father of one of my childhood friends and suddenly I recalled the way he used to scream at his daughter and us for that matter. Something wasn't quite right there. I knew it then, but I ended up conveniently forgetting all about it.
But I digress. Roger is thrown, however, to learn that his own son tried to kill him. Like Liz, he tries desperately to hold onto the Burke theory.
Hmmm, David claims he never had a dog. Teensy retcon will happen for that subject later on. Burke then offers to buy David a dog. Oh, yeah, that'll fly. Come to think of it, that's nearly as an effective technique for annoying Roger as getting the kid a drum kit. Never mind Roger. Can you imagine Elizabeth's reaction? I adore the character and all, but seriously if ever there was a "no pets in my house" person, it's Liz. David is by now, completely won over by Burke and does his best to get the valve back. Except it's missing. Oh dear.
Ah, movie driving. I've always had a special fondness for those fake cars with the missing rear view mirror, the passengers sitting abnormally close so they can stay in frame, and of course, the bad rear projection. As an added bonus, we get to see Burke's wipers going like the blazes although there are no rain f/x. I never quite got that, btw. Was it that hard to find a record with the sound effects of falling rain? Oh, and David is feeling the guilt big time.
Is there some reason why everyone feels compelled to go into Vicki's room to stare at her empty dresser drawer? I mean, as much as I thought it was a clever idea for it to be a matching dresser complete with matching key, this is not
CSI. We don't have a body. We're not trying to solve an Agatha Christie. It's not that complicated a scenario. Roger appears to be coming around to Vicki's theory. He looks sort of thrown anyhow.
So Burke shows up with David in tow. Let's just say that Roger has looked kindler and gentler. Burke covers for the kid with some weird story about finding him on the road. Why, I'm not sure. Maggie spotted him in the hotel. So did the hotel maid. That part of the cover is blown. So why lie? Roger ain't buying. What's more, I don't think he really cares. He drags David into the drawing room leaving Burke in the foyer with Vicki. Interestingly Burke's recollection of being punished by his father for running away differs markedly from what he told David. Now his father beat him so hard his hands were raw for two weeks. I somehow get the feeling that he and Vicki have a lot more in common then they realize. He warns Vicki again about staying at Collinwood and hazards his opinion that she's living in a madhouse.
Roger and David are having a fine old time of it. Lots of shouting. Lots of lies. Pocket searching. Laying blame on the mean governess who's out to get him. Calling for Aunt Elizabeth. Then Roger pulls out the magazine with the how-to on brake disassembly. Again with the Vicki must have done it. Roger gets Vicki and there's lots more yelling. Then at the properly dramatic moment, Burke produces the missing bleeder valve! Cue the suspenseful music!
