Shadows on the Wall: Episode 4

 

Before continuing, you may enjoy revisiting our original 50th anniversary summary and commentary: https://dsb4idie.blogspot.com/2016/06/episode-4-63066.html

Then & Now

John: Like Elizabeth, I want to know what Roger was planning to do with Vicki so late at night, in the privacy of her bedroom.

I love when Liz tells Roger to act like a Collins. It's like The Godfather telling Johnny Fontaine to act like a man!

Roger calling Carolyn kitten continues the ick factor of their relationship. And when he ushers Liz out so he could be alone with Vicki... It's frankly pretty amazing that she didn't catch the next train out of Collinwood the following morning. 

Much like it did 10 years ago, Carolyn's jokingly suggesting that Roger turns into Dracula at midnight certainly resonates with viewers knowing what's to come!

And who will prove to be La Llorona haunting Collinwood? I think 10 years ago I was assuming it was Liz. 

Christine: I had forgotten about Carolyn's Dracula comment. Her casual reference to Dracula is amusing, considering that once a vampire actually takes up residence at Collinwood, I don't recall anyone ever invoking Dracula again or drawing much on traditional vampire lore. 

Shadows on the Wall

John: I wish we could see what book Vicki was reading. 

Another two drinks for Roger. We should track how many drinks he pours across 1225 episodes.

Isaac, Jeremiah, and now Theodore and Benjamin Collins are mentioned, albeit in name only. Two more names to track. 

Christine: A Roger drink tracker? I don't know that anyone could reasonably keep up with that! 

Ten years ago I documented the movement of Isaac Collins' portrait to different locations throughout Collinwood, which you can explore on the Collinwood Portraits page. What I hadn't noticed until this viewing was that when the portrait was moved to the right of the drawing room windows, it displaced the cherub globe lamp, which had previously occupied that spot and now appears to the left of the drawing room doors. 

One question for our fellow visual detectives: Can anyone identify the set location where this episode's slate was filmed? The vase and patterned wallpaper look familiar, but I haven't yet placed them.

Shadows on the Wall: Episode 3

Before continuing, you may enjoy revisiting our original 50th anniversary summary and commentary: https://dsb4idie.blogspot.com/2016/06/episode-3-62966.html

Then & Now

John: If someone came pounding on my door like Roger did, I wouldn't open it, either! Of course he denies such a thing is part of his repertoire when he talks to Maggie.

The biggest surprise from this viewing was the suggestion that Vicki has a friend back home.

And I'm sorry, it's still super creepy that Carolyn considers Roger to be 'a real doll.' 

Another thing that surprised me in this viewing is just how young Joe seems to be. He kinda reminds me of good ol' Archie from Riverdale. 

Bill Malloy obviously knows what's up with Burke. Funny he would even think Burke might just let it rest. 

Christine: One thing that stood out to me on this viewing was just how often ghosts are mentioned. Carolyn warns Victoria that she'll have to try to get used to doors opening by themselves, while Burke tells Bill Malloy that as a kid he used to go up to Collinwood looking for ghosts because people always believed the house was haunted. No one could have imagined that these passing references would eventually open the door to vampires, witches, werewolves, Leviathans, parallel worlds, and just about every other supernatural phenomenon imaginable. 

Shadows on the Wall

John: This episode, we're introduced to Isaac Collins, who founded the town in the 17th century, and put the family into the 'fish business.' I'll be interested to see who's the first historical figure we're introduced to that we actually meet during a flashback.

Christine: It's interesting that Isaac Collins' portrait became such a focal point so early in the series. If you'd like to learn more about it, you'll find a detailed history in the Collinwood Portraits section of the Collinwood Collection. Unless I'm forgetting someone, I don't believe we ever actually met Isaac during the series' many journeys into the past. 

One detail I had never noticed before was the perspective from inside the Blue Whale's phone booth. It's an angle of the set I don't remember seeing before. I'll be interested to see whether the booth itself is ever visible in wider shots of the Blue Whale's interior. 

Ten years ago I gave a shout out to announcer Bob Lloyd, whose slate announcements became a familiar part of our early Dark Shadows viewing. As part of the Collinwood Collection, I've begun assembling a new Slates archive documenting the surviving slate announcements and the unique moments they capture before each episode begins. 

What did you notice during this viewing that you had never noticed before?

Shadows on the Wall: Episode 2

 

Before continuing, you may enjoy revisiting our original 50th anniversary summary and commentary: https://dsb4idie.blogspot.com/2016/06/episode-2-62866.html

Then & Now

John: Elizabeth tells Victoria that David is unlike any boy he has ever met, but is he, really? 

I completely forgot about Vicki saying 'Boo!' to the portrait in the foyer! And Elizabeth playing the piano — that was pretty impressive. I'll assume that was Robert Cobert's work? 

Christine: The pre-Barnabas episodes remain among my favorites, and I'm reminded how effectively they draw us into the lives and relationships of the Collinsport characters. One small detail I had completely forgotten was that Bartender Bob Rooney has one of his rare speaking roles when he calls the police to break up Joe's altercation. 

My original comment questioned whether the dancing at the Blue Whale could actually be called dancing. Ten years later, I still have my doubts.

Shadows on the Wall

John: Victoria arrives at Collinwood with one suitcase. Should we count how many different outfits she managed to squeeze into that?

Jeremiah, builder of Collinwood, is the first historical figure we're introduced to. 

Will we ever have another scene with so many cast members in a single shot as when Carolyn is first introduced, dancing in the Blue Whale? I counted at least 13 folks, maybe more, and now I'll be interested to see if that's a record for Collinsport!

Christine: Windows are another visual element that caught my attention in this episode, sometimes with characters looking in and at other times looking out. As Victoria stands at the drawing room window, she pauses to take in the expansive ocean view. It's another visual motif I'll be watching for as our rewatch continues.

I also noticed what may be the first appearance of the Petofi box as Elizabeth shows Victoria to her room. The box will later play a pivotal role in Episode 821. Knowing where the story eventually leads, it's hard not to imagine that the box is already keeping its secrets. 

John: Good catch!

What visual detail caught your eye in this episode — something you had never noticed before or something that stood out in a new way?