John: Carolyn clues Liz in to the fact that she's unwittingly sent Matthew on a mission to take out Burke Devlin.
In retrospect, I really like the confrontation between Matthew and Burke at the Blue Whale (up until the false fisticuffs, anyway). Matthew is probably the first person to come up against Burke who's an equal match.
Christine: Burke seems to recognize the madman in Matthew, and it appears to frighten him. I wonder why he didn't insist that the Sheriff press charges. I did love how all the patrons lined up to watch and were reluctant to move even when the Sheriff told them to break it up.
John: When Liz asks Carolyn if she'd rather believe Burke is a liar, or that her Uncle knowingly caused an innocent man to go to jail, the look on her face suggests she just might prefer to believe the latter.
Shadows on the Wall
John: Poor Bartender Bob shakes his head after Matthew and Burke are led out of the Blue Whale, disappointed by the fact that he can't speak. Of course, that might be all the more reason he (and we) should be keeping tabs on everyone who passes through the Blue Whale.
Christine: It was startling to see someone lurking outside the drawing room window while Elizabeth and Carolyn were having their argument. If I didn't know better, I'd think someone dangerous was waiting outside. Liz must have scared whoever it was off when she forcefully threw open the window.
I noted ten years ago that we heard our first non-Cobert tune on the Blue Whale jukebox in this episode. The Dark Shadows Wiki identifies it as "Hole in the Wall" by the T-Bones. I wonder about the significance of the change in music. Perhaps it was meant to prepare us for the unsettling encounter?
John: In the pre-credit sequence, Liz walks into the drawing room and they immediately cut to the Blue Whale, making it momentarily seem like had she walked into the bar...
Christine: Apparently Joe likes to call Bartender Bob Rooney "Punchy." I wonder how he earned that nickname. Perhaps he has to act as the bouncer as well as the bartender. I liked how Bartender Bob indicated with just a shake of his head that he knew who Maggie was and why she was there.
John: If Quentin Tarantino had written today's episode, when Joe called him Punchy, Bartender Bob would have told him, I'm not your friend, Palooka.
Shadows on the Wall
Christine: I'm thinking of starting a Collinwood Clock-Watching tracker. Current score: Elizabeth — 6, Carolyn — 2, Burke — 1, Maggie — 1.
John: This episode had me thinking about counting the non-speaking patrons in The Blue Whale...
Christine: There's a moment when Maggie clutches her neck that reminds me of all the times we'll see her make this same gesture in future episodes.
What details caught your attention in this episode?
