Dark Shadows - Willie Wants to Leave, Jason Won't Let Him
Episode 217 certainly keeps reiterating that Willie knows that he must be far away from Collinwood and yet Jason just won't let him because he knows too much. And his behavior is puzzling. As a soap opera, sometimes episodes spend a bit too much time going over the same terrain in order to spread a story out across a week.
2/5
This episode really treads water as Jason fights with Willie about staying in bed while Willie keeps trying to get up and leave. And that is on repeat, getting rather tiresome. Because soap operas operate with alternating actors/actresses in and out as to give dialogue between as few characters as possible to maintain focus within a 30 minute time frame (with commercials), I did consider the continued use of Barnabas' portrait (they are sure getting a ton of mileage out of that emphasized image) to remind us that he might not be around in the flesh all the time but that doesn't mean we will be forgetting him a clever directorial / script approach. Jason getting a chance to look at Willie's wound, fading and not showing the fangs left in the flesh by the vampire, while attempting to figure out what's wrong with his health (I think they really use makeup to give Willie that particular cadaverous look, wanting to reinforce and reiterate just how much blood loss resulted from his encounter with Barnabas), also continues the investigation into what happened during that "lost time". Willie, agonizing and sickly, even gains sympathy from Carolyn, speaking with Vicky as if she were worried about a close family member-quite a change considering how repulsed by him she was prior to his vampire attack-who asks Jason about his declining condition. Carolyn gets the chance to confront Jason about what he has against her mother and why she was warned to leave well enough alone. Jason, though, is once again evasive, insisting Elizabeth's welfare rests in their "friendship". Jason, when Barnabas is away, remains the show's sidebar villain, while the show shifts away from Willie being such a lowlife scoundrel now that he's a slave to the vampire. Willie wanted to get away before nightfall, and I think the efforts of the direction and writing to put notice on that impending "end of the day approaching" is not in vain...looking out the window, hearing the call (the heartbeat of Barnabas), obedient to the lure of the vampire, Willie has no choice but to follow. No matter how much Jason tries, he can't compete with Barnabas' power. Willie gets away, flees in Jason's car, heading for the cemetery where his master awaits. Jason doesn't stay in the Collins' mausoleum long that's for sure! Vicky taking Willie lunch before he gets away (barking at her to get out with her compliant, not beyond confusion at his behavior), is a brief scene, as is her conversation about Loomis with Carolyn. Vicky, truthfully, could have been absent from this episode, but Carolyn's concern was specified in their dialogue so the writing staff/production felt it necessary to include her. This episode was more or less about Jason and Willie, and the inevitable conclusion.
2/5
This episode really treads water as Jason fights with Willie about staying in bed while Willie keeps trying to get up and leave. And that is on repeat, getting rather tiresome. Because soap operas operate with alternating actors/actresses in and out as to give dialogue between as few characters as possible to maintain focus within a 30 minute time frame (with commercials), I did consider the continued use of Barnabas' portrait (they are sure getting a ton of mileage out of that emphasized image) to remind us that he might not be around in the flesh all the time but that doesn't mean we will be forgetting him a clever directorial / script approach. Jason getting a chance to look at Willie's wound, fading and not showing the fangs left in the flesh by the vampire, while attempting to figure out what's wrong with his health (I think they really use makeup to give Willie that particular cadaverous look, wanting to reinforce and reiterate just how much blood loss resulted from his encounter with Barnabas), also continues the investigation into what happened during that "lost time". Willie, agonizing and sickly, even gains sympathy from Carolyn, speaking with Vicky as if she were worried about a close family member-quite a change considering how repulsed by him she was prior to his vampire attack-who asks Jason about his declining condition. Carolyn gets the chance to confront Jason about what he has against her mother and why she was warned to leave well enough alone. Jason, though, is once again evasive, insisting Elizabeth's welfare rests in their "friendship". Jason, when Barnabas is away, remains the show's sidebar villain, while the show shifts away from Willie being such a lowlife scoundrel now that he's a slave to the vampire. Willie wanted to get away before nightfall, and I think the efforts of the direction and writing to put notice on that impending "end of the day approaching" is not in vain...looking out the window, hearing the call (the heartbeat of Barnabas), obedient to the lure of the vampire, Willie has no choice but to follow. No matter how much Jason tries, he can't compete with Barnabas' power. Willie gets away, flees in Jason's car, heading for the cemetery where his master awaits. Jason doesn't stay in the Collins' mausoleum long that's for sure! Vicky taking Willie lunch before he gets away (barking at her to get out with her compliant, not beyond confusion at his behavior), is a brief scene, as is her conversation about Loomis with Carolyn. Vicky, truthfully, could have been absent from this episode, but Carolyn's concern was specified in their dialogue so the writing staff/production felt it necessary to include her. This episode was more or less about Jason and Willie, and the inevitable conclusion.
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