Dark Shadows - Barnabas Requests the Old House, Jason Speaks to Him
As the title implies, Episode 218 considers Barnabas wanting the abandoned "spook house" to stay in while Jason is inquisitive about him. Mainly because anyone nearby might interfere with his own plans for Elizabeth.
3/5
This particular episode is important in involving Barnabas and Jason McGuire-the two major antagonists on the show-in their first real conversation. It is the type of conversation where a lot is said and a lot is implied. McGuire is obviously the type to try and fish for information in order to see if his inquisitive asides can bring potential benefit to him. Barnabas, realizing the type of character Jason is, feels him out as well. Jewels mentioned associated to Barnabas' "ancestor" Jason inquires of while he insists he has seen Barnabas before. Barnabas, of course, directs Jason to the portrait.
Important, also, is Barnabas requesting to stay at The Old House with Elizabeth and Roger startled he would want to live in such a "place in shambles". Considering his wealth, Roger does encourage dialogue as to why Barnabas wouldn't want more while Elizabeth has to think about it before giving him permission. While we might wonder why it is even that big of a deal, Elizabeth all but seems unconvinced it is a good idea for their "cousin" to lay down roots in such a decaying, deteriorating locale. So Roger agrees to work on Elizabeth for Barnabas while he eventually converses with Barnabas. Roger obviously sees Barnabas as an asset to the family, considering Jason and Willie as nuisances that Elizabeth should ditch in favor of family. Roger still doesn't get a number to communicate with Barnabas nor his current "accommodations" so he's left to contact his cousin when he returns. Barnabas seems interested in investing in the Collins shipyard, though.
Yet again, though, we get another repeat of Elizabeth threatening Jason because he just won't get rid of Willie and Jason retaliating with verbal warnings of crimes that would implicate her if she followed through. I am personally a bit exhausted with these two going back and forth with the results the same. While not disputing the soap opera formula that is still to this day applied, but after a while it just seems like a lazy form of counterproductive writing that doesn't accomplish anything except keep these two characters in an unending holding pattern.
The money shot in the episode is Barnabas in the foggy Gothic cemetery, emerging as Jason gives up looking for Willie in the mausoleum. Frid is, to me, at his very best when moving away from the cast slightly, looking in an opposite direction, speaking carefully with just the right deliberate words. Clearly Barnabas knows more than everyone else, and so his agenda for gaining access to The Old House is an important coup. Willie's absence once again leaves those in Collinwood curious, but eventually Barnabas has specific use for him. Barnabas and Jason now introduced officially certainly appears to be a sign of potential rivalry in the future just in how the episode frames their conversation. There can only be one head villain at Collinwood.
3/5
This particular episode is important in involving Barnabas and Jason McGuire-the two major antagonists on the show-in their first real conversation. It is the type of conversation where a lot is said and a lot is implied. McGuire is obviously the type to try and fish for information in order to see if his inquisitive asides can bring potential benefit to him. Barnabas, realizing the type of character Jason is, feels him out as well. Jewels mentioned associated to Barnabas' "ancestor" Jason inquires of while he insists he has seen Barnabas before. Barnabas, of course, directs Jason to the portrait.
Important, also, is Barnabas requesting to stay at The Old House with Elizabeth and Roger startled he would want to live in such a "place in shambles". Considering his wealth, Roger does encourage dialogue as to why Barnabas wouldn't want more while Elizabeth has to think about it before giving him permission. While we might wonder why it is even that big of a deal, Elizabeth all but seems unconvinced it is a good idea for their "cousin" to lay down roots in such a decaying, deteriorating locale. So Roger agrees to work on Elizabeth for Barnabas while he eventually converses with Barnabas. Roger obviously sees Barnabas as an asset to the family, considering Jason and Willie as nuisances that Elizabeth should ditch in favor of family. Roger still doesn't get a number to communicate with Barnabas nor his current "accommodations" so he's left to contact his cousin when he returns. Barnabas seems interested in investing in the Collins shipyard, though.
Yet again, though, we get another repeat of Elizabeth threatening Jason because he just won't get rid of Willie and Jason retaliating with verbal warnings of crimes that would implicate her if she followed through. I am personally a bit exhausted with these two going back and forth with the results the same. While not disputing the soap opera formula that is still to this day applied, but after a while it just seems like a lazy form of counterproductive writing that doesn't accomplish anything except keep these two characters in an unending holding pattern.
The money shot in the episode is Barnabas in the foggy Gothic cemetery, emerging as Jason gives up looking for Willie in the mausoleum. Frid is, to me, at his very best when moving away from the cast slightly, looking in an opposite direction, speaking carefully with just the right deliberate words. Clearly Barnabas knows more than everyone else, and so his agenda for gaining access to The Old House is an important coup. Willie's absence once again leaves those in Collinwood curious, but eventually Barnabas has specific use for him. Barnabas and Jason now introduced officially certainly appears to be a sign of potential rivalry in the future just in how the episode frames their conversation. There can only be one head villain at Collinwood.
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