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Post by coldlazarou on Jan 13, 2019 9:13:17 GMT
I've always thought that the Leviathan story arc was extremely underrated and has a bad rep for no good reason (ditto 1841 Parallel Time). I love me a good dose of Lovecraftian eldritch horrors from the dawn of time.
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Post by newt5996 on Jan 26, 2019 23:23:10 GMT
I'm at 938 which is pretty much a flashback episode so yay, I guess. Okay so I really liked Michael as the Leviathan child even if the plot where he got Maggie locked up kind of lasted a little too long, locking up characters and then leaving them there should have been something left in the distant past. Christopher Pennock has joined the show as Jeb Hawkes who I'm not entirely sure on, he kind of reminds me of Buzz Hackett from way back in the Jason McGuire plot and I think killing off Paul Stoddard has definitely given the plot a boost. The biggest issue with the Leviathan story in my opinion is that it feels like the early stuff was meant to lead into a period where Barnabas was leaving the show because House of Dark Shadows was greenlit, but that didn't happen until into the next story arc. This caused the writers to attempt to make Barnabas good again too soon to appease an audience who didn't like the evil Barnabas so the story is shifting to a similar plot, one that is good, but one that just doesn't know where it's going.
Quentin has his memory back which is honestly great, even if it means Amanda Harris is written off the show. I'm not to sad about this development as while the end of that particular plot had some really nice visuals, a lot of it could be solved by our characters just talking to each other. Oh and I guess Angelique is back and married, though that was like fifteen episodes ago so I'm guessing we will eventually give her something to do. Overall, this story isn't as good as 1897, but it's nowhere near as bad as people have said it was. It's at least better than that first story arc which took 50 episodes for anything of note to actually happen and then another 70 to actually resolve. It's probably somewhere on the level of the blackmail story which was at least enjoyable.
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Post by newt5996 on Feb 5, 2019 3:11:14 GMT
At 954 and well well well, Barnabas is a vampire once again in what seems to be a truly incompetent decision by Jeb Hawkes, but more importantly welcome back to the show Humbert Astredo as Nicholas Blair whose meeting with Angelique is amazing. Also I really feel bad for the fact that Sky seems to be willing to betray Angelique when she actually seems to love the man. Though it is nice that Barnabas isn't responsible for Angelique's fall from grace this time around.
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Post by newt5996 on Feb 25, 2019 1:22:29 GMT
969 which ends with just an odd ending. Barnabas is searching the east wing for Megan Todd who's a vampire now which gives Marie Wallace a chance to be crazy and sees Elizabeth and Julia acting like they aren't Elizabeth or Julia. Julia I guess is a housekeeper and someone has died. I'm guessing this is that Parallel Time I've heard whispered about on the forum? But I am a fan of alternate universe stories so...
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Post by Digi on Mar 15, 2019 23:54:01 GMT
So, is there a (legal) way of watching the original series that doesn't cost a fortune? All I can find is the DVD set on Amazon--which retails for a whopping $500. I'd really like to watch the show, but there's just no way I can justify spending that much on a TV show in one shot.
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Rob Morris
Big Finish Creative Team
Avoiding this place for a while as it's become somewhat toxic.
Likes: 781
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Post by Rob Morris on Mar 16, 2019 1:29:33 GMT
So, is there a (legal) way of watching the original series that doesn't cost a fortune? All I can find is the DVD set on Amazon--which retails for a whopping $500. I'd really like to watch the show, but there's just no way I can justify spending that much on a TV show in one shot. If you have Amazon Prime it’s all on there for nothing.
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Post by Digi on Mar 16, 2019 1:47:22 GMT
So, is there a (legal) way of watching the original series that doesn't cost a fortune? All I can find is the DVD set on Amazon--which retails for a whopping $500. I'd really like to watch the show, but there's just no way I can justify spending that much on a TV show in one shot. If you have Amazon Prime it’s all on there for nothing. Ohhh is it now? I've been trying to find enough reasons to justify subscribing to Prime, that's a pretty good one to add to the list....
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Post by newt5996 on Apr 3, 2019 1:10:25 GMT
Just reached 1000 and it feels interesting considering I'm into Parallel Time, but since about episode 990 or so it feels like they've been stretching things out quite a bit because House of Dark Shadows is filming. I think people start returning after 1001 or so, so hopefully that means things will pick up again because out of the cast left behind the only characters I really like are Quentin and Alexis. I guess Amy is fine, but she's barely in it and Trask the Butler could be great though he barely appears as well. The Jekyll & Hyde storyline going on can't hold a candle to the more 'human' drama between Quentin and Alexis. It's really nice to see Lara Parker play someone who is genuinely in the good category. Christopher Penncok gives Cyrus and John some fun bits each, even if the plot is something I've seen done better elsewhere. Lisa Richards also has an actual character to play as Sabrina in Regular Time wasn't anything, and to be honest she isn't that good. Honestly I think it's just the fact that I'm missing most of the main cast is why it feels so long. Parallel Time was set up so well with Willie and Carolyn having a relationship, Roger being kind of an ahole again, and Julia being Mrs. Danvers.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2019 13:01:59 GMT
I'm sure I'm the last person on here to note that, in episode 731, Don Briscoe's latest character in DS is called ... Tim Shaw! Is The Thirteenth Doctor aware of this?
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Post by Trace on Apr 12, 2019 2:42:57 GMT
I'm sure I'm the last person on here to note that, in episode 731, Don Briscoe's latest character in DS is called ... Tim Shaw! Is The Thirteenth Doctor aware of this? How about Sebastian Shaw from X-Men/Marvel universe?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2019 9:53:48 GMT
I'm sure I'm the last person on here to note that, in episode 731, Don Briscoe's latest character in DS is called ... Tim Shaw! Is The Thirteenth Doctor aware of this? How about Sebastian Shaw from X-Men/Marvel universe? I'm not so aware of the Marvel stuff (although I used to love their horror comics from the 70s - second to none!) so I would have missed that reference. But for someone who calls himself a fan of both DS and Doctor Who, I'm appalled it has taken me so long to spot the Shaw brothers!
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Post by Hieronymus on Apr 16, 2019 0:14:02 GMT
Oh the cast changes make my head spin sometimes. The episode I'm watching begins with Dr. Woodard #3 talking to Caretaker #2.
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Post by Digi on Apr 24, 2019 0:55:56 GMT
I had intended to hold off for a while on getting Prime, until The Expanse season 4 starts up, but it's my sister's birthday next week and so I had a little shopping to do....decided to give Prime a go. Thus and therefore: I just finished watching my first-ever TV episode of Dark Shadows! Being a purely audio consumer of Dark Shadows up till this point, this is a bit different an experience for me. Much as I've always enjoyed the audios, I'd always found the scene change musical cues to be a bit of an odd affectation, which helped punctuate when scenes were ending, but still a bit odd. Now I'm going to find myself visualizing the blur and fade out! As to the actors: Roger Collins wasn't quite what I was expecting, Elizabeth was more or less what I'd anticipated, and I could tell that was Maggie as soon as she was on screen. Before she even said a single word! The biggest difference for me though is the Blue Whale. What I'd created in my head for the audios could not have been any further from the on-screen version, that's going to take a little getting used to. Or I suppose I could always head-canon that it got a big renovation sometime in the 70s so I can just carry on as before. I really love the mood it has to it though. I mean, for a show that's effectively a soap, in its very first episode, and still defining its first few characters, I couldn't believe how wonderfully they captured a tone. Which, incidentally, I now know is perfectly captured by the audio dramas
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Post by Trace on Apr 24, 2019 1:45:19 GMT
How wonderful that you have a really fun ride ahead of you! Just be ever-cognizant of the facts that: (1) it’s a 1960s soap opera so plot lines may seem interminable at times, and the pace starts out VERY slow, and (2) it was performed without stops because it was a daily show, and retakes were both time consuming and expensive. So, as long as you’re prepared for those limitations, I think you’ll love it. Have fun with the bloopers that made it to TV (these were, after all, only going to be seen one time and NEVER again!)
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Post by barnabaslives on Apr 24, 2019 6:00:50 GMT
Dark Shadows the OS is truly an amazing journey. Congratulations on taking your first step, Digi!
If you start seeing strangely shaped shadows that look suspiciously like they were cast by a microphone boom, these are the Dark Shadows referenced in the series title. ;-)
Just kidding, but they do infamously happen due to the show trying to do big things in a small space - perhaps it might make it easier to mentally picture sets for the audios to remember how much the show was working in a limited amount of space, especially later on when they stopped using live on location segments altogether. Personally I think it gives the show a very compelling atmosphere that's as claustrophobic as cozy. There's also a bit of recycling of sets as well, that can really make some of the sets seem hauntingly familiar.
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Rob Morris
Big Finish Creative Team
Avoiding this place for a while as it's become somewhat toxic.
Likes: 781
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Post by Rob Morris on Apr 24, 2019 9:37:31 GMT
Danny Horn on Dark Shadows Every Day described it thus "sometimes the show feels like it’s actually the story of a boom mic shadow and the unhappy people who live underneath it.
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Post by Digi on Apr 24, 2019 10:57:17 GMT
I got through three episodes before bed last night. As to all the boom mic shadows and flubbed lines, I couldn't help but be reminded of early Doctor Who and the Hartnell-isms I'm also finding that Collinwood seems much more claustrophobic than I've visualized it in my head in the audios. Doubtless this is down to making the show on a soap opera budget in the 60s, but I'm still finding it a little jarring. Particularly in Bloodline, I more visualize it a place of grandly large rooms, nearly to the point of absurdity (think Wayne Manor in the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton films and you're close to what I'm thinking). I will just have to let my imagination fill in the blanks Must admit I was also slightly surprised at how heavily Burke Devlin is involved in these first episodes. I'm only really familiar with the character from And Red All Over and Bloodline, so I'm not used to him being quite so prominent!
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Post by Trace on Apr 24, 2019 23:10:13 GMT
Good observations! One other thing we didn’t mention, but I’m sure you’ve heard it before: in the beginning, it was very much a gothic soap, with only supernatural “hints”....but it was not intended, at that time, to go ‘full-on-supernatural”. When that happens, much later, the pace picks up considerably! However, those early gothic-toned eps really pay off as you get to know our core characters and their motivations, and contrary to what you will read in MOST info about the early year, the keen observer will notice that the supernatural was ALWAYS there, right from the start.
Many people start with the Barnabas episodes, around 210. I think that’s a mistake, as the supernatural stuff begins wayyyyy before that, and you will shortchange yourself by skipping it.
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Post by Digi on Apr 24, 2019 23:44:09 GMT
Good observations! One other thing we didn’t mention, but I’m sure you’ve heard it before: in the beginning, it was very much a gothic soap, with only supernatural “hints”....but it was not intended, at that time, to go ‘full-on-supernatural”. When that happens, much later, the pace picks up considerably! However, those early gothic-toned eps really pay off as you get to know our core characters and their motivations, and contrary to what you will read in MOST info about the early year, the keen observer will notice that the supernatural was ALWAYS there, right from the start. Many people start with the Barnabas episodes, around 210. I think that’s a mistake, as the supernatural stuff begins wayyyyy before that, and you will shortchange yourself by skipping it. Your DS memory is impeccable! The way it's divided up on Prime is Episodes 1-209 are in a collection called "The Beginning," and then from 210 to the end are in another! This all works out rather nicely for me -- when I tackle a show or book/comic series, I hate skipping anything, so I'm very very happy to be able to start at the start.
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Post by Digi on Apr 25, 2019 1:23:05 GMT
Got a couple more episodes in today too btw...have #6 on as I type this. It's a bit of a strange experience to be watching David be a little s**t here, while twice a week I'm hearing grown-up David in Bloodline
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