Offended by the sloppy writing, that is. Can't the staff crack a book or check the Internet, and read up on religions. They had that problem with "The Poison Pen", too, which had monks of such a vague religion that it made no sense.
The "Penitites" here are the same. The act like Amish, but have trials by combat. What? And Ryan's characterization goes way out on a limb: the romance between him and Laura isn't at all convincing enough to make us think Ryan would abandon all the worldly pleasures we've seen him embrace, all because he's fallen head-over-heels with some cutie.
And what is up with Louise Robey's cheerleading routine while Ryan is fighting Matthew in the Cleansing? She's supposed to be surprised and shocked when Ryan's life is threatened, but she jumps, throws her arms up in the air, and clutches her head like a silent movie heroine. It's not one of Robey's finest moments.
The Quilt isn't bad but is seriously underused. The dream sequences are trite and make no sense: why does Effie dream of a Colonial ballroom? I get her obsession with Josiah, and his appearance in her dreams (even killing the first victim) are well done. But there's no basis for the dream setting. Plus, it's a pretty standard "If you die in your dreams, you die in real life" trope that has been done in the various 'Nightmare on Elm Street' movies. Granted, there's not much else you can do with killer dreams. But sometimes if you can't do anything with what you've chosen, move on to something else.
The guest performances aren't bad, particularly Helen Carscallen as Sarah. She brings a matter-of-fact wholeness to the proceedings. It's dumb that she confronts Effie and then... goes to bed. But IITS (It's In the Script), so off Sarah goes.
Kate Trotter isn't bad as the woman unwittingly scorned, and Carolyn Dunn as Laura is okay. She just isn't given much to work with. She does have more than she did as Laurie in "Cupid's Quiver" so there's that. It's just that Laura is more of a target for men's love, then a self-realized character in her own right. Ah, the 80s.
Scott Paulin as Josiah sports an outrageously bogus "Penitite" beard, and it's fun looking out for the spirit gum lines. There are hints of Josiah's shady financial dealings, which will pay off in part 2. Paulin was a relatively big star in '88. He was okay in the 80s 'Twilight Zone', and went on to other stuff like 'Jag' and 'Castle'. He's okay here, although Josiah spends a lot of time beseeching God.
And there's not much of Chris Wiggins. Ugh.
Overall, "Quilt" is a pretty cheesy episode. It sets the stage for part 2, but it has to do a lot of heavy lifting. Ryan has to fall in love with Laura, and decide to become a Penitite. Effie has to be set up as the villain, but there has to be a lot also set up for the "real" villain to step up in part 2. Writer Janet MacLean, in her first TV writing gig, moves all the pieces around. Barely but awkwardly.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
The "Penitites" here are the same. The act like Amish, but have trials by combat. What? And Ryan's characterization goes way out on a limb: the romance between him and Laura isn't at all convincing enough to make us think Ryan would abandon all the worldly pleasures we've seen him embrace, all because he's fallen head-over-heels with some cutie.
And what is up with Louise Robey's cheerleading routine while Ryan is fighting Matthew in the Cleansing? She's supposed to be surprised and shocked when Ryan's life is threatened, but she jumps, throws her arms up in the air, and clutches her head like a silent movie heroine. It's not one of Robey's finest moments.
The Quilt isn't bad but is seriously underused. The dream sequences are trite and make no sense: why does Effie dream of a Colonial ballroom? I get her obsession with Josiah, and his appearance in her dreams (even killing the first victim) are well done. But there's no basis for the dream setting. Plus, it's a pretty standard "If you die in your dreams, you die in real life" trope that has been done in the various 'Nightmare on Elm Street' movies. Granted, there's not much else you can do with killer dreams. But sometimes if you can't do anything with what you've chosen, move on to something else.
The guest performances aren't bad, particularly Helen Carscallen as Sarah. She brings a matter-of-fact wholeness to the proceedings. It's dumb that she confronts Effie and then... goes to bed. But IITS (It's In the Script), so off Sarah goes.
Kate Trotter isn't bad as the woman unwittingly scorned, and Carolyn Dunn as Laura is okay. She just isn't given much to work with. She does have more than she did as Laurie in "Cupid's Quiver" so there's that. It's just that Laura is more of a target for men's love, then a self-realized character in her own right. Ah, the 80s.
Scott Paulin as Josiah sports an outrageously bogus "Penitite" beard, and it's fun looking out for the spirit gum lines. There are hints of Josiah's shady financial dealings, which will pay off in part 2. Paulin was a relatively big star in '88. He was okay in the 80s 'Twilight Zone', and went on to other stuff like 'Jag' and 'Castle'. He's okay here, although Josiah spends a lot of time beseeching God.
And there's not much of Chris Wiggins. Ugh.
Overall, "Quilt" is a pretty cheesy episode. It sets the stage for part 2, but it has to do a lot of heavy lifting. Ryan has to fall in love with Laura, and decide to become a Penitite. Effie has to be set up as the villain, but there has to be a lot also set up for the "real" villain to step up in part 2. Writer Janet MacLean, in her first TV writing gig, moves all the pieces around. Barely but awkwardly.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?