Martin Neufeld plays another in the show's line of stringy haired, bad-teethed losers. His character, Howard Moore, gets hold of a cursed antique, a Bauble belonging to Mesmer, and hijinks ensue as Howard goes to hunt down the object of his obsession, rock star Angelica (played by real-life singer Vanity, who was busy in the 80s doing syndicated TV like 'F13' and 'Highlander' when her career as a singer crashed and burned). She does look good in her underwear: you've come a long way, baby!
And Angelica tries to have sex with Howard, less than a day after her lover and manager apparently killed himself. Impressive period of mourning. It turns Angelica from a vaguely sympathetic presence (since before she was talking about her fans and how they deserve better treatment than her former manager, Roger, gave them) to a shallow personality who is willing to dump one lover who dies, when she gets another.
In fairness, the episode (supposedly called "The Secret Agenda of Mesmer's Bauble", on its first airing, but I saw it then and it wasn't, and the episode title card and the official DVD say it's "Mesmer's Bauble") take a turn to the dark when it turns out that Howard isn't so much obsessed with Angelica, as _becoming_ Angelica. This puts a different spin on Howard's obsession, and gives the episode a decent fourth-act twist.
Neufeld himself was mostly "big" in the 1980s and 1990. He's well-cast here (as he was in last season's "The Great Montarro") as a vaguely androgynous creepazoid. The open-shirt look he rocks early-on does him no favors, but hey, it was the 80s. It's odd, that at least to me Neufeld doesn't look any different before and after he "beautifies" himself. Other than the removal of a few makeup pimples. Howard still looks creepy, whether the Bauble made him "beautiful" or not. I guess even Satan has his limits.
Granted, Neufeld does make an impression with his whitish hair and the white clothing he wears later after his transformation. So he's better than Forest that way. And Neufeld is better later when he embraces the power of the Bauble. I like his dainty wiping of blood off of his white clothing after he compels Roger to cut himself to death.
Also, the episode makes an effective statement about fandom and the "loser" fans who obsess about celebrities. At least, it's more effective than "Face of Evil"'s message about the obsession with beauty in celebrities. And Neufeld delicately walks the line between Forest-style creepiness and a sympathetic loser. "Bauble" doesn't go as overboard with the whole celebrity angle as "Face" did, either.
The episode and the show doesn't make much of either one of Neufeld's vaguely LGBT/androgynous appearances, and his (magical) transformation from a man into a woman. Other than to show him as a not-nice guy. These days the production staff would probably try to push the message more. How they would do that, when the show seemed commited to making the item-wielders mostly bad guys, who knows?
Howard's merging with Angelica is effectively done, complete with some liquid goo. Although why does "magic" need detritus from a biological transformation? As is Howard's reversion to part-Angelica/part-Howard at the end when the cousins grab the Bauble. Both scenes are some nice body-horror.
Overall, "Bauble" is a decent episode. As I've noted before, episodes are more effective when they're dwelling on sympathetic people affected by the items, rather than the cousins. It's a shame that nobody is presented as that sympathetic.
As far as performances, Neufeld is okay. He's not given much to do except play creepy loser, even when he gussies up. Vanity is okay, as she often was in the 80s. Lemay and Robey run around and follow the trail of clues, but don't really do anything or get much to react to. Wiggins is barely present in the episode. Nobody else gets much to do.
The Bauble itself is rather ill-defined. It gives the user "what they want": don't they all? It mesmerizes the people who get in Howard's way, it acts as an acne-removal medication, and it lets him merge with Angelica to "become" her. None of it makes a lick of sense: it might as well be a magic lamp. But it sure looks and sounds impressive.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
And Angelica tries to have sex with Howard, less than a day after her lover and manager apparently killed himself. Impressive period of mourning. It turns Angelica from a vaguely sympathetic presence (since before she was talking about her fans and how they deserve better treatment than her former manager, Roger, gave them) to a shallow personality who is willing to dump one lover who dies, when she gets another.
In fairness, the episode (supposedly called "The Secret Agenda of Mesmer's Bauble", on its first airing, but I saw it then and it wasn't, and the episode title card and the official DVD say it's "Mesmer's Bauble") take a turn to the dark when it turns out that Howard isn't so much obsessed with Angelica, as _becoming_ Angelica. This puts a different spin on Howard's obsession, and gives the episode a decent fourth-act twist.
Neufeld himself was mostly "big" in the 1980s and 1990. He's well-cast here (as he was in last season's "The Great Montarro") as a vaguely androgynous creepazoid. The open-shirt look he rocks early-on does him no favors, but hey, it was the 80s. It's odd, that at least to me Neufeld doesn't look any different before and after he "beautifies" himself. Other than the removal of a few makeup pimples. Howard still looks creepy, whether the Bauble made him "beautiful" or not. I guess even Satan has his limits.
Granted, Neufeld does make an impression with his whitish hair and the white clothing he wears later after his transformation. So he's better than Forest that way. And Neufeld is better later when he embraces the power of the Bauble. I like his dainty wiping of blood off of his white clothing after he compels Roger to cut himself to death.
Also, the episode makes an effective statement about fandom and the "loser" fans who obsess about celebrities. At least, it's more effective than "Face of Evil"'s message about the obsession with beauty in celebrities. And Neufeld delicately walks the line between Forest-style creepiness and a sympathetic loser. "Bauble" doesn't go as overboard with the whole celebrity angle as "Face" did, either.
The episode and the show doesn't make much of either one of Neufeld's vaguely LGBT/androgynous appearances, and his (magical) transformation from a man into a woman. Other than to show him as a not-nice guy. These days the production staff would probably try to push the message more. How they would do that, when the show seemed commited to making the item-wielders mostly bad guys, who knows?
Howard's merging with Angelica is effectively done, complete with some liquid goo. Although why does "magic" need detritus from a biological transformation? As is Howard's reversion to part-Angelica/part-Howard at the end when the cousins grab the Bauble. Both scenes are some nice body-horror.
Overall, "Bauble" is a decent episode. As I've noted before, episodes are more effective when they're dwelling on sympathetic people affected by the items, rather than the cousins. It's a shame that nobody is presented as that sympathetic.
As far as performances, Neufeld is okay. He's not given much to do except play creepy loser, even when he gussies up. Vanity is okay, as she often was in the 80s. Lemay and Robey run around and follow the trail of clues, but don't really do anything or get much to react to. Wiggins is barely present in the episode. Nobody else gets much to do.
The Bauble itself is rather ill-defined. It gives the user "what they want": don't they all? It mesmerizes the people who get in Howard's way, it acts as an acne-removal medication, and it lets him merge with Angelica to "become" her. None of it makes a lick of sense: it might as well be a magic lamp. But it sure looks and sounds impressive.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
