Most Memorable Episodes - Episode 1

Airdate: 30 July, 1984

Season: 1

Episode: 1

Written by: 

Bridget and Jerome Dobson

Why this is a memorable episode:

well, because this is the first episode. This is the beginning of our beloved saga. Drama, mystery, thriller, humor all together into a throw of dice. A great cast, good writing, excellent directing.

Weak points:

the show is still far from its golden age: the 1985-86 season. Mason, for example, does not have its typical bite. CC is one-dimensional. Augusta does not want Perkins return to the city. We never figured out why. Joe Perkins looks like a beaten dog, he does not raise the empathy the character needs.

Strong points:

the golden boy is murdered after two minutes from the beginning of the show. The alleged murderess is his the boyfriend of the golden boy’s sister. He returns to town to discover the identity of the real killer and win back his love. A real bomb.

Strongest character:

Minx Lockridge (Dame Judith Anderson). All the other actors are a bit stiff. She shines, stubborn and disrespectful. A legend.

Most unnecessary character:

Danny Andrade has little more than a token role. Augusta’s henchmen have more lines than him.

Rosa Andrade: her major line is “Santaaana”.

Best choice directing:

the parallelism between Channing Jr. and Mason emerges as a rivalry thanks to a series of images. Note the synchronized movement of the extras hiding Channing jr until he and Santana look at each other for the last time.

Worst Ensemble / Least Chemistry:

Santana/Mason – Santana/Channing jr. Her best line is: “Shhhhh”. Excellent, Ms. Andrade!

Greatest improbability:

July 30, 1984. After five years Joe Perkins is released from prison for good behaviour. American law is quite bizarre: just five years of good behavior are enough for a man sentenced for murder to be released? In fact, when it was revealed that Sophia killed him by accident, she was sentenced to a few hours of community service. Perhaps the murderess of Channing Jr. was not to be punished, but rewarded. So Mason was right.

 

Worst dressed:

Absolutely Santana. During Kelly and Peter's engagement party, she has taken away the maid's uniform to show off the evening dress. And what a dress! Was that perhaps an homage to the NBC peacock's tail?

Worst hairstyle:

Do you think that Robin Wright is too beautiful? No problem: in place of her hair put a big boiled onion and the game is done. Now she seems to be the nephew of Grandma Duck.

The biggest absent:

Eden Capwell. Someone kills her brother and she is not present. Her sister is officially engaged to a future serial killer and she is not present. In fact Marcy Walker was still under contract with All My Children.

The faster rising:

Santana Andrade. July 30, 1979: Santana is a waitress at the Capwell Mansion. July 30, 1984: In just five years Santana has become a popular interior designer, one of the guest stars at the Capwell party. In Italy she probably would have become Prime Minister.

Dumbest line:

“It’s like it’s yesterday”… CC says this remembering Channing’s death. CC please, next time, when your daughter Kelly decides to get engaged, maybe you may not set the party on the same day in which five years ago your beloved son was murdered. A really questionable choice. Jed Allan would never have done that. While time does not pass for CC, instead for Marisa Perkins seems like a lifetime ago. Watch, please

That said, reminding you that this is a game, let's watch the first episode of Santa Barbara. Are you agree with my thoughts? Which categories would you add?