Random observations - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

BensonFan · 03-28-2007, 09:48 PM

In another thread we've mentioned some things you might not notice if someone didn't point them out. So I figured we could dedicate an entire thread to them.

The fact that you never see the lobby area where Marcy's desk is after she left or Benson's office as Budget Director after he became Lt Governor was mentioned.

I also mentioned the hall just outside the Governor's office. In the early episodes when Marcy was there, his office door opened straight into the lobby area. In later episodes, a hallway just outside his office was constructed.

I also just noticed the Governor's door. In early episodes, to enter the Governor's office, the door had to be pulled toward oneself. Later on it opened in the opposite direction with a push.

As I notice other things I'll post them. Feel free to post your own observations. (And yes, I watch this show way too much...

)

svt65 · 03-29-2007, 12:33 AM

I was wondering about those doors myself. The sets have doors that open both ways (i.e. some doors open away from the user and others towards).
I've never been in a place that had them coming toward me.

And who picked the color for the Benson's bathroom (lt. gov) -- what did he say it was? Pink? I'd have it changed too!

BensonFan · 03-29-2007, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svt65

I was wondering about those doors myself. The sets have doors that open both ways (i.e. some doors open away from the user and others towards).
I've never been in a place that had them coming toward me.

And who picked the color for the Benson's bathroom (lt. gov) -- what did he say it was? Pink? I'd have it changed too!

He did say it was pink, didn't he? But I didn't see him ever having a pink bathroom.

You do remind me though, of another interesting observation. The bathroom in his Lt Governor's office. It showed up towards the end of the series to his right as he sat at his desk. It wasn't there when he first became Lt Governor!
And speaking of that bathroom, who would have a see-through window in a bathroom? Would you really want someone peeking in on you as you did your business?

Oh yeah, I also mentioned (in another thread) the Governor wearing his wedding band throughout much of the show's run despite being a widower, but it's appropriate for this thread. I imagine this was James Noble's real-life wedding band.

svt65 · 03-30-2007, 02:38 AM

OK, this is the last bathroom-related message! However, I do have to say I liked the little bathroom downstairs. It was so cute.

Anyway…

I’ve been watching Season 1 eps and I have grown to appreciate Taylor. I had absolutely no memory of him being in the show (from when I was a kid), so discovering him has been nice. I wish he’d had a “farewell” episode though.

BensonFan · 03-30-2007, 06:45 PM

Taylor could be a real twit but he did have a certain "charm" to him at times. His laugh used to crack me up (not that you heard it that often!) and occasionally he'd have a pretty funny line.

I did prefer the Clayton character but here's an observation about Clayton. Did you notice that at the beginning of his employment at the mansion, he was especially cocky, confident, and often demanding to those below him in stature (Kraus, Marcy, and even Benson)? Then, as the show moved along and his career wasn't moving quite as well as he had hoped, he began to lose confidence and became more subservient to those around him, particularly Benson as he climbed the ladder. Recall the episode when Benson ran for Governor and Clayton said, "You are a winner, sir." Wow, Clayton calling Benson "sir"?! In the beginning, he would say things to Benson like, "Do I make myself clear?" (I thought they went a bit overboard in "The Bucks Stop Here" though, when they showed Clayton sucking his thumb after being reprimanded by his father. We know he fell from grace, but jeez!)

BensonFan · 04-01-2007, 10:12 PM

I was just watching "Jung At Heart" and I'm pretty sure the doctor's office used at the end of the episode is Benson's old Budget Director office. Looks pretty similar!

svt65 · 04-02-2007, 12:11 AM

I do like Clayton, and his character was allowed to grow as the show continued, not always for the best, but always complicated. His relations with his father (“The Endicott Dynasty”) made me think his dad was rather disappointed in him, and from the son’s side, it was a constant trial to gain approval. Quite sad; I felt sorry for both.

The thumb sucking (pitiful as it was) paralleled with how he reacted in fear mode. His brother had to sing to him to soothe him as a boy (as he rocked and whimpered). And when Gene would finally lose his temper and yell at him, Clayton would *literally* cringe.

However, I was happy to see him with his Svetlana (“Secret Love”) -- finally some appreciative love in his life! Yet even here he treated her as a hidden treasure, unable to tell anyone of her; fear of losing her to someone worthier?

But at the end of that episode he also showed how he used to get his way with his father, crying, begging, and scaring people off with exaggerated emotion. And getting their contempt and disgust as well.

Clayton is complex, but the fact that he was -- at his core -- looking for love, makes me like him nonetheless.

I also been thinking about the Governor and the relations with*his* father, but that’s another story...

BensonFan · 04-26-2007, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svt65

I was wondering about those doors myself. The sets have doors that open both ways (i.e. some doors open away from the user and others towards).
I've never been in a place that had them coming toward me.

I was just watching some of the early episodes and so far only in the episode "Power Play" does the door open toward you as you enter the Governor's office. Maybe it was just that 1 episode(?)

svt65 · 06-01-2007, 08:20 PM

OK, finally noticed that Marcy's office had transformed into hallway. Maybe it was that part of the building that was so damaged in the earthquake; didn't the security guy say it had been in the gov's wing? It's been a while since I saw that ep.

Also noticed in "Secret Love" that the little signs with the senators' names had the names peeled off. Looked like only some adhesive remained, but nary a name.

BensonFan · 06-01-2007, 09:15 PM

Here's another thing I was thinking as I watched the episode "One Strike, You're Out": That dining room was so awesome-looking; why didn't they ever show it again? We mostly saw the kitchen and the living room in the mansion--I think they really should have focused a lot more on other areas of the mansion than they did. That dining room should have been in several episodes.

svt65 · 06-01-2007, 09:33 PM

Agreed. We can only imagine they had various dinners there for special guests since the staff prefers the kitchen. I always think of the ep where Clayton was working on a train project and they wanted to have an dinner to sell the plan to the government people.

I also have a partiality for Katie's room b/c of the Pooh bear there, but it'd be hard to conduct business with those little chairs!

BensonFan · 06-13-2007, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svt65

I also have a partiality for Katie's room b/c of the Pooh bear there, but it'd be hard to conduct business with those little chairs!

Yeah, the Governor ended up on his butt trying to get out of one of those chairs.

catlover79 · 09-18-2007, 12:22 AM

Taylor and Marcy were both very good dancers - I was impressed at how well Lewis Stadlen and Caroline McWilliams did the waltz in the kitchen. This of course was the episode where Benson, Marcy and Katie are trying to teach Kraus to dance before her big date with the butcher. Gov. Gatling and Taylor come in the kitchen and just join in the fun.

Did Taylor/Clayton, Pete, ANYONE have an office besides Gov. Gatling? You'd think in that huge house, there would be more office space.

Always watch where you're walking - you could trip over a bearskin rug at any time.

BensonFan · 09-18-2007, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Did Taylor/Clayton, Pete, ANYONE have an office besides Gov. Gatling? You'd think in that huge house, there would be more office space.

From what has been mentioned in certain episodes, yes they all did have offices and I wish we could have seen them. That's also what I meant by my earlier post in this thread that I wish they would have shown more of the mansion. Especially since this show was a spinoff of Soap and if you saw that show at all, you know they must have shown a ton of different sets.

And not sure if I mentioned this, but in some episodes the Governor's office looks a lot smaller. That wall where his closet is seems a lot closer to his desk around Season 3; it's really weird.

svt65 · 09-19-2007, 12:13 AM

The Governor’s office mutates apparently! :-D

For the others, I recall Clayton looking for Pete in his office, and I think Denise once had to go to Clayton’s to fill in for his secretary. Benson has his as Budget Director.

And of course, there’s that corner office Benson gets as Lt. Gov. I get the feeling that neither of the previous Lt. Governors had an office in the Mansion, though definitely at the Capital building.

Where Gene has another office…

……

OK, I’m out of office ideas!

03-28-2007, 09:48 PM	#1
BensonFan Board Psychologist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 16, 2004 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 2,733	Random observations In another thread we've mentioned some things you might not notice if someone didn't point them out. So I figured we could dedicate an entire thread to them. The fact that you never see the lobby area where Marcy's desk is after she left or Benson's office as Budget Director after he became Lt Governor was mentioned. I also mentioned the hall just outside the Governor's office. In the early episodes when Marcy was there, his office door opened straight into the lobby area. In later episodes, a hallway just outside his office was constructed. I also just noticed the Governor's door. In early episodes, to enter the Governor's office, the door had to be pulled toward oneself. Later on it opened in the opposite direction with a push. As I notice other things I'll post them. Feel free to post your own observations. (And yes, I watch this show way too much... )
	__________________ HEY, SONY: Thank you for Benson, Season 2! Now can we get started on Season 3 plans?

09-18-2007, 12:22 AM	#13
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Taylor and Marcy were both very good dancers - I was impressed at how well Lewis Stadlen and Caroline McWilliams did the waltz in the kitchen. This of course was the episode where Benson, Marcy and Katie are trying to teach Kraus to dance before her big date with the butcher. Gov. Gatling and Taylor come in the kitchen and just join in the fun. Did Taylor/Clayton, Pete, ANYONE have an office besides Gov. Gatling? You'd think in that huge house, there would be more office space. Always watch where you're walking - you could trip over a bearskin rug at any time.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

03-29-2007, 12:33 AM	#2
svt65 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 07, 2006 Location: SoCal, USA Posts: 147	I was wondering about those doors myself. The sets have doors that open both ways (i.e. some doors open away from the user and others towards). I've never been in a place that had them coming toward me. And who picked the color for the Benson's bathroom (lt. gov) -- what did he say it was? Pink? I'd have it changed too!

03-30-2007, 02:38 AM	#4
svt65 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 07, 2006 Location: SoCal, USA Posts: 147	OK, this is the last bathroom-related message! However, I do have to say I liked the little bathroom downstairs. It was so cute. Anyway… I’ve been watching Season 1 eps and I have grown to appreciate Taylor. I had absolutely no memory of him being in the show (from when I was a kid), so discovering him has been nice. I wish he’d had a “farewell” episode though.

03-30-2007, 06:45 PM	#5
BensonFan Board Psychologist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 16, 2004 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 2,733	Taylor could be a real twit but he did have a certain "charm" to him at times. His laugh used to crack me up (not that you heard it that often!) and occasionally he'd have a pretty funny line. I did prefer the Clayton character but here's an observation about Clayton. Did you notice that at the beginning of his employment at the mansion, he was especially cocky, confident, and often demanding to those below him in stature (Kraus, Marcy, and even Benson)? Then, as the show moved along and his career wasn't moving quite as well as he had hoped, he began to lose confidence and became more subservient to those around him, particularly Benson as he climbed the ladder. Recall the episode when Benson ran for Governor and Clayton said, "You are a winner, sir." Wow, Clayton calling Benson "sir"?! In the beginning, he would say things to Benson like, "Do I make myself clear?" (I thought they went a bit overboard in "The Bucks Stop Here" though, when they showed Clayton sucking his thumb after being reprimanded by his father. We know he fell from grace, but jeez!)

04-01-2007, 10:12 PM	#6
BensonFan Board Psychologist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 16, 2004 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 2,733	I was just watching "Jung At Heart" and I'm pretty sure the doctor's office used at the end of the episode is Benson's old Budget Director office. Looks pretty similar!

04-02-2007, 12:11 AM	#7
svt65 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 07, 2006 Location: SoCal, USA Posts: 147	I do like Clayton, and his character was allowed to grow as the show continued, not always for the best, but always complicated. His relations with his father (“The Endicott Dynasty”) made me think his dad was rather disappointed in him, and from the son’s side, it was a constant trial to gain approval. Quite sad; I felt sorry for both. The thumb sucking (pitiful as it was) paralleled with how he reacted in fear mode. His brother had to sing to him to soothe him as a boy (as he rocked and whimpered). And when Gene would finally lose his temper and yell at him, Clayton would literally cringe. However, I was happy to see him with his Svetlana (“Secret Love”) -- finally some appreciative love in his life! Yet even here he treated her as a hidden treasure, unable to tell anyone of her; fear of losing her to someone worthier? But at the end of that episode he also showed how he used to get his way with his father, crying, begging, and scaring people off with exaggerated emotion. And getting their contempt and disgust as well. Clayton is complex, but the fact that he was -- at his core -- looking for love, makes me like him nonetheless. I also been thinking about the Governor and the relations withhis father, but that’s another story...

06-01-2007, 08:20 PM	#9
svt65 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 07, 2006 Location: SoCal, USA Posts: 147	OK, finally noticed that Marcy's office had transformed into hallway. Maybe it was that part of the building that was so damaged in the earthquake; didn't the security guy say it had been in the gov's wing? It's been a while since I saw that ep. Also noticed in "Secret Love" that the little signs with the senators' names had the names peeled off. Looked like only some adhesive remained, but nary a name.

06-01-2007, 09:15 PM	#10
BensonFan Board Psychologist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 16, 2004 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 2,733	Here's another thing I was thinking as I watched the episode "One Strike, You're Out": That dining room was so awesome-looking; why didn't they ever show it again? We mostly saw the kitchen and the living room in the mansion--I think they really should have focused a lot more on other areas of the mansion than they did. That dining room should have been in several episodes.

06-01-2007, 09:33 PM	#11
svt65 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 07, 2006 Location: SoCal, USA Posts: 147	Agreed. We can only imagine they had various dinners there for special guests since the staff prefers the kitchen. I always think of the ep where Clayton was working on a train project and they wanted to have an dinner to sell the plan to the government people. I also have a partiality for Katie's room b/c of the Pooh bear there, but it'd be hard to conduct business with those little chairs!

09-19-2007, 12:13 AM	#15
svt65 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 07, 2006 Location: SoCal, USA Posts: 147	The Governor’s office mutates apparently! :-D For the others, I recall Clayton looking for Pete in his office, and I think Denise once had to go to Clayton’s to fill in for his secretary. Benson has his as Budget Director. And of course, there’s that corner office Benson gets as Lt. Gov. I get the feeling that neither of the previous Lt. Governors had an office in the Mansion, though definitely at the Capital building. Where Gene has another office… …… OK, I’m out of office ideas!