Good Morning, Charlie: A Charlie's Angels Rewatch Podcast

Episode Eleven: The Seance

Chris Berryman & Colby Smith

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0:00 | 26:35

UPDATED!
Spirits are summoned!

And they are all named Beamish!

Colby takes the lead in this week's breakdown of an iconic episode that, once again, harkens back to Kelly's days in an orphanage. 

A psychic's right-hand man is playing her for a fool, along with her clients, as he manipulates more than just the table thumping and flying trumpets for his own personal gain. 

You'd think she'd have seen that coming!

Join us for S1E11: "The Seance," and listen all the way to the end. Sometimes, there are little bonus bits-n-things-n-stuff.


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SPEAKER_02

Heads up, Angels. While our podcast is suitable for all ages, keep in mind these episodes were produced in a different era and may include scenes of danger, crime, or themes some listeners may find sensitive or outdated. When doing our rewatch, we do our very best to discuss everything with care, context, and compassion, and always with a love for the show and respect for our listeners.

SPEAKER_00

Last time on Good Morning Charlie.

SPEAKER_02

And coming up, the happy honestly Steve to your sympathetic vibration in the beginning of the video. Alright, well, here we go. Colby, how are you? You've been very busy before we started recording yelling at me about things I should know related to Harper Valley PTA. Now that you've calmed down and I have a little drinky, catch us up. When last we spoke, you were doing some pretty intense physical therapy.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, I'm still doing my physical therapy. Uh actually have an appointment tomorrow. Um unfortunately, this past week uh was a little more painful than I uh thought it was going to be.

SPEAKER_02

Oh no, did you take a turn?

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. Um I mean, I'm really hoping that it means I'm really working, you know, the muscles pretty well. Um, so we will hopefully uh see some improvement tomorrow with all of my exercises. What about you? What are you up to?

SPEAKER_02

Well, now I'm worried about you, and I I I feel the need because I you know I care about you so much. You're one of the dearest people in my life, and that's why I have to ask this what could be deemed intrusive question. Who is your durable power of attorney and can it be me?

SPEAKER_01

I am Lydia Diet of Sound Mind and Body, and Don't bring up Beetlejuice now.

SPEAKER_02

I'm still too tender. Hold on. I need a little sip. Hold on. Are you watching the Olympics?

SPEAKER_01

I am watching the Olympics. I really enjoy figure skating. I love watching it. Amazing athletes. Uh, I also enjoy watching downhill skiing.

SPEAKER_02

I've only skied twice in my life, and one time I ended up plastered to the side of a snowblower, and the other time I ended up wrapped up in that orange safety netting like a giant Tootsie roll with my skis sticking out like the parts you pull on each end.

SPEAKER_01

I want to see like a little crisp shape cut out in the snow.

SPEAKER_02

It was awful. I didn't even know the Olympics were happening until I was out with I was out with friends Sunday having drinks. And there was so much skating on. I said, why is there a lot of things?

SPEAKER_01

I love figure skating.

SPEAKER_02

Skating on. It makes me nervous. I can't look at it because I'm nervous they're gonna they're gonna trip and chip a tooth right there on the ice. Can you imagine?

SPEAKER_01

Uh you know what? We'll talk about that more. The beginning of next season.

SPEAKER_02

I just hope if you fall and chip a tooth, someone has durable power of attorney and can make decisions for you on your behalf. Today we're breaking down the seance. It's episode 11 of season one. The original air date was December 15th, 1976. It comes in at just under 50 minutes. This episode is produced by Barney Rosenzweig. He is a two-time Emmy winner for his work on Cagney and Lacey, written by Robert Dennis. He has worked on many a pod fave. Some of my particular favorites would be the$6 million man, TJ Hooker, and the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, directed by George Brooks, Heart to Heart, Fantasy Island, Starsky and Hutch the Colby's Love Boat, Mod Squad, and here is a quick episode breakdown. The Angels are asked to investigate stolen jewels at the home of Grace Rodahaver. Say that ten times fast, along with Barney Rosenzweig. The Angels suspect an inside job, and they start with background checks on her inner circle, including a spiritual advisor played by one of my fave character actresses. The name of this character, the spiritual advisor, is Madame Dorian.

SPEAKER_01

Awesome character name. I think they did a great job.

SPEAKER_02

Huh?

SPEAKER_01

I like the name of this character, Madame Dorian. I just think it's a great name.

SPEAKER_02

I'm very happy for the two of you. Colby, take us into the episode.

SPEAKER_01

Miss Rodahaver is getting ready to depart her estate when the phone rings. She utters very few responses before walking in a trance-like state and opening a safe behind a portrait of her late husband, then removing a piece of jewelry from the safe. I believe we are meant to assume it is a diamond and very valuable jewelry.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, I think that's a safe assumption. People don't put like their TV remote in a safe behind a portrait of their late husband.

SPEAKER_01

Moments later, after she is driven away, a van pulls in and we see an unknown man retrieve a package hidden in a sculpture on the grounds of the Rodahaber estate.

SPEAKER_02

Now she is played by Gertrude Flynn, born in 1909. She's been in movies such as Funny Girl. I know her from a summer place. The next day we started auditioning for Chief Wiggams replacement.

SPEAKER_03

It's the theme. The theme.

SPEAKER_01

Bosley and the Angels are now with Miss Rodahaver and her insurance company, or a representative from her insurance company, discussing the recent robberies, three in the past three months, all expensive jewelry and all insured items. Miss Rhodahaver explains the angel's presence as well as her relationship with her spiritual advisor, Madame Dorian. After questioning Miss Rhoda Haver and examining the safe, the angel set out to get information on the estate staff as well as close friends of Miss Rodahaver. Sabrina decides it may be best that she stay in the house with Miss Rhodahaver. I have to say, in this scene, Kelly looks so beautiful. She's wearing this sort of like pale pink blouse uh that has a pussy bow, and she's also wearing a um a blazer. Her hair looks fantastic. The wardrobe is beautiful. Uh, and when I was re-watching the episode, and she like turns around and was like, oh my god, Kelly looks so amazing.

SPEAKER_02

Odd. You've not complimented me at all tonight on my pussy bow. Guess it's because I guess I don't have mysterious jewels in a safe that may or may not, as one assumes, be valuable. Sabrina, and it there's little bits of comedy throughout this episode. I enjoyed it. She refers to the work of the safe cracker.

SPEAKER_06

Well, looks like the work of a regular Jimmy Valentine.

SPEAKER_02

In case you don't know who Jimmy Valentine is supposed to be, well, that was my stripper name back in the 70s, as well as the protagonist of a short story written by O. Henry, a safe cracker who reforms his life after what? Falling in love. Maybe I'll reform my life after falling in love. Who can say?

SPEAKER_01

Bosley is now dressed as a chauffeur. Jill has concocted a plan that he is the staff to Kelly. Kelly is now a Texas oil heiress whose father has passed and she does not know what to do financially or spiritually. Sabrina is trying to understand Rhoda Haver's relationship with Madame Dorian as she follows Mrs. Rhoda Haver on her daily routine. While Jill and Kelly investigate the workplace of Madame Dorian. At the home of Madame Dorian, Jill and Kelly implement their cover. We meet Terence, who decides to do a pre-interview to make sure their need to meet with Madame Dorian is legitimate. He must interview Miss Osling, who Kelly is undercover as. Terence begins to hypnotize Kelly with music from a large music box, uh, which is not playing during the scene. It is dubbed in post. Yes, we find out that apparently Kelly is extremely susceptible to being uh hypnotized. Terence completed the interview and will let Kelly see Madame Dorian later that same evening.

SPEAKER_02

Hey, have you ever been hypnotized?

SPEAKER_01

No.

SPEAKER_02

Well, look into this watch. Look at look into my eyes. Look around my eyes, not around my eyes, but look. Look into my eyes. Look into my eyes. No, it's not easy. Don't look around the eyes. Look into my eyes. Directly in my eyes.

SPEAKER_01

The amount of times they use hypnization and dark shadows is so ridiculous.

SPEAKER_02

Hypnozation? If you or someone you love is suffering from hypnotization, perhaps. Okay, let me start. Hypnotize is the no, we're leaving that in. Have you ever been hypnotizationalized? Hypnotized.

SPEAKER_01

No, but uh then I said it the wrong way. The amount of times they used hypnotizing as a trope, I guess.

SPEAKER_02

Have you ever been hypnotized?

SPEAKER_01

No, I've never been hypnotized, but I've also never been like uh to a show or in any environment where there would be someone hypnotizing people.

SPEAKER_02

Renee Oberginois plays Madame Dorian's partner, as it turns out, in crime. He love, been on everything. Love, Bionic Woman, Wonder Woman, Rookies, Heart to Heart. Colby, Smokey Mountain Christmas.

SPEAKER_01

Uh-huh. He plays um, he plays Dolly's like manager. He's only in one scene, but I love Reneo Bourgeon.

SPEAKER_02

When when did we talk about Smoky Mountain Christmas? Was that in our first episode?

SPEAKER_01

It was in, yes, our first episode when we're talking about um what's his face, Bo Hopkins, because he's in it.

SPEAKER_02

He has also been in many a Disney thing. He was uh Prince Eric's uh butler right-hand man in The Little Mermaid. I knew him, Get Ready Everyone, from Benson. Then one day I turn on the TV and he shows up in Star Trek Deep Space Nine and was flawless. I love me some him.

SPEAKER_01

I I really did like his character and um Deep Space Nine. They did a lot of interesting episodes with his character.

SPEAKER_02

They really did. They did. So, all right. So we see Kelly getting hypnotized. We don't quite realize, though, that Kelly herself is really being hypnotized. She's not faking it. Um, but then they go on some fun shopping. It was kind of cute, right? They go shopping.

SPEAKER_01

Are you explaining my episode?

SPEAKER_02

Who it uh does everyone hear? Does everyone hear? Well, God forbid I speak. Go ahead and start. They're doing shopping. Oh god, I shouldn't have even said that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so Chris is right. They are shopping for what to wear to a seance. I don't know that that is um a particularly important engagement to go shopping for. Now we meet Madame Dorian, a lovely actress that we will meet again in a later season. The seance begins, and the audience sees Terrence operating knobs and buttons that activate props and noises. Kelly, however, is not reacting to Jill because the music being played was the same music used to hypnotize her. Kelly begins speaking in the voice of a child talking to someone named Beamish and asking for her doll Lilybeth.

SPEAKER_05

I get so scared and alone. Oh Beamish, please let me have Lilybeth, Lily Beth company.

SPEAKER_02

Alright, I have so much to say. I'm just gonna start in. Are you ready? First of all, Colby, it is this episode that I I I this is the first episode we've uh reviewed and broken down. I remember watching as a child.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, that's nice.

SPEAKER_02

And you know why I remember watching it? So I would have been eight years old. I was born in 1968. Do you know why I remember this episode? Because of the number of times they say the name Beamish in this episode. And at eight years old, I remember thinking, why?

SPEAKER_01

What the hell is a beamish?

SPEAKER_02

Who wrote this? They're saying beamish every other s this will all make sense, you guys, here in a little bit.

SPEAKER_01

Um will it I don't know.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, you're doing the breakdown, so you tell me. My if I shake my magic eight ball, it says all signs point to no. But what it did you all right, when you saw the floating instruments, the tambourine and the trumpets and the bugle.

SPEAKER_01

I thought it was uh a drum, maybe? I don't remember.

SPEAKER_02

Drum? What did it make you think of?

SPEAKER_06

Oh, come on. You've checked out Bunko artists before. McDorian's just gonna do the old tambourine and trumpet routine. You'll be out of there in 20 minutes.

SPEAKER_05

I get so scared and alone. Oh, please let me have Lily Bed, Lily Beth company.

SPEAKER_01

Of course it makes me think of Madame Leota doing her supplications in the Haunted Mansion.

SPEAKER_02

The Haunted Mansion attraction. Why do you think those instruments were there during the Madame Leota Haunted Mansion seance?

SPEAKER_01

Because they're fun?

SPEAKER_02

Yes, because they're fun. Colby, I'd love to do a special.

SPEAKER_01

Does the trumpet have a significance in?

SPEAKER_02

Yes. I would love to do it.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I can't wait to hear about it.

SPEAKER_02

I would love to do a mini sode breaking down the spiritualist movement.

SPEAKER_01

The angels are done for the evening, and Kelly has no recollection of the voice she was doing and is very irritable and departs in a huff. Sabrina and Jill discuss what happened to Kelly, not remembering anything, and they start to worry. Bosley, of course, is the chauffeur, and he's dropped the angels off all individually. But Jill and Sabrina agree to check on Kelly once they are home. Later, Kelly is seen dreaming about her past at the orphanage and being disciplined by Beamish and forced to stay in a closet. Kelly is awakened by a phone call. This is a phone call from Terrence, and Terrence instructs her under hypnosis to come to him.

unknown

Hi Scott, guess what?

SPEAKER_03

What? I hate you more than ever, Terence and Phillip. I absolutely abore you both.

SPEAKER_01

Terence attempts to extract information from Kelly slash Miss Osling, but the answers reveal that Miss Osling is a cover, and he has been set up to cover his tracks. Terence tells Kelly that Jill is actually Beamish, and he will help her get away from Beamish.

SPEAKER_02

Little Kelly is played by Tanya Crow. She was born in 1971 in LA. She's been on a lot of stuff. Knott's Landing, The Dark Knight of the Scarecrow, Chips, Bad News Bears, Who's the Boss, and Knotts Landing, one of their made-for-TV follow-up movies. Back to the cul-de-sac in 1997. God, I love Knott's Landing.

SPEAKER_01

I wonder if they knew that rhyme.

SPEAKER_02

God, I love Dallas. God, I wish she I wish she'd been in the night of the scarecrow and Mrs. King, because then I would pass out and just urinate freely. And why can't we have that? Kate Jackson's. I don't know what it is, but I know Kate's Kate Jackson is alive and Bruce Boxleitner is alive. So I want to see the dark night of the scarecrow and Mrs. King, the reunion.

SPEAKER_01

So Terrence explains to Madame Dorian that they need to cut and run. The two have a heated exchange, and the next thing we see is the body of Madame Dorian discovered by Jill and Sabrina. The angels are worried that Kelly is in danger and return to her home. Sabrina gets to Kelly's place and talks to her for a few moments and discovers Kelly does not remember being out of the house at all the previous evening. Jill then shows up. Sabrina has left Jill with Kelly, but that means that Kelly now views Jill as beamish because of being hypnotized, and she does what Terrence instructed her to do. Kelly says they're going to leave the house because there's no food. And then as she's driving, she is going to take this uh road that is under construction and the bridge is out. So she and Jill are in danger.

SPEAKER_02

So she's under the power of hypnosis right now.

SPEAKER_01

Correct. Because of the escalated situation, Sabrina heads back to Miss Rodahaver's estate and discovers that Miss Rodahaver has also been hypnotized. And Sabrina witnesses her remove her box from the safe to take out more jewelry. Kelly is driving recklessly with Jill in the passenger seat, and Jill is pleading with Kelly she is not beamish, but nothing breaks through to Kelly until Jill mentions the doll Lily bit. Kelly crashes through partitions that are put there because of the construction, and the car stops short of what appears to just be some rocks. There was a sign or Jill says something like the bridge is out. But wherever the car stops, there is zero indication of a bridge. Um so it's it's not very clear. It does somehow it breaks the sort of like trance on her, and Kelly is now back to normal. And fortunately, uh neither of them are hurt. Sabrina calls Kelly and Jill and implores them to get to the Rodahaver estate as quickly as possible. After witnessing Miss Rodahaver removing her jewels, Sabrina believes that the thief will come for them soon, and Sabrina sets up a sting. Jill traps Terence's van from leaving, and as Terence and Jill have an altercation on the grounds of the estate, Kelly points her revolver at Terence and starts to refer to him as Beamish. Terrence tries to wait Kelly, however, nothing seems to be working. It's very funny because he's like struggling with Jill, like kind of in his arms, and he sees that Kelly is pointing her revolver at him. And he like you can see the realization on his face that he has to like drop his voice in October 2 to I guess get back into this sort of hypnotic um tone that he has. Uh but it is it is not working.

SPEAKER_02

His cadence changes as well. So he he did indeed come to the estate to swipe the jewels as his Rhoda Haver had removed from our box. Don't say box.

SPEAKER_01

And yeah, so we discover that he was driving the van we saw earlier in uh the episode.

SPEAKER_02

So Kelly's doing a big fake out to get him to confess everything.

SPEAKER_01

Right. Uh the angels manage to get Terrence to confess and to return the stolen jewels. After the confession, Kelly drops the act, revealing that there was really no danger, and she is no longer hypnotized. Back at the agency, Charlie commends the angels on their work, and it is shared there will be no trouble getting a conviction for Terence.

SPEAKER_00

That monster is sitting right over there, and his name is Terence. Ah, Terence, do fart it in court. Guys, Philip, I'm making a case for our defense.

SPEAKER_02

Colby, thank you for breaking down this episode. To me, it's super special because it's the first one I remember watching as a wee tiny galene. And God, I remember Beamish. And God, I remember that seance and finding the medium dead. Next episode, though, is a super exciting one, right? Angels on Wheels.

SPEAKER_01

It is Angels on Wheels.

SPEAKER_02

And we're gonna drop a little mini sode. We're gonna talk to a former roller derby friend of mine. She's awesome. You guys are gonna love her.

SPEAKER_01

It's gonna be a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you for joining us on our breakdown of the seance. Be sure to check out our previous episodes on our website, follow us on our social media, and of course, our Patreon has all kinds of Patreon exclusive stuff. We work really hard to make that an entertaining experience. So take a look.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you everybody for joining us, and we will see you next week.

SPEAKER_02

Bye-bye.

SPEAKER_04

Bye, Angels.

SPEAKER_00

That successfully wraps up another mission. Good morning, Charlie is produced by Chris Perryman and me, Colby Smith. Editing provided by Lots and Lots of Wine.

SPEAKER_01

Be sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts. And click subscribe so you never miss a call from Charlie. Drop a review while you're there because we love hearing from our angels in the field. Want more undercover fun? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for extras and see even more top secret content on our Patreon. And a special thank you to Laurel, a Charlie's Inner Circle subscriber. Don't hang up that phone, Angels, because we will be back.