Whoosh!
Online Edition


RELIC HUNTER

EXECUTIONER'S MASK
Le masque


EPISODE NO. 41
Season 2, episode 19
Series 219
1st release: 04/30/01
2nd release:
Production number: 219
Approximate shooting dates:
Last update: 08-23-01


REGULAR CAST, GUEST CAST & CREDITS
TV GUIDE PROMO
PRESS RELEASE
COMMENTARY by Beboman


REGULAR CAST
Tia Carrere (Dr. Sydney Fox)
Christien Anholt (Nigel Bailey)
Lindy Booth (Claudia)

GUEST CAST
Christina Kumlin (Naomi)
Alex Reid (Simone)
Tony Vanaria (Bernard Guillot)
Timothy Bateson (Max Lavoie)
Malcolm Sinclair (Julian)
Thierry Ashenti (Vincent)

CREDITS
Written by Andre & Maria Jacquemetton
Directed by Paulo Barzman

Filmed on location in Toronto, Canada and Paris, France by Fireworks Entertainment Inc. and Gaumont Television.




TV GUIDE PROMO

A cursed executioner's mask horribly disfigures anyone who tries it on. ClickTV

An antique bronze mask disfigures a supermodel, and Sydney and Nigel vow to end the curse the mask holds. ExciteTV

Alors qu'ils se trouvent dans les steppes de Russie, à la recherche d'une ancienne épée, perdue il y a 2000 ans, Sydney, Nigel et leur escorte sont attaqués par une bande de rebelles. Quand Sydney reprend conscience deux semaines plus tard, elle se retrouve dans un pavillon de chasse au fin fond des bois.


PRESS RELEASE

When an antique bronze mask disfigures a supermodel during a fashion shoot, Sydney and Nigel link the incident to French folklore. During the French Revolution, an Executioner, who was born horribly disfigured, was believed to have put a curse upon the mask he had to wear. Until the mask is returned to the burial remains of this Executioner, its curse will be handed down from wearer to wearer. Syd and Nigel are determined to end the mask's legacy of terror.



COMMENTARY

This commentary is by Beboman.

Well guys, to be very sincere with you, this was not one of those episodes that you want to call home about. As a matter of fact, I found it a bit on the dull side. It took a lot from me not to get up in the middle of it and go do dishes or wash my hair.

I found the script too simple and I got the feeling this episode was put together at the very last minute. There was no excitement about it. It was as if everyone was just there and nothing else.

I was a tad on the upset side at the clich‚ of both the orphanage director and the high fashion model. Haven't we had enough of these types of images: The mean orphanage director who has an iron hand and treats people very badly and the self-centered fashion model who cannot see past her own beauty. Wouldn't it be better if the powers that be (TPTB) would present a different image of both of these professions.

Out of this episode, the only scene I would salvage was the scene where Sydney and Nigel go and visit the expert in murder, torture and those types of related things. Both their visits to this guy were really funny and interesting, especially Nigel's reactions.

For the rest, I think this episode should have gone back to the drawing board and started all over, especially when it came to the character of Claudia. I'm getting really tired of the depiction of the blonde who is so man hungry, she would just go out of her way to go see one expert over another because one is cuter than the other. Come on people, let's give this character some meat to chew on. It is not as if Claudia hasn't shown she can do more than just answer phone and be cute. Maybe TPTB could start letting the character of Claudia grow up and develop into something other than a man hungry little princess.

The story behind this episode was simple: a mask is found and legend had it that the mask was cursed. Whoever wears it is disfigured it is placed on someone else's face or returned to the remains of the original owner, who was a very disfigured executioner.

Sydney and Nigel go to visit an old friend of Sydney's, who happens to be a high fashion model in Paris. After a fit due to some makeup or shooting problem, Noemi, Sydney's friend, sees the mask on her makeup table, puts it on and her face is totally disfigured. So Sydney and Nigel set off to find out the origin of the mask in order to save Sydney's friend.

During the entire search for the information on the mask, Noemi's manager gets involved with this shady character and tries to get the mask back from Sydney. In a fight with Sydney, she puts the mask on him and he is disfigured at the same time that her friend is cured. When he begs for Sydney to help him, she places the mask with the remains of the executioner and the agent is cured and the curse is lifted.

Not a bad story line, but it came across as too simple and lacking in interest and action. The episode ends on still another clich‚ note with Noemi, Sydney's friend, deciding to take a year off to find herself and Nigel ending up in the middle of a fashion shoot, surrounded by gorgeous models.

I found this episode totally lacking in substance and it had no energy at all. It was simply weak and cliche.




Episode
Guide Table of ContentsBack to Whoosh!