The beauty of this show is multidimensional. On the surface, yes, a love story between two people who fate brought together and their fight to hold onto a love that people wouldn't understand or accept. But there are so many deeper meanings to many of the episodes -- which probably played a large role in dooming the show. In order to understand these nuances you had to be willing to allow yourself to be pulled into the story, while also having a real grasp to the complexity behind the main characters. The stories, poetry and imagery used in the episodes told a story within a story; extended the story beyond the mere visual details and really gave you pause to think.
It also showed -- for those who took the time to really see -- that love isn't always about carnal desires. It showed that sometimes loving someone means that you have to give up everything. For anyone who has known what true, deep love means, they can relate to the heavy price love can exact. This wasn't a story about fly-by-night or whirlwind romance... It was about those quite moments in a loving relationship where people can just enjoy the quiet moments and be fulfilled... In many ways, it was the story of what love should be. The fact that real intimate moments between Catherine and Vincent were left to insinuation, implication, and imagination was no accident -- it was brilliant.
Unfortunately, the two main characters were so well linked with each other, that once L. Hamilton left the show there was no saving it. The way the story of Catherine and Vincent was told made it so the two characters were so completely linked that losing one would change the other so completely that the show would have to completely change around the remaining character in order for the show to survive. When Linda left, the whole premise of the show went with her because, as loyal followers of the story could attest to, Vincent could never love another. They did try to introduce another character like Catherine, but the chemistry and bond just never worked out. Plus, once father and son were reunited, it was the natural end point to the story...
This show still has a lot of followers because of the uniqueness of it. The depth of the story and complexity of those deeper meanings are so fascinating that you want to watch the episodes again and again... And you will usually come away with new tidbits, deeper understanding, things that really make you think and analyze things every time you watch some of the episodes.
It also showed -- for those who took the time to really see -- that love isn't always about carnal desires. It showed that sometimes loving someone means that you have to give up everything. For anyone who has known what true, deep love means, they can relate to the heavy price love can exact. This wasn't a story about fly-by-night or whirlwind romance... It was about those quite moments in a loving relationship where people can just enjoy the quiet moments and be fulfilled... In many ways, it was the story of what love should be. The fact that real intimate moments between Catherine and Vincent were left to insinuation, implication, and imagination was no accident -- it was brilliant.
Unfortunately, the two main characters were so well linked with each other, that once L. Hamilton left the show there was no saving it. The way the story of Catherine and Vincent was told made it so the two characters were so completely linked that losing one would change the other so completely that the show would have to completely change around the remaining character in order for the show to survive. When Linda left, the whole premise of the show went with her because, as loyal followers of the story could attest to, Vincent could never love another. They did try to introduce another character like Catherine, but the chemistry and bond just never worked out. Plus, once father and son were reunited, it was the natural end point to the story...
This show still has a lot of followers because of the uniqueness of it. The depth of the story and complexity of those deeper meanings are so fascinating that you want to watch the episodes again and again... And you will usually come away with new tidbits, deeper understanding, things that really make you think and analyze things every time you watch some of the episodes.