It's not easy to dominate scenes when you're playing opposite Barbara Stanwyck, but in Doris Packer's case, she does, and it's pretty obvious that Barbara let her do it. She's the powerful chairman of the board that daughter-in-law Stanwyck runs, and in fact owns it, having allowed Stanwyck to take over since her late husband wasn't capable.
Packer and Stanwyck go toe to toe over Stanwyck hiring a convicted fellon (Bruce Gordon) to be her assistant, and Packer threatens to sue for custody of her grandson (Stephen Talbot). It's obvious that the tough as nails Stanwyck has the tools to destroy her mother-in-law and it's truly a sad moment for Packer who ages 20 years in the period of a few minutes. But Stanwyck is threatened with losing something greater, and that's the conflict. These two ladies dominate the episode, but I felt that there were unresolved issues that should have been dealt with.
Packer and Stanwyck go toe to toe over Stanwyck hiring a convicted fellon (Bruce Gordon) to be her assistant, and Packer threatens to sue for custody of her grandson (Stephen Talbot). It's obvious that the tough as nails Stanwyck has the tools to destroy her mother-in-law and it's truly a sad moment for Packer who ages 20 years in the period of a few minutes. But Stanwyck is threatened with losing something greater, and that's the conflict. These two ladies dominate the episode, but I felt that there were unresolved issues that should have been dealt with.
