I Have The Vitas Virus

Herbert likes to laugh. He’s selective about who he indulges in laughter with, because quite often his sense of humor is mistaken for maliciousness or sarcasm, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When he chooses to laugh he’s feeling genuine joy and a connection with the person he’s with.

Thanks…

Real shizz though, I love playing with the idea of Crawford being Herbert’s brother. Younger or older, depends on the mood.

And I also love how you mentioned Herbert being obsessed with his serum because he doesn’t want to lose anyone else dear to him. And in turn, he will do just about anything to keep the very few people he has close to him, which brings me to the Gloria resuscitation scene in Bride.

He could’ve walked away, or even botch the attempt to resuscitate, but he didn’t because he knew Dan was attached to her and he and Dan were both falling apart on the inside with their feuds and tension. Herbert may not have been attached to Gloria, but he WANTED to save her to make Dan happy and trust him once more so they can continue their partnership in their work. Even when her death is called and he tells Dan to go home, you can just see the tenderness and sympathy in his eyes. Dan essentially has Herbert’s heart in his hands, just like Dan entrusted Meg’s (literal) heart, and in turn Dan’s as well, in Herbert’s hands.

They portray Herbert as emotionless. Incapable of understanding feelings or expressing them.

I believe Herbert is a deeply emotional being. He doesn’t express them in ways that are readily understood, and he certainly expressed them in ways that could be considered unhealthy, but the more you look, the more you see just how deeply he feels.

Why is he so obsessed with eliminating death? To become immortal? For fame and fortune? He sneers at fame and glory chasers, and has no contingency in place to ensure his own reanimation.

That’s why I see sooo much of myself in Jeff’s portrayal of Herbert! He took a bland, one note mad scientist trope from a chaptered short story and turned him into a beautifully human and flawed and emotional character. He goes through fear, desperation, amusement, annoyance, and so much more.

And let’s not forget the unused scene with Hill hypnotizing Herbert and talking down on Gruber. He shed tears of grief and vulnerability, and I swear you can see him physically deflate as you see the fading hope as well. Then it shifts to anger, rage even when we get to the shovel scene.

Another thing I love is how Herbert is curious to a fault. Combined with his impulsive tendencies, his curiosity is really what catalyzes the events of the films.

Backing up a bit to you talking about him being disgusted with fame and glory chasers. Absolutely true, and that’s why he chooses his words carefully when he and Dan are in the basement after the incident with Rufus. I believe Herbert senses Dan’s overwhelming empathy and likewise curiosity, which is why he wanted to show the effects of the serum on Rufus. He found Rufus dead (I personally believe he didn’t kill him), he knew Dan loved the cat, and knew it would be the perfect way to get him on his side.

I’m with you on Rufus. I think they kept his passing ambiguous because at this point we’re viewing Herbert through Dan’s lens, and Dan doesn’t trust him yet. He hears Herbert saying one thing and Meg accusing Herbert of another thing, and Dan doesn’t know what really happened, which is why we don’t either.

I choose to believe Herbert, because Herbert doesn’t hurt what Dan loves. Herbert loathed Meg. But when it came down to it, he rushed in to help rescue her. He was heartbroken when Dan took up with Francesca, but he never touched her.

Was he sad the cat died? No. Would he risk hurting Dan? No.

And YES! That deleted scene with Hill… only Hill’s threat to Dan’s life snapped him out of the hypnosis. His love for Dan was stronger than his admiration of his mentor or the threat to his work.

And I know the scene where Herbert injects reagent into his arm was scrapped and Jeff doesn’t like it, but I think the underlying premise is a good one to discuss. Relying on something stimulating and regulating, even if it hurts down the line, so he doesn’t fall flat on his face and fail. A need to control his circumstances to find that sanctuary, balance, and stability…

What if he was black sheep or even the scapegoat of his blood family/foster family?

Herbert likes to laugh. He’s selective about who he indulges in laughter with, because quite often his sense of humor is mistaken for maliciousness or sarcasm, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When he chooses to laugh he’s feeling genuine joy and a connection with the person he’s with.

Thanks…

Real shizz though, I love playing with the idea of Crawford being Herbert’s brother. Younger or older, depends on the mood.

And I also love how you mentioned Herbert being obsessed with his serum because he doesn’t want to lose anyone else dear to him. And in turn, he will do just about anything to keep the very few people he has close to him, which brings me to the Gloria resuscitation scene in Bride.

He could’ve walked away, or even botch the attempt to resuscitate, but he didn’t because he knew Dan was attached to her and he and Dan were both falling apart on the inside with their feuds and tension. Herbert may not have been attached to Gloria, but he WANTED to save her to make Dan happy and trust him once more so they can continue their partnership in their work. Even when her death is called and he tells Dan to go home, you can just see the tenderness and sympathy in his eyes. Dan essentially has Herbert’s heart in his hands, just like Dan entrusted Meg’s (literal) heart, and in turn Dan’s as well, in Herbert’s hands.

They portray Herbert as emotionless. Incapable of understanding feelings or expressing them.

I believe Herbert is a deeply emotional being. He doesn’t express them in ways that are readily understood, and he certainly expressed them in ways that could be considered unhealthy, but the more you look, the more you see just how deeply he feels.

Why is he so obsessed with eliminating death? To become immortal? For fame and fortune? He sneers at fame and glory chasers, and has no contingency in place to ensure his own reanimation.

That’s why I see sooo much of myself in Jeff’s portrayal of Herbert! He took a bland, one note mad scientist trope from a chaptered short story and turned him into a beautifully human and flawed and emotional character. He goes through fear, desperation, amusement, annoyance, and so much more.

And let’s not forget the unused scene with Hill hypnotizing Herbert and talking down on Gruber. He shed tears of grief and vulnerability, and I swear you can see him physically deflate as you see the fading hope as well. Then it shifts to anger, rage even when we get to the shovel scene.

Another thing I love is how Herbert is curious to a fault. Combined with his impulsive tendencies, his curiosity is really what catalyzes the events of the films.

Backing up a bit to you talking about him being disgusted with fame and glory chasers. Absolutely true, and that’s why he chooses his words carefully when he and Dan are in the basement after the incident with Rufus. I believe Herbert senses Dan’s overwhelming empathy and likewise curiosity, which is why he wanted to show the effects of the serum on Rufus. He found Rufus dead (I personally believe he didn’t kill him), he knew Dan loved the cat, and knew it would be the perfect way to get him on his side.

I’m with you on Rufus. I think they kept his passing ambiguous because at this point we’re viewing Herbert through Dan’s lens, and Dan doesn’t trust him yet. He hears Herbert saying one thing and Meg accusing Herbert of another thing, and Dan doesn’t know what really happened, which is why we don’t either.

I choose to believe Herbert, because Herbert doesn’t hurt what Dan loves. Herbert loathed Meg. But when it came down to it, he rushed in to help rescue her. He was heartbroken when Dan took up with Francesca, but he never touched her.

Was he sad the cat died? No. Would he risk hurting Dan? No.

And YES! That deleted scene with Hill… only Hill’s threat to Dan’s life snapped him out of the hypnosis. His love for Dan was stronger than his admiration of his mentor or the threat to his work.

Herbert likes to laugh. He’s selective about who he indulges in laughter with, because quite often his sense of humor is mistaken for maliciousness or sarcasm, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When he chooses to laugh he’s feeling genuine joy and a connection with the person he’s with.

Thanks…

Real shizz though, I love playing with the idea of Crawford being Herbert’s brother. Younger or older, depends on the mood.

And I also love how you mentioned Herbert being obsessed with his serum because he doesn’t want to lose anyone else dear to him. And in turn, he will do just about anything to keep the very few people he has close to him, which brings me to the Gloria resuscitation scene in Bride.

He could’ve walked away, or even botch the attempt to resuscitate, but he didn’t because he knew Dan was attached to her and he and Dan were both falling apart on the inside with their feuds and tension. Herbert may not have been attached to Gloria, but he WANTED to save her to make Dan happy and trust him once more so they can continue their partnership in their work. Even when her death is called and he tells Dan to go home, you can just see the tenderness and sympathy in his eyes. Dan essentially has Herbert’s heart in his hands, just like Dan entrusted Meg’s (literal) heart, and in turn Dan’s as well, in Herbert’s hands.

They portray Herbert as emotionless. Incapable of understanding feelings or expressing them.

I believe Herbert is a deeply emotional being. He doesn’t express them in ways that are readily understood, and he certainly expressed them in ways that could be considered unhealthy, but the more you look, the more you see just how deeply he feels.

Why is he so obsessed with eliminating death? To become immortal? For fame and fortune? He sneers at fame and glory chasers, and has no contingency in place to ensure his own reanimation.

That’s why I see sooo much of myself in Jeff’s portrayal of Herbert! He took a bland, one note mad scientist trope from a chaptered short story and turned him into a beautifully human and flawed and emotional character. He goes through fear, desperation, amusement, annoyance, and so much more.

And let’s not forget the unused scene with Hill hypnotizing Herbert and talking down on Gruber. He shed tears of grief and vulnerability, and I swear you can see him physically deflate as you see the fading hope as well. Then it shifts to anger, rage even when we get to the shovel scene.

Another thing I love is how Herbert is curious to a fault. Combined with his impulsive tendencies, his curiosity is really what catalyzes the events of the films.

Backing up a bit to you talking about him being disgusted with fame and glory chasers. Absolutely true, and that’s why he chooses his words carefully when he and Dan are in the basement after the incident with Rufus. I believe Herbert senses Dan’s overwhelming empathy and likewise curiosity, which is why he wanted to show the effects of the serum on Rufus. He found Rufus dead (I personally believe he didn’t kill him), he knew Dan loved the cat, and knew it would be the perfect way to get him on his side.

Herbert likes to laugh. He’s selective about who he indulges in laughter with, because quite often his sense of humor is mistaken for maliciousness or sarcasm, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When he chooses to laugh he’s feeling genuine joy and a connection with the person he’s with.

Thanks…

Real shizz though, I love playing with the idea of Crawford being Herbert’s brother. Younger or older, depends on the mood.

And I also love how you mentioned Herbert being obsessed with his serum because he doesn’t want to lose anyone else dear to him. And in turn, he will do just about anything to keep the very few people he has close to him, which brings me to the Gloria resuscitation scene in Bride.

He could’ve walked away, or even botch the attempt to resuscitate, but he didn’t because he knew Dan was attached to her and he and Dan were both falling apart on the inside with their feuds and tension. Herbert may not have been attached to Gloria, but he WANTED to save her to make Dan happy and trust him once more so they can continue their partnership in their work. Even when her death is called and he tells Dan to go home, you can just see the tenderness and sympathy in his eyes. Dan essentially has Herbert’s heart in his hands, just like Dan entrusted Meg’s (literal) heart, and in turn Dan’s as well, in Herbert’s hands.