Tony Vincenzo musing/theory
I've been musing more about Tony's role in the Kolchak-verse. He's more than just the dubious boss, there to only contrast the believing Carl Kolchak. He's a friend, as well, albeit a long-suffering one. But what if there was more in store for Tony Vincenzo--but the way things worked out didn't end up going according to plan?
Note: this is just a musing/theory, but I think it is now part of my headcanon for fics. **Contains spoilers for the episode "The Devil's Platform" and the Moonstone comics "Pain Without Tears," "Kyrie," "Scratch," and "One Foot in the Grave.**
More than Just an Editor
Title character Carl Kolchak seems to be a one-man army against the various dark denizens that creep in the shadows of our world. His one-man army status is in part because of his general aloofness, but he does have one friend in the world--his editor, Anthony Vincenzo. Unfortunately, Tony doesn't seem to believe Carl's stories, and any attempt that Carl makes to try to prove it to him ends in failure. It's true that Tony is a skeptic--and a stubborn one, at that, but what if there's more to it than that?
Take the case of Robert Palmer in "The Devil's Platform." Carl manages to get a picture of Palmer (who has signed his soul in exchange for success) in the form of a dog. He develops the picture, and dog-Palmer is clearly visible in it. But what happens the moment he tries to show the picture to Tony? Dog-Palmer vanishes from the developed photograph without a trace. Maybe it was just coincidence. But what if it wasn't? What if Palmer (or someone higher up on the scale of evil) did not want Tony to see it?
But why would anyone or anything go to such lengths to make Tony not see it--to keep him continuing to be a skeptic? Well, let's go back to Carl for a second. Why do all of these weird and evil things end up crossing paths with him in the first place? In the Moonstone comic "Pain Without Tears," the empath Yitt thinks that God is using Carl to help do His work. Well, that explains a lot regarding Carl's inability to stay away from these sorts of creatures.
But what about Tony? Even on the occasions where they part ways, Carl and Tony end up crossing paths again and again--Las Vegas (movie 1), Seattle (movie 2), New York (implied at the end of movie 2), Hawaii (in the lost script of the unmade movie 3), Chicago (in the series proper), and Los Angeles (in the Moonstone comics). Maybe this is no mere coincidence, either; maybe the Powers that Be have some plans for Tony--after all, he is the one who manages to help Carl stay employed, which means that Carl can continue his crusades against the powers of darkness. But could it be that the Powers that Be might have something greater intended for Tony?
If so, it would explain why Palmer (or whatever evil was responsible for making dog-Palmer vanish from the picture) did not want Tony to see him. Dealing with Carl is trouble enough for any dark entity--if Tony got involved, then it would probably be that much more difficult for dark entities to do their thing. So the dark entities' best bet is to ensure that Tony continues to be a skeptic--and, if possible, try to turn Carl against him. Palmer himself brought up how Carl sometimes felt frustrated towards Tony for his own problems, even though Carl knew deep down it was really his own fault.
In the Moonstone comic "Kyrie," a she-devil tries her very best to tempt Carl, but while she's doing that, it also seems as though she is trying to get Tony out of the picture. At first, she tries to turn Carl against Tony--claiming that Tony is holding Carl back from success. Carl, thankfully, defends Tony, so the she-devil then tries to work things so that Tony will be removed from his editorial position by the Dispatch publisher, who will then replace him with Carl. Once Carl realizes what's really going on, he refuses the position, allowing Tony to stay.
Let's assume that there are two powers at work--the Good Powers trying to keep Carl and Tony together while the dark powers are trying to drive a wedge between them. Both sides may have something here, though the evidence is in the Moonstone comics (the series, alas, didn't really give too much opportunity to delve into Tony's character--one of the series' weaknesses, in my opinion). In the comic stories "Scratch" and "One Foot in the Grave," the readers get to see exactly what happens when Carl and Tony do team up against a dark entity. Between the two of them working together, they're able to permanently trap a malevolent spirit in the former, and in the latter, Tony manages to temporarily incapacitate a murderous giant long enough to help Carl escape from the creature's grip. If there are other powers at work, then no wonder! Tony is more than capable of being a hero as much as Carl is--and both the Good and dark powers seem to know it.
As for being a skeptic, we seem to see shades of his stubbornness fading on the odd occasions--though it happens more often in the comics; in the aforementioned "Scratch" story, he actually reveals the true reasons why he always seems to refuse to believe Carl. But, rarely, we do see shades of it in the series proper. One notable moment is in the "Horror in the Heights" episode when, after being baffled by one of Carl's explanations, he quietly muses to himself, "Am I supposed to see God's design in all of this?"
Maybe you are, Tony. Maybe you are...
Note: this is just a musing/theory, but I think it is now part of my headcanon for fics. **Contains spoilers for the episode "The Devil's Platform" and the Moonstone comics "Pain Without Tears," "Kyrie," "Scratch," and "One Foot in the Grave.**
More than Just an Editor
Title character Carl Kolchak seems to be a one-man army against the various dark denizens that creep in the shadows of our world. His one-man army status is in part because of his general aloofness, but he does have one friend in the world--his editor, Anthony Vincenzo. Unfortunately, Tony doesn't seem to believe Carl's stories, and any attempt that Carl makes to try to prove it to him ends in failure. It's true that Tony is a skeptic--and a stubborn one, at that, but what if there's more to it than that?
Take the case of Robert Palmer in "The Devil's Platform." Carl manages to get a picture of Palmer (who has signed his soul in exchange for success) in the form of a dog. He develops the picture, and dog-Palmer is clearly visible in it. But what happens the moment he tries to show the picture to Tony? Dog-Palmer vanishes from the developed photograph without a trace. Maybe it was just coincidence. But what if it wasn't? What if Palmer (or someone higher up on the scale of evil) did not want Tony to see it?
But why would anyone or anything go to such lengths to make Tony not see it--to keep him continuing to be a skeptic? Well, let's go back to Carl for a second. Why do all of these weird and evil things end up crossing paths with him in the first place? In the Moonstone comic "Pain Without Tears," the empath Yitt thinks that God is using Carl to help do His work. Well, that explains a lot regarding Carl's inability to stay away from these sorts of creatures.
But what about Tony? Even on the occasions where they part ways, Carl and Tony end up crossing paths again and again--Las Vegas (movie 1), Seattle (movie 2), New York (implied at the end of movie 2), Hawaii (in the lost script of the unmade movie 3), Chicago (in the series proper), and Los Angeles (in the Moonstone comics). Maybe this is no mere coincidence, either; maybe the Powers that Be have some plans for Tony--after all, he is the one who manages to help Carl stay employed, which means that Carl can continue his crusades against the powers of darkness. But could it be that the Powers that Be might have something greater intended for Tony?
If so, it would explain why Palmer (or whatever evil was responsible for making dog-Palmer vanish from the picture) did not want Tony to see him. Dealing with Carl is trouble enough for any dark entity--if Tony got involved, then it would probably be that much more difficult for dark entities to do their thing. So the dark entities' best bet is to ensure that Tony continues to be a skeptic--and, if possible, try to turn Carl against him. Palmer himself brought up how Carl sometimes felt frustrated towards Tony for his own problems, even though Carl knew deep down it was really his own fault.
In the Moonstone comic "Kyrie," a she-devil tries her very best to tempt Carl, but while she's doing that, it also seems as though she is trying to get Tony out of the picture. At first, she tries to turn Carl against Tony--claiming that Tony is holding Carl back from success. Carl, thankfully, defends Tony, so the she-devil then tries to work things so that Tony will be removed from his editorial position by the Dispatch publisher, who will then replace him with Carl. Once Carl realizes what's really going on, he refuses the position, allowing Tony to stay.
Let's assume that there are two powers at work--the Good Powers trying to keep Carl and Tony together while the dark powers are trying to drive a wedge between them. Both sides may have something here, though the evidence is in the Moonstone comics (the series, alas, didn't really give too much opportunity to delve into Tony's character--one of the series' weaknesses, in my opinion). In the comic stories "Scratch" and "One Foot in the Grave," the readers get to see exactly what happens when Carl and Tony do team up against a dark entity. Between the two of them working together, they're able to permanently trap a malevolent spirit in the former, and in the latter, Tony manages to temporarily incapacitate a murderous giant long enough to help Carl escape from the creature's grip. If there are other powers at work, then no wonder! Tony is more than capable of being a hero as much as Carl is--and both the Good and dark powers seem to know it.
As for being a skeptic, we seem to see shades of his stubbornness fading on the odd occasions--though it happens more often in the comics; in the aforementioned "Scratch" story, he actually reveals the true reasons why he always seems to refuse to believe Carl. But, rarely, we do see shades of it in the series proper. One notable moment is in the "Horror in the Heights" episode when, after being baffled by one of Carl's explanations, he quietly muses to himself, "Am I supposed to see God's design in all of this?"
Maybe you are, Tony. Maybe you are...