This episode is a special bonus one. As the title suggests, it’s not part of Highway; rather, now that the third season has concluded, it seems like a good moment to look at some works that led up to the series. There is already a special about probationary angels on TV either unsuccessfully anticipated or equally unsuccessfully replicating Highway’s ones. This time, it might be worth looking at a particular TV show, not strictly about probationary angels, but in many ways related to the series. This time, successfully anticipating some of its features and without ever being mentioned in the series. It’s uncanny as a precursor can be.

And it’s not I Was A Teenage Werewolf, a 1957 production with Landon as the protagonist, his first role as one in his entire career.

That’s only going to be referenced to in a Highway Season Four episode; if it weren’t for that, it would be completely unrelated to the series.

It’s “The Ghosts Of Buxley Hall”, a 1980 (or 1981, more on this later) TV “Movie Of the Week” as part of the Wonderful World Of Disney on NBC. This special is the real precursor of Highway To Heaven, just with ghosts and more childish games.

Now, just some background: The Wonderful World of Disney was a series of TV movies, typically broadcast weekly, each telling a different story. This episode actually had a very strange release: most episodes of The Wonderful World of Disney were either single one-hour installments or, if longer (as in this case), split into two parts. However, they made an odd scheduling choice: the first part aired in late December 1980, while the second aired in early January 1981, two weeks later. That’s so weird, leaving the audience hanging on like that. Most people probably forgot much of the first part by the time the second aired—after all, there’s Christmas and New Year’s Eve (and French likely hosted something himself that left him recovering for a week; or maybe he was invited to Landon’s house and lighted up another fireworks in it).

Anyway, they could have just aired a different single 45 minute installment on the last week before Christmas and air this two part episode right in January, or they could have moved it up one week and aired both parts in December before the holiday. But they didn’t. And now, on to this Buxley.

One last thing: basically, the most important thing is counting all the features it shares with Highway. Or more accurately, those it predates from Highway. Plenty of it.

The Ghosts Of Buxley Hall

Now, to this unique pioneer.

It’s a show about the titular old military academy for boys, founded in 1876, that’s right—basically around the same time Little House is set. Somehow, everything circles back to that era

That looks like the blind school from Little House, for that matter.

Anyway, the academy is about to close due to a low number of new cadets. And in a desperate attempt to save it, the new headmaster reluctantly opens enrollment to girls.

That’s right, again—it’s a story about boys and girls and their ensuing battle for supremacy. (Which oddly anticipates elements from the season four finale of Highway).

Back at Buxley Hall, a drunken janitor enters the room containing the portraits of the General (who also founded the academy over 100 years ago), his wife, and the sergeant. And he drunkenly lets it on to them that the academy will now admit girls.

He shouldn’t be drinking like that.

Maybe Jonathan could help him out, like he helped Mark in the Pilot.

Upon hearing that girls are in, the figures in the portraits suddenly come to life.

Basically, it turns out that the school’s long-dead founder is now a ghost, along with his wife and the sergeant.

Just, pause here for a moment: excessive number of old acquaintances here. The General’s wife in the right is portrayed by Louise Latham, who five years later would appear in Highway in the second season episode Close Encounters of the Heavenly Kind, which was directed by French as well.

Instead, the General is played by Dick O’Neill, and the sergeant on the left is played by French, in a break from Little House On The Prairie, though a forced one. Just to give some context: as already mentioned here, French had been on Little House since the pilot (in 1974), but left the series in 1977 to join the roaster of the sitcom Carter Country on a different network. His character was written out and effectively replaced by Merlin Olsen, who played a sort of surrogate version of the role French used to play (something even referenced by another character in the second season of Highway).

But Carter Country wasn’t particularly successful in the ratings and lasted only two years. In 1979, French returned to Little House for a guest appearance in the sixth season. Around that time, he wasn’t doing fine: in 1978, one year after into Carter Country after leaving Little House, he divorced Julie Cobb, his second wife—a moment that reportedly left him crestfallen, as recalled by fellow Little House actress Charlotte Stewart, who later became his lover (and also played with him on Highway in season two).

At the same time, his father, Ted French, passed away (and French had often spoken in interviews about how close he was to his father, how similar they were, and how much he had inspired him to become an actor.) On top of that, his career had stalled following the abrupt cancellation of the sitcom he had left Little House for—just as Little House was enjoying massive popularity.

So, in 1979 he shortly returned to Little House for one guest appearance in the sixth season. Then, he spent a couple of years taking on various roles in films and television. These included An Olympic Love Story, a TV movie about the Olympics where he played a supporting role, the protagonist’s father; Choices, yet another sports-related story about an promising football player with hearing impairments, and he played the protagonist’s father, again.

And The Cherokee Trail, yet another “World of Disney” installment, although a single episode, and a Western where he played the antagonist (something he said he was committed to avoid after years playing bad characters in his earlier roles before Landon “saved” him, as he reported in an interview; more about it here).

So, not a particularly remarkable run.

And among these roles, he also appeared in this episode of The Wonderful World of Disney set to air for the Christmas season on NBC. Actually, this role was probably the most important one: he got to play the protagonist, one of the the few times in his career.

Two curious things: one, he has the same walrus mustache as in Carter Country.

The walrus type.

Although he also had his bear-thick beard in 1979 by the time he made that guest appearance in the Little House sixth season. He probably shaved after that one.

Another curious thing: this show is directed by Bruce Bilson, who is also the director of the sitcom Get Smart, in which French played a recurring role for some episodes in the first season—the first recurring role in his career.

Actually, in one of these episodes directed by Bilson and featuring French, one particular Highway Lifetime actor appears too.

He’s the same actor from Close Encounters Of The Heavenly Kind, the episode with Lousie Latham directed by French in Highway season two.

And the connections between these two series have just begun.

Back to the Buxley Hall: the General turns out to be a typical man of the 1870s, convinced that girls belong on farms like Caroline, not military settings. Also, it seems that the academy is run by his great-grandson. Which means it stayed in the family.

Pretty much like the owner of the Hotel Of Dreams in season one.

So here’s the assignment: find a way to drive the girls out of the school.

Not exactly angelic—but then again, they’re ghosts. Maybe they are still haunting the academy because they were denied entry to Heaven and have to earn redemption by doing some good, like the ghostly agent from a few episodes back in season three.

Anyway, the three ghosts are interrupted by the janitor, who walks in the room like that.

The Sergeant wants to duel him, unbeknownst to him that he’s a ghost.

There were probably better devices to explain the audience that they are ghosts than having the General explain it to the sergeant.

Because the problem is that, by the way they talk (and as it will be confirmed later), they have never moved out of their paintings and invaded the real world before. But then, how come none of them seemed so surprise to be back “alive” or in the real world. And how come the General knows everything about being a ghost, while his wife is indifferent and the Sergeant is so clumsy in his role. Maybe the General is like an experienced ghost, while the sergeant is a probationary one. It seems like French is doomed to play those.

Also, it feels like those offbeat justifications in Highway when Jonathan explains something to Mark even though that’s addressed to the audience (one example is the Sunday Suits in Catch A Falling Star in season one and Gift Of Life in season three).

Anyway, the rules are laid out: nobody can see them or hear—unless they choose to be seen. Which is exactly how Jonathan behaved in The Banker And The Bum in season one.

Also, it’s similar to the ghost agent episode; it almost feels like these two series exist in the same world—maybe even the same version of California (if Buxley were there).

Then, they can pass through doors as if they weren’t there. That’s something Jonathan probably couldn’t do with the Stuff.

Even though the sergeant doesn’t know it either.

That’s probably where they spent all the money.

However, they can still interact with physical objects. And that is revealed not much by their casual walking around rather than fluctuating like ghosts would (perhaps it’d be too hard to make a movie where the actors hover around), but it is revealed when the sergeant drinks some water. And it looks like this.

And, nobody seems to notice except the janitor, who cautiously approaches as the sergeant grins like a cat.

And he feels inspired by Jonathan’s tricks to pull one himself: splashing water on that man’s face.

Cute.

Yet another example of shows from that era finding humor in people getting soaked—something audiences in the ’80s, especially kids, seemed to love.

Also, if this were Highway, that would be basically a Friendly Jonathan instance, only now it’s a Friendly Ghost one. It’s been ten minutes, and this was like the third feature Highway took from this.

Later, the general’s great-grandson discovers that a wealthy orphan has been sent to the academy by his uncle. Basically, as long as this kid, Jeremy, remains enrolled, the school will receive his inheritance—enough to keep it open even without admitting girls.

However, the boy’s aunt—a greedy woman who pretends to be wealthy but has nothing—wants custody of him in order to access his fortune.

Eventually, Jeremy stays.

In the meantime, there’s a blooper: as Jeremy befriends an obnoxious girl, Posie (definitely a doozy), the shadow of a microphone suddenly appears on the left side of the wall.

And it grows increasingly visible.

That’s exactly like the mic blooper in Highway the episode The Secret in season two.

And then again in A Song Of Songs in season three.

Maybe it was the same guy.

Anyway, back at the post, the General devises a plan.

Basically, the “assignment” is divided into two parts: he’ll try to support his great-grandson in scaring the girls off; in the meantime, he instructs the sergeant to make sure the Jeremy enjoys his time at the academy so that he won’t leave with his aunt.

Of course, Chester admits he doesn’t like kids, but just like Mark in Highway, there’s nothing he can do to change the assignment.

It seems that French is doomed playing enslaved men.

Then, it’s revealed that Jeremy’saunt Ernestine plans is to seize Jeremy’s inheritance by forcing Jeremy out of the academy and obtain custody of him. And that she’s ready to kill him, if she has to.

To make matters worse, she is married to an Italian count who runs around shouting random Italian food names as either compliments or expletives.

And he’s played by Vito Scotti, an actual Italian actor. Still, he seems like a prototype for Penny Santon (actually Pierina Burlando) in season one.

It was a long time ago.

Back at Buxley, the girls begin settling in with the boys, and it’s a mess: they party and pass bottles between windows as though it were a drunken sorority.

This dorm looks familiar.

It’s like that season three episode of Highway—the dorm Mark worked in.

Again, this episode anticipates Highway to Heaven in many ways.

That night, the Sergeant makes sure that Jeremy is asleep. And then, he leaves, but differently. The first time he walked through a door, he just passed through it as though it didn’t exist. Now he approaches the door, then suddenly vanishes (much like Jonathan using his power) shortly before hitting it, and in the next shot he’s already on the other side.

Even though the actor likely had to walk straight into the door and was edited out later.

It must have looked ridiculous making it—just, imagine: someone confidently striding toward a closed door, pretending to be a ghost, trying not to visibly brace for impact and preparing to smash your head against the wall.

Being an actor is sure hard.

As the sergeant stands in the hallway, he decides to grab a gun hanging on the wall before walking out—but the janitor witnesses this and immediately runs away.

This feels a bit excessive: even for a military school, having guns casually hanging around where young underage cadets can access them seems too dangerous and unrealistic. Those guns are probably fake, which means the janitor’s reaction makes little sense—although, to be fair, you don’t usually see guns floating in midair.

Maybe he drank too much of that booze.

While the sergeant laughs.

Cute, that’s real cute.

Later, the students organize a nighttime party that devolves into a massive pillow fight. The staff shut it down, and when they see that Jeremy has befriended Posie—the rebellious girl—they decide to expel her for inciting the chaos.

Feeling responsible, Jeremy decides to run away in the middle of the night—as Chester was asleep.

Apparently, these ghosts have to sleep, not like Jonathan.

So, he uses the vanishing power again.

Probably hitting hard that door too.

Eventually, he finds Jeremy hiding in a warehouse.

To prevent him from running away, the sergeant Chester decides to appear to him.

So, he reveals himself as a ghost who has been “assigned” by a superior to ensure Jeremy settles in.

Basically, he makes the ghost revelation.

Surprisingly, Jeremy accepts this explanation without much hesitation. As though he lived in a world where ghosts’ existence has been widely accepted.

Soon after, Posie finds him too.

It’s way too easy running away from this academy.

And she finally convinces him to return to the academy.

The next day, everyone—including the ghostly sergeant—attends classes. And there’s one on a subject that should be familiar to the Highway audience.

That’s right: of all possible lessons, they chose that one—the same that Mark was forced to teach in the second-season finale.

And the sergeant looks as embarrassed as Mark in that episode.

If this ain’t a coincidence.

Imagine French and his face when he read the script for the season two finale, and realized his character was exactly like this episode’s.

That’s why he was so convincing in his embarrassment in that episode.

The connections between these two series are growing stronger.

Meanwhile, Jereremy’s aunts meets the janitor getting drunk, and learns from him that there are ghosts around the academy. So, she and her Italian count husband knows exactly what to do: they plan to disguise themselves as ghosts in order to close down the academy.

While dramatically dropping the title.

And the episode ends like this—at least, part one does.

Viewers originally had to wait two weeks—through Christmas and New Year’s Eve—to see the conclusion.

Perhaps it was planned, or perhaps the production simply ran over schedule. They could have aired both parts the same night. But they’d rather have a two week break instead.

So, after the Christmas break and the actors’ hangovers, part two begins as Jeremy is looking for the Sergeant.

Apparently, the sergeant is now portrayed as having helped Jeremy for quite some time—even though Jeremy had only discovered the existence of ghosts last night. And now he suddenly asks him to stop helping him.

But you went looking for him.

He probably forgot that he was the one looking for the Sergeant in the first place. This feels like Mark forgetting things in Highway: in season one, he didn’t like roller coasters, but got on one in season two, leading to an assignment; he got married to a woman, and then forgot all about her when he fell in love again.

Now, as they talk, an upperclassman scolds Jeremy for breaking formation and threatens to report him. Then, fed up with being pushed around, Jeremy asks Chester to teach him some boxing.

Yes, boxing.

And French couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Apparently, French had a genuine passion for the sport: in a 1985 interview for the L.A. Times, he revealed that as a child he used to shadowbox in front of the TV and dreamed of becoming either a stuntman (like his father) or a boxer. Eventually, he discovered acting and chose that instead.

Still, his love for boxing never ceased: in that same interview, he explained that he regularly trained and attended the Ten Goose Gym in Van Nuys, and befriended the owner —an ex-cop who had opened the gym alongside his ten children to help keep young people off the street.

In May 1985, however, the owner passed away. And French stepped in using his own money to help keep the gym open—and became involved as a boxing promoter for some of the boxers there. So, he worked with several fighters, including bantamweight contender Frankie Duarte and future middleweight champion Michael Nunn, who won that world title in 1988, while under his promotion.

Actually, this side career may help explain why French reduced his involvement in Highway to Heaven during its third season (beginning production in the summer of 1986), which marked the conclusion of his directing career, reportedly due to lack of time—as he revealed in December of that year (more about it here). It’s possible that his growing commitments as a promoter became too demanding. This would also explain his more limited on-screen presence in the fourth season compared to the earlier ones.

Anyway, what it all boils down to is that French was very into boxing. And that explains why he looks so happy here (just like he is in the Highway episodes about boxing).

How he likes this.

Yet another Highway’s uncanny connection.

Also, one small but noticeable detail: since French was left-handed, he demonstrates boxing from a southpaw stance—but Rad Daly, the actor playing Jeremy, is right-handed and matches the moves. Even though Jeremy supposedly knows nothing about boxing, or he wouldn’t ask for a lesson.

Also, this whole training scene recalls when Mark awkwardly tried to teach someone how to dance.

It’s the same stage, the same slightly stiff energy—only here, French plays it completely straight.

And just like in that scene, in which some girls were spying on Mark, now there’s the janitor witnessing the scene.

Later that night, the Italian count and a hired thug attempt to break into the academy disguised as ghosts—by simply throwing blankets over themselves.

Their plan is to scare the girls away.

Because, of course, if you see someone draped in a blanket, the most logical conclusion is that it’s a ghost—not just someone playing a prank. Especially in a place where the students have pillow fights and party all around. Perhaps Jeremy’s aunt genuinely believed the academy was too disciplined for that kind of behavior—clearly, she was wrong. Just like security measures in Highway.

In any case, the plan quickly goes awry when the Sergeant and the General joins them by stealing their blankets.

That’s probably not the kind of trick the French used to play on Landon—but it’s the child’s version of it.

Anyway, the count and the thug run away calling out Jeremy’s aunt and exposing their plan to the audience. And the sergeant eavesdrops on them and realizes Jeremy’s aunt is behind this “ghost plan” and that she’s after Jeremy’s inheritance.

They probably shot this as the last scene of the day, and they all wanted to go home.

Anyway, the head of Buxley places the blame on the girls and warns them that, the next day, they will have to attend “Suicide Hill,” a simulated battlefield used for training. Of course, he intends to make the exercise especially difficult that year in order to drive the girls away by proving they can’t keep up with the boys.

As everyone returns to the dorm, however, the General’s wife, Bettina, overhears Jeremy telling Posy that he will quit Buxley if, for any reason, Posie leaves as well—or if the girls are forced to. Fearing that the girls might not make it at the hill the next day, the Sergeant decides to deliberately act against his the General’s orders and help the girls.

This feels like Jonathan going against his superior’s orders for an assignment.

During the marathon, the headmistress of the girls’ school falls over and gets muddy soaked.

And she pushes the headmaster of the boys’ school into the dumps too.

Because they are equal.

The two argue and the merge is off. As a result, the girls will now have to leave—and so will Jeremy, as he had previously threatened

At this point, the Sergeant unexpectedly decides to reveal himself to Posie, introducing himself as a friendly spirit.

Much like Mark did to Eddy in season one.

He then explains that the whole situation revolves around Jeremy’s inheritance, which is why he was assigned to keep the boy happy.

Upon hearing this, Jeremy decides to buy the school.

But there’s a problem: when the Sergeant first met Jeremy and dropped the ghost revelation, he only said he had been assigned to make him happy—not that this was because of Jeremy’s wealth. By revealing the truth now, he inadvertently exposes that he has been using Jeremy all along for his money, rather than acting out of real, selfless friendship.

But the kid is not worried about it, even though one of the literally two friends he has just told him their friendship relied on money, and that doesn’t make the Sergeant any better than what Jeremy’s aunt wants to do.

Anyway, as Jeremy calls his uncle to ask him to buy the academy, his aunt arrives and forces him to go home.

Basically, Jeremy’s aunt met the janitor getting drunk a second time, and he drunkenly reported that Jeremy was taking boxing lesson with an invisible ghost. So, she resolves to persuade Jeremy to talk about it, unbeknownst to him that she also brought a doctor down at her house, with the purpose of letting him overhear them and have Jeremy institutionalized for believing in ghosts.

It sounds like the premise of a season-two episode about actors suffering from religious visions and his sister and nephew trying to get him declared unstable for that.

Anyway, the sergeant sees her and informs the General’s wife that Ernestine only wants control of the kid’s money— just like he does, for that matter—and they need to reach them.

You’re ghosts, aren’t you?

They’ve been vanishing the entire episode (popping in and out, passing through doors) but for some reason, instead of using their vanishing powers to get to Jeremy’s aunt, the Sarge and General’s lady take the academy bus.

And scares the janitor off, so they can drive it—doing some Joey Chitwood along the way.

Really, they probably got some help from Jonathan with the Stuff.

This feels like a mystery for a number of reasons: one, they have no idea where the aunt lives; yet they are driving somewhere. Also, they are ghosts, they could vanish and get there immediately (wherever “there” is), instead of using this old human vehicle.

And the road is mysteriously empty—suppose every cop is too busy drinking their soul away.

Meanwhile, at the aunt’s house, she tells Jeremy what she heard from the janitor—that the academy is haunted by three ghosts. Eventually, Jeremy opens up and confesses everything, even admitting that the Ghost of Sarge is his best friend.

If the sergeant is your best friend, you’ve got some real problems kiddo.

He considers the sergeant to be his friend, even when he was told that he had been using him for his wealth. Again, this kid latches onto people like Mark—who considers everybody his friend even if they don’t see nor hear from each other for years.

That kid clearly has issues if he thinks a ghost who uses him for money is his best friend—and that’s exactly what a doctor thinks, too. After overhearing them, he promises the aunt that Jeremy will be institutionalized and that she’ll gain control of his money.

As the doctor leaves, the Sergeant and the lady ghosts arrive and invisibly beat the hell out of everybody (again, just like Roger Bolt’s ghost in season three) and pull one of their tricks on the aunt, throwing a cake at her.

And laughing.

Maybe the actors had more fun doing this than the kids watching it—kind of like the soaking scenes.

Then, Chester and the General’s wife take Jeremy back.

That kid’s life is in danger, if they drive like Joey Chitwood.

Anyway, now that basically everyone on Earth knows about the existence of ghosts, and the aunt has control of Jeremy’s money, we reach the epilogue: she wants to get back at the academy for the humiliation of being caked by a ghost, so she buys it using Jeremy’s money.

Most certainly unwise.

That’s reckless and downright dangerous: you’ve just found out Ghosts exist and live at the Academy—they could haunt you for the rest of your life. Just because the worst they’ve done so far is throw a cake doesn’t mean they couldn’t do something far more threatening.

It feels like a thug in As Difficult As ABC trying to double-cross Jonathan in Landon’s Sunglasses.

But that’s how it goes: she arrives at the academy with a backhoe to tear the place down. Now it’s time for the “final battle”: everyone grabs rakes and whatever they can find and lines up in front of the building.

This plan makes no sense—if she owns the place, she could just call the police and have them all arrested for trespassing. But then again, this show seems to exist in the same version of California as Highway, where the police apparently don’t exist (like that time former actors beat up thugs, or when Jonathan manipulated stock prices by spreading words of a corporate buyout beforehand).

Anyway, that’s the way it goes: everybody takes place for the showdown.

Eventually, the fight begins: the ghosts blast at the workers with a dangerous cannonball, while French steals a trumpet from a cadet and pretends to incite his troops.

A couple of things to notice: one, that cadet should be watching the trumpet flying—because Chester is invisible to everybody— so now there’s another young man believing in ghosts.

Second, of course French is not really playing it. It’s probably like Pa’s fiddle in Little House.

In the meantime, the cadets splash water at them.

It all feels very familiar—basically the season one finale.

Everything just loops back to Highway.

Finally, the ghosts decide to play one last trick, leading to the most ridiculous part of the episode—the moment everyone’s been waiting for. It’s even more awkward and drunken than CHiPs at its worst, and honestly, it’s embarrassing to watch.

This goes beyond everything.

It’s even more awkward and drunken than the CHiPs infamous roller disco; and that was just so embarrassing to watch.

Just imagine how they filmed it: French says one word each take, then moves somewhere else, says another word, repeats, jumps, approaches the camera and scares the hell out of you. And it probably took multiple takes for each line. This goes way beyond sitcom territory—you can clearly tell there’s a sitcom director behind it. And French approached the role the same way he played Roy in Carter Country, with the same pitch, mimicry, and facial expressions—even down to the mustache—but here it’s pushed completely beyond the reaches of sitcom ridiculousness.

No idea how they got him to do this.

Eventually, the aunt is scared off the property when Jeremy’s uncle arrives, and Jeremy is allowed to stay at the academy. The head of the academy reconciles with the girls, and everyone is happy.

Later, Jeremy and Posy go to find Sarge’s ghost, who is sitting alone on a bench. It’s unclear why he let them go without saying anything earlier. Maybe Sarge is as friendly as Jonathan (or maybe he’s a quiet quitter too).

Anyway, he just tells them he has to return to his painting and won’t be see them anymore.

That part makes no sense: there’s no reason for him to go back to the painting—he wasn’t brought back as a ghost to fulfill some vow to protect the school from girls. At the beginning, the ghosts simply materialize out of nowhere, as if they’ve always been able to do that—without ever establishing rules or suggesting they have a certain amount of time to complete their assignment (unlike Jonathan, who has one).

Also, they’re just returning to the painting, so if Jeremy ever wanted to see sergeant again, he could simply go to the room where the painting hangs—easy as that. Actually, it seems like they can still hear what’s happening around them — even when they are in the paintings (the first time they came to life was triggered by the janitor talking about the merge with the girls.)

But compared to the many other absurd moments, this was nothing.

It even seems like the writers realized this, because the sergeant later warns his superior about the academy’s future in case something goes wrong, and they all decide to keep haunting the place anyway.

Which makes the earlier goodbye to Jeremy feel pointless.

In the end, the episode concludes with Sarge walking toward the door.

And French crashing right into it.

And two ghosts in the painting reminiscing about the past—back when slavery hadn’t been abolished and girls weren’t around.

But don’t worry about slavery, Jonathan can make up for it.

So, this show feels absurdly random—just like the characters and the situations. Still, it oddly anticipates many elements of Highway: the assignment, the disappearing powers, the friendly ghost dynamics, characters getting soaked, the Joey Chitwood stunts, the actors, and French teaching modern classes and boxing—and making ridiculous faces. That was probably the only part worth watching of all this.

Most of these shared features are a coincidence, but more often than not, this episode felt like a precursor to Highway To Heaven, even more than the “series with probationary angels” made before it. And some of these features or shared similarities or coincidences were terribly uncanny. Just like those faces.