419 - (Jane Draper) - A seance has been held in the great house at Collinwood, a seance which has suspended time and space and sent one girl on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past, back to the year 1795. There, each of the Collins ancestors resembles a present-day member of the Collins family, but the names and relationships have changed, and Victoria Winters finds herself a stranger in a sea of familiar faces. It is here, in this time, that the darkest secret in the history of the Collins family was born. On this night, in the dark and forbidding confines of the old Eagle Hill Cemetery, one woman will begin to learn the terrible secret.
Barnabas forces himself to not bite Josette and pushes her aside savagely. He orders her to leave. She doesn't understand--he's changed. Yes, he agrees, and because of it, she must leave, never see him again. It's too late for them.
The way of life he could offer her now is impossible. She insists she'd do anything to be with him, but he won't allow it. He tries to make her see--he died, she knows that, yet here he is! She wants to be with him. He came back, but this must be goodbye, Barnabas insists. He explains that he is fearful for her--his life will be eternally in fear of the day, and even though it's an existence some would envy, it's terrible. He returned from the grave, but not by choice; this was the result of a curse and they can't be together. She clings to him, assuring him their love will overcome these obstacles, but he insists they cannot see each other. She refuses to let him go, but he pushes her away. They stand on opposite sides of the mausoleum, both distraught and miserable.
Nathan and Millicent are hanging out in the drawing room at Collinwood. He's consulted the Farmer's Almanac to find a perfect day for their wedding, and suggests March 2nd. Why so soon, she asks. He wants their happiness together to begin ASAP, says Nathan, trying to slide an arm around her. His job in Collinsport will be finished in two months, and he doesn't want to risk being separated from her. She doubts Joshua will agree, but seems joyous that he wants to marry her so badly--and so soon. Josette interrupts their almost-kiss. When Millicent tells her she and Nathan are getting married, Josette's reaction is an automatic, "Very nice." She seems to be in shock, and Millicent notes how pale she is. Josette wanders into the drawing room as Millicent says goodnight to Nathan in the foyer. Millicent offers sherry to Josette, but she refuses. She asks why the other woman is so sad. Josette explains that it's too late--Barnabas promised to come back, he has, and now he doesn't want her anymore.
Barnabas is on his way to England, insists a confused Millicent. No, says Josette, I saw him tonight.
At the Eagle, the 1796 version of the Blue Whale, Nathan orders bartender Mooney's best rum to celebrate his engagement to Millicent. The place is empty because of the recent attacks on local women, laments the barkeep. A blonde walks in (and I always thought this lady was a total hoot), and we learn it's Suki Forbes, Nathan's WIFE from Baltimore! He apparently left her home eight months ago while he pursued his career, rum, and other women-and he never sent her any money, either, she complains. Nathan wonders how she found him, and she explains that a Navy man isn't hard to track down. "You ought to know," says Nathan grimly. (Oooh, rep diss!) She questions him about his latest innocent conquest, and he demands to know what she wants to get her ass back to Baltimore immediately.
Does his latest girlfriend know he's already married? questions Suki evilly, and Nathan grabs her wrist. She's even brought their marriage contract with her, Suki exults. Nathan promises to give her what he's saved--about $400--if she goes back to Baltimore on a carriage leaving at daybreak. She says that would be fine--until the barkeep informs her that Nathan's fiancee is a very wealthy Collins. You can almost see the dollar signs dancing in Suki's pretty blue eyes as she says, "That's interesting" and belches in a most unladylike fashion on her second rum.
Collinwood - Millicent gently tells Josette she thinks all her heartbreak and bad luck of the last few months has made her. . .ill. Josette explains that Barnabas didn't go to England, that was just a story Joshua told, and Millicent must keep it a secret. She tells Millicent she did have a strange dream, one that told her where to find him--and she did, in Eagle Hill Cemetery. He seemed different, but wouldn't tell her what had happened to him, only that it was all over between them. Why did he tell her to wait? wonders Josette. Millicent reminds Josette she's returning to Martinique in only two days, and Josette comments she doesn't think she can live until then. Millicent leads the upset Josette upstairs as a dog mournfully howls.
Barnabas stands in front of the mausoleum, a sad, lonely figure. He's glad Josette is going, and vows not to see her before then. If he does, the temptation to make her what he is will be far too overpowering, and he loves her too much for that.
NOTES: I adore Suki. She's one of DS' best brief role players, IMHO. I love her voice and the way she goes after Nathan, who we now know for sure is a wicked, untrustworthy man. At least he helped Vicki at the beginning, but now he wants Millicent for her money, that's clear, and makes no bones about it to his current wife.
420 - (Jane Draper) - A seance has been held in the great house at Collinwood, a seance which has suspended time and space and sent one girl on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past, back to the year 1795. There, each of the Collins ancestors resembles a present-day member of the Collins family, but the names and relationships have changed, and Victoria Winters finds herself a stranger in a sea of familiar faces. She has also learned that the early history of the Collins family is one of an evil reign of terror. It just seems to go on through all eternity.
Josette gazes sadly out her window, sadly pondering--one more day, and Collinwood will be just a memory. Millicent comes in to check on her. Why isn't she sleeping? I can't, says Josette, she feels Barnabas' presence. Millicent gazes with sympathy at the love-struck young woman, but indeed, Barnabas is standing in the woods, gazing up at Josette's window. He wants her to come and look out so he can see her face one more time. (didn't he promise himself not to even see her at the end of the previous ep?--take your own advice, Barn!)
Josette thanks Millicent for her concern and care, and congratulates her more properly on her engagement to Nathan. Millicent says they haven't yet set the date, nor have they gotten Joshua's approval. Josette offers to speak to the patriarch on Millicent's behalf, making a knowing comment on Joshua's feelings about un-moneyed men like the Lieutenant. Millicent says that she's always dreamed of marrying someone like Nathan, and she'll make sure she gets Joshua to consent. Josette says she wishes she'd gotten to know Millicent better. Millicent spots Nathan heading to Collinwood and excitedly races downstairs, taking time to pinch color into her cheeks first.
Outside Collinwood's front doors, Nathan tells Millicent he thought he saw a man who looked just like Barnabas a distance from the house, in the woods. Millicent says everyone is going mad--Josette thought she saw Barnabas, too, but darn it, he's on his way to England! If Nathan saw him from a distance, he could have been mistaken, points out Millicent, and besides, if it WERE Barnabas, why would he skulk in the woods? It's puzzling, agrees Nathan, and as he enters Collinwood, a dog howls. They go into the drawing room and he asks if she's considered March 2nd for their wedding. There's been so much tragedy, especially for Josette, sighs Millicent, but Nathan takes a guy's sensible view of things--Josette is young and pretty and will eventually find someone else. A man would take that view of things, says Millicent; men fall in love over and over, but when a woman falls in love, it's forever. Nonsense, says Nathan, kissing her neck, insisting he hasn't fallen in love until her. (son of a bitch!) Millicent doubts Josette will ever recover.
There's a knock at the door, and in walks Nathan's wife, wearing a loud, stunning yellow and blue confection. She scares the crap out of both Nathan (who assumes the jig is up) and Millicent (who obviously has hidden doubts about Nathan) when she announces she's Suki Forbes, but then goes on to say she's Nathan's SISTER! Suki plays with Nathan's head, chastising him for not telling Millicent about her. Suki plays up to Millicent, admiring the house, but learns that it belongs to Joshua Collins, not her. Suki blathers on about wanting to spend time with her brother, and Nathan counters by saying he has so little time, working for the Navy. Millicent pipes up that surely Joshua will give him time off to spend with his sister, and, gooey-sweet, Suki says she feels she and Millicent will be great friends. Suki's gushing is cut off when she spots Barnabas gazing through the window. She calls his face evil, but he's gone by the time Nathan checks outside. Nathan asks Millicent to make a cup of tea for his sister, and kisses her hand to ensure she'll do it.
Left alone with Suki, Nathan demands to know her game, and she says she's learned HIS game. He gave her $400 and expected her gone, but knowing about Millicent, Suki realizes there's lots more where THAT came from--she wants in! She learned about Millicent because the conceited Nathan bragged so much to the poor folks about snagging a rich Collins, everyone in town knows. Nathan insists he truly loves Millicent, but cynical Suki says he just loves her money, and SHE is growing fond of it herself. Suki is sure Millicent doesn't have her family's consent yet, and he, Nathan, doesn't have Suki's consent, either! Millicent carries in the tea and asks the stone-faced Nathan if she can tell--then breaks the news of their engagement to Nathan's wife. "How divine!" gushes Suki. Her brother is so forgetful!
It's 2 AM and Barnabas is tired of waiting for Josette to come to the window, so he goes to her instead. Josette spots a bat outside the window, then Barnabas appears. He tells her he had to see her, just one more look, but she tells him she can't leave, she wants to be with him. He insists it's impossible--what he's become--she must leave, he insists, but she says she can't now. Her feelings would not change, no matter where she goes, she whispers, and she would always be fighting the urge to return to Collinwood to find him. Forget me, implores Barnabas, but she knows he doesn't mean that; he came to her because he couldn't stay away--their destinies are one.
She wants to be with him, no matter what, no matter what their new way of life would be. "Don't let me go!" cries Josette. "Please take me with you!" She falls into his arms. Barnabas, hating himself, pushes her hair out of the way and this time, sinks his fangs into her proffered throat. (This last scene was so romantic, and even his bite is about as gentle as it can get. GREAT scene!)
NOTES: So Barnabas has finally given in to his base vampire desire and bitten Josette. What will happen to her now? And to him?
Will Suki continue to play with Nathan and Millicent? Won't he have to divorce Suki before he can legally wed Millicent? How long does that take in this day and age? Will Millicent learn what a blackguard her fiance truly is?
Love, Robin
