746 - (Grayson Hall) - The great house of Collinwood in the year 1897, and Barnabas Collins finds himself on a mission to save the life of a child in the present. But this day, the first rays of the sun have forced him back to his coffin in the basement of the Old House on the estate. A madwoman, escaping from her locked room, opens a door which no one should open.
Jenny finds Barnabas asleep in the coffin and is puzzled--that isn't Quentin! "Barnabas," she gasps.
Outside, Magda calls to Jenny--please! she begs--I only want to help you--I'll make it all right!-- Sandor and I want to take care of you, she cries desperately. She returns to the house, but the drawing room is empty. She thinks to herself, "My poor, frightened Jenny, where are you now, hiding like a mad animal somewhere--what have they done to you, Jenny, the loveliest, gentlest and gayest of them all, once? Oh, my sister, how can I help you now?" She starts to go upstairs, but notices the basement door ajar. She heads down there, but Jenny is no where to be seen. She must have opened the door, muses Magda. Did she see the coffin, open it? Is he all right? She herself opens the coffin. Barnabas is asleep, unharmed. Hearing Jenny crying, Magda closes the coffin. She finds her sister huddled against a wall, sobbing for Quentin. I only have you and Sandor now, cries Jenny. Magda urges her upstairs. Barnabas is dead, says Jenny, laughing--not Quentin, but Barnabas. She touches the coffin, then walks around it--I shouldn't have looked, but I feared it was Quentin--when I see him and tell him. . .. Magda warns Jenny not to tell him, but the mad woman wants Quentin to know how she felt when she saw that coffin, how her heart stopped beating for an instant.
You must tell no one, insists Magda. Jenny says, Quentin once told me as long as they loved him enough, it would be all right. That was long ago, says Magda. I haven't known Quentin long, says Jenny--why did you and that gypsy follow me to Collinwood? asks Jenny, irritated. Listen, Magda begs--you must promise not to tell anyone about this--it will be our secret. I don't want to have a secret with you, Jenny protests. Magda reminds her, we always had secrets, this is one more. He's dead, says Jenny, everyone will find out, there will be a funeral. Magda tries to explain there won't be a funeral, but Jenny won't accept that. He isn't dead!, says Magda--you must understand and promise to keep quiet--if you tell one person, we all will die--Sandor, Magda and Jenny. Barnabas is dead, he cannot hurt me, says Jenny. Magda reiterates, you must be quiet about what you saw--I only want to help you--when you married Quentin, I didn't stop you, and persuaded Sandor not to tell anyone you were one of us--When I saw you on the streets, I didn't speak to my own sister, and I did that to help you--and you must promise not to tell anyone. If I promise, asks Jenny, you must not speak to me in front of Judith and Edward. No, swears, Magda, I won't. And you won't insult Quentin, and allow me to leave with him when he comes back for me? adds Jenny. I promise to do what is best for you, Magda assures her. "Then I have never been in this room," says Jenny--but I can't keep a secret of death anymore than one of life. Magda wants to take her upstairs. Jenny runs her hair ribbon over Barnabas' coffin and says, "Barnabas is dead. . .he locked me in a room, and then he died. . .he died. . ." They go upstairs.
Outside the Old House, Quentin tests a piece of rope, his deadly intentions obvious. He enters the house, the rope tautly between his hands, ready. Magda comes downstairs. "You are back!" she cries between gritted teeth. I couldn't stay away, he says, his back to her. He pockets the rope before turning around, commenting on how fascinating the house is, and what secrets it holds. I know one important one, she says, what you did to me! I knew you would find out the secret of the locked room, he says--Judith expects a visit from you--"Blackmail. She will pay for no one to know our little secret--shall I tell you how much!" She smacks him across the face with her shawl, infuriating him. He grabs her, twists her arm and holds her fast. "Do you think I would sell her?" demands Magda, struggling. "You are why she is like she is," she spits at him. "With your fancy name and manners and money--you turned her into that poor, crazy. . ." He starts to go upstairs, warning her, you haven't the strength to stop him. No, but I have the power, she assures him. She shows him her hand, with the forefinger and pinky outstretched, and warns him, if you go near Jenny, if you does one more thing to her, then you will be cursed--CURSED!!" Quentin looks scared as hell.
Quentin asks why are you so upset--it's not like you. You're seeing the real me for the first time, reveals Magda. He grins. Really?--all because of some woman you've never spoken to in your life. Magda mutters how well she kept her secrets. Quentin asks what she's talking about.
She calls him stupid, telling him, you think you know everything about me. Too much, he says. Magda demands, "Where was Jenny born?" "New York," responds Quentin. "Grew up?" Some village in Virginia. Magda reveals, acidly, that Jenny grew up in many villages, in a caravan--"I am her sister." Quentin says, "You're lying." No, says Magda, now I knows why I hate you so much--Jenny wasn't fooled by you; she knew you wouldn't marry a gypsy girl, that's why she did it, and now she's broken, torn, and you are responsible--I will never let you forget you did it to her. Are you going to kill me? asks Quentin. That's too kind, says Magda, all my life I have waited because I was prepared to meet an enemy, and now I have met him, and I know what to do--stay away from her, she orders--you have seen her for the last time. What will you do? Quentin demands. You don't need to know, replies Magda--go back to your family, like a good child, she urges, tell my newly discovered in-laws what you have discovered about them, and listen to their advice--but do nothing, because, "You will not be able to fight me! Now get out!" He heads for the front door but leaves with a parting shot: "Jenny should have told me, you know? It would have made her much more interesting." (cheap shot!) Magda throws a vase at him, but misses. He leaves, an ugly expression on his face.
From Josette's room, Jenny looks out the window and spies Quentin leaving. She tries to open the window, growing more and more hysterical, and calls to him, "I'm here, Quentin, come back!" She tries the locked door, but can't get it open. Magda races to the door and starts to unlock it. Jenny accuses her, you told Quentin I'm dead, you let him go--I hate you! Magda opens the door and holds her sobbing, hysterical sister. Jenny falls onto the bed and tells Magda, I only want to see him. Magda promises her Quentin will come back, which comforts Jenny. "Then I can tell him," murmurs Jenny--"There's so much he doesn't know, he couldn't know--I must tell him myself, before anybody else does, then he will love me, he will, I know. . ."
Old House - a dog howls. Barnabas rises from his coffin. (Get those hinges some oil!) He sits up, calls to Magda or Sandor. Magda comes down. I found Jenny, she says--she's still up there--they wanted to take her away, but I wouldn't let them. Good, says Barnabas, closing his coffin--I want to ask Jenny many questions and not be disturbed--I realize someone from Collinwood will show up soon, so I must hurry. I need to speak to you, says Magda--it's important for you to listen to me--I want you to release Sandor, it's important, we must take my sister away from here. "Your sister?" he asks. "Jenny," she reveals. Wow, says Barnabas' face. If Jenny stays here, Quentin will kill her, says Magda. I cannot let you go, says Barnabas. You must, says Magda--I know why you're here in this century, to save two lives of people living 100 years in the future--but my sister has nothing to do with that. But she DOES, says Barnabas--she ran away to this house, but I wasn't here, the house was empty except for Jenny, and I changed that, locked her in her room--you wouldn't even have known she was at Collinwood, had I not done that--the story must be played out as it was originally, or I won't be able to save either David or Chris. Names, names, complains Magda, talk to me about Sandor and Jenny! "I will not let you go!" says Barnabas. Magda cries, I won't let you sacrifice Jenny. They face each. He promises, if you do anything to interfere, there will be a sacrifice--yours! He leaves. Magda stands there, tight-lipped, angry, and follows him upstairs.
Magda wants to be in the room when Barnabas questions her, but he says no--I want to help her, he assures the gypsy. That would be the first time you ever did that, says Magda angrily. (She didn't see how nice he was with Jenny.) There's a knock at the door front door--Quentin? He was here twice already. Judith, thinks Barnabas. Magda lets Judith in--you must have come to talk to me about my sister, I'm sure
--it's nice to see her on equal terms, or didn't Quentin tell you the truth? Judith asks to see Barnabas alone. Magda tells her, you could have said that yesterday. "I can say it now," insists Judith. It will do you no good, says Magda, you imprisoned her sister. Because she was mad, declares Judith--I felt pity for her and felt Quentin contributed toward it, but now that I know Jenny is your sister, I think there is already madness in her background. Magda starts to attack Judith, but Barnabas gets between them and tells Magda to go to Jenny--she needs you. Magda agrees to leave the two of them to TALK while she speaks to her sister. I am ashamed you arrived a short time knowing nothing about us, says Judith--now you know the worst. I'm not here to make judgments, but to help, he assures her. Why did you keep her here, she asks, instead of sending her back to us? I didn't know the story, he says, I was trying to decide what to do when I was called away--I'm very concerned for this poor, unhappy woman and her children. There are no children, Judith hastily tells him. She talks of them, says Barn. She's mad, says Judith. It isn't what you and Edward are going to do, says Barnabas, but what JENNY is going to do. She would kill us all, says Judith, we will have to face a public scandal and send her to an institution this night.
Jenny lies in bed, staring at the ceiling. I hear his voice, she says. No, says Magda. Jenny rises from the bed and says, I was a gypsy once--do you know that?--no one knows it--I hated it, living in caravans, nobody liking me, people crossing the streets when they saw us coming. Magda assures her they saved their money that way--you still are one of us--I'm writing a note to Sandor, telling him to meet us. Where are we going? asks Jenny. It's spring--the caravans will meet to spend the summer together, says Magda--we will go join them, and our family will take care of us--you will like it, this time, I promise you will, you will be free, able to do as you want. While Magda blathers on about a bright future, Jenny leaves the room.
Barnabas doesn't understand why Judith won't allow Jenny to stay at the Old House for a while. She can't. Magda will help, and Jenny might improve immeasurably. No, says Judith, you're an incredible optimist, but there's no reason for you to right my brother's mistakes. I'm interested in Jenny, says Barnabbas. I can't imagine why, says Judith, but it's out of the question for Jenny to stay here. Jenny comes downstairs. Barnabas tells Judith, when I was in England, some of my friends did the most amazing experiments in treating the mentally ill--perhaps they can help Jenny. Overhearing this, Jenny grows hysterical and screams, "No! No!" Barnabas insists she must be in her room. "Don't come near me!" Jenny yells. "You're dead! You're dead!" Judith asks Barnabas what she's talking about. Jenny wails, "The coffin! You were there! You were there, in the coffin!"
And Jenny bursts into tears. Barnabas looks quite unnerved.
NOTES: Whew, lucky for Barn an insane woman is saying that! He could be in serious trouble otherwise. Barnabas knows more than Judith realizes; see how quickly she told him there were no children? He is so nice to Jenny, isn't he? Yet he insists she come to her original fate? I'm confused. Why does he want that? Jenny wasn't even in the picture, as far as he knew. And given that there ARE children that even Quentin doesn't know about (how poignant was Jenny, musing over telling him her big secret, assuming he'd want to stay with her).
Great ep, huh?
747 - (David Selby) - Collinwood. The year is 1897, and Barnabas' desperate journey to the past to find two secrets and save two lives is endangered again. For in a house on the estate, Barnabas has a mad prisoner, and prisoner who, in time, could tell him much--but a prisoner who could also tell much about him.
Jenny continues to insist, I saw Barnabas dead in a coffin in the basement. Judith is more than puzzled. Jenny explains. I walked through the door and downstairs. Barnabas, taking her arm, tells Jenny, you were upstairs all day. She struggles, commanding, don't touch me, and bowls past Judith to get out of the house. Go after Jenny, Judith tells Barnabas--I'm all right.
Collinwood - Jenny arrives at the front door and goes inside. Beth is just coming downstairs, and Jenny again flees, terrified to hear Barnabas and Judith's voices as they search for her. She runs off. Judith and Barnabas just miss her. They enter Collinwood, thinking she might be hiding. Judith and Barnabas ask Beth if she saw Jenny or Quentin. Barnabas volunteers to go into Quentin's room. No, says Judith, Jenny fears him, so she orders Beth and Dirk to search Quentin's room. Jenny listens outside a window and disappears when Judith opens that very same window. Barnabas wants to join the search. Judith wonders about what Jenny said about the basement and coffin. "How can we fathom her mind?" queries Barnabas. I usually can, says Judith, because Jenny's madness, in some strange way, is almost logical--the things she says and feels are based on some fact. Barnabas assures her, there is no coffin in my basement--and what about her talk of babies? That isn't true, says Judith. But you said Jenny's mutterings are based on fact, Barn reminds her. I've known women without children who want them, says Judith. Yes, agrees Barn, but they don't talk as if they were real.
Well, Jenny does, and that's all there is to it, says Judith, closing the window--is Jenny getting worse, changing?--she was docile before Quentin came back. Whoever finds her, says Barn, will have difficulty in restraining her, and two people can't search the entire house. Judith agrees. They start to search the rest of the house. "Can we trust you--really trust you?" asks Judith suddenly. Evasively, Barnabas responds, "I think so." (says YES, Barnabas, not I think so!) She apologizes--I'm not a trusting woman, she admits, and it embarrasses me that you're involved so much with my family--I try to pretend we're nicer than we actually are, then something like this makes her face the truth. (Very candid admittance.) Barnabas suggests they worry about finding Jenny, and they head into the servants' quarters.
Drawing room - Jenny stands by Quentin's gramophone, saying his name forlornly. "Yes, Quentin!" she whispers. "I'm coming!" And she wanders upstairs as if in a trance.
Jenny, in the upstairs hall, hides when she hears Beth calling her name. "I want to help you," says Beth--"Let me help you." Beth looks into a bedroom and Jenny cowers against the wall so Beth doesn't spot her. Beth checks another room and Jenny hides herself again. Beth enters the West Wing, calling to Jenny, who sneaks off in the opposite direction.
Quentin drinks, smiling. Beth comes in and closes the drawing room doors. He asks her not to look at him so seriously--I've had enough serious--I want to drink some good wine, listen to soft music and forget. His good mood evaporates when Beth tells him Jenny's in the house. Well, sneers Quentin, Judith succeeded where I failed--chalk one up for her, she scores again--"You must be running out of hiding places for my wife," he says sarcastically. Judith didn't bring her back, she escaped, says Beth. That's been happening with frightening regularity, quips Quentin. Beth begs him, be serious--Jenny is after YOU! Two minds with but a single thought, says Q, Jenny and I after each other at different times--why don't you just let us meet? Because we know what would happen, says Beth. You should have let her kill her, he says. Beth orders him to stop it--you should leave the house right now. So I'll be safe, or Jenny? he asks. Both, replies Beth. You aren't the ideal woman for me, says Quentin--too practical, you don't realize that I demand a woman who has no other interests but mine--coming from a divided family, I need complete attention. He tries to embrace her, but she shrugs away. She's insane, cries Beth, doesn't know what she's doing--she'll try to kill you! If that's true, give me back the pistol, demands Quentin. Beth refuses, so he goes searching for another one. Beth begs him to be sensible this once. I'm tired of running, of Jenny escaping, says Q--I want to get it over with, no matter what happens.
Do it for me, Beth asks--let me handle it, please? He looks at her anxious face and finally nods--where do you want me to go? She thanks him, grinning, and kisses his cheek. You can do better than that, teases Quentin, and sweeps her into a big, passionate smooch--just as Barnabas opens the doors. "You've caught me," says Q--I was just leaving. Judith joins Barnabas. Quentin congratulates tem the way they handled this situation--mad Jenny is free again--if I were ever a prisoner, I'd want you both as jailers, says Q--"Good evening." And he jauntily walks off, tipping an imaginary hat at them. Judith asks her brother for his help. I never imagined to hear from your lips, says Quentin--note that, Beth, and remember it all, because I won't believe it later, when I mull it over. Judith approaches Beth, saying the latter needn't hear anymore, and asks, did you found Jenny? No, says Beth. Then your work isn't done, remarks Judith. Beth leaves without another word. Quentin asks, "Dear sister, what can I do for you?" Judith asks Barnabas to explain. Barn says there's only one sure way of capturing Jenny, since there are too many places to hide in this house--if Jenny knows where you are, Quentin, she'll come to you. With a knife in each hand, says Q wryly--no, thanks!--Judith, I'm finished thinking this out--"Good luck." He drinks. Barn begs him to listen to the plan. You mean where I'm going to stand--the middle of the foyer? Asks Quentin sarcastically--will I be talking loudly, shouting perhaps, begging Jenny to come back to me while you lurk behind some door?-- "Cousin," he tells Barn, "you're making this into a comedy." I am totally serious, Barnabas insists--you and I will be in the drawing room. "More comfortable," says Q. Quentin will be playing his music, continues Barnabas, a melody that Jenny likes and affects her greatly, played when you were happier. "Very tastefully put," says Q. Judith says, Jenny will hear the music and come to you. Then you don't need me, says Q--poor Jenny will be trapped by her memories. No, says Judith--the doors will be open, Jenny will see you and come in. "And Barnabas will grab her and carry her off to a triumphant life behind a locked door, says Q. Judith is angry at Quentin's attitude and willingness to leave the house and put them all in danger. She can be dangerous, says Barn. Which I know, says Quentin, I have a scar to prove it.
Then help us, urges Barnabas, you'll be quite safe. Quentin snaps, I can call myself a coward, but I don't want you to do it. Cousin B apologizes--I didn't mean it that way, I was trying to reassure you. I don't need it, says Q. Barnabas and Judith exchange looks. Quentin says sure, we can chat while the music plays--I want to hear version of where you've been all day, and why you locked Jenny in the room at the Old House. (Jenny listens right outside the doors.) Either you're going to do it or not, says Barnabas--we're just trying to make Jenny think you're here alone--so, yes or no? Quentin examines the gramophone roller, commenting on the curious effect it has on Jenny--Judith, are you going to stay and hide with us? Judith thanks Quentin for agreeing to participate and exits upstairs. Quentin begins to play his music, while Barnabas hides himself behind the draperies. I never expected to have to count on you, Barnabas, says Quentin--I'm going to sit with my back to the door, give her more of a chance with her knife. Quentin settles himself in a chair, the music plays. It's 8:15. Upstairs, Jenny walks the halls, entranced at first by the music, then confused and upset, then entranced again. "Quentin. . ." she murmurs.
Quentin listens to his music, the throttling rope gripped in his hands. The music grinds to a stop, the clock chimes. Quentin starts it over again. It hasn't worked, notes Barnabas. Are you giving up? asks Quentin. It's been over half an hour, Barn points out. Q tucks the rope into his pocket and asks, are you tired of listening to the music? "Frankly, yes," says Barn, smirking. It soothes me, says Quentin. Barn figures Jenny isn't in the house. Judith and Beth hurry in. Has she left the house? Asks Beth Is she gone? asks Judith. Where? wonders Beth. Barnabas asks about Laura. Judith suggests, Barnabas and I will look in the cottage. Judith orders Quentin and Beth to check the West Wing again. Judith fears Jenny has left the estate, gone to the village, and tells Barnabas, we must find her!
Beth's room - Jenny enters, turns on a light. She calls to Beth, then sits down on the bed, exhausted. She spots a piles of children's clothing on the dresser, adorable little outfits, and holds them lovingly against her face. Jenny hears Beth's voice, saying, "We've looked through every room," and turns off the lamp. Jenny finds a knife in a breadbasket and takes it. Hearing Quentin's and Beth's voices, she hides behind a wall, knife in hand. Quentin tells Beth, I'm going to search my room and lock my door. Go out, advises Beth, don't take chances. Don't be so nervous, says Quentin. She takes his hands--I wish I could find words for the way I feel, she says. We'll find Jenny, says Q. And when we do? asks Beth. That is what you want, right? asks Q, for Jenny to be found? Beth looks ashamed and sad. It looks like you're saying goodbye, says Quentin. I wish I could, laments Beth, then I wouldn't feel the way I do--I wouldn't...want something to happen to Jenny, and I do, I want something to happen to her--I don't want her to come back!
--I don't want you to have a wife, and that makes me ashamed--sometimes, sobs Beth, I think I hate you. He tries to take her in his arms, but she pulls away--I hate you for making me feel the way I do, she says--oh, Quentin, I took such good care of Jenny before you came back, she was the only life I had. "Now you have me," Q reminds her--I wish you'd look more pleased. How can I? asks Beth, I feel so deceitful. We'll have to do away with your conscience, Quentin chuckles. Jenny trusted me, we were close, says Beth. Now you have me, repeats Q, doesn't that make up for it? He pulls her into his arms for a long, long kiss, and that's when Jenny comes toward them, knife held ready to plunge into her cheating husband's back!
NOTES: Too bad that little scene had to take place in Jenny's hearing, because now she knows the truth, that her best friend, Beth, is having an affair with her husband, Quentin. It can only lead to tragedy, and so it will...especially good performance by Terry Crawford as Beth. I felt so sorry for her, admitting to her wishes for Jenny to disappear. How hard it must have been to confess such a terrible thing, and you get the impression Quentin isn't understanding her at all, repeating twice, "You have me." But he's still married to Jenny!
Barnabas really has become totally embroiled in the lives of his 19th century cousins, hasn't he? Quentin doesn't like it at all, and Judith wonders if there is a kernel of truth in what Jenny said about seeing Barnabas in a coffin in his basement. Barnabas wisely countered Judith's wonderings with, "what about those babies?" He knows there must be babies somewhere!
Will Jenny succeed in killing Quentin?
Great ep!
Love, Robin
