431 - (Clarice Blackburn) - 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. And here, in this deserted, haunted house, there's been a meeting?one man has drawn the woman he loves from her grave and looked upon the face of death.
In the Old House basement, where his coffin now stands, Barnabas tells Ben that his love made him force Josette from her grave--and that same love made him send her back. He will never see her again. Trying to resurrect the past is wrong. (too bad he doesn't remember this in 1967 when Willie frees him.)
Ben suggests he remember Josette when she was alive and beautiful. I killed Josette, laments Barnabas. Remember she loved you, Ben suggests. Barnabas has decided to stay in the Old House basement, which makes Ben nervous--people could look there. Well, people were spotting him around the tomb, too, Barnabas says. He wants to be in the Old House, where, for a brief time, he and Josette were happy. Ben accuses Barnabas of wanting to be discovered, but Barnabas points out he has a million nights ahead of him, and will still be in existence long after Ben is dead. He doesn't want to fill his loved ones with terror. Ben promises to keep everyone away.
Daniel is playing by the Old House and hides behind a column so Abigail, who is breathlessly searching for him, can't find him. Daniel ducks into the Old House and finds Ben locking the cellar door. The servant is startled to see the lad there, but Daniel complains there's no one to play with since Sarah died, and his sister is ignoring him. He's clearly lonely.
Ben says he's taking him home, but Daniel runs from him. Ben catches him outside the Old House door, and after a little coaxing, the boy admits he's running away. Ben quizzes him about these plans, and Daniel admits he isn't prepared at all. Ben advises him to go home and make a list (he really is great with the child), get money, extra boots and food, if he wants to do it right. Daniel preferred living at the Old House. His sister, Millicent, is ignoring him and the only one paying attention is Abigail, who the boy doesn't seem to like much. Ben encourages Daniel to make his list, assures him he'll come to him and help him, and they shake on it.
Abigail later catches Daniel trying to sneak out of Collinwood. She grabs the list in his hand and doesn't believe it's his birthday list--what boy asks for boots for his birthday? Why has he made this list; he's a child? Grownups are the only ones allowed to make lists. He sniffs that grownups make lists because they can't remember anything, which pisses Abigail off. She sits him down in the living room and questions him vigorously about what Vicki told him and Sarah. She apparently clued them in to airplanes, radio and doing math by machines. What about Vicki's bracelet, with the devil on it? demands Abigail. Did she make you worship it? No, says Daniel.
He and Sarah liked Vicki, she played with them and didn't forbid them to go where they wanted. He lets slip that he saw Ben leaving the Old House, locking the cellar door, and Abigail immediately pounces on this. He says it's getting dark and he's concerned for her, but she assures him she has an inner light to protect her.
Abigail catches Ben leaving the Old House, and they get into a bit of an argument when she says she's going in and orders him back to Collinwood. She reminds him he was the witch's assistant, and when he tries to tell her the house is haunted, she pooh-poohs that--Reverend Trask, who is meeting her there, exorcised this house himself!
When he can't talk her out of going in (she says she'll be responsible for whatever happens to her), and she dismisses him as still being in league with the witch, Ben mutters that he hopes she gets what she deserves.
Abigail, certain Ben has hidden Vicki's book down in the basement, unlocks the door and heads downstairs. The sight of the coffin puzzles her, and she decides to wait for Trask before investigating it, but then, to her astonishment, the coffin opens and her nephew sits up inside! Her face begins to shake, and her mouth drops open. "Abigail, what are you doing here?" he demands coldly. His aunt gazes at him in horror and begins to scream at the top of her lungs.
NOTES: One of DS' finest terrifying moments! Oh, how Clarice Blackburn screamed, and with such gusto! And Barnabas--frightening face, glaring at her, pinning her to the wall!
Ben is great with kids. We know he had some of his own, albeit later in life, since T. E. Stokes in present day is his ancestor. I bet his children adored him.
432 - (Joan Bennett) - 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. This night, a woman who has been responsible for much grief decides she must discover the secret of a locked door in a deserted house.
In one of DS' best scenes, Barnabas pursues his terror-stricken Aunt Abigail around the Old House basement, telling her she doesn't know everything, that a person can be both alive and dead, that while she thought she knew everything and had all the answers, she knew nothing, that Angelique, who had helped her and Trask (who Angelique knew had no real power), was the witch who cast all the spells and cursed him. Abigail thinks him a vision, a ghost sent by the witch to torment her, but Barnabas grabs her hand.
"Feel the flesh and know the truth!" he sneers. Barnabas demands to know why she believes the devil always wants to touch HER, and reveals that he killed Angelique. He will be alive for all eternity, he harshly informs her, and will do anything to protect his secret--kill anyone! On the cold Old House steps, he forces his aunt to look at him, and when she sees his fangs protruding from his wide-open mouth, she saves him the trouble of killing her and conveniently dies of a heart attack. This is one death most of us will applaud and not blame Barnabas for one whit. Excellent performances from both actors!
At Collinwood, Daniel, who is heading outside to find Ben, is encouraged to sit down and talk to Naomi, who basically tells him she would like him to stay there and be raised by her and Joshua--this big house needs a boy to grow up in it, she says lovingly. He apologizes for saying it, but he wants to go home to New York. He complains that Millicent cries a lot and is unhappy in ways she never was in New York.
Perhaps Millicent will stay, too, suggests Naomi. She asks him to think about it, but Daniel frankly admits he loved Sarah, but doesn't like this place, and there's nothing to laugh about there. Naomi says they can make it a happy place. (he's got that right!)
Trask stops by, and Naomi curlty informs him that she has no interest in hearing how the trial is going; privately, she is on Vicki's side. She goes up to search for Abigail, leaving Daniel alone with Trask, who begins to interrogate the boy about Miss Winters. Daniel obviously doesn't want to answer any of Trask's questions and gets in a few good zingers (when he said the only one who looks like a devil is Trask himself)! Trask fears that Vicki has set the boy on the path to evil, rather than righteousness, like dear, sweet Abigail, but Daniel says Aunt Abigail always looks like she ate something that didn't agree with her. Daniel refuses to testify against Vicki at the trial, who tells Trask she told him and Sarah that lightning and thunder were caused by atmospheric conditions, rather than God, which scandalizes the Reverend. Trask's suggestion that Vicki is from another century is quite fascinating to Daniel. Perhaps people will be able to fly then, says Daniel, which Trask puts down to Miss Winters teaching him to believe the impossible. Vicki advised them to be curious, Daniel says, but Trask calls curiosity the devil's money. Daniel informs Trask that he wants nothing to do with the devil, and Trask says he can still be saved by testifying against Miss Winters. Daniel refuses and Trask accuses him of having the mark of the devil on him.
The boy runs to Naomi, who is furious at Trask for scaring Daniel. Trask tells her he knows who would claim Daniel if he died tonight, scaring the poor kid so much (the thought of dying), he runs out of the house. Furious, Naomi turns on Trask and retorts that he and Abigail are the tainted ones and he will have to answer when the time comes! "Follow the devil to capture him," advises Trask, "were he to say the same for you."
Daniel runs through the woods, fearful in the midst of the storm and a howling dog. He hears Naomi calling him but won't go to her, fearing another run-in with Trask. When Trask catches up to Naomi in the woods, telling her the witch summoned him from the house to avoid his questions, she orders him to return to Collinwood; he's staying away from her because he's afraid of Trask. Go home and get others to help search, she demands, annoyed by Trask's blathering and fearful for Daniel. Daniel is frantic and terrified by now, and even more so when he spots Abigail propped against a tree. He screams for Naomi, who immediately runs to him and takes him in her arms. Trask, who has followed her, touches Abigail, who falls over, eyes wide and staring, obviously dead.
NOTES: What's bad here is that you KNOW Trask will lay Abigail's death at Vicki's feet, claiming the witch murdered her to shut her up. I loved the way Daniel spoke back to Trask, and the boy's admission that he doesn't like Abigail too much.
Always a pleasure to see such talent in an episode, and great to see Henesy again. He was gone for far too long.
Love, Robin
