We hear a scream, and then Cassandra appears, still tied to the tree and still wearing the awful butterfly-print lounging robe she was wearing when the ghost of Trask exorcised her--too bad he couldn't have exorcised that. She’s glad to be restored, but has to remind the self-absorbed Nicholas to untie her.  He accuses her of allowing her EMOTIONS to get in the way of her plan, so she swears to focus on revenge from now on. She admits she needs help with rebooting the dream curse (argh), so Nicholas promises to help her--"for the sake of our bargain." Evidently they have some shared past.

When Cassangelique returns to Collinwood, she explains to the confused Roger that she went to Philadelphia--evidently the writers though Philadelpha = hell??

I suppose it's a good thing that Jeff knows the Collinses keep late hours (it's almost 2:00 a.m.), but Vicki is missing. He finds her wandering in the woods, clutching a gray button.

Nicholas returns to Collinwood, and he and Cassangelique stage a noisy reunion for Roger's sake. Nicholas repeats the Philadelphia story. Cassandra offers to help Vicki upstairs, but Vicki recoils from her touch--a reaction that Nicholas does not miss and that he reprimands Cassange for causing.

Once the lovers are upstairs in Vicki's bedroom, they don’t take advantage of their solitude and Vicki’s nice, comfy bed. Instead, Vicki tells Jeff about her fear of Cassandra. Jeff reassures her, but does he then seduce her with sweet nothings or even just nibble playfully on her ear? Well, anywhere but Collinwood that might happen. Instead he's bursting to tell her about his dream about being Peter Bradford and finding Nathan Forbes. I shot him again and again, Peter remembers. [But he shot him only once. Sometimes it's hard to recall details of dreams. And in any case, revolvers wouldn’t be invented for several more decades.] But Nathan only laughed and said I couldn't kill him because he was already dead (how original!). Jeff is now convinced he's really Peter Bradford, but Vicki is the skeptical one this time. Again she suggests visiting Professor Stokes, who can hypnotize Jeff and help him look back into his past. This time, Jeff is glad to go.

Nicholas arrives, ostensibly to offer assistance. Vicki politely declines--but not before Jeff notices that the bottom button on Nicholas's suit jacket is missing....

Nicholas doesn't resort to force because after all, doing evil is a matter of free will.

And he's not nearly so omnipotent as you might think--wait and see! 

I agree, everyone looks very nice in this episode. None of the older-generation characters appear in this episode, it's just the young 'uns.

It's always fun to see the duplicitous Nathan again, even in such a contrived situtation. Peter confronts him with the "thirty pieces of silver" he got for betraying Vicki.

When Maggie and Joe return to the cottage for the first time since Sam's death, they notice that a light has been left on, even though Maggie doesn't remember turning it on. We know that Stokes turned it on to draw Adam to the cottage. And of course they find the professor's stickpin.

Jeff's dialogue is credible for the circumstances, but RD's delivery was awful, if I remember rightly.

Julia once hypnotized Vicki before the 1795 story line, and she wisely made Vicki forget that it had happened, so it seems plausible that Vicki wouldn't know of Julia's talent in that line. I'm not sure how Jeff knows about Stokes, but Vicki might have told him off camera.

Not to mention the mortality rate among male doctors in Collinsport. 

You could be right, MT, considering the fun that Stokes had with the dream curse!

Maybe, but I suspect that at this point Jenny wasn't even a gleam in the writers' eyes--or DC's for that matter.

I think it's been a few days since Stokes befriended Adam, but I don't know for sure.

Nobody is troubled about the dream curse. I suppose the fact that nobody is having the dream is the real sign that Cassangelique is gone.

Welcome, welcome, welcome Humbert Allen Astredo! Costume put some real thought into Nicholas's wardrobe, and it shows.

Roger and Barnabas wait anxiously for Julia to finish treating Elizabeth. Roger says that "some poor devil" once was locked in the tower room. The "poor devil" in question turns away and does not enlighten his cousin. They exchange some interesting comments about Cassandra--all of Barn's have double meanings.

It's interesting how Julia and Barnabas have come to rely on Stokes as an authority. Arrowhead Road (given as his address in a previous ep.) has unaccountably moved to Rockport, but it's still a local number. [Four episodes ago Maggie called Stokes by asking the operator for Collinsport 752, but in this episode, on Julia's advice Barnabas dials 6868 to reach Stokes.] When Julia and Barnabas arrive at his door, we see that his house number is--of course--13.

In a lovely scene, Stokes pays it forward by teaching Adam to read, just as Barnabas taught Ben long ago.

MT, I like your thoughtful comments about Stokes. I suspect that when he was young, he had big plans to change the world. But as with most of us, time and disillusionment have narrowed his ambitions so that all he's doing now is teaching at a local college. I think that he's just trying to save the world one person at a time, and that's why he's so heavily invested in teaching Adam.

Stokes advises Barn and Julia to find Angelique's portrait. While Barnabas is upstairs at Collinwood, Julia distracts Roger. Roger comments, You can't imagine how active Cassandra can be! Julia answers dryly, Yes, I think I can. When Barn returns empty-handed, Roger produces the portrait and says he found it in an empty closet.

On seeing Barnabas, Nicholas announces confidently, Mr. Collins! I should have recognized you anywhere! You must be Cassandra's husband! Barnabas can only reply, Cassandra--no. (Well, it IS no more than the truth.)

The end of this episode could have been tedious and repetitious, but JB and JF make it seem brand new.

I love Elizabeth's dress in the first part of this episode--navy blue with lace ruffles at the neck and wrists. Young mod ladies were wearing those in 1964, but on her it looks classic and timeless. I also love her black velvet robe (with the inevitable pearls) later on.

Barnabas is wearing a strange brown suit--luckily it never appeared again. Roger is worried because he hasn't seen Cassandra in twelve hours--even her clothes are gone. (This is a very sartorial post!) Barn and Julia wonder if this means Trask has fulfilled his purpose. Sure enough, his skeleton is back in its accustomed spot (now with a proper left arm, not its former misshapen one). They take this as a sign that he succeeded in exorcising Angelique and is now resting in peace (or whatever). Barnabas's call to Angelique is met only with silence, but not for a moment does he believe she is gone forever. Julia is more optimistic.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth is now in full Naomi mode and accusingly asks "Joshua" why he didn't tell her that their son is one of the living dead. Julia tries to get her to lie down, but "Naomi" gets angry at being given orders in her own house and stalks off. Julia wants Roger to have his sister hospitalized, but he won't hear of it.

Standing in the coffin room (with Trask’s skeleton still looking on) Barnabas and Julia realize the peril Barnabas is in. Thunder rumbles as Barnabas reacts with horror to Julia’s news about Elizabeth’s transformation and her statement that he is one of the living dead. And what if she takes it one step further? he asks. What if she makes the connection between the living dead-- And vampires? Julia finishes as he turns away guiltily. Even more worrisome is the possibility that Roger will put all the pieces together. Barnabas says, I’m sure Cassandra is very much alive and will not be satisfied until Elizabeth says the word _vampire_. A peal of thunder follows. I think you should go to Collinwood, Julia urges him. And give Elizabeth a chance to accuse me? Barnabas retorts. Perhaps if she sees you-- Julia starts, but Barnabas asks, What about my seeing her? What about my reliving that night? That terrible night when my mother-- What happened to Naomi Collins? Julia finally asks Barnabas. At last he must reveal the painful truth that he has hidden from Julia until now. His grief and shame undiminished by time, he answers, She took her own life rather than face what I had become. Then you must go! Julia urges him again. Full of dread, Barnabas asks, Do you think that Elizabeth might--? Yes, Julia insists, yes, unless you go. Barnabas worries, But the sight of me might-- Might bring her back her back to reality--unless you give yourself away, Julia finishes. I must be careful, Barnabas agrees. Julia reassures him, Just remember one lie: that that Barnabas Collins no longer exists. In a way it’s true, she continues: The vampire is dead--only the man lives. Come with me, Barnabas tells her, and they hurry upstairs.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth retraces Naomi's steps almost exactly, writing a letter to Joshua, taking the poison, and starting upstairs to the Tower Room.

Barnabas unhappily recalls the storm on the night his mother died--and that she wrote a note to his father. Julia spots Elizabeth's note, and they race upstairs.

Barnabas gets to the Tower first. Elizabeth hurries to him. Elizabeth, you’re under a spell! he tells her. I’m not under a spell, she insists. Tell me what has happened. Nothing, Barnabas answers. Now you tell me--you need a doctor. No! Elizabeth says. Seeing you is enough. I’ll keep your secret, she pleads as the poison drains her strength away. Tell me what you took! Barnabas begs her. I don’t know, Elizabeth answers. It was in the drawer where I put it so long ago. Just then Julia arrives. Elizabeth gasps to Barnabas, It’s too late! Hold me! She collapses in Barnabas’s arms exactly, as his mother did on that terrible night long ago. Julia, do something! Barnabas implores her as he gently lowers Elizabeth to the floor....