After supposedly rescuing Millicent from the alleged Collinsport Strangler, Nathan asks Naomi for a moment alone with Millicent. Naomi reluctantly retreats. It’s difficult to leave you, Nathan tells Millicent, because I love you and always have. You seem changed, Millicent observes. I warn you, I’m the same man I’ve always been, Nathan declares with perfect truth. Having snared Millicent completely, he tells her, I love you very much. He kisses her on the forehead and hands the pistols back to her. Naomi takes Millicent (now in tears) back to the house. Nathan grins at their retreating figures.

Later, when Millicent visits Nathan in his conveniently two-doored room, she says, I realize now that your first concern was for me. After a great deal of dithering on her part and some subtle coaxing on Nathan's part, she finally admits, I have misjudged you--and I want you to stay. You were right to be hurt and angry, Nathan tells her. But I swear I love you. She falls into his arms, but since her head barely comes to his shoulder she can’t see his triumphant, wolfish grin. Nathan needs to take just one more step for his plans to come to fruition.

I always thought that Millicent is mentally unstable. The world she inhabits is almost entirely imaginary.

MB, it was very interesting to see what you said about the response to this episode when it first aired. I've always thought that DS had a surprisingly strong anticlerical streak, and I always wondered what people thought about this episode. Thanks.

I don't find it so odd that Nathan tries to talk Trask out of going to the Old House. Trask has promised to help Nathan in his career in exchange for his perjury, so I suppose Nathan has some vested interest in keeping him alive. And who knows, Nathan may have some tiny trace of good left in him, or at least a nagging conscience.

After Nathan finds out from Trask that Millicent looked as if she wanted to stop Naomi from tearing up his (N.'s) letter, he warns Trask one more time, You must not go to the Old House! Then Nathan leaves, never to see Trask again.

Barnabas tells Ben, "I am planning some entertainment for my guest, to be followed by a "reward" for his treatment of Victoria Winters." The "entertainment" line is pretty good too. Ben looks sick with dread, but Barnabas clearly is enjoying himself. For some reason, he's not wearing the famous onyx ring, but maybe he just didn't want to get mortar on it. From this point on, Ben has no part in the proceedings, and we have to assume he's off drowning his sorrows somewhere.

After Nathan leaves, Trask hears Abigail's summoning voice. Come to the Old House, she tells him again. He picks up a candle and looks around the room fruitlessly for the source of the voice. I will obey your summons, he calls out. Setting the still-burning candle down, he leaves his room at the Three Bells for the last time. After he does, some unseen agency blows the candle out.

Yes, how DID Trask find out that Barnabas had died? Did the doctor blab? That doesn't seem likely, though, especially since Barnabas supposedly died of a plague. 

I think Barnabas was so bent on revenge for Vicki that he didn't want to waste time trying to persuade Trask that Angelique was the witch. I think it might have been more effective for him to show Trask some incontrovertible proof (I don't know what) and break his spirit. But I suppose DC couldn't resist the opportunity to steal yet another plot (from "The Cask of Amontillado").

When I first saw this ep., I thought it was pretty strong stuff for daytime TV.

 

"A woman" vs. "such a woman"--I'm afraid I don't have the episode available to watch, so you might be right. On the other hand, as I mentioned on another thread, wouldn't he have felt obliged to fulfill the biblical order to "be fruitful and multiply"? [spoiler]Remember, we do know that he had a son (1840) and a grandson (1897).[/spoiler]

If Maude's fireplace has fake blue Delft tiles around it, then yes, it's the one from Vicki's room at the Old House.

If I remember, Maude's room above the feed store is right up under the eaves. And a very sad and shabby little room it is, littered with Maude's pathetic scraps of finery but totally devoid of any sort of cane whatever.

I think the hatch is an oven for baking bread or whatever. They would have piled more wood directly onto the fire.

I'd have a hard time choosing my favorite Barnabas-Ben scene, but this one is right at the top!

You’ll go on with me then, says Barnabas. There’s nothing either one of us can do. Ben leaves, knowing his life will be spared but also knowing he must obey.

Barnabas orders Ben to get a brass ring, but an iron one would have been more practical.

Welcome (I guess), Craig Slocum. Vala Clifton (Maude) does the opening voiceover because she is the only female in this episode. Tarty fashion note: Maude wears a rather trashy Incroyable-style gown in pink and white striped damask, with a pink underdress, along with the inevitable 1960s banana curls.

And yes, JC was terrific as Nathan in this episode!

Yeah, he's staying at a rooming house in Collinsport. [spoiler]In a couple of episodes, Nathan will visit him, which he couldn't have done if Trask were still at Collinwood.[/spoiler]

Presumably Trask had to leave Collinwood after Abigail died, since he was her particular guest. Maybe Naomi threw him out after the scene they just had, but if she did, it's too bad it happened off camera!