That's great, MB!

Loved loved loved Roger's sour, sarcastic answers to Willie's questions.

The scenes in the kitchen and the drawing room were truly frightening, however not-right James Hall was for the part. We get what I believe is Willie's first reference to himself in the third person. Nice bit by NB at the end of the drawing-room scene.

Not the last time we will see "Uncle Roger's war pistol." Try as I might, I can't imagine Roger in the military, let alone in battle. And anyway, the timing is wrong, I think. He's too young for Korea and too old for Vietnam. The draft was still in effect, but he might have wheedled Elizabeth into getting him a deferment. Anyone have any ideas?

The closing credits for this episode roll over a shot of the foyer--and at a very oblique angle, a certain portrait is visible for the first time....

Janet, thanks (I think) for the definition of "speedball." But I'm still not sure why Willie calls Maggie one--unless he thinks she gave him the bum's rush?

I agree. In these early story lines the writers went to great pains in developing the characters and their motivations. Burke met Vicki while they were still on the train, and I think he was already interested in her when they arrived at Collinsport. I think we're meant to see her as a sort of unwitting emissary between him and the Collinses. Everything he did to the Collinses in his plan for revenge would affect Vicki as well, and that may have restrained him somewhat.

Even if Elizabeth had told Matthew that [spoiler]she killed Paul deliberately,[/spoiler] I have a feeling Matthew would have remained loyal to her and might have felt more protective of her.

AM reads the best opening voiceover EVER:

My name is Victoria Winters. The foundations of Collinwood house a frightful secret, a secret that has lain dormant for eighteen years, a secret awakened by a stranger. But there is another stranger, one who is to awaken and unleash a force that will affect the lives of everyone.

Hang on to your socks! 

Jason has a hard time managing Willie, as we see here: You made me promises, Willie complains. You said everything would be great. We’d have the easy life. I could have everything I wanted--but what have I seen? Just that new suit you’re wearing. Well, what do you want--the top or the bottoms? Jason snaps. 

Jason tells Willie that he's had this particular scheme in mind for eighteen years--talk about a loooooong con! Willie is more of a smash-and-grab type who wants his gratification yesterday and doesn't care if he has to get his hands dirty (short of murder, though, I'd guess) to get it. But he's unwilling to actually put any thought into it--that's Jason's department. I think Jason keeps Willie around for the dirty-hands part of his plans.

Yes, and even worse, because poor Sam is only a freelance artist, of course he didn't have health insurance.

Regarding that "Look into my eyes" clip, JF would never, ever have needed that silly, overdone hand gesture. And JD's Barnabas is sadly lacking in the fastidiousness of JF's. I'm waiting till I can watch this movie for free, and even then I might give it a miss.

That's even more mysterious than the identity of the real Deep Throat!

Can you just imagine Barnabas with curls hanging across his forehead instead of pointy bangs?! 

What a horrible concept!