Frank visits Laura at the cottage to discuss the impending divorce. In real life, this conversation never would have happened without Laura's lawyer being present!

Laura almost gives herself away when she reaches directly into the fire for the kettle. Vicki warns her that she'll burn herself, but she says, Oh, no, I won't. Then she realizes her error.

What a bunch of users the Collinses are, trying to get Vicki to do their dirty work for them.

It's no mystery to me how Laura got her fortune. If she really is immortal, that's a lot of centuries of compound interest piling up.

Elizabeth asks David if he wants to go away with his mother. He gives her a vague reply, but anything short of an outright "no" is enough to start Elizabeth worrying.

While Elizabeth and Roger are eating breakfast and arguing in the kitchen, Roger puts two slices of bread in the toaster. After only a few seconds, he takes the completely untoasted slices out and gives one to his sister.

Later, Roger tells David, For once you've done something to please me. Way to parent, Roger!

Still later, David is playing with his toy soldiers instead of doing his reading when Carolyn knocks on his door. He's already had to hide the soldiers from his father, and now he has to go through the whole thing again--but this time, he misses one, and Carolyn finds it. A thaw begins as they smilingly agree to share the secret, and she seems genuinely concerned for him.

Even later, Roger is doing a crossword puzzle--a rare symptom of intellectual stimulation!

In this episode, we learn that Elizabeth occasionally walks the grounds of the estate. At least she gets outdoors sometimes!

Whether Vicki realizes it or not, she tells David the story of the Phoenix in almost the same words that Laura had used when she told the story.

Time Tunnel was one of our favorite shows!!

David will demonstrate his artistic talents again in the future. I always waited for the writers to make something of it, but they never did. Too bad, because portraits play such an important part in all the story lines.

Definitely agree--remember in the previous episode he told Vicki he wanted to get some answers from Laura, but the minute he met her he bascially turned to mush. At least Vicki can see what's going on and is now determined to keep David away from her. And Vicki even has Frank wondering if Laura was lying about when she left Phoenix.

Poor Carolyn gets dumped by Burke.

Welcome, pier! Nice sound effects too, even though seagulls don't usually make noise at night. We'll be seeing a lot more of this pier in the future. Every so often the writers remember that Collinsport is actually a port.

The table in the foyer at Collinwood has vanished, only to reappear when Laura has to use the foyer telephone to reach Burke.

When Roger tries to take the portrait of Laura in flames away from David, David shouts that Roger hates him and wants to send him away from Collinwood. Roger actually sits on the bed next to David. With unaccustomed gentleness, he says, "I don't hate you, David, and I don't want to send you away. If you went away, I would be very sorry." I know I probably shouldn't believe him, but I can't help it--I just do.

Apparently Laura's radar range (or whatever) doesn't extend as far as the Collins Port Inn. When Vicki is visiting Burke there, he seems willing to listen to her worries about Laura. But no sooner does he meet her than he's nibbling her ear and believing everything she tells him.

Sam, according to Maggie, is getting both further and farther from reality and truth!   I've never been sure which was which...

Farther usually refers to physically distance, as in: London is farther north than New York City.

Further usually refers to nonphysical matters, as in: I will instruct you further.

So Sam is getting further and further from reality and truth.

And BTW, remember that brown cigarette at the end of the last episode? In the (reshot, I guess) teaser for this one it's white.

Some film scores can be rented and plugged into trailers for other films. Happens all the time.

I hope the DS music will be good. From what I've experienced seeeing his other movies, Danny Elfman supplies a few themes that someone else then orchestrates, and a third person actually conducts the orchestra.