From Angelique's conversation with Bruno we get the sense that she definitely hates not having the upper hand. They arrange to meet at Collinwood so she can see Cyrus's journal.

Maggie's bright yellow Peter Max dress is an inch or two longer than some of the others she's been wearing.

I believe we will find out eventually what kind of marriage Quentin and Angelique had. I suspect she was too selfish to care about what Quentin felt and mostly likely refused to give him a divorce. [spoiler]We're not done with Rebecca yet.[/spoiler]

Bruno locks horns with both Maggie and Quentin before taking himself upstairs to see "Alexis." Quentin watches him go up with undisguised hatred.

No sooner are Maggie and Quentin alone than she wonders why he took "Alexis" with him to Bangor. She had to do some shopping there, Quentin replies. At night? Maggie asks. I can’t believe it, Quentin says. You’re actually jealous of Alexis! She insists she isn’t but wants to know why Quentin took Alexis with him. I’ve told you all there is to tell, Quentin replies, adding as usual, There isn’t any further need to discuss it. Of course not, Maggie agrees.

Angelique is even more ticked off when Bruno says he hasn't got the journal. Bruno argues that the info it contains is of great value--say, $5,000 worth, Bruno proposes, smoking all the while. He refuses to tell her who murdered Angelique. I’ll give you nothing until I have the money in my hands, Bruno answers. They fence for a moment or two, then she promises to have the money in two hours. Two hours it is, then, Bruno says, gives her a deep bow and a flourish, then leaves. Angelique takes a small lockbox out her dresser, opens it, and removes a brilliant V-shaped diamond necklace.

Maggie and Quentin discuss Cyrus/Yaeger as Angelique listens from the foyer, apparently having sold the necklace. Sadly Maggie wonders if Cyrus was responsible for all the bad things that have happened and suggests that deep down, he might have been jealous of Quentin and her. Quentin thinks that not everything could have been Cyrus's fault--he wouldn't have had time to do it all. If the bad things continue to happen, they'll know for sure. The truth may be forthcoming, Maggie comments. If these incidents keep on happening, we’ll know I’m wrong. But if they’ve ended for good-- I’ll have to admit you’re right, Quentin concedes with a smile. While Maggie pours coffee for them, Angelique thinks to herself with a smile, Well, you happen to be wrong, Maggie. The disturbances have not stopped--not by any means. Your husband is going to be more than upset when he finds out who is behind them.

Upstairs, Angelique and Bruno conclude their transaction. He's marked the appropriate page and watches as Angelique reads what Cyrus has written: That he knows who killed Angelique and the séance--it was Quentin. Not even when Angelique starts sobbing does Bruno show any emotion. Her tears soon turn to anger, and she vows revenge. I just want Quentin to suffer for what he did, “Alexis” declares. I’m not going to go to the police. I want to think about it very carefully. I want to do what Angelique would have done. I want to make certain that her spirit is relieved from the agony it has undergone ever since her death. Say nothing to anyone, she orders Bruno. For a day or two, he agrees, but if you haven’t acted, I will--I have a photostat (!) of the page. After he leaves, Angelique takes off her double-sided onyx pendant and promises Bruno, It won’t be long--and you’ll be very much involved. I’m ready to take the first step now.

The foyer clock reads 1:30 when Angelique brings Maggie some tea. While she puts the tray on Maggie’s dresser, she takes a gold necklace of Maggie’s from the dresser top. Back in the drawing room, Angelique holds Maggie’s necklace over the fire and begins her work. Maggie! she commands. I want you to feel the irresistible force of my will! Under Angelique’s direction, Maggie goes to Angelique’s room and takes Angelique’s pendant. That’s right, Maggie, Angelique encourages her. Go back to your own room. Go back--to begin your first attempt at witchcraft!

Angelique pockets Maggie’s pendant a moment before Quentin returns. I didn’t stay long with Maggie, Angelique reports--she seemed strange. Maggie has been cool to me. She’s been very upset since she found out that you took me to Bangor. Suddenly Angelique grabs her throat and gasps, I’m choking--help me! Quentin catches her as she stumbles and seats her in a chair. Looking pointedly at the drawing room doors, Angelique gasps, It can't be! I don't believe it! The witch! The witch! Stop her, Quentin, stop her! The moment Quentin rushes out of the room, Angelique makes a remarkably quick recovery.

Upstairs, with a totally blank look on her face, Maggie is twisting Angelique’s necklace into a tight knot. Quentin bursts in and stares at her for a moment in disbelief. Not knowing that his beautiful bride is under a spell, Quentin sees only that she’s practicing witchcraft. Maggie is completely unaware of what she’s doing and doesn’t even notice him until he pulls the pendant out of her hands, breaking the spell. Maggie looks up at him in surprise. With heavy sarcasm he shouts at her, Cyrus was the one responsible for everything happening in this house, is that it? Wouldn't it be convenient if I believed everything that you meant me to? But I never will, Maggie, because you are the witch! You were responsible for everything from the moment you walked into this house!....

Julia whacking Hoffman is one of the great DS moments! She's horrified when Hoffman lies motionless at her feet, but she's so obviously ready to do it again. (Barn's eyes move slightly under closed lids.)

Will returns from Portsmouth at 6:00 a.m. and goes straight to the Great House, where he suddenly wonders where Hoffman has gotten to and realizes that Barnabas is alone and unprotected. (Why didn’t he go to his own house first?) why does he stop at Collinwood instead of going straight to Loomis House??? Just so that Angelique can try to grill him about Yaeger and Maggie. Sheesh.

Julia totters out of the secret room (fortunately remembering to shut the bookcase) but freezes when someone knocks on the door. She decides to hide and starts up the stairs, but comes back down when she realizes she doesn’t know who or what might be up there. Eventually the front door opens to reveal that composer about town, Bruno Hess. Naturally taking her for Hoffman, he asks her what she’s doing here. For almost too long she is unable to reply, then she says she came on an errand. What sort of errand? Bruno asks, freezing Julia in her tracks. You look so different, he comments--your hair, your clothes. (Julia is wearing her green tweed suit.) I was going into town, Julia says, indicating her clothes. I’m looking for Will, Bruno says, not really interested. I’m planning to leave that stupid cottage (even though he practically blackmailed Quentin into letting him live there) and I need some money. Since Will isn’t at home, he tries to borrow from “Hoffman”: I just need a couple of hundred--how about five? I don’t have anything, Julia replies with perfect truth. Bruno wheedles, Surely you’ve accumulated quite a lot over the years, what with Angelique and him and a couple of others paying for your cooperation. Julia denies it. Bruno tells her, Tell Will I’m looking for him, but don’t tell him why. He adds, Even your voice is different. Julia is able to smile for the first time as she replies, I assure you, I am who I am. (And who are we to argue?)

Bruno finally leaves, and Julia shuts her eyes in sheer relief. Then she goes back into the secret room to check on Hoffman--and discovers that she’s dead. I didn’t mean to kill her, Julia murmurs, just to stop her. At that moment Will returns home, and when Julia comes back out of the room, he’s pointing a gun at her. When I couldn’t find you at Collinwood, Hoffman, I figured you’d be here. I’m not Hoffman, Julia protests--I’m a friend of Barnabas. I know whose friend you are, Will says. Julia tries to lead him into the secret room, but he threatens to shoot her. Eventually she persuades him to see for himself that Hoffman is in the secret room, dead. He takes a look and exclaims, Hoffman! But how? Julia starts to explain that she comes from another time, but Will is ahead of her. Julia! he exclaims, not without some wonder and even with some pleasure. You’re Doctor Julia Hoffman! Barnabas told me all about you and how you tried to find a cure for him. I was writing a book about him--for a little while, he adds, a bit shamefaced. In turn Julia explains, I arrived here in parallel time the same way as Barnabas. He told me where his coffin was, and when I got here, Hoffman was here with a hammer and stake. I didn’t mean to kill her, she says remorsefully, but Will replies drily, You’ll pardon me if I’m not brokenhearted about it. Julia still can’t get over the wonder of it all: But if I had lived in this time, this would have been me. I don't understand it, but ... it feels very strange. Her name was Hoffman too--Julia Hoffman.

Angelique is desperate enough to actually phone her father/stepfather/whatever and find out if Hoffman gave him any info on Barnabas. (She didn't.) Angelique is actually worried about where Hoffman is. Bruno (still looking for someone to “borrow” money from, I suppose) walks in on her and she hastily hangs up. Crossly she observes, You still haven’t lost your habit of walking in without knocking. (Of course he still thinks she’s Alexis.) Where is Quentin? Probably sleeping, Angelique says. This late? Bruno asks. After what happened last night, I wouldn’t be surprised, Angelique replies. What happened? Bruno asks, and explains sarcastically, There’s a little communication problem between Collinwood and my cottage. Apparently Cyrus Longworth abducted Maggie, she says. The mouse with the M.D.? he asks with a surprised laugh. Angelique tells him what she knows about Cyrus and Yaeger and Maggie and how Cyrus was really Yaeger--or something. It was some experiment of Cyrus’s, she winds up dismissively. Of course Bruno knows all about the experiment, since he helped out with it a couple of months before. And now Cyrus is dead? And Sabrina too? He killed her, Angelique says. Bruno is stunned at first. Both of them gone! he exclaims, but then grows thoughtful. What a shame, he observes, barely hiding his sudden grin and leaving before Angelique has a chance to ask him if he’s seen Hoffman.

At Loomis House, Julia and Will continue their conversation. Julia tells Will, I know it isn’t safe for me to stay in this time, but I’m reluctant to leave Barnabas. I think I understand why, Will says with a smile. Julia rather too quickly corrects his accurate first impression by saying, My interest in Barnabas has always been a medical one. I’m still trying to find a cure. Of course, Will agrees diplomatically. I don’t know how I can protect Barnabas here, Julia frets, but then she suddenly gets an idea. I know Hoffman was close to Angelique, she says. We call her Alexis here, Will corrects her. We have to find out somehow whether Hoffman told Angelique, Julia continues. Will remembers that Angelique was in Bangor--but Hoffman might have phoned her--but Angelique didn’t act strange when he just spoke to her. What if she left a note? Julia asks in alarm. I can’t get into Angelique’s room to search, Will tells her. Eventually Julia decides to change into Hoffman’s clothes and fix her hair and search Angelique’s room herself. Will is dubious about her prospects for success but agrees to tell her everything he knows about Hoffman and Alexis and everyone else at the Great House. It is suicide, Will insists. I will take that risk, Julia replies firmly.

Once again the Collinsport constabulary prove their ineptitude by not sealing off Cyrus’s lab. We find Bruno there, searching through Cyrus’s papers for the combination to the safe--he knows Cyrus kept money in it. Cyrus, he shouts, how about one last payment for services rendered?

Now in Hoffman’s stark black dress, Julia is searching through Angelique’s (new) room when Angelique (“Alexis”) enters, wearing a very Peter Max-like dress. I knew we’d meet sooner or later, Angelique comments to “Hoffman” drily. What did you find out about Barnabas? Julia is shocked at the suddenness of her meeting with Angelique, but stalls for a while by talking about Yaeger and Cyrus. Yaeger was stupid, Angelique says contemptuously. I should never have involved him in my plan for Maggie. But I have to give Cyrus Longworth credit--he had a lot more going on than I ever suspected. She returns to the subject of Barnabas, but when Julia seems unable to reply, Angelique gets impatient. Julia improvises: Will told me that Cyrus phoned Barnabas and told him where Maggie was. So I started to follow Barnabas out to the farm, but then I decided that it was too risky to actually enter the house. Barnabas is out of town for the day, she winds up. Disappointed that Hoffman found out nothing significant, Angelique orders her, Start following Barnabas again. This time, we will have to keep in touch with each other, Angelique says, then orders “Hoffman” out. Julia is only too glad to leave.

Like most composers Bruno turns out to be an expert safe cracker. He opens the safe--only to discover that it’s empty of money. This annoys him no end until he discovers a marble-covered notebook marked “Private: In the event of my death, this is to be presented unread to my friend Quentin Collins.” However, the unworldly Cyrus did nothing to prevent anyone else from looking at it, so Bruno settles down happily for a good read. [As he takes the book, someone can be seen in the window behind him.]

Back at Loomis House, our formidable Julia is shaking with reaction and practically shredding her handkerchief after her encounter with “Alexis.” While Will comforts her, she explains, Apparently Hoffman never had a chance to tell “Alexis” anything, so Barnabas is still safe. She adds, Hoffman and Alexis knew that Yaeger had kidnapped Maggie, and that this was part of Alexis’s plan for her. I want to continue impersonating Hoffman and find out more about the plan. Will tries to discourage her, but now that she’s passed muster with Bruno and “Alexis,” Julia enthuses, It will the perfect way to find out what “Alexis” is doing. It’s not the perfect way, Will argues. She’ll find you out! It isn’t perfect, Julia acknowledges, but I have to try. Why are you doing this for Maggie Collins, someone you don’t even know? Will asks. Julia looks him in the eye and finally admits, I’m doing it for Barnabas--not for Maggie.

Bruno has finished reading Cyrus’s journal. Laughing triumphantly, he wonders, Why did I think there was no money in that safe? He kisses the journal and gloats, There was more money than I expected--and I intend to get it all. He picks up the phone (Cyrus’s phone number is also Collinwood 4099!) and calls “Alexis.” Where did you go after you ran off in such a hurry? she asks. Coyly he tells her, I had a very, very busy afternoon, visiting old friends and gathering information. I know you’re trying to tell me something, Angelique says. You’re very perceptive, Bruno replies. Yes, she agrees. Now tell me something I don’t know. With another laugh, Bruno asks her, What would you say if I told you I know who murdered Angelique?....

I'm glad he recovered! That's quite a portfolio of later movies!

Interesting idea about what Barn is feeling when Yaeger stabs him! It must be much different from the time when Joshua tried to shoot him so long ago.

Since we know that Barn is immortal and (more or less) invulnerable at night anyway, the writers do a very good job of making this a fair fight.

Yaeger is totally evil, but surprisingly, he is no coward: I’m aware of what little time I have left, he says, but I’m going to go out my own way. Yaeger runs into the room for his sword cane (which wasn’t there earlier); Barnabas follows. Yaeger brings the cane down between them and extends the blade. He prepares to run Barnabas through, but with his terrible smile Barnabas calmly assures him, Your weapon won’t do you any good, so you might as well put it away. (He doesn’t say, “Go ahead, make my night,” but he almost certainly thought it anyhow.) Yaeger sneers, Why don’t you just try and take it away from me! Barnabas simply stares at him without moving, and Yaeger stares back. After a moment, Yaeger plunges the blade into Barnabas’s stomach. Barnabas gasps and doubles over a bit as Yaeger stabs him repeatedly--then calmly straightens up, smiling and not even bothering to remove the blade, which is in up to the foot of the cane. Yaeger watches in stunned silence as Barnabas pulls the sword out; there’s no blood on it. (Was this a budgetary consideration? or an astute writer’s subtle detail?) What kind of creature are you? Yaeger finally asks in horror. You will never know, Yaeger! Barnabas replies grimly, then the two close for the struggle. If Barnabas were merely human, the taller, more powerful Yaeger would make quick work of him; but things turn out quite differently. Enraged, Barnabas grabs the cane and flings it aside; it hits the wall next to the cot. Yaeger makes a run for the door, but Barnabas catches him easily, pinning his arms behind his back. Yaeger breaks away, grabs a candlestick and prepares to smash it over Barnabas’s head. Barnabas grabs Yaeger’s wrist and slowly forces him to drop the candlestick. Then he wraps his hands around Yaeger’s neck. Yaeger fights with all his mad strength, but the vampire’s strength is far greater. Slowly he forces Yaeger to the floor and strangles him, thus ending their first--and last--meeting.

Barn and Maggie watch in astonishment as Yaeger's depraved face changes to Cyrus's benign one. With the struggle between the two sides of his nature finally over, Cyrus has a look of peace and innocence that Yaeger could never know; he seems strangely vulnerable without his glasses. (Cyrus may have found peace because his last act as Cyrus was the good deed of enabling Barnabas to rescue Maggie--and perhaps himself too, in the only way possible.)

Carolyn arrives at Collinwood and tells Hoffman that Quentin phoned to say he has chartered a plane (the rich are different from you and me) and should arrive within the hour. Barn and Maggie arrive a moment later; poor Maggie is barely able to stand. Maggie’s been through a terrible ordeal, he tells the other two as he helps her walk into the drawing room. (The opening voiceover tells us that her captivity lasted nearly a week.) He tells them that Yaeger had kidnapped Maggie, but he is dead. Hoffman is inclined to hang around and learn all she can, but Barnabas sharply orders her to get her mistress a blanket and phone a doctor.

Soon Quentin returns home, looking as handsome as ever. To his credit, he immediately rushes to Maggie’s side and takes her hand in both of his, but she’s still in a state of shock and for the moment incapable of conversation. What did that man do to her? Quentin asks, horrified and furious. Barnabas reassures him that Yaeger didn’t harm her. (We know what he means.) Why has no one called a doctor? Quentin demands. Hoffman! he orders. Call Cyrus Longworth! She won’t be able to reach him, Barnabas says. Dr. Forbes, then, Quentin suggests, and Hoffman goes off to phone him. (Presumably the parallel-time Lieutenant Nathan Forbes never betrayed his good friend Barnabas Collins in 1795 and lived to father reputable descendants, so he might even have married PT Millicent.)

Barn allows Quentin only a moment before telling him that both Cyrus and Yaeger are dead and that the only way he can explain is to take Quentin to where Cyrus's body is.

At 2:30 in the morning, Dr. Forbes is examining Maggie in the drawing room. (Wisely, he remains off camera and therefore survives.) In the foyer, Hoffman tells Carolyn, I don’t understand why Mr. Collins came back from Bangor alone. While she takes out a compact from her bag and checks her makeup, Carolyn replies, I assume Quentin wanted to leave as quickly as possible. I suppose Alexis will return tomorrow. Putting her compact away, Carolyn says, What I don’t understand is why Quentin and Barnabas left the house. She tells the surprised Hoffman that they left about half an hour ago. There’s more to this than meets the eye, Carolyn guesses. What do you mean? asks Hoffman cattily, always on the lookout for information to retail to Angelique. Carolyn opines, Barnabas knows far more about recent events than he’s telling anyone. Hoffman announces that if the doctor doesn’t need her, she will go upstairs. Carolyn thinks this is strange but takes herself and her handbag back to the drawing room.

Upstairs, Hoffman phones Angelique and tells her what's been happening. She urges Angelique to return ASAP.

At the farmhouse, Quentin kneels in grief and shock beside the body of his dearest friend, with Barnabas kneeling opposite. (Pennock does a great job here, lying perfectly still and not even seeming to breathe. Too bad there’s no Emmy for best portrayal of a corpse!) Incredible! Quentin exclaims. It is so incredible that no one could have imagined this. Barnabas agrees: We didn't. It was Yaeger that I fought to the ground and strangled. And then Maggie and I saw his transformation into Cyrus. As you can see, he is still wearing Yaeger's clothes. Quentin sits on the cot and covers his face with his hands, murmuring in horror, Cyrus Longworth, my good friend, kidnapped my wife and tried to kill her. Barnabas tries to comfort him: Quentin, it was John Yaeger who did all this. Cyrus must have been terrified by his own duality. After all, Cyrus told me where to find Maggie. He told me that I must hurry because he didn't know how much longer he could keep John Yaeger under control. Of course, I never knew what he meant at the time. Barnabas adds, This was the result of Cyrus’s experiments--he tried so desperately to separate the good and evil within himself, and the evil was the dominant personality. Now it’s all over. Quentin berates himself: I just don't understand how he could have fooled us so completely. I mean, somebody should have realized that Cyrus and Yaeger were never seen together. Then, when he changed his will, “In the case of my death or disappearance....” My God! Why didn't I do something then? Barnabas says, You can resolve these questions later, but now you have an important decision to make. Quentin turns to face him in surprise, and Barnabas explains: The fact is that Cyrus Longworth, a distinguished citizen and doctor, is dead--and I killed him. You had no choice, Quentin replies, because Yaeger would have killed Maggie. Putting his fate in Quentin’s hands, Barnabas says, We understand that, but what about the authorities when they are notified? They will see the body of Cyrus, but now are you willing to tell them the truth about Cyrus and Yaeger? Cyrus was your friend, and I am willing to abide by whatever decision you come to. Again Quentin kneels by Cyrus’s body, then says thoughtfully, I suppose I could try to keep his secret. But then I would be saying that Cyrus himself desired Maggie and kidnapped her. Then that would put you in danger [presumably because killing a distinguished citizen and doctor for no apparent reason would be far worse than killing a homicidal psychopath to defend his friend’s wife]. No, Barnabas, I think it is best to reveal the whole story, as fantastic as it is--even though it may harm his final memory. Now Quentin addresses the dead Cyrus, who looks much more peaceful than in life: I know that if you had to make this decision, you would make the same decision. Of that I am certain, Cyrus. I'm sorry--very sorry that it all went out of control. Quentin takes a last, sorrowful look at Cyrus’s body as they leave.

Hoffman goes back upstairs and opens the doors to Angelique’s room. To her astonishment, it has changed again. She sees our Quentin (in his Edwardian-style suit, in which he looks just as retro-dishy as in the navy blue jacket) and our Julia expressing their concern over Barnabas’s safety in parallel time. Julia says, I tried to dissuade him, but he had to go back because Maggie was in danger. Doesn’t Barnabas realize he’s in danger himself? Quentin asks. As Hoffman listens intently, preparing to retail everything she hears to Angelique, our Julia replies, It was a risk Barnabas felt he had to take. Well, he is pushing his luck, Quentin observes. As they pass out of Hoffman’s sight, Quentin conveniently observes, If those people know anything about vampires, and they suspect that he is one, he is as good as dead. If only there was something we could do to help! Julia laments as she too passes out of view.

So that is his great secret! Hoffman gloats. Quickly she walks back to the main wing of the house. At 4:00 a.m., Hoffman is in the drawing room, apparently having spent the night studying up on vampires and the best way of disposing of same. “While at rest in its coffin between dawn and dusk, the vampire is at its most vulnerable and can be destroyed by driving a wooden stake through his heart,” she reads with grim pleasure. Carolyn’s handbag is still on the cabinet, and as Hoffman takes out the compact, she hears Barnabas and Carolyn in the foyer, talking about Cyrus. Barnabas says, Since you were one of the few people who met Yaeger, the police will want to question you. I don’t see how I could help, Carolyn replies. Hoffman surreptitiously holds the compact at the proper angle; sure enough, she sees only Carolyn’s reflection. Barnabas tells Carolyn to stay at Collinwood overnight and the next day, in case Quentin should need her. Carolyn says Will is in Portsmouth and won’t be back till the following afternoon, thus leaving Barnabas unprotected for a large part of the day. (Evidently her earlier hatred has been erased by Barnabas’s rescue of Maggie.) Barnabas reassures her that he’ll be fine for those few short hours, then heads back to Loomis House. Hoffman thinks to herself, He had no reflection in the mirror. If I needed any confirmation, that was it. Hoffman replaces Carolyn’s compact and pretends to be cleaning when Carolyn retrieves her handbag and heads upstairs. Hoffman knows all she needs to know and is about to prove that she has just as much initiative as our Julia.

At 5:30 a.m., Barnabas tucks himself in for a well-earned rest. Having procured (from somewhere) a mallet and stake, Hoffman quietly enters the house. She opens the bookcase, enters the secret room, and uncovers our unsuspecting, undead hero. Carefully positioning the stake above Barnabas’s unbeating heart, she raises the mallet and prepares to strike....

Thanks, MT!

And I guess this is Lisa Richards's final appearance--too bad. I agree the writers didn't give her a role she could (ahem!) sink her teeth into.

Thanks, guys! I don't make this stuff up, I just report it. Hollywood is certainly a weird place!

I'm more on the side of the twin-affinity reason for Alexis's showing up. At one point she says that she and Angelique (and Tim for that matter) were never very close.

I don't think we ever get an explanation of why Alexis shows up in the first place. Hey, it's the DS universe! No explanations necessary!

Cyrus then goes to the Eagle, looking very ill at ease, and orders a sherry. Like the Blue Whale, the Eagle hasn’t changed its jukebox records since 1966. [We hear the Blue Whale theme, and the window looks like the Blue Whale window through which the werewolf jumped.] The bartender (Kenneth McMillan, later Rhoda Morgenstern’s boss and then Baron Harkonnen in Dune) smiles at his choice of drink and has to open a bottle.

RT Angelique has always been afraid of dying, so maybe PT Angelique is too. But in PT, dear old dad/stepdad/whatever has figured out how to grant her immortality--of a sort, anyway.