Yes, you would think that a Friday episode (as I assume this one was) would be more momentous, but I guess the big reveal that VFG = Petofi was supposed to be the cliffhanger.

More Selby wonderfulness: Magda rushes into Collinwood and tells Quentin about how the hand chased her. If I only knew what it would take from me! We have all lost a lot, Quentin acknowledges. Thank you for being so understanding, she replies sarcastically. Just as sarcastically, Quentin reminds her, The child who died was my son--remember? My son, who I never got to see. Yes, he was a pretty baby, she says. Even though she never saw him, she must have heard it from Mrs. Fillmore. A good baby, Magda continues, the little girl, too. Every day I wake up, wondering if she is still alive. My head aches from thinking. What can I do to help her? And if you could help her, Quentin asks softly, so she can grow up to be a beautiful young girl--what happens then? When she marries? What will happen to her children? Magda sips her drink and answers quietly, Like you, her sons will dread the full moon. What if we could do something about that? Quentin asks suddenly. Would you do it? Of course, Magda replies. Suppose I said I needed the hand to accomplish it? he asks. Remember what the hand has done, Magda points out. Because we didn't know how to use it, he says. But there is someone who does. If I give him that hand, he'll end my curse. How do you know he can? Magda asks. I don't know, Quentin admits, but I'm going to take the chance. We're going to the Old House to get the hand, and give it to this man. What's the name of the man who claims he can cure it? Magda asks. Quentin answers cagily, You might not understand--it's Aristede. He's going to HELP you? she asks, incredulous. He tried to kill you! Listen, Quentin argues, what Aristede did wasn't done to me personally. He had to do it because he needed the hand very badly. There's nothing wrong with that. [Just the fact that Quentin acknowledges this indicates the width of the swath he has cut through life.] There is, Magda insists. The hand belongs to the gypsies. It was in their possession for over one hundred years. Then your people are going to have to do without it, Quentin retorts. I'm giving it to Aristede, and he'll cure me. You're a fool, Magda says scornfully. I'm willing to be a fool if I can be cured, says Quentin--and keep my little girl from carrying it to her sons. Would you take that chance, for Jenny's child? he pleads. Looking miserable, Magda wipes away a tear. Quentin presses his advantage, jumping about five steps ahead. If we're giving the hand, then let it cure me. Maybe Aristede won't be able to keep it and will return it to your people. Already you're thinking of betraying him, Magda chides him. I'm thinking of nothing but being cured, Quentin says ruthlessly. We are going to the Old House. Go without me, Magda says nervously. Surely you aren't frightened of it, Quentin says. You would be, too, if you'd seen it coming out of the fireplace, she says. People are frightened when they have something to lose, Quentin observes. But we are in that strange, satisfying state of having nothing further to lose, so why be frightened anymore? He leaves--and so does Magda.

The hand must really like Tim. He seems to be coming into his own now that he's got it. The scene where he brings it to Evan is really something. Meanwhile, of course, Magda and Quentin haven't found it. Magda opines that wherever the hand is, it wants to be there.

Armed (so to speak) with the knowledge that Evan and Trask used him to murder Minerva, Tim gets some measure of revenge by tormenting Evan with the hand. He forces Evan to tell him more about it. Evan explains (off camera) how the gypsies removed the curse of the werewolf from Count Petofi--but their price for doing so was the hand, so they took it, and with it, most of his powers. So whoever controls the hand has the power? Tim asks. No one knows for sure, Evan replies. The only certainty is that the hand, like its former owner, brings evil. Tim acknowledges, Well, you answered that one nicely. Now let me try something a little more recent. I have this paper, he says, taking it out of his pocket. I've been puzzling over what it means, but I suspect not for much longer. He hands Evan the paper. Just glancing at it makes Evan very nervous. Curious, he comments, but Tim is relentless. “The queen of spades,” Tim reads. Now what can that mean? You're going to tell me, Evan, aren't you? I don't know what it means, Evan insists. I know differently, Tim says. You wrote it--why? Evan tries to leave the room, but Tim calls his name. All by itself, the hand rises in the air, moving toward Evan menacingly. Make it go away!  Evan pleads. There's no place for you to run, Tim replies sternly. Now answer my questions! Why did you write that note? Trask made me write it! Evan wails. He tries to fend off the hand, which comes even closer to him. I knew he was behind all this--why? Tim asks. It was a plot that we worked out together to kill Trask's wife, Evan confesses at last. Oh, and you simply made me do it, Tim finishes. Yes, Evan admits, desperate to keep the hand away. How? Tim demands. Begin at the beginning. Tell me what you did, and what happened--everything! Evan shuts his eyes in misery, realizing he has no choice.

Victor is waiting impatiently in the woods when Aristede shows up. Why are you late? Victor asks irritably. You know waiting always makes me fretful! I couldn’t help it, Aristede pleads. Victor replies, I’ll accept your apology--in exchange for the hand. Caught, Aristede stammers, I--I don’t have it. Furious, Victor slaps him three times across the face. Stupid! Incompetent! he rages. Please, it’s not my fault, Aristede whines as he cradles his precious, injured face, it was Quentin Collins. We were supposed to meet at the Blue Whale. He came, but he didn’t have the hand. He says the hand is lost. And you believed him, Victor sneers angrily. Yes, Aristede replies. There’s no reason for him not to give it to me. Yes, there is, Victor answers: He has a brain--something that you, with nothing behind that lovely face of yours, cannot possibly understand. Seizing Aristede by the lapels, he continues, I knew all along he was lying to you. Then why did you make me meet him at the Blue Whale? Aristede cries. Because I was desperate enough to do anything! Victor shouts. I’ll do the job myself! he decides. I’ve been relying on you too long, and circumstances forced me to be patient, but I can’t afford that any longer. Do you know that? You can’t do that, Aristede exclaims in horror. I can no longer afford patience, Victor argues. It’s too dangerous for you to come out into the open, Aristede pleads. What about the danger if I do not get the hand? Victor answers, his voice steely. I must have that hand!

Victor (using only his left hand) and Aristede are busy ransacking the Old House when Magda and Quentin surprise them there. What's going on here? Quentin demands. I think you already know that, Victor answers calmly. I regret that I've been less than completely honest with you in the past, but sometimes, from the purest motives, one is forced to follow the most devious routes. I want to know those motives, Quentin says with quiet menace. And they had better be pure, or you won't leave alive. Please, Victor says, threats make me extremely uncomfortable. I'm sure we can conduct our business in a more pleasant manner. What do you mean, business? Quentin asks. Yes, our odd methods aside, this is a matter of business, Victor replies. You have something, I want it--the hand. I've wanted it for a long time. Why? Quentin asks in his least businesslike manner. Because it is unique in the entire world, Victor replies. Because I collect the unique and pursue anything that meets the standards I set, which is why I am the one person who shall have it. May I be completely honest? Without waiting for Quentin’s reply, he continues, Once, I had the hand. I asked no more of it than was my due to ask. Why don't you have it now? Quentin asks. A good question, Victor acknowledges. I owned the hand at one time. But if you don't know it, let me tell you that there are men who are unscrupulous, men who smile and steal easily, he finishes, the outrage still apparently fresh. I, who know so much about some things, am a mere babe in arms about others, he continues. But I do not regret it. I must maintain a certain innocence in order to be worthy of the beauty I constantly seek. We ain't got what you want, Magda says flatly. I think you do, Victor says. No, Quentin says. She told you she doesn't. Victor points out. She told you it disappeared before her startled gypsy eyes. One thing I've learned during my career is that every gypsy has a price. Whatever that price may be, I will pay it. I'm telling the truth, Magda insists. We ain’t got it. I don't always trust the word of a gypsy, Victor says. Magda is insulted. I never trust it, Aristede chimes in. Hoping to get back into Victor’s good graces, he slaps Magda across the face and shouts, You’re lying! You will do what I say! Victor stops him: No, Aristede! She will do as _I_ say! With a dismissive wave at Aristede Aristede, Victor explains [rather unnecessarily] to Quentin, He’s sometimes stupid, sometimes cruel, but generally a nice boy. Get out, he orders Aristede. I'll handle this myself. You've upset the lady, and we are trying to woo her--now get out! After Aristede leaves, Victor says to Magda, who now cradles her injured face, Please accept my apologies. I want nothing from you, she says flatly. Aristede did it because he knew he was anxious to get the hand, Victor says smoothly. What a passion it has become to him! Smile, he coaxes Magda. Gypsy women are very beautiful. I ain't got nothing to smile at, she retorts stonily. There's always something to smile at, Victor says, the expectation of a new possession, the river of life that runs through a glass of wine. So saying, he pours her a drink and offers it to her with his left hand. I don’t want a drink, she says. If you do, he says, you will feel better. Then we can get down to talking business. Magda reaches for it, sees his cuff button and gasps in horror. What's the matter? Quentin asks. That cuff button! Magda cries. That mark was the same mark on Julianka's forehead! Victor turns away, dismayed. He tries to leave, but Quentin grabs him and in the ensuing struggle pulls off Victor’s right glove--and his all-too-artificial right hand as well! You! Magda gasps. You are Count Petofi! Victor simply stands there, nothing but darkness in his empty sleeve....

You're welcome, MT!

And yes, I absolutely agree with you about DS. A lesser actor could have made Quentin into some kind of weirdo caricature ("I Was an 1890s Werewolf"), but Selby makes it all absolutely real and makes you care, even when Q was at his most selfish and determined to stay that way. I have always enjoyed watching him make the long, long journey that's still mostly ahead of him.

Sure enough, the three loud knocks on the door announce the worst news for Magda. Poor Sandor!

According to my notes, this is the last ep. in which Quentin wears fake sideburns while waiting for his own to grow out.

Victor tells Quentin, I managed to keep my illusions till I was thirty-five. He also hates gypsies. Quentin confides that he hates moon-watching, even though it's his big new hobby.

Another wonderful, though brief scene, beautifully acted: Wearing a black veil over her head, Magda kneels to lay some flowers on Sandor’s grave. It is over, she murmurs sorrowfully. Sandor and I are over. Barnabas puts his hand on her shoulder and says, We must get back. You! she cries, outraged. He let you out of your coffin, and what thanks did you give to him? You took a man and made a slave out of him! He died then, my Sandor! Then, not now! She vows, One day, when you are in your coffin, I will kill you, _Mister_ Barnabas Collins! I swear it on Sandor's grave! She has aged years in a night, looking worn out with grief and loss. All right, she says bitterly as she bares her neck. Bite me. Bite me now. Let me be your slave, too. At least I will know then how Sandor felt these last months. No, Magda, Barnabas replies with great sadness--and gentleness. You will not kill me. And I will not harm you. We will grieve together.

Quentin stands in the gazebo, which we haven’t seen for a while--normally a peaceful spot. But instead of looking for peace, he is holding a gun. Lifting it, he wonders, Do I have the courage? What am I waiting for? Julianka was my only hope--and she’s dead. Who would grieve for Quentin Collins? Beth and Jamison, perhaps. When he hears the sound of a blow, he ducks behind a tree, so perhaps he’s not so suicidal after all. Then he hears Victor snarls Aristede’s name. Aristede pleads, No, please, don’t! Victor chases Aristede right to the gazebo, shouting, Come back! You’re a fool! I could have been out of here by now! Once they reach the gazebo, Quentin can’t hear what they’re saying, so he moves closer to hide behind a tree, straining to listen. Thanks to the magic of television, however, we can see and hear everything. All of us soon learn a few things about Victor and Aristede.

The fact that you killed Julianka has nothing to do with me, Aristede says. I would not have had that emotional reaction if you had gotten the hand and kept it, Victor says. We should have been out of here by now. Aristede reminds him, Julianka must have had the hand. Why didn't _you_ get it from her? Furious, Victor grabs the young man’s lapels and shakes him, asking, Are you criticizing me? No, the terrified Aristede assures him, never. See that you don't, Victor, snarls. I'm not complaining, not at all, Aristede insists. Victor warns him, Do you know what it's like to fall into the deepest sleep you've ever known? And the first thing you see upon awakening is blood on your pillow? You rush to the mirror and what do you see? Not that face you love so well, Aristede [here Aristede puts his hands up protectively], but another face, a gift from the unicorn! Horrified, Aristede begs him, Tell me what to do! They lower their voices again, and again Quentin can't hear them, though we can. Aristede protests, I can’t talk to Quentin! Aristede exclaims. He’ll kill me! Perhaps that’s what I have in mind, Victor replies calmly.

The disconsolate Magdatells Barnabas, For the first time, I have no interest in what will happen now, tomorrow or ever. You will, Barnabas assures her, but she moans, I cannot live without love, but whoever I love will die! With perfect understanding, Barnabas tells her, I know your feelings. Everyone I love must die, too. Oh, Barnabas! she cries, then suddenly remembers. The child! she exclaims, Jenny’s child, Quentin’s son! You’ve never seen the children, Barnabas points out. It’s possible to love someone without knowing them, Magda insists. I must stop what will happen. I want to go to Mrs. Fillmore and stop it before it happens. I will go see Jenny’s children and perhaps bless them or say an old gypsy prayer. Tomorrow, Barnabas suggests. No, Magda answers, I have a feeling. I must go tonight--now. She hurries out. Barnabas gazes away, looking sick with dread.

Quentin is still intent on watching Victor and Aristede, even though he can’t hear them. But we hear Aristede say, I just want to get out of this place--alive. So you shall, Victor assures him--as soon as you speak to Quentin. I'll tell you what to say. I wouldn't have it otherwise. I’m aware of your charms, he adds dryly, but I know that conversation isn’t among them. [Hmmm.… Just how aware is he?] I won't get a chance to say anything, Aristede protests. Quentin hates me--and with reason! Go now, Victor orders him, and call me when you feel more--positive. Then we will plan our little miracle. And smile, Aristede! he says coaxingly. Before you go, think of the day we get the hand, and the power I’ll have. You, Aristede comments. Yes, Victor gloats, and I will be extremely greedy. And me? Aristede wonders. You? Victor replies. You'll be the most elegant gentleman in the world! Even the pockets of your suits will be lined the finest silk! Where shall we have your clothes made? he muses. London? Or Paris? I think London. Think of London when you talk to Quentin Collins. Shaking his head, beguiled in spite of himself, Aristede leaves the gazebo. When Victor steps down from the platform, Quentin grabs him from behind and puts the gun to his head. Out so late, Mr. Fenn-Gibbons? he asks ironically. Now, I shan't kill you--unless you refuse to tell me why you and Aristede are such good friends!

The wily Victor talks Quentin into releasing him and insists he doesn't know Aristede at all. Quentin can't be sure because he couldn't get close enough to hear their conversation.

At 4:55 a.m., Quentin, like almost everyone else and perhaps in spite of himself, has brought his troubles to Barnabas. Barnabas checks the clock a little anxiously and asks Quentin, Are you sure there's a connection between Fenn-Gibbons and Aristede? I’m positive, Quentin replies firmly. What it is, I don't know. That doesn't interest me, Barnabas replies, but why Victor refuses to admit knowing Aristede does. They both want the hand--that's obvious. Magda returns, looking totally drained. Quentin tells her gently, I'm sorry about Sandor. Barnabas takes one look at her and asks, Has something else happened? It is over, she replies dully. No one else will die. Oh, no, Barnabas gasps. Quentin asks, What's this all about? Don't ask me anything, Barnabas warns him. Why not? Quentin asks. Is someone else going to die? It has something to do with me, doesn't it? Magda, please tell me. She turns to Barnabas and asks wearily, What does it matter? Without any preamble, she tells her brother-in-law, Quentin, your son is dead. So it has happened, Barnabas says sadly. What does this means? Quentin gasps. I have no son, What is Magda talking about?
 
I’m sorry, Barnabas says gently. It's true. After you went away with Laura, Jenny had your twins, a boy and a girl. Edward took them from Jenny after they were born. Those dolls Jenny carried, Quentin says, stricken as he realizes the truth at last. She never even told me, Magda says. Barnabas tells Quentin, Edward sent the twins away as soon as they were born. He wanted no reminder of you at Collinwood. Stunned, Quentin asks, How did my son die? It was the curse, Julianka's curse, Magda explains. This afternoon he was well, playing in the nursery. This evening, Mrs. Fillmore heard a scream. She ran in and found the little boy dead in his crib--very cold, as if he were dead a long time before. Oh my god, Quentin whispers in disbelief, My god. What about the girl? he asks with dread. She is all right, Magda answers, adding succinctly, Gypsies do not prize girls. She must stay all right, Barnabas declares, if Chris Jennings is going to be all right in the future. The future, Magda mutters. Let it happen. Let the child stay alive. She adds, For us, Quentin, I do something, I swear it, I fix them good. Very quietly Quentin pleads, No more fixing. No more. My son, my son, he murmurs. He walks out, dazed.

As the clock strikes 5:00, Barnabas wonders, Should we have told him? It don't matter, Magda replies apathetically. Barnabas asks, Will you be all right? Sure, she answers. You do what you have to do, I do what I have to do. I wish I could stay, says Barnabas with real regret. Go, Barnabas, go, she urges him. Be sure to hide the hand, he cautions her--Aristede is still looking for it. The hand--don’t worry, I take care of it, Magda promises. The rooster crows, and Barnabas must tell her, Till tomorrow. Yeah, I’ll be here, she answers absently, but her chin is trembling. Barnabas leaves by the front door, so he’s still not sleeping at the Old House.

Magda opens the metal door to the basement and retrieves a hatchet that is hanging on a nail. She brings the hatchet to the almost certainly priceless antique table where the hand is resting in its casket. She takes the hand out and lays it on the table. You don’t cause no trouble no more! she vows fiercely. Then she grips the hatchet in both hands and slams it down hard....

In the teaser for this ep., Magda has replaced Angelique, and Quentin has cleaned up and put on a new suit (he keeps a change of clothes at the Old House?), all in the short time Barnabas has been out looking for Julianka--and finding her.

Before the séance, Magda tells Barn a childhood memory that Julianka's grandmother was "very scary" and used to frighten Magda and all the other children. But almost immediately, the conversation degenerates into a shouting match: But you are no longer a child, Barnabas reminds her. Jenny's children need to know what Julianka can tell us. Two gypsy children are doomed without your help. Resigned, Magda asks, When will we have the séance? As soon as you get Quentin, Barnabas replies. And remember, whatever happens must do so before dawn! Magda says, Perhaps I'm a fool, but something about all this frightens me. You are a fool, and a coward! Barnabas shouts, furious. Insulted, Magda retorts, You call me a coward. Would a coward go to the courthouse? Would a coward get that book? Would a coward do what I do for you every day? I have no time for your gypsy temper, Barnabas says. I still have this terrible feeling, Magda says. And I have no time for your gypsy feelings! the enraged Barnabas roars at her. Now go!

Meanwhile, Quentin is at his drunken worst and is downright mean to poor Beth, pentagram or no.

Irony is in fashion these days, but sardonicism, not so much.

Thanks for posting about the timeline, MT. I'm probably even more confused than Magda. But whatever Barn thinks he's doing seems to work for him, at least.

Julianka lays a super-heavy curse on poor Magda--as if having a vampire slave for a husband and a vampire for a master aren't enough. Sheesh.

Angelique thinks Aristede will be easy to master, but he has come prepared with a hypnosis-resistant medallion. He tells her to get the hand back--that is, if she really did give it away. I need time, Angelique says, for once actually afraid. I have none, Aristede replies. You know how much time you have, and it's all your friend Quentin has, so hurry!

At the OH, Barn wants to know how Julianka will save Quentin. She tells him he can never know. She had the secret from her great-grandmother--which puts things pretty far back, maybe even to 1795!--who took pity on Count Petofi and changed him back from wolf to man. Julianka has to gather certain herbs for the ritual. She tells Barnabas, This must be done the moment before the moon disappears, for when it does, it must take the curse with it to the underside of time [what she says]. She tells him to have Quentin at the OH when she returns.

Aristede is far too enthusiastic about his work. Puffing a cheroot as always, he can’t resist gloating over his prisoner one last time. In a sweat of fear, Quentin (now sporting a blue gag) struggles to get free. The blade has descended quite a bit lower and now seems to be above a region-- well, significantly south of his heart. Your fiancée is charming, Aristede remarks. She’s not a woman I'd ever trust, but some men like to live in doubt. Do you think your fiancée wants you to live? Quentin makes no reply. I see by your eyes you have some doubts, Aristede comments. So do I. But we’ll see, won't we? With a laugh, he adds, At least I will. You may never know. He laughs harder as he watches the pendulum swing downward.

Why didn't you tell me about Aristede? Barnabas asks Angelique, who has hurried to the Old House. We aren't in the habit of confiding in each other, she reminds him. You should have told me this, Barnabas insists. Who could this man be? If he has Quentin-- He _does_ Angelique insists, and we must give Aristede the hand. I don't intend to let Quentin die, he assures her. Wouldn't it be safer just to give him what he wants? Angelique asks impatiently. For once not to have some elaborate plot that might not work out? How human you suddenly sound, Barnabas comments in some amusement. Perhaps you have changed--I wish I could trust you. Leave me out of it, Angelique insists. I can't, he says. I have a small, nagging wonder at your even being here. You could control this Aristede if you wanted to. You could make him lead you to Quentin. She shakes her head. When she shakes her head no, he says bitterly, Do you expect me to believe that when you made me what I am? Barnabas, she says urgently, Aristede has a medallion. I have no control over him. Why would he? Barnabas wonders. He isn't of the gypsies. Julianka is our effort to get that hand. Who he is doesn't matter, Angelique says with increasing impatience. We are wasting time. When are you to meet? he asks. In fifteen minutes, in the woods outside Collinwood, she replies. Keep the appointment, Barnabas says. It will be useless without the hand, Angelique argues as she picks up the little casket. You can't take that, Barnabas insists. If I had no power over him, neither will you, Angelique retorts. I have advantages you don't, he says. Is the medallion in the form of a cross? No, she replies. Then I will see what luck I’ll have, he says. How arrogant you are, Angelique comments. It must please you very much to save the day when I cannot. I am saving Quentin for his sake, not yours or mine, Barnabas answers. David Collins and Chris Jennings--they are my reasons. We must start planning.

Aristede admires himself in a mirror, fussing with his clothes and hair in preparation for Angelique's return with the hand. Meanwhile, the pendulum has swung lower still. One must look one's best at all important moments, Aristede comments. His back is to Quentin, who has somehow managed to free his right hand from the ropes. [Why doesn’t he pull the gag out?] As your emissary, I'm sure you want me to look my best, Aristede continues [what he says!]. It's time for me to go for Angelique's answer. The pendulum is now about two inches from its target. Jovially Aristede asks Quentin, Are you a gambling man? Would you care to make a wager? Quentin glares at him disgustedly. Oh, you don't think it's in the best of taste, Aristede acknowledges. You may be right--I may see you again. Quentin grabs at him with his free hand, but Aristede easily subdues him. You’re not clever enough or strong enough, he says as he reties Quentin’s hand. I've shown you what I believe. I don't trust Angelique, either. You don't think she's going to save you. Well, I can't make take chances now. I've been warned, threatened even. This machine can be used more than once. I have too much respect for my body to even think about lying on that table! With a smile, he tells Quentin, Au revoir, monsieur--at least _you_ hope so. His face beaded with sweat, Quentin stares up fearfully at the blade.

Angelique meets Aristede, his medallion conspicuously displayed. Again Angelique pleads for more time, but Aristede suggests she go into mourning: You will look beautiful in black! he declares. Angelique runs off, apparently sobbing. Furious at being thwarted again, Aristede turns to leave--but stops when Barnabas uses his scary, commanding voice to call his name. Now Aristede is frightened, especially when Barnabas proves that the medallion doesn't work on him. As if in a trance, Aristede obeys Barn's command to take him to Quentin.

At the mill, the blade swings even lower, and Quentin continues to struggle. But he finally gives up and tries to scream for help through the gag.

Aristede takes Barnabas to--somewhere that looks remarkably like the cellar of the Old House. We wouldn’t keep him in the foyer, sir, Aristede comments as he lights a candle. _We_? Barnabas asks. I often refer to myself as “we,“ Aristede replies. Take me to him, Barnabas commands and calls out Quentin’s name. You’ll wake the dead, Aristede warns him ironically. A quick search reveals that Quentin isn’t there. This makes Barnabas furious, but Aristede laughs. Apparently the medallion protects him from Barnabas as well as from Angelique--or else it has somehow recharged itself! Barnabas grabs his lapels. Where is he? Barnabas shouts. You tell me, sir, Aristede replies. Will he ascend to heaven or descend to hell? You have tricked me! Barnabas rages. No, Aristede replies, you and Angelique tricked me--you didn't bring the hand. Where is Quentin? Barnabas demands. What difference does that make? Aristede asks with a shrug. He only has a moment or two left--and he's miles from here. Where? I want to know! Barnabas roars. I'll tell you, Aristede says. Barnabas throws him against the wall, but he is still defiant. He says, If you want to go for the body--a useless thing to me--you can congratulate me on my cleverness. He's in an abandoned mill near Sutter's Creek. [What, a gold rush reference?] Are you lying? Barnabas asks in a dangerous voice. There's no reason for me to lie, Aristede replies calmly. You could never get there in time to save him. We will meet again, Barnabas assures Aristede, who watches in astonishment as the vampire disappears. Hearing a squeaking noise, he looks around but sees nothing.

In a very well done, dramatic scene, Barnabas rushes into the room where Quentin is about to die a dreadful, bloody death. Not even breaking his stride, with one quick shove Barnabas pushes the table out of the way--just before the blade strikes it. Quentin gasps with relief as the blade thuds into the table, missing his foot by mere inches.

At the Old House, Julianka lights some candles, including, of course, a black one. Angelique watches the ceremony, perhaps out of professional interest. The ceremony involves the herbs and three gold goblets. Julianka beseeches the gods to grant her the power that was her mother's. Just as she finishes, Barnabas and Quentin return. She tells Quentin to rest. After what he's been through, he’s certainly glad enough to sink down onto the strange round purple settee. Julianka assures him that she can remove the curse, then adds, I must find the one thing that will draw them here. It will not fail--the new blood of the orris root. Quentin turns away with a groan of disgust. You do not believe me, Julianka says calmly. You will. Wait! You are luckier than Count Petofi. Before my great-grandmother cured him, he had to pay her with his hand. Why must you go out again? Barnabas asks in annoyance. Why didn't you get it the first time? The gods will only come if they are summoned the moment we begin, Julianka explains. It is now ten minutes past three, and the moon will be where it must be at four o'clock.

At 3:50, Angelique looks at the clock and assures Quentin, You are safe. You should have let me die, Quentin says bitterly. Where is she? She should have been here by now! Is this another gypsy joke? No, Barnabas says. You seem so positive--why? Quentin asks. She's run out on me. We have ten minutes, Barnabas says. I'll go look for her. Angelique, make sure Quentin doesn't leave the house. After Barnabas leaves, Quentin tells Angelique, There's no need for you to stay here. I'd like to, she says softly. He laughs sardonically and warns her, Now don't sound human. I'm not impressed. I remember where you came from, how you came here and why. I'm sure you do, she answers as she puts her hands on his chest. Smiling, she adds, I shall have to make you forget.

In the woods, Barnabas calls softly to Julianka. He is answered by a faint groan. He finds Julianka lying on the ground. Someone has stabbed her--and made a small trefoil mark on her forehead. Just as he reaches her, she sighs gently--and dies.…

Absolutely, dom. And it changed forever any idea that he was totally evil. Imagine what we'd think of him--it we thought of him at all--if DC had had his way and Dr. JuliaN Hoffman staked him before we could get to 1795!

Those of us who have stuck with Ragged Isle through its infrequent episode releases (some delays due to external circumstances) are about to see the final episode pretty soon. The story wasn't quite what I expected but is still fascinating and full of surprises. (I actually cried at one point.) My one complaint is the unpleasantly de-nasalized voice of the actress who plays the heroine, Vicky Burke. Yup, that's her name, and there are a few more nice little nods to DS scattered throughout.

All the episodes except for the finale are up, so you can binge-watch to your heart's content.