Let the catfights begin! In the reshoot of this scene, Laura opens the coffin as before, but it’s obvious that Barnabas isn’t in it. (In fact, he doesn’t appear at all in this episode.) Laura addresses her soliloquy to the empty coffin and prepares to strike, but just in time she is easily disarmed--by Angelique.

Angelique (in a beautiful green brocade gown with an anachronistic bustle) has the upper hand because she knows who Laura is, whereas Laura apparently has never seen her before. Angelique says, Perhaps we can be good friends. I’ve always been rather interested in you--Laura Stockbridge Collins, one of the legendary beauties of the Collins family. There was a picture of you in Jeremiah’s room, she continues. I remember you looking arrogant and rather woodsy in your riding habit. You _still_ look very lovely, my dear, but perhaps time has begun to press on you a little, she suggests, secure in her own ageless beauty. She provokes Laura--too far for her own good, though. Laura says, Perhaps you can force Barnabas to love you with spells or potions, but if he really had a choice, do you think Barnabas would choose you? No, Angelique replies with total aplomb, no more than Dirk would choose you. Laura turns away impatiently. I’m not interested in Dirk. I care only about my children, she answers, then delivers a palpable hit: But you do care for Barnabas, don’t you? How does it make you feel that you are succeeding as--whatever you are, but you are failing as a woman? This time it’s Angelique’s turn to look away as Laura says, We should both get rid of him. We’d be better off without him. Angelique starts upstairs, promising, I will destroy you! You will never leave this house! But suddenly the way is blocked when a wall of flames springs up out of nowhere, surrounding Laura. (The Old House fireplace can be glimpsed briefly at the left.) As Angelique cringes away, Laura comments, I must warn you--I am not without powers. And it would seem that you are not without fear. As the flames die away, she says triumphantly, Till we meet again, my dear Angelique. She marches upstairs, leaving Angelique in the basement.

Magda is upstairs--we have to imagine that she just missed Dirk leaving, but Laura passes her and leaves without a word. Angelique--who is unharmed after all--tells Magda, I found Laura about to destroy Barnabas with a hammer and stake. Alarmed, Magda gasps, She will tell what she has learned! And then we’ll be as dead as my sister--whose grave I visited this morning. Determined to save Barnabas, Angelique orders her to get Quentin immediately. Why? Magda asks, outraged. So he can help fight Laura, Angelique replies. He’s not worth five seconds of my time! Magda says contemptuously. You have no choice! Angelique says sharply. Go get Quentin--or you’ll be joining your sister in the graveyard!

Magda takes her time performing her errand, because at 4:00 p.m., Quentin is in the drawing room wearing a spiffy red velvet lounging robe with his necktie undone, and roaring drunk. (Earlier in the day, he supposedly went to see Evan Hanley, but we can deduce that Evan refused to help him.) When Magda arrives, he laughs bitterly and tells her she can go--she's already done everything she can to him. Magda mutters, I got business with you. You’ve come back to see if I’m still alive! Quentin shouts on. Well, I won’t lie down and die! You’re having a hard time standing up, Magda comments with her usual cockiness. I’m all right, he says and lunges for her. Magda sidesteps him easily, and he falls down, or rather up the stairs. Magda tells him scornfully, Look at you lying there! You think I destroyed you? You’re destroying yourself. My sister, my Jenny, she mourns, how could she have loved you? If she could see you now, it would break her heart. Quentin remembers sadly, When we first met, Jenny loved me, and I loved her. Suddenly dropping to his knees, he begs Magda, Please, for the sake of that love, end the curse. Magda says sadly, That wouldn’t restore Jenny to life, sane and happy. If it would, I would do it--even if it cost me my life! Quentin clumsily lunges at her again, but Magda easily gets away from him. Be quiet and listen to me! she orders him. Why did you come? Quentin asks finally. I came because She sent me, Magda replies. She wants you at the Old House. You cannot lie to Her. You cannot use your boyish charm as you did with Jenny or Beth or the others. You go to the Old House.

While the badly hung-over Quentin (now properly dressed) hunches miserably on the round purple settee in the Old House drawing room, Angelique sits in the hooded chair and tells him that Barnabas is "away for the day" but that he told her everything about Laura. Angelique says, To have someone harm Barnabas is to pierce my heart with a knife! She basically tells Quentin to stop whining and orders him to help her get rid of Laura. He tells her about the urn and how his attempt to destroy her failed. Then he tells her about the scarab, which apparently has a life force for 20 generations--who knew? Angelique calls Magda and tells her to steal the scarab. Magda doesn't want to, but Angelique warns her, I will tell Barnabas you were out of the house when Laura visited him this morning. I don’t think Barnabas Collins will be sentimental. My feeling is, he’ll kill you. Quentin gets alarmed and tells Angelique, Barnabas can’t kill her. If she dies, I will continue to live with the curse. I can’t become involved in that, Angelique says impatiently, My only concern is for Barnabas. Do as I say. I don’t care what it costs or who must be destroyed, but Barnabas Collins must be kept safe forever.

Magda goes to the cottage and tells Laura that she knows about Barnabas. And soon everyone will, Laura gloats. Magda falls to her knees and begs Laura not to expose Barnabas, or Sandor will die. She tells Laura that Barnabas can be killed with a silver bullet to the heart. She adds pathetically, But I can’t buy them with the few pennies I have. She persuades Laura to kill Barnabas this way rather than tell everyone about him, and Sandor will be free. And I will be free too, Laura exults. She goes to the bedroom to get the money, and Magda embarks on a brief, frantic search for the scarab--which Laura had hidden behind some pillows on the sofa. Just as she’s pocketing it, Laura returns with a wad of bills. These will be the answer to many things, my lady, Magda says as she fingers the bills greedily.

Magda has brought the scarab to Angelique, and Quentin has brought her the Egyptian Book of the Dead. He is a bit taken aback when Angelique tells him that he will perform the ceremony. She asks mockingly, Are you suddenly feeling sentimental about the lady you betrayed? No! he answers quickly, explaining, I’m more worried about the ceremony. It comes too close to the ancient, angry gods for comfort. The only one who will feel any discomfort will be Laura, Angelique assures him. She produces a wax doll, places it on the hearth and lights the fire. She tells the doll, I place you on your funeral pyre, a bed of flames for you to sleep on for all eternity. Quentin begins by greeting Ra and calls out, Accept our sacrifice!

Meanwhile, Laura is experiencing some discomfort and reaches for the scarab--but finds it gone. She searches for it frantically.

Quentin continues the invocation, intoning, In homage to thy flames, which come forth from the horizon and passeth [what he says] over the sky! In homage to thee who puts an end to the hours of the night! Angelique looks very satisfied as she gazes at the doll, now melting in the fireplace.

In her agony, Laura also prays to Ra, begging him, Hear me! Protect me! And crush my enemies!  Her face gets more and more distorted with pain....

You'll be missed, ILB. Be well.

MT, I think that in this time line, Ben's head is still firmly attached. 

Desperate to defend Quentin against even the slightest hint of suspicion, Beth denies that the animal that attacked her wore clothes or walked like a man. Laura bursts in, demanding to see Jamison. Beth says he's upstairs with his father. She tries to keep Barnabas from leaving. Mindful of the approaching dawn, he tells her, I’ll leave you to to plot your revenge. As he walks out, she declares, I will have it! Before this day is over, I will have it! After he leaves, she glares balefully at his portrait.

Laura tries to order Beth--in secret consternation at Laura's refusal to leave--to let her upstairs to see Jamison. Beth actually blocks the way. Laura gazes thoughtfully at the portrait of the “original” Barnabas. Even the ring is the same, she murmurs, and those eyes. Yes, she muses, It’s the custom to wear jewelry to the grave, yes.… She turns around annoyed when she sees that Beth is still there. Am I so fascinating? she sneers at Beth. Perhaps I drove Barnabas away by my sheer presence here. Beth promises to come to the cottage with any news, but Laura ignores her and enters the drawing room, talking to herself about Barnabas’s strange habits. He seems like a night creature, she observes, then asks Beth, Have you ever seen him during the day? No, Beth concedes, but that doesn’t mean a thing--I might have been working upstairs. I think Barnabas has never seen the sunlight come through these windows, Laura hypothesizes. She dismisses Beth over her protests. The moment Beth leaves, Laura shuts the doors, makes a beeline for the fire and prays to Ra, asking for help in killing “my enemy.” Outside, Beth weeps in despair.

Laura continues her prayer, begging for Ra’s help in killing Barnabas. I swear to you, this is the last time I’ll ask for anything! she vows fervently. As if in answer to her prayers, Dirk walks into the room. Despite his protests, she orders him to go to the Old House and watch Barnabas.

That gentleman is at home, writing a note to Magda: If Quentin comes to the Old House, tell him to meet me at dusk. You must remain here today--Laura has threatened me. When he heads for the cellar, a wall of flames suddenly erupts all around him, blocking his path. As Dirk watches in astonishment, Barnabas simply dematerializes.

Dirk hurries back to Laura, who is still waiting at Collinwood, and tells her what he saw. He’s not human, Laura guesses--it’s as simple as that. I want you to go back to the Old House, she instructs Dirk. She tells him about the room behind the drawing room bookcase, saying, Edward told me about it years ago, when we were first married. (We last saw it when Ben Stokes hid the injured Victoria Winters there in 1796.) What if Barnabas catches me? Dirk frets. Laura assures him, Don’t worry--Barnabas’s secret has to do with daytime, and I’ve sent Magda to the cottage. What will I be looking for? Dirk asks. The secret room is full of papers, Laura replies. I want you to look for books and especially diaries written in the last century (presumably she’s calculating from the clothes in the portrait). Bring any diaries and all the letters back to me.

Quentin finally returns. Once more his clothes are stained with some hapless victim's blood, and we get another glimpse of chest hair (WHEE!). He overhears Laura and Dirk's conversation. Finally, they leave.

Quentin probably has never felt so helpless or out of control in his life. Once again, he is lucky that Beth finds him when he collapses on the stairs. Answering his desperate questions, she tells him that he attacked her--but she knows it wasn't him, tacitly forgiving him. (How many times does this make?) He suddenly realizes it's the curse and vows to kill Magda. With far more sense, Beth eventually argues him out of it. No! Beth insists. She’s your only hope. She can reverse the curse! We must make her stop it! It will happen again tonight, Quentin says fearfully. Where can I go? Where can I lock myself up? Where can I go where I’ll be safe? he cries, his voice scaling up with terror. Beth says urgently, We must make plans. We have until tonight. Quentin agrees: We must find out everything we can. As they embrace in anguish, Quentin despairingly rests his head on her shoulder. Just then, Laura pounds angrily on the doors. Why are these doors locked! she shouts. Beth calls out, I don’t know how it happened--I’ll find a key. Quentin slowly makes his way out the French doors.

As ordered, Dirk opens the secret room under the stairs at the Old House. It's dusty and full of cobwebs.

Funny exchange: With Quentin safely out of the drawing room, Beth unlocks the doors and apologizes to Laura. I thought I heard Quentin’s voice in here, Laura says suspiciously. Quentin? This early? Beth asks with a nervous smile. You should know better. Laura shoots back, I know him well enough to know that this is the time when he comes in--unless you’ve changed him. Excuse me--I must go check on Jamison, Beth says and makes a hasty escape.

Dirk rummages through a box of books--all paperbacks, even though paperbacks won't be invented until the 20th century. . He finds Ben Stokes’s diary, opens it and reads aloud: I will tell you the story of Barnabas Collins and how he died--or did he die?

At 6:15 p.m., Dirk and Laura are conferring in the drawing room. Laura reads the last page of Ben’s diary and closes the book. Stokes didn’t write down the secret, Dirk complains, but Laura is pleased. No, she says, but it does prove there _is_ one. So Barnabas taught Ben Stokes to read and write--he’s going to regret it, she muses. Dirk reminds her about the last sentence: Ben Stokes said that Barnabas’s secret would go to his grave with him, he points out. To his horror, Laura proposes, So we’ll dig up his grave! You aren’t serious, Dirk protests. All the diary proves is that Barnabas didn’t go to England. When will you learn to do as I say? she asks impatiently. Take the books so no one finds them, she orders.

At 8:00 p.m., Quentin and Beth meet again. Fortunately the moon is past the full tonight. Beth reminds him, from what we’ve read, you’ll be safe. He answers bitterly, Am I supposed to be my old self? Should we have dinner tonight? Do you think I can forget about last night? Or the night before? What if I’m different than the books say? Suppose I change even if there isn’t a full moon? He decides to consult Evan Hanley again and ask his advice, despite Beth’s objections. Just then Barnabas arrives to speak to Quentin about Laura. I found out a great deal about our mutual friend, he hints, but we must act quickly. Not tonight, Quentin says hastily and runs out without explaining (the door still refuses to close). Dismayed himself, Barnabas sees the dismay on Beth’s face--though they have very different reasons.

Dirk digs up Ben's grave while Laura supervises. Thunder and lightning make Dirk nervous, but Laura is undeterred. Suddenly a shadow falls across the scene. Even though she knows it's Barnabas, she shouts, Who are you?

Magda had already told Quentin that the curse would follow him all the days of his life, but yes, it is scary to hear the voiceover confirm it.

At the start of a long teaser, the werewolf (who is wearing a very dapper brown suit, although Quentin’s was gray, and who is a foot shorter than Quentin to boot) chases the screaming Beth around the room. It springs up to attack her, but she makes it inside the pentagram, showing great presence of mind.

MT, Tim already has made several appearances before this episode. And yes, he's always been a smartass! 

Jamison is still in the punishment room at the House by the Sea. The punishment room (actually a kind of closet) and the classroom look remarkably similar to their counterparts at the burned-out Worthington Hall, right down to the hexagonal window in the punishment room. (Another example of Trask’s bad influence on architecture?) Tim Shaw arrives in the classroom with a cloth-wrapped bundle. He lights a lamp, which glows brightly at first but dims by the end of the episode. When he hears a knock, he hides the bundle in the stand-up teacher’s desk, then opens the door to admit Charity Trask. Barnabas must have found some other victim(s), because Charity is just as prim and obnoxious as she was before he bit her. She warns him about whatever is out there, but Tim wants her gone. The moment she finally takes the hint and leaves, Tim bolts the door behind her, opens the punishment room and gives Jamison the cloth-wrapped bundle, which of course is food. Jamison asks why he's still being punished. Perfectly dead-pan, Tim explains that Trask wants complete and total obedience, but Jamison hasn't shown that. Jamison looks crestfallen until with a rare genuine smile of pride, Tim continues, Instead, you have shown an independent spirit and enterprise. Do you know what that means? Jamison proves that he does know when he smiles back and says, If I’m going to escape, I’ll have to do it alone. Be careful, Tim warns him.

Charity comes back, and Tim decides that he and Jamison should just show her the food. She's extremely miffed. ppalled, Charity sniffs, He’s supposed to be getting only bread and water. He needs discipline--and I’m going to have to tell my father about this when he returns. Tim insists, If anyone should be punished, it’s me. Charity says, I’m going to give Jamison something to think about till her father comes back. She steps out and returns with a thick tome, telling Jamison, This is my father’s favorite book of meditations. Tim sighs loudly, but Charity ignores him as she continues, Read it and realize the error of your ways! She locks the door on Jamison again. After you, she tells Tim as they leave. The moment the closet door is closed, Jamison puts his independent spirit and enterprise to work. He looks at the book and then the box, and promptly puts the book on top of the box. Now he can just reach the window, so he starts to scramble out.

Back out in the classroom, Tim asks Charity to say nothing to her father about the incident. I must, she insists. Even concealing it would be a form of lying. He certainly has done a thorough job on you, Tim comments sardonically, but his remark goes right over Charity’s head. They hear a noise coming from the punishment room, so she opens the door to check on Jamison again. Of course the closet is deserted. Tim comments that Jamison used the book to help him escape. The boy is insufferable! Charity fumes. Her consternation at this use of her father’s favorite book of meditations only makes Tim laugh. No, he says, the boy is very original. He’s proud of Jamison’s ingenuity and notes, All of you have underestimated his intelligence. Charity is eager to assign Tim the blame, arguing, I wouldn’t have given him the book if you hadn’t first given him the food! I’m going to be in a lot of trouble with my father now! Tim offers to go find Jamison, but Charity declares angrily, Most likely he’ll go to Collinwood, so we’ll just go there and get him. She picks up the telephone to call the Great House.

Only Beth is available to answer the phone and is horrified that Jamison is outside somewhere, alone. And indeed, Jamison just misses getting killed by the werewolf. Does it recognize him as Quentin's beloved nephew? We'll never know. But Barnabas's mission to the past could easily have all been for nothing.

Charity and Tim arrive at Collinwood. Then I’d like to wait in the drawing room, Charity says. Beth has no choice. She steps aside, but rudely makes Charity open the doors herself. Charity notices her hesitation, but the drawing room seems deserted when they enter. I’d like to search the house, Charity announces. You must get permission from Mister Edward first, Beth quite properly insists. Suspecting that Jamison is hiding behind the drapes, Charity calls to him to come out. When she gets no reply, she pulls them aside but finds nothing. (Tim smiles.) It must have been the wind, she says, mortified. She decides, He must have escaped through the window. I opened the windows myself, Beth insists. Tim suggests, I think we should go back to the school and call the police. If Jamison isn’t here, he must be out in the woods. We might find him on the way back. Reverend Trask would be quite angry if he gets back to the school and finds that you aren’t there like you’re supposed to be. And what if he finds Jamison before you do? Even Charity can see the force of Tim’s extremely plausible arguments. You’re right, she decides reluctantly. We should leave--and you can help me explain to my father why Jamison isn’t there. She marches out. Tim follows but breathes a “Thank you” to Beth as he passes her, and he and Charity leave the house. Thinking that Jamison simply stepped outside the French windows, Beth calls to him softly. On getting no answer, she puts her shawl on and leaves the house.

With a little pistol in hand, Beth searches the woods for Jamison. She approaches the tall rock Jamison stopped at earlier. But now the werewolf is crouched on top, waiting. It growls, ready to spring on her. She looks up at the sound, aims the gun at the creature and screams....

MT, you haven't missed any of Dorcas. This is her first appearance, and she is played to a fanatically loyal fare-thee-well by Gail Strickland. Her conversation with Gregory Trask is indeed wonderfully written and reveals no end of things about both parties. But Rachel has no money either--in fact, Trask says she owes him.

If Rachel Drummond is so much trouble, Dorcas sneers, why do you keep her here? Because she is a torment to me, Trask answers. Rachel arouses base animal instincts in me. Around her I feel angry, cruel, ugly. Having her here gives me an opportunity to face those feelings and fight them, so that I can ultimately overcome my baser self. She is a constant reminder that even I can improve. Therefore I will keep her here until the “frail vessel that is Trask” (what he says) becomes pure (or words to that effect). Dorcas is aglow with admiration.

Beth finally realizes that she needs Rachel's help--to look for Quentin.

I can't imagine you being cruel or angry, Dorcas all but coos. He replies, I must remind you of the times I raised my voice, and even the time I locked Jamison in the "meditation room." That was righteous cruelty, righteous anger, Dorcas insists. It makes me admire you all the more. Trask smiles appreciatively as Dorcas continues earnestly, I'll pray for the day that Rachel stops being a trial to you, Reverend Trask, so you can send her away. [No doubt Dorcas has her own “base animal instincts”!] In the meantime, Trask says, I have to do something about Rachel's visit to the Collins family tonight. I’m sure she has gone to Collinwood to accuse me of cruelty. He decides to let Jamison have some supper. Dorcas instantly offers to fetch it. Very well, Trask decides, but not too much--just enough to make a liar out of Rachel. He looks immensely pleased with his solution to the problem.

Beth hints to Rachel that she and Quentin might get married.

For the first and only time in 1897, there’s a phone on the foyer table. Beth answers it and tells Trask that Judith is not at home. Evidently Trask next asks for Rachel. Beth passes the phone to Rachel, who starts in amazement and dismay when she hears the familiar, hated voice. Trask explains, I knew you were at Collinwood because when two people are close, they are always aware of each other’s whereabouts. A little boy can’t life on bread and water, Rachel argues. The boy’s body may be hungry, but his soul is having "a glorious feast,” Trask insists. The writers must have modeled him partly after the horrible Mr. Brocklehurst in Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontë modeled Brocklehurst himself on a real-life "reverend."

Rachel threatens to tell Edward that Jamison is being denied food--until he reminds her of his earlier accusations of theft (of her own pay) and murder (of Mrs. Trask’s brother). He orders her to come back to the school immediately. When he hangs up. we can see that he is perfectly content to lust after the one he’s with as he repeatedly paws Dorcas’s shoulder.

Back at the school, Trask tells Rachel, I think you were lying about hearing footsteps in the woods. They fall to arguing about whether she is wicked--he says yes, she says no. Then he accuses her of stealing food for Jamison. Trask proposes dropping the charge of theft--if Rachel will pay for the food with one week’s salary. That’s a very high price, Rachel protests, especially since you took the food from me before it ever got to Jamison in the first place! I have heard enough! Trask shouts--and slaps her. She recoils from the force of the blow. He reaches out to caress her shoulder, and she flinches away. Whatever I do, he tells her, I do for you. Announcing his intention of meditating, he leaves.

Before Trask closes the door, Rachel sees that Dorcas has been eavesdropping. I’m sure you heard everything, Rachel says acidly. Yes, I did, Dorcas gloats. I know you followed me to Collinwood, Rachel says accusingly. Dorcas gloats about that too. You two deserve each other, Rachel says with disgust and marches out.

After Rachel leaves, Dorcas picks up the book she saw Trask touching and fondles it lovingly. But her fantasies are soon interrupted by the sound of a crash and breaking glass as the window shatters. No! she screams, No! Stay away from me! But her cries go unheeded as-- something closes in on her.

Hearing Dorcas’s screams, Trask runs back to the classroom. Rachel is already there, staring down at Dorcas’s lifeless body lying on the floor. Her body is mutilated! Rachel exclaims in shock and horror. Who could have done this? Trask wonders.

At 6:40 the following morning, Beth rushes down the Great Staircase when she spots Quentin lying on the floor below. He is covered in leaves, and his clothes are torn and bloodstained--and for the first time, we get full frontal nudity, complete with chest hair! Gently she taps his face to revive him. As he comes to, looking dazed, she helps him sit up and asks what happened. I know I was in your room, he says, and I asked you to get a doctor. She tells him, When I came back, you were gone. I’ve been looking for you all night! How did you get this way? she asks frantically. I don’t remember! Quentin cries, utterly terrified. I don’t remember anything!....

Aha, I see what you mean, MT! DS Wiki has a couple of frame grabs from this ep. showing Quentin's desk in an alcove rather than a separate room. They also have a couple of frames from the kiss scene, lit in spooky--or maybe bloody?--red, and a truly creepy closeup of the doll's face, with long eyelashes and unblinking blue eyes.

It wasn't so obvious to me, MT, when I first saw it. I didn't connect the dots between Quentin and Chris until much later.

Beth may be in love with Quentin, but in her case, love definitely isn't blind. She knows all his faults but loves him anyway.

Sandor tries to get Magda to leave Collinwood, but she wants to stay and see how her curse will work out. She will be sorry. Maybe she was so callous about the innocent victims of her curse because her sister was the first innocent victim.

Now that Beth has been fired, she doesn't bother to call Edward "Mr. Collins" or Quentin "Mr. Quentin." Even as she's being dismissed, she worries about the children. But Judith insists that Quentin must never know about them.

Magda returns for Jenny's things and exposes all of Quentin's lies to Judith. He doesn't care about anything but keeping the money.

At 5:00 p.m., for some reason Beth has decided to pack Jenny’s belongings in the drawing room. The inventory is pitiful. Apparently all that Jenny owned was her old, ragged black gown and her two “babies.” Her only other possession is a battered old suitcase, possibly the same one she packed long ago when she ran away, full of love and hope, to become a Collins. Quentin arrives, and maybe because she's faced with the evidence of her betrayal of Jenny, she can't promise to go away with Quentin.

Sandor arrives, and Quentin tries to talk him into taking the money for himself. But Sandor is true as steel to his wife and sister-in-law and enjoys himself by taunting Quentin about the curse.

Beth packs all her things in a suitcase no larger than Jenny's and is tying a tiny hat atop her piled-up hair when Quentin walks in. She catalogues all his faults, especialy the fact that he just uses people, then discards them when he's tired of them. Quentin has the grace to look ashamed as he asks her gently, In that case, why are you coming? Beth replies, I love you, and I care about what happens to you. Every instinct tells me not to, but I’m coming anyway. Her pure loyalty in the face of his mendacity and cowardice is just amazing. He wants to take her to the carriage right away but she insists she has to do something in the village first--probably saying good-bye to Quentin's children.

The moon has risen. Still at the cemetery, Magda tells Sandor, It’s time. Sandor watches as Magda picks up a double handful of earth from Jenny’s grave and intones: Let my voice be carried by the wind. Let it be taken to the surrounding countryside. Let it be heard by all the tribal chiefs and prophets, by the masters of the chains, by the guardian of the twelve days. I speak for one of us who has been struck down and for whom we must secure justice. She opens her hands to scatter the earth and spreads her arms wide as she implores, Listen! Hear my words! Honor my wish! Then she makes the fateful sign of the horns and declares, I place this curse on Quentin Collins--and upon all his male kin of succeeding generations.

Quentin and Beth are still arguing about Beth’s errand. Where are you going? he asks, shaking her by the shoulders. I can't explain it--let me go! Beth says desperately. Forget it and come with me! he says. I want to go, Beth pleads. It will only take a few minutes. We don’t have a few minutes! he shouts. Why not? she asks. It's getting dark out, he says. The gypsies told me that by tonight-- He breaks off as he doubles over, pain tearing at him from the inside out. What’s wrong? Beth asks frantically. I feel pain, all over my body, he gasps. I can't bear it! he cries. I feel like I'm going to die! Get a doctor, before it's too late! As she runs from the room, Quentin falls to the floor, writhing in agony. Somewhere outside, a wolf howls as the full moon lights the sky....

And so ends a fabulous Friday episode.

Great post, MT. These truly adult moments more than make up for some of the sillier ones.

Poor Beth really is torn in about a thousand pieces, isn't she. She really was happy taking care of Jenny and the children. Because Quentin hadn't returned, her loyalties weren't divided and she could afford to live within a narrow frame of reference. Now she's an accessory to murder, legally and morally. Kudos to TC for a wonderful job.

Edward is an absolutely heartless SOB. No wonder Jamison turned to his uncle Quentin for real affection and attention. One wonders what kind of father Jamison was to Elizabeth and Roger.