The great house, 7 AM, a fully, and I mean fully dressed Julia frets over having to tell Mrs. J the dream, certain she’ll be the next to walk through the drawing room doors. But instead enters Vicki - with tea service for one. Vicki voices concern for Julia’s palpable unease but Julia declines her sympathies and instead asks Vicki for Stokes residential info, then heads over for help with the Dream Curse, ignoring Jeff Clark, on his way in to see Vicki (in a herringbone patterned three piece suit – I guess he’s going job hunting today). After confirming that he is in residence at the Evans cottage, and thanking Vicki for the assist, he asks why Julia has a bug up her ass. Vicki answers that it must be Lang’s death that’s causing Julia’s rude demeanor. Unable to hide his glee, Jeff explains that with Lang dead, he is free to pursue answers to his true identity – and heads to Lang’s to find out. Stokes (Thayer, doing what I see as an understated Bette Davis imitation) tells Jules that he is familiar with the Dream Curse concept and suggests she tell him the dream instead of telling Mrs. J. (Did she tell him or didn’t she? And, I wonder how many times Julia is forced to confront/admit her feelings for Barnabas during the series, as she does in this conversation with Stokes?) As time waits for no one, and Barn waits for Julia at Lang’s, Jeff comes in to search for Lang’s file on him. He verbally spars with Barn over Vicki and his right to be breaking into Lang’s files, etc. (Davis hasn’t an ounce of gothic drama in him – luckily it comes across as refreshingly natural opposite most of the other cast members – well, that’s the best face I can put on it – but it still isn’t good acting). He breaks into a cabinet and finds said file and discovers that he is not a murderer and returns to Vicki to tell her so in a frenzied twirl of euphoria and a make-out fade. Julia arrives at Lang’s. Barnabas  (wounded by the realization that he’s losing Vicki to Jeff) insists on resuming the experiment ASAP. Julia hems and haws until Barn is forced to concede that the experiment will fail and he will revert and no longer lead the normal curse-free life he’s grown accustomed to and feels slipping quickly through his fingers.

Afterthoughts: Art or Bust – How’d ya like that mirror-shot of Julia talking to Stokes? Pretty highbrow if ya ask me. And they pulled it off without a hitch or glitch. I wonder why the writers feel the need to keep reiterating Julia’s feelings for Barnabas? I don’t know where or when I got this impression, but I want to say that it seems as though every now and then (throughout the series run) we get a rehashing or a ‘who’s who and this is their story in a nutshell’ type of episode, as if the ratings doubled and they have to explain everything to the new viewers. And speaking of reiteration, has everyone had enough of “Vicki has just returned to the present from a trip to the past…” in the OVO? Just thought I’d ask. I haven’t yet warmed up to Thayer’s ‘Stokes’ but I am getting there and he is deliciously written, so far. The Barn & Jeff ‘duel’ wasn’t too bad as far as content goes. Interesting to see ‘old world charm’ meets ‘modern day twit’. Barn does need to be knocked down a few pegs though – how does it feel to be human and weak, Barnabas, eh? Vicki has morning hair and Jeff has his largest bouffant to date. Even Barn has a great haircut – I guess Julia’s started a trend. Now, if manly Joe show’s up in a Mr. Brady ‘fro’, I’m outta here! Though not perfectly performed, Barn’s closing speech was moving. The final fade sucked – the music curtain, the camera fade, etc. (The ten year old fan in me is sad for Barn.) Stoke’s bridge wheel mirror under ending credits – someone’s getting their creative closing credit rocks off lately.

_take a bath_

...changing Adam's diaper wasn't as comical as it sounded!!"

_a skeleton of a drunken flapper_

...squeeze your anal glands!!"

_Sam_

...kill roaches!!"