Saint Stokes

I just adore today's first episode...What a classic!

Can you imagine how it must have felt to be Stokes on this night?

It might have been just another quiet evening at home with a glass of sherry, a plate of cheese, and a rare volume on the Occult when Carolyn first gave him the news that she'd discovered Adam hiding in a lonely root cellar.  Undoubtedly, Stokes wasted no time in leaving the comforts of home to rush out and see to Adam.  While he should be relieved that the mysterious stranger whom he has adopted and begun to teach has managed to evade capture and fend for himself, Stokes instead finds that his new friend has just died out of the blue.  No apparent cause, no explanation.  It feels impossible to accept, so the professor goes to Collinwood to enlist the help of the secretive Dr. Julia Hoffman. His previous meetings with Julia and her odd companion Barnabas have been nothing but curious so far.  Worse, Stokes has good reason to suspect Julia and Barnabas of harming Adam in the past.  However since no other doctors are readily available to tend to a fugitive artificial man, Stokes has little other choice but to seek her skills.

Julia is less than eager to help a needy patient and practically has to be coerced into coming to examine Adam.  No sooner does she confirm Stokes' own diagnosis--Adam is dead--when the fellow miraculously opens his eyes and begins to move.  It should be a happy occasion, but there's a problem.  The enigmatic stranger who constantly survives in spite of the odds is inexplicably suffocating and on the verge of dying again.  In the midst of this confusion, the weird doctor suddenly blurts out that she's buried her eccentric friend (the same friend who somehow victimized poor Adam) alive.  That must be the most bizarre piece of news that Prof. Stokes has heard yet, but through it all, the man remains ever so cool, calmly pressing Julia as to why she would do such a ridiculous thing.  When she despairs of being able to save Barnabas and is ready to give up, it is Stokes who shows her the error in her calculations and Stokes again who offers to help her.  He has no obligation to do this.  He barely knows Barnabas or Julia, but what he does know is that his protege Adam hates and distrusts them; not exactly the best credentials.  

Whatever Stokes's reasons for wanting to assist may be, Julia takes him up on the offer and drags him away from Adam, Stokes' main concern, to a desolate spot in the woods (and "an irregular grave for such a prescise man") where she hands him a shovel and tells him where he can begin digging.  Now, Julia is the one who wants Barnabas out of that grave the most so I'd expect her to have a shovel of her own.  Instead how does she 'help'?: by holding the flashlight and yelling at the professor to hurry up.  (Was Julia originally going to attempt to save Barnabas herself if she couldn't find Willie?  I can't imagine how that might have worked...)  Keep in mind that Stokes has volunteered his help of his own accord, and admits that he isn't used to such labor.  Nevertheless, in spite of Julia's rather rude behavior, he continues to dig.  (I love his comments throughout about the Collins family's consent and Julia's haste in burying the dead.)

The indignities don't end there though.  When the coffin is finally exhumed and Barnabas is about to be released, Julia does one of the most unbelievable things of all.  Instead of thanking the professor for his help or acknowledging all of the trouble he went through on her and Barnabas's account, she basically tells him to get lost!  By now, Stokes has ample excuse to hit Julia with the shovel or at least lash out with a verbal insult, but what does he do instead?  He complies, leaving quietly and with dignity, numerous questions still unanswered, determined to have an explanation on a later occasion.

I can't imagine a more hectic night!  Professor Stokes really must have the patience of a saint.

ProfStokes

The indignities don't end there though.  When the coffin is finally exhumed and Barnabas is about to be released, Julia does one of the most unbelievable things of all.  Instead of thanking the professor for his help or acknowledging all of the trouble he went through on her and Barnabas's account, she basically tells him to get lost!  By now, Stokes has ample excuse to hit Julia with the shovel or at least lash out with a verbal insult, but what does he do instead?  He complies, leaving quietly and with dignity, numerous questions still unanswered, determined to have an explanation on a later occasion.

Well, it just shows  how much class Professor Stokes has. I suspect that he thought it might not be the time to ask about Julia's bizarre behavior. Rest assured, Stokes is nobody's fool and he knows that better than anyone.

By now, Stokes has ample excuse to hit Julia with the shovel or at least lash out with a verbal insult, but what does he do instead?  He complies, leaving quietly and with dignity, numerous questions still unanswered, determined to have an explanation on a later occasion.

I can't imagine a more hectic night!  Professor Stokes really must have the patience of a saint.

Wouldn't you just love to be able to read his mind?  Or hear him when he's with his um, more sane friends?  

I personally would have resorted to the shovel myself, but I've never been what they would call patient  

Luciaphil

It's something how when anyone & everyone needs some kind of help either dealing with the occult or other strange occurances, they run right to Prof. Stokes for it!! First it was Barnabas asking him for the "witchcraft amulet," then it was Julia & Vicky asking for help to defeat the dream curse, then along comes Jeff Clark with all of his problems, and when Sam finally had the dream, Maggie calls the Professor up right away to get to the hospital at once. Even Nickolas & Cassandra used him when Vicky bought the painting! And each and everytime, this poor man came through for everyone! Yet, when he does the "normal" thing as to ask a few questions, they immediately hush him up or tell him they'll answer all his questions "later."  which of course never comes. You're right, Prof,Stokes is truly a saint!  

I admired how Stokes admitted to Carolyn that he hadn't a clue as to how to help Adam or how to proceed in any way at that point.

And he was quite the gent with Julia, considering how frustrating her "help-me-then-go-away" attitude had to be to him.

Stokes' concern for Adam is touching and shows just what kind of man he truly is...

Stokes has already learned from Jeff that Adam was "created" by Dr. Lang and hasn't let on to Julia he found that out. He surely suspects she knows this too. He is also aware of the connection to Barnabas. He's probably got the whole thing figured out. He probably enjoys giving these people just enough rope to hang themselves with. At the end of the day he'll sit back with his wine and cheese and have a good chuckle over having sent Julia jumping through hoops to avoid his questions.

LMAO ProfStokes! You're not just a tad biased, tho, are you now??   But Stokes is, truly, a saint