Discuss - Ep #0977

Welcome, parallel Chris Collins--now a full-fledged family member and presumably a non-lycanthropic descendent of the 1897 PT Quentin. He is quite properly dismayed that PTBruno is ensconced in the PT cottage. Helpfully for us, PT Elizabeth says, You manage the estate--I hope that there’s some way of stopping Bruno from moving into the cottage. You mean he isn’t just passing through? parallel Chris asks in dismay. I promise to do something about it. Roger laughs at Elizabeth. You’re trying to protect Quentin and his “new little bride” from the “big bad Bruno” and all the others, he sneers--it’s useless. Whatever you may have felt about Angelique, Quentin is bringing Mrs. Collins back, Chris points out. Looking up at Angelique’s portrait, Roger sarcastically asks, Don’t you realize that Mrs. Collins has never left? He walks toward the doorway where our Roger and Barnabas are watching. As he steps into the doorway, the whole scene suddenly vanishes, and our Roger and Barnabas find themselves staring into an empty room.

Nice conversation between our Roger and Barn about PT. Roger warns Barn to think carefully about what he's planning to do, but will Barn listen? Ha! Roger lingers and marvels to himself, Now all I can see is a dark, empty room. Yet somewhere, our other lives are continuing. Somewhere, Roger Collins loves and hates and hopes for things that I know nothing about.

Julia gives Barn his last injection, with an observation about how his system has evolved an immunity to the old formula. Sure enough, at dawn, Barn starts to feel like something is going horribly wrong. A short time later, Julia has gotten Barnabas into a chair. How do you feel? she asks anxiously. I’ve never felt this way before, but I know I’m not cured, he replies somberly. I’m sorry, Julia says, greatly upset. There’s no time for that now, Barnabas says. He is barely able to stand and asks Julia to help him downstairs.

Nice scene with Chris and Sabrina: Sabrina is waiting at the cottage when Chris returns, and they embrace. He is overjoyed that she is free. I’m all right, she assures him, but Bruno is dead. How did it happen? Chris asks, dreading the answer. Sabrina simply stares down. Wearily Chris says, Oh, never mind. He moves away from her toward the fireplace as he adds, Don’t tell me. Now I know whose blood this is, don’t I? Sabrina says, Bruno would have tried to destroy you time and time again, so he had to die. Otherwise, he would have killed me. She explains, After Bruno died, the police searched his house and found me and Sky Rumson. I told the police I didn’t know why Bruno asked me to come to his house. He just locked me up when I got there. Now that Bruno is gone, I want to start planning. As always, Chris rejects the idea that they have a future: The only thing we have to worry about is each other, he says. He goes into the bedroom as Sabrina tells herself, I have to convince him it’s the only way he can be safe. Roger arrives to see Chris. Chris had a bad night, Sabrina tells him. I was here taking care of him. Having changed his torn shirt to a picturesque gray sweater, Chris emerges from the bedroom, and Roger asks to talk to him privately. Once they’re alone, Roger says, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get you any help--then all of a sudden you were gone. Chris says, with perfect truth, I don’t remember leaving Bruno’s house or getting here or anything else till I came to. I assume Bruno must have drugged me. Roger says, I was hoping you could tell me why Carolyn was there. I can’t help you, Chris says apologetically.

Roger comments, I suppose you weren’t entirely displeased, after the way Bruno treated you, to learn that Bruno was killed. I am never happy to hear about anyone being killed, Quentin’s great-grandson answers somberly. It was horrible, Roger comments. Bruno was killed by an unnatural animal. I’m glad you’re feeling better and that you have such a devoted nurse. They exchange polite goodbyes, but Roger declares, I’m going to get an answer to this, even though Bruno is dead and gone.

After Roger leaves, Chris frets that he suspects something. He fears that Roger or someone less well disposed toward him will bring the police. Sabrina insists that they can work things out, but Chris makes a harsh comment about "Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Jennings, at home in their vine-covered cell." Don’t be cruel, Sabrina pleads. He says flatly, I won’t marry you. Death would be too close to us constantly. He stalks back to the bedroom.

JF does a great job of portraying Barnabas's now desperate need for blood.

Sometime later, Roger and Julia are looking at the empty room in the East Wing. Roger is telling her about his experience but quickly notices she seems distracted. Before Julia has to explain, Elizabeth suddenly arrives. What are you doing? she asks them. I saw the lights in the empty East Wing. [Someone dashes in front of the set.] We were just looking around, Roger answers. Elizabeth observes, There must be something very special here, because suddenly everyone is interested in the East Wing. All right, Roger says. I’ll tell you. You’ll be stunned at what you hear.

Poor Sabrina is in exactly the wrong place at the wrong time. She stumbles back to the cottage, and Chris makes a horrifying discovery....