Episode #214 - There are two great houses at Collinwood, one alive with the present, and the other slowly decaying, filled with the dead memories of the past.
We got a shaky shot of the Old House. Vicki, on one of her seemingly endless searches for David, got stuck inside the Old House (I assumed Barnabas did that to see who he'd snared in his web). I loved the way they have fog rolling past outside the windows topping the door, and Barnabas' theme music is excellent and eerie. He, of course, is easily able to open the "locked" door, and then begins to regale Vicki with stories about the building of the Old House,
comparing it with the pyramids of Egypt (luckily some history with which he IS familiar).
It's been noted that Barnabas was blinking a lot in the initial eps, and I have a perfect explanation for that--he's been in total darkness for many years, can you blame him if glaring electric lights make him blink? Barnabas speaks to Vicki of the beauty of the Old House compared with the harsh labor inflicted on those who built it, the crippled and the dead, beauty outside, hatred inside. Frankly, I think if I'd been Vicki, I'd have been terrified, listening to what he was saying! And when he speaks of the argument between father and son (which actually took place on Collinwood's stairs), he laughs when he mentions the death of the son, and the laugh--"What happened here wasn't funny"--never fails to chill me all the way through. The pyramids were designed to be a tomb, agrees Barnabas, staring sadly through the staircase as though through prison bars, but the Old House wasn't.
How affectionately Carolyn greeted Uncle Roger, home from a business trip! His comments about Willie, that the jet set can't be kept down, made me giggle. As she is telling him about their newly arrived cousin, Barnabas, invited in by Vicki, greets his present-day family. Roger's resemblance to his pop must have thrown him for a loop, huh?
Barnabas is grateful for the ALIVENESS of his family. While Carolyn rhapsodizes about her handsome new cousin knowing all the familial dirt and his old-world charm, Vicki cautiously mentions that he spoke as if making notes, and discussed the Old House as if he'd actually lived there. Go with that, Vicki!
Study - Roger and Barnabas bond over a bottle of Amontillado (which, given how often some folks get walled behind bricks a la Poe's "Cask of Amontillado" gives one pause to smile). Does Barnabas actually drink? From the camera angle, one can't tell. Barnabas wants to drink to eternal health for the Collins family, and one wonders what he has in mind to make that so. Roger checks out Barn's ring with great interest. "It was handed down," Barnabas says (yeah, from him to himself). Roger seems especially thrilled that this new cousin is wealthy, which will surely ensure what Barnabas wants--to be embraced by his family.
Shipbuilding is something Barnabas knows, and hopes to continue, and Roger seems eager to help him spend his wealth.
Carolyn, Vicki and Roger see Barnabas, who mentions how pleased he is at his pleasant reception, off. Carolyn's thrilled to see a friendly person visiting for a change, Roger likes the guy's bucks and warmth, and all three agree he sure looks like that painting in the foyer.
We segue from the portrait to the grinning face of Barnabas, standing in the woods, praising himself as the dogs howl around him. He pulled off his deception, and he's damn proud of himself!
Episode #215 - Violent intent has many consequences, as those discover who commit themselves to carry out such intentions--this man (Burke) is prepared to do just that.
Blue Whale - Burke joins Maggie at a table. She's quite pleased that Willie appears to be gone, but Burke assures her that if he isn't, he's more than willing to have a rematch with Mr. Loomis. When Jason comes in, Burke quizzes him, asking if Willie really gone.
It's really puzzling to Burke to learn that Willie left without any money--and that Jason had some to give him! Jason leaves. Burke returns to Maggie,
and both agree they don't know for sure if Jason is lying or not. Joe comes in, depressed--his uncle is searching his farm for a missing calf, which seems to have disappeared. They finally found it--dead--with two small puncture wounds in its throat.
Everyone is grossed out and perplexed at this story.
Willie shuffles into the Blue Whale. He looks terrible, miserable, and heads for the bar. Burke goes over to him and finds Willie shaking, his head dropped down in a very dejected manner. Burke says Willie's name; the latter gazes at him with unseeing eyes. What? asks Willie, turning his gaze away from Burke's. I told you to leave town, Burke reminds him, who simply replies that he hasn't thought about it. He speaks as if not quite there, not even looking at Burke, nodding his head as if he has palsy. In a low voice, Willie apologizes for making trouble. Incredulous at the change in Willie, Burke asks him what's wrong. Nothin', mutters Willie, then drops his head in his hands, his attitude one of total despair. Pitifully, he begs Burke to leave him alone. Burke backs away from the scared, scary young man. When Jason comes back in, Burke informs him that his friend is ill. Jason goes over and demands to know where Willie's been, accusing him of being in the mausoleum. The latter, jerking around to face Jason, shivering in fear, says nothing is wrong--he wasn't in the mausoleum! You were there to rob a grave! Accuses Jason. He offers Willie the $500 to leave town fund, which Willie refuses--he's staying.
At the table, Burke muses on what has happened to change Willie. Joe muses over the dead calf on his uncle's farm, drained of blood.
Jason continues to demand answers from his friend, Willie can't take it anymore and begs Jason to leave him alone.
When Jason notices blood on Willie's sleeve, Willie tries in vain to hide it, but Jason is persistent--how did you get that blood on your sleeve?
NOTES: What a change, huh, pre-Barnabas and post-Barnabas! Even as Burke vowed to keep punching Willie until he left town, as ordered, Mr. Loomis himself, looking quite terrible--unshaven, haunted eyes, trembling uncontrollably, appeared at the Blue Whale. No one but the audience connects Joe's creepy "expertly drained calf" tale (found on his uncle's farm) with Willie's behavior, and what a terrible secret Willie now harbors! Even Burke relented when he saw how defanged (sorry, couldn't resist) Willie was, and was worried enough about him to suggest Jason take him to a hospital. When Willie, weak, exhausted, nearly insane from God knows what ordeal he's been through, begs Burke to leave him alone, you feel Devlin's astonishment; this was the guy who was giving everyone so much trouble? As Jason accuses Willie of sinking so low as to try to rob a stiff, Willie's face shakes, his hands tremble and he can't even drink his booze--and we have seen him knocking it back pretty easily over the last few days! And Willie's terror when Jason demanded to know why he had blood on his jacket sleeve was palpable. I found it amusing that two men who know Willie pretty well, Jason and Burke, both decided he had changed so much in appearance and behavior, he needed medical attention.
Love, Robin
