Episode #222 - The past and the present have intermingled at Collinwood, and the ancestral home has become a source of strange occurrences and strong curiosities. A foreboding structure can attract the least suspecting.
Poor Willie flinches when he hears a knock at the Old House door while lighting candles for the arrival of dusk. Vicki is surprised to see him, but when he admits that he's working for Barnabas now, she tells him she's happy for him.
He, in turn, nervous and scared, orders her to go, now--he has no idea when Barnabas is coming back! She praises the work he's done so far at the Old House and he practically pushes her out the door. She departs with a sarcastic thank you, and after Willie ushers her out, Barnabas appears and sarcastically asks his employee: "Were you afraid for her? How very CONSIDERATE of you!" (oh, Barnabas is SO very cold here.)
Maggie, sure she was followed, returns home to the cottage, breathing harshly. This time she's the one afraid of a knock at the door, but it's only Barnabas, and she seems afraid to let him in. He looks outside after she reveals why she's afraid, but since he was the one following her, he sees no one outside, of course.
She tells him about the woman attacked by the waterfront and the dead animals, and he seems more concerned about whether anyone recognized him than anything else. Sam arrives home, worried about Maggie--another woman was attacked, but she got away because headlights frightened away her attacker! (what does Barnabas know from a car at this point, anway?) After they decide Maggie will get the station wagon (as if she can't be attacked walking to or from the car), Sam and Barnabas make a deal that Sam will paint Barnabas' portrait for a thousand dollars, a kingly sum in 1967.
The offer leaves Maggie's and Sam's faces wreathed in smiles; that's probably rent and utilities for six months for them! However, adds Barnabas, Sam must work only during the nights, only at the Old House--and he'd like him to start immediately. With a commission like that in the offing, Sam gathers his paint supplies and Maggie drives them to the Old House. He works all night.
Maggie visits Vicki at Collinwood and they discuss Barnabas' European ways and admire his portrait. Maggie comments about the eyes in the portrait and how PENETRATING they are, and this segues into Barnabas himself, sitting patiently, hands crossed on his cane, posing for Sam. The cock crows--it's dawn! Sam catches a line on Barnabas' face that he missed and insists he must add it to the portrait.
When he looks up, however, Barnabas has abruptly disappeared, and Willie is waiting to take Sam home. When will I work again? Sam wants to know, and Willie says Barnabas will be in touch, after sundown. Sam is perplexed, but again, one senses the money is spurring him on, and he leaves with Willie.
NOTES: I think Barnabas knows how desperate Sam must be for money, and aside from the fact that he is impressed by the way he paints, he also likes his daughter and has some nefarious plans for her. It must be very puzzling, this painting only at night, but heck, for that kind of money, Sam's willing to accept the strange behavior of this wealthy stranger.
Now Willie, who used to do his best to nearly rape the lady folk in and around Collinwood has become their concerned protector. Strange how being bitten by Barnabas brings out the best in Willie, huh? Even Barnabas realizes that Willie is suspicious of his plans for Vicki and Maggie, but knows his new servant can't do anything about it.
Episode #223 - There is a fog that clings to the cliffs that mark the edge of Collinwood, a fog the sun cannot disperse. There is a man more frightening than the fog, more threatening, a man who is thought to be gone but who still remains, a man who clings to Collinwood with more tenacity than the mists from the sea--a man whose presence inspires more unrest than fear, more mystery than anger.
Liz, alarmed after learning from Vicki that Barnabas has employed Willie, decides she must warn her newly arrived cousin against Mr. Loomis. David wants to go with his aunt to the Old House, but both Liz and Vicki insist that he study upstairs. Liz leaves. David is curious as to why Liz wants to speak to Barnabas, and even more that Barnabas has stolen away his favorite hiding-away spot and has the nerve to make changes there.
Receiving no answer to her knock, Liz enters the Old House. She spots the unfinished portrait of Barnabas on its easel and observes the changes that have already been made in the drawing room. David joins his aunt and in consternation sees the portrait of Josette is missing; the smell of her jasmine perfume is also gone, and David fears her ghost is, too.
Liz, telling David it's Barnabas' home now, stops him from going upstairs to search for the portrait.
Vicki shows Burke the strong resemblance between the present-day Barnabas and the foyer portrait. Burke, waiting to see Liz, who isn't expecting him, expresses annoyance that Barnabas has hired Willie.
He also realizes that Jason is upsetting Liz, and that as a result, she's done something totally unlike herself.
Liz and Burke talk in the study. She's irritated at him for coming to Collinwood, and he wants to know why she sold property to someone else, knowing the purchaser would ruin it. Burke suggests she needed the cash, but Liz imperiously denies being forced to sell it.
When Burke suggests Jason wants to do her in, she tells Burke to stop prying. Burke offers to assist Barnabas in ridding himself of Willie, but Liz haughtily assures him her cousin can take care of himself.
Foyer - David explains to Burke that he's unhappy because, while he likes Barnabas, he isn't happy with his taking over the Old House and moving Josette's portrait--thus making her spirit leave. Burke suggests Barnabas might give David the portrait, an idea that excites David.
However, with the portrait gone, David fears going to the Old House, though he won't admit that to Burke. After David leaves, Burke stares closely at Barnabas' portrait.
David enters the Old House and calls to Barnabas. Dogs howl outside. David tells Josette that he's afraid. The front door slams shut, and the braying dogs seem even closer. Unable to get out, David is frightened.
NOTES: Poor little David, feeling forlorn because, with the portrait gone from above the mantle in the Old House, he feels Josette's comforting, protective presence is gone, too. His first scene with Liz was disjointed; I guess he missed some lines, but he kept talking how he hoped Barn didn't make any changes, or not too many changes, etc. I got a bit confused.
Burke prefers to bring Liz down himself, so he's angry that Jason McGuire seems to be muscling in on that. Of course, we know Liz sold the property Burke wanted to get the money to buy the Swiss bank account Jason demanded. I think that although Liz likes like Burke, but she resents his meddling in her personal/business affairs; hell, she doesn't even accept it from her own family! We hear the name Hackett as the buyer of the property, which will soon become familiar for another reason.
I loved how Liz told Burke that Barnabas is a "true" Collins and can easily handle Willie Loomis. I guess she was trying to hint that Burke can't, or that Barn can do it better.
Nice scene between David and Burke; the latter, always seeming a better father figure to David than Roger is, encouraged him to ask Barn for Josette's portrait, if he feels so badly about it being moved. David returns to the Old House and, like Vicki a few days ago, finds himself locked in, the howling of the dogs terrifying him. Didn't the poor kid look pathetic as the howling increased in volume? Once again, Henesy proves his acting mettle.
Love, Robin
