495 - Frustrated, Adam tries to break the metal bonds, but is unable to. Barnabas enters with his tray of food and greets him, "Good evening." Adam grabs for his meal, but Barnabas orders him to sit and tells him when he does so, he'll get his supper. Adam touches his mouth, sits, and points to his tray. "Good," says Barnabas. Then Adam says, "Barnabas", twice. "You spoke!" says Barnabas, elated, and seeing the joy on Daddy's face, Adam keeps repeating the name of the only father he knows.
"You know my name," praises Barnabas. "Remarkable! What a wonderful feeling it must be. How I envy you, even though you have so much to learn."
Adam stops laughing and Barnabas tells him to go on doing so. Papa is pleased--he'll keep talking to him, the only way he'll learn. Learn--try. Barnabas gestures to his tray and says, "Food." Adam looks like he wants to. Barnabas brings over the crate with the tray and says "Food," again. Adam repeats it, grinning, and picks up a spoon. Barn wants to know where he learned that. Adam brings the spoon to his mouth and spills it all, and he angrily slams the spoon down. Barnabas demonstrates and shows Adam how. Adam watches and does what Barn showed him, getting it into his mouth again. They both agree it's good, and Adam picks up the bowl and begins to just drink from it, like a pig from a trough. Seeing displeasure on Papa's face, Adam takes the napkin and spreads it on his lap. Barnabas asks if Julia taught him that. Adam tries to use the spoon again, his left, and Barnabas takes it from him, explaining he wants him to use the hand he used before. Barnabas sighs--I won't be a very good teacher--I've lived so long expecting everyone to know everything. (hmmm!) Adam continues to shovel the soup into his mouth. Barnabas wonders how much he understands--Adam will get tired of his voice even when he knows what he's saying. Adam finishes and lifts the tray to leave. Adam wants him to stay, and Barnabas promises to come back tomorrow. Barnabas leaves, telling Adam to sleep. He points to the bed. Adam looks out the barred window and sadly says, "Barnabas." "Good night--Adam," says Barnabas in reply. Adam is very agitated and sad. He sits down, trying to pry apart the chain binding him, sobbing, "Barnabas!" Miraculously, he is able to free himself from the wall, and, laughing, Adam pulls open the door with his enormous strength and, screaming, "Barnabas!", walks upstairs, the chain clanking behind him. (Sad scene in some ways; Adam really has bonded with his Papa, but Barnabas is acting as distant as Joshua would).
Adam exits the Old House doors, and, still calling for his life-force pop, walks off.
Roger is looking at the clock. David comes downstairs and shows his father a new knife Cassandra bought for him. Roger is glad David likes his new stepmom, who, according to David, would have bought him anything he wanted. David insists he always liked Cassandra, which Roger finds curious--there are many things Roger would like to forget as easily.
Barnabas visits Collinwood, where David shows him the knife. David heads outside. Barn is looking for Julia, but she isn't home, Liz went to the Old House, says Roger, and Barn says he'll go catch up with her. Roger then asks Barnabas why he's being so nasty to his wife--he isn't being polite to her! Barnabas wants to know what Cassandra said, and apologizes--he DID have some difficulty in accepting her. Why? demands Roger, and Barnabas says it's because she reminds him of someone he knew once. Roger is annoyed--that's a poor excuse for Barn's bad behavior--if he can't be civil to her, don't come to Collinwood anymore!
Barnabas, shocked, asks if Roger has discussed this with Liz. No, says Roger. Doesn't Roger think he should? Roger says Liz can tolerate rudeness even less than he can--"It's your choice."
Liz runs into Adam in the woods and demands to know who he is.
Poor Adam can't respond, and just shakes his head, bummed out. Liz informs him that this is private property, but he still can't respond. "Barnabas," he says, and Liz asks if he's looking for him. She sees the chain on his ankle and gets upset--he's escaped--from where? She backs away and runs off, leaving Adam piteously crying, "Barnabas!"
Barnabas tells Roger he doesn't want to leave with ill feelings between them, but Roger says that's up to him--treat Cassandra as he treats everyone else in the house. Barn asks Roger if he's asked Cassandra why she thinks he treats her badly. It began the first time Barnabas saw her, says Roger, and Barnabas promises to resolve the matter. Liz bursts in--she saw a mute giant on the path halfway to the Old House--and he said Barnabas' name. Barnabas pretends surprise. She mentions the shackle around his ankle with a broken chain--David!--they must find him. Roger leaves to get his gun, and Barnabas asks if that's necessary. Liz says, "If Barnabas knows him. . ." "ELIZABETH!" bursts out Barnabas. She doesn't understand why the man said her cousin's name, and Barnabas says they'll have to find out. Liz tells them both to be careful and Roger advises them to close and lock all doors in case the man shows up there. Liz closes the door on them, worried.
David is out in the woods, playing with his new knife. Adam is watching him, smiling. David begins to hum, and Adam joins in, tunelessly. David spots him and remarks that he likes that song, too. Adam nods and grins. He tells him to come out from behind the bushes, and Adam does. David is impressed by how tall the guy is and asks just how tall. Adam can't answer. David asks if he can't speak English and seems pleased at this mute friend--people talk too much.
He wishes no one could talk at all, they're always asking where you're going and what you're doing. David shows him his game of getting the knife to stand straight up in the ground. Adam kneels beside him companionably, then grabs the knife out of David's hand, accidentally hurting the boy's arm. Adam takes the knife away and David reaches up to retrieve it, ordering Adam to give him his knife back. The two of them struggle and David falls down, twisting his ankle. Adam tries to help him, lifting him up. "Let me down!" protests David. Barnabas and Roger overhear and rush to David's side. Adam is moaning, upset, unsure of what to do. Roger orders Adam to put David down, holding the gun on him. Barnabas points out that the man doesn't understand. Roger threatens to shoot Adam. David continues to order Adam to put him down. "Roger--David!" reminds Barnabas. David begs his father not to shoot. Barnabas tells Roger he'll get David; Roger wonders why the creature would listen to him. Barnabas gently tells Adam to lower David to the ground--"He's a nice boy, you don't want to hurt him. Put David on the ground." Adam does as Barnabas quietly tells him. Roger asks Barnabas how he got him to do that, and Barnabas doesn't answer. David hobbles into Barnabas' arms, leaving Adam reaching out for the boy. Barnabas assures him he's all right, and David mentions that he took his knife and wouldn't give it back. Adam advances and Roger shoots him--twice. "ROGER!" screams Barnabas, pushing down his arm to deflect the aim. Adam, shot in the shoulder, runs off, in pain. "He tried to kill David!" insists Roger--"We have to find him." David, Roger and Barnabas trail after the wounded Adam, who returns to the safety of his basement cell, bleeding. He collapses on the cot, holding his shoulder, gasping in pain.
NOTES: I felt SO sorry for Adam in this episode. He really is a well-meaning person, but being unable to communicate is making his existence hell. He likes kids and really seemed to want to befriend David. Adam is just misunderstood--Barnabas should spend more time teaching him to talk and less showing him how to spread a napkin in his lap. It's not like he's going to be dining with the queen, for God's sake!
496 - Aw, Adam's no killer!
Cassandra and Julia return from a pleasant visit with Stokes, only to find Roger all bent out of shape--David was nearly killed this evening, he tells them, and he's calling the police. I shot the man in the shoulder who tried to abduct David, explains Roger, and Julia's face seems to say she knows who this man was.
Cass and Julia listen as Roger gets on the phone and reports a shooting--he did it, near Collinwood, and the man was trying to kidnap David. The man was a stranger--he was enormous, well over 6 feet, broad shoulders, dressed in black, with an ugly, disfigured face. Julia quickly excuses herself to Cassandra. Roger says the man was badly wounded and could not have gotten too far. Send all the available men you have, commands Roger, or I'll interrupt Patterson at his banquet. Cassandra apologizes to Roger for not being there--she thinks he shouldn't be allowed to play alone in the woods, but Roger says David never listens. Roger said Liz told him she ran into the man in the woods, and Roger, gun in hand, went with Barnabas. Thanks to Barn, says Roger, he had some influence over the strange man. The man was holding David in his arms and Barnabas warned Roger not to shoot. He spoke gently to the man, who was affected by what Barnabas said, listened to him, and put David down. The man started to growl and came toward David--and Roger shot at him. The man didn't say anything to any of them--except to Liz, to whom he said "Barnabas." Liz said he kept repeating it. Could Barn and this man know each other? asks Cassandra.
Roger says a cultured, well-bred man like Barnabas could never be acquainted with this man of lower class--mean-tempered, grotesque, downright unnatural. (snob, Roger--wonder what you would have thought of Ben Stokes?) If Roger hadn't seen him moving around, making those grunting sounds, he would have easily imagined he was dead. A walking dead man? asks Cassandra (much like my first husband?). Absurd, says Roger. Fascinating, she suggests, he must ask Barnabas about this strange creature. Cassandra looks happy to hear this potential trouble in Barnabas' life.
Barnabas and Julia return to the Old House at the same time. She tells him Roger has called the police, and they realize they must find Adam before the police do. They go inside to think this through. They don't know how Adam got out. Julia says Barn was supposed to stay with him until she got back. He tells her, smiling, that Adam spoke his name, and went to look for her to tell her. Adam got upset being left alone and followed you, says Julia--he sees you as a father figure and wants to be with you. Willie is out searching, and Julia suggests searching the house--he might return home--when a child is hurt, he goes home--so Adam could well be downstairs in his cell. Barn tells her to get her medical bag--Adam could be seriously hurt. They head down to the cellar. Julia keeps a hand on Barnabas' shoulder as they go downstairs. When they peer into the cell, they see Adam on his bed, his face contorted with pain.
Julia and Barnabas enter the cell, Barnabas pushing open the door with his cane. He did come back! They carefully enter and close the door--until Adam attacks. Julia explains he's afraid of them again, understandably. Roger was with Barnabas when he shot Adam. Julia says Adam is hurt, angry and confused--they must move carefully. Barnabas tells Adam they want to help him, and slowly opens the cell door again. Barnabas tells him they must stop his arm from bleeding. Adam, shivering, looks piteously at them. Barnabas says Dr. Hoffman will make Adam well again, and Adam raises his hand in supplication. They approach, slowly, and Barnabas promises to take good care of him. Barnabas examines his shoulder and they help Adam off with his jacket. Barnabas unlocks his ankle cuff. Julia cuts off the sleeve of Adam's sweater. His arms is a bloody mess, but she says either Roger is a dreadful shot or Adam is lucky. She cleans the wound. Barnabas says Adam realizes they don't want to hurt him. She says it will take half an hour and Barnabas says he's going to Collinwood--he wants to prevent the cops from prowling around Collinwood. Adam moans--he doesn't want Daddy to go. They don't know how to convince Adam that Barnabas must leave. He tells Adam he's going outside but will be back very soon. Adam winces under Julia's ministrations. Let Dr. Hoffman help you, says Barnabas, and Julia says Adam can sense what he's saying even though he doesn't understand the words.
Proudly, Barnabas says Adam will learn fast. Adam cries out in pain as Julia works on his wound. Barnabas leaves.
Cassandra, attired in her butterfly dress, answers Barnabas' knock at the door. Roger wondered where Barnabas had gone after David's rescue. Cousin Barnabas explains he was trying to find the man who apprehended David, but he disappeared into the woods--perhaps the police will have better luck. No, says Roger, and asks if Barnabas has ever seen that man. Barnabas evades the question, then says he's never seen him before. How did he know your name? wonders Roger. Barnabas has no clue why the man could only say Barnabas. It strikes Roger as odd. What about the man's reaction to Barnabas?--he seemed to know him. Impossible, says Barn. Only Barnabas could persuade the man to put David down, Roger reminds him.
Cassandra listens avidly. Barnabas says he felt persuasion, not gunfire, was the best approach. Roger is still curious. Barnabas says they'll have to wait until the man is captured before they can know the answer to that question. He bids Roger and Cassandra a cool good night. Roger sees his cousin out, and Cass' eyes are filled with a look of mystery.
Julia finishes tending to Adam's arm and both seem relieved. He takes her hand and shakes it in gratitude, delighting her into a giggle. Then she complains that he's hurting her hand, and he lets it go and pats it. Adam points to the tape recorder outside the cell. "Music!" he says. Julia is pleased he remembered the word he taught her. She brings the recorder into his cell, rewinds it, and puts the music on. They grin at each other. She agrees with Barnabas--Adam will learn fast. Adam looks very happy as he enjoys the music, barely noticing Julia locking him in. Then, with Julia safely out of earshot, we hear Lang's recording (and yes, we're getting tired of it).
Adam listens, smiling, then, after the music resumes, he sways his head, happy. "Music!" he calls, swaying.
NOTES: Hearing that blasted message from Lang over and over is totally annoying; we get the picture!
I loved Julia's moments with Adam. She really is, for all intents and purposes, his mama, and hearing her giggle when he remembered the word music was so sweet to see.
Adam is apparently very strong. Not only was he able to break his metal bonds and yank opened a locked cell door, he also sustained a wound that we suspect might have killed or certainly incapacitated someone else. Adam is a superman, it seems, but he's got to keep away from those who want to harm him.
Love, Robin
