265 - A morning wind has cleared the night-time mists that shrouded Collinwood. And, seen from the cliffs, the sea and sky share a summer blue that obscures the far horizone, hinting, perhaps, that a boundary dividing earth and heaven has been dissolved. But other boundaries remain--the boundary that separates a tormented father from his daughter, the boundaries in knowledge that separate mystery from truth, and the boundaries within the mind that separate a young woman from herself.
In Dr. Julia Hoffman's office at Windcliff Sanitarium, Julia shines a light into Maggie's eyes, back and forth. She asks her questions in a clear voice, but Maggie, still holding Sarah's doll, gives monosyllabic responses. When Julia asks her name, Maggie appears frightened and cannot answer.
Evans Cottage - Dave tells Sam he can't see Maggie; Julia Hoffman's orders. She is an unconventional doctor, says Dave, but she has this far made no report to him and he believes she is the best doctor for Maggie's case. Upset at being kept in the dark,
Sam insists on seeing his daughter--and he's bringing Joe, too! Dave wants to alert the doctor of their arrival, but Sam insists that he doesn't, believing she won't turn them away if they're already there. Dave decides to go along.
In the car along the way, Joe expresses his fear that they're doing the wrong thing--Maggie might not know him. Joe confesses that he's scared.
In Julia's office, Dave tries to convince her to allow Sam and Joe to see Maggie. She's angry that they're there at all. Julia asks to see the two men, and when they enter her office, says that he wants to see Maggie. She warns them it might be painful, indicating that she's allowing the visit partly to see the effect it has on Maggie. She gives instructions for Maggie to be brought in, then walks over to the fish tank, in effect showing her disinterest in them. Joe and Sam exit. Dave asks her what is going to happen. It will be a disaster, she assures him, but perhaps it will stop their meddling. She admits that she's not sympathetic and only wants to get at the truth. (How this lady will change in the years to come!)
In her room, Maggie sits holding her doll. Nurse Jackson comes in to tell her she has visitors, but Maggie doesn't respond. The nurse shows in Sam and Joe, then leaves. They attempt talking to her in gentle tones, but, agitated, she drops the doll, goes to the window and stares out through the window grate. Sam hands her back the doll, and she smiles. Sam continues speaking to her gently.
She starts to softly sing London Bridge. When, gazing through the grill, she arrives at the words "lock her up," she says SHE feels locked up and grows more upset. They try to calm her, but when Sam takes hold of her arm, she becomes hysterical, screaming, running to bang at the door. The nurse returns. Holding and comforting Maggie, she urges Sam and Joe to leave, which they do. The nurse and Maggie sit together on the bed, and Maggie mournfully sings London Bridge to herself.
Julia's office - Dave tells her that authorities have no clue as to who took Maggie. He hopes Julia can provide an answer--he has complete faith in her ability although their methods differ.
Julia refuses to discuss Maggie's case with Dave. He tells her he believes the truth is in Maggie's blood. Joe and Sam return, and the latter admits this visit was painful both for him and Maggie. The girl you saw was hardly your daughter, says Julia, calling Maggie a poor, frightened child. Maggie needs time to recover, insists Julia, and "your absence may hasten the day." Furious, Sam leaves, Joe following. Dave leaves, too, and Julia calls Maggie in for another session.
In the car on the way home, Sam wonders if Dave didn't want him to meet Julia Hoffman.
In her office, Julia once again shines her light into Maggie's eyes. Maggie doesn't know Julia's name anymore.
"Lock her up mutters Maggie, over and over, endlessly singing the song.
NOTES: Ah, the first episode with the eminent Dr. Julia Hoffman!
Dr. Julia Hoffman--no-nonsense, cruel, clipped, cold completely professional (it seems), unorthodox, more concerned with her patient, Maggie, than the feelings of her father or boyfriend. She's certainly intimidating, definitely annoying, keeping her colleague, who also happens to be Maggie's physician, out of the loop about her condition. "Not at this time," she said, over and over, to Dave's questions, both about Maggie's physical and mental condition. Woodard ends up echoing this exact thing to Julia at the end of the visit, dryly telling her, "Not at this time" when she asks if he has anymore questions (when she didn't answer any others). She suspects that seeing Maggie will prove to be a setback for her patient and a terrible experience for Joe and Sam, yet she allows it to happen, presumably to keep them all away from the situation. One has to wonder just how judicious this was, given that poor Maggie got hysterical when Joe and Sam came in to see her. She gazed helplessly out through the bars of her confinement and began to sing, then shriek, "Take the key and lock her up," from our favorite song of Sarah. That was a powerful scene, with kudos to KLS for her hysteria and the two men in her life for their apparent upsetment and failure to calm her down. Only the nurse could do that, holding and rocking her, but Maggie kept crooning "Take the key and lock her up." Really pathetic, and very well done.
The car scenes with Sam and Joe, with the tree moving overhead, was really fake-looking. It was more realistic when they were returning home. Obviously, Sam isn't happy with Dr. Hoffman, and you can't really blame him. Julia seems much more doctor now, much less woman. Dr. Hoffman, not "Julia," fits her much better in this episode. Julia knows a lot, but doesn't want to share it, and you could see that infuriates Dr. Woodard. She made it clear to Sam and Joe that it's in Maggie's best interests--and theirs--if they stay away and allow her to work on Maggie's treatment. My own doctor has a similar bedside manner, which gives you a feeling of trust, but also makes you want to pop him one. I sensed Sam would have enjoyed taking a swing at Dr. Hoffman today.
Great shows. Welcome, Julia!
266 - On this night, a pale moon illuminates the walls of Collinwood, only to pass periodically behind masses of clouds, leaving the great house in total darkness. A night wind blows in from the sea, past the cliffs where many have died, to Collinwood itself. And as it rushes past the great house, a sighing can be heard. Some say it is a call from the dead to the living. For one woman, there is terror in the night. For the dead are calling to her, beckoning her to the cliffs, where others have died before her. And, in a dream, she is having a premonition of her own death.
Liz, asleep in her bed, dreams of the cliffs overlooking Widows' Hill--she comes to the edge of the cliff and hears the widows calling her name. She looks down and watches the sea crashing into the rocks below, then falls from the cliff,
The widows appear, calling "Elizabeth!" Liz lies in bed, awake, restless.
Vicki looks at the foyer clock, then heads upstairs.
Back in her room, Liz stands staring out the window, then goes to her dressing table, sits down and begins brushing her hair. Vicki knocks at Liz' door, and enters when she doesn't get an answer, calling Liz, who finally responds as though in a trance. It's one o'clock, Vicki tells the older woman, concerned that Liz has slept so late.
Liz seems to care little about anything Vicki says, but assures her she's fine.
Down in the foyer, Liz, ready to go out in coat and scarf, is stopped by Jason, who wishes to discuss wedding arrangements. Liz mechanically agrees with all his suggestions. Jason wants the wedding held in Collinwood's drawing room, with the town's most prominent judge doing the honors, with a big reception following,
He's puzzled by how agreeable she is, but all she wants to do is go for a walk. As she leaves, Jason grins.
Down at Widows' Hill, Liz gazes down at the ocean, nervously clasping and unclasping her hands. Mrs. Johnson joins her, reminding her that she's been gone for hours. I like it here, says Liz. When Sarah mentions Jason's desire for a large reception, Liz promises to hire more staff. They listen to the wailing wind. Liz tells Sarah that this is where widows perished, and tells some of their stories: Rachel Comstock lost her husband and five sons to the sea; Abigail Tolliver was a new bride whose husband drowned; Margaret Findley's husband was lost in a storm. All of the grieving women leaped to their deaths from this place,
Sarah recalls the legend that the others await a fourth widow (great gauging of Liz' feelings, Mrs. J, perhaps you shouldn't have done that) to join them. When Liz nearly faints, Sarah pulls her away from the edge of the cliff just in time and leads her back home.
Back in the foyer, Sarah remarks to Liz how pale she still looks, then leaves. Jason and Liz join Vicki in the drawing room. Jason presents Liz with a wedding gift, a brooch, mentioning its sentimental value (Cracker Jack box). Vicki, disgusted, turns away as Jason pins it on Liz' coat. Liz doesn't care, and she simply turns and leaves. Jason leaves. Sarah tells Vicki she's worried about Mrs. Stoddard--she found her on Widows' Hill.
In Liz' room, the widows call to the unhappy woman, over and over. Hearing them, Liz goes to her window and opens it. She hears them calling her name, and in her mind, sees them, waiting for her, on Widows' Hill. Resigned, miserable, she says aloud, "The seais my grave. My grave is the sea."
NOTES: I remember the cold chills that ran through me when Liz, in both dreams and the real waking world, heard the widows calling to her the first time I saw this show. Between that creepy music and the widows' wailing, I was one scared kid! You could tell Liz had more or less made the decision to join the widows when she was so agreeable, sad and quiet to Jason's wedding/reception requests.
Hearing Liz relate to Mrs. Johnson the sad stories of widows Rachel Comstock, Abigail Tolliver and Margaret Findley creeped me out almost as much as Barnabas' tale of Josette's suicide. "The sea is my grave--my grave is the sea." How sad that Liz feels such hopelessness, she contemplates ending her life. Even the news of Carolyn and Buzz getting a marriage license doesn't shake her from the calming thoughts of death. Jason presents Liz with his mother's pin as a wedding gift (loved Vicki's disdain) and she simply accepts it. Of course, Mrs. Johnson feels obligated to tell Vicki how Mrs. Stoddar almost tumbled to her death on Widows' Hill; God forbid anyone should pass this important info along to Roger or Carolyn!
So the ep ends with Liz dreaming again, then waking to call back to the widows who are adjuring her to join them. "The sea is my grave--my grave is the sea."
Love, Robin
