509 - (black and white - we haven't had any of these in a long time) - Sam asks who it is, he knows someone is there, he can feel him breathing! Adam backs away, realizing something is wrong with this man. "Say something!" demands Sam. Adam backs off, holding the knife, then drops it on the floor. Sam hears it fall and tells Adam he can't see. "See?" asks Adam. Sam asks who is he, and Adam responds, "Adam." Sam asks what he's doing there. Sam touches him and realizes he's hurt. What are you running away from, what have you done wrong? asks Sam. "Hurt!" cries Adam. Sam says he'll fix his arm, and realizes this huge man is afraid. He helps Adam to the sofa and asks what his last name is. He decides Adam can't understand English, and says it's nice to take care of someone else for a change. Sam goes into another room, and Adam painfully bends to retrieve the dropped knife. Sam brings out a bowl of water and asks where Adam went. "Here," says Adam. "Come here," says Sam. "Give me your arm." Adam trustingly extends his arm to Sam who warns him it's going to hurt. He washes Adam's arm with the rag, talking about germs. Adam moans with pain, and Sam talks to him as if he's a little child. There's a knock at the door, and this upsets Adam. Sam notes this and tells him to stay there. Sam goes to answer the door and Adam limps away. It's Stokes, who says he wanted to add a footnote to their meeting this evening. Stokes spots the bloody mess that is Adam and, surprised, says, "Mr. Evans." "That is Adam, last name unknown," explains Stokes. Adam stands there, clutching his wounded body, as Sam introduces Adam to Stokes, who notes that he's been in an accident. Stokes tells Sam he was trying to fix him up, but Stokes notices the knife on the floor and picks it up. Stokes asks what's happening here. Adam seems ready to flee, and does so, with Sam calling for him to come back.
Sam asks Stokes to stop him, citing the serious trouble he's in, and the professor says the man resembles the newspaper description of the man who kidnapped Carolyn. That man jumped from Widows' Hill, protests Sam--no one could survive that. His arms were nothing but muscle. Stokes describes Adam as a giant who speaks no English.
He was so gentle, says Sam. Stokes explains that Adam saved Carolyn's life, she told him so herself. And they were going to shoot him after he did, says Sam, no wonder he jumped. Poor misunderstood Adam won't be coming back, says Stokes, and says he needs to speak to him. When he left the Old House, he realized he hadn't been properly communicative. Sam is distracted. Stokes tells him about his dream, which Sam might have, too-it's rather like measles. (LMAO!) If Sam has a dream that begins with a knock at the door, and a man, probably Barnabas, gesturing him to follow him, please call me at once, urges the professor--a man's life might depend on it. Sam is more concerned about Adam's life, and Stokes adds one more thing-in Adam's case, there isn't a witch involved! He bids a stunned Sam good night.
At Tony's office, Cassandra asks him why he always fights her. Because I don't like you, he claims. She calls him quite the puritan and says it's himself he doesn't like. He orders her to stop analyzing him and she says she knows him so well. He says she doesn't know him at all. "Spoken like the sulky boy you pretend to be," she coos, taking out a cigarette. What do you want? he asks. He wishes she were sitting at home with her husband. "Do you?" she asks, and he gazes at her and asks again. A light for my cigarette, she replies. He pulls out his lighter and holds it up. She chides him for never remembering about the cigarette lighter. The moment he looks into the flame, she does what he asks. Tony sinks to his knees and lights her cigarette. (Implications!) She has an important matter for him to attend to and needs his help.
He agrees to help her. Professor Stokes, a very interfering man, is his target, and all will be very easy-Tony is going to pay him a visit. Coming out of his trance, Tony says, tensely, "I won't go!" "You must," she tells him--look into my eyes and tell me you will. Tony fears Stokes will know why he's there. Cassandra hands him what looks like a cross with a circle on top of it, and she tells him it's the key that will open Stokes' door for Tony tonight. She closes his hands around it, then gives him her poison ring, explaining it will close all doors for Stokes-forever! She slides the ring on the third finger of his left hand. (Like a wedding band?)
Vicki comes to see Stokes at his home--the portrait disappeared last week, she reveals, and she was very upset about it. Stokes says he might be able to help, bluntly adding that he wants to talk to Vicki about Angelique Collins. Vicki looks uneasy, and Stokes says he realizes it's a personal matter for her. Why did you buy the portrait? asks Stokes. He asks her if she realized the identity of the woman in the portrait, but Vicki refuses to answer this question-she doubts he'd believe her, anyway, and she's trying to forget. I envy your trip to the past, he says, and believes it happened. This fascinates Vicki. If you tell me everything you know, he points out, it might save Barnabas' life. Vicki asks if Barnabas is in danger-is she trying to kill him? It's Cassandra, reveals Stokes. She looks so much like Angelique, muses Vicki--I tried to tell myself I was wrong and had misjudged her-if you're right, I'm frightened.
Stokes tells her Angelique was a witch. "And I was blamed for it," says Vicki. Did Angelique accuse you? asks Stokes, and Vicki says, no, not at first--there were strange things happening in the house, Angelique was Josette's servant, but it was Abigail Collins who decided a witch was causing the odd happenings, and she called in a witchhunter. "Named Trask?" asks Stokes, and Vicki looks away and says "Yes." Stokes takes a daguerreotype and shows it to Vicki, who sees Trask's obvious profile and walks away from him. She apologizes, explaining that she had hoped never to see that face again. Stokes says they must discuss Trask-did he honestly believe Vicki to be the witch? Yes. He wasn't working with Angelique? Queries Stokes. Vicki is sure of that--before he disappeared, Trask discovered she was innocent and left a note exonerating her, but they couldn't find him. Stokes' doorbell rings. He asks Vicki to leave by the back way; this visitor must not see her--will she help him further? For Barnabas I will, she vows. Stokes requests that she spy on Cassandra. The witch will kill you, she warns him. Stokes assures her he is constantly vigilant--and so must you be, he advises.
Tony is Stokes' visitor; calling himself Mr. Haley, he thanks Stokes for seeing him so late. Tony Cassandra's "key" in his hand--he heard Stokes was the only one in the city who would know about the cross--he and his wife just bought a house from the 1720's, and when he was tearing up the floorboards, he found this cross. He hands it to Stokes, who wonders how Mr. Haley found out about him. His neighbor, Mrs. Bland (ancestor of the Bland who married Barn and Ang?), knows you, says Tony. Stokes recognizes the artifact as a gold Coptic cross. Tony says his wife got all excited about the piece. Stokes tells him the writing on it means nothing. Tony paces the room nervously, and Stokes asks if something is wrong. No, replies Tony, I feel bad bothering you like this. Stokes offers him a sherry, and Tony accepts. Stokes says the cross is probably not authentic and he'll need it for a few days to test it. Tony agrees. It's used for protection against witches, says Stokes. Stokes pours the sherry, and Tony surreptitiously takes out the ring containing the poison. Stokes says he's going to get some cheese, which helps him sleep, and excuses himself to get it. Tony says he'd like some, too, and after Stokes leaves the room, empties the powder in the ring into Stokes' glass. When Stokes returns, he finds Tony examining the cross, saying he's fascinated by it--his wife thinks it's real gold. Tony's back is to the professor while he's talking to him, and Stokes urges him to come drink his sherry.
"To your antique gold Coptic cross," toasts Stokes, "may it turn out to be antique and gold for your wife's sake." They drink, Tony draining his glass in one gulp. While Stokes is prattling on about the cheese, Tony grabs his throat and begins to convulse. "Professor!" cries Tony, before falling to the floor, unconscious.
NOTES: Hm, it appears our intelligent professor figured out that "Mr. Haley" was only Cassandra's shill and deliberately switched drinks with the intended poisoner. Very clever, Professor, you might outwit Cassandra yet!
OK, who thinks Tony's relationship with Cassandra is platonic, raise your hand! I think she's giving him what Roger isn't getting ANY of right now!
How well Adam responds to a little kindness! This is straight out of FRANKENSTEIN, of course, with the blind man and the monster, but with DS' own unique twist. Sam seems to need a project more needier than himself. Adam just might be what he needs.
This episode was slated to be shown 6/6/68, but was pre-empted by Robert Kennedy's assassination and instead aired 6/7.
510 - Stokes calmly dials Collinwood, luckily reaching Julia, and tells her to come immediately-he might have just killed a man!
Stokes paces back and forth in his living room, picking up Tony's dropped sherry glass. Julia comes out and report to Stokes, "You gave him the right emetic."--Tony's been very sick, but he's resting now. Stokes explains that Tony was acting quite nervous, and he suspected him of being up to something--when he went to the kitchen, he felt the man might have tampered with the sherry, so when he returned, he switched the glasses. Why would Tony do this? asks Julia, and they learn that the lawyer, who Julia says has lots of integrity, is not Mr. Haley. "Just the sort of person our favorite witch would pick!" suggests Stokes. Julia finds this odd, but Stokes believes she has Tony in her power--what she can't do herself, says Stokes, she delegates to others. How many others have helped her? They wonder. This IS war, and both realize Cassandra won't let him stop the dream curse. Stokes says she'll learn they can fight back--they must find someone who is already dead, says Stokes, someone she can't affect. Stokes asks Julia if she believes in ghosts-even a witch will fear a ghost, especially the ghost of a witchhunter. He mentions Trask, the man responsible for Vicki's hanging--Trask left a note admitting Vicki wasn't the real witch, but couldn't be found to give his reasons. Trask is very important to them, says Stokes, a religious fanatic whose one passion in life was and is to kill witches--this is Trask's chance to right a wrong, and they can use his fanatacism. Julia reminds him Trask isn't instantly available. Stokes takes out a notebook-Ben Stokes' memoir--he didn't learn to write until the first Barnabas Collins taught him after the age of 40--somewhere in the notebook, from which entire chapters are missing (Stokes says the first Barnabas changed from a fairly advanced thinking gentleman into some kind of monster). Julia is uncomfortable about this, and hesitantly asks Stokes if his ancestor explains how or why. He dreams of finding the missing chapter, says Stokes. He shows her the section where Ben says that Barnabas, in a rage because of the innocent girl sentenced to be hung (and here Stokes himself mysteriously fills in the name Trask, and in Ben's handwriting, not his own). Trask was walled up, explains Stokes--Mr. Barnabas convinced Trask he had accused the girl falsely, and the evil man signed a statement to that effect, but Mr. Barnabas walled. . .again, Stokes adds, "Trask up on the north wall of the coffin room."
Julia and Stokes are stunned. Ben Stokes is on their side, and Timothy says they must find the coffin room, which Stokes finds an interesting name. It's in the basement of the Old House, says Julia, although she doesn't know why they called it the coffin room (yeah, right). Excitedly, Stokes tells her they must go to the Old House and reach Trask--he will now stage his last witch hunt--his beliefs will make it happen, he assures Julia. An exhausted Tony exits Stokes' room, saying he feels terrible physically or mentally. Tony is shocked to hear Stokes doesn't want to turn him in-he himself could be arrested for switching the drinks. Tony has no explanations and simply wants to get out. Stokes knows why he came there to kill him, and Cassandra is the reason. Tony sits down. Stokes tells him he knows Cassandra gave him the cross and his fake name--he doesn't seem like the kind of young man who would deliberately do that, and Julia vouches for Tony's good character. She has power, says Tony, and Stokes says Cassandra is literally a witch who has him under a spell--would you like to fight her? asks Stokes.
Tony says he would. They'll start immediately. Stokes needs time to fight Cassandra, and Tony can give him the few days he needs. Go tell Cassandra Stokes is dead, orders the professor heartily--he drank the poison and is dead. Tony looks uncertain.
Roger and Casssandra are playing chess in Collinwood's drawing room, but she is clearly not into the game. He notes her poor concentration, and the fact that she couldn't concentrate last night or the night before that. Perhaps it isn't her game, suggests Cassandra, and Roger, miffed, asks her just WHAT her game is. To make him a loving, perfect wife, even if it doesn't include chess, she answers. Do they do that, asks Roger. Only he can tell her, she says, but he complains he doesn't see enough of her. He wraps a hand around her arm and reminds her they haven't even had their honeymoon-let's pack our bags and fly out tomorrow, he urges (I bet they haven't yet consummated, at least not for real). No, says Cassandra, walking away from him. Roger wants them to be alone, and while she says that would be marvelous, he seems to doubt she means that. When they're alone, they fight, she retorts. He sometimes feels she is just here filling time with him, there's something else important in her life happening somewhere else (go with that, Rog!) She denies this, and suggests he go to bed. Roger won't go, he hasn't finished his brandy. Take it up to bed, she says, since he'll only have another when he gets there, anyway. Roger drains his glass and asks if she's coming up. Not quite yet, she says, and he silently, angrily heads upstairs alone.
Cassandra hears the clock striking midnight. Where is Tony?--it must be done by now!--what if he failed, or was caught? Tony watches her through the window, then knocks at the glass. She gestures for him to come to the front door. He comes inside. I was worried about you, she says, and he tells her it's done-he's dead! Tell me how he died, she demands. Roger appears at the top of the steps and Tony, quickly covering, says he's sorry Carolyn is asleep and he hopes he didn't disturb her. He bids her Cassandra good night and leaves. Cassandra sees her husband glaring down at her.
In the Old House basement, Stokes asks Julia if she's sure Barnabas won't mind them being there, but she assures him he wants Cassandra stopped as much as they do. What about Willie? They've driven up the coast, says Julia (looking for Adam, I guess), to look for a friend. Stokes understands why they call it the coffin room and notes Julia's nervousness. Seances make me nervous since Vicki disappeared at the last one, says Julia. Tony comes downstairs and reports that Cassandra believes Stokes to be dead. "May I rest in peace!" quips Stokes (LOL!)--but no time for eulogies. He asks Tony, who doesn't believe in seances, to sit at the table he's set up. Just concentrate, he urges an unbelieving Tony. Stokes, Julia and Tony assume the seance position, fingers touching. Concentrate on the spirit of the Reverend Trask, and don't break the connection. Stokes calls to Trask, asking for his spirit to come to them--they need him, they're at the mercy of a witch. An innocent girl was hanged because of Trask, and he didn't see the truth until it was too late. You have the chance to correct that wrong, Trask, come to us, help us, calls Stokes. Tony goes into a trance, and Julia wants to stop-he's been ill. Stokes orders her to be quiet. "No, no," says Trask. "Ben Stokes does not need me." Timothy says HE needs him very much, Angelique tried to kill him, and he let her live. "I was killed before I could do anything!" says the Trask-possessed Tony.
Stokes urges, "Come back to us, for your own sake, for your conscience's sake, finish Angelique and rest in peace!" The candle goes out as Stokes demands an answer. Behind them comes the sound of the brick wall behind which Reverend Trask was entombed coming apart, breaking up!
NOTES: Intro: In such a short time, Stokes has set himself up as Angelique's greatest threat? Cool! That last scene is mucho creepy. Does this mean Trask is joining the party? It would be great if he could deal with Cassangelique, but he's got a bone to pick with Barnabas, too!
Tony does a great job of reacting to the poison, doesn't he? We see Stokes for a brief moment in his bathrobe over the credits, but he quickly retreats.
It's true that Cassandra is being a real bitch-witch here, but not just to Barnabas, Tony and Stokes. Her biggest cruelty is toward Roger, who she's sending to bed alone without any nookie to speak of. It's supposed to be their honeymoon, who needs to go away/be alone to have a good time when you're behind a locked door-even in Collinwood? C'mon, Cass, what's the big deal? Give Roger some loving!
Love, Robin
