511 - (Love Stokes' blue bow tie!) "He's coming out!" cries Julia, standing, and behind the now waist-high bricks, we see the top half of the Rev. Trask's skeleton!
"It's true!" says Stokes--the diary was right. Julia declares it terrible, refusing to believe the first Barnabas Collins did that. Tony feels another presence in the room. Stokes calls to Trask--his ancestor, Ben, refused to call him Reverend, but it's OK with Stokes-"Let us see you, Reverend Trask." He continues to call to the ghost, asking him to show himself. Tony is staring at the skeleton, horrified, and doesn't seem to hear when Stokes addresses him by his own name. He didn't recognize his own name, suggests Stokes. Julia wonders if Trask's spirit. Tony rises, announcing that he doesn't know anything about this, nor like it. Julia explains that Tony acted as a medium during the seance, and a voice came from him. Trask didn't show himself to us, says Stokes.
Tony asks if he believes the spirit is in HIM, and Stokes says it's possible, but Tony insists he isn't carrying anyone's will but his own-he's going home! (Cartman, is that you?) Stokes wants him to stay until a decision is made, and Julia agrees that they need him. You have a psychic rapport with Trask, says Stokes, and until it's resolved, I want Tony to sit down. Finish what we started, urges Julia, but Tony says he doesn't know anyone named Trask. Stokes hears something, a footstep. He tells them not to move, and calls again to Trask, asking if he's come back to get the witch-she calls herself Cassandra and lives at Collinwood, he reveals, but is still one of the legions of the devil. Julia hears something, too--something in the air. Tony doesn't hear anything, but Stokes knows he felt that presence. They hear the sound of classical music. Adam! cries Julia. Stokes and Julia head upstairs, leaving Tony alone with an admonition to "wait and watch." Tony glances at the skeleton, which appears to have shiny tape on it.
Julia tells Stokes he needn't come with her; Trask isn't playing that music. Insistently he takes her wrist and asks who is playing the music--I want to come with you. He follows her to the drawing room, where David is playing the tape recorder. They aren't happy to see him at the Old House, and Stokes wonders how long the boy has been there. Stokes introduces himself to David. He came in just now, the boy says, and didn't do anything wrong. He was playing outside and saw the tape recorder through the window; he remembered Julia's promise to him to let him have it. Noting how downcast David is, Julia offers to let him take the tape recorder with him. Silence! calls Stokes, and Julia again, urgently, orders David to take the tape recorder and go. David shakes Stokes' hand and thanks Julia. Stokes realizes that David might tell his stepmother he saw Stokes, alive, and Julia asks the boy not to let Cassandra know Stokes is there. David grins and says he already forgot he saw him. David leaves. Stokes wonders if they can count on him. Julia didn't want him to come up there with her, but Stokes says he's a curious person, and the fact that she called, "Adam" induced him to come up with her--he wants her to tell him all about Adam. Julia is discomfited. She knows no Adam, she insists, Stokes misheard her.
He has sharp ears and feels she doesn't trust him enough to tell her the truth. He recently met an Adam, an uncommon fellow, a giant of incredible strength, scarred all over. She tells him she knows no one who fits that description. Stokes adds that he speaks little English and has the body of a mature man but his behavior that of a little child. Julia asks where he met Adam, and he says he's allowed secrets, too--I met Adam last night, after I had the dream. This startles Julia. I saw Adam after the leap from Widows' Hill, says Stokes, the leap no man could make and survive. This also stuns Julia, who suggests they go downstairs. Stokes accuses her of protecting someone, but before he can guess who, Tony is calling frantically for them to come downstairs-quickly! They head down and see the skeleton has disappeared.
Tony tells them he saw nothing-feeling sleepy, he laid his head down on the table to rest, and when he looked up a moment later, the skeleton was gone, and he heard nothing. Amazing, remarks Stokes. Tony couldn't believe it--still doesn't. Their Our Trask is here, says Stokes--some ghost took the skeleton. Tony would prefer to think they never saw it in the first place. Stokes speculates on why Trask is teasing them. (camera appears in shot.) Stokes tells Trask that if he had appeared to them, they'd have given him anything he wanted--if you won't let us see you, give us a sign you hear us, asks Stokes. Julia says it's useless, they should go--she's leaving a note for Barnabas. Stokes tells Tony he wants Cassandra to continue to believe he's dead. Stokes, left alone in the basement, sighs. He hears the ghost of Trask sighing, too, and tells him there's no reason to do so--correct your wrong-appear!--take your revenge and then rest in peace! Deciding it won't work, Stokes leaves the basement, too.
Collinwood, 7 AM - David comes downstairs and asks Julia if she hasn't been to bed yet. She checks her watch, impatient to see Barnabas. David, assures her that he didn't tell anyone about the Old House. She touches his hair fondly-I knew you wouldn't, she says, then asks him if Mrs. Johnson said when Barnabas would be coming back, and David responds about noon--she's in town shopping for him (what could Mrs. J be purchasing for Barn?) Julia gets her coat and tells David she'll be back.
Barnabas returns to the Old House and finds Julia's note. He hears a door closing and calls, "Adam?" He goes to the open basement door, still calling to Adam, then goes downstairs himself. He sees the broken brick wall. "Trask!" he cries. "YES, BARNABAS COLLINS!" cries a voice behind him. Barnabas faces the ghost of what is perhaps his second worst enemy--Trask, the Reverend Trask-I'm free at last, boasts the ghost, free for revenge!
"What revenge?" demands Barnabas. "All these years, I hung there, without even the benefit of God's benefit, ever since that day you cut out my light, brick by brick." Barnabas denies doing this--my ancestor did!--it happened almost 200 years ago and I had nothing to do with it. How did you know my name? demands Trask, advancing on Barnabas. Barnabas orders him not to come closer, and accuses him of being the devil's helper, then and now. "I will show the devil how it feels!" says Trask, reaching out for him. "Don't touch me!" cries Barnabas, and Trask retorts, "You touched me, Barnabas Collins, you touched me when you tied my hands to that ring. You touched me when you forced me into that hole! You listened to my screams, you heard me beg for life, just as I shall hear you!" "Don't. . .DON'T!" screams Barnabas, but Trask touches his shoulder and he falls, unconscious. (Looked kind of like a Spock neck pinch.)
Julia enters the Old House, calling to Barnabas and Willie. She finds her note where she left it--hmmm, he isn't back yet. She tells herself not to wait around for him, he'll read her note and come to Collinwood. She leaves.
Down in the basement, Trask has suspended the unconscious Barnabas in the alcove, his wrists secured to the same ring that has supported the Reverend for so many years. Trask laughs wildly, savoring his anticipated revenge.
NOTES: What irony! Stokes wanted to bring Trask back to settle Cassangelique's hash, but instead, Trask returns to wreak his revenge on Barnabas for what he did to him in 1796! So Stokes' efforts to save Barnabas from Cassangelique have catapulted poor Barnabas into the hands of an old, ghostly enemy who wants to harm him as badly as the witch does! Tune in to the next episode for a very scary mock trial. It's a juicy one, my friends.
512 - Barnabas, unconscious, hangs helplessly in the basement alcove behind an incomplete brick wall. The ghost of Reverend Trask gloats, "I have the task of deciing your fate this night-when you wake alone and discover yourself chained here, that will be the beginning of your agony-but only the beginning!"-I want you to suffer as much as I did!
Evans cottage - Sam gently touches Adam's face, asking Adam about his amazing leap off Widows' Hill as he administers first aid to his injuries. When Adam doesn't answer, Sam says he obviously isn't ready to respond to questions yet.
Sam is impressed when Adam says "Man jumped", and asks Adam to repeat after him "My name is Adam", which Adam repeats perfectly, to Sam's pleasure. Next, Sam hands Adam a paint brush and has him say that word, too. Sam says to Adam that he wishes he could convey his creativity to Adam-he could give him ideas and Adam would paint-they'd make a fortune! Adam suddenly senses that Barnabas is in danger, rubbing his wrists
In the Old House alcove, Barnabas calls out for help.
Evans cottage - Sam realizes Adam's hands hurt, and wonders if the big man's hands were severely injured in the fall. "Hurt. . .Barnabas!" cries Adam.
Barnabas tries to free himself, struggling against his bonds.
As Sam attempts to get Adam to explain what he means, Adam keeps repeating, "Barnabas. . .hurt!" Sam doesn't comprehend how Adam could know this. Adam continues pacing the room, his wrists crossed in front of him. Joe Haskell walks in; the frightened Adam knocks him down and runs out the door. Joe asks Sam about what happened and Sam tells him that he's been helping Adam for the past few days-with Maggie gone, there's been no one for him to talk to. (seriously, who leaves a blind man alone?) Joe tells Sam that's no ordinary man, his face looks like it's been through a meat grinder-he knocked me down like a feather, and I'm no lightweight-what if this guy is an escaped murderer? Sam assures Joe the two of them got along well-in his own ways, he's as handicapped as I am-I sensed an innocence about him. Joe tells Sam this man and the guy who kidnapped Carolyn Stoddard may be one and the same.
I already figured that out, says Sam, which appalls Joe-why didn't you call the police? Adam saved Carolyn's life, says Sam, he isn't dangerous, he needs friendship and understanding. Sam ponders what Adam meant when he said "Barnabas hurt", and if something is wrong at the Old House; Joe, over Sam's protests to the contrary, instead surmises that Adam wants to hurt Barnabas-I'm going to the Old House to check, just in case.
Joe goes to the Old House, intending to tell Barnabas about what happened. Nobody answers when Joe arrives there, and he eventually goes away.
Old house basement - Barnabas keeps calling out for help. The ghost of Trask appears and mockingly tells Barnabas, "No one can hear your pitiful wailing, just as no one could hear mine-only the Almighty can help you now, and it remains to be seen if he will be so disposed." Barnabas, sure that he's having a nightmare, wonders how Trask returned--surely Cassangelique) could not be responsible, then decides she wouldn't utilize revenge of this nature. Trask tells him someone summoned him, but he has no idea who. Trask assures Barnabas there are others who want to see justice done-his victims, who have had no rest in 200 years! You're a hypocrites, accuses Barnabas, what about YOUR victims, all the poor creatures you sent to the gallows as witches? My work was guided by the Almighty, Trask insists. HYPOCRITE! Shouts Barnabas. Trask orders silence and tells Barnabas he's giving him the mercy of a fair trial-he will convene a jury of the dead to sit in judgment upon him. You can't do this! Yells Barnabas, and Trask tells him he can defend himself, once court is in session. He begins to summon Barnabas' jury-the ghost of Jeremiah Collins (yes, face still bandaged, who, Barnabas protests, was killed in a duel and shouldn't be there), Ruby Tate, Maude Browning. Barnabas cries out in protest, but Trask continues to relentlessly summon the dead: Suki Forbes, then Nathan (murdered at Collinwood on the 31st day of March in the year of our lord 1796). Nathan deserved to die! Insists Barnabas. Trask calls the ghost of Ezra Simpson to be a judge, decked out in a red robe. Barnabas reminds Trask that Ezra Simpson was never a judge, but a criminal and traitor. Who better to judge a condemned man? Asks Trask, than another condemned man-like all the rest of us in this court, he is one of the damned, and as such, eminently qualified to appear here!-the judge and jury are ready-the trial of Barnabas Collins may begin! The jury stands to one side and Ezra bangs on a desk with a gavel. How do you plead? Trask asks.
Barnabas pleads innocent and states that he was the first victim of this nightmare, the victim of a curse! When Nathan is called to the stand, Barnabas reminds them that he was a known perjurer. Forbes, called to testify despite Barnabas' protests, is asked how he died. He replies that on March 31, 1796, he was strangled by Barnabas Collins-as were, on different occasions, Ruby Tate, Maude Browning, and Suki Forbes. You have no right to speak for anyone else! Insists Barnabas (but Curtis didn't want to pay any of the other jurors, so only Nathan gets the lines-and the pay!) Trask tells the judge he has now proved Barnabas' guilt. When Barnabas demands to be allowed to defend himself, Trask invites him to go ahead. Barnabas tries to question Nathan, who vanishes before saying another word. We're ready to render a verdict, says Trask, over Barnabas' protests that he hasn't been given a fair trial. There is no need to hear anymore evidences, states Trask. You're a madman! Accuses Barnabas. Trask pronounces the verdict-guilty-and the sentence-death!
Julia enters the Old House looking for Barnabas, but cannot find him. She hears Trask's cruel, ghostly laughter in the basement and goes down there, where she finds the wall all bricked up-unbeknownst to her, with Barnabas behind it.
NOTES: This ep genuinely scared me. All those silent ghosts, condemning Barnabas-- who now is tragically human, far removed from his cursed past, unable to use his powers to save himself. Nathan, so smug in his testimony; Trask, refusing to allow Barnabas to defend himself at all. Then, the decision-guilty, death! When Julia goes down to the basement and sees the closed-up alcove, she has no idea that Trask has turned the tables on Barnabas for what he did to him in 1796, and the man she loves is dying behind that brick wall. Joe stops by, not realizing the eerie kangaroo court going on in the cellar. Adam senses Barnabas' trouble but is unable to convey his fear, and all Joe can think is that Adam might have harmed Barnabas, which is a damn shame.
Will Barnabas be saved in time?
Love, Robin
