554 - Jeff and Barnabas search the woods for Vicki, both calling her name. The dogs howl, making Barnabas very nervous--he wonders why they are doing that. He's cured, so they must sense something else--what? Why do they keep howling that way, he asks, fear-stricken.
Thunder rolls and lightening fills the woods as Jeff joins Barnabas. They haven't found her, and Jeff wants to call the police. Barnabas asks about the howling dogs, thinking they were his imagination. Jeff wonders, irritably, why he'd imagine dogs howling. Never mind, says Barnabas. Jeff asks if he's all right, and Barnabas says he's worried about Vicki. They decide to continue searching and split up again. Once more, Barnabas hears the howling dogs and Jeff notes the expression on his face--almost wild. Barnabas assures him he's OK, they're wasting time, and walks off. Jeff observes him, puzzled.
Nicholas stands over a coffin, caressing it (as he once might have caressed Angelique, perhaps?) He smiles and leaves, closing the iron door behind him. As he's starting to lock it, Tom Jennings appears, startling Nicholas. I finished the wiring, the handyman says--was there anything else you wanted, Mr. Blair? No, says Nicholas, it's late, you'd better go. Tom wants to check out the cellar, see what else needs doing, but Nicholas assures him the cellar is in good condition. Tom wants to check the foundations and barges into the room Nicholas never had a chance to lock. He's surprised to see the coffin, which Nicholas says was there when he moved in.
Tom is surprised and rather grossed out, but Nicholas says it's empty and he's getting rid of it--it was probably left as a practical joke. Tom doesn't find it funny. He says he'd better be going, and leaves, quickly. Nicholas says, "Too bad you had to open that door, Jennings. I could almost pity you, knowing what must be in store for you now." And he again caresses the coffin.
Tom Jennings, scared, wipes the sweat off his face in the woods, wondering about the coffin. The Collinses wouldn't store a coffin in the basement of one of their houses (have you met Cousin Barnabas?) Blair was lying, realizes Tom, if he had, he'd have done something about it. He was living there for days, what would he want with a coffin?--there's something weird going on, and he's going to tell the sheriff. He won't return to the house until he finds out what's going on there. He hears leaves crunching. "Who's there?" he calls. He spots someone and asks, "Who are you? What are you doing out here? Why don't you say anything? Why don't you answer me?"
Jeff searches the woods. He hears a man's terrified scream and races to investigate. He calls to Vicki, but finds a man propped up against a tree, eyes wide, staring. Jeff touches the man, who falls over onto the ground. He checks his pulse, finds two bloody puncture wounds on his throat, rubs his hand through his hair in fear. Nicholas watches him, saying aloud and to himself, "And so it has begun. . .poor Jennings. I didn't intend to begin it with you. Pity you had to discover Angelique's coffin, but then, you aren't the only one who is going to suffer--another will know far greater suffering than you." (Barnabas?)
Barnabas, terrified, staring at the night sky, hearing the dogs howling, lets himself back into Collinwood. He seems almost in pain, limping, and sits down in the chair beneath his portrait. Julia comes over, looks at him, concerned, and asks what's wrong. He has no idea what he's doing there; a moment ago, he was in the woods, now he's here, he doesn't understand what's happening to him! She suggests he suffered some kind of blackout and asks to examine him. Why? he wonders--listen! he cries, the dogs haven't howled that way since. . .since you were cured, finishes Julia. He wonders what it means, and she says perhaps nothing. It must, he insists, something happened in the woods tonight, he can feel and sense it. He doesn't know what, and the possibilities are horrifying. Julia gazes at him, upset, then the camera focuses first on Barnabas' portrait, then his fear-filled face.
Julia tells Barnabas to come into the drawing room, she wants to check him out. He can't, he says, Adam has kidnapped Vicki and is holding her for ransom until he gets what he wants--a mate. Julia is stunned. Barnabas explains Adam's demand, and his promise to take the mate and go away. He told Adam it was impossible, but he didn't believe him, and said he'd make him sorry--that's why he's sure Adam kidnapped Vicki--he saw them together, realized Barn's feelings for Vicki and chose to seek revenge through her. Julia asks if he's sure Adam is responsible, and Barnabas feels events prove themselves. Vicki's been missing an hour, says Barnabas, and Jeff was awaiting her at Collinwood. She left the Old House and just disappeared somewhere between the Old House and Collinwood. Julia finds it hard to believe Adam could come up with so intricate a plot, but Barnabas says Adam has changed a lot--his speech is coherent, and he doesn't know who is teaching him. All Barnabas knows is the change in Adam is amazing, and he's far more dangerous than before. Julia asks if he knows what it means, and Barnabas says they must find Vicki before Adam can harm her. No, says Julia, it means much more--it means Adam knows what he is, knows he's a creation, about the experiment, everything, and he's able to communicate what he knows. Someone had to have told him about the experiment, she says, but who? Barnabas has no answers, but says he's calling the police, Vicki's in danger. Julia reminds him if the police capture Adam, he'll tell them about the experiment and both of them will be exposed. Barnabas insists he's willing to take that risk for Vicki, but Julia doesn't agree. They start to fight over the phone, but a knock at the door interrupts them, It's Nicholas, who asks for Carolyn. She went to town, says Julia, and Nicholas observes how distressed she is. She tells him about Vicki's disappearance, and he expresses his concern and hope she's all right. That accounts for Barnabas' odd behavior in the woods, says Nicholas. He saw him running, and he had a strange expression on his face, distorted as though he were angry or frightened, and he seemed to be running from something--curious, most curious, says Nicholas, smiling, and Julia watches this scene intently.
Barnabas tells Blair he was searching for Vicki and he's very worried. Nicholas offers his help. Jeff runs in, he has to use the phone. He dials the police, it's an emergency. Barnabas and Julia exchange glances and Barnabas asks if it's Vicki--she isn't. . .Jeff tells the sheriff he found a man in the woods--he's close to death, explains Jeff, if not dead already, and my fiancee has disappeared. He fears the same maniac has kidnapped Vicki, and tells him to come right away and bring plenty of men. Julia asks Jeff about the dead man he found in the woods, but he doesn't know him. He was attacked, says Jeff, and had two gaping wounds in his neck. Barnabas and Julia stare at each other, considering the import of this, while Jeff worries about the same madman getting hold of Vicki. Jeff wants to go wait for the sheriff by the gate, but Julia says he should tell her where the man is, perhaps she can help. Jeff insists he's a long way from there, and the sheriff will bring doctors and an ambulance, and find him quicker than they can. Jeff runs out. Barnabas asks Julia who could this man be? Where's Blair? They don't know, and Julia doesn't care. She grips his lapels, "Barnabas we must talk now!" she insists--are you responsible for the man in the woods? No, he says. She demands the truth--has he become. . .NO, Julia, he says, despite his peculiar behavior. I didn't do it during his blackout, I've been cured, he says desperately. He swears he knows nothing about the man, and Julia, swallowing, says she believes him. A man was attacked, however, she reminds him, and they know how he was attacked.
If it wasn't Barnabas, then someone else did, and THAT means somewhere in their midst--"there is another vampire", says Julia, horrified.
NOTES: Great scene with the unseen attacker and Tom. Poor Tom. Nicholas turned in a first-rate performance, of course, and Frid's terror, wondering if he'd become a vampire again, was palpable. Grayson Hall looked gorgeous today. Carolyn should have checked Adam's closet. She can't be that gullible, but she seems to want to think the best of Adam.
So, there's another vampire at Collinwood, and he/she's already claimed a first victim.
555 - Nicholas goes to see Adam and asks where Vicki is. Adam claims not to know, but Nicholas knows he's lying and assures him he understands why. Nicholas says he won't tattle on him, that he's his friend and saved his life. He wants to know where he'd hiding Vicki. Adam opens the closet door to reveal his kidnap victim, and Nicholas smiles at the sleeping Vicki. (if she'd been awake and spotted Blair, that would have been interesting!)
Nicholas closes the closet door and assures Adam he didn't do anything wrong; he was very clever! They will use Vicki to force Barnabas in to making him a mate, and Nick will help him. Adam listens eagerly. You can't keep Vicki here long, says Nicholas, there are too many visitors to your room. Adam assures Nicholas he lied to Carolyn about Vicki, but didn't like doing so. Lie to Carolyn again or your plan will fail, warns Nicholas, and Adam says he understands.
Keep her quiet until tomorrow night, says Nicholas, when we will move her to my house, where she'll be safer--we don't want anyone to discover her, says Nick, so leave Vicki to me. He gives Adam a vial of drugs that will make Vicki sleep--put it in her food and she won't give you any trouble, Nicholas assures him, and in the meantime, keep Vicki quiet. He pats Adam's arm approvingly and leaves. Adam gazes at the vial of sedatives (stolen from Julia?)
Nicholas encounters Carolyn as he's heading downstairs. He saw Adam, he tells her, he questioned him about Vicki--there's no doubt he knows nothing about her. Carolyn asks if he's that convinced, and he says yes, Adam is completely innocent. Carolyn still doesn't look so sure. She says she spoke with Adam, too, and while she'd like to believe him, Barnabas came earlier that evening and claimed Adam came to see him at the Old House, and that Adam IS responsible for Vicki's disappearance. What would Adam's motive be? asks Nicholas--why go to the Old House to see Barnabas? Carolyn doesn't know the answers, and Nick says there are a great many unanswered questions. Nicholas thinks Barnabas a very clever man, and is using Vicki's disappearance to learn Adam's whereabouts--he concocted the whole story just to frighten Carolyn into revealing where Adam is. Possible, says Carolyn, but why? To turn him over to the authorities, says Nicholas. Jeff, looking disheveled and upset, comes in to ask if there have been any phone calls. The police have found no sign of Vicki, and both Carolyn and Jeff are concerned. Jeff fears they'll find Vicki as they found the man in the woods. The man, Tom Jennings, was taken to the hospital and given a transfusion, says Jeff, but he's barely alive. Carolyn knows him as a nice local handyman. He has no enemies, says Jeff, which makes his attack even more mysterious and frightening. Jeff says the sheriff is outside organizing a search party. Carolyn, wanting to go outside and give them some tips about where to search, leaves. Nicholas starts to tell Jeff something he "shouldn't say." It may or may not relate to Vicki's disappearance, hints Nicholas--it's about Barnabas Collins--on his way to the house, he saw Barnabas in the woods, behaving strangely. He was running, in panic, as if running from something. What could that be, muses Jeff, but Nicholas says he doesn't know and shouldn't have mentioned it. (Why is he casting suspicion on Barnabas?) Jeff says when he and Barn were searching for Vicki, he was acting peculiar, standing as if dazed or scared. Nick admits this IS weird, and Jeff says he's beginning to wonder about Barnabas, asking himself lots of questions about him.
Nicholas' lips twitch as if pleased for what he said and the direction in which he manipulated Jeff's thoughts.
Collinwood, West Wing - Adam paces his room, holding the vial. He leans his ear against the door, wondering if Vicki is alive. He's about to open the door to find out when Carolyn knocks. Adam pockets the sedative. Carolyn has his breakfast. She's been up all night, worried about Vicki, she says. He assures her Vicki will be all right, and she says he's just saying that to make her feel better. She tells him the cops are still searching, and she can't stay--she must stay by the phone.
For once, he doesn't give her a problem about not staying, and she seems puzzled by that. He tells her to go ahead and see to her business, then, after she goes, opens the closet door to check on Vicki. She awakens and looks at him over the gag. He helps her to her feet and out of the closet. She faints in his arms; he lifts her and places her on his bed, removes the gag, unties her and gives her some water. She pushes it away and he tells her not to be frightened, he won't hurt her. She asks why he's doing this to her. Adam asks if she loves Jeff, and she says yes. This seems to confuse him--you don't love Barnabas? he asks. What difference does that make? Questions Vicki--why are you holding me? He says he has no reason, yes he does, but he can't tell her (sounds a lot like Barnabas). Vicki says it makes no sense, and he gets angry and tells her to stop asking questions. He offers her food, spilling some of the medicine into the beverage. She tries to escape, and he grabs her and covers her mouth. He orders her to be quiet or he'll kill her, and she nods that she will, covering her face in misery. She sits on the bed, sobbing, and he again tells her to be quiet. He offers her something to drink, but she refuses. Adam insists, and Vicki drinks, looking quite disheveled. Adam asks if he hurt her, and she shakes her head and says Carolyn told her about him--that he was very kind and gentle with her--if that's true, please, take pity on me, begs Vicki, don't torture me, let me go.
She begs a little longer, then falls asleep. "Sleep now," soothes Adam, patting her hair (the boy does love long hair)!
Vicki sleeps. Adam watches her. Nicholas returns and says he can take Vicki away now--my house isn't far, he says, pleased that Adam used the drugs he gave him. Vicki will sleep several hours, says Nicholas, and will awaken in her new hiding place. She won't know where she is. Don't harm her, demands Adam, and Nicholas promises she won't be if Barnabas cooperates. Adam wants to come along, but Nicholas refuses--you must stay here. Adam wants to go to ensure Vicki's safety. You must trust me, says Nicholas. Adam continues to insist, and Nicholas says it would be a problem if he disappears from this room--Carolyn would immediately suspect Adam was connected with Vicki's disappearance and call the police. This convinces Adam to stay where he is. Nicholas tells him to stay a few hours, then leave--meet me in the woods near the Old House--I have a plan, and I believe it will work--tonight, Barnabas Collins will begin the experiment. Nicholas lifts Vicki into his arms and carries her away. Adam looks unhappy.
Vicki sleeps in a narrow bed in a strange room. She wakes up, wondering where she is. She calls to Adam, but no one answers. He's gone, she realizes, she's alone. She looks out a window, tries the door, but it's locked. She bangs on it, crying for help, but again, there is no answer. She can't hear a thing, where is she? Did Adam move her there? She can hear the sea, which provides a clue as to where she is, but what is she doing here? She closes her eyes miserably.
Nicholas enters the basement room dressed in his robe, carrying a candle. He caresses the coffin. "All right, my dear, you may arise again," he says, "I have further plans for you." He opens the coffin. Inside is Angelique, vampire fangs protruding over her lower lip!
NOTES: Whoa, baby, so THAT'S what happened to Angelique after she died as Cassandra! What irony! Surely he did that to her so she'd know the misery she put Barnabas through--not that he cares a bit about Barn, but he does love teaching Angelique a lesson. So we now know who attacked Tom in the woods and left those gaping holes--come on, who thought Barnabas had slipped a little in his cure? He sure was concerned about that possibility!
Now Nicholas and Adam are in cahoots--what plans does he have for Vicki, who is constantly someone's prisoner on DS? We assume he approves of Adam's plans to keep Vicki hostage until Barnabas relents about creating a mate, but what new twist will he add to the mix?
Imagine what a vicious vampire Angelique will make? Already spiteful as a witch, having sharp fangs at her disposal can only mean scary happenings. And you know who she'll want to claim as her victim--Barnabas! The Dream Curse might not have gotten him, but she sure as hell will! I also wonder why Nicholas allowed Tom to become vampire food when he could have just erased his memory of finding the coffin?
Love, Robin
