584 - (KLS) - An unknown menace hangs over all those who live at Collinwood. Their fate is to be determined by the outcome of a bizarre and frightening experiment to be conducted in the Old House on the Collins estate. But on this night something has happened which may impede the progress of this work and make the danger to the Collins family more immediate.
Barnabas returns to the Old House, where Julia is working down in the basement. Barnabas tells her Maggie wasn't at the cottage, and he doubts she'll be coming back for several days. He went to her bedroom; her bed had been slept in, but she wasn't there--she's been kidnapped! Willie! realizes Julia. Fearing Maggie would come to harm, he took the matter into his own hands. There's no where else she could be. Julia doesn't believe Willie could be that desperate, but Barnabas is certain. They must find out where he took her--and soon.
Willie carries Maggie into the Collins mausoleum, sets her limp body on the ground, pats her head and opens the door to the secret room.
Julia asks Barnabas what they should do. He opines that it might be too late to do anything. They must find out where Willie took Maggie--they might be miles away already. If he took her by force, they couldn't have gotten very far, says Julia, but Barnabas suggests he didn't take her by force--perhaps he told her all about the experiment and she went with him voluntarily. No, she'd think Willie mad, and they'll never get her back in time to do the experiment. Julia asks why they must use Maggie--they can get someone else. She doesn't know who, but again Barnabas says time would make it impossible. Julia suggests, "Use me," which she admits isn't the ideal solution. Barn says it's out of the question, because who will be conducting the experiment if she provides the life force? Jeff, she suggests, but Barnabas doesn't trust him. Julia feels he is qualified, but Barnabas feels the experiment would fail if she doesn't perform it. She says they might have to take the chance, but Barnabas doesn't want her risking her life. (awww, he cares!)
She assures him she's aware of the risks, but willing to do it. It might be the only way of saving the family, says Julia, but Barnabas insists she conduct the experiment--that's final. What about the life force? she asks--Adam will go through with his threat, we know that.
In the tomb, Maggie awakens, looks at the coffin, and screams, deafeningly. Willie assures her it's all right. She asks what's happened. It will be all right, don't get excited he cautions. She remembers him chloroforming her. I didn't have a choice, he says. She looks around--where are they, and why? She wants to get out of here! He grabs her arms and he tells her there is no way out--he knows the way, but won't tell her. Why? she asks. He replies that she's always been good to him, so he's repaying the favor. She finds dragging her from her house a crazy act, and he takes offense. Someday, she'll know he's right, but he can't explain, she'd never believe him. He tried last night to warn her she was in danger, why didn't she listen to him? She didn't believe Barnabas wanted to harm her. Willie explains they were planning to come get her, and use her, he heard them talking--she's safe with him, they will never find her. She says he's babbling; what is Barnabas' plan? He will tell her someday, when it's all over, he promises. He doesn't know when. She doesn't care about the danger, real or in his mind, but he must let her go!
He wants to protect her, and can't let he go. What he's doing is wrong, she tells him, but he counters: it's right!--she must believe that, please! She looks around, a strange look on her face. This room, she says, it's terribly familiar. This scares Willie, who says she's wrong. No, she says, she's been there before!
Willie denies she's been there before, but she's sure. Impossible, he says, but she is trying to remember when and why she was here before. Never happened, he stutters, she's getting herself all upset. She touches the coffin. Those two missing months of her life she couldn't remember. . .because you were at Windcliff, babbles Willie, so you couldn't have been here. She isn't making sense, she couldn't ` have been in both places. No, she says, someone took her from her room and brought her. . .it's coming back, she murmurs. She tells him to be quiet, she's remembering. . .a woman brought her to the graveyard to see if she remembered being here before, like a maze, trying to remember. She sees trees, it had rained that day, a cold biting wind, one gravestone in particular, which frightened her: Josette's. It was Julia Hoffman who brought here there. (Flashback to Maggie and Julia looking at Josette's grave. The name means nothing to Maggie, she tells Julia, who leads her somewhere else. The enter the mausoleum; Josette's music box music is playing. Maggie looks around the misty tomb, frightened, and tells Julia she can't be in this place. Julia asks if she's been there before. No, says Maggie, looking up at the lion's head. Julia asks when she was there, but Maggie repeats: I can't be here!--please don't make me stay here. Julia takes her hands and firmly tells her to try to remember what this place means to her. Maggie says she can't. "I can't be here," says Maggie. "I can't stay here--he'll kill me!" Who? asks Julia.
Maggie says, "I don't want to die!" Julia assures her she's safe with her, but Maggie insists if she stays there, he'll come and kill her. Maggie sobs against a coffin, and Julia caresses her hair and promises to take her back to the hospital, where nothing can happen to her. She leads her out.)
Maggie tells Willie it's all so clear, but she doesn't remember--she's got to find the answer. Julia took her to the graveyard to Josette's grave, then into the Collins family tomb. Who did she think would try to kill her if she stayed there? asks Maggie. Willie asks her to do him a favor and stop looking for answers. She wonders what his reason is, but he says she has enough problems without looking for more. She reminds him there are two months from her life she must find out about. He reminds her that she's healthy, she's here, everything is OK--LEAVE IT AT THAT! She can't. She was here before, and she must find out when and why. Willie says taking her here was the biggest mistake he made. (duh!) You know about me, she says, about why and when I was here before. Willie insists he knows nothing, but she knows he's lying.
Julia and Barnabas, looking exhausted, return to the Old House . (Hate her coat.) It's nearly 6, she says. And nearly dark, notes Barnabas. Adam will show up soon. Willie has probably taken Maggie far away--it's too late for a solution; they will have to face Adam and tell him what's happened. She wants to tell Adam the truth, buy them some time, but Barnabas says their deadline is at hand, so why should he give them more time?
Julia says they need more time to find the life force, that's all, but Barnabas says she's using commons sense, which means nothing to Adam--this time he'll go through with his threat. They can't let him do it, insists Julia. Barnabas assures her he has no intention of letting him do that. He disappears for a moment and returns with a shotgun. They must think only of Vicki and the family, says Barnabas, and I'm going to kill him the moment he comes in through the door. He cocks the gun, a look of determination on his face.
NOTES: Can Barnabas really bring himself to kill his "son"? I guess he's thinking of Vicki and the family, but Adam is a living creature, too. I suppose when you've done it as many times as he has, it comes more easily, but he was reluctant to destroy Adam at one time. The danger Adam now poses to his family obliterates any qualms Barnabas has about taking Adam's life.
I have always felt the scenes between Willie and Maggie in this portion of the storyline absolutely riveting. You feel the mausoleum walls closing in on you as they battle back and forth, Maggie slowly remembering the other times she was in this place, and Willie growing more and more wild and hysterical as her memories trickle back. All poor Willie wants is to protect her from the fate Barnabas and Julia have in store, and she gives him sooooo much grief! Kudos to KLS and John Karlen for superlative performances. I always suspected Karlen would win an Emmy someday, and the night he won for CAGNEY AND LACEY, I felt justice had been done in the entertainment world.
585 - (Alexandra Moltke) - Soon the sun will set on another day at Collinwood, and with the coming of night terrifying chain of events will be put into motion. At the Old House on the Collins estate, time has run out for two desperate people. They both know that, unless a solution is found, a young girl may be murdered before the daylight comes again.
Julia tells Barnabas he can't mean what he said about killing Adam. He assures her he does, and gazes out the window for his prey. She tells him she's as upset as he is, but hasn't lost control over it. He asks if she thinks he has. Yes, if he seriously thinking of killing Adam, she replies. Adam will arrive at any minute, says Barnabas, and it's either Adam or Vicki dead. Julia feels this isn't the solution, and she fears Barnabas will lose his own life.
Barnabas waits near the door as Julia reminds him he might revert to what he was if he goes through with this--Lang said there was a connection between Barn and Adam; it's a risk they can't take. Barnabas could die, too, she points out. He came close to death. They thought Adam had also died. Barn is willing to take his chances--for Vicki. Julia says he can't save her by killing Adam, since the big guy is being helped and advised by someone else. Nicholas Blair, says Barn, but they have no proof of his involvement. Julia is sure, who else could it be? If they destroy Adam, there's still Nicholas to contend with, and HE has the powers--what would Blair do to Vicki? Barnabas notes the sun has gone down--it's all over. Not until they see and speak to Adam, insists Julia. Barnabas wants her to go to Collinwood and take Vicki away. She can't argue, make sure she gets her out tonight. Barnabas will stay at the Old House and hold Adam off as long as possible. She reluctantly leaves, but Adam is already at the door, demanding to know where she's going.
Adam slams the door. He asks Julia again where she is going. Barnabas says Julia was going to get Maggie, who is supplying the life force. Adam asks if everything is ready for the experiment, and Barn says it will be when they have Maggie. Julia starts to leave, but Adam bars the way. Why didn't they send for Maggie earlier--they promised everything would be ready by sunset, and it's past that. Something is wrong, insists Adam, and they aren't telling him. He wants to go with Julia to get Maggie. No, says Barnabas, it will be too dangerous--let Julia go alone. Adam surveys them, grabs Barnabas by the arms and demands, furious, why he's lying to him.
Julia advises him to tell Adam the truth. It's a tense moment, but Julia explains Willie kidnapped Maggie because he feared for her life. Adam realizes this means the experiment can't begin tonight, but Julia says they had no way of knowing Willie would take this action. Barnabas tells her Adam is incapable of understanding. Adam wonders if what they're telling him is the truth--perhaps he never intended to get anyone for the life force. Barnabas assures him they made every effort, and Adam reminds him of what he promised he'd do if he failed. He's going after Vicki, says Adam, and Barnabas, running through every female's name on the show, brandishes the gun at Adam. Barnabas orders Julia to go, Adam orders her to stay. You do not touch Julia, orders Barnabas, and she leaves. Adam realizes she's going to warn Vicki, and Barnabas, walking in a circle around Adam, holding the gun on him, admits that's where Julia was going in the first place. Adam swears to find her; he will see that Barnabas suffers for this! Barnabas orders Adam to sit down, and for a long time, but Adam grabs the gun from him, slams him in the face and leaves him unconscious. (Not a great fight scene; Barnabas was just waiting there for Adam to hit him; he should have at least tried to fight back.) Adam races out the front door.
Julia walks through the woods toward Collinwood. Adam follows the same path. Barnabas, holding his aching head, rises painfully to his feet. Julia, he calls, and leaves the house. Julia hears noises nearby. Adam grabs her and clamps his hand over her mouth. She screams behind his hand, struggling in his grasp.
Vicki, in her nightgown, reads in bed. Roger comes to see her and asks to speak to her. Carolyn told him Vicki wanted a leave of absence, but Roger says it's not a good time. She needs to recover from breaking up with Jeff. She feels she must get away and think things out.
Roger understands, but wants her to reconsider. He's not concerned about David, it's Liz he's worried about. One day she's rational, other days she's back to talking of death and being buried alive. Vicki says Liz has always been so strong, but Roger says she needs their help, understanding and companionship for complete recovery. He doesn't expect her answer tonight, but she says she's been thinking so much of her own problems, she didn't realize this about Liz--she'll stay. He expresses his appreciation and says they'll talk more in the morning. Vicki returns to bed, slipping off her footwear and sliding under the covers.
Unseen, Adam stands at her window, looking in at her.
Barnabas finds Julia unconscious in the woods and helps her up. Adam attacked me, she explains, she figured he strangled her and she must have passed out. He overpowered me, says Barnabas. She tells him to leave her and go to Collinwood--Adam is on his way there. Julia clutches her throat and Barnabas races off. Adam opens Vicki's window and climbs in. Quietly, he approaches her bed, locks her door. Vicki stirs for a moment. Adam walks around her bed, causing a floorboard to creak.
Barnabas enters Collinwood through the front door, checks the darkened drawing room and runs upstairs. Adam surveys Vicki, pondering that he doesn't hate her, but she's the only one Barnabas loves, and he must learn what it's like to be alone, as he is. Barnabas had condemned him to be alone forever, and so must Barnabas! Barnabas knocks at Vicki's door, calls to her and begs her to open the door. Adam grabs her from behind, hands on her throat.
NOTES: So Adam now has Vicki as his prisoner, with Barnabas on the other side of the door. Who will be the victor here? Adam doesn't really want to harm Vicki, but he senses this is the way to Barnabas' heart, and that's good enough revenge for him. I wonder why he didn't consult Nicholas in this latest dilemma instead of attacking Barnabas, Julia and Vicki in one episode. Would it have been so hard to go to Nicholas and say, "They need a life force for my mate"?
Adam has changed drastically, and not for the better, IMHO. I liked him more when his words were few and his knowledge of revenge non-existent.
Love, Robin
