351 - (Joan Bennett) - Tonight the sky over Collinwood glistens with stars and the moon is full-and yet the night is not peaceful. At the Old House on the Collinwood estate, an act of violence will occur before this night is over-an act of violence that will cast another deadly shadow over all our lives.
(Murky black and white) - Carolyn returns to consciousness while Julia is tying a scarf around her throat to hide the telltale bite marks. Acting like a young bride on the morning after her wedding,
Carolyn tells Julia she knows where she is and what happened to her-and she WANTS to be here, it's where she belongs. Julia explains that Barnabas needed Carolyn to turn back the years, but they don't know yet if it worked. Carolyn wants to see him, now--he might need her. We see a pair of feet heading upstairs, and they draw out the suspense for a few more moments. Carolyn sits up, hoping she didn't fail him--she never wants that! Julia looks up as if praying (and probably wishing she were lying in that bed instead). The door opens and there stands the restored, handsome Barnabas, smiling broadly.
Roger is pouring a drink in Collinwood's drawing room when Liz comes in, fretting over where Carolyn is. She explains to her brother that Carolyn seems very concerned about David, claims to have seen Sarah, and is considering that the other wild tales David has told might be true, too.
Julia says she didn't expect such a swift transformation, and Barnabas chides her--it's not the first time she underestimated his powers (let him cure himself if he's so smart), Dr. Hoffman. And thus Carolyn knows Julia is a blood specialist and psychologist, which comes as a surprise. Now Carolyn will know all the secrets, says Barnabas benevolently, because she'll be a part of them. Barnabas orders Julia to leave him alone with Carolyn and sits on the bed with his cousin. She tells him she feels relaxed and promises that if he wants her to keep Barnabas and Julia's secrets, she will. She'll do whatever he wants!
He's pleased to hear this. Now, he has some tasks for her-make sure everyone continues to think David is imagining everything about him, and help him turn Vicki into his Josette. He plans to bring Josette, who committed suicide, back through Vicki, and the latter must come to Barnabas willingly. Carolyn promises to make it so. "What about me?" Carolyn asks. What will their relationship be? Since they're the same blood, says Barnabas, she won't be a mere servant, like Willie, but if she serves him well, he'll give her the gift of eternal life. Carolyn smiles. That sounds great! He sends her back to Collinwood with a kiss on her hand and warns her to watch for questions about the changes in her. She responds obediently and he says he has every confidence in her.
After Carolyn leaves, Julia sourly notes how pleased he is with himself. Carolyn will be invaluable, Barnabas smirks, and he is sure she won't betray them--she couldn't if she tried! He should have enlisted her services before. Julia tells him she's prepared an injection, and he's incredulous that she thinks he would even consider allowing her to continue with the experiments. Despite her pointing out that the failure was his own fault, and her insistence that her timetable would not elicit the same results, she can't guarantee that he won't age, so he refuses to go on with the experiment.
It's only wasted their time, which Julia vehemently denies. Does he want to live in his present state? she demands, and he tells her he prefers that to aging the way he did. She reminds him that this eternal life thing is a myth, he could be discovered. He's avoided it so far, he reminds her. She asks him to consider going ahead with the experiment on a conditional basis, but he flatly refuses. By the way, they won't have much time for each other anymore, either, he says coldly. He has to begin work on Vicki. "No more use for me," she says, hurt. He's grateful to her. Julia points out that he still needs her--to protect him during the day, since Carolyn won't be able to do so without arousing suspicion. He feels he can't ask a professional woman to do that (and you know he knows how she feels, to subjugate herself this way), and, in a delicious voice, tells him she's not applying for a job as his maid--she wants to help him. Well, OK, he agrees, until such time as he finds a permanent servant. (OUCH!). That's so cold!
At 2:30 AM, Carolyn returns home and apologizes for worrying Liz and Uncle Roger.
She was walking, and thinking about David, she says. Liz finds Carolyn's hands ice cold, and when the young woman wanders upstairs, Liz comments to Roger that something happened to Carolyn--she's behaving like a stranger in her own house.
At 5:45 AM, Carolyn glides downstairs and stands before Barnabas' portrait in the foyer. She removes the scarf around her neck and, smiling, caresses the punctures her cousin left on her throat.
NOTES: Some of DS' best work, by far, and again, everyone turned in solid gold performances. Carolyn turns sultry, Julia, petulant and hurt, and Barnabas treats her like crap, this time with mind games in lieu of hands around her throat. He really is playing her like a fish on a hook, drawing out the torture. Now that he's dashed her hope of a Nobel Prize for her work on him, he's also treating her like a servant, even though he insists he wouldn't ask a professional woman to do such menial chores. I loved it when she told him she wasn't applying for a job as his maid!
352 - (Alexandra Moltke) - Soon the sun will rise once again over the great house of Collinwood, and when it does, we will not know that Carolyn Stoddard is no longer one of us-for she has fallen under the spell of the supernatural.
Carolyn resolves to take care of Vicki and David for cousin Barnabas, and heads into David's room at the ungodly hour of 6 AM and wakes him up. Essentially, she denies ever having seen or spoken to Sarah, putting it down to her imagination, and tells him if he doesn't straighten up and admit everything about Sarah and Barnabas came from HIS imagination, he'll be sent away to a home for disturbed children. Barnabas very kindly let her tour his house, she assures him, and there's nothing to be frightened of there. She wants to help him, but he must help himself first and admit it's all in his imagination.
Needless to say, David is shaken by this talk, and even mentions that Barnabas might have done something to her--which she denies.
The rivalry between Julia and Carolyn over who is more helpful to Barnabas is fully engaged. Carolyn tells Julia she "saw" to David and describes what she did--threaten him with banishment. Carolyn now wants to talk to Vicki and fire up that situation, but Julia claims to "already be working on it." Carolyn coolly suggests to Julia that she help Barnabas medically while she sees to his romantic requirements. While they both claim to be anxious to help Barnabas, Julia proves her intentions are exactly opposite after Carolyn exits the drawing room. She shows Vicki two chandelier crystals and asks her to compare them,
then hypnotizes Vicki again. Carolyn spots them leaving Collinwood.
Julia leads Vicki back to the Old House again, this time into Josette's room, where she reveals Barnabas' scheme to turn her into Josette Collins--and his bride. Vicki insists she doesn't want to be Barnabas' bride. Julia reminds Vicki that she's seen Barnabas in his coffin and reveals why--he's undead. Barnabas also has the ability to force his will on others, and he will use it on Vicki--she must resist! Vicki isn't sure she can, but Julia promises she won't forget Barn's plans for her, at least not in her subconscious. As they leave to return to Collinwood, we see a shot of Josette's portrait.
Carolyn enters the drawing room. Vicki is there, thinking about Burke--she's sure if SHE were the one missing in the jungle, Burke would personally go searching for her. Carolyn points out that is impossible, then asks Vicki about her walk with Julia.
She didn't take a walk with Julia, says a puzzled Vicki. Carolyn ponders this--Vicki lied to her! Why? Does she suspect something has changed about her? What is she hiding? Vicki isn't a liar, normally, but whatever this is, it's not good for Barnabas or Vicki. When Julia comes in, Carolyn mentions her walk with Vicki. Julia, looking uncertain, says she hopes Carolyn isn't watching her, then says she and Vicki did take a quick walk outside for some fresh air--but Vicki is so distracted, she probably forgot.
Does Carolyn approve? Julia asks. It's not for me to approve or disapprove, counters Carolyn. Damn right, agrees Julia, and leaves the room huffily.
Carolyn stares at Barnabas' portrait.
NOTES: Something of a letdown after the last couple of exciting eps, but one wonders if Julia really thinks she's going to get away with this, especially given that Carolyn is under Barnabas' power and spying on her. Julia is really taking reckless chances with her life, but perhaps, given Dave's death and her part in it, losing her shot at curing a vampire, plus Barnabas' assertion that he doesn't think of her romantically might have made her not care about her own safety anymore-she just vengefully wants to ruin Barnabas' plans.
Love, Robin
