I said that after episode 2 the show went into its own rather than copy any more of House of Dark Shadows...but Sheriff Patterson's staking of Woodard with the long umbrella was really too similar to how [spoiler] Jeff Clark staked Barnabas at the end of HODS, even the way it was executed, camera angles and all, it was too similar. [/spoiler] At least to me it was.
Julia is understandably angry with Barnabas with the way he dealt with Woodard, but honestly what did she think he would do once she told him? On the other hand Barnabas was rather callous when he said he would have preferred Woodard had just died rather than rise as a vampire....I'm sorry but I find it hard to believe that Woodard would have chosen to be an eternal bloodsucker, especially after he had been instrumental into leading the hunt for Daphne the vamp and driving the stake into her himself. Barnabas insists that he did 'not' kill Woodard....his total lack of remorse over what he did to Woodard is almost, but not quite, as bad as his lack of conscience over what he did to Daphne. I hope he realizes once he's human he'll have to give up his killing spree.
Elizabeth is brooding over the latest turn of events and wonders if all the wonderful times at Collinwood have come to an end. I can't help thinking she may be in denial, because from what we have heard about the past in the last few episodes, living at Collinwood doesn't sound like it's been a fairy tale thus far. Even Roger says as much.
I want to get to the buddy-buddy relationship that seems to have spawned overnight between Barnabas and Willie. Willie suddenly seems to have developed a great deal of affection for the man who only a short time ago beat the hell out of him with his cane. I know Willie in this show was never the brightest guy around, even before Barnabas enslaved him, but still....
I can buy his being relieved that Barnabas isn't abusing him anymore and maybe be as civil to him as he can without being forced to, but I can't for the life of me understand where he got this total devotion and admiration for him. I guess time has passed enough (on the show anywhere) that their friendship developed but we really haven't seen enough of it thus far.
Vicki sees Sarah and follows her to the west wing. She gives her the diary and tells her she is writing about her big brother Barnabas. What is Sarah's motivation to appearing to Vicki? Did she want her to start believing David that his ghostly friend exists? Was she, in some childlike way, trying to warn Vicki about Barnabas? I really can't grasp Sarah's reasoning here. Maybe she doesn't know herself....
Vicki gives Barnabas Sarah's diary. He is stunned and flabbergasted. But he should be aware that she's around since he saw her running away from him at the end of the pilot. Vicki tells Barnabas that she was shocked to learn Josette had married Barnabas' younger brother Jeremiah. Barnabas assures her that despite that Josette DID love Barnabas despite that little jarring detail.
Which brings us to our introduction to Angelique....we first see her picture coming out of a book Barnabas was reading. He throws it in the fire and her ghost comes screeching and flowing out of the fire. And again at the end of the episode.
Scratch that....I think Sarah was in some way trying to warn Vicki or at least caution her about getting too involved with Barnabas, even if she wasn't aware of it. But I do think that she knows full well that she must certainly warn Barnabas that he must not go through with his plans to win Vicki or he will end up placing both of them in danger. Barnabas refuses to listen, insisting that nothing will stop him from finally winning his 'Josette'.
We see David leading Vicki to a room in the lower part of the house. Vicki sees a portrait of a woman and asks David who it is. I'm assuming that it has to be Laura, but we never get a confirmation. Roger catches them down there. David runs away and Roger chastises Vicki for poking around an area that is none of her concern. He tells her to forget about the room and then goes over to Maggie's place for some 'comfort'.
David starts burning a doll and Roger immediately feels intense pain, as if he were on fire. Fortunately, Vicki comes into David's room and puts out the fire. Maggie watches all of this through a psychic vision of hers.
Vicki informs Elizabeth of what David was doing. Elizabeth can't understand why he would do it but feels she must tell Vicki why David was kicked out of the town school...he tried to burn it down. I think that Laura, before she ended up getting committed, had to have been teaching David some of her powers....bewitching him so that he can't remember until the 'right' time comes for him to start some of his own.
Maggie meets Vicki in town and warns her to watch David very, very carefully. She confides in Vicki that the reason she wants her to do this is that she doesn't want Roger in danger...because they're lovers. I don't think Roger would have been happy to find out that Maggie told someone about their affair. From what we've seen, they've both been very careful not to have anyone find out about them. Although Maggie's father did seem a little suspicious for a minute a couple of episodes ago.
Cool episode. Lots of interesting and compelling stuff.
