In the newer TV version of DS, we learn that this Phyllis Wick was not tried for witchcraft but died from a serious case of fever. Which means that Vicki's being thrust into the past had to have altered certain events....but I will go into that another time.
Vicki meets Sarah and Daniel at the Old House, whom she mistakes as David. She then meets Barnabas, who she instantly recognizes but he apparently doesn't recognize her....until he sees the resemblance between her and his fiancée Josette. Vicki introduces herself as the new tutor. He takes her into the house and introduces her to Naomi, Abigail and Countess Natalie DuPres, whom she all mistakes as Elizabeth, Mrs. Johnson and Julia. Countess also notices the resemblance between Vicki and Josette, but insists that Josette has more delicate features. Naomi insists that the new tutor was Phyllis Wick, but Barnabas insists that they shouldn't go into that since it appears that Miss Winters had a difficult journey (yes travelling though time would make one weary, I suppose!).
We get our first glimpse of the living Angelique, who also remarks on the Vicki/Josette lookalike, though Natalie insists that the resemblance is merely superficial. (Please, they could pass for twins!).
Vicki almost immediately gets off on the wrong foot with Abigail explaining the symbols on her modern dress. She asks what year it is and Abigail says it is 1790. Vicki is flabbergasted (understandably). The 3 other women leave the room and Abigail insists that she's mad and that the baliff should be called. Vicki sneaks out of the house and makes her way to Collinwood.
Convinced that she must be dreaming, she tries to will herself to wake up....to no avail. Peter Bradford, Joe Haskell's lookalike, approaches her. Vicki is about to say something about that,then wisely shuts up (something Vicki in the OS should have done after awhile as well). I like how friendly Peter is to her and doesn't brush her off as mad like Abigail did when she asks if all this is real. He replies he asks himself this all the time and realizes that this is as real as it will be. Vicki tells him her troubles with Abigail and insists that she has nowhere else to go. Peter agrees to help her get hired as the new tutor.
In her 'interview' with Joshua, he looks her over, orders her to open her mouth (which she does) and looks at her teeth. I found this hilarious, but I suppose that is the way that a lot of folks went about when hiring new employees within the household. Modern medicine was rather primitive in those days. Joshua bears a strong resemblance to the late Michael Woodard, and it bothers me a bit that Barnabas had no problem at all with disposing of a man who looked so much like the father he loved and respected, but oh well.
We also meet Jeremiah, Barnabas' brother, who also seems a bit smitten with Vicki once he meets her. I think the writers make a wise choice making Jeremiah Barnabas' brother in here rather than his uncle, something that the writers of the OS really should have done...but then they changed the history between Barnabas, Jeremiah and Josette in the old show so much, I guess they just settled on what they felt would be best for the storyline.
Vicki is hired as the new tutor, but Joshua warns her that she will be observed....and we see Abigail glaring at her with mistrust.
Barnabas goes to Vicki's room and warns her to beware of Abigail. I think Vicki already knows, from the way Abigail was staring at her, that she's going to have to watch her back where she's concerned. Barnabas tells Vicki he feels that he's known her before, in some other time and some other place. Vicki insists that it's only due to her resemblance to Josette.
Angelique has lended Vicki her clothes and tells her it has always been intended for her to be Josette's maidservants...I know arranged marriages were the norm back in the day, but arranged maidservants? Curious....
Angelique goes to Barnabas' room. As much as he tried pushing her away, she comes on strong tenfold, and he is unable to resist and succumbs to her....I believe, and still do....that this Angelique, the one we are seeing in the 1991 version, seems to me to be more in lust with Barnabas than in love. And I also think she would love to strike back at Josette by stealing something that belonged to her, thus seeing Barnabas more like a weapon than as a man she truly loved. I'll get back on that too another time.
Cousin Millicent arrives, intended bride for Jeremiah. Jeremiah, clumsy as he may have been, tries to be civil and welcoming to her (with Barnabas' help), but she is immediately rude, immature, throws a fit when he gives her the wrong flowers rather than the red rose she prefers (like he would have known that). Jeremiah objects to his father to having to marry such an unbearable woman (and you can't really blame him). Joshua insists that he's going to marry Millicent whether he likes it or not. So apparently Barnabas gets to choose his bride since he's the oldest, and Jeremiah can't? Is that how it went in families in those days? Or is that just the Collins way?
Abigail goes to the place of Reverend Trask where we see him torture a young woman. Abigail shows him Vicki's clothes. Trask warns against making false accusations against others (nice to see at least THIS Trask has scruples about perjury even if he is still a loathsome piece of trash). He studies the label that says 'printing' press and agrees with Abigail it's very likely that the young woman with the strange clothes with the strange label is very likely in league with Satan.
Abigail also brings the clothes and Vicki's strange behavior to Joshua's attention. Vicki is brought in and questioned. Barnabas jumps to her defense right away, but Joshua insists that HE is the one who decide what's what. Vicki answers as best she can under the circumstances and Joshua allows her to leave. However once he hears that Abigail had gone to see Reverend Trask, Joshua immediately decides to drop the whole matter and wants to hear nothing more of it. He obviously sees Trask as the fraud he is, and warns Abigail to drop it or he'll kick her out of the house. It's a wonder to me how he hasn't done that already, seeing how disagreeable she is and that hardly anyone in the house can stand her, including Joshua. Abigail leaves, but you know that Vicki is far from being out of the woods.
Angelique attempts to seduce Barnabas again, but this time he is able to resist the temptation and throws her out. She warns him that it most certainly is NOT over between them....she then goes to Ben Loomis and enslaves him....but makes him forget until the moment comes when she needs him. That is something that Angelique in the OS never considered. Makes an interesting new twist.
Vicki starts a journal of her arrival in 1790 (something I can't for the life of me understand why she do....why take the chance that Abigail, who has already snooped into her room to snatch her modern day clothes, might come back and find it?). She hears a carriage and at the stairs and spots Josette....her lookalike. Angelique also watches from behind....apparently not pleased that her rival for Barnabas has arrived, or the fact that her rival also has a lookalike.
Great episode. I really like how composed Vicki pulls herself off once the initial shock of realizing where she was had worn off. She's leagues ahead on how Vicki in the OS behaved back in the past. Can't wait for more....
