388 - (KLS) - A seance has been held in the great house of Collinwood, a seance which has suspended time and space and sent one girl on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past, back to the year 1795. There, each of the Collins ancestors resembles a present-day member of the Collins family, but the names and relationships have changed, and Victoria Winters finds herself a stranger in a sea of familiar faces-and in a house where terror reigns. For unknown to all, there is one in this house who has secretly plotted to destroy the Collins family in order to gain the love of a man.
Barnabas' room - Barnabas sits in a chair in his room, eyes blissfully closed, as Angelique rubs his temples, ridding him of his headache. She points out how useful she can be, and Barnabas makes a face. Trask is on his way, he says sourly. Angelique is sure Vicki is the evil-intentioned witch in the house and thinks Barnabas should cooperate completely with the Reverend. What else has caused all the strange things that have happened? Barnabas doesn't know, but he does know Vicki isn't responsible. Angelique points out that he isn't the best judge of women--he thought Josette faithful, and she wasn't, right?--she deceived him with a member of his own family! He denies that he still loves Josette, and when Angelique forces it out of him, he admits he hates her. "Say it!" she cries, and he does--he hates both Josette and Jeremiah! She hopes he'll believe that someday, Angelique says, then tosses herself into his arms and begs him to accept her love. I'll make you happy, give me a chance! Pleads Angelique. "Yes," Barnabas growls, and kisses her hard. He'll never be sorry, she promises, and tells him to come to her room later and she'll show him how very unsorry she can make him. : ) (That's one thing he couldn't get from Josette without a wedding ring, but Ang is more than eager to share with Barnabas the favors she shared in Martinique.)
Drawing room - Trask warns Nathan, who insists he knows nothing of Victoria Winters' whereabouts, he might be seriously jeopardizing his career in the Navy if it's learned that that he's shielding the. The Collins family wouldn't appreciate his being part of such a scandal, so he if he knows anything, he'd better speak up, adds Trask. Nathan thinks hard about these words.
It's Josette's turn to be interrogated, and Trask is clearly smitten by how pretty she is. She barely knew Miss Winters, she says, so his insistence that the governess is the witch and meant her harm seems to make no sense. He gazes at the pitchfork on Josette's hand, the devil's brand, he calls it, and says the devil wants to entice her. The brand comes and goes, she explains, and she does feel differently when it's there than when it isn't. She is being possessed by the devil, Trask says, and he must exorcise it from her!
Nathan goes to tell a distracted Barnabas that he found Vicki safe in the stable-but she isn't safe there, Nathan says, and they can't keep hiding her, either. Trask is dangerous, and has already threatened him. Barnabas asks if he still wants to help Vicki, and while Nathan assures him he does, he also says he might be forced to tell Trask the truth if questioned again.
Being bewitched would explain a lot, Josette tells Trask. She has no will of her own when that pitchfork is on her hand. She seems to find this interesting; she wants to believe she wasn't responsible for certain things, but. . .the shameful things she did, she did willingly, and wasn't under a spell. It's possible, Trask insists. The brand is gone, Josette notes and tells him she feels more clear-headed, able to think with more clarity. Trask wants to cleanse her body (you sense he'd love to take off her clothes and give her a bath). He wants to exorcise the devil, and puts his hands on her forehead and prepares to do some sort of ritual (you get the idea he's just a dirty old man who wants to touch Josette). Barnabas comes upon this scene and shouts, "REVEREND!" Josette is under a spell, Trask tells Barnabas, and acted against her own will. Barnabas pounces on this, asking Josette if she believes it, and, if so, WHAT did she do against her will? Nothing, Josette mumbles. Then there is no reason for what Trask was about to do, Barnabas says. Barnabas orders Trask out of the room, and he goes, dourly telling him he hopes it won't be too late. He's going to find Victoria Winters! Barnabas surveys Josette and says it was cruel of her to pretend she was bewitched. When was she bewitched, he pursues. When she fell in love with Jeremiah, when she married him? Surely you love him, he says. Josette responds that Jeremiah is her husband and he's dying now, and that's all there is to say. "You never loved me?" he asks sadly, but Josette seems unable to answer that or his question about loving Jeremiah. Well, let's hear no more talk about being under a spell, then, Barnabas says harshly. "I was never under a spell," Josette confesses. "That's what I thought," Barnabas answers. Josette, tears in her eyes, murmurs that she wishes she could change many things, but. . .she married the man she loved. There's nothing she could change. . .now.
(This scene is so very sad, you just feel miserable for both of them. It's so damn tragic!)
Barnabas broods in his room. Angelique comes knocking at his door, and you can tell his attitude has changed. She kneels at his feet--she was waiting for him. It won't work, he tells her sadly. There will be no "us." Despite everything, he still loves--worships--Josette. What did she say? Angelique demands, but Barnabas insists it was nothing specific. He still wants her; perhaps the deception wasn't her fault. Angelique is clearly pissed to hear this, but she makes a last-ditch effort--let her make him happy! No, he says, he can't love anyone but Josette, even though, according to Angelique, she's nothing but a scheming, conniving woman. Barnabas tells Angelique she's beautiful, but before he can add more, Angelique says, venemously, "Don't tell me you wish you could love me." He hopes they can still be friends, and she says, sure, why not. She spots Sarah's doll on a shelf in his room and takes it, saying she'll bring it back to the nursery. He explains that he could pretend to care, but that wouldn't be fair to Angelique. She understands perfectly, she says icily, and leaves, doll in hand. She returns to her room, steaming. There will be no friendship, she promises. Barnabas will pay, but not through Josette this time. She's going to get him through his dear sister Sarah, and seeing her suffer will be the worst agony he'll ever know!
NOTES: Excellent ep. Barnabas seems so happy to give a relationship with Ang a shot before his conversation with Josette, and just think, he could have had sex with her that very night. He's too honorable a man to pretend, however, and here's another case where he's trying to do the right thing--and inciting the vengeful witch to worse deeds. Those who like Angelique, do you really think she's justified at striking out at Barnabas through his innocent sister? Be honest, now!
389 - (Alexandra Moltke) - A seance has been held in the great house of Collinwood, a seance which has suspended time and space and sent one girl on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past, back to the year 1795. There, each of the Collins family members resembles a present-day member of the family, but the names and relationships have changed, and Victoria Winters finds herself a stranger in a sea of familiar faces. She finds a family gripped by terror, for, unknown to all, there is one who plots to gain the love of a man. Thwarted in this, she seeks a terrible vengeance, the death of an innocent child.
Drawing room - Naomi relates a story about a princess to a fascinated Sarah, Angelique, in her room, puts her diabolical plan in motion by stabbing hat pins into the little girl's doll. The child begins to moan, "It hurts!", and Angelique relentlessly thrusts another pin into the doll. After the third pin finds its mark, Sarah collapses, unconscious, and Naomi calls out for Barnabas.
Sarah's room - Sarah lies in bed, Naomi worriedly watching her. Barnabas comes in and tells his mother the doctor has no idea what's wrong. Perhaps Sarah will recover from her illness as swiftly as he did from his. Naomi wonders if witchcraft isn't responsible for all that has gone on. Sarah awakens, in terrible pain. Her mother and brother promise to stay with her, but Sarah wants Vicki. Barnabas promises to bring Vicki to her bedside, a promise Naomi says he shouldn't make, since he can't keep it. Oh yes he can, he says. He knows where Vicki has been hiding. Naomi wonders if they should allow Miss Winters into Sarah's room, but Barnabas staunchly defends the governess; he would never let Miss Winters in to see Sarah if he believed she would cause her any harm. Trust my judgment, he begs his mother. As Barnabas is leaving Sarah's room, Ben asks how the child is, and if he can help. Barnabas says no and goes on his way. Ben knows who is doing this, and hastens to Angelique's room to search her drawers for evidence that she's making Sarah ill. Angelique catches him and is furious. He demands to know why she did it. She wants Barnabas to see Sarah suffer, she says cruelly. She wants him to come to her willing to do ANYTHING to make Sarah well again. When she says she might let the little girl die, Ben goes ballistic and says no wonder Barnabas does want her, she's such a witch--he'd kill her if he knew what she was doing to his sister! When she shows Ben the doll with the pins sticking out of it, and explains that removing the pins would make Sarah better, he orders her to do so, or he will kill her! He approaches her threateningly, hands outstretched, but she brings him back in line by making his heart pound so hard, he could hear it. Ben clutches his chest as she assures him she has the power to make it burst and kill him. Only she can spare him, and she'll do it only after he begs for her help and promises to obey her. She waves her hand, releasing him from the spell, and he falls to the floor, gasping. She can be merciful, she assures him, but next time she'll allow him to die!
Barnabas sneaks Vicki into Sarah's room, and the little girl and her governess are very glad to see each other. She asks Vicki to tell her a story about her doll, Samantha, and Barnabas goes to get it. Sarah feels another sharp pain in her chest, and Vicki urges her to go to sleep. Sarah promises if Vicki will tell her a story when she awakens. Naomi apologizes to Vicki for thinking her a witch--she knows she could never harm Sarah. They both wish they could do something to help the child.
Angelique hides the pin-filled doll when someone knocks on her door. It's Barnabas, asking her where she put Sarah's doll. In the nursery, says Angelique, but he was unable to find it there. He tells her about Sarah's illness and how fearful he is that she's going to die. No one can help her! Angelique points to places on her own chest and stomach, asking Barnabas if the child is feeling the pains here. . .and here. Yes, he says. Well, I had the same thing as a child, Angelique says, and my mother brewed me a tea made from herbs--and it cured me! Would she like him to make a cup of this tea for Sarah? Of course, says Barnabas--and he'll be indebted to her for the rest of his life! Well, then, Angelique says, pouncing, marry me if I cure her. Barnabas turns away, not expecting such a enormous payment, but when she asks if the price is too high, he responds that no price is too high for his sister's life--he'll marry her. As they leave the room, the camera focuses on the pillow behind which Angelique hid the doll.
Naomi tells Vicki she fears Sarah is going to die. Barnabas brings in the tea, and although his mother is skeptical about it helping, says it can do no harm. He helps Sarah to sit up and has her sip the steaming fluid. As Sarah drinks it, Angelique is slowly removing the three pins, one at a time. Sarah tells Barnabas, her mother and Vicki that the pains are gone. Naomi hugs her daughter, relieved and grateful.
Angelique surveys the doll and praises it for serving her well. Now she'll collect payment from Barnabas, and become his bride!
NOTES: Terrific episode, but Angelique is so totally hateful! You've got to give her credit for being resourceful, but oh, she's such a bitch!
Love, Robin
