395 - (Joan Bennett) - 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. Even in those times, an atmosphere of terror prevails in the great house above Widows' Hill, for there is one in the house who practices the black art of witchcraft, and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Collinwood drawing room - When Barnabas tells Joshua he and Angelique are going to get married tonight, Joshua becomes absolutely infuriated--this decision is disgusting; HE is to decide when the time is right for the marriage, not Barnabas! Barnabas' mind is made up; he's marrying the girl tonight. Joshua is equally adamant, and he's angry Barnabas is going back on his word to wait a suitable mourning period. Barnabas is sure his father is just trying to buy time and undermine the wedding--he knows of his father's attempts to buy off Angelique, and Joshua is forced to admit she turned down the 10 grand in gold he offered. He did it for his son's own good, argues Joshua, he was testing Angelique. It almost pains Joshua to admit that the prospective bride turned down his offer--she wants Barnabas, not his money. Barnabas thinks this must have astounded his father (which is really sad, apparently Barnabas thinks his father doesn't consider him worthy of being loved). Barnabas vows to go ahead with the wedding tonight without his father's blessing, but Joshua warns him that if he does that, he will forfeit his inheritance--no money, no property, no part in the family business, and no portion of the will. Barnabas can hardly believe his father would disown him, to not even allow him to lead his own life, but as far as Joshua is concerned, if Barnabas marries Angelique tonight, he isn't capable of running his own life! As if that isn't harsh enough, Joshua orders Barnabas and Angelique out of the house by nightfall. "I am no longer your father, and you are no longer my son," Joshua says coldly. As Barnabas heads upstairs, Joshua looks as if he is about to collapse from misery.
Angelique gazes out Josette's open window with joy. She holds Josette's white wedding gown up against herself, then puts it away in a drawer. Barnabas comes in and sadly tells her he's been disinherited; Angelique can't believe his father would do such a thing to his only son, but assures him she's marrying him because she loves him, not because of what he owns. He tells her she can change her mind, if she wants, but she says that, rich or poor, she will make him happy and will be proud to be his wife. He tells her, all right, then, pack, we're being kicked out of here, too. They'll stay at the Inn, and perhaps move to Boston; his father will see to it he never finds a job in Collinsport. She promises that whither thou goest, I will go, and they hug.
Josette overhears the last part of their conversation as she comes in, and her voice is filled with tears as she expresses her sorrow that Joshua isn't being more understanding. "I will be losing the service and companionship of my dear Angelique," says Josette sorrowfully. Angelique nods, and Barnabas explains they will be leaving tonight. Josette releases Angelique from further obligation and wishes them happiness. Angelique goes to her room to pack and leaves Josette and Barnabas alone. It's a very sad scene as Josette tells Barnabas she will miss him, too, and asks if that's wrong to say. No, he assures her. She hopes he will forgive her and eventually think well of her again. Why did it happen this way? asks Barnabas, and Josette responds that she'll be asking herself that for the rest of her life--it could have been so different, so good and beautiful. They bid each other goodbye, and as Barnabas leaves her room, she sits down and begins to cry.
Foyer - Naomi stops Barnabas and Angelique as they are leaving. Barnabas fears repercussions should Joshua find them still there, but Naomi invites them into the drawing room and gives them with the Old House, which she owns, as a wedding gift. Barnabas, moved, wants to refuse; Angelique is clearly thrilled. Oh, Joshua will rage and rant, says Naomi, but she's used to that. Barnabas is all set to refuse, but she asks him to accept the house as a favor to her. Joshua will come to his senses, regret what he's done, and seek Barnabas' forgiveness; she doesn't want Barnabas to be far away and unreachable when that happens, or it will kill Joshua. Barnabas accepts, agreeing to stay on as master of the Old House, for his mother's sake.
Later, as Naomi drinks in the drawing room, Joshua comes in--he's searched the house and they are gone (can you believe he actually did this)? He predicts Barn will regret his blunder, and with no money, and no job prospects, come crawling back. Naomi tells him Barnabas and Angelique are staying at the Old House, and he becomes apoplectic with rage--he'll have the constable come arrest them for trespassing! Naomi tells Joshua SHE gave them the Old House, and he accuses her of doing so to spite him. No, he's our only son, Naomi reminds him. WAS, counters Joshua. He orders Naomi not to have anything to do with them, and she had damn well better obey him! Naomi drinks.
Old House drawing room - Barnabas is leaving to get the minister, and Angelique stands with her arms around him, bidding him to hurry back. She admires her reflection in the mirror, then surveys HER house with joy. She walks to the mantle and caresses the clock. When Jeremiah appears, her mood changes. She sternly orders him back to his grave--she's done with him--go rest in peace! He steps forward, and she says she controls him, so he must go back! Ignoring her orders, he continues to advance on her as she fearfully backs away.
NOTES: Angelique dredges up Jeremiah's ghost, but can't control it--are her powers that new?
How touching of Naomi to give the couple the Old House. Wise, too. She knows Joshua does love his son and that he would eventually come around.
The scenes between Angelique and Barnabas, Josette and Barnabas and Joshua and Barnabas were marvelous. There were so many great scenes in these shows, and Jonathan Frid's performance was stellar.
396 - (Lara Parker) - 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. In a house where nightmares have become reality, a woman who has used her powers to contact the land of the dead is suddenly aware that she may have plotted her own destruction.
Angelique realizes she has lost control over Jeremiah's ghost, and when he menaces her, causing her to cower against one of the pillars in the Old House drawing room, she orders him to leave her alone and not return until summoned. Barnabas returns to find her trembling, terrified, but she insists nothing is wrong. She tearfully asks if they have to live in the Old House--perhaps, given all the bad stuff that has happened, it would be better to start out somewhere else? That would make them appear ungrateful for Naomi's gift, protests Barnabas. She denies being afraid, but clearly is. Ben comes in and Angelique goes to get ready for the wedding. Barnabas tells him he and Ang are getting married, and Ben wishes him happiness. Ben tells Barnabas Trask was snooping around the stables and nearly discovered Miss Winters. Barnabas orders him to bring her to the Old House--he's sure Angelique will be as eager to protect her from Trask as he is (yeah, right). Barnabas then asks Ben to be his witness for the wedding, and Ben says he'd be honored. He says he hopes the wedding will end Barnabas' problems, which puzzles the latter--but Ben can't say more.
Angelique, decked out in a white dress and veil, and a pendant, pirouettes in front of the mirror, luminous. When she glances at her reflection, she is horrified to see her clothing stained with blood--yet when she looks down at the dress itself, it's spotless.
Ben brings Vicki into the Old House, assuring Barnabas no one saw them. Barn sends Ben to get the starving, exhausted Vicki some food. She's been afraid to sleep, fearing Trask, Vicki tells Barnabas, who promises her asylum from Trask, a persecuting fanatic, in his opinion. He assures her he knows she isn't a witch; he saw her with Sarah. She decides it's time to tell him the truth about herself and reveals she's from 1967, is a governess for his descendents--she thought she recognized him because she knows his ancestor, also named Barnabas, from that time. She reveals she was transported somehow during a seance. Barnabas listens and calls it incredible, but you can see he is wavering in his feelings about Vicki. He can understand why she didn't feel she could tell anyone else, Vicki says, and he heartily agrees with this. She thanks him, but notices that he seems upset. Ben comes in--Vicki's food is ready--and Barnabas encourages her to go to her room upstairs, eat and rest. After Vicki leaves, Barnabas asks Ben if she thinks the girl could be a witch (way to go, Vicki). Ben insists no, she's no witch. How can Ben be so sure; does he know something Barnabas doesn't know? No, he just knows, Ben says.
Bedroom upstairs - A hysterical, Angelique is tossing her clothing into a suitcase. Barnabas comes up, about to tell her about their houseguest, Miss Winters, but he forgets about that when she insists she wants to get married in Collinsport, anywhere, just away from that house! She continues to deny being afraid of anything (why doesn't she just tell him it's Jeremiah; he saw the ghost himself)? There's an evil presence in the house, insists Ang, and she wants to be married elsewhere. Barnabas looks down and finds Sarah's doll and the pins Ang used to make Sarah ill in her suitcase--the clothing is gone! Angelique has no idea what's going on, but she wants to go--until Ben comes up and announces the minister has arrived. Yes, they'll get married immediately, agrees Angelique--that will assuage her fear. Barnabas is clearly puzzled by his fiancee's yo-yo behavior, but he and Ben go downstairs so she can fix her veil.
She finds herself locked in the room after they go, and Jeremiah appears. He's going to punish her for disturbing his rest, and teach her what it's like to live in the land of the dead! Jeremiah advances on her. As Barnabas and the minister wait downstairs, wondering what's keeping her (and Barn probably fearing he's been stood up for the second time in just a few weeks), a laughing Jeremiah carries Angelique to his grave, drops her in, and begins dumping dirt on her and her clean white gown. Terrified, she stares up at him, shrilly screaming, "NOOOOO!" as he continues to bury her in his grave.
NOTES: Scary last scene, but who thinks Angelique deserves this? She used the ghost to facilitate her marriage and now Jeremiah wants to stop her from marrying Barnabas! She's going all over the place, emotionally, and one wonders if Barnabas doesn't think her insane.
Love, Robin
