MT, I meant to say that I really liked your perceptive comments in a previous ep. about the Yaeger-Buffie relationship. I have a feeling she was abused as a child or more likely as a teenager. Maybe she left Collinwood because she thought she didn't deserve to work at such a nice place, and, I suspect, because she might have had a crush on Quentin. Anyway, enough raving!
Minnie DuVal, Buffie's greedy landlady, is played by Camila Ashland, who also played the drunken Mrs. Hutchins, who told Julia that she was the future Leviathan Supreme Being Michael Hackett's foster mother. Evidently Philip Todd paid her to spin this piece of fiction fo Julia. We'll see Camila Ashland one more time. Evidently she was nominated for a Tony for an on-stage performance, which is nice to know.
I very much like Buffie's room: Somehow she has earned the right to BOTH peripatetic afghans as well as a small white TV. But all she can afford in the way of decor is a cheap print taped on the wall above the TV. She is horrified when Yaeger announces that he's rented a room. She tries to give her rent back to Minnie, but Minnie refuses. Buffie is pretty much trapped.
Quentin phones. With Yaeger listening to every word, Buffie is forced to lie and say she doesn't know where Yaeger is, or Cyrus Longworth either, for that matter. She hangs up as fast as she can, furious at Yaeger. You made me lie to him! she says indignantly. I like him (well, she certainly has a crush on him) and respect him! Yaeger assures her that Cyrus Longworth is safe, but this doesn't cut any ice with Buffie. Quentin Collins has been nice to me, she tells him, real nice. And you--! I am going to be nice to you too, Yaeger promises. I hate you! I hate you! she cries desperately. Completely unfazed and even smiling, he answers, For the moment, yes. Then in a quite altered tone he finishes, But not for long. She seems mesmerized as he calmly reaches for her.
Quentin suspects that Yaeger has kidnapped Cyrus. Although this isn't literally true, it's a good metaphor.
Whatever Yaeger did to Buffie, she's hurling clothes into a suitcase while Steve tries to dissuade her. Eventually she realizes she'd get practically nowhere. Of course Steve thinks he's more than a match for Yaeger, but Buffie is truly afraid of him and begs Steve not to go looking for trouble. Eventually she prevails on Steve to stay away from her. He reaches out to touch her hand, but she only begs him to leave. It’s hard to say which one of them is unhappier: Steve finally walking out, or Buffie staring sadly into space. Unfortunately Yaeger is spying on them. Yaeger accosts Steve on the docks. You’re the reason she sent me away! Steve shouts, and Yaeger is quite happy to take all the credit. Steve knocks the swordcane out of Yaeger’s hand, but Yaeger knocks him down. Steve is about to be throttled when he finally breaks away and starts calling for help. We hear police whistles, and Yaeger looks up, actually afraid for the first time.
Not satisfied with Buffie's replies on the phone, Quentin actually visits her. She tries to evade his questions, but finally bursts out, Yaeger can hardly have kidnapped anybody--otherwise he wouldn’t be bothering me all the time! Quentin mulls this over.
With the police close behind him, Yaeger makes it back to the lab just as Sabrina goes upstairs. Even he realizes that John Yaeger must disappear for a while and opens the safe to get out the aforementioned bottle, which contains the antidote. Quentin surprises him before he can drink it, though. For once Yaeger is somewhat at a loss for words. (He puts the bottle on the desk.) You’re John Yaeger, he guesses. At your service, sir, Yaeger acknowledges with a wave of his hand. Quentin is highly skeptical when Yaeger tells him he doesn’t know where Cyrus Longworth is. Yaeger huffs, Sir, you are a gentleman. Would I lie to a gentleman? Then why won’t you tell me what you’ve done with him? Quentin demands. What can one do with Cyrus? Yaeger asks: It is an interesting theoretical question. Then realizing that Quentin is about to accuse him of burglary, he stammers that Cyrus has allowed him to keep valuables in the safe. I am going to keep on asking where Cyrus is until I get an answer, Quentin insists--or until Cyrus Longworth walks down those stairs....
