Will's end is one of the most riveting scenes in the whole series--or ever on TV for that matter. Kudos to both LP and JK.
Ange forces Will to admit she was the "inspiration" behind his books. It certainly is ironic that she is responsible for PT Barn's biography, and in a way responsible for RT Barn's arrival in PT.
Will climbs up onto the windowsill, Julia comes into the room. Stunned at the tableau before her, she takes a step toward the other two when Will screams. Angelique moves toward him, and he simply lets go. In a moment he is lying dead on the terrace below the window.
Angelique is beside herself with fury at "Hoffman." They race downstairs to the terrace to check on Will. In the excitement of this medical emergency, Julia forgets herself so far as to feel his neck and declare authoritatively that he’s dead--his spine was severed immediately on impact. Have you a medical degree? Angelique asks sarcastically. “Hoffman” covers up by saying, Long ago I saw another man die the same way. I remembered what the doctor said. You have a good memory, Angelique comments with more sarcasm, but “Hoffman” merely agrees. Angelique says, We’d better go inside in case someone tries to connect us with Will’s death.
It’s sunset, time for the editing flub of the day: coffin; oops, should have showed Loomis House first; coffin again. Barnabas wakes to another night. He decides to check the life force in the secret room but quickly grabs a book off the shelf instead at the sound of Angelique’s voice behind him. No, I wasn’t snooping, she (still wearing yesterday’s dress) tells him: I know you keep your secrets well hidden, Mr. Collins. Actually, I’m here to extend my condolences to the widow. (No one seems to have seen Carolyn lately). Grabbing her shoulders roughly, he demands, What have you done to Will? Smugly she tells him, I had absolutely nothing to do with Will’s death. He chose to jump from the tower at Collinwood rather than reveal your secret. Barnabas is stunned as Angelique continues, The power you hold over him is the reason he died. You’d better leave, Barnabas replies, deeply offended but also turning aside guiltily. I will, she agrees pleasantly, but I just want to tell you one thing: I very nearly found out the secret before Will died. His death has made me all the more determined to find out who--or what--you really are. Get out! Barnabas roars, oozing anger and menace from every pore. I’ll see you at the funeral, Mr. Collins, is her parting shot.
In a mere twenty-four hours Julia has managed to fit up the basement at Loomis House as a laboratory, complete with giant electrical switches (basically the same equipment used for Adam). A pair of large red candles (at least one with Christmas garlanding of green plastic leaves) are lit in the background, perhaps to make Barnabas feel more at home. The “life force” girl is on a table, still with her industrial-strength false eyelashes. We can see that her short red hair is styled in a “waif” haircut. While filling a syringe Julia admits regretfully to Barnabas, I arrived too late to rescue Will. Will is dead because of me, Barnabas replies, full of remorse. Julia comforts him by saying, Angelique probably wouldn’t have let him live anyway--he knew too much. We must continue the experiment so that she’ll be helpless, Barnabas says with new determination. Julia reminds him, Even if Angelique is rendered harmless, we’ll still have to deal with Stokes. Turning to the matter at hand, she says, I plan to combine mild shock treatment with stimulants in the hope of reviving the girl. She administers the injection, then pulls the switches. Lights flash--but nothing happens. But she has to get back to Collinwood to avoid making Angelique any more suspicious than she already is. She suggests that Barnabas stay with the girl in case of some delayed reaction.
Barnabas watches the motionless girl. What is the real reason I’m doing this? he wonders. Why do I so desperately want her to open her eyes and look at me? He admits to himself, It isn’t just on account of the experiment. How could I possibly reach her? Gently he touches her cheek. Her blue-gray eyes open and look directly into his dark and haunted ones. His grim, sad face suddenly lights up.
Angelique is coming down the staircase at Collinwood when she suddenly begins to feel faint.
Barnabas gently supports the girl and helps her stand on her feet. Can she be smiling ever so faintly?
Angelique suddenly screams and falls to the floor....
