425 - (Grayson Hall) - A seance has been held in the great house at 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. On this night, in a deserted old shack on the Collins estate, preparations are being made for a man and woman to be united in death as they never were in life.
Fishing shack - Ben builds a coffin, and a finished one stands nearby. Barnabas enters and expresses disappointment that he hasn't completed both. I'm leaving Collinwood, reveals Barnabas, and I will not be alone-I will have Josette with me. Ben is horrified to hear this, and reminds his master that he vowed to stay away from Josette. I tried to resists, says Barnabas, ashamed, but I could not. I thought you loved her! says Ben. I do, says Barnabas. Then how can you do such a cruel thing to her? asks Ben. Josette wants this, the vampire insists. No one would want this, asserts Ben, and I won't be party to it. You're my servant! Cries Barnabas, grabbing his throat, and I'll kill you if you don't obey! (throat grabs inherited by Julia from Ben.) Nearly strangled, Ben agrees to finish the coffin. Have a closed carriage here by midnight, orders Barnabas, to carry the coffins to the ship. He leaves. Ben decides he has to warn Natalie, but when he tries to go, he finds the door is locked. Angelique's laughter fills the air, and her face materializes in front of him.
You will stay here, she commands-I would not let them be together in life, and I will not let them be together in death.
Josette's room - How do you feel? Natalie asks the young woman. Very relaxed, replies Josette--there is no need to worry. I will worry until this day is over, Natalie assures her--I am grateful none of the signs Miss Winters prophesied are coming true--no sign of a storm, and so far, you've shown no signs of being despondent. The book is wrong, says Josette, I am very content. You'll be safe in two hours, when it is midnight, insists Natalie. I feel completely secure, says Josette, as if no power on earth could do me any harm, and I'm under the protection of a powerful force. Confused, Natalie asks Josette if she left the house voluntarily the previous night. Josette denies being with anyone. Why did you go to the Old House? asks Natalie-there is nothing but tragic memories for you there. That's not completely true, says Josette-not anymore. What caused your collapse? asks Natalie--why were you calling for Barnabas?
You wouldn't understand, says Josette softly, noticing that her ring is missing. Her agitation ignites Natalie's; her aunt realizes the prophecy is starting to come true. I must go to the Old House to look for my ring! declares Josette, climbing out of bed--Barnabas will expect me to have the ring. This statement horrifies Natalie, who tries to stop her. They struggle, overturning a small table, breaking the lamp that was on top of it. "The sound of glass shattering," remembers Natalie, who glances at the sky and is aghast to see storm clouds beginning to gather, obscuring the moon. The door blows open, terrifying both women. Natalie runs to close it, stepping out into the hall a moment to call to Riggs. The wind blows the door shut behind her, leaving her in the hallway and Josette still inside. Neither woman can force it open. Josette moves away from the door, oblivious to her aunt. A dreamy expression on her face, she opens her music box and listens to the tune. She hears Barnabas summoning her, and she apologizes to him for losing his ring. I found it, his voice tells her--meet me at Widows' Hill--leave through the secret panel and come to Widows' Hill. She does as she's told and leaves. For a moment, a laughing Angelique appears.
Fishing shack - The two completed coffins please Barnabas, who asks if the carriage is ready. Aye, says Ben, leaving to get it. Barnabas hears Josette's voice calling his name, asking him to meet her on Widows' Hill. He realizes it's Angelique using his beloved's voice. What are you planning to do? he cries--no, Josette, don't go to the cliff!
Riggs has finally forced open the door to Josette's room. Natalie is horrified to find it empty. Spying the open secret panel, she takes a candle into her hand and steps inside.
Widows' Hill - Josette searches for Barnabas. Laughing, Angelique assures her that Barnabas is coming soon. Frightened, Josette asks her former maid why she has returned. Sarcastically, Angelique replies that she was always a loyal servant to her--I have returned to warn you, to show you what will happen to you after you go away with Barnabas--he is evil, Josette! "That's not true!" wails Josette-"Barnabas loves me!" If he loved you, mocks Angelique, he would have told you that he plans to change you into the monstrous thing he has become--he is planning to kill you, and after you are dead, he will bring you back to life-but then, you will no longer be the beautiful creature you are now--he will have transformed you into a grotesque, blood-thirsty animal." STOP! begs Josette. "Look over the cliff," bids Angelique, "and see yourself as you will become--go on, Josette, look into the future and see how you will change!"
Josette covers her face with her hands, unable to bear it, but is compelled to look up and see the apparition appearing before her--herself, dressed in the clothing of the grave, her face, so pale, eyes sunken, cheeks gaunt, her mouth hanging open to reveal long fangs and a thin trickle of blood on her mouth. "TAKE IT AWAY!" screams Josette, but Angelique urges her to keep looking at it--"That is what Barnabas will do to you!" Barnabas comes up behind Josette, calling her name. She turns to see him and orders him to stay away--"Don't come near me! I know what you are--I know what you are! Don't come near me! Don't touch me! I don't want to be what you've become--I don't want that to happen-please, I'd rather die before I'd let that happen! He lurches forward and grabs hold of her. Too close to the edge of the cliff, they struggle. Josette breaks away and backs away from Barnabas, finally turning to step over the edge of the cliff. Her long, wailing scream fades and is abruptly cut off.
Barnabas, gazing down, shrieks her name, over and over, agony in his voice. Angelique's laughter, high and crazed, fills the air, mocking him.
NOTES: A pivotal episode, of course. This more or less matches the story Barnabas told Carolyn and Vicki one stormy night at Collinwood. Josette was running and he was running after her. Of course, there is no mention of Angelique, because she had not yet been thought of. Josette said she would rather die than become what Barnabas was, and so she made her choice to take her life. How cruel Angelique was in death, first forcing Barnabas to remain a vampire, then robbing him of the one person with whom he wanted to share a vampire eternity. One wonders how he could possibly have admitted to loving her in 1840, but we have to assume things had changed drastically by then.
I feel sorry for Ben. He's trying to do the right thing and knows it's wrong for Barnabas to turn Josette, but he's also his servant. I think it's safe to say that the human Barnabas would never have grabbed Ben's throat as he did in this episode, and it's sad to see Barnabas' kinder feelings eroding in this new state.
Pretty wonderful episode, and another sad ending for Barnabas' hopes for happiness, even after death.
426 - (Nancy Barrett) - A seance has been held in the great house at 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 this night, a night which began with bright moonlight, has turned dark. And a woman has thrown herself from a cliff, the victim of a witch's curse. The agony is over for her, but just beginning for those she has left behind.
Mausoleum - A numb Barnabas stumbles in and tells Ben what happened. I couldn't stop it, he says brokenly, she stood on Widows' Hill--I heard the ocean pounding the rocks below--she turned, ran from me. . .she died, hating me." It was the curse, Ben says, trying to assuage his master's guilt.
In despair, Barnabas describes how he saw Josette's crushed body on the rocks below--she is gone from me, and I have eternity without her. Ben suggests that Josette might return to him on earth. She died by her own choice and will not return--no one who loves me shall live, declares Barnabas--that was the curse. Sensing his dead wife's presence, he shouts, I will end the curse--you will kill no one else that I love-do you hear me? I will go to my father and let him do what must be done. The gate clangs shut, Angelique's cruel laughter echoing through the tomb. Barnabas tears at the bars, screaming to Angelique, Are you determined to keep me in this hell you have consigned me to?--Have you no pity?--I know you will not let me die--I will never love anyone again--you need kill no one else!--I will never show love for another human being again!-Your curse is over!--go back to your grave! The gate swings open, creaking, slowly, and Barnabas orders Ben not to follow him--"If this is the way eternity is to be, it can begin." He walks away from the mausoleum as Angelique continues to laugh at him.
Collinwood, drawing room - Naomi reports to her husband that Natalie cried herself to sleep--I loved Josette since the day she came here--she was exactly the kind of young lady I would have chosen for Barnabas. Don't think about Barnabas, urges Joshua. There's no name I can mention that does not have grief attached to it, mourns Naomi mournfully. They expected death in the war, but that is over, says Joshua--we are at war with the powers of darkness. Naomi refuses to believe that witchcraft was responsible for what happened. Millicent comes in, black flowers twined in her hair. When Joshua tells her of Josette's death, she seems emotionless, and says, "At least she died loving Barnabas." Naomi is shocked at this statement, but Millicent says that she herself would like her last thought to be of love. Men change, says Millicent, and seldom for the better. Are you feeling well? queries Naomi. "The more one learns, the worse one feels, says Millicent, I did not realize life was like that--probably a well-known fact no one bothered to tell me." Is Nathan coming over? Asks Naomi. He is not welcome tonight, says Millicent. Forbes is grieving for his own loss, points out Joshua. "Men's minds contain their secrets much better than men's don't you think? asks Millicent, who then leaves to take a walk. Her parting shot: I love the night--the darkness lets you see only what you want." Walking at night isn't safe, warns Naomi, but this doesn't deter Millicent, who leaves anyway. Joshua refuses to follow her despite Naomi's request that he do so; he says that death affects each of them differently--Millicent will be back shortly.
Cemetery - Barnabas kneels by Jeremiah's grave, his face filled with sorrow. "I am glad you cannot see me now," he says-now Josette will lie beside you-the husband she did not love-you will be together in death as you never were in life-the choice was not your own." He rises. Millicent calls his name, walks up to him, asks for a favor, but he never says a word. Ben calls to her; when she turns to look at him, Barnabas disappears, confusing and astonishing Millicent. Barnabas is away, Ben reminds her, but she insists Barnabas has returned--perhaps no one bothered to tell her about it, she adds peevishly. I should take you home, says Ben. I have not done what I came here to do, she says, choose my last resting place. She enters the mausoleum. It's not what I would have chosen, she says, but then I can't think of what would be ideal. She decides she'd like to be buried beside Sarah, "Because we both lived very little." Remember that, she says, and have today's date marked on the stone--no matter how long I may live, I died this day--I want Nathan to know that. (poor Millicent, you're a bastard, Nathan!)
Ben doesn't comprehend her prattling. Barnabas will, she assures him. He again tries to convince her she didn't see Barnabas-perhaps she saw a ghost. Barnabas is not dead, she reminds him. (whoops, Ben!) When he tries to argue with her, she reminds him he's a servant. Don't speak of what you saw, cautions Ben. She giggles, saying that he's a man and is trying to deceive her--bitterly, she asks if her reputation for gullibility has reached even him. She cries about her shame, then wonders if Barnabas ran from her because he thought her a ghost. She thanks Ben for showing her the tomb and leaves.
Drawing room - I've written to Andre about Josette's death, Joshua tells Naomi. He shows her the deposition for Miss Winter's trial--Abigail will represent the family there, which begins the next day. Naomi wants to testify, but Joshua forbids it--Abigail will be the only Collins at this trial! He worries Naomi will become hysterical if she testifies, creating a public disgrace.
Naomi insists. "You are my wife (goodbye city life?)--you will obey me," commands Joshua. Millicent enters and asks for Barnabas. He's in England, says a nonplused Joshua. Surprised, Millicent says she thought they would want someone to defend her honor, and Barnabas had the dueling experience--I saw him at Jeremiah's grave. You're ill, says Joshua, and asks Naomi to take her upstairs. I have been ill all my life, says Millicent, sounding loony, but I've never been alone until now--Barnabas must kill Nathan--I suppose it would be in the course of a technicality, like a duel, but he must kill him--Nathan was married!--Suki was Nathan's wife!
She bursts into tears. Barnabas MUST defend her, Daniel isn't old enough--why did Barnabas run from her?--even Ben denied seeing him--they must punish Ben for lying to her--and if you have not seen Barnabas, and I have, then someone must find out why. Yes, agrees Joshua, someone must find out why. Outside, dogs howl.
NOTES: Outstanding Barrett performance today. Sad seeing Barnabas apologizing to Jeremiah for what happened, mourning that he and Josette will lie together in death when they didn't love each other in life.
Millicent sounds as if she's truly losing it. Finding out about Nathan's betrayal has sent the already-fragile heiress over the edge, and she will teeter there for quite some time.
Love, Robin
