457 - (Nancy Barrett) A seance has been held in the great house of Collinwood, a seance which has suspended time and space and sent Victoria Winters on an uncertain and frightened journey into the past, back to the year 1795. Before that journey has its end, one more person will pay the price for learning the terrifying secret of the Collins family.
Staring straight ahead, Naomi opens the coffin, looks inside, then lets the lid drop with a hard crash. Ben enters and tells her she shouldn't have come up there; he leads her, looking as if she's in a trance, out of the room. Naomi sits in a chair in the drawing room, stunned. Barnabas was in there, she says. What does it mean? Am I losing my mind? What is it? He doesn't know how to tell her, but he says she isn't losing her mind--there's still hope, because he's not dead. She was with him when she died, saw him put in that coffin. He's been alive the whole time, he says, under a terrible curse, like a sleeping sickness--he doesn't wake up. Why didn't anyone tell her? Pleads Naomi. We didn't want to break your heart--he was cursed by a witch, he says, not Miss Winters, but Angelique. You told the truth in court? She asks. Yes, he says. If Barnabas is still alive, why is he in the coffin?
He has to stay there until the curse is lifted, says Ben. He doesn't know more, but that's why Joshua went to Boston, to find help to lift the curse. Barnabas hasn't left the coffin since the night he died? she asks. Yes, lies Ben. Forbes lied to her, then. Does he know about Mr. Barnabas? asks Ben, gulping. Yes, says Naomi, he knows he's up in the tower room--he sent her there--Barnabas is the strangler, according to Forbes. Ben grows furious--he warned Nathan to leave the Collins alone, to stop lying and troublemaking!--Forbes won't hurt her or anyone ever again, he's going to find and fix him good. Naomi doesn't want him to go, but Ben is determined. She will take care of Forbes; she knows how to handle him now. She wants Ben to have a carriage in front of the house in half an hour and take Daniel to the Rev. Bland's--he isn't safe at Collinwood. It will be night soon, says Ben, could Riggs take Daniel to the village? Is there something you haven't told me? asks Naomi. When he says no, she insists Ben take the boy to the village. She goes upstairs to get some of Daniel's clothes together.
Left alone, Ben punches one hand into the other, trying to hold onto his temper. He is PISSED! Nathan returns. He sees Ben staring at him, but Ben doesn't respond at first. Then he tells Forbes he's lucky to be alive--he thought he met a collection of scum in prison, but none of them compared to Nathan--he's the foulest one of the lot! Nathan asks him how he dares to speak to him this way, and Ben reminds him that he doesn't take orders from him--he'll never be the master.
Don't count on that, Stokes, warns Forbes. Your scheming won't turn out the you want, says Ben--you're after Daniel now, aren't you--he's got all the money and that's all you want--Daniel won't be around--I'm taking him into the village where he'll be safe from you! Nathan forbids it, but Ben says he takes orders only from the Collins family, and Naomi ordered him to do it. Why has Ben told him? asks Nathan. I want you to try and stop me--Naomi stopped me from doing what I wanted to earlier, but if you try to stop me, it would "give me great pleasure to KILL you, Lieutenant!" (GOOOOOOO BEN!)
Millicent comes downstairs, complaining about Ben closing the door so quickly, it causes drafts. Nathan leads Millicent into the drawing room and closes the doors. He tells her that Naomi is sending Daniel away from Collinwood. She knows, says Millicent, and she says he makes it sound like Naomi is doing something wrong. Nathan slams his fist on the table. Daniel is HER brother, not Naomi's, and she has no right to make decisions for him!--he's their responsibility, and she was going to sign papers giving him guardianship. He grabs her, swings her around and orders her to go upstairs and tell Naomi Daniel is to stay at Collinwood. She says the truth is, she thinks it's right to send him away. WHAT? he demands, furious. She feels it isn't safe for him to be there as long as the witch is there. He is concerned about Daniel! Naomi enters and tells him he needn't worry about him anymore--he's gone. Millicent rushes past Naomi and leaves. Naomi stops Forbes from going with his wife, staring him down coldly. She closes the doors. They must talk. She won't tell him where she sent Daniel and won't listen to him blather about legal rights. He's making all the mistakes. You'll feel differently if you check out the tower room, he tells her. I did, she says--your lie was even more vicious than the one you told about Vicki at her trial--I know why Joshua has been behaving strangely lately--because you have been blackmailing him!--I know the true story and will tell it to Joshua when he returns--and he'll see to it that you permanently leaves Collinwood--and without Millicent! Joshua already knows the true story, says Nathan, and if he leaves, which he won't, she can't keep Millicent, his wife, from following him. They can annul the marriage, and she and Joshua will care for Millicent and Daniel, counters Naomi. What does she think the true story is? he asks. Barnabas is still alive, but the other accusations aren't true--Ben told her Barnabas was under a sleeping sickness spell and can't move from where he is, so he can't be guilty of the crimes Nathan mentioned. Do you believe that story? asks Nathan. Ben had no reason to lie, says Naomi, but Nathan insists Ben did lie. Naomi saw Barnabas unconscious, but Forbes says Barnabas needs much rest during the day--after being very busy at night. Naomi accuses him of bluffing. All attacks have taken place at night, points out Nathan, and if she goes to the tower room tonight, she'll find Barnabas gone, in town, searching for a new victim.
Barnabas is the strangler--he saw him attack Maude Browning on the docks. He fled the scene, but he saw it was Barnabas. Maude didn't get a chance to leave Collinsport, because Barnabas found her again later, and killed her. Naomi refuses to listen, but Nathan assures her that if she wants to find out the truth, she should go to the tower room after dark, and will not find Barnabas there. She stares down as he leaves the room.
Barnabas sits up in his coffin.
Naomi sits in the drawing room, thinking, then looks out the window. It's dark, she observes. She doesn't want to go up there'it can't be true! Barnabas paces the tower room, looking unhappy. He'll go mad if he stays there--he must go somewhere, find someone, no matter what the consequences!. . .no, he can call on Millicent! He calls her, tells her he must see her. Come to me, he says seductively. She walks downstairs, pausing, then stares at Barnabas? portrait. Naomi hears her talking to it, "Yes, Cousin Barnabas, I will meet you. I will go wherever you ask me to go." Naomi asks Millicent what she's doing. Who was she talking to? No one--herself, replies the blonde. "I am going out for a walk, I must go out, I want to." That isn't like you, comments Naomi--you don't like the night air. Millicent leaves. Naomi is disturbed. She starts to go upstairs, then grabs her cloak instead. Millicent walks through the woods, finding her way to the gazebo, where Barnabas awaits her. She stares up at him and he takes her into his arms.
Naomi watches as he begins to sink his fangs into her throat, and screams, over and over, as Barnabas and Millicent, frozen, gaze, horror--stricken, at the source of the screams.
NOTES: (Everyone's performance was so wonderful here, especially Joel Crothers and Thayer David, it was really something to watch!) Amazing episode, folks, some of DS' best. Nathan is more evil than Angelique, and he's only human. Millicent is at her daffy best, Ben at his most protective and ferocious, and this was just so good all around!
458 - (Nancy Barrett) A seance has been held in the great house of Collinwood, a seance which has suspended time and space and sent Victoria Winters on an uncertain and frightened journey into the past, back to the year 1795. Soon her journey will be over, but not before a terrible secret is discovered by still another member of the Collins family--and with that discovery, history will record one more strange death at Collinwood.
Joshua looks through the mail. Naomi rushes in and throws herself against him. She saw Barnabas--he was like an animal! Why didn't you tell me, why? Joshua asks where Barnabas is, and she tells him in the garden with Millicent. Horrified, Joshua races out to stop the latest catastrophe.
Joshua comes downstairs to face his wife in the drawing room. She is staring straight ahead, unseeing. Joshua pours a drink and gives it to Naomi. She refuses it, probably a first. He sits beside her and explains that he took Millicent to her room--she'll be all right. Naomi disagrees with this--nothing will be all right. She reveals that Nathan told her about Barnabas, but Joshua had hoped to help him. He's known since the day Millicent announced her marriage, and went to Boston to try to find a cure. Naomi doubts there's an answer for any hope for the future. Barnabas was so pale, she says, standing there alive, staring at Millicent with pure evil in his eyes. Forbes is right--he is a murderer, like some depraved beast. Joshua begs her not to talk about it.
Where is Barnabas? she asks--why is he like this?--I'll lose her mind not to know. Joshua doesn't understand, either. He wants to stay with her. There's no meaning to their lives now, says Naomi, but Joshua says they still have each other. Naomi used to believe tragedy took its course, then died out, but not anymore. Will Barnabas return to the tower room? Joshua doesn't want her to see Barnabas, but she wants to. He objects--too soon, she's been through enough, wait until tomorrow. She doesn't need protection, she says--so you caved in to Forbes' blackmail because you feared hurting my feelings?--it's been so long since I felt you cared. . .he holds her close and says he DOES care, and begs her to wait until tomorrow before seeing Barnabas--do that for him. She says she will, but without much conviction.
Later - Naomi sits at the desk, writing a note to Joshua. She pours herself a good-sized drink, takes a packet out of her bodice and starts to empty its contents into the drink. Then she changes her mind and returns the packet to her bodice. She places her note to Joshua in the desk drawer, then leaves the drawing room, her exit noticed by a smiling Nathan.
Vicki sleeps in a chair in the study. She hears three knocks at the door and Naomi calls to her to open the door. I managed to get some rest, says, Vicki, but my her arms isn't much better. What happened outside? asked Vicki, she heard a scream from the woods. It was Millicent, says Naomi, who thought she saw a strange man, but no one was there. Joshua is home and will arrange for her to escape tomorrow. He isn't sure about Peter, but will speak to the authorities. Vicki doesn't want any arrangements made until she can leave with Peter--he can't suffer for what she did.
Naomi asks if she's in love with Peter, and Vicki admits she is. Naomi says that they're good people, and hopefully can leave tomorrow and make a new life together far from Collinsport. She knows Joshua will do his best, she says, and hugs Vicki, who says she senses Naomi was saying goodbye to her. No, only goodnight, says Naomi. Something's happened, asked Vicki, what is it? Don't concern yourself with the present, but the future, and forget everything that happened, advises Naomi, and leaves before Vicki can question her further.
Hearing another three knocks, Vicki opens the door, but it's Nathan, not Naomi! He covers her mouth and drags her back into the study. He warns her not to scream, and, holding a gun on her, says Naomi, with so much on her mind, wasn't being careful. I overheard your conversation, sneers Forbes, I find your feelings for Peter very touching. She says she can do without his sarcasm and asks what he's planning to do with her. Take her into Collinsport and turn her over to the authorities, he says. She asks why he's being so cruel to her, since she's never been bad to him.
He refuses to answer, but she says it's her life and she deserves to know why. He would have had too much to lose, testifying for her, he admits. He'd lost Millicent and wanted to get her back, and Trask promised to help him do so. As to why he's turning her in now, Forbes confesses he wants to collect the bounty on her head. Vicki observes that he didn't get his hands on enough money when he married Millicent, and Forbes tells Vicki that she turned all her money over to Daniel, who's been sent away--and now he has nothing. You were going to murder Daniel, states Vicki, but Forbes he says they'd better be going. Vicki confesses that she killed the man who Nathan sent to kill Daniel, not Peter--he'd have killed the boy, she had no choice. Valiant to the end, chides Nathan, and it's untrue, pure emotional nonsense. She's going to die anyway, so why not save Peter from the gallows?--tell it to the authorities, he advises, but it won't be necessary for him to lie this time. He leads her out, holding the gun on her; they're leaving through the servants' quarters.
Naomi empties the packet she retrieved from her bodice into the drink she's prepared, takes it in both hands, and drinks, all of it, in one swallow. She sets it down on the desk, opens the drawer, and leaves the note for Joshua propped up on top. Then, slowly, she walks away. Naomi glides to the tower room, unlocks the door and walks in. The door closes and Barnabas is standing behind it. "Mother," he says softly-- "You shouldn't have come here." I had to see you one more time, she says, and begs him to look at her. Didn't you see enough of me tonight? he asks--you saw what I am, isn't that enough? You're still my son, she says, and to find him alive. . . Didn't you see what was happening outside? he asks, unable to meet her eyes. I saw, but didn't understand, his mother says--I still don't--I know it wasn't by choice--tell me why this has happened. He begs her not to make him look at her and tell her--he can't bear the thought of hurting her anymore. "Barnabas, please," she says. "I brought you into the world. I watched you grow to manhood. I suffered the agony of watching you die, and by some strange miracle, you're still alive, not as you were, but whatever has changed you, made you suffer, and feel a deep shame--and I can't leave you until I know what it is."
Joshua comes downstairs searching for his wife. He finds the empty glass and note, reads it. "Oh my God," he says, tears in his voice, "Naomi. . ."
Barnabas tells his mother all. Now you know everything, he says. Naomi assures him she understands--he couldn't help it.
She starts to faint, and asks to him to hold her one more time. She wants him to know that no matter what he's done, she loves him. Barnabas begs her not to love him, but she says nothing can stop her from loving him. She collapses in his arms and Barnabas falls to his knees to hold her. Joshua rushes in, sees this tableau, kneels with them and cries out, "My God, what have you done?"
NOTES: Joshua confesses that he loves his wife, cares for her, but it's too late for them to share their life together now. Too late for everything.
Hearing Naomi talk about bringing Barnabas into the world and grow to manhood ALWAYS makes me cry. This is a very, very sad episode, sadder, I think, than Sarah's death. Perhaps because I'm the mother of a son myself, I really feel Naomi's pain.
Forbes is responsible for Naomi's return to the tower--he deserves to die!
Love, Robin
