Robservations 6/17/02 - #523/524 - Jeff, Peter, Peter, Jeff

523 - Nicholas raises his hands, commanding Trask to come back from the grave and appear before him as he really is-now! Trask demands to know who summons him. Nicholas won't tell him, but insists he appear. The hole in the alcove is filled with the seemingly alive body of Rev. Trask, looking none too happy.

Trask, free of the wall, demands to know who disturbs his rest. Nicholas tells him he's disturbed his plan and one bad turn deserves another. You will obey me, insists Nick, as there is no rest for the wicked. Nicholas laughs at him when he calls himself a man of God, and says, in his time, he was the greatest of fools, a bigot, fraud, intolerant, cruel and unjust-a man after Nick's own heart. Trask calls Nick the devil himself, come to tempt him, or at least in league with him, but he WONT be tempted! Nick says he has no choice.

Trask says he can return to his grave, but Nick tells him only when he says so. "I've spent my life resisting Satan!" cries the Rev. You only thought you did, Blair counters. Trask insists he served only the Almighty, and tries to cast Nick back into hell. "Begone!" shouts Trask, eliciting applause from Nick-totally ineffective-I give the orders, insists Nicholas--where is the witch? Trask refuses to respond, saying she has lost her battle with the Almighty and is beyond redemption--the forces of evil have been drawn out of her and destroyed forever. Nicholas realizes Trask performed an exorcism, which the latter says cannot be undone. Nicholas says I will be the judge of that. Trask refuses to tell him where it happened. Nicholas hears fear in the Reverend's voice-you're afraid I can successfully bring her back! Trask refuses to lift a finger to help a minion of the devil, but Nicholas says he'll allow him back to his grave to rest in peace only if he cooperates with him--Trask is his prisoner, and he can see to it he never finds peace, to walk the earth in the agony of loneliness for the rest of time. Trask says he has a weapon and thrusts a cross in Nick's face. Nicholas cowers, hiding his face, and Trask exults in the warlock's helplessness. Trask laughs and disappears. Nicholas, raising his gloved fist, promises, "You haven't seen the last of me, Trask, and you have helped me, because now I know that an exorcism has been performed, and that is the beginning. I will find my Cassandra, and bring her back!" The skeleton has disappeared from the alcove.

Nicholas returns to Collinwood, gazing hatefully at Barnabas' portrait, peeling off his gloves. Carolyn sits in the drawing room; he greets her cordially. She greets him icily. She refuses to call him Nicholas because she doesn't know him well enough, despite the being related by marriage. Carolyn tells him they're an old New England family, and dislike instant informality. (is that why Carolyn calls Liz "Mother" and David calls Roger "Father"?) He sits beside her and she points out they might not be related that much longer, given Cassandra's disappearance--if she doesn't return home soon, with a good explanation, Uncle Roger will annul the marriage. Being delightfully frank, Carolyn says she doesn't like Cassandra and doesn't want her to come back. She won't discuss it further with him, but he persists-Cassandra is his sister and he is concerned. Carolyn says if he's so anxious to hold a seminar on why Cassandra has alienated the entire family, he should consult lawyer Tony Peterson, who was giving his sister a lot more than legal advice- and they all knew it--a married woman who conducts business with her lawyer in the garden under a full moon is being a bit indiscreet. Nicholas asks if she's implying Tony and Cassandra were "lovers?" (I love the way he says that!) She thinks they still are and that's why Cass disappeared.

She needs no proof, she had Tony wrapped around her little finger and couldn't resist doing anything she asked. Nick says Carolyn makes it sound like Cassandra wielded a mystical power over a grown man. Carolyn concurs-Tony was never the same after he met her. Nicholas says there is no proof, and he will look into this matter--Carolyn has made a serious charge, and he will either prove or disprove it, by going to see Mr. Peterson. Vicki comes in, calling to Carolyn, "When are we going to Windcliff?" Carolyn introduces Nicholas to Vicki, who smiles until she hears he's Cass' brother. Vicki can't hide her astonishment, which Nicholas notes. She didn't know Cassandra had family, and while most people do. . . Nicholas excuses himself and leaves. Vicki is distracted, she wondered if they could see Liz later in the afternoon. Vicki seems almost on the verge of fainting, and tells Carolyn she can't understand Cass having a brother here and now. Carolyn comments that if Lucretzia Borgia could have a brother, so could Cassandra. Vicki ironically remarks on what an interesting comparison that is, and Carolyn looks at her oddly.

Tony Peterson is working on legal briefs when he gets a visit from Nicholas Blair, who obviously notes the Trask resemblance. Nicholas introduces himself as an attorney, with something important to discuss. Tony lets him in, noting Mr. Blair doesn't work locally. He's from Boston, says Nick, and they're suing the Collinses. Tony said he finished prosecuting a similar suit, but lost, because of the power in the Collins family. Nicholas comments that his corporation (Satan, Inc.?) has plenty of power of its own, and takes out a gold cigarette case and offers him one.

He shines the jewel inside it on Tony's face, hypnotizing him with its intoxicating effect. Tony feels weak on his feet, so Nicholas has him sit down, then, when he's fully hypnotized, comments on his resemblance to Trask, which must have amused Cassandra. He asks Tony to tell him about Cassandra. "I love her." says Tony, making Nicholas chuckle over Cass' tactic. He hasn't seen her in several days, he tells Nicholas, apparently unaware of where she is. Nick orders Tony to concentrate very hard and tell him the first image that comes to him. Tony sees something forming, a large tree, but he doesn't know where it is. He sees ropes around it, but it unable to tell Nicholas the exact location of the tree before the image fades away. Nicholas is frustrated; there are so many trees, how can he know which one? He thanks Tony, tells him to close his eyes and sleep. He will awake after he leaves and resume his work as if it never happened. "Good night, Mr. Peterson," says Nicholas, snapping shut the cigarette case and leaving. Tony picks up a cigarette and pops it into his mouth, returning to his briefs.

Vicki wanders the drawing room, thinking of Nicholas Blair. Who is he? She hears a knock at the door and finds Jeff waiting there. He hugs her and she's thrilled to see him. He's not in a good mood. He went to Portsmouth and found a big dead end there. Three weeks of day and night investigation, he still doesn't know who he is. She holds him, trying to comfort him. He visited hospitals, spoke with doctors, cops, nurses, and got nothing. He was found there, Vicki reminds him, wandering the docks, without ID.

He doesn't even know how he got the name Jeff Clark, unless Lang gave it to him in the sanitarium. Jeff is angry that he knows nothing about himself, or if he had a life before Portsmouth, or an existence. She touches his shoulder and he apologizes. He wishes there were some hopeful evidence, but he came back empty-handed. He doesn't know where to go from here, or what to do. He exists here and now, and for her, she reminds him, they should forget the past. He caresses her face and she urges him to concentrate on them, present and future. He's grateful for this, and kisses her hard, then holds her close. He has a gift for her, and goes out to the car to get it. Vicki seems really happy, like a girl in love. Trask appears, making Vicki scream. He warns her to beware of the devil, he is being harbored in this very house, walks among them. Jeff returns and, seemingly without thinking, calls out, Trask, leave her alone! She's innocent." He lunges for him, but Trask disappears, and Jeff grabs his head. Vicki says that proves it, he saw Trask, too-he's Peter Bradford!

NOTES: Except for Wicked Nick, these episodes were blah, although I loved Carolyn's denouncement of Cassandra to Blair, as well as the confrontation between Nicholas and Trask, which was fun to watch.

524 - Jeff clutches his head, in obvious pain. Vicki, glowing with joy and apparently oblivious to his agony, goes on about how Jeff MUST be Peter Bradford, since he recognized Trask's ghost! Jeff recovers a bit, then says he doesn't remember anything about what just happened. Vicki, glow undiminished, says it doesn't matter--she saw it happen, and the fact that he recognized Trask PROVES that Jeff is Peter Bradford! She goes on and on about it, and finally Jeff loses his patience and snaps at her. He doesn't want to talk about it and she should just leave it alone! Stung, Vicki retreats to the fireplace seat as Jeff pours himself a drink. Shakily, he takes a large gulp.

He calms himself down and apologizes to Vicki. She tentatively suggests that perhaps Jeff could have Professor Stokes hypnotize and ask him questions about his past--perhaps that's the key! Jeff grows short-tempered again and refuses to be hypnotized. Vicki asks him if perhaps he's afraid to learn about his past, and Jeff finally confesses that he is afraid Professor Stokes might prove he is Peter Bradford, because that would make him a ghost, an idea that totally terrifies him and which he calls monstrous. Before they can talk further, there's a knock at the door. Jeff answers; it's Joe Haskell, here to pick up Maggie and take her back to the cottage. Jeff stares at Joe with obvious dislike. Realizing that everyone has noticed his rudeness, Jeff makes some weak apology, saying he has a headache.

He offers to pick up his things from Maggie's, saying that it's not right for him to stay there now that Sam is gone. Maggie assures him that he can wait till morning. Jeff finds himself staring at Joe again (looks like Lt. Forbes, doesn't he?), then finally excuses himself-he's tired and needs to sit down in the drawing room. Maggie, Joe, and Vicki exchange puzzled glances. Maggie and Joe leave.

When Vicki comes into the drawing room, Jeff is standing at an open window, gazing out into the darkness. Vicki asks him why he looked at Joe that way, as if he suddenly disliked him. Jeff gets pissy again--Didn't you hear me say I had a headache? Vicki, not knowing when to shut up, begins in again about the hypnosis, asking Jeff to at least think about it overnight. Jeff loses his temper again--he won't change his mind-he'll feel tomorrow exactly the way he feels tonight about it!

Maggie and Joe arrive at the cottage. It's her first time back since Sam died. Maggie comments absently that she doesn't remember leaving that lamp on. As she looks around, she tells Joe that she's decided to keep it exactly the way it is now, with all of her father's work around.

Joe doesn't think that's the greatest idea, but Maggie says it will be a comfort. As they talk, they notice that some stools are knocked over--they weren't like that when Sam was taken to the hospital. (hadn't there been a struggle?) Who has been in the house? they wonder. Joe says he can think of one person clumsy enough to knock over furniture without picking it up--Adam! Maggie, looking down, says that if it was Adam, he wasn't here alone. She bends down and picks up a man's stick pin lying on the rug--it has an S monogram engraved on it. Maggie says she recognizes the pin -- it belongs to Professor Stokes! They both wonder what in the world he could have been doing at the empty cottage. Jeff comes back. He apologizes to Joe for his rude behavior at Collinwood, then abruptly goes off to bed--he's tired. Joe and Maggie look at each other-what's gotten into Jeff?

Joe, worried about what might have happened in the cottage while Maggie was gone, offers to spend the night on the couch-he'll feel better if stays. Maggie finally agrees to let him stay.

1:50 - Jeff lies in nightmare-troubled sleep, dreaming about 1795--he is in a jail cell as Vicki is brought in. What happened? he asks her -- I thought you had gotten away safely. It was Lt. Forbes, Vicki explains--there was a reward for me, and I guess he needed the money. I'll kill him, Jeff vows. No, says Vicki-there's been too much killing already. Determined, Jeff repeats his vow to kill Nathan Forbes. Jeff, in his bed, mutters "Forbes, where are you?-I'll kill you." Tossing and turning, he drifts off into another dream in which, he confronts Nathan Forbes with a gun. After a heated discussion, he finally fires at point blank range. Nathan does not fall, but merely laughs and laughs. Jeff/Peter looks on in amazement, wondering why the shot failed to kill Nathan. Forbes just laughs some more. You can't kill me, he finally explains- I'm already dead! Jeff, in his bed, again cries out. Joe, asleep on the sofa, hears him and rushes into Jeff's room to see what's wrong. He shakes Jeff awake.

Jeff opens his eyes, takes one look at Joe, then scream out. "Forbes, I'll kill you!" Leaping out of bed, he begins strangling Joe!

NOTES: More evidence piles up that Jeff is Peter and vice versa. Too many dreams, too many facts. How did he get back, though, if he isn't a ghost, and he doesn't appear to be?

Adam didn't leave that stickpin on the floor, but Stokes did. Will Maggie and Joe put it all together and figure out who their visitor(s) were?

Frankly, I don't think Jeff much resembles Peter, except in face. Don't they seem like two different people, with Jeff a real crab compared to the gentler Peter?

Love, Robin