Episode 183 - 3/8/67

Mrs. Johnson is startled by Laura walking in the front door looking for David. She tells Laura that Vicki has taken him to town to buy shoes, and Laura says she was supposed to do that. Laura tells Mrs. Johnson to send David to the cottage when he returns, and she says he's not allowed to leave the house without Carolyn or Vicki. She asks who issued those orders, and Mrs. Johnson explains that her husband did. She's shocked. She tells Mrs. Johnson that she must have misunderstood.

Laura pushes past Mrs. Johnson and yells for Roger. He reluctantly comes downstairs to see her. She invites him in to the drawing room, and asks what's going on. She explains what Mrs. Johnson told her, and he says that he's decided it would be best for David not to leave the house unless absolutely necessary. He needs to catch up on his schoolwork. She says that's a limp excuse. Roger reiterates that he is David's legal guardian since she was remanded to a sanitarium. He says that due to things that started to happen after she returned to Collinwood, he thinks it would be best if she would leave for a while. Laura brings up the threat of testifying against him regarding Burke's manslaughter charge. She says one way or the other, David will be hers.

Laura stops by to see Burke at the hotel. He's surprised to see her. She says it's not that she doesn't want to come by more often. He asks what she wants; if it's something to do with David. She senses that he's cold, and he asks her the purpose of her visit. She explains she has to get David away from Collinsport right away. She tells Burke that he has to stop it from happening. She says it's for their future, and he asks if they really have a future. He takes her near a light so he can clearly see her face. He says she's changed more than he realized. He says she's an entirely different person that he doesn't know anymore, and he cannot help, because he doesn't trust her. She asks who's been turning him against her; Carolyn? Vicki? She asks if he's saying he doesn't love her anymore. He tells her that he doesn't believe a word she says. She starts crying, and he says her phony tears won't work anymore.

Dr. Guthrie reassures Roger that he's doing the right thing. It's not safe for David to be near his mother. Roger says Laura even threatened him. Guthrie asks what she threatened, and Roger dismisses it. He does say he's afraid of her, as she can be very vindictive. He says she's threatened him in the past, and hasn't gone through with it. Roger tells Guthrie how Laura previously mentioned how she needed David and was running out of time. He tells Guthrie that he let Laura know that she should leave Collinwood for a while.

Mrs. Johnson comes in and says that she heard Roger say Mrs. Collins might be leaving. She's excited about her possibly leaving so that she wouldn't have to clean up her cottage, too. Guthrie asks if she's observed anything out of the ordinary about Mrs. Collins. She mentions how Laura keeps her fire burning 24 hours a day, even when it's warm. She said Laura nearly had a fit when she tried to clean the fireplace. Guthrie says that maybe she needs it badly. He says he's going to pay a visit to Mrs. Collins. He has a theory he wants to test.

Laura sits in front of the fireplace when there's a knock at the door. She answers it and is less than thrilled to see Guthrie, but she invites him in. She asks how soon he'll be leaving Collinsport. He says it depends how soon he can prove his theories. She says that Roger is gullible for believing Guthrie's theories. He admits that he told Roger that David should be kept away from her. He says she wants to destroy David. She says it's preposterous, and he replies that he means every word he said. She asks why she'd want to harm David, and he says that's what he'd like to understand. He approaches the fire and says that it's warm, and asks if she minds if he puts it out. She has a strong reaction, and he asks who she is and what she wants. She threatens him again, and he says that he knows she's not the Laura Murdoch Collins that Roger married. He says she's the undead.

Our thoughts

John: Roger almost seems to believe it when he tells Laura that he doesn't let others put ideas in his mind. I think most of us know better.

Christine: Roger is full of surprises. I did not expect him to be so resolute and fearless in standing up to Laura in keeping her away from David.

John: Burke has got his Laura defenses on, so she's lost the one ally she could previously count on.

Christine: Thank goodness Burke Devlin has returned to us. I suspect he'll be back to putting the moves on Vicki soon.

John: Guthrie confronts Laura point blank. Where will things go from here, and will Guthrie live long enough to tell anyone what happens? I guess we'll find out tomorrow!

Christine: That was a fantastic scene, though I don't understand why he didn't follow through on putting out her fire. He should know that as soon as he leaves, she'll be back to staring in the fire and he'll be getting all woozy again.

"You, Laura Murdoch Collins, are the undead."