Episode 47 - 8/30/66

Wandering the house in her nightgown, Carolyn finds her mother paying the piano.  Liz says she's got an awful feeling of impending disaster, just as the grandfather clock begins to chime. Liz tries calling Bill Malloy.  Carolyn asks if Liz is concerned something happened to him. Carolyn then asks if Liz is concerned about uncle Roger. She explains they had a fight earlier over a pen, and how strangely Roger behaved. Carolyn describes how Roger said he wouldn't be anyone's sacrificial lamb. Liz goes upstairs to find Roger.

In Roger's office, Roger tries to call Bill Malloy, but there's no answer. At 11:30, Roger and Sam suggest they leave, since Bill isn't coming. Burke says they will wait. Sam says he doesn't know why Bill wanted them there, and Roger expresses the same sentiment. Burke tells them to stay put, as he's going to get Bill.

Liz comes downstairs and tells Carolyn that Roger isn't upstairs. Liz is very upset, and Carolyn tries to console her. Liz says she had such a premonition once before, years before, as if death walked into the house. Liz says perhaps the lamb has gone to the sacrificial alter.

Sam says Burke is going to find Bill is not at home. When Roger asks how he knows that, Sam says he would have answered the phone. Roger says Sam would feel a lot safer if Bill never showed up. Sam grabs Roger's lapels and says he could kill him. Burke returns and says Bill didn't answer the door, but his car was at his house. Burke says they're going to wait. At midnight, Roger and Sam decide they're going to leave. Before they do, Roger attempts to return Burke's pen, only he doesn't seem to have it in his pockets, so he tells Burke he'll get it to him later. Burke tries Bill one last time as Roger and Sam leave.

Liz and Carolyn are having a laugh remembering old times. Liz sends Carolyn up to bed while she waits for Roger. Roger returns home and goes into the drawing room for a drink. Liz asks where he was. She tells Roger what Bill accused him of. Roger plays as if he has no idea what she's referring to. He sends Liz off to bed with a wish for pleasant dreams.

Our thoughts

John: Argh! How dare they start the episode anywhere but Roger's office!

Christine: We might have had to hear them discuss the weather and the price of sardines while they waited for Bill if we had started the episode there. It was much more interesting hearing Liz talk about her premonitions after playing maudlin tunes on the piano. I wonder if she had her last premonition about 18 years ago.

John: So Sam is shaping up to be Bill's killer... I love how the first thing he does is threaten to kill Roger when Roger suggests he might have something to do with Bill's absence. Of course Roger had the most to gain, and he's a bit more on the ball than Sam...

Christine: We find out through Roger that Sam was an accessory after the fact, so he's got a motive. Then again, it did take Roger longer than usual to get to his office. I think it was the housekeeper. Why isn't Mrs. Johnson answering the phone when everyone is trying to call Bill? She also doesn't answer the door when Burke goes to the house. Perhaps she's busy disposing of the body?

John: Does anyone believe that Roger left Burke's pen at Collinwood? I think Louis Edmonds lost the prop.

Christine: Perhaps Carolyn took it back without him knowing.

John: Is it just me, or does it seem like Carolyn and Liz dipped into Roger's wet bar?

Christine: Maybe Carolyn spiked the teapot. Or they could just be giddy due to the 'witching hour.'