Episode 129 - 12/22/66

Roger is shocked to hear that his wife Laura has returned. Sam says that he saw her at the Collinsport Inn. Roger says he hasn't heard from her since Phoenix. Sam tells him this could be the end for both of them.

Sam says Roger's in bigger trouble than he is, since he wasn't driving the car 10 years ago. Sam implies that perhaps Burke arranged for Laura to return. Sam says Laura's been asking Maggie questions about the Collins family. Roger asks why she had to come back, and Sam says perhaps to get revenge for all her unhappy years. Sam asks Roger if Laura knows that Sam saw the accident. Roger doesn't think so, but doesn't recall. Roger says Laura may know that he paid for Sam's silence.

Joe brings Maggie home and she offers him a nightcap. Joe says he can tell something's bothering her, and that she doesn't want to talk about it. She says that some woman has her dad in a flap. Maggie says the woman is odd, and she can't understand the connection to her father. Joe suggests she's making something out of nothing. Maggie hopes Joe is right, but is terribly worried about her father.

Roger returns to Collinwood. He fixes himself a drink as Liz enters. He tells her Sam Evans asked him to meet at The Blue Whale earlier. Roger tells her that they are going to have a visitor—Laura is back. Roger calls the Collinsport Inn and confirms that Laura is registered under her maiden name. Liz asks what she could want; she gets a generous check every month. Liz asks if he thinks she wants to see David. Roger doesn't care if she does. Liz would prefer he did not. She suggests that Roger is afraid of Laura, and she'd like to know why. She says he just had a chance to talk to her but avoided it. Roger snaps at Liz for badgering him, and she goes off to bed.

Sam returns home, fixes himself a drink, and Joe leaves. Sam tells Maggie he needs to paint and when she suggests he should go to bed, he tells her to stop nagging him. She gives up and goes to bed. Sam lights a cigarette, looks in to the flame, and then goes to his canvas and begins sketching.

In the morning, Roger tries to reach Laura at the Inn, but she's not there.

Maggie tries to wake Sam who's asleep on the couch. She sees his new work-in-progress and asks about it. Sam looks at it and doesn't recall starting it. Maggie says it looks like a woman standing in fire. It gives her the creeps. She says she can't imagine what was going on in his head. Sam turns the painting and it shows a woman looking a lot like Laura surrounded by flames.

Our thoughts

John: Wow, we learned a lot of details about the accident through today's discussion between Roger and Sam: 1) Roger was driving, 2) Sam witnessed the accident, and 3) as we suspected, Roger paid him off. And Laura may or may not know all of that.

Christine: We also learned that Laura felt guilty about the accident and started drinking after she married Roger, which led to her being in an institution.

John: I love how Liz calls Roger out for being afraid of Laura. Once again, she picks up on the fact that he's afraid, and all but suggests that Laura has something on Roger (although at this point, you start to wonder who doesn't have something on Roger). Perhaps tomorrow we'll see Laura reunited with Burke. 

Christine: Will she see Burke or Roger first? Hopefully one or both of them tomorrow.

John: Okay, so they're really hammering home the Phoenix. Laura talks about death and rebirth (not to mention having been IN Phoenix), all the longing looks into flames, and now Sam doing his rendition. Anyone want to bet how long we have to wait to see Laura Collins go up in smoke?

From yesterday's playful pat on the butt to a chuck on the chin today. Joe's smooth maneuvers.