Episode 219 - 4/28/67

Willie returns to Collinwood at 5am. Jason sees him and explains he's waited up all night for him. He says he followed him to the cemetery. Willie says he didn't find him there. Jason asks why he went there. Jason says he knows the answer. Willie says he needs to go to his room to rest. Jason says Willie he went to the cemetery looking for the jewels. Willie admits that's why he was there. He tells Jason he won't look for them any more. Jason tells him to pack his things and he's taking him to the bus station. Willie says he's tired and wants to go upstairs. He wants to leave but he can't. Jason reluctantly helps him upstairs.

Roger walks into Willie's room and calls for him to wake up. Roger tells him to get up; he's leaving. Willie asks for a hand getting out of bed and Roger refuses. Roger says that in pretending to be sick, he does a great job actually looking sick. Willie barely makes it to his feet and Roger applauds him. Willie then falls back into the bed. Roger storms out of the room.

Roger tells Jason that Willie is clearly not sick. Jason agrees that Willie can be known for faking, he's sure there's something wrong with him. Roger offers to call a doctor. Before he can, the phone rings. It's the sheriff. Roger says he's very busy, and asks what it's all about. He agrees to meet with him and hangs up. Jason asks what he wants, and Roger says he likely wants him to be on some committee. He gives Jason a directory to call a doctor, and leaves to go see the sheriff. Jason picks up the phone and dials a doctor.

The sheriff tells Roger the vet called him because the Collins family farms cattle have been dying due to loss of blood. The sheriff says it's not a medical disease. Each was drained of blood completely and expertly. No animal could have done it. Roger asks what kind of person would do that. He also asks if it's specifically his family farms, and the sheriff explains that it's not.

A doctor checks on Willie, and tells Jason that he doesn't have an infection. He explains that Willie is weak, but he's not sick at all. The doctor explains that his pulse and heartbeat are way above normal, due to less blood in his system. Willie is suffering from an enormous loss of blood.

The sheriff says they'll be keeping a look out, and asks Roger to contact him if he has any ideas who might be responsible. Roger doesn't understand who would want to do such a thing, and the sheriff says that's what they're trying to find out.

Jason asks the doctor how Willie's wound could be responsible for the loss of blood. The doctor is puzzled by it. Roger walks in and asks if he was able to diagnose Willie's ailment. The doctor confirms he has no ailment, but he suffered from a severe loss of blood and needs rest. Roger is troubled by the loss of blood.

Willie tosses and turns, saying he won't go back, as the shot dissolves to the cemetery.

Our thoughts

John: Roger wastes no time trying to evict Willie. I particularly love when he applauds Willie's 'performance.'

Christine: Willie did ask him to give him a hand. I guess he did.

John: As far as we've seen, the only time the sheriff calls on Roger is when he's in trouble—either in a car accident, or a suspect in someone's murder. I wonder if the charade of his being highly sought-after for civic committees was just for Jason's benefit.

Christine: He was obviously making it up since he stumbled when telling him that "the local sheriff has...periodic cravings for intelligent...conversation. Which I alone seem to be able to satisfy." Yeah, that seems likely.

John: Is that last shot of the cemetery a painting, shot behind a prop tree? It doesn't look like the cemetery set.

Christine: It looked to me like someone was waving a branch in front of a still photo. It looks off because of the lighting and because we don't see the usual cross marking a grave. Perhaps this is the part of the cemetery where Joe, Frank Garner and good ol' Peter Guthrie went to exhume Laura Murdoch Radcliffe in Episode 180.

Episode 218 - 4/27/67

Jason enters the Collins' family crypt, looking for Willie. There's no sign of him, so he leaves. Jason makes his way out of the cemetery, and Barnabas appears out of the fog.

Roger is unsuccessful trying to find Barnabas. He calls and fins out that he's not staying at the Inn. Roger suggests that they should have invited Barnabas to stay. At least more than her two sea tramps. Roger also suggests it might be valuable business-wise to have him stay. He explains that he may end up being a consultant to Barnabas when there's a knock at the door.

It's Barnabas. Roger invites him in, and lets him know they were just speaking of him. He says he tried reaching him at the Inn. Roger invites him to stay with them, and Barnabas says he has considered changing his accommodations. He offers a counter-proposal to Roger's invitation. He says he'd like to move into the old house. Roger explains that it's in a terrible state of decay. Barnabas explains that he's thought of the house for years. Liz says she's surprised that he's there at all, as she was unaware that his ancestor ever married.

Barnabas explains that his relative was most certainly properly married. Barnabas explains that he'll cover any expenses, and that he'd be happy to pay them any rent for the property. Roger says he wouldn't think of charging him rent. Barnabas explains that he shouldn't presume, as he's an intruder. Liz says she's not ready to consider such a possibility. He asks her to think about it carefully. He explains that to live in the house is an experience he won't be complete without. He tells her to give it as much time as she needs. She excuses herself, and he asks Roger if it's that absurd of a request. Roger says that he understands Barnabas is sentimental, and offers to discuss it with Liz.

Liz stops in to see Jason and asks where Willie is. He explains that he went out. He says he tried to stop him, but was unable. Liz says that if he's well enough to leave the house, he's well enough to leave the house permanently. She threatens him, and he plays the police card once again.

Barnabas asks Roger for the address of the shipyard owner. He steps into his study, leaving Barnabas in the foyer. He looks at the portraits when Jason walks in. Jason asks if they've met. Barnabas says never, and Jason introduces himself. He explains he's a friend of the family. Barnabas asks if he's enjoying his stay, and Jason asked how he knew he was staying here. Jason is still sure he had seen him before, and Barnabas points out his portrait. Jason says he hears some strange stories about the jewels he had—that he was buried with every piece of jewelry that he owned. He asks if that would invite grave robbers. Barnabas explains that he was buried in England, and that the jewelry was not buried with him.

Roger walks in on Liz in his study. He tells her Barnabas is gone. He found Jason McGuire accosting him. Roger asks if she likes Barnabas. She says she does. They discuss his proposition. Roger makes a case that for someone so steeped in family history, he should be able to stay in the house. Roger says he'll call him in the morning to ensure he knows he's welcome, and then realizes he didn't get the number where he was staying.

Barnabas walks through the graveyard, entering the family crypt.

Our thoughts

John: Eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted Barnabas in the background when Jason leaves the crypt in the pre-credit sequence.

Christine: It may also be noted during this sequence that Barnabas is not repelled by the image of the cross as he reaches out to rest his hand on one marking a grave, just prior to the opening title.

John: Jason didn't waste any time interrogating Barnabas about his ancestor's jewelry. But for once, it appears that he may be outmatched in his social engineering techniques. Barnabas is also quite adept. having managed not to tell anyone where he is currently staying.

Christine: I couldn't tell if he was trying to insinuate that Barnabas robbed his own ancestor's grave, or if he was trying to determine if he caught Willie attempting to do so.

John: Barnabas has planted the seed for taking up residence in the old house, and Roger is all for the idea, if partially for selfish reasons. But he makes a good point—if Liz' sea tramps can stay in the main house, how can they deny a blood relative his request to stay at the old house.

Christine: I love how Elizabeth's head snaps up when Roger says they wouldn't dream of charging Barnabas rent. I especially enjoyed when Roger tells Barnabas, "She usually respects my advice. I'm sure I can talk her into almost anything." Roger certainly seems ecstatic to have Barnabas around. 

Roger: "I think we'll be good friends."
Barnabas: "More than friends. We're actually cousins!"

The portrait of Isaac Collins seems to have finally found a home in the study.

Barnabas does not fear the cross in the cemetery.

Episode 217 - 4/26/67

Jason examines the blood on his jacket when Willie sits up from bed and asks what time it is. Jason asks to see the wound on Willie's wrist. He says the wound doesn't look bad, but Willie's right arm appears to be drained of blood. Jason asks how he got hurt, and Willie says he was in a fight in a bar. Jason doesn't believe him. Willie starts mumbling incoherently, and Jason tells him to rest.

Carolyn tells Vicki that Willie is back, and will be staying for a while. She explains that he's sick, and they don't know why he collapsed in the foyer. Vicki is not happy to have Willie back in the house. Carolyn agrees, but explains they can't send him away while he's sick. She says he was acting differently than before. Jason comes downstairs and tells Carolyn Willie's sleeping. He says there's a small cut on his wrist, and while it doesn't account for it, he seems to have lost a lot of blood. Jason asks Vicki to have Mrs. Johnson prepare a tray for Willie.

Carolyn takes Jason into the drawing room and asks where Willie disappeared to. Jason says he doesn't know. She then asks what he meant when he told her she could get her mother into trouble by asking questions. He explains that he's her mother's friend, and he's protecting her. She says she knows her mother is in some kind of trouble, and she knows he's the cause of it.

Willie tosses and turns in bed, saying, "Don't let it get dark again. I'm scared!"

Vicki brings Willie a tray and he's startled when she sets it down. She says Mrs. Johnson prepared some dinner for him. He asks her if it's dark outside. She says it's still light, and he says there's still time. He asks Vicki to leave, and he gets out of bed. He puts on his coat and as he starts to leave, Jason enters. He says he has to get out of the house. Jason tells him he's too sick to leave. He takes Willie's coat off of him, and helps him back into bed. Willie appears to fall asleep, and Jason leaves the room. As soon as he's gone, Willie gets up and goes to the window. He sees that it's dark, and realizes that it's too late. He hears the beating heart, and says that he's coming.

Willie sneaks downstairs, stumbling as he reaches the bottom of the staircase. He walks to the portrait of Barnabas and hears the heart beating again.

Jason paces in the drawing room, and spots Willie in the foyer trying to leave the house. He begs Jason to let him go. Jason asks where he has to go. Jason brings him back into the house. They start up the stairs together, when Willie pushes Jason and runs out of the house. A car starts and takes off.

Willie is back in the cemetery. We hear another car pull up, and Jason appears with a flashlight. He calls out for Willie. Willie approaches the Collins family crypt and goes inside. Jason continues searching for him.

Inside the crypt, Willie pulls the lever to open the secret door. He once again hears the heart beating.

Jason comes to the crypt and steps inside. He calls for Willie, though there's no sign of him. He exits the crypt, unaware that there is a secret door. After he's gone, we hear the heart beating once more. 

Our thoughts

John: So I'm guessing Jason didn't go to medical school. Does he think one of Willie's arms was drained of blood, but the rest of him is fine?

Christine: I guess the writers were struggling with how to indicate that Barnabas is only taking little sips out of Willie and not sucking him dry, which is why he's still alive.

John: I don't know if we're supposed to believe Willie is faking how sickly he is, or if he becomes stronger when heeding the call of his master, but there are several points where he seems to bounce too quickly between unable to stand and ready to run a race.

Christine: The call of his master could certainly provide him with unexpected bursts of energy, though it did appear that he was trying to get Jason to relax his guard by collapsing against him so he could make a fast getaway through the front doors, worthy of a David Collins escape.

John: I've been anxiously awaiting Barnabas' return, particularly our getting to see him reconnect with Willie. Looks like tomorrow will be the day.

Episode 216 - 4/25/67

Jason asks Willie where the blood on his sleeve came from. Willie gets up to leave, and Jason stops him. Willie refuses to look at the blood on his sleeve. Jason tells Willie he's just trying to help him. Willie tells him that he's got to get out of town, but Jason says he has to go to Collinwood first. Willie says he doesn't want to go, but Jason says he's gong to apologize to Liz and Carolyn first. Burke overhears and tells Jason he thinks it's a bad idea, but Jason insists.

Back in Collinwood, Liz tells Carolyn it's too late for her to go to town. Jason and Willie arrive, and Carolyn says she's leaving. Jason says Willie is only there to apologize, and will then be leaving. Liz says it isn't necessary, but with Jason's help, Willie apologizes for his behavior. Liz says now he can go. Jason asks to speak to Liz alone for a minute. They step into the drawing room, and Willie tells Carolyn that he really means it when he says he didn't try to scare her earlier. She almost believes him, and asks if he's okay. He says he's fine, and she leaves. Willie turns to see the portrait of Barnabas, and begins shaking in fear.

Liz asks Jason what difference it means to him that she believe Willie's apology. She tells Jason to thank Willie for his apology, that she accepts it, and that she wishes him a long, happy journey.

Willie cowers by the staircase, looking away from the portrait of Barnabas. He can't help himself but walk back and turn to it. He screams. Liz and Jason find him passed out on the floor in the foyer.

Jason reaches to loosen Willie's collar as he lies on a bed, and Willie bolts up screaming. He asks where he is, and Jason says he's in his room in Collinwood. He explains that Willie fainted in the foyer. Willie says he remembers. Jason tells him to lie down, and that he'll talk to Liz about letting him stay a while.

Liz tells Jason that it's exactly what she expected, now that he's asking to let Willie stay. Jason says Willie is sick, and asks her not to force him to insist. Liz says the one thing more honest with Willie's fainting is Jason's supposed concern. Jason brings up his threats again, and tells Liz that he's going to tell Willie that she's allowing him to stay. Liz agrees that Willie can stay. Jason tells Liz that none of them are completely bad, not even her.

Liz explains to Carolyn that she's allowing Willie to stay because he's sick. Carolyn says she understands, and that she believes he's really sick. She says that's the case, or something very strange has happened to him.

Jason checks in on Willie. He tells him he can stay until he feels better. Willie tells him he doesn't want to stay. Jason says he'll take care of him. He helps Willie take off his coat, and notices his wrist is bandaged. He asks to look at the wound, and Willie says no one can see it. He tells Jason to stay away.

Our thoughts

John: Willie's performance works on everyone. Even Carolyn believes it to be true.

Christine: He played it well. It would have been hard to imagine a few weeks ago that he might become a sympathetic character.

John: Nice how they're building up Willie's fear of Barnabas, with the portrait enough to cause him to faint. A nice bookend to his early appearances admiring all of Barnabas' jewelry.

Christine: It's hard to reconcile the well mannered image of Barnabas we've seen so far with a creature that has inspired abject terror in Willie and may be responsible for draining a cute little calf of its blood.

John: It's interesting to note that while the town vampire apparently has no qualms biting a calf on the neck, he can't bring himself to do the same with Willie, whose wound is on his wrist...

Christine: A bite wound on the neck might invite questions. A wound on the wrist can be more easily hidden and explained away. While the women in Collinsport might soon develop a fashion for scarves, that look wouldn't really work for Willie. It could also be that biting Willie's neck might seem a little more...intimate.

Episode 215 - 4/24/67

At The Blue Whale, Burke sees Maggie and joins her at her table. The talk about his altercation with Willie Loomis, and Maggie says it was very effective, as neither has seen him since. Maggie notices Jason arriving at the bar, alone.

Burke goes up to Jason and asks about Willie, since he hasn't seen him around. Jason says that must be a load off his mind. Burke presses Jason on where Willie is, and he says he doesn't know. He hasn't seen him since Burke beat him up. He says he went back to Collinwood to pack, but then disappeared without taking his things. And then his things disappeared the next day. Jason says Willie disappeared knowing he had money for him.

Burke rejoins Maggie, and then a depressed Joe shows up. He says he went to visit his uncle on his farm, and ended up helping search for a missing calf. There was no explanation for its disappearance. They found it on the other side of town, dead. A vet determined that the calf wasn't injured, but had died from a loss of blood. There wasn't a drop of blood in the calf's body, nor where it was found. The vet says it had two small puncture marks on the throat. Burke asks what anyone would want with calf's blood.

Willie ambles into the bar. Burke goes up to him and Willie all but ignores him. He asks what Burke wants. Burke asks what the last thing he told him was, and Willie says he wanted him to get out of town. Willie says he won't make any trouble, and says he's sorry. Burke can't believe it. He asks if Willie is all right. Willie says nothing is the matter, but he's noticeably shaken. He starts to take a drink and clutches his head. He asks Burke to leave him alone.

Jason returns and Burke intercepts him. He tells him that something's wrong with Willie. Jason approaches Willie, who is happy to see him. Jason asks where he's been, and Willie tells him not to ask. He says he doesn't want to talk about it. Jason tells him he knows he was in the cemetery, and Willie jerks up. He denies it, but Jason knows better. Jason asks how he could sink so low as to rob a stiff. Willie says he didn't. Jason offers him the $500 to get out of town, Willie says he doesn't want it.

Burke tells Joe and Maggie that he doesn't know what happened to Willie, but something's wrong. Joe continues to bemoan the dead calf.

Jason says Willie can't stay, and he tells Jason he has to. He asks Jason to leave him alone. Jason notices spots of blood on Willie's sleeve, and asks him where they came from. 

Our thoughts

John: Finally! A sign of vampirism in Collinwood. Anyone who missed Barnabas' hand coming out of the coffin might not realize there's anything odd about the new stranger in Collinwood.

Christine: Today it's calf blood, but who will be on the menu in the days to come?

John: Kudos to John Karlen. Now having seen his early Willie appearances, the transformation he's gone through is pretty amazing. If you haven't seen the last few weeks pre-Barnabas' arrival, you won't fully appreciate his fine performance.

Christine: He's even got Burke worried about him.

John: Fascinating how the groundwork has been laid for Willie Loomis to be a Chupacabra!