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.