Jason tries to deny it. Everyone is shocked. Roger can't believe it. Liz says it happened in this room. The judge says that before she says anything, he needs to leave, in case he's involved in the case later. Roger demands that they get Garner there before she says another word. Liz goes to Carolyn, who asks if she killed her father, and the judge tells her to call him if she needs him to do anything, and leaves. Jason asks them to all be calm. Carolyn explains that she was ready to kill Jason. She points to the gun. Roger tells Jason Liz did him a favor. Liz says Jason offered to help her, and then blackmailed her. Carolyn asks why she killed her father. Jason says he's tired of the absurdities, and tries to leave. Burke tells him to stay at gunpoint.
Liz tells of the night Paul was killed. There was a storm, and Paul stood beside the fireplace in the drawing room. She knew he was planning to leave that night, and never come back. She tells Paul she's not trying to stop him from going, but she's trying to stop him from what he's doing. She says she knows his suitcase is packed with bonds and jewelry worth a fortune. He says they'll call it a settlement. She says he can go, but the suitcase stays. She says it belongs to Carolyn. He says to tell her it's a small payment for having to put up with her for the last two years.
He says he's in a hurry, as he has an appointment. She says she knows Jason McGuire is how he's going to sell the bonds.
He grabs the suitcase and starts to leave. She tells him to stop, and she raises a fireplace poker.
He turns to go and she swings the poker, hitting him in the head and knocking him to the ground.
She closes the doors to the drawing room, and Jason McGuire arrives. She asks him to call a doctor, and says she didn't mean to do it. Jason looks in the room. He tells her not to alert anyone else. He checks on Paul and confirms that he's dead. She asks what she's going to do, and he tells her since it was an accident, there's no need for the police to find out. He tells her everyone knows Paul was planning to leave her, so why have Carolyn lose Liz, too. Jason says he'll get rid of the body for Carolyn's sake. Liz agrees. She then explains that Jason buried Paul in the basement. Ink was poured on the blood in the carpet, and she had Matthew burn it a few weeks later. Jason takes her to the basement to show her where Paul was buried. They close and lock the cellar door, and Jason gives Liz the key. She says that she knew from that point on, she was a prisoner of Collinwood forever.
Our thoughts
John: If Liz was willing to kill Paul over money, why wouldn't she do the same with Jason?
Christine: She didn't intend to kill Paul, so I don't think she would have been able to intentionally kill Jason, though since she was willing to do what was necessary to stop Paul from stealing Carolyn's inheritance, she should have been just as determined to stop Jason from doing likewise.
John: Interesting use of an in-episode flashback, with Liz' narration setting the scene in motion.
Christine: That was fun. Paul Stoddard was a real jerk. I wonder how Carolyn will react to finding out her father wanted nothing to do with her.
John: Amazing that they chose to never show us Paul's face. I was beginning to wonder if he wasn't really dead—if Jason helped him sneak out the window, and not actually bury anything in the basement. That, or I thought we might discover that Paul was still alive when Jason went into the drawing room, only to be finished off by Jason himself!
Christine: Interesting thoughts. Perhaps we'll get more information in tomorrow's episode. Who will be making the call to Sheriff George Patterson?
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| Quick glimpse of Paul Stoddard's face. |
I don't want to give too much away, but it's fitting that you don't see Paul's face, because of something that happens much later during the "Leviathans" period of the show.
ReplyDeleteYes, very clever use of flashback here. No spoilers from me, just keep this episode in mind down the line.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the actor playing Paul would play the King of Moldavia on Dynasty!
ReplyDeleteThis wasn't the first flashback on the show, there were flashbacks during the first episodes with Vicki and the founding home. But this was the first flashback to a major event in the Collins family.
ReplyDelete