Dr. Woodard monitors Willie, lying in a bed with a plastic cover.
Julia arrives at the old house and tells Barnabas that Willie is still in a coma, but will likely die soon. Barnabas is not satisfied, and once again he declares Willie must die. Now. Tonight. Julia tries to explain that Willie is guarded day and night. He should let him die quietly. Barnabas says he's going to the hospital and she says he can't—the sheriff is coming to examine Willie's room. Julia tells him that if she can convince the sheriff that Willie kidnapped Maggie, there would be no doubt he was responsible. He says they will find something very incriminating.
The sheriff is with Woodard in the hospital. Woodard says there's a slim chance he'll come out of it. The sheriff says he has a sixth sense that Willie is not the one who kidnapped Maggie. He thinks Willie will be able to tell them who is, if he lives.
Barnabas prepares to plant Maggie's ring in Willie's room. He decides to hide it in a candlestick. He tells Julia to go to the hospital and make sure that Willie doesn't recover. She asks if he's asking her to kill Willie. He explains he's not asking her. She says she couldn't kill him, and he tells her that she surely knows of ways that would not be detected.
Sam stops in to see Willie, and asks if they think he'll pull out of it. He tells the sheriff that he doesn't think Willie is guilty. Woodard says the sheriff was just saying the same thing. The sheriff asks where Willie could have hidden her? He couldn't have kept her at the old house without Barnabas Collins knowing. He says he plans to go out to the old house to check out Willie's room. Sam asks to join him, and they head out.
There's a knock at the door of the old house, and Barnabas comes downstairs. He lets the sheriff and Sam Evans in. They go up to Willie's room. In his room, Barnabas offers to light a few candles. Sam asks if Willie went out much at night. Barnabas says that he did, and he didn't inquire into his personal life. Sam says they can't figure out where he would have kept her if he had kidnapped Maggie. Sam joins the sheriff in searching Willie's room. He picks up the candlestick with the ring hidden in it and sets it back down. Before they leave, Barnabas clumsily knocks over the candlestick and then digs the ring out—surprised to find it. Sam identifies it as Maggie's, and the sheriff declares it's just the evidence they were looking for as Barnabas can't contain a smile.
Julia checks in with Dr. Woodard to see how Willie is doing. Julia offers to relieve Woodard when Willie groans. He says he's coming out of the coma and goes to call the sheriff. Julia stands over Willie, looking at the IV going into his arm.
Barnabas says he can hardly believe that Willie must be guilty. Sam says he shouldn't blame himself. There's another knock at the door, and the sheriff says that must be his deputy. It is—and he says Willie is coming out of his coma.
Our thoughts
John: There's a new sheriff in town. Well, a new actor playing the sheriff, anyway. I'm gonna miss Dana Elcar.
Christine: The new sheriff seems just as willing to allow civilians to assist him in a search as the old one was. Dana Elcar was admired well enough to make it necessary for Bob Lloyd to announce that Vince O'Brien had taken his place. If the new sheriff looks familiar, it's because he also appeared as Lt. Dan Riley, investigating the Laura Murdoch Collins case. Incidentally, this week marks the last time we'll get to enjoy Bob Lloyd informing us that Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production, with Episode 330 being his last.
John: No wonder everyone thinks Willie is going to die. How could anyone survive in critical condition in their low-budget hospital set?
Christine: I think that's what hospitals actually looked like back then. It's a wonder anyone survived. It was interesting that Barnabas told Julia that as long as Willie is alive, his "entire career is threatened." Is vampirism a career?
John: Isn't it rude for Sam to start smoking in Barnabas' house? It's like they wanted to fill Willie's bedroom with smoke for effect.
Christine: It's 1967. People smoked as much as they wanted wherever they wanted. I'm surprised Sam didn't light up in Willie's hospital room.
John: Barnabas is counting on Julia to take Willie out, but I don't think she has what it takes to do it.
1 comment:
Barnabas was so evil back then, willingly and enjoying framing the person who have helped him so many months.
Post a Comment