Nathan aims a crossbow at the study door. It opens and Barnabas steps in. Nathan fires, and the arrow strikes Barnabas in the chest. He screams, and his vision blurs. He drops to his knees. He pulls the arrow out of his chest and tells Nathan he missed his heart. He gets up and approaches a screaming Nathan.
Joshua comes into the study. Barnabas asks if Ben buried Forbes, and Joshua says they will tell everyone Nathan left Collinsport. Barnabas asks about Millicent. Joshua says he will have the marriage annulled. Barnabas asks his father if he has the silver bullets. Joshua says he does. Barnabas asks him to end the curse, and Joshua tells him that he will do it in the morning, at sunrise. He explains Ben and Riggs have moved the coffin to the secret room in the mausoleum. Joshua tells his son that he hopes he will finally have peace. Joshua explains he will take care of Millicent and Daniel, as if they were his own children. He assures Barnabas that no one will know what happened to him. He will have every mention of Angelique struck from the family record. He says the world will know that he was his son, and that he went to England—that is all. Barnabas asks his father to do two things for him. First, to free Ben, in appreciation for his loyalty. Second, he must try to save Vicki from hanging. Joshua says already he tried and failed, but he will do as his son asks. Joshua tries to tell his son what he means to him, but Barnabas stops him. He bids his father farewell and leaves him, sharing a parting glance with his visibly upset father. Joshua takes his revolver and the silver bullets in hand.
At sunrise, Joshua stands over his son's open coffin holding the revolver in a shaky hand. He closes the coffin when Ben enters. He says he didn't hear a shot, and Joshua says he couldn't do it to his son. Ben asks what he will do. Joshua says they must confine him to his coffin. He explains if there's a silver cross affixed to the inside lid of his coffin, Barnabas won't be able to move. Joshua says it's dangerous, in the case that someone opened the coffin two hundred years from now, Barnabas would be free to roam as a vampire once more. Joshua says he will get Ben the cross, and tells him he is to chain the coffin shut.
Joshua sits in his study, where he says goodbye to his son.
Ben finishes chaining up the coffin, and says goodbye to Barnabas. He exits the secret room in the mausoleum.
Ben joins Joshua in the study. He tells him that the work is done. The coffin is chained up, and the mausoleum is locked. Joshua tells Ben that Barnabas asked him to give Ben his freedom. Joshua says he will give Ben $100 and grant him his freedom as a reward for his loyalty. Riggs brings Joshua a letter. It's a refusal from the governor to provide a stay of execution for Vicki. Joshua says there is nothing more he can do for her.
Vicki is in her cell. Peter comes to see her, which was her last request. The guards tell them they'll have five minutes together. She pleads with him to tell them that she was the one who shot Noah. Peter tells her to stop thinking about it. He says he wants to know as much as he can about her. She says she wants to know all about him, too. He says he knows he loves her, and she says she loves him, too. They kiss. Peter says she traveled through time to find him, and he's going to travel through time to find her somehow. The guard returns to take her to the gallows. They kiss one last time before she is taken away, and Peter tells her to remember what he said, and that he will find her.
The executioner tests the rope on a heavy bag. Vicki is led to the gallows.
The executioner gets her into position, puts the rope around her neck, and asks if she wants a mask. She does.
She hears Peter's voice, assuring her that he'll find her. While a small crowd watches, the executioner hangs Vicki.
Our thoughts
John: Wow. Joshua can't bring himself to shoot his vampire son, so rather than allowing Barnabas to find peace, he decides it would be better to have him live with it forever, chained inside a coffin from which he cannot escape. Thanks, Dad!
Christine: Ben didn't talk him out of it either. So long, Barnabas! Loyal servant, indeed!
John: Funny how Joshua predicted future events. And yet he still decided not to end Barnabas' suffering when he had the chance.
Christine: It's clear that Joshua rewrote the Collins family history, but I wonder why Naomi's grave marker said she died in 1821. Was that Joshua's doing or was it due to Vicki's presence in the past? Also, did I miss it, or did we never get to see Jeremiah's well known portrait that hangs over the mantle in present day Collinwood make an appearance in 1795? I'm wondering when that was painted.
John: How is it that Peter figured out the act of hanging Vicki would send her back to the future? In any case, what a great way to bring our 1795 vacation to a close. I have to admit it was a far more entertaining excursion than I was expecting. I know we haven't seen the last of historic Collinwood, and I can only hope future travels through time are equally entertaining.
Christine: Too bad we missed the Forbes strangulation, though we got a nice POV shot. It was a wonderful end to one of my favorite storylines. While I hate to leave this time period, it will be even more interesting to return to the present day with the Collins family history securely in mind. Now we know the secret of the chained coffin.
3 comments:
Yes! As much as I enjoyed the first 365 episodes prior to 1795, I agree this storyline was the best yet. And I agree it had a satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed following along with your blog very much!
DC probably didn't want to spend the money for a new marker for Naomi.
John C. Houston -- I have to admit that I found this episode distressing what with Vicki having to go through her own hanging. This is even though I knew she would live through it and return to the present. I knew this because of the clues (e.g. Peter's statement you noted above) to that effect that I think were put in by DC and the writers to soften the emotional impact (and because I read ahead in the companion guide).
I want to give kudos to Alexandra for her convincing act of a woman about to be hung. As you can see in the still photo above, the look on her face just before being masked is the perfect expression of terror and resignation to one's fate. She must have really put herself in the moment like all good actors do. That day must have been a very emotionally draining day for her.
I think Naomi's 1821 death date was part of Joshua's re-write of the family history. He wanted to hide her suicide and make everyone think she died a natural death as he stated in his speech to Ben.
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