Collinwood has been a home to many generations of the Collins family. This house has seen many joys and many sorrows. This day brings forth yet one more such event, but this one, as have many been before, is a mixture of both. For today is a homecoming. A member of the Collins family will return home today. But the life he will lead here now is quite unlike the life he lived here before.
The front door to Collinwood opens. Elizabeth Stoddard enters followed by Quentin as he pushes Roger Collins through the front door in a wheelchair. Elizabeth then closes the door behind them. Quentin pats Roger on the shoulder and says, "Well Roger, you're home. For a while there we were afraid we'd never have you back here again." Roger sat in the chair with a kind of pout and had no response. Liz then said "Bring him into the drawing room Quentin, we'll have a drink." Quentin reached for the handles, but Roger scowled and grabbed the wheels and growled, "I'll not be carted around every inch for the rest of my life, I'll manage." With that, he wheeled himself into the drawing room and parked in front of the fireplace. "Roger! Quentin was simply trying to help you! There's no call to be rude like that!" Liz retorted in shock. Quentin's eyes dropped slightly as he said, "It's alright, Liz. I just might have the same attitude if I were in the same situation." Roger simply sat there frowning. "Well Roger, I had Mrs. Johnson prepare a room for here on the first floor. It's the old guest room near the kitchen. I'll show it to you after we have our drinks." Liz said handing him his drink. "Ah yes. So I'm to make myself quite at home; in the servant's quarters!" Roger said haughtily. In anger, he hurled his goblet into fireplace. The sound of glass shattering is heard as he turns the chair and wheels himself out of the drawing room. Liz and Quentin turn looking at each other (Sad music rises and fades)
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Gerald Fenton sits on the bed in his locked room at Windcliff Sanitarium.
The nervous impatient behavior he exhibited at the Collinsport jail no
longer characterized his demeanor. He simply sits with a hopeless abandon.
The door to his room opens and Julia Hoffman enters. "Hello Mr. Fenton. My
name is Dr. Julia Hoffman. I am here to help you Mr. Fenton." She said as
reached for the chair near his bed. "You can lie down if you like. You may
find it more comfortable." She added as she sat down. Fenton didn't move. He
simply said, "Help me? No one can help me, Doctor." Julia leaned back in the
chair with his patient chart letting her pen rest on her chin as she said,"
I wouldn't be so sure about that Mr. Fenton, the reason this place exists is
to help people such as yourself." Fenton's emotions did not change in the
least. Julia then brings the pen back down to the chart and begins her
therapy. "Now, first of all, I want you to be comfortable with me. I'd like
to call you, Gerald. Is that alright with you?" Fenton gave a slight shrug
as if to say, "Whatever, It doesn't matter to me." Julia smiled and nodded
slightly and continued, "Alright Gerald, I'd like you to lie down now and
make yourself as comfortable as possible." With an expression of, "I don't
see how this is going to help, but ok" on his face, he lies his head back on
the pillow and brings his feet up onto the bed. Julia then proceeds, "Now
Gerald, can you tell me your name?" With no change in his expression, he
simply says, "Gerald Fenton"
Julia: Where were you born?
Gerald: Augusta, Maine.
Julia: When did you move to Collinsport?
Gerald: 1962.
Julia: and what brought you to Collinsport?
Gerald: I sent my resume to Collins Enterprises. Somebody saw it, and called
me.
Julia: So you were employed by the Collins family. In what capacity?
Gerald: I was an accountant.
Julia: Who actually hired you for that position, Gerald?
Gerald: A man named Bill Malloy.
Julia: was Mr. Malloy the person you answered to the whole time you were
employed by Collins Enterprises?
Gerald: No, he died a few years ago.
Julia: Who became your senior manager after Mr. Malloy died?
Gerald: Roger Co…, Roger Colli……no….no……noooooooo
Gerald Fenton sprang up in the bed with eyes wide. He jumped from the bed
and seized Julia by the shoulders shaking her wildly as his tossed side to
side. "I didn't mean… I didn't…. I…." Gerald screamed wild eyed and
continuing to shake Julia. The door burst open and two orderlies rushed in
and grabbed him pulling him from Julia and pinning him to the bed. Julia ran
to the door and called to a nurse to bring a sedative. Momentarily, the
nurse arrived and injected Fenton while the two orderlies held him securely.
Julia stepped outside the room and simply stood with a mixed expression of
relief and confusion.
(Sharp music rises then fades)
Barnabas Collins stands at the desk in the drawing room looking through a ledger book. His finger runs up and down the page. He pauses a moment with a calculating look. He then closes the ledger and returns it to the desk drawer and picks up the phone. He takes a small card from the desk and dials the number and waits. "Hello, Miss Parker? It's Barnabas Collins. Yes, I was in the office a few days ago. So he has discussed it with you? No, there is no need to disturb him. Simply tell Mr. Halliburton I have decided to accept his offer. Yes. I can pick them up in a few days. Thank you Miss Parker. Goodbye." Barnabas returned the receiver to its cradle and turned just as Willie was entering the room. "Hey Barnabas, I was wonderin', if you don't got nuthin else fah me to do if I can go into Collinsport now?" he asked. Barnabas looked a bit puzzled wondering what business Willie might have in town. He started to speak, then paused a moment. He was so accustomed to Willie always being at his beckon call. Now he felt a bit uncomfortable with attitudes that he felt for so long now. Whatever Willie wanted to do surely wasn't anything to worry about. Willie tilted his head slightly thinking maybe Barnabas hadn't heard him "Ah, is everything ok, Barnabas?" he asked. Barnabas then turned to him and replied. "I want to sit down for a moment, Willie." He said. Willie looked a bit confused, but did as he was asked. After he was seated Barnabas turned to him and said, "Willie, as you know, for years now I have lived with certain fears that have, shall I say altered the manner in which I as a normal man would behave. I now feel a kind of freedom unlike I have known since before the curse." He paced a few steps and then turned back to Willie and continued. "Willie, in addition to being a faithful servant, you have also been a good friend. I now find myself unsettled by that arrangement. Willie, from this moment on, you are my employee, and my friend. When your work is completed, you are free to spend your time however you wish." Willie sat before the big front window, not quite knowing how to respond. Barnabas, seeing his confusion then said. "What I am saying Willie, is that fear no longer compels me keep you under constant scrutiny in the fear you will betray my secret. I know I can trust you not to reveal what you know. Because of the freedom that gives to me, I in turn am able to pass that freedom on to you. Whatever you have to do in Collinsport is not any of my concern. Do you understand, Willie?" Willie stood up and smiled and said, "Yeah, I think so Barnabas. Thanks. I think of you as my friend too. You helped me out a lot." Barnabas then turned and said, "When you return, I would like you take the two paintings in the upstairs hallway to the attic. I plan to replace them with others that I'll need you to get from Collinsport in a few days." Willie nodded and said, "Sure Barnabas." Barnabas then sat in his arm chair and said, "Enjoy yourself in town Willie." Willie grinned and replied, "Thanks Barnabas, I won't be gone long." With that he turned and left the house. Barnabas let his thoughts roll back to a time when he was more friend than Master to an indentured servant many years ago. How he valued that friendship. How he didn't have to overpower that man to retain his friendship when the awful curse began. His long dead friend, Ben Stokes.
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Barnabas still sat remembering the man he had been in 1795. It felt so
liberating to know that man was slowly but surely emerging again. He knew he
could never fully be the same man again; naïve of the evil and supernatural
that he now knows fully well exists.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.
Looking up he sees Julia enter the drawing room. He stood and asked, "So how
did your session with Fenton go, Julia." Exasperated she replied, "Not very
well I'm afraid. It won't be quite as simple as I first assumed. The man is
deeply troubled Barnabas. He was calm, and everything seemed to go well
until Roger's name came up." Barnabas curiosity was now piqued and he asked,
"And what happened when Roger was mentioned?" Julia replied, "He became
almost completely unbalanced and he attacked me." Barnabas eyes grew wide
with concern as he asked, "Were you injured?" Julia nodded in the negative
and said, "No, he wasn't really trying to hurt me, Barnabas, he was just
shaking me. He lost all control and had to be confined. Dr. Bernard will
attend him for a few days. After some time has passed, I'll try again. I was
just so hopeful I could bring back something that would be useful to us."
Barnabas paced the floor and replied, "Well at least no harm came to you. I
am now fully convinced that Judah is at the root of Fenton's actions." Julia
nodded then turned to look at Barnabas. She then looked puzzled and asked,
"Have you changed something about yourself, Barnabas?" Barnabas turned to
and asked, "What do you mean?" Julia shook her head and said, "I don't know.
There just seems to be something different about you and I don't really know
what it is." Barnabas looked a bit puzzled and replied, "No, I have changed
nothing. I have been somewhat more tired than usual, and I have stumbled a
few times. Perhaps I just need to rest a bit more than I have been. I feel
tired now. I think I will go lie down for a while." Julia was now both
puzzled and concerned and said, "We should have a medical exam done to see
if there is some underlying cause, Barnabas." Barnabas replied, "I hardly
think that is necessary, I will simply get some rest. I'm sure all will be
fine, Julia." He then ascended the stairs leaving Julia in the drawing room
in deep concern.
Elizabeth sat at the desk in the drawing room trying to concentrate on some documents before her as Quentin was swilling a goblet of scotch. "Roger doesn't seem to be adjusting to this new situation well at all, Liz" Quentin said with a slight frown. Liz turned in her chair to face him and replied, "Yes I see that. I suppose we shouldn't expect him to accept it right away. It will take some time for him to overcome the bitterness he's feeling." Quentin took another swallow and said, "It just bothers me to see all his drive gone. I remember reading about one of our ancestors named Gabriel Collins. He was crippled as a child and wallowed in pity without being in any way productive till the day he died. I wouldn't want to see Roger turn out that way." Liz thought for a moment and said, "Yes, I've read about Gabriel too. I can assure you Roger won't turn out that way. The stubbornness he displayed in this very room, as angry as it made me, also confirmed in my mind that that very same stubbornness is what won't allow him to just lie down and die. You'll see." Quentin placed the goblet on the tray and said, "Well cousin, I sure hope you're right. It'd be a pity to see a man like Roger just waste away as worthless. Well, I'm going to go out for a walk. I need to clear my head about some things before I take that trip to Boston tomorrow. You know, you were right. I'm glad I took that job. I really feel like I'm contributing something worthwhile myself for a change. I really like it." Liz smiled and said, "I knew you were the perfect man for the job. It's a shame we didn't utilize the position sooner instead of letting it just sit there on the books without a good cause. I hate to admit it, but I must say, it's the only worthwhile thing Jason McGuire brought to this house. If it hadn't been for him, the position might not exist now. All reports show now that what you've been doing in the position is resulting in sales increases and more client contacts than we had before. You're doing a splendid job." Quentin smiled and replied, "Thanks cousin Elizabeth, well I'm out for that walk now. I'll se you later." Having said that, he left the house and Liz put away her work and headed off to the doorway that led to the kitchen and lower bedrooms.
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Julia Hoffman sat napping in the big arm chair in the drawing room of The
Old House. Her head tossed first from one side to the other. The phone on
the desk suddenly rand out shrilly and she awoke abruptly. She rose and went
to answer it. "Collins residence." She said as she waited for a reply. "Oh
yes, Dr. Bertrand. Yes. It looks like we will have to progress at a slower
rate than I first thought. No, I'm fine; I was simply shaken up a bit."
Barnabas now descended the stairs and entered the room. Julia continued her
conversation. "Yes let's drop back two levels and whatever you do, avoid the
subject of Roger Collins completely at this point. We will have to progress
at a much slower pace than I'd hoped. Thank you for calling Doctor, I'm
quite alright. Goodbye." She then turned to Barnabas and said, "That was
Doctor Bertrand. I was reviewing Gerald Fenton's case with him." Her eyes
then narrowed slightly as she caught site of Barnabas. She walked closer
scrutinizing him carefully. Barnabas looked puzzled and said, "What is it,
Julia? What's the matter?" Julia took him by the arm and led him to the
hallway. "Look in the mirror Barnabas. Your temples are starting to grey and
the crow's feet at the corners of your eyes seem deeper. Barnabas looked in
the mirror and saw that indeed he was graying and that the small wrinkles
did seem harsher than he originally remembered.
He gave Julia a puzzled look for a moment and said, "What does it mean,
Julia? What does it mean?"
(Three dramatic notes sound)
Elizabeth Stoddard…
JOAN BENNETT
Barnabas Collins…
JONATHAN FRID
Roger Collins…
LOUIS EDMONDS
Julia Hoffman…
GRAYSON HALL
Quentin Collins…
DAVID SELBY
Willie Loomis…
JOHN KARLEN
Gerald Fenton…
MICHAEL STROKA
Orderly 1…
GEORGE McCOY
Orderly 2…
TOM MURPHY
Nurse…
ANN DAVIES
Written By RUSS WILLIAMS
Directed By RUSS WILLIAMS
Story Developed and Created by ART WALLACE
Fashions courtesy of ORBACH'S
Music composed by ROBERT COBERT
Series created by DAN CURTIS Executive Producer