Episode 7: Clam Chowder

Tuesday, July 5, 1966

My name is Victoria Winters. The dead past drifts through the corridors of Collinwood, and settles like dust into its corners. Spurred by hope and surrounded by fear, my search continues, as life itself continues. Not only for me, but for everyone else in this strange corner of the world. People who live with their own fear, their own hopes.

Sam Evans returns home. His watch has stopped, so he calls to get the correct time. “Don't rob me of my hours. They’re all too few, or perhaps too many.”

Roger surprises him. He says he knocked and waited. Roger attempts to stop Sam from drinking while they have their talk; he is not successful. Sam, as usual, waxes poetic. Something in the Collinsport water supply seems to bring this out in people, although Sam doesn’t seem to be imbibing much from that source.

“To life, Collins. The long, unhappy, and miserable life that lies ahead for both of us . . . Sustenance of my soul, provider of my courage, destroyer of my talents.” Sam is toasting to his drink.

Roger has about had it with this, but his inquiries about where Sam was last night are met with more of the same. “Well, the fact of the matter is that even when I’m here, nobody’s home.”

Roger finally brings the conversation round to Burke Devlin, whose return to town is worrying him. Sam says he wept for himself and Burke and Roger. Roger doesn’t think Burke—a very wealthy man now—needs Sam’s tears. He doesn’t say whether he does. Sam thinks money can’t make up for years in prison. Roger thinks Burke is going to try to hurt him in some way. Sam agrees that’s probably so.

Roger says, oddly, “I can handle all the problems that come to me directly, but not those over which I have no control.” Sam assures him, longwindedly, that he will do nothing.

Maggie recognizes Burke. She asks if he wants his coffee black with four sugars. He doesn’t recognize her. She tells him he used to pose for her father. They are friendly, but Burke isn’t quite as friendly as she’d like.

Vicki comes in. To get away from the ghosts and goblins? Maggie wants to know. “Partly. And to make a phone call.” She goes to do so.

Could Burke imagine anyone wanting to live in Collinwood? He could. She wouldn’t take a hundred bucks a day to work there. Nobody asked her to. “But they did ask Miss Winters.” He asks Maggie to keep his coffee hot; he’ll be right back. Maggie asks him what her name was again. “Winters. Victoria Winters.” The scene ends on Maggie’s face. Could Maggie know something about Victoria Winters?

Roger is angry that Sam talked to Vicki. He calls the house and finds she’s out, so he decides to go find her before she finds Burke.

Burke gets Vicki to join him for coffee. He reasons that he’s the oldest friend she has in Collinsport. He tells her how he spends his days, rattling off a facetious list of bad deeds. Vicki thinks he’s a strange man. He thinks she’s strange too. “All the attractive young girls are just dying to [go to] the big city to find love—romance—fortune. But you—you leave—New York—bury yourself in a small town that wouldn’t fill four square blocks in Manhattan.”

“So did you.”

But he had a reason. What’s hers? He isn’t convinced its being the job. She tries to go back to try her call again, but he apologizes. He promises not to mention it again. They’ll talk about the weather. Clam chowder. Maine clam chowder is the best in the world.

Maggie tells Vicki if Burke gives her any trouble to “let me know.” Burke interrupts and asks Maggie to get him the local paper. It comes out once a week, Maggie notes, “in this thriving metropolis.” Burke pushes. Maggie goes, saying, “Hint, hint, hint.”

Burke tells Vicki he used to pose for Maggie’s father, who’s a great guy.

Roger comes into the lobby looking for Vicki. When Maggie tells him she’s in the restaurant having coffee with Burke Devlin, Roger turns and leaves.

Burke is regaling Vicki with a story about how he got spanked for ghost hunting at Collinwood as a kid. (Where are Burke’s parents? Did they die? When? The story doesn’t seem to address this.) Burke suggests Collinwood is still haunted.

Maggie arrives with the paper and tells Vicki that Roger came looking for her—but left. “Too bad,” Burke says ominously. “I’m always anxious to see old friends.”

Vicki thanks him for the coffee and goes to try her phone call again.

Maggie asks Burke to keep an eye out for her father if he goes out looking for Roger. She thinks her pop was on an all-night binge. When did Sam start drinking (apparently, Burke disregarded her earlier “hundred and ninety proof” remark). A lot changes in ten years. Burke says he planned to drop by and say hello to Sam.

He quickly makes good on this, but doesn’t get the friendly reception he hoped for (because Sam is drunk, and drunkenness erases brain cells). Sam says he’s tired, and Burke agrees to come back later. Sam breaks the glass in his hand after Burke leaves. Burke has that effect on men.

Vicki makes her phone call.

Cast, In Order of Appearance

Victoria Winters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexandra Moltke

Sam Evans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark Allen

Roger Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louis Edmonds

Maggie Evans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathryn Leigh Scott

Burke Devlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mitchell Ryan

Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by Lela Swift

Story created and written by Art Wallace