Episode 124: Ghosts of a Chance

Monday, December 19, 1966

Note: The episodes’ official numbering includes skipped numbers for pre-emptions, in accordance with their numbering system (so that one could look at the number of an episode and know what day of the week it aired on). I have elected to number the episodes by what episode it actually is, but I will note the official numbering also.

This is the 124th episode, but the official number is 126.

My name is Victoria Winters. Though it is now late at night, the lights of Collinwood are still burning. A man has arrived who could rescue me from the old house where I am held prisoner—the prisoner of a crazed, desperate man who has just decided to kill me.

Matthew tells Vicki that once he kills her—the third girl whom the ghosts want to die—they will leave him alone, cease following him, and won’t tell what they know.

He ties her up extra tight, hurting her wrists. 

He says he knows how to kill her so it won’t hurt—like an animal to the slaughter. 
She says she’s not an animal; she’s a human being. Does he want her blood on his hands?

He says he has to obey.

Burke asks David why he called. David isn’t sure he should tell. Roger says he probably doesn’t know anything.

(It’s surprising that Carolyn can’t sense Burke is nearby, if she can’t hear him.)

David says he doesn’t want to be sent to jail. Burke says little boys can’t be put in jail. Roger says they can be punished. Burke says to stay out of it.

David says he called Burke because the ghost of Bill Malloy wanted him to.

Burke becomes uninterested until David says the ghost told him to help Miss Winters. Burke asks where she is. 
David says she’s with Matthew, but he’s sure Matthew wouldn’t hurt her.

While Matthew works on his murder plans, Vicki, left ungagged (and why don’t they face her and the camera at each other a little bit?), calls for help.

Josette’s ghost steps down from the portrait.

She visits Vicki and tells her not to be afraid, which doesn’t help Vicki much. 
Vicki asks why she says that, but Josette just turns around and walks through a wall, the way ghosts will do sometimes.

Burke asks David how he knows Vicki’s with Matthew. Roger says he saw it in his crystal ball.

David says he saw Miss Winters and he talked to her. Burke asks where she is. David says he’s hurting his arm. Burke says he’s sorry, he just wants to know where Vicki is, David doesn’t have to tell him anything else.

But David wants to tell, so they’ll understand why he did what he did. He didn’t know it was wrong. He thought Matthew was innocent. Burke begs him to say where. David says where, in the old house.

Roger says that’s been searched already.

David says they didn’t know where to look.

Matthew comes in with an axe. 

Vicki says she just saw the ghost of Josette Collins.

David tells Burke how to get into the bookcase room.

Burke says they have to check it out. Roger agrees and goes to get two guns.

Vicki tells Matthew the ghost told her not to cry, not to be afraid. The ghost doesn’t  want her to be killed.

“No!” Matthew says. “They do!”

Vicki says they don’t, and if he kills her, they’ll go after him, and they don’t stop until he’s dead too.

Roger and Burke leave.

Matthew tells Vicki maybe she’s lying. The ghosts want her dead, and so does he. 

As Matthew brings the hatchet up to strike, Vicki screams. 
The ghost voices stop Matthew from striking. 
He goes looking in the other room, where he meets Bill Malloy, singing “What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor?” 

   Matthew tries to hit him but goes through.

The Widows join the party.

Vicki can hear Matthew’s screams and she screams too.

Roger and Burke hear her and rush in.

As the three of them leave, they see Matthew slumped over in a chair.

It turns out he’s dead.

(Note: Josette looks a bit like she could be Maggie, and Kathryn Leigh Scott is credited in this episode as Maggie, although Maggie doesn’t appear.)

        Cast, In Order of Appearance

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

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

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

David Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  David Henesy

Matthew Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Thayer David

Josette Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathryn Leigh Scott (?)

Bill Malloy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Frank Schofield

Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by Lela Swift

Written by Ron Sproat