Episode 132: Change of Heart

Friday, December 30, 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 132nd episode, but the official number is 135.

My name is Victoria Winters. A stranger has come to Collinwood. Every member of the Collins family has reacted to her presence in a different way. The strongest, and the strangest, reaction, has come from a small boy.

Vicki tries to convince David that it is his real mother downstairs and to give her a chance.

He says he won’t come down. “I don’t want to go near her.” Something terrible might happen if he does.

He just has this funny, scary feeling. Vicki says that’s his imagination.

David asks Vicki not to make him go downstairs. It scares him. Vicki says if he’s going to behave that way, she’ll make some excuse.

Liz says she doesn’t understand David’s reaction. Roger says he’s always unpredictable. Laura says they don’t have to be kind to her.

Vicki comes down and says David has gotten overexcited and it would be better if they postponed this.

Roger says he’ll go up and get David, but Laura says not to.

Upstairs, David calls out the window that he can see his mother watching him. He begs her to stop it.

Liz says it may take longer for David to adjust than they at first thought.

Roger suggests she come to stay there.

She isn’t sure.

Roger says she could stay in Matthew’s cottage.

Laura likes this idea.

Carolyn comes in. She and Laura reminisce about the plays Carolyn used to put on in the garage and Laura’s long, jangly earrings that Carolyn loved.

Carolyn offers to show Laura the cottage.

Roger says he’s confident everything will work out. Laura hopes so. All she wants is to be close to David.

David tells his mother to go away and then throws himself down on the bed.

Liz gives Laura the keys to the cottage. She and Carolyn go to look at it.

Liz and Roger agree they’re favorably impressed by Laura. Liz goes up to check on David.

Vicki tells Roger that David appears to believe Laura isn’t really his mother. Roger says he’ll take care of it and not to mention it to Liz.

Liz tells David that Laura is coming to stay with them. He’s relieved when it is in the cottage rather than at Collinwood. Liz says even grownups panic at big moments.

David says he doesn’t know why, but he is scared.

Carolyn shows Laura the cottage.

She asks whether Laura’s seen Burke. She isn’t as happy about Laura’s not hating Burke as she expected to be.

Laura asks which window at Collinwood is David’s.

David feels better, thinks his mother is pretty, and realizes he’s been silly. (Does this have anything to do with Laura’s focus on his window?)

Laura asks whether Carolyn thinks Roger and Liz would mind if she moved in right away.

Carolyn objects that she should need her things and the cottage hasn’t been cleaned.

Laura says she’ll manage for the night and have her things sent over in the morning.

Carolyn offers to go get her things tonight.

Laura says they’re already packed. Carolyn is surprised. Well, really, Laura never unpacked. She didn’t expect to be there long.

Laura calls to David in his sleep.

        Cast, In Order of Appearance

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

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

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. . . . .  Joan Bennett

Laura Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Nancy Barrett

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

Carolyn Stoddard. . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Barrett

Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by John Sedwick

Written by Ron Sproat