Episode 128: The Thing She Wants

Friday, December 23, 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 128th episode, but the official number is 130.

My name is Victoria Winters. During the time I’ve been at Collinwood, there is one name that is seldom spoken, and when it is, the voices are hushed. But now the name is being spoken again, and the voices are filled with uncertainty.

Roger tries calling Laura. There’s no answer in her room.

Mrs. Johnson sneaks down to eavesdrop on him and Liz.

Liz says Laura must have come back to see them. 
Her own family has moved away.

Mrs. Johnson reports to Burke that Laura Collins is back in Collinsport. 
Burke is surprised. 
Mrs. Johnson tells him that the Collinses suspect he brought her to town.

He says he tried years ago, but she was in a sanitorium.

Mrs. Johnson tells him that Laura is in the same hotel.

Burke calls down to the desk to get Laura’s room number.

He tells Mrs. Johnson she’s made his day. She’ll find a little something extra in her paycheck.

In the meantime, he’s going to visit an old acquaintance.

Burke knocks on Laura’s door, but she doesn’t answer.

Laura is watching a child in a swing (possibly David?).

Mrs. Johnson turns down David’s bed. He complains she never cooks anything he likes.

She tells him maybe he’ll be getting the discipline he needs soon. She tucks him in and says maybe someone else will be doing it soon.

David says he felt like someone was watching him today. He thought he saw a lady behind a bush.

Roger is trying to reach Laura again.

Mrs. Johnson says she put David to bed and turned the lights out; the rest is up to him.

Roger tells Liz he still can’t reach Laura. Maybe she’s with Burke Devlin.

Liz says David still asks about Laura. She says they must prepare David for whatever happens.

There is a knock on the door, and Mrs. Johnson lets Laura in.

She and Roger greet each other civilly.

Liz invites Laura to come and sit by the fire.

David is restless in his sleep.

Laura says she doesn’t drink anymore when Roger offers to fix her one.

She’s found a permanent place, and her analysis helped her a lot.

She wants David back.

David calls out for his mother in his sleep.

Roger says David doesn’t expect to see her again.

Laura says she won’t oppose a divorce. She just wants complete custody of David.

She says she can provide everything for him.

Liz says they should think this over.

Laura says she’s thought it over.

They agree that the choice must be David’s.

Laura wants to look in on David, but Liz puts the kibosh on that. She leaves, for now.

David wakes up.

Liz and Roger agree that Laura has certainly changed—but they don’t know what to believe.

David comes downstairs. He doesn’t respond to Roger. The front doors burst open, and David tries to run out, calling for his mother. Liz and Roger grab him and pull him back.

Cast, In Order of Appearance

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

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

       Mrs. Sarah Johnson . . . . . . . . . . .  Clarice Blackburn

       Elizabeth Collins Stoddard . . . . . . Joan Bennett

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

       Laura Collins . . . . . . . .   . . . . . . .  Diana Millay

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

                            

      Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Episode 125: Figments

Tuesday, December 20, 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 125th episode, but the official number is 127.

My name is Victoria Winters. I have just lived through days of terror. I have been the captive of an insane, desperate man who wanted to kill me. I had given hope of ever being rescued—until a moment ago.

After David tells her the story, Liz calls Sheriff George Patterson to come because Matthew has Vicki at the old house. 
Mrs. Johnson overhears and thinks they won’t see Vicki again outside of a graveyard.

Luckily, she is wrong about this, as Roger and Burke arrive with Vicki. Liz embraces her and calls her “Vicki, darling.”

Roger tells Liz that Matthew died, possibly of shock. 

Vicki tells them she thinks Josette’s ghost saved her.

Liz takes her up to bed.

Roger thinks it’s all a figment of Vicki’s imagination, but Burke thinks otherwise. Why else was Matthew frightened to death?

Liz thanks Burke for his help. She asks him how fond he is of Vicki. She asks him not to hurt Vicki or Carolyn. She thinks he is capable of feeling, despite everything, and she thinks he’s attracted to Vicki. He tells her falling for an orphaned governess doesn’t fit into his scheme of things.

Mrs. Johnson tells Vicki that Burke must be very fond of her, dropping everything to come and look for her.

Vicki says she could hear him looking for her, through the wall of the old house.

Mrs. Johnson says he hired investigators too.

“I didn’t know that.”

Burke arrives to check on her. Vicki checks herself out in the mirror as Mrs. Johnson lets him in. 
Mrs. Johnson leaves.

Vicki says she doesn’t know how to repay Burke. He says her being alive is payment enough. It means more to him than anything.

Then he says to forget he said that.

She says she doesn’t understand him sometimes.

He says she shouldn’t try; it will just mean trouble for them both.

Burke gives her his usual warning to quit her job and leave town.

She says she’s staying. This is her home now.

He says if she ever needs anything, to call him.

She says she’ll remember and they say good night.

Roger tells Liz that the sheriff and his deputies have taken Matthew’s body away. 
Burke comes down during this. 

Roger tells him and Liz that Matthew seems to have died of natural causes—perhaps of fright.

Liz visits Vicki and, finding her awake, gives her a sedative.

Vicki talks about the ghost of Josette watching over her. She says the ghost of Josette Collins looked like her—more than the portrait did. Maybe she’s one of Vicki’s ancestors.

Liz says that would make her a Collins, and that hardly seems likely.

She tells Vicki about a little girl (Liz’s great aunt) who wandered away and was found by a man fishing at the time of year when people didn’t fish, in an area where people didn’t fish. A woman appeared to her and told her not to be afraid right before the man got there.

Vicki thinks that must have been Josette Collins.

Liz tucks Vicki in and says they’ll talk about it tomorrow.

Josette wanders in and out of the pillars again, dancing.

              
          Cast, In Order of Appearance

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

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

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

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

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard . . . . . . . . . . Joan Bennett

Mrs. Sarah Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Clarice Blackburn

Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by Lela Swift

Written by Ron Sproat