We open on the top of Widow’s Hill. We’ve seen this place several times, but only in spot-lit night-time scenes. Fully lit and fully dressed, I declare it to be a new set.
High-born ne’er-do-well Roger Collins is blissfully staring out at the sea when rough-hewn caretaker Matthew Morgan approaches. Matthew sees only the danger of the summit with its sheer drop to the sea and stones far below, leading Roger to reprove him for his lack of aesthetic sense.
When Roger tells him that the reason he is so very happy is that the coroner has declared that the death of beloved local man Bill Malloy was an accident, Matthew is slow to believe that the sheriff will stop coming around the estate of Collinwood to investigate a possible homicide. Roger assures Matthew that the coroner is the final authority. Matthew brings up Roger’s enemy, dashing action hero Burke Devlin. The sheriff may have to defer to the coroner’s judgment, but Burke is determined to make life as miserable as possible for Roger and the other Collinses, no matter what anyone says. Roger answers lightly, suggesting possible ways Matthew could murder Burke should he present too grave a nuisance. Shocked by Roger’s dark humor, Matthew says “You oughtn’t make jokes like that Mr Collins, people might not understand.” Roger listens to him with a serious look on his face, as if he’s trying very hard to imagine what it might be like to be the sort of person who could go five minutes without making a naughty joke of some kind.
Meanwhile, at the great house on the estate, well-meaning governess Vicki is preparing to go for a long walk. Flighty heiress Carolyn comes twirling up to her and tries to start a conversation. Vicki’s guard is up; episode 73 may have been Wednesday for us, but for Vicki it was just a couple of hours ago. She’s angry and bewildered by Carolyn’s ferocious verbal attack on her at the beginning of the episode, and by her tale-bearing from the middle of the episode that nearly cost Vicki her job. When Vicki tells Carolyn she doesn’t want an argument, Carolyn responds with a startled “Oh!” She’s forgotten all about her earlier nastiness. She makes a nebulous quasi-apology, then tells Vicki about the coroner’s verdict. Faced with Carolyn’s absolute joy at the news, Vicki can’t help but warm up to her. The two of them stand at the window and joke about starting a musical act, in which the two of them will be singers and Matthew will accompany them on the harp.
Carolyn would like Vicki to stay in the house with her until Roger comes back, but when she sees that Vicki is determined to take a walk, she suggests Lookout Point. When Matthew comes in and tells the girls that Roger is on the top of Widow’s Hill, Vicki volunteers to stop there on her way and tell Roger that Carolyn wants to see him.
At the hilltop, we see Vicki behind some foliage, looking at Roger. Roger is still looking out to sea, lost to the world in his elation about the news from the coroner. From this position, she asks Roger if he’s planning to jump. He is startled, and objects that it isn’t very nice to sneak up on someone standing at the edge of a cliff.
Vicki reminds him that he first introduced himself to her on exactly this spot, with exactly those words. He laughs and offers a belated apology. She smiles and accepts it. The two of them have such a sweet little scene together that we might wonder if it really will turn out like Jane Eyre, and the orphaned governess will marry the ranking male of the family. I suppose that was possible, at this stage of the series.
Vicki tells Roger she is on her way to Lookout Point. Roger darkens, asking her why she wants to go there. She tells him Carolyn suggested it. He tells her it might be the place where Bill Malloy died. This does not deter Vicki, and so he urges her to go at once, since the tide will be coming in soon.
Back at the great house, Carolyn greets Roger as a returning hero. She then teasingly tells him that he has stolen a valuable piece of property from Burke Devlin. Roger can’t imagine what she’s talking about. She tells him that he never returned the custom-made, silver-filigreed fountain pen that Burke gave her. Carolyn has to go on at some length about the pen before Roger remembers it. Even when it does come back to him, Roger is utterly unconcerned with the pen, making jokes about the lengths he will go to to replace it. Carolyn explains that it is important to her- she’s responsible for it, and doesn’t want to incur a debt to Burke by losing it.
Roger listens to her as she tries to figure out where he could have lost it. As she narrows it down further and further, a look of terror suddenly appears on his face. He begins to search for the pen frantically, tells Carolyn that finding the pen is far more important to him than it is to her, and is alarmed to find out that she has told Matthew about the pen.
We see Vicki walking along the beach where Bill Malloy may have died. She looks down. There, among the seaweed and driftwood, she finds Burke’s pen.
This is the sixth episode with location footage out of the last eight. A week ago Wednesday we saw a recycled shot of Roger walking towards his office and waving at someone on a boat. Last Friday Vicki and David walked through the woods to the Old House, Matthew also went to the Old House, and the ghost of Josette danced among the columns outside the Old House. Monday Vicki and Roger toured glamorous downtown Collinsport. Wednesday we saw Sam walking along the street a couple of times. Yesterday we saw Burke walking along the street and entering the hotel. Today, Vicki leaves the house to go to Widow’s Hill, then walks along the beach and finds the pen. The series will never let us have that much fresh air again, so we ought to enjoy it while we can.
Dark Shadows Commentary 