Episode 164: Beyond caring that it might destroy her too

We open in the drawing room of the great house on the estate of Collinwood. Well-meaning governess Vicki tells parapsychologist Dr Guthrie that she is frightened at the thought that some unknown evil stalks the estate. So he says he wants to leave. He wants to spend the day in the town of Collinsport.

In their cottage in Collinsport, drunken artist Sam Evans is bickering with his daughter Maggie, The Nicest Girl in Town. Sam’s hands were burned in a fire some weeks ago, which he believes and the audience knows was caused by blonde fire witch Laura Collins. He can’t paint and is trying not to drink. When he refers to his belief that Laura caused the fire, sensible rational Maggie scolds him. He laughs a little, as if he is starting to doubt that Laura is to blame. Maggie leaves for her shift running the restaurant in the Collinsport Inn.

Vicki and Guthrie meet Maggie at the restaurant. They represent Dr Guthrie to her as “Mr Guthrie,” and tell her that he is a connoisseur of painting who wants to meet Sam. Maggie is thrilled by this idea, but worried that Sam may not make a good impression.

Dashing action hero Burke Devlin enters. Vicki introduces him to “Mr” Guthrie. Burke asks to speak to Vicki alone. Guthrie volunteers to call on Sam by himself.

After some awkward and pointless back-and-forth at the Evans cottage, Guthrie tells Sam that he is investigating the strange goings-on concerning Laura Collins. Sam realizes that for the first time he has an ally who takes his ideas seriously, and begins talking calmly and in depth about what has happened to him. He tells Guthrie that he doesn’t really know anything about Laura, but that some mysterious force compelled him to paint pictures in which her likeness embodied “evil incarnate.”

Back at the restaurant, Burke tells Vicki that Laura is the most wonderful woman in the world. The audience doesn’t know how much of Burke’s infatuation with Laura is native to his psychology and how much is the result of a spell she may have cast on him, but we can see plainly enough that Vicki, Dr Guthrie, and others who stand in opposition to Laura can expect no help from him.

Vicki tells Burke that she was reluctant to sit down with him, because she was afraid they would “have the same conversation all over again.” Perhaps she’s been watching the show- the three episodes immediately preceding this one consisted entirely of recycled dialogue.

Events may not move forward rapidly today, but there are some signs that the story will soon get moving again. Sam may not tell Guthrie anything that is new to regular viewers, but some of it is new to Guthrie. More importantly, we can see what Sam’s attitude towards his situation has been, and can see indications that it might change. Since he does hold crucial pieces of more than one of the puzzles the characters are trying to solve, that raises the prospect of plot development.

Moreover, Burke gives Vicki a vital piece of information. Reclusive matriarch Liz has been carted off to the hospital because of a sudden and mysterious ailment. Laura has been telling everyone that she hadn’t seen Liz the day before she was stricken. Burke casually mentions to Vicki that he and Laura saw Liz very shortly before her initial attack. He doesn’t know that he is exposing Laura in a lie- in fact, he boasts that he and Laura have nothing to hide. Vicki takes Burke’s information to Guthrie. We don’t see them planning their next moves, but this is the first moment all week when we have any reason to suppose that anyone will have a next move.