Episode 589: He wants it to happen all over again

A terrible script, full of repetitious language and recycled story points, but each member of the cast is in top form. They almost make it feel like we haven’t seen all of this before.

In May and June of 1967, vampire Barnabas Collins imprisoned Maggie Evans, The Nicest Girl in Town, and tried to brainwash her into thinking she was his his lost love, the gracious Josette. After Maggie escaped from Barnabas, she was in a state of total mental collapse for several weeks. By the time her memory came back in August, Maggie’s psychiatrist, mad scientist Julia Hoffman, had become Barnabas’ accomplice. Julia has a preternatural power of hypnosis, and she used it to block Maggie’s memories before she could expose Barnabas.

Now, Barnabas and Julia are conducting an experiment to build a female Frankenstein’s monster. Once constructed, the new woman is to be the mate to patchwork man Adam. They need an existing woman to donate her “life force” to animate their creation. They were planning to use Maggie. Barnabas’ servant Willie has a crush on Maggie, so when he learned of their intentions he abducted Maggie before they could get at her.

Willie stashed Maggie in the hidden chamber of the old Collins family mausoleum. As it turns out, Barnabas had taken Maggie there to torture her when she was his prisoner, so when she found herself in that setting her memories came back. Maggie made that clear at the end of yesterday’s episode; she and Willie spend most of today’s talking it over. Kathryn Leigh Scott plays Maggie’s horror and John Karlen plays Willie’s panic with admirable intensity.

Barnabas is visiting the great house of Collinwood when his distant cousin Roger tells him that heiress Carolyn Collins Stoddard has left the house to spend several days in Boston. Adam is threatening to kill various people unless the experiment is completed soon and Carolyn donates the life force, so Barnabas is alarmed by this news.

Barnabas goes home to the Old House on the estate. He finds Carolyn waiting for him there. She tells him she knows all about the experiment and is eager to serve as the donor. Barnabas is bewildered by her enthusiasm. As Carolyn, Nancy Barrett plays this scene with such gusto that she is electrifying to watch. When Barnabas finds her standing in his front parlor looking at him with total self-assurance the show has what is, as far as I am concerned, its sexiest moment so far.