So Long 1795

EPISODES 451-460

Well well well.. Like any good (and dragged out) plot in a soap opera, this too had to come to an end. And while watching these remaining episodes of the 1795 story, I've had so many "A-Ha" and "I knew it!!" moments that it was uncanny. I practically guessed how most of the stuff would turn out in the previous post. I'm beginning to suspect I've been a fan of the show in my previous incarnation or better yet I may turn out to be one of the deceaced cast or crew members (with my luck, I was probably serving coffee). So anyway, lemme tell briefly how it ended~

Burn the witch!

-Last time we were left with a seemingly tame and obviously old witch trying to lift the curse off Barnabas. However, Angelique's influence was so strong that she not only fails at her second attempt but burns in Angelique's supernatural flames. It was kinda left open ended whether she became toast or survived but I think former is more likely what happened.

-People finally remembered about Vicki. Joshua tried cowardly way of helping her by having a talk with the judge and later with the governor, both of which bounced back flaccidly. Turns out Mr. Collins doesn't have much of power or influence as we have been led to believe. Pfft. Some people are full of themselves. 

But Peter Bradford ain't one of them. When the shit hit the fan, he grabbed Vicki's jailer's gun, locked him up and freed Vicki. But not before Vicki managed to shoot herself on the friggin shoulder. Don't ask me, if you've seen the episode you'll know.

Ben the everloyal

-So this is where we got to learn who's loyalty lies with who. Ben Stokes, the servant who I've had a love/hate relationship (actually it was more like sympathy/annoyance), put me to shame when he willingly helped Vicki and Peter hide (there's a slight but totally amazing reference to the time when Matthew once kept Vicki captive in the Old House). I mean yeah I knew he had a big cuddly heart and all that but after the incident at the court where he was wrongfully declared insane I'd kinda lost faith in him. Naomi was also as generous as ever when Vicki had to hide in Collinwood. Daniel too was very helpful. Nathan Douchebag Forbes was douchebaggy as always but we'll get to that later in more detail.

Vicki goes BANG BANG

-Nathan finally wanted to have Daniel out of the picture so he could inherit Millicent's wealth. He hired/blackmailed his ginger frienemy Noah Gifford for the job, who unwillingly kidnapped Daniel but before he could kill him, the boy escaped into the cemetery where he was nurtured by Vicki who happened to be snoozing hiding in the secret room of the Collins Mausoleum. She then shot Noah on the back to save the boy. That was her first and probably the last kill. 

-When Vicki and Daniel fled the scene, Nathan discovered Peter hovering over the body, who got framed for the murder and was sent to the gaol. This broke Vicki's heart later when she learnt.

-Nathan, crazy with what little authority he gained -via blackmail- within the walls of Collinwood, started to act like he is the boss. Suspecting his intentions concerning Daniel, Naomi had the boy sent to a secure place in town which naturally angered Nathan and made him give her the news about Barnabas and how he's the Collinsport Strangler now hiding in the Tower Room. After that, it was all downhill--

Naomi's demise

*Naomi discovered the body but was told Barnabas was put under a sleeping spell.

*Then Naomi saw Barnabas going for the delicious artery on Millicent's neck and screamed her lungs off.

*Joshua had to admit everything and if I remember correctly he specifically didn't use the word vampire as not to give the woman a heart attack on the spot. 

*Naomi killed herself anyway by poisoning her drink. She went in style and in Barnabas' arms. It was a dramatic scene where she said she loved him no matter what. Afterall, Angelique's spell was directly aimed at the destruction of whoever loved Barnabas..

*..which Barnabas used as an excuse to be emo towards his father one last time. "You are incapable of loving me so you will be spared as a victim of the curse"

Nathan's last moments

*But my favorite one came from Ben when Barnabas was feeling guilty about his mother's death:

"You can't just tell somebody to stop loving. It ain't that easy." You tell it boy!! 

*Barnabas threatened Nathan about killing him in half an hour.

*Ben taunted Nathan about Barnabas threatening to kill him in half an hour. Joshua also didn't object much.

*Nathan found a crossbow from the Collins Family collection of weapons (my brain went BuffyBuffyBuffyBuffy), shot the vampire but missed the heart (Buffy would never) and got himself killed. It was a bit rushed considering how Nathan was one of the main villains of this storyline but what it comes down to is..he is dead and his body is dumped like the carcass he was.

Locked Up For Eternity

-When this was all over, it was time for Barnabas to leave this world. Joshua'd been doing some research and found out silver bullets can kill a vampire as well. When Barnabas was taken back to the Mausoleum in his coffin, Joshua couldn't bring himself to shoot his own son. So what happened was he had Ben put up a silver cross inside the coffin and lock Barnabas up within with multiple chains while he's sleeping. They hoped that nobody would ever find and release him back to the world. But we know better don't we. It just took one Willie Loomis to do it. It was also quite symbolic that with most of the family and friends dead or gone, Joshua and Ben -two polars of social hierarchy- had to work together for this one final job.

Can he reach across the universe?

-Last but not least, Vicki Winters had been found and turned over to the authorities by Nathan before he was killed. Back in her cell and so close to the execution, her last wish was to see Peter Bradford, who too was facing charges. Before she was taken to the gallows, they kissed and cried and Peter promised Vicki that he'll find a way to find her in the future. Kinda romantic. Possible future storyline. Then at the gallows, they put the rope around Vicki..she asked for the mask..they covered her face..great tension..total silence...breaths hold...and they pulled the weight under her. She is hung!

WHAT AN ENDING!!!! 

At the gallows

Well I'm pretty sure that Vicki will open her eyes in Collinwood on the séance table all traumatized and shit but still...WOW!! I was on the edge of my seat. The moral of this story must be "live in the now; not the past". Things all in all went quite consistent with my alternative reading of this all being "Vicki's mental escape into the past to avoid facing Burke's death". She had to literally face the death herself to be able to come back to reality, which is quite mythtic if you ask me. I'm curious to learn what'd happen if Peter reappeared in Vicki's time.

We also got to learn Joshua deliberately decided to change the written family history to cover up the shame caused by Angelique. Every mention of her will be removed from the records, Jeremiah will be given a natural death, Barnabas will be written as having left for England and everything will be recorded as the way it's known by Vicki and the other members of the family. Speaking of which, I think the family history book is trapped in the past. Maybe it'll appear on Vicki's lap when she wakes up? Or maybe Peter will bring it with him?

Now let's do a final situation update of the characters:

*Naomi, Sarah, Jeremiah, Abigail, Josette Collins are all dead.

*Barnabas will be locked in the tomb for the next 150 years or so.

*Millicent and Daniel will be raised by Joshua Collins as if they're his children. Millicent is also a total kookoo head right now.

*Angelique too is dead but her body was gone from where it was buried the last time we checked and she appeared at the court looking very much alive so we don't know for certain.

*Ben Stokes is set free from his servitude by Joshua upon Barnabas' last request. Actor Thayer David also has the honors of doing the first male voice-over prologue narration of the series. Dingdingding!!

*Rev. Trask's skeletons remain within one of the walls of the Old House cellar.

*Andre du Pres had left the town after Josette's death. We dunno what happens to him.

*Natalie too strangely disappeared during the last couple of episodes. I bet she opens the first tarot shop of the history.

Ok so, as much as I enjoyed this ride I'm glad it's over. It was surely a ballsy move on the writers' part to take the series into a brave new territory, especially when the year of the production is concerned.. And they must have liked it themselves cause we'll apparently have couple of more different time-travel stories in the future. I'm looking forward to them but I'm just glad we're back in the present for now.

PS. Also, what the hell will happen to Phyllis Wick the other governess?