Collinwood in the year 1840. On this night, Barnabas Collins and Julia Hoffman will make their first attempt to change history, and thereby avert the tragedy that will occur in 1970. But they will discover something they never learned in their own time, that an evil, more horrifying than any they have ever known exists here, and will be responsible for the tragedy that is imminent.
Barnabas and Julia are walking through the woods when they hear footsteps near by. They try to track them, but they fade away. Barnabas assumes it was likely just an animal. They walk a little further and discover Hortense's body.
Act I
Barnabas notices it looks like someone tried to "rip" her head off. Julia notices Hortense still has a faint heartbeat, and tells Barnabas to go to Collinwood and get her medical bag.
Quentin sees Barnabas rushing into Collinwood and asks him what's wrong. He informs him of what he found in the woods, leaving Quentin feeling guilty about kicking her out of the house. Julia walks in shortly thereafter and tells Barnabas not to bother with her medical bag anymore, because she is now dead. However, Julia points out that Hortense regained consciousness shortly before she died and spoke of a headless man. Quentin becomes nervous and runs out of the house.
Later, Julia tells Samantha what happened to Hortense, leaving her very sad. Samantha reveals to Julia that she and Quentin are getting a divorce so she can marry Gerard, and Tad is coming with her. The news surprises Julia. Samantha grabs a gun from the desk in the drawing room and says she is taking Tad to Rose Cottage. She goes upstairs, but Quentin catches her and realizes what she is about to do.
Act II
Quentin drags Samantha into the drawing room and warns her not to get any ideas about taking Tad out of Collinwood, and he now has two servants guarding his room. Samantha again reminds him that Tad isn't his son and he slaps her. Quentin reminds her she can leave Collinwood whenever he wants, but she will never take Tad with her. Samantha tells her she will stay in Collinwood, but she will make his life a living hell.
After Samantha goes upstairs, Barnabas returns and presses Quentin for answers regarding a "headless creature". Quentin claims to know nothing, but Barnabas tells him if he knows anything he must admit it, or else the future of the family is in jeopardy.
Act III
Quentin reveals the story of Judah Zachary to Barnabas. He was a warlock who was beheaded in 1692. His body was buried in a secret location, but his head was put on public display as a warning to all of Judah's followers. Barnabas vows to find the body and the head and destroy them both.
Hours later, a weary Barnabas returns after an unsuccessful search for the body. He meets with Julia in the drawing room at Collinwood, who reminds him that now that Hortense is dead, the governess position is now open, and the position is destined to Daphne. Barnabas tells Julia to try to convince Daphne to leave town and never come back.
In the morning, Julia goes to visit Daphne at her apartment. Although the two have never met, Julia tells Daphne to leave town immediately, or else she will die.
Act IV
Daphne thinks Julia is threatening her, but Julia is persistent. Julia reveals that at some point soon, Daphne will be offered the position of governess at Collinwood, and she must not take it. Daphne thinks she is crazy and wonders if she has ever seen her before. She says she has no intentions of ever taking a job at Collinsport and asks her to leave.
At dusk, Barnabas goes to Collinwood and finds Julia. Julia sadly feels she has failed in her attempt to get Daphne to leave Collinsport. They wonder when Quentin will offer her the job. As they say that, they see Quentin walk out of the house.
Quentin shows up at Daphne's apartment and offers her a job as Tad's governess. The offer shocks Daphne. Quentin pressures her for an answer since he is in a hurry, and she accepts the job and agrees to move into Collinwood.
Meanwhile, a cloaked figure walks through the graveyard in the middle of the night. The figure enters the Collins mausoleum and opens the door to the secret room. The room is empty, and the figure is revealed to be Angelique, who vows to find where Barnabas is.
Memorable quotes
Angelique: He's gone! I wouldn't have thought it possible... but I will find him. He will never get away from me!
Samanatha: I've known nothing but tragedy in this house.
Quentin Collins: There's a maniac loose in those woods and I don't think she could've done anything to prevent it.
This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 1130.
Lara Parker returns to the cast after an absence of 72 episodes. It is the first appearance of character Angelique Bouchard Collins during the '1840' storyline. The use of Parker as narrator at the start of this episode somewhat gives away the surprise at the end of the episode that the character has returned.
In the year 1692, Judah Zachary was condemned to death as a warlock in the village of Bedford. He was beheaded as the villagers thought his evil was so great that he wouldn't be able to die like an ordinary man, so they separated the head from the body. No one knows where the body is buried, it's a well-kept secret, but the head was put on public display as a warning to all his followers. Since 1692, the head has reappeared several times, and each time it reappears, murders follow in its wake. Attempts have been made to destroy the head, but no one has ever succeeded.
There is no memorial plaque on the outside of the secret door inside the Collins mausoleum. Only a close-up of the secret door and the above opening mechanism are shown. The main room is darkened, and as Angelique leaves the mausoleum in 1130 it seems the three stone coffins aren't there either. (It's likely the mausoleum set wasn't fully erected for recording in order to save space inside the small studio that the show was recorded in.)
Virginia Vestoff can't help but smile after she realizes that she flubs her line to Quentin...."...make your life an unliving hell" instead of "living hell".
