Episode 1501

Aired: Monday March 26, 1972

In a repeat of Friday's close, Quentin bangs on the door of the old house and then enters, looking for Barnabas, who isn't there. Quentin calls for him a couple of times, and there is no answer. Quentin notices something on the stairway, and a closer look reveals a few drops of blood. "Blood...." Quentin thinks. "Barnabas is in trouble too... I must find Angelique or Julia.....or else I'll have to face Brian alone...." Outside, Brian points towards the house as Barnabas, powerless and shaking with near tears in his eyes, walks towards the front steps holding a gun....

After the titles, Quentin comes out of the old house and closes the door behind him. He sees Barnabas, and calls to him. "Barnabas! What's happened?" is all he can say before he sees the gun. Quentin grows concerned and sees Barnabas looking fretful. "What's wrong with you? Put that gun down!" Barnabas struggles to say "I....cannot! I must take you with me..." Quentin snaps "You don't have to do that, Barnabas! If Brian is making you do this somehow, you must fight him!" Barnabas cries "I cannot! Don't you understand? I've....I've been bitten...." Quentin gasps "Barnabas, no! We need to find Julia! Or Angelique! They can help you!" Barnabas moans "There is no help for me now...not anymore. You must come with me. Please, Quentin, don't resist! I cannot have any harm done to anyone on my conscience!" Quentin asks where they are going, and Barnabas says "I can't tell you...I'm sorry." Quentin says "It's okay, I think I know. And when I get there, believe me Barnabas, I'll do whatever I can to free you from this!" As they walk off, we see Brian watching and snickering before following them out of sight. A moment or so later, David steps out of the woods, after watching what has happened. "Brian has control of Barnabas somehow," we hear him thinking. "And now he wants Quentin too... I've got to do something!" He hears someone approaching and runs out of sight. It's Julia, who passes him on her way to the old house. We cut to the old house door being opened and Julia entering. She calls for Barnabas and then sees the blood on the stairway. "No...dear God no!" she says as Angelique enters. "What's happened?" Angelique asks. "What we've feared...what we've always feared..." Julia answers. Angelique grabs her and says "What are you saying? Are you telling me Barnabas is dead?" Julia says "No... but Brian has taken him." Angelique gasps.

Angelique wonders aloud if Barnabas has been turned back into a vampire, but Julia thinks a moment and says "No... how could Brian gain from that? Think about it... Barnabas as a vampire means Barnabas would have great powers independent of Brian's control." Angelique nods and says "Yes, you're right. But not as a slave of the bat Brian became, which would give Barnabas no control. Julia, we must free him!" Julia agrees, and Angelique gets some fire in her eyes when she says "And the only way to do that will be to destroy Brian Miller...something I shall take great pleasure in." We cut to Barnabas marching Quentin up the steps of Rose Cottage. "Somehow I knew we'd be coming to Brian's lab. I only wish I knew why. But I suppose you won't tell me his plans, will you?" Barnabas says "I don't know them...I only know what I must do." He leads Quentin inside, and we cut to Chris and Lori locked in the cell with Quentin's portrait as they hear footsteps. The door to the lab opens, and Quentin is marched in by Barnabas, holding the gun on him. Quentin sees them and calls out to both of them before running to the bars. "Are you all right?" he asks Lori, who nods, answering "Brian has gone insane!" Brian enters and laughs. "Not quite, my dear. Barnabas, you've done well. With Chris Jennings, Quentin Collins and that wonderful portrait all together in one place, we shall soon see the fruits of my genius. And you, my dear Dr. Slater, will witness that genius in your last moments on this Earth!" Barnabas shudders and says "You can't kill her! You can't kill any of them!" Brian says "You're in no position to think for yourself anymore, Barnabas. And get used to that feeling! I only need to prepare things just a bit..." Brian walks up to Quentin and slides a knife blade across his cheek. Lori shrieks and Quentin pulls away, but Brian says "Calm yourself, my dear. I've done him no harm. Remember what effect that portrait has on our friend." Quentin feels his face, which is not bleeding, but we see that some blood has begun to run from the old decaying face in the portrait. "Your immortal blood, now fresh upon that portrait....and with Mr. Jennings as the other end of your curse serving as the catalyst for mixing the two together, I shall have the means to transfer the power of that portrait into my own veins." Quentin snarls "What are you talking about?" just we see David approaching the door to the lab from outside, where he can listen in. Brian continues "As long as Jennings mixes your blood with the shreds of paint from that portrait after the moon rises and he is transformed, the resulting mixture could give me your everlasting life if transfused into my own blood." Quentin says "Lori's right, you are insane!" Lori thinks a moment, and says "No, Quentin... it could be possible! Especially if he's prepared himself with some sort of herbal treatment to prepare his blood for the shock." Brian snickers "Exactly right, doctor." Barnabas shouts "But if that portrait is shredded, then Quentin will revert to the rotting corpse it depicts! He'll die!" Brian says "A necessary sacrifice for my enduring existence. And with Lori Slater in the same cage, at least he'll die with someone he cares for, right Mr. Jennings?" Chris snarls "I'll kill you when I get the chance, Miller." Brian smiles and says "I don't think so," and removes some silver bullets from his pocket and drops them on the table. "Because once I get what I want, you are no longer of any use to me."

Brian orders Barnabas to get Quentin into the cell. As Barnabas begins to unlock the door, David sneaks into the lab and is seen by Chris and Lori as he sneaks under a table towards where Brian keeps his herbs. Barnabas opens the door and holds the gun on Quentin when suddenly, David bumps the table and it makes a noise. Barnabas and Brian are distracted, and Quentin grabs Barnabas' arm and begins to struggle for the gun. "Barnabas, don't fight me," Quentin says. Barnabas struggles with Quentin and with himself, saying "I...cannot help myself...." Quentin pushes Barnabas away and the gun flies out of his hand. Brian takes a step towards it, but Quentin grabs him as Lori runs out of the cell. She calls for Chris, but Chris says "No... I can't! The moon is about to rise!" Quentin throws Brian into the cell, and he hits the wall hard. Quentin slams the cell bars shut as Barnabas goes for the gun. When he gets there, a foot steps on it and when Barnabas looks up, it's David. "David!" he gasps. David says "Fight it, Barnabas!" Barnabas grabs the gun and tries to get it out from David's foot as Brian gets up and yells "Kill him! Barnabas, I order you to kill David!" Barnabas gets the gun out from David's foot and stands pointing it at him as Quentin yells "Barnabas! No!" Chris lunges at Brian and begins to strangle him. Meanwhile, Julia and Angelique are moving quickly through the woods towards Rose Cottage. Julia says "I thought I saw David going in there a moment ago." Angelique asks "Why would David be there?" Julia says "He's been insisting on helping us...reading about herbs and shamanism... he said he came across some things that could help." Angelique says "He's young... but he's no longer a child. Perhaps he will be able to help." Back at the lab, David shudders as Barnabas points the gun at him. From inside the cell, Chris chokes Brian as he manages to say "Kill him! Quickly!"

Barnabas' hand begins to shake as Brian continues to order him to shoot. Quentin tells Barnabas to "keep fighting it" and David says "Barnabas.... you can't....remember our gentleman's agreement.... we're always there to look out for each other..." Barnabas gasps as he suddenly jerks away from David and fires off to the side. "Quentin.....stop me! Quickly! Before I turn back!" he yells. Quentin runs over towards him and says "You asked for it," before decking him and knocking him out. Quentin shakes his punching hand from the force of the blow and says "I know you'll forgive me, old friend..." Chris suddenly drops a gasping Brian and falls away, groaning in pain. "It's happening!" Chris yells. We cut to a shot of the moon beginning to rise. Brian backs away in terror. "He's transforming! Get me out of here!" Quentin begins to laugh, saying "How perfect for you, Miller, to get torn apart by the very force you thought would give you everlasting life!" Lori says "No, Quentin! Your portrait is still in there! It'll get torn apart too!" Quentin realizes this, and says "But if we open that door, Brian will get away!" Brian grabs ahold of the portrait and says "It's your choice, Quentin" with an evil smile as Chris continues to groan, suddenly holding up a hairy wolf's paw instead of his own hand....