Episode 1303

Aired: Wednesday June 23, 1971

Thayer David's voiceover: "Collinwood, in the present day. The mistress of this great estate has been uneasy, rocked by frequent nightmares and strange feelings of being detached from time. Unbeknownst to Dr. Julia Hoffman, an aftereffect of hypnosis has left Elizabeth Collins Stoddard disconnected from the passing of time. And on this night, before Dr. Hoffman can attend to the problem or simply let it fade away, events taking place 130 years earlier will cause Elizabeth's life to change forever...."

Julia enters Collinwood from the outside, still looking somewhat nervous from Barnabas' disappearance. When she enters the drawing room, Liz is there with Professor Stokes. Liz tells Julia that she called Stokes since he's studied memory and perception and might be able to help with her problem. Julia plays along, and offers to try more hypnosis on Liz. Liz agrees, and leaves the room to get Mrs. Johnson to make some tea for everyone. Julia takes Stokes aside and tells him she's glad he happens to be there because there's been another problem. Stokes asks what, and Julia tells him "Barnabas. He's.... disappeared!" Stokes raises an eyebrow.

Stokes asks how long ago it happened, and Julia tells him it was only a few hours ago. Julia tells Stokes she thinks that "a spirit called Barnabas back into the past..." and then has to cover herself with "...for some reason." When Stokes asks her whose spirit, Julia lies that she "doesn't know." Frustrated, Stokes sits and says "That doesn't provide a very adequate lead." Julia asks Stokes why Barnabas might have been pulled into the past, and Stokes says "Perhaps to change something. We may never know." Julia asks why, since if something was changed they'd notice. "No, " Stokes answers, "because if anything was changed in the past, those of us in the present would have all of our perceptions and memories altered as well to fit the changes. We wouldn't notice anything strange if we saw all the furniture in this room instantly change, or even if we found ourselves living completely different lives. You saw what happened when we returned from 1840." Julia thinks a moment over "1840" as we cut to the same room in 1840, where Barnabas has just spilled everything to Stokes. "Extraordinary!" he marvels. "Now you understand what I've told you must be taken in complete confidence," Barnabas says. "I understand," Stokes answers. "Besides, even if I was not a man of honor and told anyone what you just told me, they would most certainly think me quite mad." Julia says "Barnabas, if we return to our time, will we have to fight Petofi in the guise of Professor Anderson all over again? When will we arrive?" Barnabas doesn't know and looks to Stokes for an answer. All Stokes says is "That is a very good question, Julia."

Still in 1840, Stokes thinks a moment and says "I would suspect we would return to our time in relative time to the moment that Barnabas was summoned back here. Barnabas, you would seem to be the reference point in time." Julia picks up on this and says "Then we would return after Petofi was defeated." "Yes," says Stokes, "though only Barnabas would have any memory of it." Desmond arrives and thanks Barnabas and Angelique for saving him again. Barnabas tells him that they are ready to leave via Quentin's staircase, and Desmond agrees to destroy the staircase with an ax once they are gone. In Quentin's lab, Desmond says his goodbyes while the four others start to climb the stairs.

Along the staircase, everything goes black except for a few colored lights here and there. Stokes tells them that while the reality they return to will be altered, they will still need to explain their clothes if anyone sees them. Barnabas smiles and says "Perhaps we can say I was thinking of another ancestral costume party." Julia asks Stokes "If only Barnabas traveled back this time, aren't the two of us also in 1971 as well?" Stokes says "Yes, but once we cross the threshold, we will instantly replace ourselves. No one will notice, of course, as I've explained." Back in the 1971 Collinwood drawing room, Liz is having tea with Stokes and Julia while Stokes asks Liz if she's noticed anything strange happening in terms of the passing of time. Liz begins to say that she doesn't feel connected to the world around her in a strange way, but before she can finish, Julia and Stokes instantly vanish right before her eyes.

Liz screams and drops her tea, telling herself aloud "They...they...just vanished! I know they were here! I'm not dreaming! I'm NOT...." She puts her hand to her chest and says "Pain... what......" and keels over to the floor. Upstairs in the west wing, a hallway door opens and Barnabas, Angelique, Stokes & Julia come out in their 1840s outfits. Julia says she will go to her room quickly to change, while Barnabas and Angelique say they will make tracks to the old house, along with Stokes who will head home. As Barnabas, Angelique and Stokes come down the stairs, they hear Liz gasping for air in the drawing room. Stokes rushes in to see while Barnabas calls for Julia. Liz is still conscious, and sees Stokes standing over her. "What.....happened to you? You vanished! And your clothes..... different..." Liz says, barely. Julia comes in and looks Liz over. Liz looks all four of them over and passes out. "Julia, help her!" Barnabas says. "It's impossible!" Stokes says. "But she seems to have perceived the time change." Angelique says she'll get some water from the kitchen, but after a quick exam, Julia looks up and says "Barnabas! We need to call an ambulance. I think it's her heart!" "Her heart?" Barnabas asks. "Yes! Barnabas....she could die!" says Julia.