Monday, December 31, 2018

Dark Shadows Episode 656 - 12/30/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

In Quentin's room, Amy tells David that his Aunt isn't really dead. He doesn't believe her. She tells him that Quentin will tell him. She asks for a sign, and the Victrola begins to play Quentin's Theme. They then hear his laughter.


Amy asks if he feels better now that they've spoken to Quentin, and he says that he does. He tells her it's time for them to do what they were told to do.

Barnabas asks Mrs. Johnson how Carolyn is doing. She says Julia gave her a sedative, so she's calmed down. She says that David was still crying. Mrs. Johnson says Vicki would have known what to do, and points out that Maggie left the children. He explains that she had to go into town, but that the children are fine. She asks if he got hold of Roger, and he tells her that he hasn't had any luck reaching him in London. She asks him if the burial arrangements have been made, and he tells her they have. He tells her she won't have an ordinary burial. He says that her will was specific about the casket and mausoleum, and he will ensure that her wishes are carried out. There's a knock at the door.


Mrs. Johnson opens the door for Mr. Jarret. He's there to see Barnabas. She shows him in to the drawing room, and he tells Barnabas he's sorry to meet him under such circumstances. He says he was shocked to hear of Liz' death, and the entire town will be, too. Barnabas is shocked, and asks who he is. He says he's from the funeral home. He explains that Barnabas called him. He denies that he did, and asks about the person who called. He says his wife said the caller sounded like a man. He asks if they'll need his services, and Barnabas explains that other arrangements have already been made. He leaves, and Mrs. Johnson says no one in the house would have made the call.


David and Amy apologize to Quentin. They tell him they made the call, but Barnabas sent the man away. A chandelier rocks above them.


Barnabas says he spoke to everyone in the house, and no one made the call. David and Amy come in, and Barnabas asks if he's alright. He says he is, and then asks to go outside. Barnabas asks if he called a man in town about his aunt. David says he doesn't want to think of his aunt. Barnabas says they can go outside. Barnabas feels bad about asking David about the call.


Amy tells David they're getting good about fooling them. He says they need to be careful and not make any mistakes.


Maggie is in the foyer when Barnabas returns. He says he'll tell the kids that he'll take them away for awhile. She asks if he'll tell them about boarding schools. She says she's happy to go with them to Boston to help with the kids. Mrs. Johnson returns with the kids, and she and Maggie go upstairs. Barnabas asks the kids if they'd like to go to Boston with him. They both agree. He says they'll leave in a few days, and Maggie will be joining them. Barnabas says if they like Boston, they might want to go to school there. David is surprised by this. Barnabas leaves to make arrangements, and Amy tells David that Quentin said they can never leave. They go to see him.


Mrs. Johnson and Maggie pack up Vicki's clothes. Barnabas comes upstairs and tells Maggie they will go to Boston with the children in a few days. Mrs. Johnson asks what they should do with Vicki's things, and he tells her to get rid of all of it. Mrs. Johnson asks about a music box, and he says to get rid of that, too. They leave him alone in Vicki's room. He tells himself that he's got to forget Vicki.



Amy and David call for Quentin to appear. They say they're going to be sent away, and asks him what to do.

Maggie comes downstairs looking for David and Amy. Mrs. Johnson comes in and says she stored Vicki's things in the basement. She tells Maggie that the house, and everyone under its roof, are cursed. Maggie asks if she's seen the kids. They then hear someone playing the piano. Maggie asks them how they got into the drawing room. David tells her they fooled her. He says they were hiding. Amy backs him up. They then go up to their rooms; arms around each other.



Maggie starts to unpack, but finds the closet in Vicki's room still full of clothes. She calls for Mrs. Johnson. When she arrives, she asks if she brought Vicki's things back. Mrs. Johnson is shocked to see them. She says it's a sign. Barnabas enters, and Mrs. Johnson says that Vicki is trying to reach them, to tell them that she's coming back.


Our thoughts

John: Why exactly would Roger be so difficult to find in London? Wasn't he going on business? And wouldn't they keep after it until they reached him?

Christine: It certainly makes me question the kind of business he is doing there to be completely incommunicado. I like how Barnabas' first order of business is to ship the kids off to boarding school. I wonder what makes him think that's his decision to make. He's not the legal guardian of either one of them, and should at least consult Carolyn before making that decision.

John: So should we assume that Mr. Jarret was looking for Mr. Jonathan Frid when he asked for Mr. Jonathan?

Christine: I think that's a fair assumption. It's great to have Mrs. Johnson back to help everyone deal with the trauma of Liz's apparent demise by overdramatizing the situation. How is it that Amy knows she's not dead and David does not? It's also nice to see that Maggie is continuing the tradition of not doing any real work of caring for the children as their governess.

John: While I can understand Quentin wanting to prank Barnabas by having David call a funeral director, what did that ghost think was going to happen? That they'd just let him come in and take over with the arrangements?

Christine: Quentin is apparently stuck in that room with only his little minions to do his bidding, which must make his options for exacting revenge limited. He'd probably get a lot more accomplished if he possessed Mrs. Johnson. I'm surprised Barnabas told her to get rid of Josette's music box, and disappointed that it didn't refresh Maggie's memory to hear it.




Friday, December 28, 2018

Dark Shadows Episode 655 - 12/27/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!


Carolyn asks Julia why no one called for her when Vicki disappeared. She then asks about her mother, and Julia says that Liz thinks she's going to die. While they talk, Joe sneaks into Collinwood. Julia tells Carolyn that they don't know why her mother is regressing. As they go upstairs, Joe comes out of the kitchen and starts upstairs.


Liz is sleeping when Carolyn checks on her. Julia offers to help Carolyn unpack. After they leave, Liz starts to stir, and has a nightmare. She finds Amy in the woods. She asks Liz if she heard the voice calling her to the woods, too. They then hear laughter in the woods. Liz then sees Cassandra. She tells Amy to go to the house, and Cassandra says she can't, until she lets her. Cassandra sends Amy away, and she goes. Cassandra tells Liz that she's beginning to think of death again. Liz tells her not to come closer. Cassandra reaches out to her and says when she touches her, she'll appear to be dead. She comes closer and Liz screams in terror.


Carolyn comes running to her mother. She and Julia find her. She says she had a terrible nightmare, and can't go to sleep again or she will come back again. Julia asks who, and Liz can't remember.

Joe sneaks into Amy's room. He says, "Tom, Chris, and you..." and approaches her as she sleeps. He then says he's got to save her. He grabs a suitcase and starts to fill it. The noise wakes up Amy. He tells her to be quiet, and that they are leaving. She asks if he's taking her to Chris and he pauses before saying they're going far away. He tells her she's not going to be like either Tom or Chris. Amy says she doesn't want to go, and he yells at her, telling her not to cry. He tells her not to be afraid. She says she doesn't want to go with him. He grabs her and then apologizes. He then shakes her and tells her she's never going to find out.


Julia offers Liz a sedative, and she refuses. She asks Carolyn to check on Amy.

Joe carries Amy downstairs with his hand over her mouth.

Carolyn finds Amy's bed empty. Julia comes in and she tells her that Amy has run away. Julia finds a suitcase open with clothes, and says she hasn't run away. She suggests she might be with David. She tells Carolyn to go lie to her mother, telling her Amy is asleep. She then says to meet her downstairs.


Amy struggles as Joe takes her through the woods.

Carolyn lies and tells her mother that Amy is sleeping. Liz asks Carolyn to read to her. Carolyn says she needs to do something first, and leaves the room. Liz gets out of bed.

In the drawing room, Julia calls for Amy. Carolyn comes downstairs. Julia tells her to wake Mrs. Johnson and Harry, and have him look outside for Amy.

Liz checks Amy's room and finds it empty. She then hears Cassandra, who steps out of the shadows. She approaches Liz, arm outstretched.


Amy tells Joe to let her down. He tells her it's for her own good. He lets her down, and tells her to be quiet. He says that 'he' knows he has her. As soon as she has a chance, Amy runs away from Joe.


Julia tries to reach Chris Jennings. She asks if a little girl is waiting outside his apartment. She then hangs up and calls the police when Amy bursts in. Joe follows and tells Julia that Amy is coming with him. She runs upstairs. Julia asks Joe what he's doing. Joe mumbles about the animal. He says he's the only one who knows. Julia tells her whatever attacked him is no threat to Amy. Joe is hysterical, saying Julia doesn't know. She slaps him. Upstairs, Carolyn screams. Julia runs upstairs to check on her.



Carolyn kneels over Liz' body in Amy's room. Julia comes in, and Carolyn says she found her like this. Julia checks her pulse, and tells Carolyn that her mother is dead. Meanwhile, Liz tries to move to show them that she's not dead.


Our thoughts

John: What the hell? Rock-a-bye-baby by way of kazoo? That was one of the weirdest dream sequences we've had, including all of the 'Let's Make a Deal' door surprises during the dream curse!

Christine: I don't know if that was a very bad dream or just terrible side effects from all the pills Julia has been feeding her, which might explain the undulating Amy effect.


John: We finally have confirmation that Cassangelique hasn't been vanquished. Who knows where she's been all this time, but she's finally delivered on her promise of 'killing' Liz. Of course, Roger's out of town, and they never did build her special tomb... so I guess buried alive it will be!

Christine: You'd think Julia might remember Liz sitting up after she declared her dead back in Episode 604 and be a little more hesitant to certify her death this time around. Hopefully Liz had time to make provisions in her will for her special tomb.

John: Joe's nuts. But it's not clear what he perceives to be threatening Amy. Does he think she's got the wolf gene? Or that she'll be a target of Chris? Sure, Tom was a vampire, through no fault of his own. And while we don't yet know what caused Chris' affliction, we can assume it's not genetic. I think poor old Joe's just lost his marbles. And we never did find out how he survived yesterday's second attack, unless the gunshots (which appeared to be ineffective) actually worked at bringing down the wolfman...

Christine: Chris did say that Joe would never be the same after seeing him go through the change. It's possible there is some predisposition for the supernatural that's shared among the siblings. Amy's already shown an affinity for helping evil spirits to commit murder, so Joe is right to suspect that she needs to be removed from Collinwood.

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Dark Shadows Episode 654 - 12/26/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

The werewolf snoops around outside the window of the Evans' cottage. Joe enters and as he begins to collect the things Maggie requested, he hears a growling outside, and the werewolf jumps through the window.


It proceeds to attack him. It throws him around the cottage, but Joe fights him off, smacking him with a stool.


Joe grabs a pair of scissors, and after stabbing the wolfman a few times, it retreats—jumping out the window and running away.


Maggie tells Barnabas that Joe should be back by now. She calls the cottage.

Joe examines a piece of cloth when the phone rings. He gets up and answers it, only to pass out before he's able to speak.

Maggie tells Barnabas that someone picked up the phone, but nobody answered. She keeps calling for Joe into the phone. Barnabas says he'll check in on him.

Joe is lying on the floor, bloody and beaten, when Barnabas arrives. Joe starts to get up. Barnabas looks around at the mess and asks him what happened.


Maggie paces nervously, and Julia tells her not to worry. Julia fills Maggie in on Liz' fixation that she'll be buried alive. Maggie asks Julia if she thinks she'll be able to handle David. Julia says she will, but asks if she'll really enjoy being a governess. Julia goes upstairs to check on Liz. Barnabas brings in Joe, and Maggie calls for Julia and runs upstairs. Joe describes being attacked by a wolf that walked like a man, and Barnabas explains it must be the same creature that Liz saw.


The wolfman stumbles into Chris' apartment and passes out.

Julia attends to Joe's wounds. She says she hopes he feels like talking to the police tonight, and he asks who called them. She assumes it was Barnabas, and asks why she doesn't want the police involved. Joe says he stabbed the wolf with scissors. He says he'll talk to the police tomorrow. He gets up to go home, and Barnabas suggests he stay at Collinwood. Julia gives him some painkillers. Maggie checks on Joe, and apologizes for sending him to the cottage. She asks him about the piece of cloth he's clinging to, and he says it's nothing.


Chris wakes up the following morning and notices the bed is not made. He picks up the phone and calls Joe. There's no answer. He wonders if Joe is out. He looks in the mirror and sees his shirt is torn. He takes it off and there's no wound underneath.


Maggie and Julia straighten up things around the cottage. Julia wonders what kind of animal it could have been.

Chris is in the foyer at Collinwood when Maggie returns home. She tells him she's the new governess at Collinwood. He says he hasn't been able to find Joe and she says she should have told him. He grabs her and asks what happened.


Joe pounds on the door of Chris' apartment.

Maggie tells Chris that Joe wouldn't call the police. The clock chimes at 5:30, and Chris says he's got to get out of there. Julia comes in and he says her sleeping pills weren't strong enough.

Joe lets himself in to Chris' apartment. He finds Chris' shirt, matching the torn swatch of cloth he has. Chris returns, and Joe asks him what it means. Chris tells him to get out. Joe demands that he answer him. He tells Joe the moon is rising, and he has to get out now. Joe says that whatever happens, he's going to be in the room when it does. Chris starts to groan, saying it's going to happen. He tells Joe he doesn't want him to see it. Chris finally tells him to stay and watch, and says after he sees he'll never be the same again. Chris screams in agony. Joe watches in disbelief. Chris tells him to go to the drawer. He finds a gun. Chris tells him that it's loaded, and he wants him to do what he was unable to do himself. Chris transforms into a werewolf before Joe's very eyes. Joe can't believe it, but he unloads the pistol into the werewolf. It seemingly has no effect, as the werewolf approaches him.


Our thoughts

John: What happened to Amy? She was going to wait up until Joe returned because she was so concerned for his safety, and then she took the day off?

Christine: Maggie must be a stricter governess than Vicki, insisting that Amy go to bed and stay there. Even David hasn't been seen since Maggie's become the new governess.

John: Why wouldn't Chris be in any pain from last night's scissor-stabbing? Or have any trace of the wound outside the torn shirt? I guess whatever happens to a werewolf stays with the werewolf. And wouldn't Chris have thought to load his gun with silver bullets?

Christine: It seems odd that he wouldn't know about the silver bullet rule when he seems to be aware of the significance of the pentagram appearing on his victims. Perhaps the scissors didn't leave a mark because they weren't made of silver.

John: Well, we certainly can't complain about a lack of werewolf action in today's episode. The fight in the Evans' cottage was pretty epic, and things are setup for a rematch. Will Friday bring an end to Joe Haskell, once and for all?

Christine: It was odd that Joe was so easily convinced to pick up the pistol and point it at Chris before he even knew what was about to happen to him.


Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Dark Shadows Episode 653 - 12/25/68 Pre-empted

Today's episode 50 years ago was pre-empted for Christmas basketball.

Even though it was yesterday (darn leap year from throwing off our schedule!), belated Merry Christmas from both of us at Dark Shadows Before I Die!

Maybe you found one the following under your tree this year! Personally I'd want the Groovy Horror Heads...

   

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Dark Shadows Episode 652 - 12/24/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Barnabas helps Liz back into Collinwood. He tells Amy to wait downstairs while he helps Liz to her room. Amy goes out on the front step and looks up at the full moon.


In his room, Chris Jennings, transformed to a werewolf, sleeps in his bed.


Barnabas helps Liz into her room. He tells her Julia will give her a sedative. She refuses to take it; afraid that she'll never wake up. She goes to the window and says she can hear the widows wailing. She tells Barnabas that she won't be there much longer, and she's concerned that someone needs to take care of the children. She says they need a new governess. Barnabas says finding someone will take time, and Liz suggests Maggie Evans. She tells Barnabas to call her now, because tomorrow may be too late. He agrees, and says he'll get Julia to sit with her.


Barnabas finds Amy on the porch, and asks her to join him in the drawing room. She asks if he's going to scold her, and he asks her to promise that she won't do it again. He asks her why she's crying, and she says she's afraid of the moon but she doesn't know why.


The werewolf opens his eyes and strips his bed before leaving his room.


Joe stops by to talk to Maggie. She tells him the past is dead, and she's not angry with him. He tells her that he's leaving Collinsport, and wanted to leave as friends. Maggie receives a call from Barnabas, asking her to come see Liz tonight. Barnabas tells Maggie that Vicki is gone.


At Collinwood, Barnabas explains to Joe and Maggie how he and Liz saw Vicki disappear. Joe offers to wait downstairs while Maggie goes to meet with Liz. Amy comes in and asks to speak with Joe while they go upstairs. She tells Joe she's glad he's there and not in town. He tells her he saw Chris, and he'll be here tomorrow to visit her. Amy sees the pentagram on Joe's face again. She tells him, and Joe says she must be imagining it. She asks him to stay at Collinwood tonight so he'll be safe. He asks what she means, and Amy tells him that she thinks something might happen to him if he goes back into town tonight.


Liz offers Maggie the job as governess, and she agrees. Liz asks her to start immediately. She says she'll ask Joe to take her back to the cottage to pick up a few things. She goes downstairs and Liz tells Barnabas that she feels better, and will be able to sleep now.


Maggie comes downstairs and asks Joe for help. She explains that she's going to replace Vicki. Joe offers to go into town for her. Amy asks him not to. Joe tells her that she's stayed up past her bedtime. Maggie gives Joe a list, and he says he'll be back in an hour. Amy reluctantly tells him goodnight and he leaves. Maggie notices that Amy is troubled. She offers to take her upstairs to bed, and Amy asks if she can stay up until Joe is back. She says she has a feeling he's in danger. Maggie promises that nothing is going to happen to Joe.


The werewolf snoops around outside the window of the Evans' cottage. Joe enters and as he begins to collect the things Maggie requested, he hears a growling outside, and the werewolf jumps through the window. It proceeds to attack him.





Our thoughts

John: You know times are tough when residents of Collinwood don't even attempt to hide their family secrets. I was surprised that Barnabas told Maggie and Joe about Vicki's (literal) disappearance. I guess the only thing more surprising was how they didn't seem particularly surprised.

Christine: Well, if they could believe she traveled back in time to begin with, then they could believe she could do it again.

John: We already knew that the staff at Collinwood have flexible hours, considering that we rarely see them, but now we are all but assured that the pay rates are better than anywhere else in Collinsport. Why else would Maggie—with no hesitation—take a job on a moment's notice for which she clearly has no qualifications for...

Christine: It could be that Sam's inheritance has run out. I wonder if this means Barnabas will transfer his affections back to Maggie.

John: Well, I was concerned that we'd be stuck with the tale of the sleeping werewolf. I now understand why they hired a different actor to play the wolf—and invested in a bunch of breakaway glass. Funny how he knows how to use the door in his own apartment. And don't blink or you'll miss the werewolf face-plant as he tries to bound over the banister to get to Joe!

Christine: And right after he executed a perfect jump through the window, landing on his feet. Can't win 'em all. What's up with him hooking his claws into Joe's face? Joel Crothers sounds genuinely frightened.


Monday, December 24, 2018

Dark Shadows Episode 651 - 12/23/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Liz asks Barnabas how it is possible that Vicki disappeared, and Barnabas says he'll never understand it. Liz says it's like death, and tells Barnabas they can't understand death. He offers to take her upstairs to rest. She tells him soon she will take a long rest—because she's going to die.


Chris Jennings looks out at the full moon. He then paces around his apartment, checking his watch. He picks up the phone and makes a call.


Barnabas answers the phone. It's Chris Jennings to speak to Julia. Barnabas explains that she's busy with Mrs. Collins, and Chris explains that it's an emergency. Barnabas tells him she'll call as soon as she can.

Julia comes into the drawing room and tells Barnabas this is one shock Liz may not recover from. She says she has relapsed, and seeing Vicki disappear has her once again thinking she will die. Barnabas suggests Cassandra must have cast some sort of spell on her. He adds that he can't imagine life without Vicki, and Julia explains that it was Vicki's choice. She was desperate to be reunited with Jeff. Barnabas blames Jeff for interfering with Vicki's life. He then says he wants her to come upstairs to speak to Liz. On their way upstairs, he mentions Chris Jennings called for her, and she says she can talk to him later.


Chris leaves his apartment.

Joe is outside Collinwood with Amy while she looks at the moon. They go inside and she thanks him for taking her to a movie. She says she's sorry Chris couldn't join them, but he will once he settles down with a new job. Joe asks Amy about the star she saw on his face. She tells him she really saw it, and asks why. He asks if she's ever seen it on anyone else, and she says no. He asks if she sees it now, and she says she only saw it yesterday. He sends her upstairs, and tells her he'll call her tomorrow. She asks him to have Chris call her, too, and he says she will as he leaves. Liz walks past Amy in a trance and goes outside. Amy tries to talk to her, but she's not responsive.


Chris stands in the woods under the full moon.

Amy watches the moon. Barnabas comes downstairs and asks her what she's doing. He asks her to come inside and speak to him. Amy says she knew something was wrong, as Liz had a strange look in her eyes when she walked by her without saying anything and left. Barnabas tells her to wait in the drawing room, and goes upstairs. After he's gone, Amy puts on her coat and goes outside.


Julia tells Barnabas the sedative should have prevented her from getting up. He tells her to stay with Amy while he goes looking for Liz. He realizes Amy may have gone looking for her, so he goes to find her.

Chris arrives at Collinwood and chastises Julia for not getting him the pills he requested. She asks why he's so upset, as he doesn't need the pills until he's ready to go to sleep. He tells her he's in a hurry and needs to get back to town before dark. She gives him the pills, and tells him to read the instructions. He takes them and rushes out.


Liz stands before the mausoleum, thinking there's no reason to wait any longer. Amy asks her what she's doing. Liz tells her that no one can help her. She explains that she's going to die soon. She says it won't be ordinary. Everyone will think she's dead, but she won't be. She'll be buried alive. She opens the door to the mausoleum and then collapses. Barnabas shows up, and Amy says she thinks she's dead. He tells her that she's not, but they must get her back to Collinwood.


Chris throws down some sleeping pills and sits on his bed when there's a pounding on his door. It's Joe. Chris asks him to come back in the morning. Joe says it will only take a few minutes. Chris lets him in, but says he only has a few minutes. Joe says he let Amy down again. Chris apologizes. Joe berates him for his behavior, and Chris tries to explain. Joe tells him he needs to show Amy he loves her. Chris tries to forcibly remove Joe for his own good. Joe tells him to do something about Amy soon, or he'll have to answer to him.


Joe leaves, and Chris locks the door. He lies down on the bed and passes out. He starts to moan, and turns into a wolf.



Our thoughts

John: Liz and Barnabas are appropriately affected by Vicki's disappearance. Why does Julia seem to take the news a little too casually? She seems pretty comfortable accepting that Vicki's desire to be reunited with Jeff would result in that happening.

Christine: With Vicki out of the way, the path to Barnabas is clear, so she's probably not too broken up to have the competition eliminated.

John: Liz really is disturbed. She regularly seems to forget that it's not that she's going to die—it's that she's going to be buried alive. For a moment there, when she stood in front of the mausoleum, I thought she was suggesting that they had built her emergency escape tomb, but no such luck.

Christine: Just when I had hoped Liz had gotten over her fixation with premature burial it had to resurface. I thought it was odd that Barnabas would bring up Cassandra, when he's been referring to her as Angelique since she put the bite on him.

John: So I guess Chris has given up on the whole 'chain himself up' program. Not that it worked the last time. Of course, it would probably help if he had a better sense of when it's dark outside... telling Julia he had to get back before dark after he had already been ogling the moon in the night sky. I guess we'll see if wolf-boy sleeps through the night, and whether Amy's NOT seeing the pentagram on Joe's face tonight means that he's actually going to make it through the night, too.

Christine: I'm betting the sleeping pills will also be unsuccessful. He needs to go back to heading for the hills and running with the pack away from civilization when the moon is full every few days in Collinsport.