Dark Shadows Episode 765 - 5/30/69

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Outside of Beth's window, a bat flaps. Beth comes into her room and finds Barnabas standing there. She asks how he could get into her room before her. He says that isn't important. He points out that she ordered a silver pentagram in town, and she knows the animal is a werewolf that will change back to a human being in the morning. He asks her who it is. She says she knows nothing about the animal, and asks him to leave. He approaches her, and she asks him to leave. He bares his fangs, and as she asks what he is, he leans in to bite her neck.

Barnabas stands over Beth. He asks if she still wants him to leave, and she says no. He asks who the werewolf is. She tells him it's Quentin. He asks how it happened. She says he killed Jenny trying to protect him, but Magda didn't believe him, and put a curse on him and all of his male descendants.

Barnabas asks why she went into the town for the pentagram. She says it's to protect the baby boy. Barnabas asks what baby. Beth tells him of Jenny's twins. She confirms that Quentin doesn't know about them. Barnabas says he'll have to know sooner or later. He says he'll be sure Quentin survives. He says he needs to be sure the police don't capture the werewolf, as if they put him in a cell, he'll transform back into Quentin in the morning. He tells her to trust him. She says she wants Quentin to be free of the curse. Barnabas realizes that Beth is in love with Quentin. Barnabas leaves, and Beth takes out the pentagram.

Magda approaches Collinwood, carrying a gun and silver bullets. Judith opens the door, and Magda says she's there to see Beth. Judith tells her that she'll have to come back in the morning. Magda asks her to wake Beth. Judith tries to shut the door, but Magda stops her. Judith insists that she leave, and Magda finally does.

Judith goes back inside and turns off the lights in the drawing room. She leaves, and Magda appears outside the window. She goes upstairs as Magda sneaks into the drawing room. Magda hears Barnabas and Beth discuss Quentin. He says after he gets back with Quentin, he'll have a talk with Magda. Barnabas leaves, and Magda steps out. She asks Beth if she got the pentagram for the child. She says she got one for the boy and one for her. Magda asks if Barnabas knows everything. Beth asks if she found a way to end the curse, and she says she has the only way. She notices the marks on Beth's neck, and says she cannot tell her. She leaves, and outside loads her gun with the silver bullets.

The werewolf approaches Collinwood.

Beth waits in the foyer for Barnabas to return. Judith comes down to make some tea. She asks Beth if she was in the drawing room, because the doors were open. Beth says they might have blown open when Barnabas stopped by to check on them. Judith goes into the drawing room and finds the open window. She says that someone has been in the room. She suggests they go upstairs and lock themselves in their rooms. The phone rings and she sends Beth upstairs. It's the sheriff calling to tell her the animal was wounded.

Beth goes upstairs to find her room ransacked. She runs out of the room.

Judith suggests the sheriff keep looking until they find proof the animal is dead. She's turning the lights out again when she hears a noise. She goes into the foyer and sees the werewolf on the landing. It jumps down to the floor and approaches her. She screams, and Beth appears with the pentagram. She forces him into the drawing room, but the werewolf jumps out the window and runs off.

Magda searches the woods, and hides in the shadows when she hears Barnabas approach. She emerges after he's gone.

Beth calls the sheriff to let him know the animal was in the house. She asks them to send men to guard the house. Judith asks Beth what she did to make the animal turn and run. Beth denies that she did anything. Judith says it appeared frightened of her, and asks why. Beth says he was wounded, so he was likely badly frightened. Judith points out that he was dressed and stood like a man. Beth suggests she go upstairs to rest. Judith says she'll wait for the police to arrive.

The werewolf climbs up on a rock.

Magda hears the werewolf. She sees him, fires her gun, and he collapses to the ground.

Our thoughts

John: So Barnabas finally knows that Quentin is the werewolf! Of course he found out AFTER he put the bite on Quentin's girlfriend. Oops!

Christine: Will he put the bite on Magda next to try and force her to lift the curse? Though if she's ending the curse with silver bullets, I tend to think she's unable to reverse her work.

John: So how exactly did the werewolf sneak into the house, ransack Beth's room, and make it back downstairs before anyone even heard him?

Christine: It's a 40 room mansion, and Beth's room is in the west wing away from the main part of the house, so it's easy to see how he might not be heard, but it is amazing that a creature who destroys everything in sight wouldn't leave a telltale trail of destruction in his wake.

John: I have to admit, I was disappointed that despite the werewolf's penchant for jumping through windows, the drawing room window was suddenly wide open when Beth drove him out with her pentagram.

Christine: There must have been no room in the budget for windows this week.

When fancy camera work doesn't really work.

The well traveled afghan survives the wolf mauling in Beth's room.

Dark Shadows Episode 764 - 5/29/69

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Evan picks up the vial of Nightshade that Tim bought from Magda and examines it. He then invites Tim to play cards. He says he'll soon see his favorite lady—the Queen of Spades. He says he learned to play at Collinwood, where Judith is very fond of cards. Tim mentions that Charity and Mrs. Trask play cards, but Trask himself does not approve. Evan says Trask sees the Devil everywhere. He adds that Edward plays, too, but he cheats. As they play, Evan asks Tim to bring him a brandy soon. He adds that when the time comes, it may not be brandy. Evan lays down the Queen of Spades. Tim gets up and pours the Nighshade into a glass. He brings the glass back to Evan, who tells Tim that he did very good. Tim then tells Evan that he is to drink the brandy. Evan is shocked to hear Tim say this, suggesting that he's not under Evan's control. Tim grabs him and forces the brandy towards his lips. Evan struggles as Tim tells him that he's going to drink it.

Evan pushes him away, but Tim comes back and attempts to strangle him. Evan tells him the face is in the cards. Tim lets go of him, and Evan tells him that he takes orders from him, and demands that he get back to work. Tim does, and the phone rings.

Beth speaks to Evan on the phone. She asks if he's seen the moon, and tells him that it has happened again. He explains that there's nothing he can do about Quentin. She tells him he can bring something silver. She says if this keeps on, Quentin will be caught. Judith comes downstairs and asks what's wrong. Beth says it was nothing, and asks if she can extend her stay at Collinwood. She says that Jenny's boy has a fever. She has medicine for him. Judith says she's going to tell Quentin about the children, and Beth tries to dissuade her. Judith points out that Beth always wanted her to tell Quentin.

Beth says that she mustn't tell him. Judith asks if Quentin is home, and Beth says he's with Evan. She asks Judith not to tell Quentin while the boy is sick. Beth says she has an errand in the village, and then will be with the children. She leaves, and outside hears the howl of a wolf.

Judith is playing cards when Barnabas arrives at Collinwood. He asks her if she heard the howling. She says it sounds like a dog. Barnabas reminds her of the teacher that was killed a month ago, and Judith says the animal that attacked her is back. Barnabas says that he thinks so. He says that Magda said she thought she saw it in the woods. Judith goes to call the police, and Barnabas asks her why the animal is always spotted on the grounds. She says she doesn't know.

There's a phone call for Barnabas—it's Ezra Braithwaite. He's calling to let him know that a pentagram charm was ordered by Beth Chavez; charged to Quentin Collins. Barnabas thanks him, and tells him that he will be a great addition to his father's firm. He hangs up, realizing that Beth knows Quentin is a werewolf. He wonders if it's the one found in the grave he and Chris opened in the future. Judith returns, and Barnabas asks her when Beth left. She says she left an hour ago. Barnabas asks how long she's been with the family, and if she's from around Collinsport. Judith says she's been with them for about two years. Barnabas looks out at the moon, and grabs his silver cane. He starts to go out, and Judith tries to stop him. He assures her that he is well armed.

Tim is almost finished with the book. Evan says he's done well, and invites him to sit down and play cards again. Evan deals and Tim picks up his hand. They begin laying down cards. Evan asks what a spade means to Tim, and he says death. Evan asked if he had any desire to kill anyone when he played a spade, and Tim says it was not the right card. Evan plays the Queen of Spades, and asks if that's the right card. Tim gets up, pours some Nightshade in a cup of brandy and brings it to Evan. Evan tells him that he may sit down, and Tim does. Evan tells him that he has done well, and the moment is very near.

Beth returns to Collinwood, and Judith asks if she saw the police outside. She says the escorted her to the house from the gate. There's a knock at the door, and Beth lets Tim in. He explains that the Reverend sent him to get the children. Judith says she can't let them travel under the circumstances, and sends Beth upstairs to prepare a room for him. Judith sits down and resumes her card game. Just as she's about to play the Queen of Spades, they hear gunshots outside. They go outside to investigate, and Beth joins them. Barnabas comes to the door and says they shot the animal but he got away. He leaves to rejoin the search.

Outside of Beth's window, a bat flaps. Beth comes into her room and finds Barnabas standing there. She asks how he could get into her room before her. He says that isn't important. He points out that she ordered a silver pentagram in the village, and she knows the animal is a werewolf that will change back to a human being in the morning. He asks her who it is. She says she knows nothing about the animal, and asks her to leave. He approaches her, and she asks him to leave. He bares his fangs, and as she asks what he is, he leans in to bite her neck.

Our thoughts

John: It's young Ezra Braithwaite! He wasn't quite what I expected for the boy that would grow into Abe Vigoda—and let's be frank - how cool would it have been had Abe played him in this time period as well? Once again, kudos to the writers for delivering this pay-off scene to the setup we already experienced in the future.

Christine: I enjoyed that as well. I was surprised to see Beth heading out into the woods, knowing that Quentin was out wolfing around. I wonder how she was able to get Braithwaite to make a pentagram on Quentin's account. They're not married and she has no authority to spend Quentin's money.

John: What exactly is Evan praising Tim for doing with the book. Reading? Again, as far as we can tell, he hasn't done anything that could be considering translating the text. And speaking of Tim, I'm not really clear why he needs somnambulist training from Evan, but it apparently took after his near fatal error. Evan might want to consider dry-running without real Nightshade next time...

Christine: It could be that whatever potion Evan has treated the pages with makes Tim not care whether or not he's on a fool's errand. I also don't understand why Evan is having him practice lacing a drink, though he should probably train him in better concealment. With all the practice Tim requires, he is going to run out of Nightshade pretty soon.

John: I guess if Beth is the resident monster wrangler at Collinwood, it's only fair that she gets to know the family vampire as well. But I can't for the life of me understand how it is Barnabas can't seem to put the puzzle pieces together to identify the werewolf on his own.

Christine: I think it was just an excuse to taste another pretty, young lady. You'd think Evan might have chosen a signal that Tim wouldn't receive inadvertently. How much longer before Judith throws down the card that earns her Tim's special Nightshade cocktail.

Dark Shadows Episode 763 - 5/28/69

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Tim reviews a book in Evan's home. He licks his finger as he turns each page. He tells Evan he was always teased about that, and Evan replies that in this case, it's the perfect thing to do. He works his way through the book, reading it, but not writing anything down. After considerable time passes, he collapses in his chair. Evan asks him who he is, and Tim says he doesn't know. Evan tells him that when the time comes, at a given signal, he will kill someone. Tim acknowledges that he will do Evan's bidding, and then Evan reminds him that once he has done his work, he will forget all about it. Evan pulls out a deck of cards and shows Tim the Queen of Spades. He says that when he sees that card, he will know who to kill—A woman who needs to be punished.

Quentin and Beth are playing cards. He goes to pour himself another drink, and Beth tries to stop him. He tells her not to lecture him. He reminds her that when the moon rises in four hours, the pain will come. He says that when he's caught, the judge and jury won't feel bad that he's the victim of a curse. He realizes that it's all because he killed Jenny. Quentin asks her who she thinks the best uninvited guest at a black mass. He then says Reverend Trask. He tells her that he and Evan will pay. Beth says she'll go to Magda. Quentin says he's already tried that, and she counters that she has not. She storms out on him.

Tim arrives at the old house, telling Magda he wants to buy something from her. He says he's found a formula to turn copper into gold. He says he needs Nightshade, and she replies that it only turns the living into the dead. He offers her $10 for an ounce. She asks who he wants to kill. He raises his offer to $20. She demands 50 gold pieces, and tells him to come back in an hour. He tells her that he'll kill her if she mentions their discussion to anyone.

Beth asks Magda what she does care about. She asks if she cares about Sandor. She asks what she would do if Sandor was Quentin, and she says she would wear her pentagram. Magda tells her she'll help her. She says that Quentin is death to anyone who loves him. Beth begs her to remove the curse, but Magda says she can't. She had to avenge her sister. Magda says he will be at the mercy of the moon for the rest of his life. Beth says she's going to spend the rest of her life with Quentin, and they will find a cure. Magda asks if she'd marry Quentin, knowing that the curse will be passed on to his son. Beth says she has cursed her own kin. Magda says Jenny had no children. Beth tells her that Jenny had twins—a boy and a girl—and offers to take her to see them.

Beth says that Edward and Judith hid the children. Beth makes her promise that she won't tell Quentin, and then says that Jenny knew Laura was trying to steal Quentin. Edward made him leave, and Laura followed him. Edward went to pay Jenny to skip town, and she told him she was pregnant. When the children were born, Edward refused to see them. He denied that Quentin ever existed. Magda realizes that Jenny had a son, and begs for her sister to forgive her. Beth asks if she will help her now. Magda tells her to get a pentagram and put it on the boy, ensuring he wears it for the rest of his life. Beth asks if she can end the curse, and Magda cries as she repeats that she did not know.

Beth returns to Quentin, and he tells her he doesn't want to hear from her. Beth tells him it's nighttime. He asks if they should pretend the nightmare is over, before contorting in agony. He tells Beth to stay away. He tells her that she has to get out of the house and forget about him. She leaves as he continues to writhe.

Evan looks out at the moon. He picks up the vial of Nightshade that Tim bought from Magda and examines it. He then sits down with Tim to play cards. He says he learned to play at Collinwood, where Judith is very fond of cards. Tim mentions that Charity and Mrs. Trask play cards, but Trask himself does not approve. As they play, Evan asks Tim to bring him a brandy soon. He adds that when the time comes, it may not be brandy. Evan lays down the Queen of Spades. Tim gets up and pours the Nighshade into a glass. He brings the glass back to Evan, who tells Tim that he did very good. Tim then tells Evan that he is to drink the brandy. Evan is shocked to hear Tim say this, suggesting that he's not under Evan's control.

Our thoughts

John: So the Collins' Twins are finally out of the bag. Sort of. Unfortunately for Beth, Magda's solution wasn't removing the curse from Quentin; her interest is only in protecting her nephew.

Christine: I was under the impression that she was not able to remove the curse.

John: Funny how Tim plays tough negotiator with Magda, only to have her lay out her non-negotiable demands.

Christine: You'd think Quentin and Beth might take better precautions, knowing that Quentin would be going through the change. It would have been a good idea to have Quentin stay somewhere other than Collinwood.

John: So who do you think is pulling Tim's strings. Is he acting on Trask's behalf, even though he's supposedly under Evan's spell? Did Magda give him some sort of protective antidote when she sold him the Nightshade? Or did Evan just screw up and accidentally show Tim the Queen of Spades prematurely?

Christine: I don't think Trask is behind it. It's possible Magda did some tinkering, though I would be surprised if that were the case. Evan seemed very deliberate in showing the signal card, but I can't imagine why he seemed so pleased when it prompted Tim to start mixing the deadly drink. Did he think he was just practicing for the real deal, or did he expect him to carry it to the woman who is Trask's intended victim?

Someone forgot to account for the equipment's movement in their cool mirror shot.

Dark Shadows Episode 762 - 5/27/69

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Quentin pours himself a drink and tells Evan that it's time to begin. Evan raises his arms and attempts to conjure the prince of fire. The doors swing open. He calls for Satan to appear before them. A figure appears in the doorway, and Quentin collapses.

Reverend Trask enters and suggests that Evan summon a doctor. Evan says Quentin was drunk, and suggests that Trask must think their game was somewhat frivolous. Trask says that Edward Collins sent him about the lease for the school. Evan says that he and Evan were just passing the time. Trask says that they have business to discuss, but now is not the time.

He leaves, and Quentin rises. He asks if the Devil is gone. Evan explains that it was Trask who walked in on them, sent by Edward. Evan takes off his black cloak, and Quentin says they're not finished. Evan says he may be finished as a respectable lawyer. Quentin laughs at him. Evan says though Quentin doesn't have a reputation to uphold, he does. Quentin says they must try again, and Evan vehemently refuses. Quentin tells him that he hopes that he gets everything that's coming to him. Evan threatens Quentin, saying that if he suffers, Quentin better watch out. Quentin lunges at him, but Evan tells him to save his animal instincts for tomorrow night. He tells Quentin to leave, and he does.

Quentin pours himself a drink at Collinwood when Mrs. Trask arrives. She asks if Judith is home, having brought her some plum preserves. She also asks about her husband, who said he was coming to Collinwood. Quentin says he hasn't seen him. She sits down to wait for Judith. Quentin offers her a drink, and she tells him that she doesn't drink. Quentin says that his sister admires her husband, implying more than a business relationship. He offers her a drink again and she says that her husband doesn't like drinking, particularly women drinking. Quentin mentions how his sister drinks a lot. Mrs. Trask leaves the preserves. Quentin asks if she wants to leave a message for her husband when he brings his sister home, and she says she will speak to him herself, later.

Evan calls Quentin. He says they can't be angry with each other, as they're in too much trouble with Trask. He wonders what Trask's price is going to be. Quentin says he may know how to lower his price.

Mrs. Trask tells her husband that she was humiliated, and accuses him of lying to her. She accuses him of being a sinner, calling up stories of lonely, rich women. Trask says those ladies were instruments that could help him with the school. She presses on, suggesting there was more to it. He tells his wife that she and her hysterical charges are a constant embarrassment to him. He starts to storm out, saying he's had enough of her irritating behavior. She says he's going to see Judith Collins, and he says that if he is, it's only for the sake of the school.

Trask arrives at Evan's home. Trask says he sees that Evan put away his playthings. He tells Evan that he called the Devil, and got him instead, which was surely God's will. Evan says they were conducting an intellectual experiment. Trask asks who would believe him, if he told them what he saw tonight. He suggests Judith Collins might believe him, and Evan counters that he pursues ideas the way other men pursue women. He says he pursues other ideas when he grows tired of them. Trask says a man does not become a Satanist casually. He begs Evan to deny it, so he can destroy him with a clean conscience. Evan asks about if he doesn't deny it. Trask says in that case he is facing truth, and there is still hope for him. Evan says that he is more familiar with it than most men. Trask adds that he's more familiar with it than he wants any man to know. Trask says that he is merciful, and might spare him. Evan asks what he wants from him. Trask says he hopes Evan is very good with his black arts.

Mrs. Trask comes in as Tim is correcting papers. She questions his work, suggesting that the papers show signs children were cheating, when Trask comes in. He says that not all are as suspicious as she is, and asks her to leave them.

Trask asks him if he's unhappy in the school, and he says he is. Trask suggests that he and Charity should go off and start a life of their own. He says he just saw Evan Hanley, and he told him that Tim was very clever, and might be able to help him with a translation. Tim says he may have misjudged Trask. Trask says he has never misjudged Tim, knowing exactly what he is. He sends him to see Evan.

Evan prepares a potion when he receives a phone call from Trask. He tells him that Tim is on his way. Evan says he has to paint the edges of the book before he arrives. Trask says he is glad Tim will be able to use his Latin skills in such a useful way.

Tim reviews a book in Evan's home. He licks his finger as he turns each page. He tells Evan he was always teased about that, and Evan replies that in this case, it's exactly the right thing to do. He works his way through the book, reading it, but not writing anything down. Suddenly, he collapses in his chair. Evan asks him who he is, and Tim says he doesn't know. Evan says that at the right time, he will get a signal, and he will kill someone.

Our thoughts

John: The way the opening scene was shot, I was sure Satan arrived wearing a cowboy hat. I do think it was classic that Trask would be the stand-in when we were otherwise expecting the Devil, and in all fairness, it was set up in the last episode when Edward received the random phone call, so two points for the writers, who I often complain just make things up as they go.

Christine: They were clearly trying to lead us astray yesterday then, because it looked like a woman appeared after the invocation.

Episode 761

Today's episode

John: What kind of lawyer is open for business after midnight? I think they decided to play fast and loose with the time in today's episode. It seemed like Mrs. Trask's arrival at Collinwood would have been the next day, but that doesn't line up with her expecting to find her husband, who would have left the house in the middle of the night.

Christine: I don't think they were playing fast and loose with the time. It seemed to me they were explicitly trying to show that it's not the first time Minerva has been toting around some plum preserves late at night as an excuse to go searching for her philandering husband.

John: So was Tim just reading the Latin book as an intellectual exercise? He wasn't telling Trask what it said, or writing anything down. Ah, but that's all secondary to whatever voodoo curse Evan was putting on him. The only question now is to whom Tim the unwitting killer will be sent to deal with. The annoying Mrs. Trask, perhaps?

Christine: It was rather odd that he put Tim under a spell just to let him know he would eventually be getting a signal to kill some unnamed person later on. Is he going to have to invite him over again to read another finger lickin' good book before he actually gives him the signal to go out and kill?