Dark Shadows Episode 808 - 7/30/69

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Magda, Aristede and Jamison come up from the cellar. She begs them not to make her take them to Barnabas' coffin, but they insist.

Magda brings Aristede and Jamison to the room with Barnabas' coffin. She goes to leave, and Aristede tells her she has not been dismissed. She doesn't want to watch him die. Aristede picks up a piece of wood and a mallet to stake him. Jamison assures him that Barnabas is powerless. Magda again tries to leave, but Jamison says she can't leave, because they haven't seen what they came to see yet. Aristede opens the coffin. It's empty. He asks Magda where he is. She explains this is where he stays, and she doesn't know where he is. Jamison closes the coffin and says she's telling the truth. He believes she doesn't know where Barnabas is. He says Barnabas will come to Magda tonight, and tell her where his new hiding place is. Then, she will tell them, and they will take care of Barnabas tomorrow. Jamison suggests there could be valuable information at the old house.

Aristede comes downstairs with Barnabas' papers and diaries. He doesn't understand what the point is searching for them. Jamison says that somewhere in the house is something that can help him. He turns to his bookshelf. Aristede points out Shakespeare. Jamison finds the Collins' Family history, with a publication date in the future—1965. He says the book is what they were meant to find.

Aristede reads the family history, and doesn't understand how a book could be published in the future. He thinks that it's too detailed to just be a joke. Jamison explains that someone has traveled through time. And if he were to do the same, he could live forever. He sends Aristede to fetch Quentin.

Charity tosses and turns in her sleep. She dreams of Quentin. In her dream, she gets up when she hears him calling. She then hears a wolf howling. Next she hears Quentin's theme, and sees Jamison standing in front of the portrait of Quentin. She asks if the portrait changed for him, too. He laughs at her, and tells her Quentin is a lost soul. He tells her Quentin is hiding from her.

Quentin appears before her. He asks if she knows the truth. He asks if she wants to make him feel good, and tells her to sing for him. She does, and she transforms into Pansy Faye. She stops and can't find Quentin. She goes outside and finds him in the arms of another woman. She asks who the woman is, and she disappears.

Quentin leaves, and Magda appears, telling her to forget Quentin. She tells Charity that she knows his secret. Magda leaves and the other woman appears. Behind her, Quentin appears. She tells Quentin that she hates him as he kisses the other woman. She wakes from her dream, and decides Magda will know what it means.

Aristede drags Magda in to see Jamison. Jamison asks her who brought the Collins family history to the past. She tells him that she's never seen the book before. They press her, and she says that a girl named Vicki brought it from his own time: 1969. They ask why, and she says it had to do with a sick child in 1969. They ask how he traveled through time, and she says she does no. Jamison asks who else knows about Barnabas. She says that no one else knows. He says they'll have to convince Barnabas that it's better to travel with a companion.

Charity stumbles across Quentin's unconscious body in the woods. She goes to get help, and screams when she sees a bloody woman on the ground next to him. The woman stirs, and calls Quentin's name.

Our thoughts

John: I think Barnabas traveled into the future to read our blog. That, or for some other reason he was finally smart enough to put a back-up plan in place for his daily sleeping arrangements.

Christine: Since when did Barnabas ever sleep in a plain old, no-frills pinewood box anyway? In Episode 781, Trask marked his nice, plush, satin lined coffin with a cross and chained it up so he couldn't use it, but in Episode 784, it's in the cave where Evan Hanley finds him. It could be he left it there, but why would he leave his favorite coffin in the cave and keep his spartan backup at the Old House, instead of the other way around?

John: Again, I'm amused that Petofi waited 99 years and 11 months before he worried about coming up with a plan to survive. Does he really think time-travel will save his butt at this point?

Christine: I think his plan to survive was to get the Hand back, though he's not been very successful in that endeavor. Perhaps possessing the mind of a young boy is having a deleterious effect on his thought process.

John: I wonder if they decided to let Quentin's latest victim live long enough to say his name so they wouldn't have to depend on her staying still to play dead?

Christine: I wonder if Charity is obtaining some of Pansy Faye's mentalist powers from her possession. I initially thought Petofi may have sent her the dream, but he was too busy grooving on the Collins family history book and dreaming about time travel to have done so.

Dark Shadows Episode 807 - 7/29/69

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Tate works on his portrait of Quentin when Charity comes to see him. He flirts with her while painting. He excuses himself, and as she admires the portrait of Quentin, it changes into a portrait of a werewolf. Tate rushes back in and asks her what's wrong. She looks at it and it's the portrait of Quentin. She explains that while she was admiring it, the face began to change. She says it turned into a wolf. He offers her a drink. He tries to explain how paintings work, and that they don't change without him repainting it. She hears a wolf howl in the distance. Tate suggests that hearing the animal howling may have led her to believe she saw it change, and she tells him she didn't hear the animal before. She apologizes, and as she prepares to leave he insists on escorting her to Collinwood.

Jamison remains locked in the cell in the basement of the old house. He calls to Magda. She comes down and he asks her for matches. She says he's already got a lit candle. He asks her to stay and talk to him, explaining he's only a child, and doesn't like being alone. She doesn't fall for it. He holds up two candles and tells her they share a fascination with fire. She tells him that she's not stupid, and he won't trick her. She leaves him alone.

Tate visits Aristede. Aristede says that he shouldn't have come, and he asks if something went wrong. Tate says that wherever Petofi is involved, things go wrong. He asks if there's a werewolf in Collinsport. He mentions that someone saw his portrait change to that of a werewolf. He says he doesn't want anything to do with it. Aristede tells him he is there to paint a portrait of Quentin. He reminds him that before he met Petofi, he was a struggling artist. Tate says he's paid for it, and Aristede tells him he hasn't paid the full price.

He tells Tate that he won't miss his soul when he's gone. Tate asks when he'll be able to speak to Petofi. Aristede says perhaps in the future, and perhaps not. He explains that this could be the last time he possesses someone. He had 100 years to get his hand back, in which case he would live forever. But if he fails, he dies. And he's only a few weeks away. Tate says that he hopes he fails. Aristede points out that when Petofi's time is up, Tate's is up as well. He adds that perhaps Tate should pray that Petofi succeeds.

Jamison looks into the two burning candles. He attempts to send a message to Aristede. Magda listens to him.

Aristede sits up, having sensed something. He hears Jamison's voice. He asks where he is, and says he will come to him.

Magda comes upstairs to tell Barnabas that Jamison is summoning help from Aristede. He tells her that if they're lucky, Aristede will show up, and they can lock him in the cell with Jamison. Barnabas gives her a pistol, and says that if she has to, she must kill Aristede. He says that Jamison's life may depend on it. Barnabas leaves her, and she hears Jamison calling to her.

Magda comes downstairs, and Jamison asks why he's being punished. He asks her why she brought a gun. She says she isn't going to hurt him, and he starts to cry. She thinks he's no longer possessed, and unlocks the cell. She puts the gun down and tries to comfort him. He kisses her on the cheek, and she realizes that she's been tricked.

She asks what he did to her. He tells her she'll feel the effects of it soon. Aristede arrives, and Jamison says he has the situation under control. Aristede offers to dispose of her, but Jamison says they need her. Jamison tells Magda that he warned her that her time would come. She says that she is responsible for all the bad things that have happened at Collinwood, and proceeds to list them off. She says she must be punished. Jamison says she can end the tragedy by taking them to Barnabas. He says they know he sleeps in his coffin by day, and she knows where it is. She agrees.

Our thoughts

John: So Tate is under the thumb of Petofi (we'll assume the thumb on his good hand). Amusing to find out that Petofi is closing in on a 100 year search for the hand. Particularly when Magda knew right where to go to get it just a few weeks ago. Wouldn't Petofi have had the same info? Will we see a restored hand in the very near future, or will Petofi's hand go the way of the dodo bird?

Christine: Speaking of hands, Tate's not wasting any time getting his on sweet Charity. It is interesting to find out that his artistic gifts were bestowed on him by Petofi. I hope we'll find out that backstory.

John: Wouldn't Aristede hear Petofi's voice rather than Jamison's? Sorry - I forgot Thayer David was off today!

Christine: He might, though it's not out of the realm of possibility that if he's so thoroughly possessed Jamison that he would psychically call with Jamison's voice. David Henesy is doing quite nicely in his role as the devious mini-Petofi. It makes me wish he had continued being the evil little miscreant we met at the beginning of the show. He has a flair for acting naughty.

John: Seriously, Magda? You fell for the oldest possession trick in the book? I can think of a lot of characters who would, but a gypsy? Very disappointing!

Christine: Don't blame the gypsy, blame the writers. I think it's out of character, especially after she kept Quentin from being tricked by Petofi. I would have much rather she had been bested by Aristede, which would have been more believable. It also would have been scarier to have him restrain her so Jamison could plant the kiss-curse on her.

Dark Shadows Before I Die Kiss-Curse Tracker
Episode 802: Upon request, Jamison kisses Count Petofi and becomes possessed by him.
Episode 803: Jamison, possessed by Petofi, kisses Beth, and she believes Barnabas is summoning her.
Episode 803: Jamison, possessed by Petofi, kisses Edward, who then believes he's a servant to the Earl of Hampshire.
Episode 804: Jamison, possessed by Petofi, kisses Charity, who becomes possessed by Pansy Faye.

Episode 805: Jamison, possessed by Petofi, kisses Evan, who drafts a murder confession for Trask to sign.

Episode 807: Jamison, possessed by Petofi, kisses Magda, who feels responsible for all the tragedy that has happened at Collinwood, and decides to expose Barnabas' resting place to Petofi and Aristede. 

Dark Shadows Episode 806 - 7/28/69

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A signed document appears on the desk in the drawing room. Charity comes downstairs and notices it on the desk. She reads it and is shocked. Trask returns to Collinwood and sees her in the drawing room. He sees her holding a document and she asks what it is. She says it's a confession stating he and Evan murdered her mother.

Trask grabs it from her and asks her where she found it. She says it was on the desk, and he said he watched it burn. She asks if he knows about it and he says she shouldn't give credence to this attack on her father. She denies believing it. He asks her who was responsible for her mother's death, and she says it was Tim. He berates her for acting like a streetwalker last night, and claims she's under Lucifer's power. She denies it. He pushes her to her knees and tells her to pray.

Magda checks on Jamison, who is locked up in the basement of the old house. He smiles, and then frowns. He asks if she's been assigned to guard his cell. She says there's a good reason why he's being held. He tells Magda that the truth can be destructive, and says that many are suffering in Collinwood. He tells her that her time will come. She says she doesn't believe him. He tells her that Trask felt the same, and now things are happening to him. He's trapped alone with his conscience.

Trask takes the confession to the fire, but doesn't put it in. Instead, he rips it up. A wind howls outside. He throws the scraps away, and the door to the garden swings open. He closes it, and looks around the room. He calls to Minerva, and tells her to leave the house. He begs her to stop. The howling wind stops. He tells Minerva he is innocent, and the wind howls once more. It stops again, and Charles Tate asks him if he's alright. He asks Trask who Minerva is. Trask tells him that they're the only ones in the room. He asks Tate who he is, and he tells him he's been commissioned to do a portrait of Quentin.

Trask recognizes his name, and suggests he must command a large fee. He tells him that Quentin can't afford to commission a portrait. Tate says his grandmother paid for it. Tate says he's taken a studio in the village. He points out that Quentin doesn't want him to do his portrait. Trask apologizes for Quentin's behavior. Tate asks if there might be photographs he could use. Trask opens the desk and a copy of the signed confession slips out. He grabs it, and continues looking for a photo of Quentin. He pulls it out and hands it to Tate. Trask asks him to consider doing a portrait of Charity once he's through with Quentin's.

Quentin sits in his room, listening to his theme, when Charity enters. She invites him to join her for a walk on the beach. He says he doesn't like walks. She says they could sit and talk. He tells her she picked the wrong day. He tells her to leave, saying her father wouldn't approve of her being there. She tells him she heard Barnabas in his room last night. She says she's not going to tell her father, and he should remember that the next time she invites him somewhere. As she leaves, Magda enters. She says Jamison insists on seeing him. He asks if he's still possessed by Count Petofi, and she says yes.

Jamison offers Quentin an opportunity. He says he knows about his problem. He offers to cure him in exchange for his freedom. Quentin says he offered to help him before, and it didn't help. Jamison gives him his word. Magda comes in and tells Quentin he's a fool if he listens to Petofi. She reminds him that Petofi can't cure him without the Hand, and he doesn't have it. Jamison tells Magda that he warned her.

Tate works on his portrait of Quentin when Charity comes to see him. He flirts with her while painting. He excuses himself, and as she admires the portrait of Quentin, it changes into a portrait of a werewolf.

Our thoughts

John: I thought for a second Trask was possessed by Roger Davis when he started grabbing his head.

Christine: I don't think we've seen this caliber of acting since dear Dr. Lang was on scene. Head grabbing may be part of Petofi's curse. Trask is not the only one who's been afflicted.

John: Do you think Tate rented what would become the Evans' Cottage in the future? It's a veritable painter's paradise. I wonder if any of Tate's paintings are lying alongside Sam Evans' work in 1967...

Christine: It certainly looks like the Evans' cottage. Those large windows surely make great lighting for painters, which must be why the place is rented out to artists as a studio. Tate said he did portraits, so I wouldn't expect any of the landscapes at Sam's to be his. I am hoping the portrait of The Mustache Man will show up at Tate's.

John: I don't know if my Dorian Gray prediction will come true, but the fact that Quentin's portrait can change into a werewolf portrait is a pretty cool feature.

Christine: That cool werewolf portrait has earned Charles Delaware Tate his own space in the Dark Shadows Gallery, though I do wonder why he's painted Quentin with a lazy eye and blonde hair on one side of his face. Perhaps he's not done yet.

Dark Shadows Episode 805 - 7/25/69

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Jamison takes out a book and writes notes. Edward - Servant. Beth - in bondage to a vampire. Trask. Magda. Evan. Charity - slut. He smiles. Barnabas grabs Jamison and drags him through a secret panel.

Barnabas locks Jamison in a cell in the basement of the old house. Jamison pleads with him to let him go. Barnabas says he will as soon as Petofi is gone. Jamison says the boy will grow old and die in his cell.

Possessed Charity dances around Collinwood when Trask enters. He's shocked. He forbids her from singing. He calls out the shocking condition of her face. She says she might go on stage and change her name to Pansy Faye. Trasks asks if she knows who she is, and she says she's Charity Trask, with a crow like him for a dad. He slaps her, and tells her to honor her mother and father. She says she was just going to her mother's grave, and her father asks if she's going dressed like this. She comes to and says that Edward and Jamison have lost their reason. He tells her to get Jamison, and reminds her that she is not a Collins, and therefore not at risk of this madness. She goes upstairs to get Jamison.

Evan spells words with Scrabble tiles when he thinks he hears someone. The doors swing open, and he asks to be left in peace. Barnabas appears. He says he's there for the hand. Evan tells him to find Tim. Barnabas asks where he is, and Evan says he doesn't know where he is, or about his plans. Evan says the hand didn't bring him power or wealth—it brought him a face he couldn't even look at in the mirror. Barnabas says that he can't look in the mirror, and tells Evan that he had better not lie to him.

Trask is reading when Charity arrives to tell him that Jamison is nowhere in the house.

Evan assures Barnabas that he knows nothing, and none of his books can protect him from Barnabas' gaze. There's a knock at the door. It's Trask. Barnabas disappears, and Evan lets Trask in. Evan asks about Judith, and Trask says she'll be at the sanitarium for a while. He says her madness seems to have infected Edward and Jamison. Edward thinks he is a servant, and Jamison has run away, similarly touched by madness. Evan asks where he is, and Trask says he's in no hurry to find him. He says that once Quentin is dealt with, he will be master of Collinwood, without having to wait for Judith to expire. He tells Evan to draw up papers declaring father and son as mentally incompetent. Evan says he doesn't want to have anything to do with Collinwood. Trask mentions that Jamison thinks he's Count Petofi.

Evan says it's worse than he thought, and he'll have nothing to do with the matter. Trask reminds him that he's dealing with the master of Collinwood. Evan says that Trask is dealing with Count Petofi, and he doesn't know what that means. He warns Trask of Petofi's great strength. Trask says he has the powers of heaven on his side. Evan questions whether the powers of heaven will support Trask's behavior.

Jamison reviews the names in his book. He calls to Evan.

Evan seems to wake from sleep, asking who's calling him. Jamison appears before him, and says he's afraid to go home. He spells out TRASK with Evan's Scrabble tiles. Jamison says Trask is telling lies about him. He asks Evan to take him home. When he agrees, Jamison kisses him on the cheek. Evan says he'll take him to Collinwood, and then Jamison disappears. Evan hears Jamison's voice saying he will know what he wants him to do for him.

Jamison, in his cell, says Evan will know what to do.

Evan wakes up. He begins writing a letter.

Trask talks to Charity about Edward, wishing he could use him as a domestic on staff at Collinwood. Charity shows him a recorder she found in the study. She says she loves music and singing. She starts, and Trask demands that she stop at once. She then begins speaking in a Cockney accent, talking about what Carl liked. Trask tries to push her to her knees to pray. She snaps out of her trance and does as her father demands. He kneels beside her and prays.

Evan comes in and asks if he's interrupting. He says he'd like to get down to business. Trask sends Charity upstairs. Evan gives Trask a letter to sign. Without reading it, he signs it. He then stops and says he's insane to have put what he did on paper. Evan says he signed it too—they both murdered Minerva.

Trask says he's going to destroy it, and places it into the fireplace. Evan says he can't kill murder. Trask tells him not to tell anyone about it, or he'll hang for worse than murder. He leads him out, and the signed document reappears on the desk.

Our thoughts

John: I wonder if Trask can slap the possession out of the rest of the folks in Collinwood. It would be fun to see him try!

Christine: Was Trask so mad he sucked all of the color out of the world? It is interesting how Charity drifts in and out of her Pansy Faye possession.

John: I wonder if Petofi knows Evan and Trask killed Minerva, or if he's just triggering Evan, who decides to admit to their crime. Wouldn't it be cool to see them brought to trial for murder and then executed! I won't hold my breath.

Christine: He also seemed to know that Barnabas is a vampire with control over Beth, so he may be somewhat omniscient. I can't wait for Petofi to get to Trask in his little black kiss-curse book.

John: Getting fancy with the chroma key today - not just using it for Barnabas to appear and disappear, but also to make the signed confession do the same!

Christine: I was more impressed by the way Trask couldn't get hold of the paper that didn't require any special effects. It's been awhile since we've seen the psychedelic dream lights, but it's another element that makes me associate Angelique's famous dream curse with Petofi's kissing curse. Both had a way of using indirect means to make a lot of people suffer in order to achieve an outcome in a way that lacks expedience.

Dark Shadows Before I Die Kiss-Curse Tracker
Episode 802: Upon request, Jamison kisses Count Petofi and becomes possessed by him.
Episode 803: Jamison, possessed by Petofi, kisses Beth, and she believes Barnabas is summoning her.
Episode 803: Jamison, possessed by Petofi, kisses Edward, who then believes he's a servant to the Earl of Hampshire.
Episode 804: Jamison, possessed by Petofi, kisses Charity, who becomes possessed by Pansy Faye.

Episode 805: Jamison, possessed by Petofi, kisses Evan, who drafts a murder confession for Trask to sign.