Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Dark Shadows Episode 827 - 8/26/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

On Widow's Hill Magda begs that Sandor's spirit be guided back to death. He disappears. King Johnny approaches and tells her she can't send him away. He tells her that the game is over, and that she lost. He gives her the choice of his knife, or the rocks at the base of the cliff. Barnabas appears and tells Johnny to let Magda go. He sends his gypsy to kill Barnabas, but he cannot. Barnabas looks at the gypsy and tells him to go. Johnny tries to take the spell off as his gypsy steps over the cliff.


Barnabas tells Johnny to let Magda go, or he will suffer the same fate. King Johnny pulls out a cross. Barnabas tells Johnny that he knows who has the hand of Count Petofi, but he won't tell him until he frees Magda. He asks Barnabas what's in it for him. Barnabas says that the man's powers are getting in his way, and removing those powers is more important than their having the hand back. KIng Johnny lowers the cross.


Magda ensures the old house is empty, and opens the door for Barnabas and King Johnny. Johnny asks who has the Hand, and Barnabas tells him that Count Petofi has the Hand once more. Barnabas adds that Petofi's crest was on Julianka's forehead when Barnabas found her. King Johnny tells Barnabas that Petofi is no threat to him, and asks where he can find him. Barnabas says he will tell him as long as Johnny uses the hand to remove the curse on Quentin. King Johnny is reluctant, but agrees. He says he must start something, but then he will be back.


Barnabas awaits King Johnny's return. He asks Magda if she told him where he could find Petofi. She reiterates that she could not while under his spell. There's a knock at the door and Magda answers it. King Johnny returns in a fancy cape. Johnny tells Barnabas to have Quentin at the house by dawn, and he will cure him. Barnabas provides Petofi's location. Johnny draws the scimitar which previously removed Petofi's hand. He says this time that it will be used for more than just removing his hand. Magda wonders if Petofi has left.


King Johnny arrives at Petofi's lair and finds it empty. He sees the open history of the Collins family, and picks it up. Petofi appears and clutches his throat, but Johnny wrestles his hand away.


Petofi raises a knife, but Johnny tells him to put it down. Petfoi laments that he was so close to escaping. Johnny describes how he is the one gypsy in the world who Petofi has no power over. Petofi tries to bribe Johnny. Johnny says he wouldn't trade the hand for all the treasures in the world.


Petofi says he's planning to go into the future with his friend, Barnabas. Johnny laughs, and tells him that Barnabas is the one who told him where to find Petofi. Petofi begs for mercy, and Johnny says he will show him the same mercy Petofi showed to gypsies. Johnny draws his scimitar.  He says that unlike before, after he cuts off his hand, he's going to take Petofi's life.


Magda wonders what's taking Johnny so long. Barnabas tells her to get Quentin and bring him to the old house.

Petofi again tries to bribe Johnny, but it's no use. Johnny raises the scimitar into the air.



Our thoughts

John: Poor gypsy extra never got any lines (the old 'removed tongue' trick) and today he finds himself walked off the cliff at Widow's Hill!

Christine: Too bad King Johnny didn't whip out his cross pendant a little sooner to save poor Istvan, though I have to believe more damage was done to the cliff than the man when this guy dropped. If Adam could survive the fall, Istvan surely could as well. At least he got to do the fall from the cliff scream and wasn't relegated to the Wilhelm scream.


John: King Johnny finally got the news that Count Petofi was back in town. It's about darned time! Let's see that hand lopped off, pronto!

Christine: I love how he put on his finest royal cape just to go about the business of removing Petofi's hand. You'd think he'd be worried about the blood spatter on that robin's egg blue lining.



John: I'm glad to see King Johnny and Barnabas forming an alliance to bring about the end of Count Petofi. We'll see if Johnny succeeds in his plan to remove Petofi's hand.

Christine: I'm betting the Dancing Lady will intervene between the golden scimitar and hand of Petofi, which will be quite a disappointment if it does, since I was so looking forward to dangling veins and extruding bones. On an interesting side note, the pilot for the supernatural series, Dead of Night: A Darkness at Blaisedon was broadcast on ABC on this date. With Lela Swift directing, Dan Curtis and Sam Hall writing, Robert Cobert supplying the music cues, and appearances by Thayer David and somewhat by Louis Edmonds (he mostly appears as a portrait), it's definitely got a Dark Shadows vibe. You can stream it on Amazon Prime video, if you'd like to augment your 50th anniversary viewing experience.

No comments: