Dark Shadows: The Revival - Episode 5 (1/25/91)

My name is Victoria Winters. Evening has descended at Collinwood, and for one man it is an evening filled with the promise of hope. But tonight, betrayal awaits. The treachery of a confidant will shatter that hope, and his own true evil will be revealed.  

Barnabas and Victoria are dining by candlelight at the Old House while Willie waits on them. She compliments him on the meal, and he says Mrs. Johnson made it special for them. Barnabas says he won't be needed any longer. After he leaves, she comments on his dramatic transformation and credits Barnabas with inspiring the positive change. He says he wants to do something for her and hands her a gift from the mantel. She opens it and sees that he's given her Josette's music box. 

She says she can't accept it since she knows how much it means to him, and he tells her that's precisely why he wants her to have it. She says the melody has been haunting her ever since she heard it. She asks if it's a minuet and he asks if she's ever danced the minuet. She tells him she hasn't since she was a little girl in dancing school. He offers his hand and asks her to dance. When she asks if he really knows how to dance the minuet, he says he was born dancing the minuet. He bows, she curtsies, and they begin to dance as they gaze into each others' eyes.

Victoria is in bed listening to Josette's music box. She gets up and begins brushing her hair. 

Julia walks by her room and stops when she hears the music. She enters and picks up the music box. 

Victoria tells her it was a gift from Barnabas. Julia says that was nice of him. Vicki says he has an old world charm, and Julia says she's noticed that about him too. She remarks that they are becoming quite friendly and asks if it's more than that. She acknowledges that it's not her business but says she had the feeling that Vicki wanted to talk to someone about it. She asks if she's in love with him, and Vicki doesn't respond. She then asks if he's in love with her and Vicki says she doesn't know. She asks her not to say anything about it. 

Julia encounters Willie outside chopping wood and asks if Barnabas is in. He says he's out walking through the woods. He says he can't get enough if walking out in the sunlight. Julia says he knows how much she cares about Barnabas, and Willie says he does. She asks him to tell her about Barnabas' relationship with Victoria. He says he's been worried about it and brings her into the Old House to show her the portrait of Josette. She notices the remarkable resemblance. Willie says Barnabas believes she's the reincarnation of Josette. She asks what his plans are for Miss Winters and he tells her that he wants to marry her. Julia gets upset and says emotional attachments could cause setbacks in his treatment. Willie says that's why he's in a hurry to finish the treatments so he can live like a normal human being. They hear him enter and hide in the closet. 

Barnabas enters and Julia watches through a crack in the door as he talks to Josette's portrait, saying soon they will be together again. Julia looks unhappy.

Julia writes in her journal that she has come to understand the relationship between the subject and a certain young woman, which is harmful to the successful completion of the experiment, and as a result, she is going to put the treatment on hold and maintain the subject as his current level until the relationship comes to an end.

Carolyn shows up at the dock where Joe is working on his fishing boat, "The Daphne." She convinces him to take her out on a cruise and then jumps on top of him and tries to make out with him. He asks her to cut it out, but she doesn't. He says he can't do this and then pushes her aside and says the cruise is over and starts up the boat to bring it in.

Julia administers an injection to Barnabas and asks if he feels anything. He says he's feeling joy that the old Barnabas will fade into oblivion as the new one takes his place. She says her life would be easier if all patients were as optimistic as him. He asks how much longer until he can feel proud to be alive. She advises moderation, which he says is a dull way to plod through life. He gets excited saying he wants to feel alive, he wants to grow old, and when the time comes, he wants to die.

Carolyn is giving Joe a hard time about drowning his burger in ketchup as they dine at the Blue Whale. Maggie calls him a big yutz. Carolyn asks what that means and Maggie says it's what it sounds like. Joe eats sloppily, getting ketchup all over his mouth, and when Carolyn goes to dab at it, Maggie looks up and has a vision of a withered old man with fangs and Carolyn screaming.

Sam says it's closing time and Joe and Carolyn leave. Maggie tells them to be careful. Sam asks her if something's wrong.

Barnabas and Vicki get caught in a rainstorm and dash inside the Old House. He pours them each a brandy and she says it's warm and comfortable in the house, marveling how one could exist in modern times without electricity. She asks if he's going to Elizabeth's costume party. He says he and Willie found trunks in the attic with clothing and she asks if he has something she could wear. 

Upstairs in Josette's room, she holds a dress up to her, saying it's beautiful and asking if it was Josette's. He says he thinks it is. She says she envies the sense of ancestry and he asks about her family. She tells him she grew up in an orphanage and says she always wondered what it would be like to know where she came from. She says that when he showed her Josette's portrait, she suddenly felt connected to someone. She thinks she probably sounds crazy, but Barnabas says he understands her completely. 

Outside, the storm rages and she wonders how she can get back to Collinwood. He says it could last the whole night and suggest that she spend the night. She doesn't think it would be a good idea, but he says he'll tell Willie to make up the bed in Josette's room and they'll get her back to Collinwood before anyone is up. 

She comes out of Josette's room with her hair undone in Josette's nightgown and a come hither look as she does a seductive twirl in front of Barnabas. 

He gives her the once over and says good night, scurrying away before a good night kiss could be expected. She tells him good night and he leaves. 

She tells Josette's portrait that she's in her room, in her nightgown and is going to sleep in her bed. She says she almost feels like she is her.

Willie offers to stay up with Barnabas, but he tells him to go to bed, reassuring him that Miss Winters is safe. 

Barnabas sits by the fire as Vicki sleeps soundly in Josette's bed. He has visions of her making sexy eyes at him in Josette's nightgown. He goes to the window, watching the storm outside. He seems to struggle with himself and then goes up to Josette's room. He watches Vicki in bed, and is about to take a bite, but stops himself and leaves the room. 

He and Willie go to the mausoleum in the rain and he asks Willie to chain him in the coffin. Willie balks, but he says he can't control himself and he will do as he says if he cares about Miss Winters' safety, and then he must go get Dr. Hoffman.

Willie sneaks into Collinwood and wakes up Julia. He says she needs to come with him now. They make their way to the mausoleum.

Inside, Willie sees that Barnabas has left the coffin. They hear him from behind saying, "What have you done to me, Julia?" They are surprised to see he's full on vampire with red eyes and fangs hanging out. She says she was trying to protect him from himself. She says his relationship with that girl is self destructive and dangerous. He grabs her head and asks if she's mad. He asks what she did and she admits she diluted the potency of the serum. She says she's wrong for him and that she knew he was planning to marry her when he no longer needed treatments. She says it will destroy everything they have worked for in the experiment. He says the experiment is over. He demands that she gives him one last injection of enough serum to end it now. She asks him if he's willing to risk everything for this girl and he says yes. 

She gets her bag and goes to remove one of two syringes. She hesitates and he yells at her. She takes out the other syringe and gives him the shot. 

The next morning, Vicki greets Barnabas. He asks how she slept and she says, "Like the dead." They sit down to breakfast as Willie pours coffee and asks how she likes her eggs. She says she'll just have coffee. Barnabas looks down and sees that his hand is old and wrinkly. 

He accidentally knocks over his cup as he goes to hide it under the table. Willie brings Vicki cinnamon toast while Barnabas looks at his aging hands under the table, saying Miss Winters should be getting back to Collinwood now. He asks Willie to take her back. When Vicki leaves the room to get the dress, Barnabas shows him his hands, asking him to get Dr. Hoffman. He asks if anything is happening to his face, but Willie says it's fine. 

Vicki returns and thanks him, but he keeps his back to her as he says goodbye. 

Vicki tiptoes into Collinwood and he waits for her to go upstairs before sneaking up to Julia's room. Mrs. Johnson asks what he's doing there's so early and he says he was coming to see her. He invents a story about coming to see her about the roses. He says he's thinking about planting a rose garden and she says Barnabas will like that. She says she'll be happy to help him with his garden. She offers to make him his favorite breakfast in the kitchen, but he says he has to go. 

Julia walks downstairs and he tells her she has to come with him because Barnabas is shriveling up. She says she can't help him, and Willie says he's going to die. He gets upset, not knowing what to do and runs off. 

Carolyn shows up at the Old House calling for Barnabas and Willie.

She sees him siting in a chair from behind and walks toward him saying she stopped by to see if he is coming to the party that night. When she reaches him, she screams to see his withered, old face, scraggly hair and sharp fangs. 

He grabs her as she struggles and bites her on the neck.  

Willie arrives to hear her screams and finds Barnabas slurping on her neck. He screams, "No!" Barnabas wails and drops Carolyn. 

 

He tells Willie to pull the drapes and Willie watches as he transforms back to his youthful appearance. 

Willie goes to Carolyn and asks why he did this to her. He says he had no choice. 

Willie asks what they're going to do as he cradles Carolyn. Barnabas sees that he no longer casts a reflection in the mirror and smashes it with a candlestick. 

He calls to Carolyn, who goes to him. He says, "Blood of my blood, kin of my kin. Soon you will walk with me as my partner in the night. When I call, you will come. Do my bidding as I command. We are as one now." He kisses her on the lips and Willie asks what he's doing to her. 

He tells him to stay with her until she regains her strength and then escort her back to Collinwood. He instructs her not to say anything about it to anyone. Barnabas says Julia did this and she will pay.

 

Our thoughts

Christine: I'm wondering how an orphan like Vicki was able to go to a dancing school to learn such classic dances as the minuet. It was a romantic scene, nevertheless. 

John: I have to say, after watching five episodes of the revival, I have to give Joanna Going credit. Of all the things in the show that have a 90s-dated feel, she's certainly got a timeless beauty. No wonder Barnabas can't keep his claws off of her. And is it me, or did they change the portrait to look exactly like Vicki?

Christine: It seemed unnecessary and dangerous for Julia to document in her journal that she was putting Barnabas' treatment on hold until he dumped Vicki. 

John: Are you referring to Doctor Jealousy Hoffman? It sure seems like her decision is going to come back and bite her... and not necessarily on the neck!

Christine: I wonder if Barnabas will raise Woodard's ghost to torment Julia as he did in the series, or if he'll come up with some other kind of punishment for her betrayal. It should be an interesting costume party.

John: After praising the visual effects in the last episode, I have to take away points for the poorly rendered morphing of Barnabas this time out. To say nothing of the ridiculous hair and make-up on old Barnabas (or was that vampire Larry from the Three Stooges?). While it was nice to see a third variation on ol' man Barnabas (following the original series and House of Dark Shadows), I couldn't quite understand why they had him revert to normal by having Willie close the drapes. They certainly didn't establish the sunlight for his changing into a pale, wrinkly Floridian...

And the latest mystery — Josette's music box... gold or silver?