Dark Shadows Episode 887 - 11/18/69

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Barnabas is lying atop an altar. Two cloaked figures approach him and a woman places leaves under his head. The man says he will know them when he rises from this sleep, and he will show them the way to a new and everlasting life.

The man lifts Barnabas' head and pours something from a goblet into his mouth. He then begins a ritual, and waves his hand over Barnabas. Barnabas rises from the altar. Barnabas waves his hand and continues the ritual. The figures introduce themselves as Oberon and Haza.

They bid him well, and call him master. He says that before he leaves, they must do something. He asks if they have the ancient book, and if they have made the necessary preparations. They assure him that they have. The woman hands him a Leviathan box. He says it is all he can take, but he says they will be with him in spirit. He asks how he shall know the chosen ones. Haza says he will find it in his dreams. He asks if there's anything else he must know before leaving. Haza says their task is done, and there is nothing more they can do. Oberon says they will soon herald the arrival of a new and powerful leader. Barnabas says the box must not be opened before that time. He says that which has been prophesied shall become reality.

In the old house in 1969, Julia reviews a journal describing how she returned from the past a month ago, and has since received no signs from Barnabas. She thinks Barnabas is trapped in the past, and lost to her forever. Outside the window, a figure watches her.

Julia writes in her journal that she will not give up hope. She blows out several candles and leaves. After she's gone, the strange figure follows her.

Julia is in the woods on the way to Collinwood. The figure continues to follow her.

Carolyn is in the drawing room when Julia arrives. She's wrapping a gift for her mother; a piece of colonial jewelry she bought at a new antique shop in town. She tells Julia that she has become depressed, but she doesn't know why. She says she feels that something frightening is going to happen. She asks Julia why she goes to the old house every day, and Julia says she's convinced that Barnabas will return. She says that Julia is very fond of Barnabas and she admits that she is.

Carolyn invites her to come with her to the antique shop tomorrow. She agrees. Carolyn goes to fix her some tea. Alone in the room, Julia hears Charity and Magda speak of Barnabas. Charity says Barnabas and Kitty ran off to the old house together and disappeared. Charity asks Magda if she knows where Barnabas is. Charity says Edward saw them go into the old house, but couldn't find them inside. Julia calls to Charity. Carolyn runs in and asks what's wrong. Julia tells her that she's sure Barnabas is dead.

The altar appears in the woods in 1969. The stranger stands before it, and then moves on.

The stranger enters the old house. He lights a candle.

Carolyn brings Julia some tea. She asks her what happened. Julia describes hearing voices from the past. She says they say Barnabas disappeared from the old house. Julia says she was wrong to think that meant Barnabas was dead. She says if he did disappear, he must be on his way back. She rushes out to go to the old house.

The stranger looks at the portrait of Barnabas. Julia arrives at the old house and sees someone through the window.

Inside, the man puts the candle out. He steps outside, where Julia stands with a flashlight. She asks who he is.

Our thoughts

John: I was excited to meet Oberon and Haza.. I hope they weren't just here for two episodes and done! And are we done with 1897? Is Petofi dead? Is Quentin a werewolf with the portrait destroyed? So many as-yet unanswered questions!

Christine: I do hope we'll get answers to those questions and that they won't just move on without resolving matters from 1897. Also, where has Magda been all this time and why did she suddenly show up to gossip with Charity about Barnabas running off with Kitty?

John: There's certainly no doubt that we're back in 1969—Carolyn's wild skirt confirms that!

Christine: I'm trying not to stare too long at that outfit since I think it might cause seizures. Thanks, Ohrbach's! Carolyn seems out of sorts after visiting an antique shop. Could this mysterious new shop have some needful things in stock? I hope it has strange portraits for sale and that we'll get to visit it soon.

John: So we'll set aside the question of who the mysterious stranger is until tomorrow, but more importantly, is Barnabas Barnabas? Or has he too been possessed by someone? And if he has, is it someone we already know?

Christine: The sideburns on the stranger initially had me thinking it was a relative of Nicholas Blair, but the brief glimpse of him through the window of the Old House proves it was not. I also wonder if Barnabas is possessed, or if he is truly a primordial creature whose essence has been awakened, or if he's possibly a Bizarro Barnabas. It's been quite a jarring return to present day Collinwood.

Oberon's Invocation
The past is but the beginning of the beginning
and all that is and has been is but the twilight of the dawn.
A day will come when beings, which are now latent in our thoughts and hidden in our loins
shall stand upon this Earth as one stands upon a footstool,
and shall laugh, and shall reach out their hands amid the stars. 

Barnabas' Invocation
The water shall nourish each grain of sand, wedged between ancient sacred stones, 
and guide us to the threshold of a time to be, and restore our flesh and bones. 

Dark Shadows Episode 883 - 11/12/69

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Charity arrives at Tate's studio and goes inside, where she finds Petofi in a trance. She fears he'll kill her if he comes to. She goes to untie his tie, and he grabs her hands and asks why she's there. He tells her that she's interfered with his plans once too often, and this time she'll be sorry for it. She points out that she woke him from his trance, so Quentin will be able to get away. He puts his hand on her face. She mentions that Barnabas and Angelique helped.

He says he can get Quentin using her as bait. Petofi takes off his glasses and closes his eyes. She grabs them, and he opens his eyes, demanding she return them. She runs into the hands of Charles Tate. He drags her back in and Petofi gets his glasses back. He tells Tate to tie Charity up. She begs Tate not to listen to him. Petofi tells Tate to bring a message to Quentin, saying that if he doesn't arrive within 30 minutes, she will die.

In the woods, Tate hears chains rattling. He thinks it's Blackwood tracking someone.

Tate arrives at Collinwood. Barnabas says they have something to talk about. He says he is convinced Tate has Quentin's portrait. He denies it once again, but Barnabas doesn't believe him. Tate tells him that Charity is at her studio being held hostage by Petofi. If Quentin is not there within the hour, Charity will die. Barnabas says that Quentin isn't available, as he has left Collinsport. Barnabas says he's going to see Petofi. Tate follows him.

Petofi checks his watch and tells Charity there's not much time left. Petofi suggests that Quentin outsmarted her. She says she doesn't care as long as Quentin gets away from him. Barnabas arrives at Tate's studio and Petofi lets him in. Barnabas explains that Quentin is gone, and asks him to deal with him and let Charity go.

Petofi agrees that Barnabas is the one he must keep. He tells Tate to untie Charity. Petofi says he was focused on Quentin's body as he knew it would exist in the future. He says that he will meet Quentin again in 1969 when he arrives in Barnabas' body. He says he will start by putting Barnabas to sleep. Barnabas says he can't do it, and Petofi says he has no hope as he places his withered hand on Barnabas' forehead.

Charity tells Petofi that he'll pay. He says all he needs to do is claim Barnabas' body. He sits down next to a prone Barnabas, and Charity begs Tate to help him. Right then, Blackwood arrives. Tate runs out.

Charity asks if he's the police, and when he says he's the master of Dartmoor. She points to Petofi and says he must stop him from what he is doing. Blackwood handcuffs Petofi and arrests him. He then slaps him in attempt to wake him. He wakes to realize his hands are cuffed. Barnabas sits up and asks what happened.

Blackwood asks if he testifies for or against Petofi. Barnabas says he's guilty. Blackwood says that Petofi must die. Petofi reminds him that he helped him get Aristede. He tells Blackwood to set him free. Charity tells him not to listen to him. Barnabas points out that with Aristede, Petofi committed every conceivable crime together. Blackwood sends them away and says it's enough for him to carry out the sentence. Once they're gone, Blackwood prepares to burn down Tate's studio. He lights one of the paintings on fire. Petofi screams, "No!"

Back at Collinwood, Charity says Blackwood scares her. Barnabas says that after he deals with Petofi, they'll have to deal with him. Charity senses something burning somewhere. She sees Petofi and Blackwood fighting in the flames. She screams when she says Quentin is there. Barnabas says it can't be, and she says the portrait of Quentin is there, and it's burning.

Our thoughts

John: When Charity swiped Petofi's glasses I thought we were about to witness his undoing at the hands of a woman, but then they ran her into Tate's arms and we were right back where we started. Seems like a real missed opportunity to have Petofi taken out by someone he underestimated.

Christine: That would have been a nice comeuppance.

John: Blackwood is an interesting duck. Unlike Tate's other creations, he was someone who existed before he was drawn. Will he be consumed in the flames with Petofi and Quentin's portrait? Or will he live on as yet another restless spirit roaming the grounds of Collinwood for years to come?

Christine: I'd like to think that he will expire once his sketch burns up along with the rest of Tate's works.

John: Sure, burning Quentin's portrait may mean he travels to the future as a werewolf, but more importantly, who rebuilds Tate's studio for Sam Evans to live in?

Christine: I think that Sam Evans must have been the reincarnation of Charles Tate and was responsible for rebuilding his studio, as well as repainting that seascape that Blackwood set on fire.

Dark Shadows Episode 882 - 11/11/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Charity is in bed, and realizes that the minute Quentin falls asleep, Petofi will enter him.

Downstairs, Quentin begins to drift off to sleep.

Charity comes downstairs and finds Quentin asleep in the drawing room. She calls his name and hopes it's not too late. He opens his eyes and asks her what's the matter. She says it hasn't happened yet. He asks what she means, and she says Petofi is planning to switch bodies with him the minute he falls asleep. She offers to stay with him to keep him awake, but he drifts away. She shakes him awake again. She gets him to stand up and walk around the room.

Barnabas arrives at Collinwood and sees Charity and Quentin. Quentin says he's in trouble, and Barnabas reazlies that Petofi is starting his attack again. Barnabas sends Charity upstairs to get Quentin's bags.

Petofi remains in his trance.

Quentin stumbles into a chair. Charity comes in and says the bags are in the foyer. Barnabas says he knows someone who may be able to help, and tells Charity to stay with Quentin until he returns.

Angelique asks Barnabas if he wants her to help him. He says he does. She says Quentin is going to New York to find Amanda Harris, and she will not help him. Barnabas pleads with her, and she says she needs Quentin to need her. Barnabas tries to explain that Petofi wants to take Quentin's body into the future. Angelique explains that she's too human, and too jealous. Barnabas says she has no right to demand Quentin his happiness with Amanda. He tells her there must be someone else. She says she has chosen Quentin. She says that before she came this time, she was in the everlasting pits of hell, longing to return as a human being. Her master gave her the chance on one condition—that she make one man fall in love with her without any spells or supernatural powers. Barnabas realizes that Quentin is the one.

Charity tells Quentin stories as she walks him around the drawing room. She suggests that they sing. They sing a duet, with Quentin doing his part while nearly asleep.

Petofi remains in his trance.

Barnabas returns with Angelique, and Charity says she can't keep him up much longer. Angelique asks for them to be left alone with Quentin. Once alone, she tells him that she has decided to help him, knowing she will be reunited with him long after Amanda Harris is gone. Barnabas returns and she asks him to watch Quentin while she deals with Petofi. She looks into the fireplace and asks for his location.

Charity listens outside the drawing room door. She hears Angelique say that 'he' is in Tate's studio.

Angelique sees Petofi and tries to control him. She tells Barnabas that he's in too deep a trance. Quentin passes out and Barnabas wakes him once more. Angelique says she needs something of Petofi's.

Charity hears Angelique.

Angelique suggests that Barnabas get a carriage to take him to Boston. He goes to find Charity but can't. Angelique tells him to stay with Quentin, and she'll get the carriage. Barnabas says Quentin must go find Amanda, and he will stay in Collinwood to find the portrait. He assures him that everything will be alright.

Charity arrives at Tate's studio and goes inside, where she finds Petofi in a trance. She goes to get his tie, and he grabs her hands and asks why she's there. He tells her that she's interfered with his plans once too often, and this time she'll be sorry for it.

Our thoughts

John: Nice of Barnabas to send a young lady upstairs to collect Quentin's bags!

Christine: It was probably much easier than supporting a tall man on the verge of collapse.

John: Do you think it was our old pal Diabolos who made the deal with Angelique to find a man to fall in love with her in order to live as a human? She not a bad looking witch, so one wouldn't think that would be too difficult for her to find someone.

Christine: It was definitely not Diabolos, and I'm surprised any evil master would make such an absurd request. As you'll recall, Diabolos was none too happy with Nicholas Blair for indulging in the human emotion of love in Episode 629, and held him to account for it. I think she just made it up as an excuse to bag another man she's decided she wants to possess. She could easily attract a man with her beauty, but making one fall in love with her is another matter entirely.

John: Is this the end of Charity/Pansy Faye? Is she destined to die at the hands of Petofi? I certainly won't miss her singing, if so..

Christine: I'm kind of hoping he'll bring back the mangled face effect of the Hand. She'd look pretty cool with an eyeball drooping down to her cheek while singing "I Wanna Dance With You..."

Dark Shadows Episode 881 - 11/10/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Blackwood arrives at the Mill, and calls for the surrender of Aristede. He tries to run away, but Blackwood grabs him and says justice must be done. Aristede tells him that after he kills him, the ones who brought him back will destroy him. Blackwood says he will kill them after he takes care of him.

Tate arrives at the Mill in time to hear a scream, and then a voice yells that the prisoner is executed. He hides in the shadows as Blackwood emerges and leaves, and then he enters the Mill. Inside, Tate finds Aristede dead.

Petofi pours himself a drink and toasts Aristede. Tate says that Aristede wasn't the only one Blackwood killed. He says he found a dead woman's body. Petofi asks why he should care, and Tate tells him that the woman was a gypsy. Petofi is concerned, wondering if Aristede told them where he could be found. He gets up and says he must go to the future now. He says he'll go as Quentin Collins. Tate reminds him that they've got their own bodies back, and Petofi brandishes his withered hand.

Tate asks him about sending Blackwood back to hell. Petofi doesn't care about Blackwood. Tate says he also killed Evan, and he doesn't know who he'll strangle next. Petofi reiterates that he doesn't care. Tate asks what he should do, and Petofi tells him to lock his doors and windows. He says that he's of no importance to him. The door bursts open and Blackwood enters. He says they are both his prisoners, and the penalty is death. He grabs Tate and Petofi demands that he release him. He shakes his withered hand at Blackwood, and he does.

Petofi tells Tate to get his gun, as he doesn't know how much longer he can hold him. Blackwood is free of Petofi's control, and Tate fires at him. He falls to the ground, and Petofi tells him to tie him up. Blackwood says Tate has committed the ultimate crime, for which he will die. Petofi says he can wait and watch him die.

Blackwood gets up and says they are both sentenced to die, and he will carry out the sentence later. He drags himself outside.

Quentin is in the drawing room, tired. He's flipping through books when Charity comes downstairs. She realizes that it's really Quentin, and she's happy to see him. He says he won't beat Petofi until he leaves Collinwood for good. He tells her he'll be gone within a day. She says she wishes he didn't have to go. She says she would have given up her career for him. He says he wouldn't ask her to do that. He shows her a photo of when he was a boy, and she asks if she can keep it. She offers to give him a photo of her, Pansy Faye.

Petofi tells Tate that he'll enter a deep trance and change places with Quentin as soon as he falls asleep.

Charity suggests that Quentin should go to bed, and he says he has to get his life in order now. He sends he upstairs and tells her he'll come to say goodbye before he leaves. He fixes himself a drink and sits by the fire.

Petofi remains in a trance, waiting.

Charity is in bed, thinking about Quentin. She realizes that someone will stop him, and tries to see who it is. She pictures Quentin falling asleep downstairs. She then sees Tate enter the drawing room, and then Quentin arise and tell him it was just like he said it would be, after Quentin fell asleep. She sees him take the I Ching wands, and prepares to use them in Collinwood. Charity realizes there's no time to lose, as the minute he falls asleep, Petofi will enter him.

Downstairs, Quentin begins to drift off to sleep.

Our thoughts

John: A few stray references to it aside, Petofi seems to have fully recovered from the knife wound he just received a few short days ago.

Christine: That's the power of the Hand for you. It can kill, maim, control, and allow Petofi to swap souls at will, so it's no surprise it can also heal.

John: I love that when he attempts to shoot Blackwood, Tate pulls the trigger on his gun several times before we get a gunshot sound effect. Fortunately, Blackwood doesn't drop prematurely; only after we finally hear a gunshot. Not that it keeps him down long, though I can't for the life of me figure out what he left to do that he felt was more important than killing his two cornered prisoners

Christine: That was a disappointing scene. Blackwood was apparently too weak to kill them as demonstrated by the way he could barely swing his chains in his telltale manner. It was also disappointing to see Blackwood allow his primary target. Aristede, a few moments to plead for his life, when he has strangled everyone else he could get his chains on without any hesitation. I was hoping Tate would think to go rip up his sketch to try and dispatch the demon.

John: So it's certainly setup to look like it will be Pansity to the rescue, although once again, Petofi's notion that he can just think his way into Quentin's body asks a bit much of this odyssey.

Christine: Angelique keeps going to ground at the most inopportune times. I wonder where she's hiding out while all this is going on. I'd expect her to be around to help save Quentin from Petofi.