Dark Shadows Episode 884 - 11/13/69

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Barnabas examines the burnt remains of Tate's studio. He finds a watch that belonged to Petofi and Blackwood's chain. He then finds Petofi's glasses outside, and when he stands up, a hand clutches his shoulder. It's Tate.

He blames Barnabas for destroying his studio and his work. Barnabas apologizes, but says he can't go until he knows Petofi is truly gone. Barnabas asks him if the portrait of Quentin was there. Tate admits to having stolen it, and says it was in the studio. Barnabas realizes what that means for Quentin, and tells Tate he must paint another portrait of Quentin. Tate says Quentin isn't his favorite person, but he asks if 10pm that night works for Barnabas.

Trask is down to his last candle. He recalls putting students in a dark room where they would be afraid. He screams to be let out.

The phone rings, and it's Judith. He tells her that murder is evil, and she tells him that he shouldn't have killed Minerva. He says he didn't kill anyone. He tells her he's cold and hungry, and he doesn't deserve this.

She tells him to check behind the drapes, and bids him goodbye. He checks behind the drapes and finds the portrait of Amanda, which he proceeds to smash.

Quentin finds Amanda in New York and he says they can't be together until he finds a portrait. She thinks he's making an excuse not to stay with her. He says he will hurt her more if he stays.

Kitty brings her bags downstairs, when Judith finds her in the foyer. She tells her she's leaving Collinwood forever. She explains that she hasn't told Edward, and she doesn't plan to. She says she's suffering from a condition and he's better off without her. She takes off her ring and gives it to Judith.

Judith goes to the carriage house to arrange for someone to take her to the station. Kitty tells the portrait of Barnabas that she's leaving, and begins to hear the music box play.

Judith writes a letter to Tim, telling him her plan is coming along. She says she wants him to remove the bricks and panel the anteroom so it it sealed off forever.

Kitty is in the old house, where she tells the portrait of Josette that she's leaving. She says she has to forget Josette. The music box plays again. The portrait of Josette speaks to her, telling her that she must forget Kitty. Barnabas comes in and tells her not to run away. He says he wouldn't do anything to harm her. Kitty says he has to let her go. Barnabas asks her to marry him. She says she understands what she must do, and agrees to marry him. Barnabas says he'll arrange it for this evening.

Trask watches his last candle burn out. He asks Minerva to come to him. The phone rings again, and Judith asks if he misses her. She tells him there's something in the top right drawer of the desk.  He checks the desk drawer and finds a gun,

Judith sees Kitty's luggage is still in the foyer, yet there's no sign of Kitty. Barnabas arrives and tells Judith that he knows where Kitty is, and she has agreed to marry him. He says that after the ceremony, he'll come to tell Edward, and then they will leave Collinwood

Kitty continues to be conflicted.

Barnabas returns to Tate's studio, and finds a note. It says it was time for Tate to move on.

Judith calls Trask but there's no answer. It appears that he shot himself.

Kitty opens a trunk and finds Josette's wedding dress. She says she can't put it on because she'll become Josette forever.

Barnabas works his way through the woods when he hears the voice of Kitty telling him to hurry.

Kitty is now wearing Josette's wedding dress, and slowly being pulled into her portrait. Barnabas arrives just in time to reach for her hand before she is completely absorbed into the painting.

Our thoughts

John: So did the fire actually claim any victims (other than Tate's belongings). I'm willing to accept that Blackwood might have disappeared without a trace, but there would definitely be bits of Petofi left had he died in the fire.

Christine: All other loose ends seem to be getting tied up, so why would they leave us hanging on this one? Could it mean we'll encounter Andreas Petofi when we return to present day Collinwood?

John: After the whole trip to NY, Quentin meets up with Amanda just in time to let her know that he won't be staying with her. Were the writers honestly not thinking about where they were taking the story?

Christine: It seems like the writers just found out that our time in 1897 is coming to a close, and they needed to wrap things up quickly.

John: In a mere matter of minutes, Kitty goes from turning down Edward's marriage proposal (without even telling him) to accepting Barnabas's. Something tells me it won't be a match made in Heaven.

Christine: That really didn't make any sense at all, since Kitty was definitely not into Barnabas. It looks to me like he'll have to marry the portrait. The best part of this episode was Judith tormenting the whimpering Trask, and seeing him end up in the chair where David and Amy will later find what they believe to be Quentin's skeleton in Episode 645. Of course, it doesn't explain why the skeleton is wearing a vest, rather than Trask's black robes when they discover him, or why Quentin's ghost was tormenting them in the first place. Perhaps it will all be revealed when we return to 1969.

Dark Shadows Episode 880 - 11/7/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Behind the bricked up wall, Trask yells for help. He tries the window but the shutters are boarded shut. He thinks he hears someone in the hall, but decides he was mistaken. He thinks Quentin will eventually return.

Quentin returns to Collinwood and as he heads upstairs, Judith stops him and tells him she closed off the West Wing. She adds that she had all of his things moved. He asks her about the portrait of Amanda, and she says he'll never see it again. He asks if she destroyed it, and she says yes. He asks her what's happening. She tells him someone tried to kill her, perhaps the same one who killed Evan. He says he heard. She points out he's showing very little sorrow about Evan, and assumes that he would have shown very little sorrow had she been killed. He says her husband would have made up for them—at the service anyway. She says Trask is missing. He went after the men and hasn't been seen in hours. He offers to go looking for him. He starts up to his room, and she tells him she had the locks changed. She says she doesn't want anyone going into the West Wing, and he will obey her orders.

Trask realizes that Quentin had a telephone, which he finds. He tries unsuccessfully to reach an operator. He declares that he will escape the room and kill Judith himself.

Aristede runs to the cemetery. He runs into Quentin, and begs him for help. Quentin says he wishes luck to anyone trying to kill him. Aristede hears the chains and throws Quentin to the ground before running off. Blackwood emerges and puts his chains around Quentin's neck. Quentin says he's no friend of Aristede, and Blackwood continues on his search.

Trask yells, offering thousands of dollars to anyone who helps him. The phone rings and he answers it. He hears no one on  the other end.

Downstairs, Judith hangs up the phone.

In Quentin's room, the phone rings again. Trask answers and begs for help. He's surprised to hear Judith's voice on the other end of the phone. He says she must let him out. She says that's what she used to say at the sanitarium. She tells him that she's only doing her duty, allowing him to meditate uninterrupted. She tells him she has closed off the West Wing forever. She reminds him that he said he wanted to spend the rest of his life in the house, and now he will get his wish. She says she's aware of the death he planned for her, and bids him goodnight. Trask lights some candles, and realizes that he should ration them.

He hears the door and turns to see the ghost of Beth. She calls for Quentin. He tells her to find Quentin and tell him to come to the room. He begs her, but she disappears.

Quentin hears his music playing in the drawing room. He sees someone standing by the window. It's Beth. He says he knew she'd come back, and tells her he didn't mean for her to die. He asks if she can ever rest, and she says that she can't rest until he knows she forgives him. She then disappears. He screams that he doesn't forgive himself for the part he played in her death.

Aristede is hiding in the Mill when a female gypsy attacks him. He fights her off and asks who she is. She says she's King Johnny Romano's wife, come to carry out his curse. Aristede asks if he'll pay, or Count Petofi. She says both. He tries to convince her that Petofi is her enemy. He offers to give her Petofi if she'll lift the curse. He even offers to join her tribe if she'll protect him from his enemies. She said they would if they got the Hand of Oshden back. He says Petofi is wounded. She asks where he is, and he says he will tell her as soon as she promises to take him with her. She says he'll have to forget everything Petofi taught him, and he agrees.

He tells her Petofi is at the studio of Charles Tate. He starts to draw her a map, and then offers to take her there. He shows her where to find the house, and she tells him to await her return.

Quentin is in the drawing room when Judith finds him. He asks if she wants to know how his search for Trask came out. She says she assumes he did not find him. He says that her missing husband does interest him. He asks her if Trask's story has ended, and she says not yet. He says that wherever Trask is, he knows she's happier for it.

Trask ponders an eternity bricked up in the room, wondering if the room will become his grave.

The gypsy makes her way to through the woods when Blackwood grabs her and accuses her of giving the prisoner refuge. He sentences her to death, and chokes her with his chains.

Aristede hears Blackwood arrive at the Mill, who calls for his surrender. Aristede tries to run from him, but Blackwood grabs him.

Our thoughts

John: I think I was right about loose ends getting tied off! The ghost of Beth arrives and sticks around just long enough to forgive Quentin! Adios, ghost Beth!

Christine: We seem to be on a fast track to return to present day Collinwood.

John: It's about time the gypsies showed up to take care of Petofi. It is clever how Petofi's 'creation' by way of Charles Tate ended up saving his life... allowing him to live on for at least another day.

Christine: With Blackwood's penchant for strangling anyone who's spoken to Aristede, I would expect Petofi to be next on Blackwood's hit list, despite his initial claim that he wasn't aiding him, especially now that Blackwood has found Aristede holed up in his lair. While things don't look good for Aristede, the footage cut out quickly before we could see him actually expire. Is there a chance he could get away?

John: Widow Romano seemed to be lacking the traditional gypsy accent, unless she's from that lineage of gypsies who could pass for valley girls. Sadly, the widow is now reunited with King Johnny, having fared less screen time than even Julianka!

Christine: How delightful it is that Judith is staying in touch with her dear husband! I wonder how she fixed it so she could ring him up while keeping him from making any outgoing calls. I guess it's not unusual for Quentin to have a separate line to keep all his affairs and shady dealings secret.

Dark Shadows Episode 879 - 11/6/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Aristede arrives at Collinwood. Trask asks what he's doing there, and Aristede asks if Trask can hear the chains. Trask says he'll be safe with him, and Aristede asks if he'll be safe like Evan, who's now dead—murdered.

Judith is coming downstairs when she hears Aristede mention that Evan has been murdered.

Aristede says he saw Blackwood kill Evan with his chain. Trask says they have to put his plan in operation, then he will be able to get away. Aristede says Blackwood is a monster from hell. Trask tells Aristede that he will hide him.

Judith calls Tim and says she must see him. She says she'll be at his hotel room in half an hour.

Judith arrives to see Tim. She says that Evan has been murdered. Tim asks by whom, and she says she doesn't know, but he appeared to have many enemies. She says Evan told her that Tim hates Trask, and agreed to help find out where Trask travels to. Tim says he goes to Fall River, and asks if she's sure she wants to hear his story. She says she does. He mentions a widow of a minister that he has been seeing. The woman knew that Minerva was dead, but not that he remarried Judith. He says the woman killed herself when she discovered the truth. Judith says that Trask will cause no more deaths. She enlists Tim's help in her plan.

Trask tells Aristede that Judith is gone, and suggests that he can hide behind the draperies in her room. He asks him to take her jewelry to make it look like a robbery after he deals with her. Trask gives Aristede a gun to kill her with. He adds that if he succeeds, Blackwood's ghost will disappear.

Trask hears Judith's coach approaching. He goes into the drawing room and picks up a book. When Judith arrives, he tells her there's a madman loose in the area, and Evan has been killed. She says she knows, and that she was in the village preparing a surprise for him. He says he has found peace with her, and will be content to grow old with her. He suggests that she go upstairs to rest. She tells him to finish his reading in the study, and she will finish her correspondence.

Trask leaves and she sneaks Tim into the drawing room. She gives him a map of the house and points out where her room is. She tells him to come to her room in 15 minutes, but first to go hide in Quentin's room. She leaves, and we see Blackwood outside, peering into the drawing room.

Judith returns to her room. Aristede remains behind the curtains with his gun drawn.

Blackwood enters the house and begins searching for Aristede.

Aristede comes out from behind the curtain and points the gun at Judith. She asks who he is. He says he has come to kill her, when he suddenly hears chains.

Blackwood opens the door and tells Aristede that he learns little. He swings the chains at him and says it's too late for excuses. He says justice must be done as he approaches him with the chains. Aristede leaps out the window, and Blackwood says he shall not escape.

Trask rushes in to see Blackwood push past him. He offers to call the police, and she asks him not to leave her. She says there was another man who jumped out the window. Trask asks if she could identify him. She says the man tried to kill her. She says the man was in the room when she returned, but he hadn't tried to rob her. She asks him for a brandy, and suggests that he have one as well. He reluctantly agrees.

After drinking his, he notices that she didn't drink hers. Trask feels strange, and asks her what's happening to him as he collapses. Tim comes into the room. She says Trask tried to have her killed, and tells him they will now go through with their plans.

Trask is unconscious in a chair. He wakes and finds himself in Quentin's room. He tries to leave, but the door is locked. Tim comes out and says he's there to bid him a final goodnight. Tim pulls a gun on him. Trask asks what's happening. Tim says that Trask and Evan made him kill Minerva. He unlocks the door and leaves the room. He locks Trask inside.

Judith calls the sheriff, saying that two men were in the house and her husband went after them.

Outside the door, Trask hears something. He searches the room for another key. He finds one, but when he unlocks the door he sees that it has been bricked up, except for a hole at eye level. Judith says goodbye, and tells him he can have all the time he wants to meditate. Tim places the last bricks in place as Trask screams.

Our thoughts

John: Wouldn't it be cool if we found out that wide-eyed Aristede was in fact the source of the wide-eyed skull that pops up so often in Collinwood?

Christine: There is an uncanny resemblance!

John: Why exactly would Tim confess to the murder of Minerva? Did he think Judith was looking for work experience when coming to see him about her plans?

Christine: I think he had to prove that he would be willing to do something equally despicable to satisfy his desire for revenge and ensure that it would be something he'd keep secret.

John: It sure seems like they're settling all family business in Collinwood, 1897... I had to laugh how quickly Tim bricked up the doorway with Trask inside (a fate deserved of all Trasks). If only Trask had thought to throw his body against the newly constructed wall before the mortar had dried. At least the riddle of whose skeleton was in Quentin's bedroom has been answered. I hope we'll get a scene of Judith explaining to Quentin when he returns home just why she had the room bricked shut...

Christine: They've got 40 rooms in that place. You'd think they could have found an unused room to seal him up in. I also would like to see how Quentin reacts to being walled out of his room, but wonder if Judith will divulge the real reason why she did it. I guess Tim Shaw is good for something after all. Not only is he now an accomplished detective, he can do bricklaying in record time! Overall, this was a satisfying episode, and it's not even Friday yet!

The power of the Unibrow is coming for Aristede!