Dark Shadows Episode 859 - 10/9/69

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(For the duration of the Petofi/Quentin mind-swap, Count Petofi occupying Quentin as played by David Selby will be referred to as Petofi-Q, and Quentin in Petofi's body as played by Thayer David will be referred to as Count Quentin).

Count Quentin wonders what happened to Julia. He assumes she must have returned to 1969. Kitty comes in and asks what Count Petofi is doing there. He asks her what she wants. She says he caused her being there the other night. He says she was in a trance. She asks him what happened to the woman who lived in the rectory, and he tells her she has been called back to her own time. Kitty asks him again. He tries to convince her that he's Quentin. She says she knows him well enough, based on what he did to her in England. He tries to explain that he doesn't know what she's referring to. He wonders if he might be able to take advantage of her thinking that he is Petofi.

She asks again what he's done with the woman who lived there, and asks if she was an ally or an enemy. She accuses him of being responsible for her strange behavior. He asks her to get something for him. She refuses, and he threatens to make her disappear as well. He shows her his hand and she turns away. He threatens her with it, and she agrees to help him. He says there's a portrait of Quentin in his room at Collinwood. He demands that she bring it to him. They hear a sound, and the lights go out and doors blow open. Kitty hears the music box, and she says she knows who it is, and that he wants them to leave.

Edward tells Petofi-Q that he'll leave Barnabas' portrait up so as not to upset Kitty. He asks what time the wedding is tomorrow when Kitty bursts in, screaming that the rectory is haunted, and the woman who was living there is gone. Petofi-Q asks what she means, and when she says she disappeared, he leaves.

Kitty tells Edward that the curse keeps following her, and begs him to help her. He fixes her a drink and wonders why she went to the rectory. He asks her about the woman living there. She describes her, and Edward says it's the woman Charity found outside. He's shocked to hear that she's been living in the rectory. Kitty tells him that she's somehow involved in the strange things happening to her.

Nora comes in and says Jamison won't play with her. Edward says he'd like to, but he's busy. He tells Kitty he's going to the rectory, and says that she can play checkers with Nora. Edward leaves, and Kitty tells Nora that she often wished she had a girl like her. Nora asks why she didn't, and Kitty says they can't always have what they want when they want.

They sit down to play checkers. Kitty asks about Nora's mother, and she responds that she was very pretty. Nora asks Kitty if she's planning to marry her father, and if that's why she wants to be friends. Kitty asks if she wants her father to be happy, and she says she does.

Edward searches the rectory when he runs into Petofi-Q. He accuses him of knowing the woman and being involved with what's going on. Petofi-Q asks if he wants to fight, or search the house to find out what's happening.

Edward returns to Collinwood and tells Kitty that the rectory was lived in. Kitty tells him that Nora is a dear child, and they're going to be good friends. He says Nora needs someone like Kitty.

Petofi-Q and Count Petofi are both in the rectory. Count Petofi tells him that he can kill him, and Petofi-Q says that would be a strange suicide. He says he knows he was looking for Julia's help, and he's not going to get it now that she's gone. He says she's quite happily returned to her own time. She says whatever she was doing since Barnabas was killed was unfinished. Petofi-Q asks if he knows what that was. He asks Count Quentin if he's going to have to force him to leave. Petofi-Q says he's nothing but a raving-mad senile old man, and sends him away.

Edward asks Nora if she enjoyed her game with Kitty, and she says they never finished. Kitty comes in and offers to finish the game when Edward tells her it's time for bed. He tells her to say goodnight to Lady Hampshire, and when Kitty asks Nora to call her Kitty, Nora says, "Goodnight, Lady Hampshire." She leaves, and Kitty excuses her self.

Petofi-Q continues to search the rectory.

Kitty finds the portrait in Quentin's room. She lifts up the cover to find the frame is empty. She searches the closet when a hand grabs her shoulder.

Our thoughts

John: So Quentin started to wise up, realizing that he can use Petofi's body to his advantage... although at some point it will become clear that he's only capable of idle threats...

Christine: Idle threats should be able to carry him for a while, especially while he still carries the grotesque Hand.

John: Why was Nora being such a brat? And if Kitty had been paying attention, she might have realized the child was cheating at checkers. Kitty makes one move, and Nora takes three of her pieces with a definitely illegal move.

Christine: Not only that, but she made two moves before grabbing 3 pieces after only making one jump. I think Nora knew Kitty didn't really know how to play and was taking advantage. She's being a brat because she knows Kitty wants to marry her dad and is only being nice to her to help further that goal.

John: I'm anxious to see the current state of Quentin's portrait! Does it reflect his body, or his mind...

Christine: I don't understand why Quentin would send Kitty to his room to get the portrait when he had a violent throwdown with Tate to get it back in Episode 850, and Petofi showed him he had it in his lair in Episode 854. Was he expecting that Petofi-Q moved it back to his room since he's occupying it now? Wouldn't it be safer at the mill, especially if the portrait is transforming to reflect Quentin's current state? Be sure to stay on top of the changes to Quentin's portrait in the Works of Charles Delaware Tate Gallery.


Down for the Count:
Barnabas was staked in his coffin 13 episodes ago.

Dark Shadows Episode 850 - 9/26/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Quentin assures Amanda that Tate is wrong, and that she is human. He says he will meet her at the train station in a little over an hour as they've scheduled.

Trask searches Collinwood for Amanda. Quentin returns and accuses Quentin of having done something with her. He suggests that she may have gone away with Tate. Trask demands to know where she is. He tells her that when he finds her, he'll tell him. Trask threatens to make his life miserable, and Quentin tells him that his mere existence makes his life miserable.

Tate considers burning Quentin's portrait, which would make his werewolf curse return with the next full moon. He wonders what Quentin will do when he discovers the portrait is gone.

Quentin packs for his trip when Nora comes in. She asks him why Jamison is mad at him. She notices he's packing and asks if he's going away. He says that he is. He asks her to promise not to tell anyone that he's leaving. She promises him. She says she'll miss him, and he says he'll miss her, too.

He asks her another favor. He asks her to tell Jamison that he loves him, too. She says Jamison is mad that Quentin is going to marry Angelique. She asks if he's going to take the painting, and he says it is, but finds it's missing when he removes the cover. He writes a note to Amanda saying he may not be able to leave on the six o'clock train. He asks Nora to deliver the letter to Amanda at the rectory. She agrees, and takes the letter. He wonders if Petofi or Tate took the portrait.

Nora starts to sneak out, but is caught by Trask. He asks where she's going. She says she's going to find Jamison. Trask presses her, and accuses her of lying. She runs out the front door.

Quentin arrives at Tate's and demands the portrait he stole. Tate denies it. Quentin says he checked with Petofi, and he didn't have it so Tate must. He accuses Tate of taking it in an attempt to control Amanda. Quentin starts searching for it and Tate throws him. They grapple, and Quentin breaks a bottle over Tate's head. He resumes looking for the portrait.

Nora makes her way to the rectory when Trask stops her. He tells her that he found Jamison in his room. He asks her who lives in the house she was going to. He asks her what she has in her hand, and demands that she give it to him. He calls her an evil child, and takes it from her. He says she will stay right there, and opens the letter to read it.

Amanda is packing when there's a knock at the door. It's Trask. She tells him he needn't bother coming in, but he does. He says he cannot let her life here end like this. She tells him that she has not been honest with him. He says he knows she's running away with Quentin. She doesn't deny it. He says that she came to him despondent under the effects of a man, and she tells him she was lying. She was setting him up to fall in love with her. She says she realized that he deserved it. He tells her he wants to save her. He asks her if Quentin is going to bring Angelique with him. He says when he left, they were laughing and making plans to have dinner at the Inn tonight. He tells her Quentin is incapable of morality. She tells him to get out. He says he's her only friend. She tells him she never wants to see him again.

Quentin searches everywhere for the portrait, except on the easel where Tate hid it.

Quentin arrives at the rectory, but Amanda is not there. Nora is, and she tells him that Trask took his note from her. He realizes that he has to get to the train station.

Amanda is alone at the train station. The conductor tells her that the six o'clock train is about to leave.

Our thoughts

John: Do you think Tate painted over the scar in the portrait? Or the more likely excuse that the prop department just gave him the wrong one?

Today's episode

Yesterday's episode

Christine: I'm not sure what to make of the case of the missing scar. I could be wrong, but the seascape that Tate is working on when Quentin arrives appears to be eerily similar to one that Sam had displayed on the easel behind him in Episode 164, and the portrait lying on the ground when Quentin leaves looks very much like the one that was identified in Episode 22 as Sam's portrait of Maggie's Mom.

Today's episode

Episode 164

Today's episode

Episode 22

John: Nora asks Quentin why Jamison is mad at him, and then proceeds to tell him he's mad because Quentin is going to marry Angelique. You'd think he'd tell her to tell Jamison that he's not going to marry Angelique, in which case he might be forgiven. 

Christine: I don't think he'd forgive him any more for marrying Amanda instead when the reason he's mad is because Quentin dumped Beth. Can anyone identify the incidental actor playing the train conductor? He sounds awfully familiar.

John: Wow! That sure looked like a real fight between Tate and Quentin—barely choreographed. The cameramen had a heck of a time tracking them. I don't know if Davis and Selby truly had bad blood between them, but it's almost more exciting to think that they did!

Christine: Roger Davis brawls are always a sight to behold for their realism! I can't say if the man has any deep seated aggression that he's drawing from in his acting, but he sure makes it look as though he does.

Down for the Count:
Barnabas was staked in his coffin 5 episodes ago.

Dark Shadows Episode 816 - 8/11/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Aristede chains Barnabas' coffin shut. Petofi tells him this arrangement will do them very well. Petofi says he has been at war with Barnabas for quite a while, and it will continue until he gets what he wants. He pledges to attack the people from Barnabas' own time. Then he will be forced to return to his own time and take Petofi with him. Petofi tells Aristede to turn out the lights. Petofi calls to Jamison, and commands him to enter into the darkness of the yet-to-be-born.

Jamison wakes up screaming. Nora asks what's wrong. He tells her to get Quentin. She goes to get him and he calls her Amy and tells her to call him on the telephone. She asks Jamison what's wrong and he tells her to stop calling her that name. David picks up the phone and calls Quentin. Nora returns with Quentin. David asks him why Amy is back in the house. He asks if his Aunt Elizabeth and Carolyn are also there. Quentin sends Nora to her room. She asks him who David Collins is, and he tells her he doesn't know. After she's gone, Quentin asks David how he knows him.

Nora talks to a doll, talking about how Jamison has been sick, and he's just mixed up. Tim comes to see her. She says she's glad to see him. She tells him Jamison has been acing strange. He asks if she knows why he's there, and she says he's there for the box in the pretty package. He asks if she saw what was in the box, and she says she didn't. He asks her to bring it to him, and she says Jamison took it. She says he's been asking strangely. She apologizes, starts to cry, and he yells at her to stop. She says he's downstairs, sick. Tim wonders if he used the hand.

Tim runs downstairs and into the drawing room. He asks if he can speak to Jamison, and Quentin refuses. He adds that Jamison doesn't have the hand. Tim asks who has it. Quentin asks Tim about the lady he brought with him to Collinsport. Tim asks again where the hand is. Quentin says he should go to the abandoned mill where he'll find his old friend Aristede, who can lead him right to the person with the hand.

Quentin returns to the drawing room as Jamison wakes. He tells Quentin that he's not afraid, now that he's dead like Quentin. Quentin assures them that neither of them are dead, but Jamison passes out. Quentin calls for Barnabas.

Aristede is stopped in the mill by Tim. He tells him that he's going to kill him unless he tells him where the hand is. Aristede says he can't have it back. Tim says he should kill Aristede. Before he can carry out his plan, Petofi walks in. Tim asks who he is, and how Petofi knows his name. Tim says there are enough bullets for both of them. Petofi says he has lived for 150 years, and isn't easy to kill. He says he's searched for one thing, and now he's found it. He says the hand is his again, and holds up his gnarly hand.

Tim says he can't be Count Petofi. He says a hand can't reattach itself. Petofi tells Tim his knowledge of the world is limited to his own time. He says the hand will remain his no matter who tries to take it.  He tells Tim he can pretend it was all a dream. Tim says he must have revenge on Trask and Evan Hanley. Petofi says he picks his enemies well. Tim asks if he wants to help him, and Petofi says Tim doesn't have anything he wants. Tim leaves and Aristede is upset that Tim threatened to kill him and Petofi did nothing. Petofi tells Aristede to leave as well, saying two visitors are on their way.

Quentin arrives at the mill with Jamison. He says he's dying. He add that he's possessed by David Collins. Petofi asks by who and Quentin says David Collins. He adds that Jamison had a dream of David. Quentin tells Petofi he owes Jamison. Petofi says he owes the boy nothing. Jamison calls out to Quentin. Petofi asks if he is in fact the Quentin being called for by the boy from the future.

Our thoughts

John: Petofi says he and Barnabas have been at war for a long time? I wonder if that will be ret-conned by way of a future flashback run...

Christine: That certainly was a surprising bit of information to hear today. Perhaps Barnabas will be having a flashback while he remains chained up in his least comfortable coffin.

John: Petofi's hand looked appropriately gnarly today. Perhaps I wasn't the only one disappointed with how it looked last week.

Christine: I'd prefer to see some bones or veins sticking out somewhere. I can't understand why he continues to wear a glove on his other hand.

John: I wonder if Barnabas being locked in the coffin coincides with a Jonathan Frid vacation. It sounds like Jamison/David's knowledge of Quentin may be the key Petofi needs in order to travel forward in time.

Christine: You are probably right that we won't be seeing Barnabas for awhile. I guess we'll have to assume that the cross isn't burning him, but is diminishing his powers to prevent him from escaping. Quentin and Tim need to get together to take care of Trask.