Dark Shadows Episode 665 - 1/10/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Angelique tells Vicki's corpse that she will release her from her spell once she's been buried, so she can awaken in a coffin only to die again.

Barnabas rises from his coffin and is met by Ben. Ben confirms that he is ready to help him.

Peter looks over Vicki's body as the Countess and Millicent look on. Peter tells them that Vicki is not going to be buried. He says he can't let got of her, and does the patented Bradford/Clark head-grab.

Angelique eavesdrops on Peter before going upstairs.

Angelique comes to see Barnabas, and he says she betrayed him. She denies it, explaining that Vicki had to undergo the hanging. She says Vicki will live again, once the two of them leave Collinwood. He doesn't trust her. She tells him that if he doesn't, Vicki will die the most horrible death imaginable. He says that she is wrong, and that she will die. He walks to the door and opens it. Ben enters with a torch, and proceeds to light her on fire. She screams as she burns, while Ben chants, "Burn!"

Peter is distracted by a woman screaming when Vicki sits up, alive.

Barnabas tells Ben to spread Angelique's ashes to the four winds. As they leave the room, the Countess sees him, despite knowing that he's dead. She goes into the room he and Ben came out of, and sees the coffin. She opens it.

Vicki says she remembers standing on the gallows, and then waking up in Collinwood. Barnabas enters and is shocked to see her alive.

Millicent comes into the room with the coffin. She says she heard screaming. The Countess tells her that Barnabas is alive. Millicent says she already knew that. The Countess says the coffin in the room is empty. Millicent says that Nathan talked about Barnabas when she saw him, saying that he wanted her to destroy Barnabas by driving a stake through his heart.

Barnabas says it's a miracle. He explains that Angelique put a spell on her, but it must have been broken when they burned her alive. Peter comes in, and Barnabas tells then to go away, as far as they can. He wishes them happiness. Peter thanks him, and Vicki asks to be alone with Barnabas for a moment. He goes to prepare the carriage, and Vicki tells Barnabas that no matter what happens, she will always remain close to him. She kisses him on the cheek and leaves.

The Countess believes that Barnabas is a vampire. She realizes that he wanted to make Josette like him, which is why she jumped from the cliff at Widow's Hill. She pledges to destroy Barnabas.

Ben asks where Barnabas will be returning to. He says he needs to be in the cemetery where Ben met him 48 hours ago. Ben agrees to go with him.

The Countess and Millicent go to follow Barnabas.

In the cemetery, Barnabas returns to the spot where he left Julia. He calls to her in the future, asking her to draw him forward in time. Millicent and Julia watch from the woods. Barnabas says that perhaps Julia was to find him the way Willie found him, and asks Ben to follow him into the mausoleum. He tells Ben to return in the morning and place chains around the coffin. He also asks him to tell his father what happened.

After dawn, the Countess and Forbes enter the mausoleum. She says she had him released from prison to do what must be done. He has a stake in his hand, and she opens the secret door. She tells him to open the coffin. He does, and the find Barnabas sleeping inside. She tells Forbes to destroy him, and he raises a mallet into the air, and brings it down in a crash.

Our thoughts

John: So Angelique is giving Vicki the Liz Stoddard/buried alive treatment, though this time she's cutting right to the chase. Makes sense, the way these things can drag on.

Christine: Why torment Vicki just because Barnabas loves her? It's one thing to do away with her to make him suffer, but quite another to make her die twice horribly just because he spurned Angelique. She is really honing her skills at evildoing.

John: I'm sorry, but if Angelique could be done away with a simple impromptu barbecue, she would have been vanquished long ago. This has all the hallmarks of the writers' needing a quick way to wrap up the storyline... As Barnabas tells Ben, it's hard to believe. And particularly hard to believe is that she burned to ashes in a matter of minutes.

Christine: Angelique cannot be killed, only diminished. I only hope her incineration will break Liz's spell too.

John: Was anyone else hoping that Barnabas might have a change of heart and bite Vicki to keep as his own... Instead he lets her go, and decides to take another 200-year nap, all but ensuring he'll return to the future as a vampire. Unless his life is cut short by Nathan Forbes!

Christine: I'm glad to see that Barnabas has learned some selflessness and decided to let Vicki go with the man she truly loves. Maybe he'll mature even more after another 200 years of reflection. The loud bang we heard at the end of the episode didn't sound like a hammer hitting a stake, so I think he'll come out okay on Monday. Dan Curtis spared no expense in this episode, with a total of 8 actors on board for the action today! That may be a record.

Dark Shadows Episode 664 - 1/9/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Barnabas retires to his father's study, where he discovers Crystal's dead body lying in a chair. He goes to get Ben, telling him that he found her there. Ben asks how she got in, since he didn't see anyone enter. Ben asks if she's alright, and Barnabas says she's dead, and they have to dispose of the body. They return to the study to find that Crystal's dead body has been replaced by Angelique. She greets them, and asks Ben to leave her alone with Barnabas.

She tells Barnabas that she wanted him to know that she still has all of her powers. She explains that she was sent back to remain in this century as punishment for her mistakes. She says she knows he came back to save Vicki, and she offers to help him. She says she'll make him a deal—she'll save Vicki if he agrees to stay in the past with her. He asks why she wants him to stay, and she tells him so that they can be together. She reminds him that she's his wife. He says he can't even pretend to love her. He adds that if he remains in the time, he will also remain a vampire. He reluctantly agrees to stay.

Vicki asks Peter what time it is. She says they'll be coming for her soon, and they can't stop it.

Ben asks Barnabas where he's going. He says he heard what Angelique said, and he'd be a fool to trust her. Barnabas says he doesn't have a choice. He has to risk it in the hopes of saving Vicki.

Vicki describes how she's reliving what happened before, and she can't stop it. Peter tells her that Barnabas was able to free him, and he will find a way to free her, too. Vicki explains that unlike before, there's no one in the future to take her place this time. Barnabas arrives at the gaol and is let into Vicki's cell. He tells her that she must follow his instructions. She is to go to the gallows, and refuse the mask when offered. She must not panic or be afraid, regardless of what happens. He asks if she trusts him, and she says that she does. The jailer comes to take her to the gallows. Peter tells her that no matter what happens, he'll find her. Barnabas holds Peter back and tells him that Angelique will save her. She'll put a spell on Vicki that will make her appear to die. Peter must then take Vicki's body back to Collinwood, where Angelique will be able to resuscitate her.

The hangman prepares the noose and Vicki is brought towards the gallows as Barnabas and Peter watch. Barnabas calls to Angelique, wondering where she is, as the hangman places the noose around Vicki's neck. Peter rushes forward to stop them from hanging Vicki, but is held back. Barnabas screams for Angelique as Vicki is hanged.

The hangman confirms Vicki is dead. Peter cradles her body and says he's taking her. They leave, and he tells Barnabas that he failed him. Barnabas says they'll take her back to Collinwood.

Back at Collinwood, Ben is disappointed that Angelique lied, and tells Barnabas that he told him so. Peter kisses Vicki's dead lips, and walks out of the room. Barnabas apologizes to Vicki for failing her. Ben asks him what about Angelique. He says she's coming at sunset, and expects he will go away with her. He promises to tell Ben his plan later.

He leaves, and Angelique appears from the shadows. She says that Vicki is under her power now, and she will never release her from her spell. She knows that if Vicki lives, Barnabas will continue to love her, and she doesn't want him to ever have the woman he loves.

Our thoughts

John: How much do you want to bet that eventually the writers will find a way to break Angelique free of her bonds to the past. And it's getting confusing keeping track of who knows what as they maintain their consciousness as they bounce between the past and future.

Christine: Right. How is it that Vicki remembers going back and forth and Bradford does not seem to remember anything about his time spent in Jeff Clark's body?

John: Were the lights out on set, or did the crew just forget to light Angelique in the study?

Christine: It was just the poor lighting conditions in 1796.

John: I'm curious—was Angelique's plan just to save Vicki, or to transport her back to the future? If she was going to survive, but in the past, you think Barnabas would be motivated to stay.

Christine: Angelique's plan is to mess with Barnabas in whatever way she can, making him as unhappy as possible simply because he does not love her and made her think he once did during a reckless evening in Martinique. Julia would reach her hand through time and slap him upside the head if she knew how he mucked it up by trusting Angelique again.

Dark Shadows Episode 662 - 1/7/69

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Barnabas notices the gravestones have disappeared, and Ben shows up, convincing him that he's returned on the correct night. He says he must go to the village to change the course of history. Barnabas tells Ben to return to Collinwood, and tell his father that Forbes got away and that he's followed him to Bangor. Ben points out that his father will surely go to Bangor. Barnabas then tells him Forbes will soon be back, and he wants Ben to lead him to the house, where Barnabas will be waiting.

Forbes sits alone in The Eagle, emptying every bottle in the place, when Barnabas arrives. He tells Forbes that his mother committed suicide because of what he is, thanks to Forbes telling her where to find him. Forbes pulls a gun and threatens to take him to the constable for being the Collinsport strangler. Barnabas tells him to go ahead and shoot, and he does. Then Barnabas tells him that he can't kill what's already dead. Barnabas says he won't kill him, if he considers doing what Barnabas demands. He gives him until 9pm to decide, and then disappears. Forbes rushes out.

Vicki lies in her cell at the Collinsport jail. Barnabas appears in her cell. She's shocked to see him because she thinks he's dead. He explains that Angelique put him under a spell. She says she's going to be hanged tonight, and he tells her it's not too late. She says she knows she should be grateful, but there's another man.

Barnabas tells her he knows about Peter, and how much he means to her. She says that he will die on the gallows after she does, and he tells her that neither of them will die. Vicki tells Barnabas that since she saw him last, she went back to the future, and then returned to the past to be with Peter again. Barnabas tells her to trust him. He assures her that by morning, she and Peter will be free.

Forbes shows up at Collinwood to see Joshua. He says he needs to tell him about Barnabas. He tells Ben that he shot Barnabas, but it didn't kill him. Ben tells Forbes that Barnabas is a vampire; placed under a curse that will destroy his entire family. They go into the study, and Forbes blames Ben for protecting Barnabas, allowing him to kill people. Ben tells Forbes that he tried to destroy Barnabas once. He says if Forbes drives a stake through Barnabas' heart in the morning, it will kill him. Forbes asks Ben to stay with him. He spots the crossbow on the wall, and tells Ben that he's right, and he should face his fate alone. Ben leaves, and Forbes grabs the crossbow and loads a bolt.

Barnabas arrives at Collinwood at 9pm, and makes his way to Joshua's study. Forbes is waiting inside with the crossbow pointed at the door. Barnabas opens the door but does not enter. Forbes goes to the door but doesn't see anyone, so he closes and locks it. He then hears Barnabas' voice inside the room, but he can't see him. Barnabas then appears behind Forbes and grabs him.

Our thoughts

John: I know Barnabas has been around the block, but he seems particularly comfortable traveling through time.

Christine: I was surprised he wasn't a little more upset about becoming a vampire again, but I suspect he misses having the power to control others.

John: I don't know about you, but I thought Fake Vicki Number 2 was the best one yet. I'd like to see her come back to the future once Barnabas' 1796 vacation is over, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

Christine: Carolyn Groves has a little more experience under her belt than Betsy Durkin, but it will be tough for anyone to replace Alexandra Moltke as Victoria.

John: Do you think they went with mutton chops so it would be easier for the audience to distinguish when the show was set in the past?

Christine: Nathan Forbes always had mutton chops, though they may have been poorly applied in today's episode. The uniform alone would have been enough to alert folks that they were no longer in the present day. I thought yesterday's repurposed footage was one of those situations where actors got to take a day off, but now I see how useful the refresher was in comparing the way events changed in today's episode.

Dark Shadows Episode 650 - 12/20/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Roger returns to Collinwood and tells Liz that the coroner confirmed Madame Findley died of a heart attack. Liz doesn't think it's as simple as that. She wonders if she saw something that frightened her. Roger assures her that there's nothing mysterious about it. Vicki comes in and asks if someone else can stay with the children tonight. She says she has to stay in her room, because Jeff is going to return to her room tonight. She says she had a dream where Jeff said he would come for her. She says she couldn't go on living if it doesn't happen. She runs upstairs, and Roger says she has to stop her grieving eventually. He suggests that Barnabas should talk to her. Liz says it's worth trying. He offers to go to the old house to get Barnabas before he leaves for his trip.

Vicki sits in her room and stares at Jeff's watch. She asks for a sign. When there is none, she starts to cry. She then realizes that the watch has started ticking again, and she thinks that means Jeff is in the room with her again. She begs him to come to her. A glowing light appears by her window.

Roger brings Barnabas to see Liz. He says he should have come to see Vicki earlier. Liz tells him that Vicki needs help, and she goes up to tell her that he is there.

Vicki speaks to the light in the window, asking him to come back to her. She screams that she loves him, and she hears his voice whisper her name. It says her love brought him back, but he can never return. She says she doesn't believe it, and their spiritual discussion is interrupted by a knock on the door.

Liz comes in and tells her that she heard from Jeff and he said he'll never return. She asks what she's going to do, and then tells Liz that she has to leave Collinwood. Liz tells her that she's part of the family, and Vicki acknowledges that they're the only family she has. She says the house has too many memories. Liz tells her they can talk later, and says that Barnabas is waiting outside to speak to her. She asks Liz to send him in.

Vicki says she's glad to see Barnabas. She says she needs to say goodbye, because she's going to leave Collinwood. She explains the the memories of all that happened at Collinwood will be unbearable. He tells her that she's making a mistake. He offers to take her away, so he can take care of her. He says he wants her to be his wife. He admits that he knows she doesn't feel for him as she did for Jeff, but he says he'll do anything to make her happy. He asks her to consider going away with him as his wife. She tells him that he's the kindest and most considerate man she knows, and she's honored he wants her to be his wife, but she must say no. She explains that while she feels something like love for him, Jeff isn't gone. Barnabas asks if she thinks Jeff will come back to her, and she says she knows that can never happen. She apologizes to Barnabas, saying that she will never stop loving the man she married. He asks her when she's planning to leave, and she says she plans to leave as soon as possible. He says it will be easiest if this is their final farewell. As he leaves, she tells him that she will never forget him, and he says the same of her.

After he leaves, she begins to cry, and asks why she has to spend the rest of her life without Jeff. She doesn't see him materialize behind her.

She's surprised to find him there. He says that he didn't choose to come back—her love brought him back. But he says she has to forget him. He explains that he (Peter) inhabited Jeff's body, but for only a short time. He then adds that he can only stay until 8, and then he will disappear. She tells him she will never stop loving him. She asks him to take her back with him. He says it's too dangerous. 

Roger asks Barnabas to help out around Collinwood while he's gone. As he leaves to catch his taxi, he tells Liz that he'll call her from London. Liz is surprised to find Barnabas in the drawing room. She says she just passed Vicki's room and heard him talking to a man, and she assumed it was him.

Upstairs, Barnabas calls for Vicki and ultimately breaks down the door just in time for he and Liz to see Vicki and Jeff disappear.

Our thoughts

John: So much for Madame Findley adding to the Quentin storyline. Three episodes and she's unceremoniously off to the land of Collinwood's forgotten dead.

Christine: Findley joins the cadre of fondly remembered characters who made a lasting impression in just a few appearances. Along with Buzz, Mr. Wells, the bat by Bil Baird, and Diabolos, she may be gone but certainly not forgotten. Liz admits that Vicki is disturbed and needs help. Isn't there someone with credentials on site to consult before going to Barnabas?

John: The way Peter was talking, it sounded like the real Jeff Clark was going to return, minus the spiritual possession of Peter Bradford. If Vicki were smarter, she could have stuck around and waited to hook up with the real Jeff Clark, and been done with all the time travel business once and for all. Because who are we kidding, she didn't really know either of them long enough to develop such a lasting relationship. It was always all about the looks, and that's the one thing the real Jeff Clark could have offered her. 

Christine: I'd say the only reason she was into Jeff Clark was because of her love for Peter Bradford, which was not entirely due to his appearance, but may have been partly because he was there for her when she was enduring a trial and had no one else to support her. Quite honestly, I'm not sad to see the current incarnation of Vicki go. Betsy Durkin is a lovely lady, but she just didn't have the right Vicki vibe.

John: I assume if Roger is off to London, we won't be seeing much of him in the foreseeable future. I hope Louis Edmonds got a nice vacation out of the deal.

Christine: Barnabas has impeccable timing as usual, asking Vicki to marry him when she's still married to someone else, and pouting when she refuses him.

Dark Shadows Episode 642 - 12/10/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Vicki walks out to Widow's hill and looks over the cliff at the rocks below. She remembers Stokes claim that the only way she can join Jeff is to die. She is shocked to hear Liz scream, and Stokes warns Liz not to approach Vicki, lest she jump. They plead for Vicki to step away from the cliff. Liz asks if Jeff would want her to jump. Stokes tells her that Jeff isn't responsible for her standing there. He tells her that Jeff is trying to reach her, and she needs to wait to hear from him. Stokes leads her away from the cliff, back towards Collinwood.

Chris and Carolyn return to Collinwood, and she invites him in. Carolyn brings up the dead waitress from The Blue Whale. Chris tells her he should be getting back to town. She asks him to stay until someone comes, and he agrees.

Carolyn says the animal that killed the girl is the same one who attacked her mother. She notices that he's not listening to her, and he tells her he's more upset about the dead girl than she is. Liz, Stokes and Vicki come in. They take the crying Vicki upstairs.

Carolyn asks Stokes if Vicki was attacked, and he says, "Just by fate."

Liz tells Vicki she's trying to understand. Stokes enters and apologizes to Vicki for saying what he did. Vicki tells him she panicked when she thought she'd never see him again. The windows blow open and Vicki thinks it's a sign from Jeff. She picks up Jeff's watch and says it had started to move yesterday, but it was back to the original time. And now it has started again. Liz suggests Stokes has psychic powers, and asks if he can sense anyone there. Vicki asks Jeff to tell her what to do. A glowing light appears, which Vicki claims is Jeff. She smiles, and then says the watch has stopped. She tells the others that now they know it's not her imagination. Stokes leaves them and Liz apologizes for not believing Vicki.

Carolyn tells Chris that she wishes they could do something to help Vicki. Stokes comes downstairs and says the room will do. He then introduces himself to Chris. He says he needs another man present in case the spirit needs to speak through him. Chris asks what he means, and Stokes says they are going to hold a seance. Chris declines to help them, saying he doesn't believe in that stuff. Stokes explains that they kept Vicki from killing herself tonight, and they need his help to prevent it from happening again.

Stokes tells Liz and Vicki that he wants to hold a seance. Liz says she doesn't want to after the last time. Vicki says if she's called back to the past, then it's because that's what Jeff wants. She asks how soon they can start.

Carolyn tells Chris that she was afraid the first time, too. Vicki and the others come in. Stokes asks Chris to ensure the windows are tightly closed. He tells everyone where to sit, and once they've taken their places he begins the seance.

Stokes calls for Jeff to come forward. Stokes senses a presence in the room. He asks if it's Jeff, and Vicki says he's not. Stokes asks who is there, and why they came. Liz turns her head and says someone was staring at her, and then adds that she felt a woman's hand. Stokes calls for the spirit in the room to tell them what it wants. Carolyn begins to whine. She says she heard the widows' wailing, and adds that the must stop him. Stokes asks who they must stop, and she says he must not come back. Stokes asks if she means Jeff, and she says no. She says they must stop them, and he must stay where he is. Stokes asks who she is, and she says Magda, and mentions her curse. Stokes asks about her curse, and as Carolyn convulses, Chris breaks the circle. Stokes says whoever was there is now gone. Vicki runs off and Liz follows her. Stokes tells Jennings he'd like to know why he did that.

Our thoughts

John: I'll admit that even though it's early in the week, I half-expected Vicki to take the Widows' Hill express to 1795 today.

Christine: I can't help wondering if the new ghost in town, Quentin Collins, is the one showing up as an astral manifestation, and not Vicki's hubby, Jeff Clark.

John: I'm sorry, if the moon was full last night, odds are that the moon would be full tonight, too. So what exactly is Chris Jennings doing out on the town, and then hanging around Collinwood, not to mention partaking in a seance, when he's likely to fur up at any moment?

Christine: Perhaps the moon is waning. Chris does not seem particularly remorseful about shredding the Blue Whale waitress, though perhaps he didn't want to let on to Carolyn that he's an animal.

John: Poor David missed another seance! So now we've met Magda, another curse-giver. Sounds like the kind of gypsy name who might curse someone with lycanthropy to me...

Christine: David and Amy probably had their ears pressed to the drawing room doors. It's clear from past seance precedent that whoever interrupts the medium at the seance has got something to hide. We know Chris has a secret, but what does he know about Magda to fear she'll expose him? Also, are Carolyn and Chris already an item after one night of drinks? It seemed rather intimate of him to grab her and put his lips on her head considering the few times they've dated.