Dark Shadows Before I Die: Episode 76

Roger opens the door to receive Burke Devlin. He asks to see Mrs. Stoddard. Burke tells Roger he's come for something he's waited 10 years for—Collinwood. Roger asks if he thinks Liz would let him have the house, and he says she may not have a choice. Roger sends Carolyn up to get her mother, leaving Roger with Burke. Burke tells Roger that he's going to prove he's guilty of Bill's murder.

Carolyn finds her mother and tells her Burke is in the drawing room and wishes to speak to her.

Roger says he can't steal Collinwood, and Burke says he's never stolen anything. Liz enters and asks why he came back to Collinsport. He says he wants to buy Collinwood. LIz says that Collinwood is not for sale. Burke asks if that's true even if he offers more than it's worth? That gets Roger's attention.

Carolyn paces in the foyer when Vicki comes home. Carolyn tells her Burke is in the drawing room with her mother and uncle. She says Burke wants to buy Collinwood.

Roger encourages Liz to sell, but she refuses to consider it. Burke gives her fair warning that he intends to own Collinwood and all of its subsidiary enterprises.

Carolyn and Vicki discuss the possibility of her mother selling the house. Carolyn urges Vicki to go back downstairs.

Roger continues to press Liz on selling the house. He asks Burke to step into the foyer while he speaks to Liz.

The girls find Burke in the foyer. They ask what he would do if he bought the house. Carolyn suggests maybe he's doing it to be spiteful to Laura. He says the house oozes of evil.

Roger says it would be worth selling at a loss to get Burke off his neck. Liz says she won't sell. Roger says he knows it has nothing to do with Paul. He says he knows their marriage wasn't so blissful, and that she's not pining for his return.

Liz invites Burke, Carolyn and Vicki into the drawing room. She explains that no matter what he may think, she has not used the influence of the Collins family to hurt him in any way. She says if he wants a fight, he'll get one. He says he's sure he will. As he's leaving, Carolyn asks if there's anything she can say or do, and he says no.

Our thoughts

John: After all this time, Burke doesn't try to get Collinwood by buying up their debts—he comes right out and offers to buy it above market value! Roger almost trips over himself trying to convince Liz to accept Burke's generous offer.

Christine: Burke is in fine form for a Monday episode, describing Roger as a man afraid of his own shadow and trashing Liz for not leaving the grounds in 18 years.

John: It looks like Burke hammered the final nail in the coffin of Carolyn's infatuation with him. He didn't ask Vicki about that dinner rain-check, but odds are that won't be happening anytime soon, either.

Christine: Don't be so sure of that. There's a nice exchange when Carolyn confronts Burke on how he had told her he did not mean the family any harm. He explains that it was campaign oratory in that it was telling her what she wanted to hear, but was not expected to believe. When she asks if everything else was campaign oratory, which I assume refers to their flirting with each other, he states that he almost got elected. Nice. I'd say he's still in the running.

John: Sadly, no pen appearance this episode. I guess we'll have to wait until someone finds it in Vicki's room. And whatever happened to Matthew after Roger sent him to get Liz?

Christine: Interesting that Roger brings up that bit of history about Elizabeth's marriage to Paul. Could there be another reason Liz does not want to sell Collinwood? We have yet to find out who's been moaning and wailing in the basement.