Dark Shadows Episode 265 - 6/30/67

Dr. Julia Hoffman examines Maggie, having her follow simple commands. She has Maggie repeat her name, and then asks her to say her own name. Maggie clutches her face, unable to answer.

Sam is upset that he can't visit Maggie. Doctor Woodard tells him that Julia Hoffman isn't a particularly communicative woman. Sam asks why she hasn't given any update on Maggie's condition. The doctor reminds Sam that he said Dr. Hoffman was unusual. Sam asks if Maggie recognized the sketch of the girl who sent him to the beach, and the doctor says he hasn't heard anything. He tells Sam that Maggie is safe and under good care. Sam tells the doctor that he and Joe are going to go see Maggie. He asks the doctor to call ahead, and he refuses, as he says he's coming with them.

Joe drives Sam to Windcliff.

Julia Hoffman tells Woodard that she's not pleased to see him, nor Mr. Evans or Mr. Haskell. She has Sam and Joe sent into her office. Sam says they want to see his daughter. She explains that it could prove painful to them and to Maggie. Sam asks what she thinks might happen. She tells him that she doesn't know. She calls for a nurse to take them up to Maggie's room. After they're gone, she tells Woodard the result is going to be terrible. He asks why she's letting them see her, and she explains that hopefully they'll realize that they shouldn't meddle.

A nurse tells Maggie that her father and Joe Haskell are here to see her. Maggie sits holding her doll. She doesn't respond to either of them. Joe asks if she needs anything, and she gets up, dropping her doll, and going to the window. Sam offers her the doll, and Maggie takes it. He then reminds her of another doll she had as a girl. She starts singing London Bridge. She hesitates before singing the line, "lock her up." She gets upset and they try to calm her down. She screams and runs to the door. The nurse comes back in and suggests that Joe and Sam leave.

Dr. Hoffman says she needs time with Maggie. She asks if he has faith in her competence, and he assures her that he does. He asks if she's found anything indicating what's wrong with her. She says yes, but refuses to divulge more. He asks if she's shown her the sketch of the little girl, and she tells him all in good time. He then asks if she's checked her blood, and she says of course she has. She says she's come up with a more accurate diagnosis than he did, but won't tell him. She reiterates his description—an unholy union in her blood. She gets a call saying Sam and Joe have concluded their visit. Hoffman asks them to trust her. She says she'll let them know when it's advisable for them to visit. She says the poor, frightened child they saw was not his daughter. She asks Woodard if he has any more questions, and he says no.

On the drive back, Sam asks Joe what Woodard didn't want him to see. Was it Maggie, or Dr. Hoffman?

Hoffman asks Maggie what her name is. She said she knew it earlier. Maggie just sings London Bridge.

Our thoughts

John: Welcome, Dr. Julia Hoffman! Another staple from my Dark Shadows memories has finally arrived, I had no idea that it was Maggie would be responsible for her introduction, as all of my memories are of her somewhat interesting relationship with Barnabas. I look forward to her making it back to Collinwood and meeting the family, though by the sound of it, that might be a long way off while she treats Maggie's current condition.

Christine: Happy to have Dr. Hoffman finally arrive! Grayson Hall is a first rate actress and a wonderful addition to the cast.

John: The tests we see Dr. Hoffman running don't show Maggie in the same state we last did. She had regressed to a childlike state, yes, but she was otherwise normal. I wonder if Hoffman is doing experiments of her own that don't have anything to do with bringing Maggie back to normal.

Christine: It is strange that she is not happy to see her father and boyfriend. I hadn't considered the possibility that Dr. Hoffman's unorthodox treatment may be responsible. Interesting. There is definitely something fishy going on here.

Why are there no fish in Dr. Hoffman's tank?

John: So are we to assume that Dr. Woodard was in the trunk on the ride to and from Windcliff?

Christine: Maybe he was lying down in the back seat so he could watch the hypnotic sight of branches being repeatedly waved over the car through the back window.

Dr. Hoffman's treatment consists of continuously shining a light into Maggie's right eye.

Windcliff Sanitarium

Dark Shadows Episode 264 - 6/29/67

Jason enters the drawing room and says good evening to Roger, who refuses to acknowledge him. Roger gets up to leave, and Jason says he hopes he's not leaving on his account, and Roger says that's exactly why he is leaving. Jason says they'll be brothers in law soon, and Roger says that won't be the case if he can help it.

Jason threatens Roger, saying if he opposes him, he may find himself at the short end of Collinwood. Roger explains papers are being written up that will prevent Jason from taking over the estate, and Jason counters that papers have to be signed as well. Roger storms out and Jason sits down with the paper, laughing.

Willie tells Barnabas that all traces of Maggie have been cleaned up. Barnabas says he thought he saw someone out the window. Willie asks if it's David. Willie then asks about Maggie. Barnabas mentions how even he was surprised that she died. Willie says that they're responsible for her death. Barnabas reminds Willie that there's an alternative if he decides he doesn't want to work for him. He sends Willie to go outside to see if anyone is there.

Roger drops in to see Barnabas, who offers him some amontillado. Roger doesn't pass up a chance for a free drink. Barnabas says Roger looks disturbed, and he says he's concerned about his sister's potential marriage to Jason McGuire. Roger says he thinks she's being forced to marry him. Barnabas says he thought it was an odd relationship, but he didn't feel it was his place to say. He says he doesn't trust McGuire. Roger says that they've all tried to stop her, including Carolyn, who has threatened to marry one of the most disreputable people in the entire county.

Barnabas asks if he should talk to Liz, and Roger suggests not. Barnabas then asks if Jason can be bought off. Roger says they're drawing up papers to try and protect the estate, but Jason is confident they won't be signed. Roger says he hates to think of what would happen to the estate if Jason gets his way, and wishes there was someone who could deal with him. Barnabas says since the disposition of the property involves him, he'd be happy to speak with Jason.

Willie walks around the old house, and comes across Sarah. He asks what she's doing out here, and she says she's looking for someone to play with. He asks where she lives, and she tells him she's from around here. She says she's been looking for her parents for a long time, and can't find them anywhere. Willie asks if she was the one who played with David, and she says yes, but she hasn't seen him. Willie tells her not to play around here. He tries to send her away, and asks where she lives. She points to the old house. He says he'll take her to town, and she says she lives there. He tells her to follow him and he turns to see that she's gone.

Barnabas and Roger arrive at the main house. Roger points out that Barnabas' interest in the old house might be in jeopardy. He asks Roger to check for a proviso in the original deeds that might have anticipated just such a situation. Roger goes upstairs and asks Barnabas to wait in the drawing room.

Barnabas finds Jason in the drawing room and asks about the upcoming changes in the house. Jason says his marriage to Liz will be a very happy event. Barnabas questions this, and Jason reiterates that he'll ensure that it is. He adds this is a chance for happiness for his cousin. Barnabas says it's not his business, but he is concerned with Jason's motives. Barnabas says it's possible he knows more about Jason than the others.

Jason asks if he's been talking to Willie. Barnabas says he wants the estate to remain as it has, and not fall into the hands of an unscrupulous person. Barnabas implies he knows about illegal activities in Jason's past. Jason suggests that Barnabas speak freely, as he will not be intimidated. Jason turns the tables and asks about who Barnabas is. Why would a gentleman hire someone like Willie. Jason is intrigued with why Barnabas would need someone like Willie, and asks about his business, and where he gets his money. He also asks where Barnabas goes every day, since he only ever sees him at night.

Barnabas returns to the old house, and tells Willie that Jason McGuire is beginning to ask questions. He says if he's not careful, he'll have to be dealt with. Willie says he's only bluffing. Then he tells Barnabas he did find someone outside—a little girl. He tells him that before she ran off, she said the old house was where she lived.

Our thoughts

John: Nice to see Roger attempt to play hardball with Jason, though he's clearly outmatched. While it's odd to think of pulling in his cousin to help with the situation, it's probably one of the brightest moves he's made.

Christine: I thought Jason McGuire was going to continue laughing through the opening theme. Barnabas is such a pleasant gentleman whenever he is around Roger that you can almost forget that he's a bloodthirsty killer. That may come in handy when it comes to dealing with Mr. McGuire.

John: Willie meets Sarah outside the old house, and is even less aware of her period clothing than David was. You'd think he of all people might be more open to supernatural explanations for things in and around Collinwood.

Christine: Too bad he didn't bring her back to the Old House to talk to Barnabas after she said it was where she lived.

John: I love that the stage is being set for a showdown between Barnabas and Jason. If the family members like cousin Barnabas now, just wait until he rids Collinwood of that pest once and for all.

Christine: Although Roger claimed Barnabas had a stake in dealing with Jason to protect his interest in the Old House, I rather think that he is more concerned with protecting the Collins family. It would be great to have Barnabas show Jason exactly why he never sees him during the daytime.

Roger walks a long time through crunchy things before arriving at the Old House.

Barnabas lets a good glass of amontillado go to waste.

Dark Shadows Episode 263 - 6/28/67

Vicki finds Carolyn in the drawing room. She tells Vicki that the paper says another girl was attacked last night. Vicki says the police will catch the maniac, and Carolyn tells her that she had a dream that she would be the next victim. She describes a hand reaching out from darkness, grabbing her. She tells Vicki she was so scared she couldn't scream. Vicki says she's going to check in with Mr. Evans, to see if there's anything she can do. Carolyn says she'll do the same with Joe. The girls agree not to speak of Buzz or Jason, so they'll have nothing to argue about.

Vicki tells Carolyn she's agreed to be her mother's witness when she marries Jason. Carolyn is upset, telling Vicki that she's becoming like a daughter to Liz. Contrary to what she just said, Carolyn tells Vicki that they can't be friends.

Sam speaks with the doctor over the phone about Maggie's condition. There's a knock at the door so he hangs up with the doctor. He welcomes Vicki in. She asks him if there's anything she can do. He says it's very kind of her, but there's nothing she can do. She offers to dispose of Maggie's things, and Sam gets defensive. Sam starts to tell Vicki the truth about Maggie, but stops short.

Joe sits on the dock having lunch when Carolyn shows up to see him. Carolyn mentions it's been less than a year since she used to meet him here for lunch. She tries to say she's sorry about what happened to Maggie, and he tells her he doesn't want or need her sympathy. He gives her a cup of coffee and says he's heard she's getting married. He says he hopes she's happy. She says a lot of people think she's making a mistake, and he tells her it's her business. Carolyn points out that she can be selfish and cruel, particularly how she treated Joe. He suggests she might be hooking up with the wrong person out of spite. She says she loves Buzz, and Joe says in that case marry him. But if she's just doing it to hurt her mother, she shouldn't.

Vicki and Carolyn update each other on their meetings. Carolyn says she admires how Joe is handling things. Carolyn tells Vicki that she's going out with Buzz

Joe asks Sam about Maggie. He says Dr. Hoffman has had her first meeting. He mentions that Vicki stopped by, and tells Joe that he almost told her the truth. Joe is explicit that they not let anyone know Maggie is not dead. He said he felt bad when Carolyn told him how sorry she was about Maggie. Sam agrees they need to keep the secret, and says they need to find the maniac responsible.

Our thoughts

John: So how again is it best to keep someone like Vicki out of the loop on Maggie's condition? Of course, she might share the news within the family, which would lead to Barnabas possibly finding out...

Christine: Neither Sam nor Joe are acting as distraught as we would expect them to be. I'm surprised that Vicki didn't pick up on that when she was with Sam. It appears that Barnabas is back to attacking the young ladies of Collinsport now that Maggie has escaped his clutches. Who will be the lucky lady he chooses to be his next Josette? 

John: I guess we can add Vicki to the list of victims of Carolyn's yo-yo attack behavior.

Christine: Hasn't she always been on that list? Perhaps Vicki didn't need to tell her about being the witness at her mother's wedding just as they were making nice.

John: Once again, Joe deserves credit for not falling victim to Carolyn. It just struck me, but I'm wondering why, if she really wanted to get back at her mother, that she didn't sidle up to Burke Devlin instead of Buzz. At least then there would be a chance for her to be happy at the end of the day.

Christine: She knows Burke only has eyes for Vicki and wouldn't want to face the humiliation of having him reject her again. We got some nice footage out at the docks today.

Dark Shadows Episode 262 - 6/27/67

Liz finds Vicki in the drawing room, distraught. She says Joe called, and said they found Maggie, and that she's dead. Maggie mentions how Maggie was her first friend. She's disappointed there won't be a service. Vicki asks Liz what she wanted when she entered. Liz says she needs a legal witness to her marriage. Vicki asks if Roger would be the logical choice, and Liz says she doesn't have the courage to ask her. Vicki said she wasn't planning to be there. She didn't want to have to stand by knowing that Jason was blackmailing her. Vicki asks if having Carolyn hate her is the predestined outcome, isn't hating her for the truth better?

Vicki asks Carolyn to talk to her before she goes out with Buzz.

She gets defensive until Vicki tells her that Maggie is dead. Carolyn asks Vicki if she and Maggie were good friends, and tells her how sorry she is. Vicki asks Carolyn if she can call off upsetting her mother for one night. Vicki tells Carolyn that she doesn't know what she's doing, and Carolyn corrects her. Vicki says that while she might know what she's doing, she doesn't know what her mother's doing. Vicki suggests that Jason may be forcing her mother, and goes so far as to bring up Carolyn's father before stopping. Carolyn asks if she knows something that she doesn't, and Vicki tells her she doesn't.

We see the waves crashing on the rocks, and then Vicki walks along the beach with Burke Devlin. He tells her she doesn't have to talk about Maggie if she doesn't want to. Burke says that what happened to Maggie matters, considering the person who killed her is still out there. Vicki reluctantly agrees that he should be caught, but also says that she doesn't care. Burke asks if there's any way to stop Liz from marrying Jason, or Carolyn from marrying Buzz. Vicki says there's not.

Liz hears Buzz' motorcycle. They come in and argue about their plans for the evening. Carolyn decided she wanted to stay home. Liz says she'll leave them alone to go to the study. Vicki arrives home and Liz asks her to meet her in the study. Buzz and Carolyn continue to argue, but she sends him away for the night. He leaves and storms off on his motorcycle. Carolyn says she saw Joe walking down the road, and it made her feel bad. She runs upstairs, leaving Vicki with her mother. Vicki pleads with Liz to tell Carolyn the truth. She says this could be her last chance. Liz tells Vicki she'll ask Roger to be her witness. Vicki tells her that's not necessary, as she'll proudly stand by as witness.

Our thoughts

John: No! Say it ain't so! Mitch Ryan, who has been Burke Devlin since episode 1 (which aired exactly one year before this episode, no less), has been replaced! Not the way I was hoping to celebrate Dark Shadows' 1st anniversary. Perhaps Anthony George will grow on me over time, but for now, I tip my hat to the original Burke Devlin.

Christine: He will be missed dearly. They did manage to find someone else who looks like Dick Tracy, and eventually he'll be accepted as Burke Devlin, but there's no way he'll ever truly fill those shoes crafted by Mitchell Ryan.

John: Ah, yes. Maggie was Vicki's first friend. So warm and friendly. I guess Vicki forgot that Maggie called her a dope that day she arrived in Collinsport.

Christine: She actually called her a jerk, which makes me a jerk for pointing it out. Warm and friendly were not the words to describe the original incarnation of Maggie Evans.

John: Vicki seems awfully cool with the fact that Liz is a murderer. Perhaps if she knew the full circumstances, a case could be made for that. The fact that she just knows that her employer MURDERED someone—her husband, no less—and that doesn't seem to trouble her in the least. And shouldn't she consider that the fact that Jason is holding this over Liz could mean that he was involved, in which case there might be another murderer in the house that she doesn't have such a strong bond with?

Christine: Apparently her overwhelming faith in Liz is what allows her to believe that it must have been a justifiable homicide, without any evidence to support that belief. It's definitely a stretch. Vicki is understandably depressed and confused. In addition to keeping secret that Liz murdered Paul Stoddard, she's agreed to act as witness at her wedding, which will cause all sorts of problems for her with the other inhabitants at Collinwood, not to mention the ethical challenges it poses for her. As if that weren't enough, her best friend is dead, her other friend is being self destructive and hostile, and her boyfriend has radically changed his appearance and mannerisms. It's no wonder she's making no sense and says she doesn't care. She's headed for a breakdown.

Fond remembrances of Mitchell Ryan as Burke Devlin.