Dark Shadows Episode 288 - 8/2/67

David finds Vicki daydreaming in the drawing room. He said it was like she was someone else, and it frightened him. She says she knows he likes to imagine scary things, but he shouldn't try to scare her. Julia enters, and Vicki introduces David to her. He offers to tell her about his ancestors. Julia asks about private printed histories, and Vicki goes to get them.

David quizzes her to see if he'll be included, and asks if she'd like to see their family album. He pulls the book out and they start flipping through it. They arrive at Sarah Collins, and David is surprised he hasn't heard of her. He does say she looks just like a girl he plays with sometimes near the old house. He says that's the only place he's ever seen her. And that her name is Sarah, too. Julia finds it a curious coincidence. David asks Julia if she thinks Sarah is a ghost.

Vicki returns and discourages David from talking about ghosts. Vicki gives Julia the books she was asking about. Julia shows Vicki the portrait of Sarah Collins. She says it looked like a sketch she saw when they were investigating Maggie Evans disappearance, though she explains that won't mean anything to Julia. She tells Julia she has a date and has to leave, and before she does, she asks Vicki about the restoration of the old house. She says that there are no mirrors in the old house where she thought they would have been historically. Vicki says the only mirror she found in the old house is in Josette's room. Julia asks if she can borrow a book so she can show Barnabas some of the portraits.

At The Blue Whale, Vicki and Burke talk about Julia. He says he's never heard of her, and says he wishes she wasn't involved in her. He says Josette has become a reality to her, and the other night she saw a little girl at the top of the stairs. He asks why she would further feed her imagination with the history of the Collins family. She explains that it happened again. She says she woke up the other night and heard a little girl singing. When she lit a candle the room was empty. She says maybe it was spending the night in Josette's room. Burke is surprised to hear she spent the night in the house with Willie and Barnabas, and asks her to promise she won't go back there again. She refuses. She says she feels safe there, as if she belongs there. Burke isn't happy to hear it it.

Julia arrives at the old house with the book of portraits. Barnabas says he didn't expect to see her so soon. She asks if she can show him a family album. He asks why, and she says she was hoping to get some answers. He initially says no, and then agrees to give her a few minutes of his time. She opens the book to the portrait of his namesake. She points out the uncanny resemblance they share. He takes the book as she talks through the people in portraits, leading up to Sarah. While he looks at the book, she opens a compact and looks into the mirror, noticing that Barnabas cannot be seen. He asks what she's doing, and she says she's just checking her make-up. She apologizes for wasting his time, and leaves. Barnabas has a concerned look on his face after she's gone.

Back at the main house, Julia returns the book saying she learned a great deal in her visit with Barnabas—everything that she needed to know.

Our thoughts

John: How does Julia already know so much Collins family history? Again, she's really done a deep dive in search of information to help her treat Maggie...

Christine: She's certainly thorough. Burke has become quite unpleasant with his permanent scowl. He really needs to lighten up a little, though Vicki didn't appear to have any trouble standing up to his bossy demand that she promise never to return to the Old House.

John: How is it that a) opening up the book of family history in the middle gets right to the people Julia is interested in, and b) David is so familiar with the book, and yet does not know about Sarah Collins....

Christine: It looked like it was bookmarked. I also don't understand how David didn't know about Sarah or never saw her picture in the family album before. Are we supposed to think that her page mysteriously appeared where it did not exist before? After he recognized her as his new playmate, it's odd that he didn't consider that his friend might be the ghost of Sarah Collins.

John: I guess I was wrong. Julia had already pegged Barnabas as a vampire, and proved it using the old 'take a look at these family portraits while I get a glimpse of you in the mirror' trick. So now that she knows, what is she going to do? And more importantly, does this bring an abrupt end to Vicki's research project?

Christine: It seems Dr. Hoffman is getting some inspiration from Van Helsing. This is a momentous occasion to have someone who is not a victim discover that Barnabas is a vampire. It's odd that she didn't seem alarmed by her discovery and was almost gleeful about it when she returned to Collinwood.