Dark Shadows Episode 306 - 8/28/67

David pulls the lever that opens the secret door in the Collins' family tomb. He sees the coffin, and Sarah asks him if it's a good secret. He says it is, and asks who's in the coffin. She says she wants him to open it. She says it's all right. She starts to open the coffin, telling him he has to see inside.

The two of them open the coffin. David points out that it's empty. Sarah says she knows. He asks why they would have an empty coffin, and she says there was someone in it, and he's gone now. David tells her that dead people don't just get up and walk away, and she answers that sometimes they do. David says that it's late, and he has to go. Sarah says he promised to play with her if she showed him a good place to play. He promises not to tell anyone about the secret room. They leave and shut the secret door behind them.

Barnabas is dressed to leave when Julia walks in. She asks where he's going, and he says to see Vicki. She asks what about, and he clarifies that she is a meddlesome and domineering woman. He says a modern man may put up with that, but he won't. He says he's going to show her how a crisis should be properly handled. He says she failed with Maggie Evans, letting her escape from Windcliff. And then Maggie almost told Dr. Woodard about Barnabas. Now there's Devlin and his investigation into Barnabas. He says he'll put an end to his curiosities. She starts to say that violence will not solve things and he explains that sometimes finesse can work without violence. He explains that all will be resolved that night.

David starts to sneak upstairs when Vicki spots him. She calls him down and asks where he's been so late. He says he was playing with someone, but she won't believe him. He says he was playing with Sarah. Vicki asks where they were playing, and he says he can't tell her, because she showed him a secret place. Vicki asks what kind of place, and he says he has to keep his promise to Sarah. Vicki says she'd like to meet Sarah sometime. He says Sarah said she's afraid of meeting other people. She wants to know if Sarah really knew that Maggie was alive, or if she just said that. He says she's odd, even the dress she always wears. He says she always dresses like she's going to one of the dress up parties like Vicki and the rest of the family went to.

There's a knock at the door and Vicki lets Barnabas in. He asks if she has a few minutes. She says she needs to go in to town in an hour to meet Burke. They go into the drawing room, and Barnabas apologizes for his response to the announcement of her engagement. He says he's extremely fond of her, and he was concerned that she made the decision that will bring her the most happiness. He then brings up Burke. He says that he's distressed to have found out that Burke is having him investigated. Burke has been looking into his background, his business practices, and his daily activities. Barnabas says Burke has even had him followed lately. Vicki says it's not the first time Burke has done this, but unlike with Jason McGuire, this time it's unjustified. She says that Barnabas is showing remarkable restraint, and that she'd be furious. She asks him to let her handle it, and she'll ensure that he puts an end to it immediately. He tells her he didn't intend to bring her into this, but if she can deal with it he'll be eternally grateful. He thanks her, and Dr. Hoffman arrives.

She asks if David got home all right. She says that he was playing with his friend Sarah. Vicki says that no one seems to know where she comes from. Barnabas excuses himself, and says he'll leave the two of them to solve the mystery of David's playmates. Julia goes upstairs to bed, and David comes down saying he's hungry. She says she'll get Mrs. Johnson to fix something. Vicki leaves and Julia asks where he saw Sarah, and David says it was a secret place. Julia says she'd like to meet Sarah, and he says he knows, because she's said that before.

In Eagle Hill cemetery, Barnabas calls to Sarah. He hears her playing London Bridge, and he tells her he's come to take her home again. He enters the Collins' family tomb, and asks her to come back, saying he loves her and needs her.

Our thoughts

John: So what happened to the body of Jason McGuire? Wasn't the secret room in the tomb where Barnabas and Willie disposed of him?

Christine: They carried his body into the secret room in Episode 276, and then Willie tossed a shovelful of dirt as Barnabas looked down and bid Jason farewell, indicating that he was buried under the flagstones. Barnabas wasn't happy they had to defile the family crypt with his corpse, but he drew the line at sharing his coffin.

John: Gotta give David credit for not being easily spooked. He's comfortable enough to play in the cemetery, go into a crypt, and even open a coffin. A great candidate for a best friend if you happen to be a ghost!

Christine: I expected him to be a lot more enthusiastic than he actually was. He's spent so much time conversing with ghosts that it's difficult to believe he has not already figured out that Sarah is a ghost.

John: Nice play Barnabas, using Vicki to get Burke off of his trail while driving a potential wedge in their relationship!

Christine: Barnabas was quite the pathetic creature at episode's end, calling for his little sister, saying he needed her and loved her. It was a far cry from the arrogant male vampire on display earlier in the episode.

"You are a meddlesome and domineering woman. If the modern man is willing to tolerate your kind of woman that's his problem, but I will have none of it."  -Barnabas

"Problems are solved not only through violence. Sometimes all that is required is a little finesse. That which is something that few in your world would know anything about."  -Barnabas