Dark Shadows Episode 325 - 9/22/67

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David stands in front of Barnabas' portrait, and hears the exchange they shared when Barnabas found him outside the family crypt in the Eagle Hill cemetery. He begins screaming to let him go, and when Liz comes into the foyer, David runs upstairs.

In his room, David has an internal dialogue in which he notes how Baranabas knew he was lying about being in the crypt. He wants Sarah to answer his questions about Barnabas. He calls for Sarah, and Vicki enters his room. She asks who he was talking to, and he dismisses her. She tells him it's time for him to go to bed. He says he wants to work with his stamps a little longer and she goes downstairs.

Vicki sees Liz about to leave, and asks where she's going. She says she's going to talk to Barnabas to see if he knows what might be bothering David. Vicki suggests having David talk to Burke once he's back. Liz asks if they've set a date for the wedding, and she says it should be after Burke buys the house. Liz expresses concern about David getting a new governess, and Vicki agrees to put off the wedding if needed to continue working with David. A knock at the door heralds Barnabas' arrival, and he asks Liz and Vicki both to join him in the drawing room.

Barnabas apologizes for what happened with Willie. He says he failed to help Willie, and he's distraught that he may have brought scandal to the family. Liz says he can't be held responsible for Willie's mind. Liz then asks Barnabas if something happened when he found David outside the mausoleum. She explains that for some reason, David has since become afraid. She asks if he may have said or done something that David might have misunderstood. Vicki says that David's fear is quite real. Barnabas offers to have a man-to-man talk with David.

Liz brings Barnabas into David's room. She leaves the two of them alone, and Barnabas says his aunt and Vicki are worried about him. He asks what David is frightened of. He asks if it's him. He then asks why he's afraid of him. He asks David about the secret he has. David denies that he has a secret. Barnabas says David was in the secret room in the family mausoleum. David continues to deny it. Barnabas shows David his knife, and asks how it got into the secret room. He asks David what other secrets Sarah told him. David denies any other secrets. Vicki comes in to check on them, and Barnabas says they'll continue their talk later.

David tosses and turns in bed. He relives the conversation with Sarah about the empty coffin. Next he replays Barnabas asking about the other secrets Sarah shared with him. In a dream, David looks for Sarah. He comes across a woman with her face in the shadows holding a medallion.

He leaves the figure behind and continues looking for Sarah. She appears, and he tells her it's time for her to answer questions. She describes being born in the same place as he was. She also describes how she died at age 9. He asks if she's dead, what she's doing and she says she's looking for someone. She leads him to a room with a coffin, but not in the secret room. The coffin begins to open and she says it's who she came to find, as Barnabas sits up and exits the coffin. Barnabas addresses Sarah and says she's come back at last. David tells her to look out, and Barnabas approaches him with his cane raised.

Our thoughts

John: Poor David. What he fears most is delivered directly to his bedroom by his aunt.

Christine: This episode is truly the stuff of kid nightmares. Barnabas advancing on David in his room, showing him proof that he was in the secret room of the mausoleum, and threatening that he'll be very angry if he finds out David is lying about what Sarah did or did not tell him sends chills. If that weren't bad enough, Barnabas seems able to cause nightmares simply by wishing a person pleasant dreams.

John: Why would David have a dream involving Julia? Will she soon be hypnotizing him to wipe his memory, too?

Christine: It's pretty obvious that's not Grayson Hall appearing as Julia in David's dream.

John: I'm thinking it's all a dream, and we'll find out on Monday. And if not, Barnabas and Sarah have finally been reunited.

Christine: I don't believe the coffin room in the cellar has ever had the expressionist qualities we see today, which suggests that he is indeed dreaming. 

At times as depressing as this, one can be grateful for the company of two beautiful women.  -Barnabas

It isn't polite to answer questions with questions.  -Barnabas

V for verisimilitude...or something else?