Dark Shadows Episode 400 - 1/5/68

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Angelique builds a house of cards. She describes how Trask will find his witch in her enemy, while ending any suspicion of herself.

Barnabas tells Vicki that Trask will perform an exorcism in the old house. He's convinced when it fails to produce a witch, they'll be done with him once and for all. Vicki says she feels so lost—trapped in the past with no way home. He asks if she's sure her mind isn't playing tricks on her. She assures him she is telling the truth. She says the Barnabas from her time is kind and gentle, too. Barnabas asks if he is free of the trials they are experiencing. She says no, but that the family are all good people. Barnabas appreciates the consolation. He explains that once Trask completes his exorcism, any witches in the house will have to cross the threshold of the house. When nothing happens, Trask will have to leave. A chill comes over Vicki, and Barnabas assures her she's completely safe. He leaves her in her room.

Angelique describes a chilly cold, and then fire.

Trask tells Barnabas to surrender the witch to him. Barnabas tells him there are no witches, and Trask says he will proceed with the rite of exorcism. He opens the doors of the house and begins. Barnabas dismisses him, leaving him alone saying he has more important things to do. Trask goes on with the exorcism. He calls for Victoria Winters.

In her room, Vicki hears Trask calling for her.

Angelique calls the heart of fire and heart of ice to her. She sets the top level of her house of cards on fire.

In Vicki's room, a fire starts to burn.

Trask continues his exorcism downstairs.

Angelique's house of cards is ablaze.

Vicki sees the fire and throws a blanket on it.

She hears Trask speak of fires consuming her. She sees another fire, which she throws Maggie/Josette's blanket on.

Barnabas hears Angelique speaking of fire from her room, and then hears Vicki screaming. He runs to her room.

Trask lights his stick on fire.

Barnabas enters Vicki's room, but it's empty.

Trask calls Vicki to come forth. She runs downstairs and right into the arms of Trask. He proudly calls out that he has the witch.

Downstairs, Barnabas tells Angelique that he doesn't understand it. She asks if it's all done with. He says Vicki is gone. He heard her calling saying there was a fire, but he couldn't find her. Angelique asks if he thinks she's a witch. She brings up his and Sarah's sudden illnesses. He realizes that it would explain everything so easily. Angelique says Trask's ritual may have had an effect on her. He asks if she heard Vicki call out. She says she was in the sewing room, and Barnabas says he heard her voice in her old room. She assures him she was in the sewing room, and he seems to buy her story. After she leaves, he's convinced she was lying.

Angelique examines the burnt cards, and says they did their duty well.

Barnabas remembers that they said Ben told Abigail he was sent by the witch. He decides only Ben will know who the witch was.

Angelique realizes that now they have Vicki captured as a witch, perhaps the other old rituals should be followed. She crumbles the ashes of her house of cards.

Our thoughts

John: With his Christopher Lee look, Trask would have made for a pretty cool vampire.

Christine: I suppose in this case, he is the Bloody Judge. Trask is so easy to despise. It's disturbing how triumphant he is when his exorcism seems to work, and utterly disgusting the way he forces Vicki to her knees in submission. He's the guy I love to hate.

John: Why wouldn't Barnabas press Angelique immediately on her lies? And wouldn't she smell of fire, from hovering over the burning house of cards?

Christine: He probably didn't press her because he still remembers nearly choking to death. He may have to think carefully in determining how to deal with her if he finds out she is the witch. Do you suppose that was Angelique's spellbook on the bed behind her when she was fondling the card house ashes in the last scene? I'm glad nobody was harmed in this episode. It's quite a risk for a show with regular flubs to be playing with so much fire in one episode. That card house blaze looked especially dangerous.

John: Wouldn't it make sense that Trask's exorcism might at least have had the slightest effect on an actual witch performing actual witchcraft within shouting distance of his ritual?

Christine: Once again, Trask is a fraud, a fake, a charlatan and has no power to exorcise a witch or anything else.