Dark Shadows Episode 432 - 2/20/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Abigail goes to the cellar in the old house, believing she might find Vicki's book. She unlocks the cellar door and goes downstairs. She finds a coffin in the basement, and decides to wait for Reverend Trask. The coffin lid slowly opens. She watches as Barnabas slowly sits up. He asks her what she's doing there, and she screams in terror.

She says he's dead, and he tells her that she's wrong about death. She tells him to stay away, and he tells her she has made that impossible. She mentions his father, and he says his father will never know. Abigail says the witch cast a spell on him, and she'll get Reverend Trask to help exorcise evil spirits from him. She refuses to believe he's dead, and says he's a vision of the witch. She screams that the Devil is testing her faith. She refuses to believe. Barnabas tells her she's right, there was a witch in the house. Abigail says Victoria Winters, and he tells her Angelique was the witch. She cowers from him and calls him a devil; telling him not to touch her.

She refuses to believe Angelique was a witch. He says it's true, and he had to kill her. He forces her to look at him, and says he will live for all eternity. She says he's just a ghost sent to haunt her. He says he will do anything to stop from being discovered, including kill. She refuses to look at him, and when he says she will, she turns to see him bare his fangs.

Daniel sneaks downstairs when his aunt Naomi stops him She asks him to play cards, and he says he has to go out and find Ben. She asks if Millicent said he could, which he says she did. She asks to talk to him about Millicent. She asks him if he'd like to stay with she and Joshua. She says she hasn't talked to his cousin Millicent, but she thinks the house needs a boy growing up in it.

There's a knock at the door, and Naomi allows Reverend Trask to enter. She goes to get Abigail, and reiterates that her sympathies lie with Vicki. Daniel goes upstairs, and Trask stops him, and says they need to chat. He says he knows Daniel has been touched by a devil, and he's the only one who can save him. He says Daniel has spent a lot of time with the devil. Daniel says that he is the only person he knows who looks like a devil. Daniel asks if he's being rude, and Trask tells him he's being honest, and he likes that. Trask asks him about Miss Winters the witch, and Daniel asks why he calls her a devil and a witch. Daniel says Vicki has been nice to him, and Trask suggests that of course she would. They discuss how his cousin Abigail has reached righteousness. Daniel says Abigail always acts like something she ate didn't agree with her.

Trask asks about Vicki, and Daniel says he doesn't want to talk about her. Trask asks what she taught him about God, and Daniel says she didn't talk about God. Trask asks if she prophesied things, and Daniel says she just said things that would happen in the future. Trask says she has Daniel believing in the impossible. Daniel tells him he doesn't want to go to court. Trask tells him he has the Devil's mark on him.

Naomi returns and Daniel asks if he has the Devil's mark on him. She says he does not, and takes Trask to task for saying such things to a young boy. Trask accuses her of being in league with the devil, too. Daniel runs outside and Naomi warns Trask that he will be the one that will have to answer when the time comes.

Daniel runs through the woods, and says he won't be afraid as wolves howl. He hears Naomi and continues running.

Naomi looks for Daniel and calls to him. Trask shows up and says the Devil himself is leading Daniel somewhere. Naomi tells Trask to go back to the house. He says no one is too young for the Devil to use.

Daniel comes across Abigail's body, and he calls for help. Naomi and Trask appear, and he points to Abigail's body. Trask touches her and she falls over, dead.

Our thoughts

John: Barnabas blabbers on and on to Abigail. Considering she was dead by the end of the episode, that sure seems like a lot of wasted exposition. Unless he literally talked her to death. If so, better her than us.

Christine: Au contraire, mon frère. He was building suspense, so the exposition was not wasted, as we were wondering if he would actually kill a family member, and if so, how he would do it. Did he bite her, strangle her, or, as you have so humorously suggested, talk her to death? Perhaps he did all three considering the way he felt about her. Barnabas is becoming quite diabolical.

John: I actually love that Trask doesn't pull his punches with Daniel. If that doesn't traumatize the kid, nothing will.

Christine: I'm sensing a Burnt Offerings connection when Naomi tells Daniel the house "needs a boy growing up in it." To feed off him perhaps? Is Naomi really Mrs. Allardyce? This gives me a whole new perspective on Collinwood. Elizabeth also fervently insisted that David remain at Collinwood when Roger wanted to ship him off to boarding school, and when his mom wanted to take him away.

John: Will Trask's latest behavior be the final straw that convinces Naomi to testify on Vicki's behalf?

Christine: Was Trask attempting CPR on Abigail? Most people go for the shoulder shake to see if someone is dead or just sleeping, but he seems to be going straight for the chest. Maybe the devil made him do it.

Just checking to see if her heart is still beating.