Dark Shadows Episode 460 - 3/29/68

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Nathan aims a crossbow at the study door. It opens and Barnabas steps in. Nathan fires, and the arrow strikes Barnabas in the chest. He screams, and his vision blurs. He drops to his knees. He pulls the arrow out of his chest and tells Nathan he missed his heart. He gets up and approaches a screaming Nathan.

Joshua comes into the study. Barnabas asks if Ben buried Forbes, and Joshua says they will tell everyone Nathan left Collinsport. Barnabas asks about Millicent. Joshua says he will have the marriage annulled. Barnabas asks his father if he has the silver bullets. Joshua says he does. Barnabas asks him to end the curse, and Joshua tells him that he will do it in the morning, at sunrise. He explains Ben and Riggs have moved the coffin to the secret room in the mausoleum. Joshua tells his son that he hopes he will finally have peace. Joshua explains he will take care of Millicent and Daniel, as if they were his own children. He assures Barnabas that no one will know what happened to him. He will have every mention of Angelique struck from the family record. He says the world will know that he was his son, and that he went to England—that is all. Barnabas asks his father to do two things for him. First, to free Ben, in appreciation for his loyalty. Second, he must try to save Vicki from hanging. Joshua says already he tried and failed, but he will do as his son asks. Joshua tries to tell his son what he means to him, but Barnabas stops him. He bids his father farewell and leaves him, sharing a parting glance with his visibly upset father. Joshua takes his revolver and the silver bullets in hand.

At sunrise, Joshua stands over his son's open coffin holding the revolver in a shaky hand. He closes the coffin when Ben enters. He says he didn't hear a shot, and Joshua says he couldn't do it to his son. Ben asks what he will do. Joshua says they must confine him to his coffin. He explains if there's a silver cross affixed to the inside lid of his coffin, Barnabas won't be able to move. Joshua says it's dangerous, in the case that someone opened the coffin two hundred years from now, Barnabas would be free to roam as a vampire once more. Joshua says he will get Ben the cross, and tells him he is to chain the coffin shut.

Joshua sits in his study, where he says goodbye to his son.

Ben finishes chaining up the coffin, and says goodbye to Barnabas. He exits the secret room in the mausoleum.

Ben joins Joshua in the study. He tells him that the work is done. The coffin is chained up, and the mausoleum is locked. Joshua tells Ben that Barnabas asked him to give Ben his freedom. Joshua says he will give Ben $100 and grant him his freedom as a reward for his loyalty. Riggs brings Joshua a letter. It's a refusal from the governor to provide a stay of execution for Vicki. Joshua says there is nothing more he can do for her.

Vicki is in her cell. Peter comes to see her, which was her last request. The guards tell them they'll have five minutes together. She pleads with him to tell them that she was the one who shot Noah. Peter tells her to stop thinking about it. He says he wants to know as much as he can about her. She says she wants to know all about him, too. He says he knows he loves her, and she says she loves him, too. They kiss. Peter says she traveled through time to find him, and he's going to travel through time to find her somehow. The guard returns to take her to the gallows. They kiss one last time before she is taken away, and Peter tells her to remember what he said, and that he will find her.

The executioner tests the rope on a heavy bag. Vicki is led to the gallows. 

The executioner gets her into position, puts the rope around her neck, and asks if she wants a mask. She does.

She hears Peter's voice, assuring her that he'll find her.  While a small crowd watches, the executioner hangs Vicki.

Our thoughts

John: Wow. Joshua can't bring himself to shoot his vampire son, so rather than allowing Barnabas to find peace, he decides it would be better to have him live with it forever, chained inside a coffin from which he cannot escape. Thanks, Dad!

Christine: Ben didn't talk him out of it either. So long, Barnabas! Loyal servant, indeed!

John: Funny how Joshua predicted future events. And yet he still decided not to end Barnabas' suffering when he had the chance.

Christine: It's clear that Joshua rewrote the Collins family history, but I wonder why Naomi's grave marker said she died in 1821. Was that Joshua's doing or was it due to Vicki's presence in the past?  Also, did I miss it, or did we never get to see Jeremiah's well known portrait that hangs over the mantle in present day Collinwood make an appearance in 1795? I'm wondering when that was painted.

John: How is it that Peter figured out the act of hanging Vicki would send her back to the future? In any case, what a great way to bring our 1795 vacation to a close. I have to admit it was a far more entertaining excursion than I was expecting. I know we haven't seen the last of historic Collinwood, and I can only hope future travels through time are equally entertaining.

Christine: Too bad we missed the Forbes strangulation, though we got a nice POV shot. It was a wonderful end to one of my favorite storylines. While I hate to leave this time period, it will be even more interesting to return to the present day with the Collins family history securely in mind. Now we know the secret of the chained coffin.

Dark Shadows Episode 459 - 3/28/68

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Barnabas tells Ben that his mother can't die. Ben blames Forbes, and Barnabas says he will pay for it. Barnabas tells Ben that Angelique's curse was that anyone who loved him will die. Joshua enters and tells Barnabas that his mother is dead.

Joshua asks Ben to leave them. Barnabas says she died because of the curse, and Joshua explains that he too is responsible. She would not have taken her own life if she felt she could turn to him. He says she told him she loved him, and he thought she had stopped years ago. Barnabas says his father's being incapable to love is sparing him the curse. Joshua says he must destroy him. Barnabas asks if he plans to drive a stake through his heart, and Joshua says that in Boston he read that he can destroy him by shooting a silver bullet through a vampire's heart. Joshua explains that he sent Riggs to a silversmith to have the bullets made, and when he returns, he will fire them into Barnabas' heart. Barnabas asks where Nathan is, and Ben enters saying that Vicki is gone. Barnabas asks if there's a price on Vicki's head, and Joshua says yes, realizing that Forbes must be responsible. Barnabas says he must die, and Joshua says the murder must end. Barnabas tells his father that no one can stop him from carrying out this one last task.

Nathan counts his money at the Eagle. A barmaid flirts with him when a squeaky bat appears at the window.

Nathan tells the barmaid that the bat has gone away. She tells him he knows where to find her if he wants company. She leaves, and Barnabas appears. Nathan is surprised to see him. Barnabas asks if Nathan knows what happened to his mother. He tells him she's dead, having committed suicide after finding out about him. He then asks Nathan about Daniel, and about Millicent, and suggests Nathan will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Barnabas blames him for his mother's death.

Nathan draws his pistol and says he's captured the Collinsport strangler. He threatens to shoot him, and Barnabas dares him to, approaching him.

Nathan fires, and Barnabas tells him that he is already dead. He says he doesn't plan to kill Nathan yet. Barnabas tells him when the clock strikes nine, he will die. The barmaid returns and Nathan is alone. She asks if he's drunk, and Nathan runs out of the bar.

At quarter to nine, Joshua sits in the drawing room. He tells Ben to bring him the revolver, and the silver bullets when Riggs returns. He tells Ben to move Barnabas' coffin to the secret room in the mausoleum. He will take care of his son in the morning. Nathan bursts in, claiming to have seen Barnabas. He says he shot him, but Barnabas didn't die. He just disappeared. He asks what Barnabas is, and Joshua tells him that he's a vampire. Nathan says he threatened to kill him, and Joshua says he's surprised that he didn't. Nathan says that he told him when the clock strikes nine, he would die. Joshua says he's almost sorry for him, but there's nothing he can do. He leaves Nathan to his fate.

Nathan asks if Ben knows, and Ben tells him he's known for a long time. Ben says he tried to destroy him, in one of the few ways he could be destroyed. Nathan pleads with Ben to know the way to destroy him. Ben tells him he needs to drive a wooden stake through his heart. Ben adds that by tomorrow morning, he'll be dead, because he can't escape Barnabas.

They hear dogs howling, and Ben tells him that means Barnabas is near. He also leaves Nathan to his fate. Nathan thinks that Barnabas might not harm him if he's with Joshua.

Joshua sits in his study when Nathan bursts in. Joshua says he cannot help him. Nathan spots a crossbow on the wall. He tells Joshua it was unfair to ask him to remain. He says he doesn't want to die a cowards death. He tells Joshua it's almost nine, and suggests that he leave. He does, and Nathan takes the crossbow off the wall. He grabs an arrow, thinking that if he pierces Barnabas' heart with it, it will destroy him.

Barnabas enters the main house.

Nathan is in the study, crossbow in hand. He aims it at the door and fires.

Barnabas approaches the study.

The clock begins to chime nine. Nathan has reloaded the crossbow. He aims at the door.

Barnabas reaches the study door.

The study door opens and Barnabas steps in. Nathan fires, and the arrow strikes Barnabas in the chest.

Our thoughts

John: What a lovely father-son relationship. Joshua is spared Angelique's curse because he's incapable of loving his son!

Christine: I have to wonder at the logic of Barnabas telling Nathan exactly when he was planning on killing him. Why 9 o'clock? Is it because he's got a date with a floozy down at the docks at 11:00, or because he wants to get the job done before his dad gets hold of the silver bullets? Incidentally, the Eagle has a rather interesting clock.

John: At least Joshua's trip to Boston wasn't a complete loss. Who would have thought he'd come away with a copy of Tips and Tricks for Ridding Your Bloodline of Pesky Vampires and Other Household Tips.

Christine: I guess he was unable to find the tomes on How to Dyspel Complex Curses and What to Do When Your Son Marries a Vengeful Wytch. I never noticed all the weaponry Joshua has displayed in his study before. He's got quite an impressive collection.

John: So will Nathan find out too late that the stake piercing the vampire's heart needed to be a particular kind of wood from a particular kind of tree?

Christine: Fortunately, Ben left out the important bit of information that he needed to get a stake from a holly tree, as instructed by Angelique in Episode 410, when gleefully telling Nathan how to destroy Barnabas. Another exciting episode that has me rushing to watch tomorrow's!

Some interesting shots:

Dark Shadows Episode 458 - 3/27/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Naomi runs into Joshua's arms in the drawing room. She says she saw Barnabas, acting like an animal, and she asks why he didn't tell her about him. He asks where he is, and she says he's in the garden with Millicent. Joshua runs out the door.

Joshua comes downstairs where Naomi is sitting in front of the fire. He pours her a drink, which she refuses to take. He tells her that he took Millicent to her room, and she will be all right. Naomi says no one will ever be all right again. He asks her how she found out, and Naomi tells him it was Forbes. He says he's been looking for help for Barnabas. Naomi describes Barnabas as looking evil, saying Forbes was right about his being a killer. She asks what happened to her son. Joshua says he doesn't know that he understands either. She asks if Barnabas is back in the tower room, as she wants to see him. Joshua asks her to wait until tomorrow to see him. She realizes that Joshua was able to be blackmailed in order to protect her.

In the drawing room, Naomi writes a note to Joshua, and  then pours a drink. She takes out a pouch and prepares to put something in the drink, and then chooses not to. She puts the note in a desk drawer and leaves. Nathan watches her from atop the stairs.

Vicki sleeps in the study when there's a knock at the door. She opens the door for Naomi. She tells Vicki that Joshua is back, and will arrange for a boat in the morning. She asks if he'll be able to get Peter, explaining she can't leave without him, or allow him to be punished for something he hasn't done. Naomi tells her that Joshua will do his best on Peter's behalf. She hugs Vicki, who says she seems like she's saying goodbye. She asks what happened to her, but Naomi denies anything is wrong, and leaves her alone.

There's another knock at the door, and Vicki opens the door. She steps out and Nathan grabs her. He brings her back into the room and warns her not to scream as he points a pistol at her. He says he's going to take her into Collinsport and turn her over to the authorities. She asks why he testified against her. He says he had a great deal to lose if he testified for her. He says he had lost Millicent, and needed to testify against her to get Trask to get him back to good graces of the Collins family. She says he got what he wanted, and asks why he's still doing what he's doing. Nathan explains he didn't get the money he expected from Millicent. Vicki then tells him that Peter didn't kill his friend who kidnapped Daniel. She says that she did. Nathan doesn't believe her. He escorts her out of the room at gunpoint.

Naomi puts a powder into the drink she poured earlier. She raises the glass and drinks until it's empty. She removes the note from the drawer and places it on the desk.

Naomi returns to the tower room. Barnabas is there. He tells her she shouldn't have come. She says she doesn't understand, but knows he didn't do what he did by choice. She asks him to explain what happened to him.

Joshua comes downstairs looking for Naomi. He sees the empty glass next to her note. He reads it with a look of horror.

Barnabas finishes explaining what happened to his mother. She asks to hold him one more time as she grows weak. She says she loves him and collapses in his arms. Joshua calls to Naomi and enters the tower room. He finds Barnabas cradling his mother's body, and asks him what he has done.

Our thoughts

John: As Vicki was able to get Nathan to tell her why he did what he did, it seems like there's hope that he'll be punished for his crimes. Though it's still up in the air if that punishment would come from the authorities, Joshua, Ben or Barnabas...

Christine: Somebody needs to wipe that cocky grin off his face. I'm going to miss nefarious Nathan. He's so good when he's bad.

John: I love how Barnabas manages to tell his mother everything that happened to him in the time it took to cut away to Joshua finding her note.

Christine: I wonder if he told her he was a vampire. First his sister died in his arms and now possibly his mother too. Angelique really knows how to lay on a curse. What a witch!

John: Wow. Things are really going to hell in Collinwood. If I didn't know better, I'd be worried that there won't be anyone at the estate when we jump forward 200 years into the future.

Christine: Vicki's presence in 1795 is certainly having a deleterious effect on the family. Naomi wasn't supposed to die until 1821 according to the grave marker seen in Episode 210. Perhaps she'll survive her attempted poisoning.