Dark Shadows Episode 454 - 3/21/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Peter and Vicki are asleep in the secret room in the mausoleum. Vicki dreams of a coffin. A man opens it, and it is empty. He then proceeds to put on white gloves, and she sees him put his hands around Daniel's neck. She sees the man's face—it's Nathan Forbes. She wakes up screaming Daniel's name, and tells Peter that Daniel is in danger, and someone is trying to murder him. She says she needs to go to Collinwood right away. She says Daniel was being strangled by Nathan. Peter tells her it was a dream, and Vicki says it was a premonition. Peter asks what the history book says about Daniel. She says it was wrong about Barnabas and Millicent, so it might be wrong about Daniel, too. Peter refuses to let her out of the secret room. She tells him he has to go alone. She tells him the Collins family line is dependent on Daniel's survival.

Nathan comes downstairs and makes himself at home in the drawing room.  Daniel comes in, looking for Naomi, and Nathan explains she's gone into town. He asks if Daniel recalls their discussion from yesterday, and asks if he's withholding information about Vicki. He tells him the constable will be there to question him. Daniel says he will only talk to Naomi. He's going to ask Naomi and Joshua to adopt him, so that Nathan will not be his legal guardian.

Nathan is on the docks when Noah arrives, late. Noah complains that he hasn't yet been paid by Nathan. Nathan tells Noah that he's going to take care of the last obstacle tonight. Noah says he's not going to kill anyone. Nathan reminds him that everything he has promised has come true. Noah points out that everything but getting the money he promised. Nathan tells him Millicent signed all of her money over to Daniel. If anything happens to him, it will revert to her. Noah realizes they have to take care of Daniel. Nathan blackmails Noah into helping him, threatening to tell the constable that Noah was responsible for several attacks and murders. Noah asks what he has to do. Nathan says he'll abduct Daniel, take him out on a boat, and return without him. Nathan tells him that Daniel will be between the new and old house this afternoon, where Noah will be waiting for him.

Noah waits in the woods until Daniel appears. He grabs the boy and drags him away.

Peter asks Vicki if she can use a pistol if it becomes necessary. He won't leave her unless he knows she can protect herself. She tells him she will use the pistol, if she has to. He leaves her in the secret room in the mausoleum.

Noah takes Daniel to the shed on the waterfront. Daniel asks where they're going, and Noah tells him to stop asking questions. He then explains they're going to take a boat out on the ocean. A window blows open, and as Noah goes to close it, Daniel runs out the front door.

Daniel runs through the woods, and tries to find his way to the graveyard where Vicki is hiding in the mausoleum. He arrives at the cemetery and goes inside the mausoleum.

Noah searches for Daniel, and when he gets to the cemetery, he hears Daniel calling for Vicki.

Daniel doesn't see Vicki inside the mausoleum. From within the secret room, Vicki hears him and opens the door. Daniel rushes in and begs her to close the door, saying someone is outside chasing him.

Noah approaches and enters the mausoleum, finding it empty.

Our thoughts

John: Wouldn't it be funny if Peter started to believe that Vicki was in fact a witch?

Christine: I understand the symbolism of the white gloves in Vicki's dream now. Nathan didn't want to get his hands dirty, so he's having Noah do the job of killing Daniel. Noah was clearly not cut out to be a kidnapper and child murderer. He should have cut his losses with Nathan Forbes already.

John: Alexandra Moltke had it easy. When she slips up and refers to the character of the future rather than the character from the past, at least it can be explained by Vicki being confused...

Christine: We found out in the opening titles that Vicki's 1795 journey is coming to an end. I wonder if we'll hear characters slip up and call each other by their 1795 names when we return to 1968. I love when Peter asks if Vicki will be able to use the pistol. Did he already forget what happened during the jail break?

John: Is there honestly only one building on the dock at Collinsport? You'd think eventually someone going there to hide from everyone might run into someone else hiding from everyone. Maybe they hang a sock on the door.

Christine: The suggestion that Vicki's presence in 1795 changed Collins family history by involving Nathan in her trial and subsequently changing Millicent's spinster status so that Vicki would be compelled to save Daniel from Nathan has me utterly confused. Also, it appears that someone must have died after this time period and had their grave marked with a cross, as the cross in the graveyard that Barnabas so casually rested his hand on in Episode 218 is no longer present. Update: I was wrong. The cross is visible when Sarah is wandering through the cemetery in Episode 413.

Episode 218