Willie enters the old house holding a rifle. Barnabas stops him as he makes his way upstairs. Willie says he thought Barnabas would be out at night, and Barnabas explains he no longer needs to only go out at night. He then says that Willie is going to spend the rest of his life in the mental institution at Windcliff.
Barnabas accuses Willie of breaking his promise and leaving the house. He asks why Willie went in to Collinsport, and he admits that he went to see Maggie Evans. Barnabas asks why. He says he had to try to explain to her that he wasn't trying to hurt her. Barnabas tells Willie that Joe threatened to kill him if he ever goes near Maggie again. He finally asks Willie what he's doing with the rifle. Barnabas takes it from him.
Willie promises never to do it again, and Barnabas asks if he can really keep his promise. He gives Willie one last chance. Barnabas explains the reason he helped get Willie out of Windcliff. He points out that he came during the day. Willie is surprised to realize that Barnabas was out during the day. Barnabas continues to explain that a doctor will be performing a procedure on Barnabas. Julia interrupts them and tells Barnabas she now understands why he wanted to set Willie free. She says that Willie shouldn't assist Dr. Lang. Barnabas offers him the choice of assisting Lang or returning to Windcliff. He says he'll do whatever Barnabas and Dr. Lang tell him to do.
Lang shows up at the old house to give Barnabas a treatment. Julia tells him that Barnabas is with Willie—his new assistant. Lang says Barnabas told him he had someone in mind. Julia tells Lang not to go through with his experiment. She says with Willie involved, it will fail. He says he has someone even better in mind—her. She refuses, and he asks if she'd run the risk of letting Barnabas die. Julia tells Lang that Willie was under Barnabas' spell, and may still have resentments. Lang says he may try to find another assistant, but he's going through with his experiment tomorrow.
Jeff is at Maggie's reading a book when he hears Josette's music box, followed by a loud noise outside. He thinks about the strange dream he had, and is interrupted by a knock on the door. He answers it, and is upset to see Lang. Jeff says it's happening just like the dream. Lang says he needs Jeff's help with his experiment. Jeff refuses to assist him. Lang asks what's bothering him, and Jeff says he was almost killed by a dream.
Jeff tells Lang of the dream, starting with his appearing at the door, dressed just like he is now. Jeff says that Lang beckoned, and while he didn't want to follow him, he had to. He described being led to a door, and locked inside a room full of doors. He says he opened a door where he heard music, and inside he saw a skull with big eyes. He says he was terrified and shut the door. He says he then opened a second door to see a guillotine crash down, at which point he woke up. Lang explains he did wake up, and he's alright. Jeff says he thinks he's alright because he told the dream to Lang, just as he was supposed to do. Just like Maggie telling the dream to him. Lang asks if she had exactly the same dream. Jeff says that Maggie only got to the first door, so the third door must be Lang's.
Lang falls asleep in his chair while reading a book. In a dream, he hears a knock on the door. It's Julia, beckoning him to come with her.
He says he cannot, but does follow her, asking her why she's doing this. She leads him to a door and after he enters, locks it behind him. He calls for her to tell him how to get out. He hears Julia's voice recite a passage, and finds himself surrounded by doors. He hears Josette's music box as his hand reaches for the first door. He screams that he knows what's in there, and opens it. As with the others before him, he's face to face with the wide-eyed skull. He closes it and opens a second door, where he sees the guillotine. He then goes to the third door where a his headless creation reaches out to him, as maniacal laughter fills the air.
Lang wakes with a start.
Our thoughts
John: How long into a normal conversation until it's appropriate to ask someone why they're holding a rifle? And where exactly did Willie get a rifle?
Christine: Funny that Barnabas says that Willie going to see Maggie was a "stupid, insane" thing to do. He did just pick him up from a mental institution, so what did he expect? Willie said the rifle was his, so I imagine he had it during the time he was guarding Barnabas during the day.
John: Lang calls Julia a formidable adversary. If she wasn't so fond of Barnabas, I think that she and Lang would make a perfect couple!
Christine: Definitely not! Could you imagine the two of them overemoting and screaming back and forth at each other? It would be too much!
John: The tag-team-dream continues! It seemed pretty obvious that it would go from Lang to Julia. But will it go from Julia to Barnabas before the week is out? Or is there still time for it to circulate through Collinwood? I think Vicki needs to get in on it, and let's face it, the idea of a round robin nightmare is pretty cool.
Christine: Dr. Lang appears to be just as histrionic in dreams as he is in real life. I loved when he grappled with his hand that was uncontrollably reaching for the first door and screamed that he didn't want to go in. I also like that we got the skull from a different angle today. Nicely done.
Dark Shadows Before I Die Round Robin Nightmare tracker:
- Wide-eyed skull
- Guillotine
- Lang's Headless creation
Julia's Recitation of the Dream Curse
Through sight and sound and faceless terror,
through endless corridors by trial and error,
ahead a blazing light does burn,
and one door leads to the point of return.
Dr. Lang's Recitation of the Dream Curse
Through night and sound and faceless terror,
through endless corridors by trial and error,
a head of blazing light does burn,
and one door leads to the point of return.
Maggie's Recitation of the Dream Curse
Through sight and sound and faceless terror,
through endless corridors of trial and error,
a blazing head of light shall burn,
and one door leads to the point of return.
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