Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Dark Shadows Episode 538 - 7/17/68

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Julia listens for a heartbeat, and confirms Adam is dead. Stokes says Carolyn found Adam clutching his throat, growing weaker and weaker as he cried out Barnabas' name. She asks him what time it happened, and he tells her around 11, and asks her why that matters. Adam starts to breathe, and Stokes declares it a miracle. Adam makes motions like he is trapped somewhere, suffocating. Stokes says she must help him. Julia says it may be that Barnabas has been buried alive.



We see Barnabas, trapped inside his coffin trying to get out.


Stokes asks why she buried Barnabas alive. She says Barnabas stopped breathing, so they thought he was dead. He asks why she would think he was alive now, and she explains that Adam appeared to have died. and now he's alive. They determine Barnabas has a limited amount of oxygen. Stokes agrees to help her. They leave Adam alone, struggling for breath. They rush out, passing Carolyn. Stokes tells her to look after him.


Barnabas struggles to breathe in his coffin.


Stokes points out that Barnabas' grave is an irregular place for a precise man. He suggests the Collins family did not consent to this bizarre burial. Julia tells him that she'll answer his questions when Barnabas is free and alive. Stokes digs up the grave.



Carolyn tries to console Adam, but is unable. He gasps for air and passes out.

Julia brushes dirt off the top of the coffin while Stokes struggles to open the coffin. Once open, she asks him to be alone with Barnabas.


Carolyn can't find a pulse beat on Adam.


Stokes reminds her she needs his help, and she tells him to go away. Stokes asks if Barnabas is dead, and she says she detects a faint pulse beat. Stokes tells her they should get him out of the coffin. Julia tells him to check on Adam and see if he's breathing. He asks her to come check on Adam once Barnabas has recovered. He leaves, and Julia tells Barnabas that he's breathing now.


Carolyn doesn't understand, but Adam appears to be breathing normally. She asks him what was wrong. Stokes returns and shocked Adam is up and about. Adam says he wants to go home. Stokes explains that the police are still looking for him. Stokes says Julia will come to check on him, and Adam says he doesn't want her, as she's a friend of Barnabas. Carolyn says Julia will turn Adam in. They need someplace else to hide him. Adam says he can take care of himself and starts to leave. Carolyn stops him. She tells Stokes Adam would be safe in the West Wing of Collinwood. Stokes says it's not safe. Barnabas will be looking for Adam, and he has access to Collinwood. Carolyn asks why Barnabas wants to find Adam.


Barnabas is awake, and concerned about the time, as it will soon be dawn. Julia points out his heart is beating—meaning he's alive.


Julia pulls out a compact mirror, and Barnabas looks into it and sees his reflection. He realizes he is free of Angelique's curse. Julia tells him he is not a vampire. Julia points out that Angelique didn't count on Adam. Julia explains how Adam was experiencing everything that happened to him, and that somehow Lang's procedure linked the two men. Barnabas wants to find Adam. He says he owes him his life, and must make it up to him.



Julia returns to the root cellar. Stokes is there, but Adam and Carolyn are gone. Julia asks where he is, and Stokes tells her that he ran off. Stokes says he has some questions, and Julia tells him he can ask her tomorrow. Stokes says he looks forward to understanding the secret of Barnabas Collins.


Cassandra is in the garden. Barnabas sees her from a distance, realizing she's awaiting word on his death, indicating her curse was successful.


He gets her attention and bids her good evening. She says he frightened her. He talks about a time when he only felt alive at night, and then asks her to look at the dawn with him. A dawn which doesn't frighten him.


He calls her Angelique, and she tells him not to call her that. He points out that he has changed, and therefore he should appreciate that she too has changed.


He tells her it will be his first dawn where he has no fear of her, as she has no power over him. He walks away and she says she will have it again, and soon.


Our thoughts

John: I always find it amusing when people calculate approximate times - like how much air Barnabas has in his coffin, and then refers to the 'last minute' when they're just about to open it up. Pretty precise, those folks.

Christine: I thought it was funny that Julia had to sit down with pencil and paper to make those calculations.

John: So Adam is moving up in the world, from the basement of the old house to the West Wing of the new house. How long until our boy David has a new best friend?

Christine: Can't wait to see more of the West Wing, as it was a pretty exciting place the last time we visited. Will Carolyn work on furthering Adam's education there? No doubt David will be on to her furtive excursions to the closed off section of the house.

John: So they're finally starting to get what happened during Dr. Lang's experiment, as far as the link between Adam and Barnabas is concerned. Do you think the day will ever come when they hear his detailed recording? Sadly, the events of today seem to seal Adam's fate. As long as he lives, Barnabas will be free of the vampire curse. And that can't last forever. We'll see how long it takes for Angelique to find out, at which time we can expect she will have a new target.

Christine: I will be very disappointed if Lang's recording is not discovered. Barnabas should know better than to gloat in front of Angelique, since it only makes her more determined to see him suffer. He should keep in mind that eleven other people recently had to endure a terrifying dream curse because of him, before deciding to taunt his former lover.

1 comment:

Paul Haney said...

So, Adam is moving to the West Wing. Maybe that's where Harry Johnson has been hiding all this time???