Dark Shadows Episode 566 - 8/26/68

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Barnabas searches the woods for Tom Jennings.

In the basement, Julia hears footsteps, and turns and sees a strange man in the basement with her. She asks what he wants, and he smiles, baring his fangs. She realizes it's Tom Jennings, and screams.

Julia is unconscious on the basement floor when Willie returns home. He wakes her and asks if she's all right. She reaches for her neck, and says it's stiff. He helps her up and she says she's all right. She tells him she fainted. Willie says she should take it easy. She agrees, and says she'll go home to Collinwood to rest. She asks Willie to promise not to mention this to Barnabas. He agrees and offers to walk her back to Collinwood. She says she'll be fine, and leaves. 

Mrs. Johnson gets up to open the door for Julia in the middle of the night. She points out it would help if people kept her informed of their comings and goings, but Julia ignores her and walks upstairs to her room.

Willie cleans up the papers Julia dropped. Barnabas returns and asks where Julia is. Willie explains she returned to Collinwood. He says she explains she was tired and needed rest. Barnabas asks what he's holding back from him. Willie asks to be left alone. As Barnabas presses him, he says he promised Julia he wouldn't tell him that he found her unconscious. Willie assures him she'll be fine tomorrow, and Barnabas goes upstairs, telling Willie that he'd better be right.

The next morning, Julia fixes a scarf around her neck. Mrs. Johnson knocks on her door, and Julia explains she's planning to stay in all day, as she's not feeling well. Julia asks her if she could have the room curtained off. She explains there's too much sunlight in the room. She also tells Mrs. Johnson that she doesn't want to see anyone or take any calls.

Barnabas arrives at Collinwood to see Julia. He sees Mrs. Johnson and asks her to tell Julia he's here to see her. She explains Julia gave her strict orders that she was not to be disturbed. He asks what's wrong, and she tells him she's certainly not herself. Barnabas says he must talk to her, and she says she can't. He asks her to bring Julia a note from him. He writes one and asks that she respond as soon as possible.

Mrs. Johnson comes to Julia's room, and says Barnabas is downstairs. She reminds her that she didn't want to be disturbed by anyone, and Mrs. Johnson hands her the note. Julia reads it and rips it up.

Willie sneaks into Julia's bedroom. She asks how he got in, and tells him to go. Willie says she doesn't look sick to him. She asks if Barnabas sent him to bring her back, and tells him she won't see him tonight. They hear the dogs howling and Julia reacts strangely. Willie asks if there's anything else she wants to tell him, and she asks him to leave. He does, and she looks out the window.

Tom Jennings lurks in the forest, and calls for Julia to come to him.

Julia comes downstairs in her coat when Mrs. Johnson sees her. She asks where she's going, and Julia ignores her as she leaves the house.

Julia finds Tom in the forest. He leans in for another bite of her neck.

Barnabas is pacing in the old house when Willie returns. He asks where Julia is, and he explains she wouldn't come with him. He says he's worried about her, and points out the dogs have been howling. Barnabas says he must see her, and leaves.

Tom tells Julia she must come to him every night, and tell no one. She says she understands. He tells her to return to Collinwood, and she does.

Barnabas returns to Collinwood, and is in the foyer when Julia returns. He mentions he thought she was too sick to go out. She says she just went for air. He says he didn't see her, meaning she must have come through the woods. She tries to go to bed, and he tells her he's going to ask her several questions first. He grills her on being in the woods, why she passed out, why she wouldn't leave, and most importantly—why she's wearing a scarf. He pulls it from her neck, revealing bite marks on her throat.

Our thoughts

John: Didn't it look like a large green cocktail on Julia's desk in the basement? Perhaps Willie thought she was getting drunk.

Christine: Julia likes to experiment with a lot of colorful liquids, as we've seen in the past, though it does appear that she's got some colorful beverage mixed in with the experimental fluids.

John: Since when does Barnabas carry a pen and paper with him to write notes with?

Christine: Probably since he became human. Now that he's aging, I imagine he has to write things down more often to remember them. I think the more important question is why Willie is grinning like an idiot when he enters Julia's bedroom and jiggles her awake. What's up with that?

John: I love how Barnabas peppers Julia with questions, and in true Perry Mason fashion, yanks her scarf off as if to prove his hypothesis before he even bothered spelling it out.

Christine: I can't believe you have nothing to say about Vampire Tom! He just seems so happy to be a vampire. Unlike Barnabas, who was remorseful about having to suck blood his first time out (and was also a much messier eater), or Angelique, who had to have Nicholas teach her how to call her victim, he seems to relish his new lifestyle, and is quite a natural at vampirism. Unfortunately, his condition has exacerbated his tendency to overdramatize his dialogue, and I thought he was more frightening when he was silently snarling in the last episode. Julia has finally gotten some vampire action, and from a handsome, young hunk to boot! I wonder if Barnabas will be jealous.