Dark Shadows Episode 679 - 1/30/69

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Amy asks David why he let Quentin hurt Chris. He says he didn't know, and she says she knows he tried to talk Quentin out of it. David admits he's afraid of Quentin. Amy starts downstairs, and says she's going to tell Mrs. Stoddard about the game. David freaks out, and she says he can't stop her. Maggie comes out of her room to see David chase Amy downstairs.

Downstairs, David threatens Amy. He grabs her when Liz comes in. David says they were playing a game, but Amy denies it. David tells his Aunt that Amy's a liar. He says she'll believe a stranger before her own nephew, and runs upstairs.

She takes Amy into the drawing room. Amy says it's only since they started playing the game. She then mentions her dream, but nothing makes sense to Liz. Amy says that David took her to a room upstairs where they found a telephone. She says that's when the game began. She says when she picked up the receiver—and then she screams. She sees Quentin in the room. Liz doesn't see anyone in the room with them.

Maggie comes in and asks if she saw the figure in her dream. Maggie asks Amy if she's afraid of David, and she says sometimes. Liz asks her about the game, and Amy says they just pretend things. Maggie asks if she dreamed that what she pretended became real. Liz asks Maggie to stay with Amy, and goes upstairs to talk to David. Maggie asks if David frightened her, and she says yes and no.

Quentin appears in David's room. David says that he tried to stop Amy, but there was nothing he could do. Quentin smiles. David asks if he's ever going to let them go.

Liz enters and asks David who he was talking to. He says there's no one there, so he was talking to himself. She asks if it was about the game he and Amy have been playing. He says he's not sure. She says it's about the phone. David makes up a story about an imaginary friend. She doesn't believe him. Liz tells him that he's going to have to stay in his room until he figures out how to treat people. After Liz leaves, David picks up a toy and throws it.

Maggie offers to take Amy to see Chris, but she says there's something else she has to do. Maggie asks what, but Amy is not forthcoming. She says it's up to her.

Amy goes upstairs, and Liz tells her not to disturb David. Liz tells Maggie that David is the problem, and Maggie can help. Liz admits that they didn't discipline David enough, and she asks Maggie to discipline him in any way she needs to.

Amy visits David and says she's sure Quentin was going to do terrible things to her. David says that Quentin doesn't care what she wants. Amy says that if they got Liz to take them to town, Quentin would never know that they told her. Amy then says they can offer to promise Quentin they won't tell anyone about him if he just leaves Chris alone. She asks David to go see Quentin, and he says he can't leave his room.

Amy leaves, and David picks up the phone. He calls for Quentin. Maggie walks in on him, and he asks her what she wants. She says she's just checking in on him. She says she wants to be his friend, and he says she's not like Vicki. She asks him about his telephone and he says it's magic. Maggie suggests that he learn the difference between what's real and imaginary. She takes the phone, and he freaks out. She leaves and he says Quentin has to come now.

Amy watches the clock strike six.

In his room, David calls to Quentin again. He says he needs to tell what Amy has offered for him to not go to Chris' and play the game with him tonight. David determines that Quentin is not coming, and grabs a flashlight. He starts to leave his room when he sees Maggie in the hall. After she passes, he sneaks out, but she sees him go through a door at the end of the hall and follows him into the West Wing.

Amy sits on the stairs, looking up, as if waiting for David.

Maggie follows David, and outside of Quentin's room she calls for him, telling him that she knows he's there. He hides on the other side of the wall in Quentin's room.

Our thoughts

John: I'm not quite clear if David is on board with Quentin's plans, or against them and just unable to to do as he's told. Amy has demonstrated an ability to not do as Quentin asked, so maybe David just isn't as strong as she is.

Christine: Perhaps he's more open to possession by his distant relative than she is as an unrelated party.

John: Here comes the pain! I can't wait for Maggie to take David over her knee. Too bad she didn't resort to that today, though I'm glad she took his telephone away.

Christine: Liz told her to discipline him in whatever way she saw fit, so the paddling may be coming.

John: I wonder if Maggie will get to meet Quentin. You'd think she's got enough spiritual residue of Collinwood on her from all of her past experiences...

Christine: She will surely meet Quentin if her disciplining David interferes with his ability to do Quentin's bidding. Quentin's smile may be even more frightening than his frown.

Dark Shadows Episode 678 - 1/29/69

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Julia asks Barnabas if he saw the woman she says was in her room. They follow her towards the cottage. Beth enters the cottage and kneels at Chris' body. Barnabas and Julia enter and see Chris on the floor with no one around him. Julia kneels by him to check his vitals, and tells Barnabas that he's dying. Barnabas finds a glass on the floor, and can tell it had whiskey in it. He tell Julia he thinks there's something in it. She smells the whiskey in the bottle and determines it's been poisoned with Strychnine. She calls Windcliff, and Chris starts to stir.

Amy dreams, and hears Beth calling her name. Beth asks Amy what they can do. She pleads for Amy to come to her. Amy is suddenly outside the cottage, where Beth tells her not to look in the window. She asks Beth what's the matter, and she says that this time she saved him. She tells Amy that she must not tell him about her. Amy goes into the cottage and finds Chris slumped over in his chair. Beth comes in and tells her that this time he'll be alright, but tomorrow he will try again. Amy asks who, and Beth says the murderer is coming. The door to the cottage opens, and Beth screams to stop him. Amy sees no one there, but then hears Quentin's music. She tells Beth that it's only Quentin, and that it's alright. She turns to see Chris now has a knife in his belly. David appears and tells Amy that he never wanted Quentin to hurt Chris. Beth tells Amy that David did try, but Quentin made up his mind that Chris must die. Amy wakes up from the dream, screaming.

Julia tells Barnabas that Chris will be alright. She then says the figure that they followed to the cottage saved Chris. Barnabas says a dead friend, a guardian spirit, wanted him to live. Julia asks how the woman could have known that she could help. Barnabas says that perhaps she will appear again. He points out that her clothes were from the 1890s. He says that perhaps she has some connection with the curse that made Chris a werewolf. Chris comes out and asks what happened. They sit him in a chair, and Barnabas tells him that he drank whiskey that had been poisoned. Chris asked what it was. Barnabas tells him that he must be honest with them. Chris says that he's considered suicide, but he didn't poison the whiskey. Barnabas asks if anyone else was in the house, and he mentions that David came to visit briefly in the morning. Barnabas tells Julia there's something that he must do, and he leaves.

Amy comes downstairs and leaves the old house.

Chris asks Julia how they found him. She says that a ghost led them to him. She says he has a guardian spirit watching over him. She asks if he knows who that might be, and he doubts the existence of such a thing. There's a knock at the door and Amy comes in. She says she had a dream where something terrible happened to him. He tells her that he's alright. Julia asks Amy what she dreamed. She says just that Chris was sick. Julia presses her, and she denies there was anything more to the dream. She tells Chris that nothing else will happen to him, ever.

David picks up the phone and asks Quentin if he hurt Chris. He gets no response. Barnabas comes in to his room and offers to have breakfast with him and Amy. He asks David if he enjoys having Amy in the house, and David says they have fun. Barnabas says he saw Chris this morning, and he mentioned how happy he was that Amy and David were friends. David seems surprised. Barnabas asks David about their meeting yesterday, and points out that Chris was very sick last night. David says he's glad Chris is feeling better.

Amy comes in and asks if David is ready for breakfast. Barnabas invites Amy to come downstairs with him, and she says she wants to talk to David first. Barnabas goes downstairs, and Amy asks David why he let Quentin hurt Chris. He says he didn't know, and she says she knows he tried to talk Quentin out of it. David admits he's afraid of Quentin. Amy starts downstairs, and says she's going to tell Mrs. Stodddard about the game. David freaks out, and she says he can't stop her.

Our thoughts

John: I didn't know that Barnabas was so well-schooled on alcohol that he could detect when whiskey has been poisoned. Particularly when you consider that Chris wasn't able to smell it when he drank it. Although the real credit goes to Julia, who was not only able to tell that it was off, but to determine what specific poison was used. Talk about a handy skill to have!

Christine: Considering that he's married to a witch who has a penchant for poisoning others, it seems a necessary skill for him to acquire. Is there nothing these two can't do?

John: I enjoyed Amy's dream, although after the build-up, I was really expecting to see the return of our skeleton friend as it replaced Chris, instead of the anti-climactic knife in the belly that we got.

Christine: Perhaps the knife in the belly was not what you were hoping for, but what about the death stare on Chris Jennings' face? Worth the price of admission! That and the undulating heads.

John: Barnabas seems to be zeroing in on David and Amy's involvement in the strange goings-on. I hope we'll find that he was eavesdropping right outside the door as they had their little discussion about Quentin.

Christine: It's just a matter of time before he finds out about their ghostly collusion. Will Amy get an unseen push down the stairs before she can tell Liz about Quentin?

Dark Shadows Episode 677 - 1/28/69

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Barnabas returns to the mausoleum in the morning. Inside the secret room, the coffin has been torn to shreds. Chris is lying in a corner, asleep. Barnabas wakes him, and tells him they'll return to the cottage to work out their next plan.

Chris and Barnabas return to the cottage, where they find Julia waiting for them. She tells Chris she knows his secret. He asks if she's willing to help him, too. She says she was against Barnabas helping him, but she has reluctantly agreed. Julia asks if he knows how it happened to him. Barnabas tells her that he got Chris' history, and will tell her on the way back to Collinwood. He reminds Chris that by locking him in the mausoleum, they were able to contain the violence. Julia explains that she will look into his blood to determine if she can identify a cause for his affliction. They leave him, with Barnabas confirming that he'll be back at night to take him to the mausoleum.

After they're gone, David arrives at the cottage and is surprised to see that Chris is alright. David tells him he's glad he moved in. He asks Chris if he's serious about Carolyn. Chris tells him not to pry into his affairs. David asks if he's going to work on the estate. Chris says that Carolyn has offered him a job, but he hasn't decided if he'll take it. Chris offers him a soda for his return hike to Collinwood.

The door to the cottage opens, the lid of the decanter mysteriously opens, and Strychnine is poured into it. After returning from the kitchen, David finishes his soda and is sent on his way.

Amy is waiting when David returns to Collinwood. He tells her he wanted to be alone. She asks why he's angry with her, and he tells her that she's imagining things. She asks why they aren't playing the game again, and he tells her that she can ask Quentin. She says that she did, but he wouldn't answer. David goes upstairs, leaving Amy alone downstairs.

Barnabas comes to the cottage to check on Chris, who says that there won't be a transformation tonight. He explains that he can tell when it's going to happen. He says he's going to have a drink, and offers one to Barnabas. He declines, saying that he's going to go back to Collinwood to see Julia. Chris thanks him for his continued help, and bids Barnabas goodnight. After Barnabas leaves, Chris pours himself a drink. He finishes it and goes to pour another. Before he can, he buckles in agony.

Barnabas returns to Collinwood and explains that Chris will be alright tonight. Julia shows him a book on lycanthropy she picked up today. She says that some think it's a mental disease, and Barnabas says that they saw him change to a wolf. She adds that someone can become a werewolf by being bitten and surviving; the other means being a curse. Barnabas concludes that Chris' affliction must be the result of a curse.

Chris stumbles around the cottage. He falls to the ground and grabs for the phone, but passes out.

Julia is asleep in her room when she wakes to the sound of a woman sobbing. She calls out asking who's in the room. She sees a woman, Beth, who she follows out of her room and into the hall.

Downstairs, Barnabas sees a woman walk down the stairs and out the door. He thinks it's Carolyn. Julia comes downstairs and asks if he saw the woman, who she says was in her room. They follow the woman towards the cottage.

Beth enters the cottage and kneels at Chris' body. Barnabas and Julia enter and see Chris on the floor with no one around him. Julia kneels by him to check his vitals, and tells Barnabas that he's dying.

Our thoughts

John: Quentin's ghost outside the cottage clearly didn't get his cue... The camera was on the door for quite some time before it finally opened of its own accord.

Christine: Maybe the door was stuck. I had to wonder why Julia was looking at an old copy of the newspaper announcing Maggie's disappearance from Episode 238. I suppose it was in the kindling pile at the cottage, but what was the significance of having it show up today?

John: So do you think David was deliberately assisting Quentin with his task, or was our ghost just taking advantage of the fact that David got Chris away from his liquor bottle long enough to add poison to it?

Christine: I think he was probably helping him, which was why he was so snotty to Amy afterward, since he's only mean to her when he's thoroughly possessed.

John: At least Julia's diagnosis of Chris was that he was dying, rather than dead. Of course, in Collinwood terms, that means he probably really is dead.

Christine: After a string of death certifications that proved to be incorrect, it would seem she is being much more careful with her pronouncements. So Quentin poisons Chris and Beth tries to save him. I wonder if there will be a ghostly showdown between these two.

Dark Shadows Episode 676 - 1/27/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Chris explains to Barnabas that he doesn't recall what happens to him when he's a werewolf. Barnabas says he almost killed him the other night with his silver cane. Barnabas brings Chris to the mausoleum, and leads him into the secret chamber, where he won't be able to harm anyone when he turns into a werewolf. Chris asks him who's buried in the coffin in the secret room. Barnabas explains that it's empty, but refuses to provide additional details.

Chris asks why he's risking so much to help him. Barnabas says that he understands Chris is not responsible for what he does when he's a werewolf. Chris asks if he expects to bring him there every full moon, and Barnabas tells him that he will work on another cure. He asks Chris how long he's been going through the transformation, and Chris says it was seven years ago.

He explains that he had just turned 21, and graduated from college. One night, after sunset, he felt a great pain. He said it worsened, and then just stopped. He says he saw hair on his hands and face, and then blacked out. He woke the next morning assuming it was a nightmare, until he saw the evidence that suggested otherwise.

Barnabas explains that he won't be able to harm anyone tonight, and as Chris begins the transformation, Barnabas exits and closes the secret door behind him.

Amy is standing on the porch of Collinwood, looking at the moon, when David comes out and tells her it's time for dinner. He asks why she's looking at the moon, and she says that sometimes it scares her, and she can't help it. They go inside.

Barnabas listens at the secret door as Chris begins his transformation. He hears Chris growling on the other side.

Amy and David play cards when Mrs. Johnson comes in. They stop and stare at her, making her uncomfortable. She asks them why they're staring at her, and Amy says they got tired of playing cards. Amy tells her she looks pale, and when she says she's fine, David asks why she's so angry. She knows they're up to something. He tells her that she's not angry, she's just still frightened by the man she thought she saw at the cottage. She tells them the man was there and they both know it. She tells them to stop it right now, and then sends them to their room. They go upstairs, laughing.

Barnabas returns to Collinwood and hears a crash. He goes into the drawing room and Mrs. Johnson tells him the kids are trying to drive her crazy. He asks what they did. She says a few night ago, she found the kids playing dress up and speaking strangely to one another. The following night, she saw a stranger at the cottage, who she was sure was going to kill her. Barnabas asks her to describe him, and she does, including his old style clothes. He asks what the children have to do with it, and she says she's convinced that the kids are responsible for that man's appearance. When they had been playing dress up, David was wearing the same kind of clothes as the man.

Amy and David return to Quentin's room. They find him standing alone. Amy asks where Beth is, and David asks about the cradle. Amy asks if he's angry with them, and David says he's not angry with them, but he wants to speak to him alone. He sends her downstairs, and Amy runs off, upset. The Victrola begins to play as Quentin smiles at David. David asks what he wants him to do.

Amy comes downstairs, and Barnabas asks her to join him in the drawing room. He asks her what's wrong. She says nothing's wrong, and he asks her about the man Mrs. Johnson saw. Amy says she never saw him. Barnabas asks if David saw him. She says he would have told her if he had. Barnabas asks if he keeps secrets from her, and she says he doesn't. Amy suggests that maybe Mrs. Johnson just imagined seeing the man. Amy keeps turning to the hall, and Barnabas asks why. She says she's waiting for David to come down and play with her. He bids her goodnight.

David asks Quentin where the bottle is, and a roll-top desk opens up on its own. David opens a drawer and pulls out a bottle of strychnine. David says it's poison, and that he won't hurt Amy's brother. He says it's wrong, and he won't do it for him. He runs out and Quentin pounds the hearth.

David comes downstairs, and Amy says it took him long enough. Amy asks why Quentin didn't want Amy to hear, and he says he doesn't know. She asks if they're going to play the game, and David says no.

Quentin picks up the bottle of Strychnine.

Our thoughts

John: I wonder when Barnabas plans to share his secret with Chris. Then, and only then, can they truly become blood brothers.

Christine: They seemed to be bonding sufficiently over Barnabas' cane.

John: Poor Mrs. Johnson. I wouldn't be surprised if the kids do drive her crazy. Do you think her limited description means anything to Barnabas? As far as we know, he's got no personal history with Quentin Collins... yet.

Christine: He may suspect a ghostly influence on the children, though we'll see if he'll be able to keep a watchful eye on them while trying to find a cure for his new monster BFF. I wonder if this means he and Julia will reopen their basement lab.

John: Finally, a more telling interaction with Quentin. I hope I'm not disappointed the day we finally hear David Selby speak! I wonder why he wants to kill Chris Jennings...

Christine: Why does he want to kill Chris while Beth wants to save him? Now that he and Beth seem able to get around the estate, why doesn't he do the poisoning himself instead of asking a little kid to do it for him?