Monday, May 20, 2019

Dark Shadows Episode 756 - 5/19/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Laura tells Dirk to open Ben Stokes' exhumed coffin. He does, and she spots a book inside. She tells him to give it to her. Dirk sees Barnabas emerge from the shadows. He tells Laura that robbing a grave is a bizarre activity for a beautiful woman. He grabs the book from her. Dirk steps forward, but Barnabas grabs him by the throat and drops him to his knees. Laura tells him that she came to Collinwood for her children. She says that if he tries to stop her, she'll destroy him. He responds that she will be the one destroyed, bids her goodnight, and leaves.


Dirk gets up, and Laura tells him they learned a great deal about Barnabas Collins. She says that he and the original Barnabas Collins are one in the same. Dirk points out that the original Barnabas lived 100 years ago. Laura says that she's going to go to the school to get Nora, and then they can go away, once she has taken care of Barnabas. She tells Dirk to search the old house for any clues to Barnabas' secret. Once they know his vulnerability, they will strike quickly.


Charity tells Nora that she has ruined her shoes in the mud. She tells Nora to put her shoes by the fire so they can dry out, and then they can try to clean them. She steps out and Barnabas appears. He tells Nora that he's been waiting for her. He asks her if she's happy. She says she wants to be with Jamison and her mother. He asks if that will really make her happy, and tells her to put her shoes by the fire before Charity comes back. Nora hesitates, and Barnabas asks her if the fire frightens her. She says she doesn't know, and he tells her that he does, and he will make everything all right. He tells her to look into his eyes.


Dirk sneaks into the old house.

Barnabas asks Nora if she understands everything that he told her, and she says yes. He tells her that their visits and discussions must remain secret. Charity returns and asks Barnabas what he's doing. He says he came to speak to Nora, and sends her up to bed. Charity says he shouldn't have come, and he tells her that he had to. He tells her that Laura is coming, and when she arrives, Charity must let her in. She begs him not to make her disobey her father. He replies that she must. Barnabas tells her to close her eyes and think about the old house, and the last time they were together. She smiles as she thinks about it, and Barnabas leans in to bite her neck.



Dirk continues to search the old house, finding the locked cellar door. He pulls out his set of master keys.

At the school, there's a knock at the door. Barnabas tells Charity to answer it. She goes to the door, and turns back to see him, but he's gone. She opens the door and Laura enters. She asks Charity if something is wrong. She tells Laura that her father doesn't allow visitors at this hour. Laura tells her that she's come to take Nora away tonight. Charity says that she can't. Laura tells her to call her father, or bring her Nora. Charity says she'll bring her Nora to speak with her. Laura tells her not to tell Nora who it is, so she's surprised.


Dirk makes his way into the basement, where he finds a coffin. He opens it up and finds it empty.


Nora comes in to find her mother. Laura says she has come to take her away. Nora appears upset. Laura tells her that she must be afraid that she's dreaming, but reiterates that she's really there to take her away. Nora tells her that she doesn't want to go away with her. She wants to stay in Collinwood until she's grown. Laura asks who spoke to her. Nora says she played outside, and got her shoes muddy. When they got back to the house, Charity sent her to bed. Laura asks if she dreamed about her. Nora says she had a dream that took place a long time ago when her mother was young and beautiful; before she was afraid of her. She tells her mother that she's different now. Charity comes in with Nora's things. Laura says she can take them back upstairs. She says Nora won't be leaving. She tells Nora that she'll change her mind soon. She adds that Trask might be very upset to know that his rule about family members visiting late was broken twice that night.


Laura meets up with Dirk in the graveyeard. He tells her there was a coffin in the cellar, and she points out that it was empty. She says she knows the secret of Barnabas Collins from Ben Stokes' diary. She tells him that Barnabas is a vampire, and can be destroyed. Just as easily as he turned Nora against her. She says that when morning comes, and he is helpless, she will destroy him.


Barnabas returns to the old house before dawn. Dirk and Laura sneak up after him. They enter the house, Laura holding a hammer and a stake. She says he'll have no power against it. She goes downstairs. Dirk stays upstairs and draws a pistol.


Laura comes downstairs and opens Barnabas' coffin. He lies asleep inside. She wonders if years ago, when he was a small boy, he envisioned his destruction like this. She holds the stake over his chest and raises the mallet.



Our thoughts

John: I love how Barnabas points out that grave-robbing is a bizarre activity for a beautiful woman. As if for the more homely women of Collinsport, it would be perfectly reasonable!

Christine: According to Laura, Barnabas can control the elements and walk through fire. How come we've never seen him use those powers before? He didn't appear to be able to walk through fire in the last episode.


John: I love how Dirk remains clueless, even as things are spelled out for him. Of course, what's more impressive that as a member of the brotherhood (sisterhood?) of evil monsters, she would already have a familiarity with vampires, their habits, and just how to rid yourself of the pesky creatures. Of course, by the same token, Barnabas should already be familiar with the Phoenix, and how to snuff out her life force, too...


Christine: I think we can assume that Laura was Barnabas' first bad girl crush, but the way she spoke of her fondness for his sad eyes in today's episode would seem to indicate that the interest was mutual.

John: So where exactly did Laura pick up the mallet and stake? I can assume Dirk had a mallet lying around, but stakes might be a little harder to come by, particularly since he probably doesn't have a lathe with which to fashion one on the fly. Not that it really matters, since it's safe to say that someone will interrupt Laura before she can deliver her fatal blow tomorrow.

Christine: The true test of her occult knowledge will be if she fashioned the stake from a holly tree. So, will the gypsies come back from their time off to save the day? Or will Judith show up to see if Jenny was right about the coffin in the basement?

"Yes, a strange, dreamy boy with surprisingly sad eyes. A boy one could be fond of." -Laura

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