Monday, July 8, 2019

Dark Shadows Episode 791 - 7/7/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Mangled-face Quentin comes into Collinwood, unsure of who he is and why he is there. He starts the Victrola, and listens as his theme plays. He begins to recite the lyrics. Judith enters, and screams when she sees the mangled-face man. He tells her that he's Quentin. She says she's afraid, and refuses to believe he's her brother. He tells her the police are after him. She turns to leave, and runs into the ghost of Minerva, poised with a knife and ready to strike! Quentin approaches her and Minerva disappears. He asks what happened to her, and Judith is thrilled that he also saw her. From upstairs, Gregory yells for him to stay away from Judith. Mangled-face Quentin runs off.


Gregory comes downstairs, and Judith says that he also saw Minerva. Trask tries to tell her that Minerva wasn't there. She says the man claimed to be Quentin, and Trask says he was just a prowler. He offers her medicine to feel better and she insists that she's sane. She screams when she turns and sees Minerva sitting in the chair once again. She says that she has come back. Trask tells her that he doesn't see Minerva, but a stranger that claims to see Quentin does. Minerva stands up and Judith says she's coming towards her. Trask asks if she has her knife again, and she says she has her sewing.


Trask asks Judith if she envies Minerva's eternal rest. He suggests that if Judith takes her medicine, she may stop seeing Minerva. Judith drinks the medicine, but says Minerva might still have the knife. There's a knock at the door, and Trask goes to get it, forbidding her to leave. Judith sits opposite a staring Minerva.


Evan tells Trask that wolfman has escaped from jail. He says he thinks he might return to Collinwood. Trask tells him that Judith saw a prowler who told her that he also saw Minerva. Trask asks Evan if he brought the paperwork. Evan hands it to Trask, and asks if it's too early to get her to sign. He says it won't be a problem. He tells him that the prowler told her he was Quentin. Trask tells him that it's time to better his fortune, and Evan corrects him to say 'their' fortune. Evan invites Trask to his home that night, and Trask agrees to come once things are done in Collinwood. Evan says it's hard for him to believe that Judith will believe all the falsehoods Trask is peddling, and Trask assures him that if they tell her so, she'll believe it. They hear her scream.


They enter the drawing room. Judith says Minerva is approaching her with a knife. They say they don't see her. Minerva sits again. Evan asks her if she really believes that she saw her. Judith tells him that Quentin saw her, and Evan says Quentin is away.


Trask tells her that Evan has a paper for her to sign. She says she can't read anything right now, and he tells her there's no need for her to read it. Evan asks her to trust them, and she says she must discuss it with Edward first. They tell her Edward is dead. She says Carl is dead, and they say Edward is dead, and Carl is in Europe. She's baffled. They both tell her to sign the paper. She looks at Minerva and asks what she's waiting for. Trask presses her to sign the paper, which she does. He walks Evan to the door.


Trask asks Evan if he'll start the ceremony soon, and he says he will as soon as he gets home. Holding the newly signed document, Trask declares himself master of Collinwood. Evan reminds him that he will be as long as she remains ill. Trask assures him that she will remain ill for a long, long time.


Trask goes in to see Judith. She tells him that winter comes early, and she doesn't want to play in the snow. She asks Carl not to bury her in the snow. Trask smiles over her.


Evan begins his ceremony. He calls to the spirit of darkness, and permits it to retire.


Trask and Judith are followed by Minerva's ghost. She says Minerva warns her of poison berries. She tells Trask to send her away.


Evan continues the ritual, telling the spirit to be gone.


Judith tells Trask to make Minerva go away, and she disappears. Trask tells Judith to look at him. She looks up to see that Minerva is gone. Trask tells her that he must go, too. She says she doesn't want to be left alone. He tells her she's making it impossible to help her, and soon Minerva will be back, along with Dirk and all the dead.


Evan tells Trask that it is done. Trask confirms that Minerva disappeared while he was there. Evan pulls out a document for Trask to sign, Trask tells him it's too much. Evan suggests that he did his job and did it well. Trask agrees to his terms, stipulating that Evan will continue to help him again when needed. He says they may need to bring Minerva back, as well as Dirk and Rachel.


Mangle-faced Quentin arrives outside of Evan's house.

Trask leaves Evan's house. Quentin sneaks in and demands that Evan use the hand to change him back. Evan says he doesn't have the hand. Quentin begins searching for it, and when Evan tries to stop him, Quentin knocks him out with a candlestick. Quentin finds the box with the hand and opens it up. A strange man enters and tells Quentin that he'll take the hand.



Our thoughts

John: Chroma-key Minerva was oddly frightening, as she seems to be standing perfectly still. Of course when Quentin moves to where she's supposed to be and is suddenly behind her, it takes away from the illusion.


Christine: It also made it more apparent that she was a mini-Minerva version. Evan Hanley really needs to perfect the art of apparition.

John: Quentin, with his disfigured mangled-face, describes the werewolf as a hideous, unnatural being? I think mangled-face needs to take a look in the mirror. The wolf man is downright handsome by comparison!


Christine: It's funny that Quentin has so much disdain for his lycanthropic alter ego when he's not so much a quality guy himself. After all, he attempted to scare his grandma to death, strangled his ex-wife, molested nearly all the females he's come across, and used his nephew in his black magic ceremonies. It may not be the same as running around and tearing innocent victims to shreds during the full moon, but it's not much better.

John: Welcome to Collinwood, Aristede! I thought for sure it was Barnabas coming into Evan's house... and while there is a passing resemblance, I'm guessing he's a gypsy and not a Collins.

Christine: It will be interesting to see who wins the Hand standoff.

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