Dark Shadows Episode 1090 8/28/70

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David enters the tower room with a candle. He looks around for a green flag. He finds it, and goes to the window. He opens it and waves the flag, calling to Gerard that he's following his instructions.

In the graveyard, the earth begins to rise.

Before waving it a third time, David drops the flag and calls to Gerard. He says he did what he thought he wanted him to do. He apologizes, and says he doesn't know what the note means. He asks what would happen if he waved the flag a third time. Julia bursts in and asks who he was talking to. He says he was talking to himself, and she calls him a liar. He says there's no one there. She prevents him from leaving. She asks him what he expected to find. She accuses him of taking a note from one of her books, and finds it in his hand. She says she read it before she put it in the book. She says she didn't know what it meant, but assumes that he does.

She sees the flag, and says he knew he'd find it there. He says he was just curious. She tells him that by not telling her what's happening, he's in more danger. She demands that he tell her what's happening right now. She asks him what he knows about the Java Queen. She points out that Gerard, who wrote the note, was the captain of the ship. She says that he is evil, and she knows he has seen him. She threatens to tell his aunt, and he says he doesn't care, and leaves the tower room.

Maggie is sitting by the fire when Barnabas arrives at Collinwood. He asks her what's troubling her. She says she should have talked to him about the children. She says that something has happened, but she doesn't know what. She says they've become cold and distant. She says she's felt a presence in the house that has frightened her. They embrace, and he looks at her neck.

Julia interrupts them. He says Maggie has noticed a change in the children. Julia says she just had an unpleasant scene with David in the tower room. She asks Maggie to check on him. Once she's gone, she says she arrived just in time. She says Maggie became his victim once before. He assures her that he's in complete control, and Maggie is perfectly safe.

The next morning, Julia tells Maggie that she needs her to check in on David. Maggie goes into the drawing room, and David comes in to find something. She says they need to talk, and he tells her he has to go somewhere, but he'll be back in time for his lessons.

David arrives at Shaw's place, and asks him to do his horoscope. Shaw asks him if something has happened. David offers him $40, and Shaw tells him to put his money away. David asks if he's afraid of what it might tell him, and Shaw says no. He asks David for some time to think it over, and sends him home. Shaw realizes that David will die unless someone does something soon. He decides to tell Elizabeth everything.

Maggie answers the door when Shaw arrives at Collinwood. He explains that he's there to see Elizabeth. She says she's out until late in the afternoon. Maggie introduces herself to him. She says Mrs. Stoddard told her about him, and his resemblance to Jeb Hawkes. He says that no one told him how lovely she is. They flirt, and he invites her to dinner. She says she's inclined to say yes.

Back at Shaw's, he works on David's horoscope when Roxanne comes in. She asks why he went out today, and where he went. He says he went to buy some materials. She tells him he's being defensive. He tells her that he's going out. She says in the future he should exercise more caution. He leaves, but Roxanne follows him.

Barnabas is shocked to hear from Julia that Maggie is having dinner with Shaw. Julia says she doesn't understand why it upsets him. Barnabas says Shaw is either a charlatan or a liar, and he can't be trusted. She asks if that's all that troubles him. They see Maggie and Shaw return from dinner. She bids him goodnight, and smiles. Barnabas asks her if she had a chance to talk with David, and she says she had no more luck than they did.

Shaw returns home, and Roxanne asks him if he enjoyed himself. He says yes. She then asks if Maggie enjoyed herself, too. He says he should have known she'd be too curious. She says she just happened to see them at the Collinsport Inn, and he doesn't believe her. She asks if he plans to see her again, and he says he does.

Barnabas tells Maggie that they must continue to watch David. She offers to walk him as far as the gate, and once they're gone, Julia sits down with her books.

An hour later, Julia hears Maggie return. She nearly collapses going up the stairs, and Julia notices bite marks on her neck.

Our thoughts: 

John: Julia doesn't know why Barnabas is upset to find out that Maggie is having dinner with another man? Oh come now! She's probably loving the fact that he's getting a taste of his own medicine!

Christine: Exactly! She was taunting him when she said that. It was a lovely moment.

John: Interesting that they chose to use a new visual transition to establish the passage of the time when Julia in alone in the drawing room. Of course looking at it with a 2020 viewpoint, it's a particularly cheesy wipe!

Christine: It's always nice to see when the show gets a new piece of technology to play around with. What do you suppose is going on with Roxanne and Sebastian's relationship? They appear to be living together, but he dates other chicks. Welcome to the free-wheeling seventies!

John: So things just got real. Obviously, we're expected to believe that Barnabas is responsible for Maggie's bite (he being the only outed vampire in present day 1970). But he also made a point of telling Julia that he was in control. Which would mean that another vampire is stalking Collinwood! Who could it be? Where's Karl Kolchak when you need him!

Christine: I don't know that I believe Barnabas is in control, but that was a really grotesque bite! He generally doesn't leave gaping holes in his victims like that. Someone really drilled down on her neck. Roxanne seems to be the likely culprit, which might explain her domineering relationship with Shaw. Will we see the show's first cute vampire couple hookup soon?  We may be getting closer to ticking off another clue on the Catastro-tracker.

Dark Shadows Before I Die Catastro-tracker

❎ The picnic

❎ The night of the sun and moon

 ▢ The murder

❎ The unfinished horoscope

 ▢ The night Carolyn sang her song

❎ Rose Cottage