Dark Shadows Episode 1172 12/22/70

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Barnabas arrives at Trask's chapel and calls to him. When no one answers, he makes his way to the cellar.  He calls to Roxanne, asking if she's there, and pleading for him to appear to him. Trask comes out with a gun. Barnabas realizes that it was a trap. Trask says he has waited a long time for this moment. He tells Barnabas to look behind him, and he sees a pile of bricks. Trask tells him that his father's death must be avenged, and it's only fitting that Barnabas should die the way his father did — sealed up behind a brick wall. Barnabas asks him if he thinks he'll get away with this. Trask threatens to shoot him if he tries to escape. He adds that he's glad Barnabas is human, and not a vampire. He tells him to put on manacles. Barnabas does as he's told. 

Moments later, Barnabas is almost completely walled up behind bricks. Like Barnabas, Trask leaves the brick right in front of his eyes for last. Trask says his father's remains were not found for 40 years. He asks Barnabas how long he thinks his father lived without food or water. Barnabas assures Trask that he will see his face again. Trask tells him that his screams will not be heard. He says he is proud that he is not only avenging his father's death, but preventing his testifying on Quentin's behalf. He places the last brick in place.

Gerard comes downstairs at Collinwood as Julia comes in. He greets her, and she reminds him that he tried to kill Barnabas yesterday, and they are not friends. She asks if he has seen Barnabas. She says Valerie hadn't seen him since last night. Gerard asks her why she's so uneasy. She says if he sees him, he can tell him she's gone to see Quentin. 

As she leaves Trask arrives. He says that he assumes she's unable to find her brother. He says he can understand her concern for a missing loved one. Gerard asks Trask what he's trying to tell him. Trask says it's nothing at all. Gerard asks what he's done with Barnabas. Trask asks if Gerard thinks he'd do anything to harm Barnabas. He reiterates that they found Barnabas was innocent of being a vampire. Gerard asks what he did with him. Trask says whatever happened to Barnabas would be well deserved, and he thinks they have seen the last of him. 

Julia comes to see Quentin, and finds that Barnabas hasn't arrived. She says she doesn't know where he is. Quentin asks if he's changed his mind about testifying. Julia says that something dreadful has happened to him. Quentin says someone has seen to it that Barnabas won't testify on his behalf. 

Behind the brick wall, Barnabas hears someone enter the cellar of Trask's chapel. Trask asks him if he can hear him. He says that his failure to appear at Quentin's trial came as a sever shock to the defense. He says it may have been a turning point in the trial.

Gerard is in the drawing room when Daphne returns from Rose Cottage. She asks him what happened in her room last night. He says that nothing happened. She accuses him of lying to her. She asks him to tell her what happened. He says that something happened. He says Joanna's spirit appeared and moved towards her bed carrying a knife. She says Joana really wants to kill her. She asks him if she should leave Collinwood, and he says no. He says they will find the answers. He ponders a way of communicating with her. She says they already tried a seance. He says they could leave Joanna a note from Quentin by the tree. Daphne is doubtful. She says that if Quentin tries to communicate with the dead, someone may use that against him.

Trask returns to the brick wall. He asks Barnabas how he feels. Barnabas says nothing. Trask asks if he's hungry or thirsty, and points out that it will get worse as time goes by. Barnabas finds the situation ironic. 

Quentin reads the note Daphne found in the foyer. He asks what happened. She describes what Gerard told her, about Joanna's spirit attempting to kill her. He says she's got to get away. She says Gerard's idea would be to have Quentin write Joanna a note explaining his feelings. He asks how he gets a not to her. Daphne says she'll take it to the Oak Tree. He agrees to write a note.

Trask arrives to see Gerard. Gerard says that Quentin plans to enlist help from the spirit world. He tells Trask to sit down and listen carefully.

Julia returns to Collinwood and Daphne asks if there's any word on Barnabas. She says no, and tells Daphne to prey for him. She then walks in on Trask and Gerard, and asks whose fate they are deciding now. She asks what they have done with her brother. She accuses them of having reasons to stop him from testifying for Quentin. She asks Gerard why he won't admit to working with Trask. Trask tells Julia that Gerard has yet to believe that Quentin is a heretic. He adds that he thinks Barnabas ran away out of fear of being questioned by Dawson. Trask leaves, and Gerard says she mustn't make accusations against him. He offers her a drink but she brushes him off and leaves.

Daphne brings the note to the oak tree. As she goes to place it, Trask grabs the note from her and says that he'll take it.

Our thoughts: 

John: The only thing folks in Collinsport do faster than travel great distances on foot is walling people up in basement alcoves. Do you think it takes a special skill to leave the last opening in the bricks right at someone's eye-line? And why is it that the people being walled up never bother to kick the bricks out before the mortar has dried?

 

Christine: It's possible that folks in Collinsport are interred and disinterred at the cemetery much quicker than they are walled up in basements around town. The fact that they are being walled up to leave eye-level bricks for last would seem to make them structurally unsound, and I can only imagine it's some profound sense of guilt that makes the victims believe they deserve such harsh punishment that keeps them from easily knocking down the freshly cemented wall, which would take weeks to fully dry in that day and age. 

 

Episode 442

Episode 879

John: Doesn't it seem like we should be at the trial? I mean, why would Barnabas not testifying be a game-changer for Quentin? Or was Trask just lying about all that? It seemed like the last time we were there, things were looking brighter for Quentin. I hate to think we're missing out on any Charles Dawson magic!

 
Christine: It's his day off. Hopefully we'll catch up with him at trial tomorrow, when Trask presents his newfound evidence of Quentin communicating with the dead. 

John: Julia had better step up her game, and quickly, if she is going to save Barnabas, so he can in turn save Quentin. Wouldn't you think she'd go straight to Angelique to conjure up Barnabas' location? Or Leticia? Wouldn't it be cool, once freed, for Barnabas to wall up another Trask alongside his pop's skeleton in the basement of the old house? So that in some unseen future, someone would find two Trask's buried behind the brick wall?

 

Christine: Yeah, what good is it being married to a witch if she can't find you when you're at the mercy of a maniac? Perhaps she'll show up before the end of the week to save her beloved. Quentin's head will surely be off by then, though.