Dark Shadows: The Revival - Episode 9 (3/1/91)

My name is Victoria Winters. The séance held at the great house of Collinwood has sent one woman on a perilous journey into the past, where secrets too terrifying to be written in a family history are threatening to destroy those she left behind. Meanwhile, the family struggles to protect a stranger, the only possible link to the one trapped deep within the past. 

As Julia administers a shot to Phyllis Wicke, she tells Elizabeth and Maggie that they may lose her if her fever doesn't break soon. Elizabeth says they need to get her to a hospital, but Julia says it won't do any good. In her fevered state, Phyllis talks of a terrible tragedy and bemoans the fate of poor, young, handsome Jeremiah. Maggie asks her where she is and what's happening. She says she's at a graveyard.

In 1790, the family is gathered at the cemetery for Jeremiah's funeral. As the minister speaks, Barnabas stands at the foot of the grave, while Abigail glances askance at Vicki. 

As the coffin is lowered, Josette screams and throws herself down on the coffin. Barnabas goes to comfort her and she screams that he killed her only love. Angelique smirks, appearing pleased, until a dark carriage emerges from the mist as foreboding music plays. Trask steps out of the carriage claiming he's come for the witch, and Abigail points to Vicki, saying she's the one he wants. Vicki screams that it's not true, but the bailiff takes her into custody despite Barnabas' protestation.

Barnabas goes to see Vicki in the dank gaol. She is elated to see him, believing he has come to get her out, but he tells her he is unable to do that yet, since they mean to try her according to old laws that remain on the books. He tells her that the entire family supports her, with the exception of Abigail, and that Peter Bradford will represent her. He is confident she'll be proven innocent, but she appears terrified as she asks what will happen if they don't, confirming that they hang witches. He asserts that nothing like that will happen to her and promises that she'll be freed.

Barnabas is in his room getting plastered and doesn't appear to notice when Angelique knocks and enters until she stands right in front of him. He asks if he must bar his door to keep her away. She says she only wanted to tell him that she was sorry about his brother. He thanks her for her concern and asks to be left alone. She says she's the only one who truly cares about him, since Josette clearly hates him. He tells her he won't love another woman as long as Josette is on the Earth. Angelique moves in close to kiss him, saying she knows what he needs, and he grabs her roughly, pushing her away as he asserts she clearly does not. He tells her to get out and she promises that he will be sorry.

The Countess is laying out tarot cards as Josette lies in bed, saying she cannot sleep. She reminds Josette that she said she felt as though she were bewitched with Jeremiah, and Josette asks if she thinks Victoria Winters is to blame. She says she doesn't but that the cards are insistent. 

She turns over a card and says it's the Wicked Woman.

Angelique sneaks into Jeremiah's room and takes a handkerchief and his gunpowder horn.

In her room, she pours powder out of the horn onto a stone to create a pentagram. She lays the handkerchief on top of the pentagram. She holds a knife over her hand as she invokes spirits of darkness, pestilence and pain. 

She draws the blade through her palm, allowing the blood to drip onto the handkerchief. She calls for a soul to rise up and do her bidding as she ignites the gunpowder. A dead hand emerges from the soil out in the cemetery.

The Countess comes down the stairs and tells Barnabas that he must be patient as she feels in her heart that Josette does love him and will come to know it some day. Barnabas prays that she is right and excuses himself.

A figure plods through the mists towards the house as Angelique instructs him to find the one who still owns his heart. 

Zombie Jeremiah makes his way to Josette's room, as Angelique instructs him to find his bride. Josette is in her room listening to her music box when Jeremiah's muddy corpse enters and grabs her as he gurgles her name. 

She screams and the family runs to her room to find her gone. Joshua says someone has taken her and the men run off. Abigail claims it's the witch and prays for her protection. The Countess finds Josette's locket on the floor and Elizabeth is flabbergasted, saying she's sure it was buried with Jeremiah since she placed it on him herself. She wonders if they buried him alive.

Dead Jeremiah carries Josette's unconscious body towards the cliff as the men in the family search the woods. Angelique tells him to take her to Widows' Hill and destroy her. She regains conscience as he reaches the cliff and begins to scream. Angelique's voice repeatedly tells him to destroy her. Ben and Barnabas find them at the cliff and Barnabas tells him to put her down and resist whatever evil has brought him back. He says, "Evil. Angelique." Joshua and André arrive and Ben tells them not to move. Barnabas advances towards Jeremiah, telling him not to let the evil destroy her too, and asks him to hand Josette over to him. He cries out as he pushes her towards Barnabas and then throws himself off the cliff. 

The group arrives home and Natalie comforts Josette as Elizabeth asks Joshua about Jeremiah. He tells her he's at rest once and for all. 

Angelique comes running down the stairs to help Josette and Barnabas intercepts her, telling her to stay away from her. 

She skirts around him, saying she needs her help. As she helps her upstairs, Barnabas takes Natalie aside and instructs her to watch Angelique and not leave Josette alone with her under any circumstances. 

Barnabas sneaks into Angelique's room and begins searching it. He finds the stone with the burnt gunpowder residue and puts it aside as he continues searching the drawers and cabinets. He finds the figures Angelique used to bind Jeremiah and Josette together wrapped in a cloth. He hears her approach.

Angelique enters her room and Barnabas emerges from an adjacent room, still holding the clay figures. Angelique tells her reflection that Josette will not be so fortunate next time.

Barnabas enters Josette's room as Natalie sits by her bed reading. 

Josette gets upset, and he steps outside the room. Natalie meets him and he asks what she thinks of the clay figures he found in Angelique's room as he hands them to her. She says it's black magic, and determines they represent Josette and Jeremiah. She tells him Angelique knew voodoo as did her mother but doesn't understand why she would do such a thing. He tells her she doesn't know her as he does and he says it's all his fault. He says he'll break the spell but Natalie says Josette will die and it can only be broken by the person who placed the spell. He says that he will make Angelique break it, but she warns him that she is more powerful than he can imagine. He asks what more can she do than she has already done and he storms off to find Angelique.

He bursts into her room and thrusts the figures into her face, demanding that she break the spell. 

She says she will do it, but Josette will die. 

She asks him to choose whether she will die or love the memory of her brother forever. 

He tells her that he will take the figures to the bailiff and she'll be hanged for the witch she is, and then he and Josette will dance on her grave. As he turns to leave, she grabs her knife and tries to attack him, saying if she can't have him no one will. 

They struggle and he pushes her away, causing her to fall on her knife. She rolls over with the knife stuck in her chest and curses him as she dies. 

Josette screams and sits up suddenly in bed. She asks Natalie what happened to her. Natalie explains that she's free now, that Angelique had bewitched her. 

She explains that even as children she always wanted what Josette had, but that she wanted Barnabas most of all. Barnabas enters the room and Natalie says it is over. She asks about Angelique and he tells her that she will trouble them no more. Natalie leaves to tell the others. Josette asks Barnabas if he'll ever forgive her. He says there's nothing to forgive and they embrace. 

Back in the present day, Willie gorges himself on his Auntie's cooking in the kitchen, noting that the girl upstairs keeps saying funny things. Mrs. Johnson says she's very sick and he asks what she's saying. She tells him that she's rambling on about things from her time. 

He returns to the Old House where Carolyn is hanging out with Barnabas. He asks him about Phyllis Wicke and Willie says she's real sick and they're not sure how much longer she'll hold on. 

Carolyn leaves and Barnabas screams for Willie. He tells him there's been a new entry in the diary. Willie reads, "Daniel and I cried so hard today when the terrible, mean Reverend Trask came and took our Miss Winters to jail." Willie asks if he knew Trask and Barnabas tells him he was a fanatic and a witch hunter. He says they must get her back before it's too late. He suggests that Dr. Hoffman convince the others to hold another séance, and he asks Willie to bring her to him right away.

The family is gathered for another séance.

Maggie warns that they have no way of predicting what will happen. Barnabas says they're all aware of that. She calls for Sarah's help, explaining that Victoria Winters is lost in her time and the woman who has replaced her is ill and may leave them soon. She begs her to bring Victoria back now, so she is not lost in her time forever. Sarah begins speaking through Maggie, saying they must stop since something terrible is trying to come back there. The doors burst open and Julia begins convulsing. Maggie asks if she's alright and Julia says she feels like something is trying to get inside of her. Maggie says whatever it was, she was too strong for it.

Elizabeth walks her to her room and tells her to get some sleep. Julia goes to her mirror and smiles as Angelique's reflection stares back at her.

Trask enters Vicki's cell and tells her there are tests to be made. She tells him to keep away from her, but he grabs her and asks if she'll turn him into a lizard. 

Peter Bradford shows up and tells him not to touch her. He tells the bailiff he wants him out now. Trask tells Vicki they will meet again very soon. He then tells Bradford to take care for the salvation of his soul and that it will be a pleasure to deal with him in court. 

Peter enters the cell and Vicki tells him she's not a witch. He says she will have to tell him the truth if he is to defend her. She reminds him of how confused she was when they first met, going on to say that she was born in 1966, and was working as a governess for the Collins family at Collinwood in 1991. Peter is happy to hear the house still stands in that time. She tells him that she was somehow transported back in time. She says the Collins family history book is in her room at the Old House, and that it will prove that what she's saying is true. He warns against using it in her defense as Trask would use it for his own purpose, but she says she just wants him and Barnabas to know about it, as it might help them to stop whatever evil is endangering the family. She believes that's why she was sent to the past.

Barnabas and Ben are putting the finishing touches on Angelique's grave in a downpour. Willie wants to offer some words and says, "Angelique, daughter of the Devil, may the worms grow fat on your flesh, and may you know as much suffering in hell as you have caused here on Earth." He spits on her grave and adds an Amen. Barnabas says, "May God have mercy on her soul."

Barnabas comes into the drawing room, downs a brandy, and tells them it is done. He says he must see Josette, and Natalie tells him she's resting in her room. 

 

Outside, lightning bolts strike Angelique's grave. 

Barnabas goes to his room and is surprised to find Josette. 

He says he was just about to go to her room, but she says she couldn't wait. She goes to him and they kiss passionately. As things get hot and heavy, he suddenly pushes her away and she bares fangs before sinking them into his throat. 

She takes him down to the floor as she drains him, coming up briefly for air before diving back down for seconds. After filling up, she turns into a bat and flies away. 

Angelique appears, floating above him, saying that he thought it was his beloved Josette, but his hell will take whatever shape she chooses. She cackles and disappears.

Josette is in her room and becomes concerned for Barnabas. She runs to his room and finds him on the ground with his throat bloody and torn. 

She begs him not to die. He tells her he will love her forever, and then dies. She screams and cries as she embraces him.

Our thoughts:

Christine: Reverend Trask is truly the stuff of nightmares! I hope we'll get to see more of him soon. 

John: He was definitely more menacing in this episode than his first appearance. I was quite surprised that so little effort was made to protect Vicki when they showed up at Jeremiah's funeral. And speaking of the dead, I have to admit that I was disappointed that Jeremiah sported a (while perhaps more accurate) muddy look, as opposed to the advanced state of decomposition that his classic series counterpart exhibited in such a short time after death. He does get points for wiping his boots off before entering Collinwood, as the one thing he does not do is track mud through the estate! It was kind of cool to get a Sam Raimi/Evil Dead-POV cam hurtling through the cemetery as Angelique called him to return from the grave. And Robert Cobert fans might have recognized a familiar musical cue from Burnt Offerings when Angelique collects Jeremiah's hanky for her ritual.

Christine: Angelique possessing Julia certainly eliminates the need for her to don a wig and call herself Cassandra. That should be a fun surprise for Barnabas when she starts putting the moves on him. Maybe for Julia as well. 

John: I thought his telling Angelique that he'd love no other as long as Josette was alive was tantamount to signing her death warrant! If only he had given in to Angelique's heaving bosom, all of this trouble could have been avoided...

Christine: It would seem the lesson in both versions is not to trifle with a woman's affections, as it could turn out very badly, and your whole family could end up dying. It's hard to fathom how Angelique's spirit could cause a vampire bat to take on the appearance of Josette, but it was a wonderful surprise anyway. I look forward to seeing Barnabas' transformation. 

 John: Yeah, it took me a minute to realize that was what had happened. Did he kiss the bat, too? Thankfully, bat technology has come a long way since Bil Baird's work in the original series. 

Christine: Yeah, but I'm still fond of that puppet bat on a pole. And yes, Barnabas did kiss the bat.