Dark Shadows Episode 344 - 10/19/67

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David is in his room with Sarah. She apologizes for telling him something, and says she has to go. He asks her to stay and play her flute. She then says that she thinks she knows how he died. David asks if she means Dr. Woodard, and she says yes. She says she's not sure, but it was terrible. He begs her not to go but she disappears.

David plays with a Major Matt Mason Space Crawler when his aunt walks in. She says they all had to go in to Collinsport, and he says he knows. She says she has something to tell him, and he says he thinks he already knows. She says it happened a few days ago, and David asks if Dr. Woodard is dead. She says he must have heard them talking. She apologizes for his hearing that way. She says the whole town went to the funeral this morning. She asks why he didn't tell anyone that he knew. David says terrible things happen and no one seems to do anything about them. He says it shouldn't have happened. She asks what he means, and he says it doesn't matter, since no one believes him anyway. Before she leaves, he says he'll miss Dr. Woodard because he believed him, and maybe that's why he's dead.

Liz tells Carolyn and Vicki that David already knew about Woodard, and he had no reaction. Carolyn offers to take him his lunch and goes to the kitchen. Vicki asks if they should call the psychiatrist again. Liz says David thinks something terrible happened to Dr. Woodard.

Carolyn brings David food, and tells him he doesn't need to eat it if he doesn't want it. Carolyn commiserates with David. He tells her Sarah is not his imaginary friend, and she says she believes him. She describes her best friend when she was younger. She says she last saw him on her 10th birthday, and she never saw him again. David says maybe he was a ghost. She says she doesn't know, but he was real. A real person, a real figment of her imagination, or a real ghost. David says that Sarah is a real ghost. Carolyn tells him that she believes him. London Bridge starts to play, and he asks if she can hear it. She says she can. He tells her that something is going to happen soon, very far away, and it's going to make them all sad for a very long time. It will be an accident. Carolyn asks who it's going to happen to, and David says nobody knows, but it's going to happen. Carolyn is upset, and David says she can go. She tells him that none of this is real, and he says it is, and there's nothing they can do about it.

Burke explains that they can't accept Liz's generous offer. Vicki implores Burke to consider it, and he says he'll give it some consideration while he's traveling. They head out of the drawing room, and Liz wishes him a good trip. From upstairs, David tells Burke goodbye. He thanks him for all he's ever done for him, and tells him that he's going to miss him. Vicki explains he'll only be gone a few days. Burke says he'll look for some stamps to bring back for him, and David says he'll have them to remember him by. Vicki doesn't understand why David would say that, and Burke clarifies that he'd remember his trip through the stamps. David says he'll never forget Burke. David apologizes for upsetting everyone, and says he just wanted to say goodbye to Burke. As he goes upstairs, Burke tells him they'll go on a fishing trip when he returns, and they won't come back until the boat is full of fish. David fixates on 'won't come back', says goodbye to Burke, and goes to his room.

Vicki and Burke talk in the garden. He tells her the West Wing idea might not be so bad. He says he didn't realize how bad things had gotten with David. Burke asks if he took Woodard's death very badly, and Vicki abruptly says that must be it. She's clearly upset, and Burke tells her not to worry about him while he's gone. She says she's not worried, but she'd like to go inside. She hears a sound and asks if Burke heard it. She says it's the wailing of the Widows, and Burke says it's only the wind.

Our thoughts
                                                                
John: So Sarah didn't help Woodard, but was happy to break the news of his death to David. Do you think she knew Barnabas was responsible?

Christine: Her vague responses lead me to believe that she knew Barnabas was responsible and she bears some guilt in choosing not to prevent him from killing Dr. Woodard, or it could be she is simply confused by the writers leaving such a gaping plot hole.

John: Nice to see Carolyn back in time for the funeral. I thought we all might get to attend, but it sounds like the crowd would have required more actors than they could afford.

Christine: I like how she goes to comfort David and ends up being upset by his doomsaying instead.

John: Wow. Have we seen the last of Burke Devlin? David didn't even need to whip out his crystal ball to have such a clear vision.

Christine: If so, you'd think David might put some effort into warning him not to take a plane trip right now. It will be ironic if it turns out the crystal ball Burke gave David in Episode 48 wasn't used to his benefit. 

Dark Shadows Episode 343 - 10/18/67

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We see Julia's laboratory setup in the old house. Barnabas comes downstairs and asks for an update on Woodard. Julia confirms that the coroner has ruled the death a heart attack. She says she can't go on. He tells her she has no choice. She says he had a plan before they met, and he should go on with that. He explains that she gave him hope of being human again. She reminds him that with humanity comes conscience and guilt. He brings up forgiveness and love. He tells her the first treatment will begin at midnight.

Vicki and Burke argue in the garden, as Barnabas eavesdrops on them.

She reiterates how she needs to be there for David. Burke asks if he knows about Woodard. Vicki says they haven't told him yet. Vicki pleads with Burke to fix up the West Wing so they can move in. Barnabas interrupts them and Vicki says she was trying to persuade Burke to restore the West Wing but it's hopeless. Barnabas asks if she's referring to Burke or the West Wing, and Burke replies both. Burke excuses himself to makes some calls.

Barnabas tells Vicki he can't imagine a man who loves her refusing her anything. Julia eavesdrops on the two of them as Barnabas suggests the West Wing could be restored like he did the old house. He offers his services to help in the restoration.

Vicki is initially excited, but then says it's not what Burke wants, and therefore it's not really what she wants. She tells Barnabas that Burke has shown her that the past is not as important as the future.

Burke is on the phone in the drawing room when Julia walks in. She asks him if he thinks it's wise to leave town at a time like this. Burke asks what she means. She explains that Vicki is upset about David, as well as the death of Dr. Woodard. Vicki walks in, and Julia apologizes for being worried about Vicki. Vicki asks if Julia would like to join her and Burke at the funeral. They didn't want her to go alone. Suddenly upset, she says she'll have to let them know and excuses herself.

Julia steps out into the garden. The ghost of Woodard appears behind her. It reaches out for her but disappears before she turns around. She screams and Burke and Vicki run outside. She tells them that no one was there.

Back in her lab, Barnabas joins her to get the treatment. She asks him not to make her go through with it. She warns him, and he says he has no reason to fear her. He says after the way one murder affected her, she couldn't be responsible for another. He talks about being human again, so he can pursue his love. She asks him what if he didn't need to change; if he found someone to accept and love him as he is. He says he couldn't accept himself, and tells her to begin the treatment.

Our thoughts
                                                                
John: It would have been great if they just kept extending the folks eavesdropping on conversations.  Why not have Mrs. Johnson and David in on it, too?

Christine: I expected Burke to double back so he could also listen in on Barnabas and Vicki.

John: What the hell was Julia doing, washing up with water from a fountain? If they timed it differently, I would have blamed any hallucinations she had on exposure to that.

Christine: What was she doing suggesting someone could love Barnabas for who he is? Assuming she's referring to herself, does she love him for his bloodsucking lifestyle, his tendency to bluster and threaten people, his obsessive desire to make over young girls into his long lost paramour, or for the way he coerced her into helping him kill her colleague? Even though he responds by playing dumb, he knows as well as we do that Julia's got the hots for him.

John: We get our first Ghost Woodard sighting, looking appropriately zombie like, for an all-too brief visit. Let's hope that's not the last we'll see of him.

Christine: How could you tell that was Woodard? It was actually Peter Murphy, who first appeared as the new Caretaker in Episode 337, showed up as a Blue Whale customer in Episode 341, and will have a variety of mostly uncredited parts in the 15 episodes he will appear on the series.

Fun with chemistry!

Dark Shadows Episode 342 - 10/17/67

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Sam returns home, upset. Maggie tries to figure out what's bothering him, and he tells her Dr. Woodard is dead. He said that he and the sheriff found him. She asks if he was murdered, and Sam says they don't know. She says maybe he died of natural causes. Sam says it's too coincidental. He had contacted the sheriff to meet, and he was too busy to talk to him. Maggie thinks it's about her, and that Willie wasn't the one who abducted her and Woodard found out. She hears something outside, and Sam says it's the deputies. She realizes that means they also think she may still be in danger. Sam remembers there was a red notebook on the desk when he visited Dave earlier. He says he's going to go back to the office with the sheriff to look for the book. He remembers it was gone when they found his body.

Sam tells the sheriff that the missing book is the motive for Dave's murder. They hear someone approaching and the sheriff draws his gun. Burke walks in, and the sheriff asks what he's doing. He said the sheriff's office said he'd be there. Burke asks what they suspect, and Sam says it was murder. He says Dave made an appointment to meet with the sheriff and never showed up. Sam asks if Burke ever saw a red notebook. He says no, but he asks if they think it was something supernatural, as Dave felt there was something supernatural about Maggie's disappearance. The sheriff says Dave was a man of science. Outside, a bat flaps in the window.

Burke tells Vicki he has some bad news. She says she already knows. He's got to go on a business trip. He confirms that he does have a business trip, but he was going to tell her that Dave Woodard died. Julia walks in and asks who died. Vicki tells her that Dr. Woodard is dead. She asks how, and Burke says it looks like he had a heart attack. She says he was always very active, and that she told him so. She asks Burke if she's sure it was a heart attack.

He says he knows what she's thinking, and he too thinks Woodard was murdered. Julia says no. Burke asks if either of them saw a red leather notebook. He says he was seen with it before he died, but it wasn't with him when they found his body. Julia is distraught. Vicki suggests that she should let her feelings out. She tells Julia that she hopes it wasn't murder, because she could never forgive someone for that.

Back at the Evans' house, Maggie tells her father that she knows her case wasn't solved. Dr. Woodard knew, and that's why he's dead. The phone rings and Sam answers. He tells Maggie that it was a heart attack. Maggie says if he died of natural causes, then she'll be safe. Sam doesn't appear to be convinced.

Our thoughts
                                                                
John: It's almost like Maggie has spent the time between her episode to read the scripts. She knows exactly what's going on. And yet now, of all times, Sam is completely comfortable leaving her alone.

Christine: What was up with Sheriff Patterson holding a gun on Burke?

John: Sam does more scenery-chewing today than he's done in the past few hundred episodes. And he didn't take a single drink!

Christine: How can you be sure? He may have been drinking off camera while Julia was emoting.

John: Julia lays it on pretty thick, too, as she either feels the guilt of murdering Woodard, or just wants it to look like she's very upset by the news.

Christine: She may be sincerely distraught, but it's her guilt that's causing her to overact.

Dark Shadows Episode 338 - 10/11/67

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Barnabas tells Woodard he's fed up with being investigated. Woodard tells him that he saw Barnabas' sister Sarah tonight. Barnabas says he doesn't have a sister. Woodard says perhaps she said ancestor. Barnabas asks him to leave.

As Woodard leaves, he runs into Julia. She asks what brought him there, and he tells her idle curiosity. He tells her that Barnabas seems to know what's going on, and she excuses herself to go into the house.

Woodard peers in the window, eavesdropping. Inside, Barnabas tells her that Woodard is close to knowing the truth about him. Julia says he may have vague suspicions, but he can't have any proof. He asks Julia what he knows. She says nothing. Barnabas points out that he knows she's a doctor, so he can assume there's something medically interesting about Barnabas. He tells her to destroy any notes she has about him. She says they're locked in the strong box in her room, and that he'd never know to look for them there. She tells Barnabas she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his existence. Barnabas then says Woodard claimed he saw his sister Sarah. He tells her that he denied having a sister. Outside, Woodard hears Barnabas confirm that Sarah is his sister.

Burke arrives at Collinwood to see Vicki. He says he has to leave town for a couple of weeks on business. He's going to South America. He pleads with her to set a wedding date, and Vicki says she can't commit to him until she knows David will be okay. Liz walks in on them. She offers them to live in the closed off West Wing of Collinwood. She tells them to consider it, and leaves them to talk. Vicki tells him she would have said yes right away. Burke isn't so quick to accept the offer.

Barnabas tells Julia they cannot underestimate Woodard. He tells her to ask Woodard what he knows.

Woodard says he's glad Julia stopped by to see him. She asks him why he thinks Sarah is a ghost related to Barnabas Collins. He tells her he's forgotten about Sarah. He wants to know about her interest in Barnabas. He pulls out a list of medical supplies she ordered, and asked her what she's been doing at the old house. She tells him that she's emotionally involved with Barnabas. Woodard ask how he thinks of her, and she says as a woman. He brings the list up, and asks why else he's interested in her. She tells him it would be best if he stopped asking questions.

Our thoughts

John: Well, Dr. Woodard survived today's episode, but considering the fact that he heard Barnabas' conversation with Julia, I give him two days to live.

Christine: It was rather surprising, since we learned from the opening narration that a man would die before the break of dawn, so I guess this night will last for a few more episodes, if your prediction is correct.

John: How can Vicki not understand why Burke would be uncomfortable living in Collinwood?

Christine: Imagine how uncomfortable Roger will be with it. I wonder what 'business' Burke has in South America. I suspect he may be the head of a crime syndicate. When she asked him why he was going, I thought he might tell her, "Don't ask me about my business, Vicki."

John: It's a little late to play the 'I'm in love with Barnabas' game now that Woodard has the list of medical supplies she ordered. And yet he doesn't call her bluff.

Christine: I don't think she's bluffing. She says she doesn't think of herself as a doctor when she's with him, and that Barnabas thinks of her as a woman, too.

Barnabas: "Now, stop thinking like a woman and start thinking like a doctor."

Barnabas: You said earlier that Dr. Woodard was the most brilliant student in your class at medical school. You were being generous. Actually, I think he was the second most brilliant student.

Julia: Well, they didn't take me as seriously as they should have because I'm a woman. 

Barnabas: My dear, that can be a mixed blessing, can't it?

Dark Shadows Episode 336 - 10/9/67

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Woodard returns to the mausoleum at Eagle Hill cemetery. Inside, he brings Sarah's flute. He thinks out loud that there could be a secret room to hide a terrible secret. He reaches up to try the ring in the lion's mouth when he turns to see Sarah in the mausoleum with him. He asks her to tell him some of the things she knows. He says David needs help. She says he was afraid like Maggie. She asks him if he knows what they were both afraid of, and he tells her that he hopes she'll tell him.

She says that she shouldn't, because people don't keep secrets any more. She notices that he has her flute. He tells her that people think David is lying about her. He asks if she wants to see David locked up. She says no. He says if she tells him what he wants to know, he'll ensure David is around to play with her. She shows him the secret room in the mausoleum. Woodard enters the secret room and sees the coffin. He opens it to find it empty, as David described. He asks Sarah if the coffin has always empty. She says she doesn't understand him. He asks if anyone was ever buried in the coffin, and she says she can't tell him.

He finds chains on the ground and determines that someone was buried in the coffin who wasn't dead, and had to be chained inside. He looks around and finds Sarah is gone.

Burke tells Vicki about the house. She's disappointed they won't be able to buy it. Burke tells her he has to leave town for a while, but when he gets back they'll set a date for the wedding, and then find a place to live. She tells him they can get married once David is better. Burke agrees to wait.

Dr. Woodard returns to Collinwood asks Vicki to see Burke. She explains that he's gone out of town for a few days. He then asks about Julia, and Vicki tells him that she's at the old house. He asks if he can look at some of the Collins family albums. She asks what he's found, and he tells her what she doesn't know can't hurt her. He goes into the study, and Julia enters. Vicki tells her that Dr. Woodard is looking for her. She says he's in the study. Julia goes in to see him.

Woodard tells Julia that he just found out the original Barnabas Collins had a sister named Sarah. She asks why he's interested in a girl that died a hundred years ago. He explains that the Sarah David has been seeing is the ghost of Sarah Collins. She asks why he's so concerned, and he tells her that he saw Sarah and talked to her in the mausoleum. She tells him that's ridiculous. She suggests he too must be imagining things. She says they should keep Sarah in the family books, or David's mind. He points out that Sam Evans saw Sarah, too. She suggests that Sam Evans is a drunk, and not a reliable witness. He explains that he saw Sarah, spoke to her, and he's going to find out why she's back.

Our thoughts

John: I wish I could understand what rules Sarah is trying to live by, or, stay dead by. It seems that she can only tell as much as the writer's want to reveal at any given time, and not what she actually knows.

Christine: There are no rules for Sarah. It's her prerogative as a non-ghostly ghost to advance the plot how and when she sees fit.

John: Ouch! Tough break, Burke. If you can't deliver the house of Vicki's dreams, it sounds like the wedding might be off. She says it's about David, but I think we know the truth...

Christine: The fact that he didn't feel obligated to let her know where he was going to be while he was away for a few days so she could get in touch with him may be giving her a better understanding of what life with Burke may be like. She may be throwing out lots of excuses for putting him off because she doesn't want to admit that he's not quite the same exciting guy she first met.

John: Julia was enjoying the fact that David's claims had been dismissed as his imagination, not realizing how short lived that would be. One thing I don't understand is how Woodard didn't bother to mention that Sarah let him into the secret room in the mausoleum, which dismisses once and for all the notion that David was imagining everything.

Christine: She was not doing a very good job of negating his assertion that he spoke with Sarah. I was surprised she didn't whip out her trusty hypno-medallion and start working on his memory.

Dark Shadows Episode 335 - 10/6/67

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David stares into his crystal ball, trying to reach Sarah. He calls to her, and then begins to sing London Bridge. He lies down on his bed holding his crystal ball, when Sarah appears and picks it up. She says she's upset that David shared their secret. He asks if she did something to make the door stay closed, and she says no. When he asks if she know who did she tells him yes, it was somebody. He tells her that his aunt has gone to find a psychiatrist for him. Sarah tells him that she's going to leave as soon as she's got her flute back. David tells her that Dr. Woodard has it, and that it's not important considering he might be sent away. There's a knock on his door, and Sarah disappears. He opens the door and it's his aunt and a a stranger. She asks if he was talking to someone, and David says he was talking to Sarah. Liz introduces Dr. Fisher. He asks David about his crystal ball. He asks Liz to step out so that he can talk with David alone.

David tells Dr. Fisher about the dream in which he saw Barnabas in the coffin. David describes Barnabas as having fangs. The doctor assures David that no one is going to get him. He asks if David thinks about dying often, and if he's afraid of dying. He asks about Sarah, and says if she's dead, is he afraid of her. David tells him he's only afraid of Barnabas. Fisher asks David to relate the dream one more time.

Downstairs, Burke and Woodard wait for the psychiatrist to finish with David. Woodard says all the strange events surrounding Maggie and David make him think there's more going on than anything just in David's mind. Woodard reviews the facts: Maggie had a strange neck wound, and Willie had a similar wound. If he was in fact responsible for Maggie's wound, how did he get his?

The psychiatrist tells Liz that David is very disturbed. Woodard says of course he's disturbed, but how real his fear is. Fisher suggests that it could be fallout from the death of David's mother. Fisher says that the striking resemblance of Barnabas to his ancestor may have spurred a fear of death to David. He describes him rising from his coffin, fangs bared and coming for David. Dr. Woodard picks up on this and excuses himself. Fisher leaves as well, and Liz asks to speak to Burke privately.

Liz tells Burke that her lawyers says she has to abide by the deed she found. The last owner of the house, Caleb Collins, stated in his will that no strangers could own the house for 100 years. Burke asks if they could challenge it in court. Liz says that a court case could take years, and that the 100 years will be up in 5. She offers Burke the house to he and Vicki as a wedding gift, and he says they can't wait that long. She says she wasn't thinking he would wait that long to get married, just to move in to the house.

Woodard returns to the mausoleum at Eagle Hill cemetery. Inside, he brings Sarah's flute. He thinks out loud that there could be a secret room to hide a terrible secret. He reaches up to try the ring in the lion's mouth when he turns to see Sarah in the mausoleum with him.

Our thoughts

John: Has Dr. Woodard been permanently replaced? These cast replacements seem to have little to no concern about the actors even looking like the previous incarnations of the characters. Even Burke didn't recognize Dr. Woodard, calling him Dr. Hoffman.

Christine: Look how well it worked out replacing Mitch Ryan with lookalike, Anthony George. Robert Gerringer was replaced because he wouldn't cross a picket line during a strike. They may have grabbed any old Joe off the street. The Collins family finally calls in a psychiatrist for David. They didn't think he needed help for attempted patricide or for witnessing his mother's death, but claiming Barnabas is undead has them truly concerned. Dr. Fisher is the most well-spoken, intelligent doctor we've seen on the show yet. Too bad it's his only appearance. He could have really helped out at Collinwood as resident psychiatrist, making the rounds to each family member.

John: David mentioned Barnabas having fangs, and yet the V-word has yet to be uttered by anyone. But it sounds like Dr. Woodard is one step closer to finally solving that riddle.

Christine: Maybe they'll come up with some alternate "Zuvembie" type term. Perhaps Dr. Woodard will discover that Barnabas is really a Vuzempire.

John: So now that Woodard is on to Barnabas, and finally meets Sarah... I can't imagine that he's going to survive too many more episodes.

Christine: It looked like Sarah may have goosed Dr. Woodard the way his hand flew away from the ring in the mausoleum.

Dark Shadows Episode 334 - 10/5/67

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David asks Vicki what's taking Burke and Dr. Woodard so long. He's sure they'll find the coffin in the basement of the old house.

Outside the front of the main house, Burke tells Woodard that even though they didn't find anything in the basement, he doesn't like Barnabas. Woodard says they need to be careful how they break the news to David. Roger lets them in. Woodard tells him that Barnabas wasn't willing or eager to show them the basement, but he did, and there was nothing in the basement. Roger is not at all surprised, and says that unlike his cousin Barnabas, he would not have cooperated with such a ridiculous request. Roger sends them up to tell David the news of what they found—or in this case, didn't find.

Burke and Woodard come in to David's room, and ask Vicki to step out. Woodard tells David they didn't see a coffin in the cellar. David tells them that if they don't believe in him, something terrible is going to happen to him. He says he wishes he could tell them, but he promised he wouldn't. He mentions the mausoleum where Sarah is buried. Burke says they've been to the mausoleum, and there are only three coffins there. David says there is a fourth coffin behind a wall in a secret room. The window bursts open and David hears London Bridge. He tells them Sarah is upset that he told them about the secret room. He says that when he got lost, he was stuck in the secret room with an empty coffin. He hid in the empty coffin when Barnabas and Willie came in, as he was sure they would kill him. Woodard doesn't believe David, who says he'll take them to the mausoleum. Woodard agrees, provided that Roger says it's okay. David asks if he'll be safe, if Barnabas doesn't know they're going. As they go downstairs, the window flies open again.

Woodard asks Roger if they can take David to the mausoleum at Eagle Hill cemetery. Roger forbids it. He says it's ridiculous and insulting. Woodard tells Roger it could ease David's mind. Roger agrees, and tells them that if there's nothing strange in the mausoleum, there will be no further talk about Barnabas. Vicki takes David upstairs to get a jacket. Roger confides in Dr. Woodard that he's concerned about David, and thinks it may be time to talk about psychiatric help for him. After they leave, Roger asks Vicki if she's still planning to marry Burke. She says yes, Burke wants to get married immediately, but she's committed to staying with David as long as necessary.

David, Burke and Woodard enter the mausoleum. Inside, David tells them the secret door opens when pulling the ring in the lion's mouth. Burke asks him to do it, and when he tries, he's unsuccessful. Burke then tries, and is also unable. David says that Barnabas must have come there first and done something to it. Woodard also tries, and also fails to open it. Burke tells David that he must have just imagined it. Woodard says that they're his friends, and asks David to admit there's nothing more than they see. David looks around and finds a flute on one of the coffins. David tells them that Sarah left it so they'd believe him about the secret room. Woodard believes there must be a reason why the flute is there.

Our thoughts

John: I was just wondering about the status of Burke and Vicki, and their house and the upcoming nuptials. Thanks Roger for ensuring we got some sort of update before the audience had forgotten completely about those plot threads.

Christine: I liked how Roger described growing up at Collinwood and being afraid to walk the corridors, imagining that the dead people in the portraits were staring at him with hatred. He claimed he outgrew the fear, but I'm not sure he did.

John: I think it was pretty clear that we'd get in to the mausoleum to find the secret door latch no longer worked. But wouldn't one of the two 'investigators' consider the fact of the size of the mausoleum, and the unaccounted for space on the inside, as compared to the outside? The inner room is almost as big as the outer room, so that should be fairly evident by simply walking around the perimeter of the structure.

Christine: Roger seems to believe that David's mental state is fragile and he is ready to snap. Perhaps he should have gotten him into counseling after he attempted to kill him by sabotaging his car, or after attempting to kill Vicki by locking her in a room in the closed off section of the house, or even after he almost burned to death with his mother, who he saw go up in flames. 

John: Really, Dr. Woodard? A stray flute and you're back to believing David's wild stories? I'm sure Roger will be blown away by that particular piece of evidence...

Christine: He might have considered that the Caretaker had left it there after playing melodies for the dead folks. He does like to prattle on about how he takes care of the dead, after all.