Dark Shadows Episode 262 - 6/27/67

Liz finds Vicki in the drawing room, distraught. She says Joe called, and said they found Maggie, and that she's dead. Maggie mentions how Maggie was her first friend. She's disappointed there won't be a service. Vicki asks Liz what she wanted when she entered. Liz says she needs a legal witness to her marriage. Vicki asks if Roger would be the logical choice, and Liz says she doesn't have the courage to ask her. Vicki said she wasn't planning to be there. She didn't want to have to stand by knowing that Jason was blackmailing her. Vicki asks if having Carolyn hate her is the predestined outcome, isn't hating her for the truth better?

Vicki asks Carolyn to talk to her before she goes out with Buzz.

She gets defensive until Vicki tells her that Maggie is dead. Carolyn asks Vicki if she and Maggie were good friends, and tells her how sorry she is. Vicki asks Carolyn if she can call off upsetting her mother for one night. Vicki tells Carolyn that she doesn't know what she's doing, and Carolyn corrects her. Vicki says that while she might know what she's doing, she doesn't know what her mother's doing. Vicki suggests that Jason may be forcing her mother, and goes so far as to bring up Carolyn's father before stopping. Carolyn asks if she knows something that she doesn't, and Vicki tells her she doesn't.

We see the waves crashing on the rocks, and then Vicki walks along the beach with Burke Devlin. He tells her she doesn't have to talk about Maggie if she doesn't want to. Burke says that what happened to Maggie matters, considering the person who killed her is still out there. Vicki reluctantly agrees that he should be caught, but also says that she doesn't care. Burke asks if there's any way to stop Liz from marrying Jason, or Carolyn from marrying Buzz. Vicki says there's not.

Liz hears Buzz' motorcycle. They come in and argue about their plans for the evening. Carolyn decided she wanted to stay home. Liz says she'll leave them alone to go to the study. Vicki arrives home and Liz asks her to meet her in the study. Buzz and Carolyn continue to argue, but she sends him away for the night. He leaves and storms off on his motorcycle. Carolyn says she saw Joe walking down the road, and it made her feel bad. She runs upstairs, leaving Vicki with her mother. Vicki pleads with Liz to tell Carolyn the truth. She says this could be her last chance. Liz tells Vicki she'll ask Roger to be her witness. Vicki tells her that's not necessary, as she'll proudly stand by as witness.

Our thoughts

John: No! Say it ain't so! Mitch Ryan, who has been Burke Devlin since episode 1 (which aired exactly one year before this episode, no less), has been replaced! Not the way I was hoping to celebrate Dark Shadows' 1st anniversary. Perhaps Anthony George will grow on me over time, but for now, I tip my hat to the original Burke Devlin.

Christine: He will be missed dearly. They did manage to find someone else who looks like Dick Tracy, and eventually he'll be accepted as Burke Devlin, but there's no way he'll ever truly fill those shoes crafted by Mitchell Ryan.

John: Ah, yes. Maggie was Vicki's first friend. So warm and friendly. I guess Vicki forgot that Maggie called her a dope that day she arrived in Collinsport.

Christine: She actually called her a jerk, which makes me a jerk for pointing it out. Warm and friendly were not the words to describe the original incarnation of Maggie Evans.

John: Vicki seems awfully cool with the fact that Liz is a murderer. Perhaps if she knew the full circumstances, a case could be made for that. The fact that she just knows that her employer MURDERED someone—her husband, no less—and that doesn't seem to trouble her in the least. And shouldn't she consider that the fact that Jason is holding this over Liz could mean that he was involved, in which case there might be another murderer in the house that she doesn't have such a strong bond with?

Christine: Apparently her overwhelming faith in Liz is what allows her to believe that it must have been a justifiable homicide, without any evidence to support that belief. It's definitely a stretch. Vicki is understandably depressed and confused. In addition to keeping secret that Liz murdered Paul Stoddard, she's agreed to act as witness at her wedding, which will cause all sorts of problems for her with the other inhabitants at Collinwood, not to mention the ethical challenges it poses for her. As if that weren't enough, her best friend is dead, her other friend is being self destructive and hostile, and her boyfriend has radically changed his appearance and mannerisms. It's no wonder she's making no sense and says she doesn't care. She's headed for a breakdown.

Fond remembrances of Mitchell Ryan as Burke Devlin.

 

Dark Shadows Episode 257 - 6/20/67

Buzz comes by to see Carolyn, and Liz makes him wait outside. She tells her mother that not only is Buzz her fiancé, he's going to be her son in law.  Carolyn brings him inside and tells him to wait while she talks to her mother.

Liz tells Carolyn that despite her charade, she's still going to marry Jason. She tells Carolyn that she knows she's too smart to marry Buzz. She says she'll work to have the marriage annulled if they go through with it. Carolyn tells her not to worry about her problems when she has problems of her own. Carolyn tells her mother that she and Buzz won't have children, to ensure she won't cop out on the child like her mother is. Carolyn suggests a double wedding, making Liz extremely uncomfortable. She asks if she doesn't marry Jason, will it put an end to Carolyn's idiocy. Carolyn tells her to try her.

Jason runs into Buzz sitting on the stairway smoking. He asks Buzz to make space for him to pass, and after a brief tête-à-tête, he makes way.

In the drawing room, Liz tells Jason that Carolyn isn't bluffing, and that she was only agreeing to marry him to prevent Carolyn's life being ruined by finding out the truth about her father. She says if her life will be ruined if she marries him, it's no different. Jason tells her she needs to call Carolyn's bluff. He offers to give Carolyn some fatherly advice.

Upstairs, Carolyn fixes her hair when Jason enters her room. He offers her fatherly advice, and she scolds him for using the term with her. He tells her she's acting like her father. He tells her she shouldn't prejudge him and she says he makes her sick. He tells her that no matter what she does, he's marrying her mother.

Liz is pacing in the drawing room when Jason returns. He tells her things went nicely with Carolyn. She asks if he talked her out of marrying Buzz. He tells her it will take time, and that he's handling the situation. He says he'll chat with Buzz next. She tells him that if he doesn't clear it up, he'll be in as much trouble as she is.

Carolyn and Buzz dance at The Blue Whale, where they have the bar almost to themselves. Buzz suggests going to Logansport. Carolyn goes to powder her nose when Jason McGuire arrives.

He sits down with Buzz, and asks how long he's known her. Buzz says they've known each other a couple of years, but they hadn't gone out until recently. Jason asks him if he finds that odd, and Buzz says he thinks she always liked him. Jason explains that she's using Buzz to get her mother to break up with him. Buzz says he knows, and isn't worried about it. Jason tells him not to take her marriage talk seriously. He suggests that Buzz should go out with her a few more times, and then break it off with her. Buzz asks just how much it would be appreciated. Jason says if he spent more time with his friends than Carolyn, he could afford a new motorcycle. Buzz tells him he likes the bike he's got, and the chick he's got. Carolyn returns, and Buzz tells her that he could get a new bike by breaking up with her, but he's not going to. She laughs at Jason's failed attempt to buy Buzz off. Buzz tells her they should go to Logansport before he offers him a sidecar, too.

Our thoughts

John: Replace the leather jacket with a plaid shirt, and Buzz could almost pass for a young George Lucas.

Christine: Almost. I'm surprised that Liz treated Buzz so rudely. She should have known it would only provoke her rebellious daughter. Also, it wasn't very gracious, which is unlike her. I hope she decides to be a "good girl" so she can take him up on his offer for a ride on his bike.

Just the thing Liz needs.

John: Liz once again remembers that Jason too has a bluff to be called. If she'd only use that leverage, I think we might see the last of Jason McGuire.

Christine: Carolyn just might drive her to it. 

John: Turns out Buzz wasn't quite the easy sell Jason was anticipating. Oddly enough, Buzz is starting to grow on me.

Christine: I enjoyed his power struggle with Jason on the stairway. Jason may have won that round, but Buzz triumphed in the end. Buzz truly is the perfect guy for Carolyn. He doesn't care that she's using him, he doesn't mind waiting around for her while she powders her nose, and he does whatever she wants to do. She's never looked happier.

She never looked like this with Joe.

Bartender Bob Rooney shakes his head at the crazy kids.

Carolyn: "How does the powder on my nose look?"
Buzz: "Who looks at your nose?"

Interested parties will note that the portrait of Isaac Collins is no longer hanging in the study and has once again been relocated to his original site. No doubt Isaac is displeased with current events at Collinwood.

Dark Shadows Episode 254 - 6/15/67

Carolyn argues with her mother about her current squeeze. Liz says she thinks Buzz should make her flesh crawl, and Carolyn says in no uncertain terms that there's someone else who does that, as her mother knows all too well. Against her mother's wishes, Carolyn leaves.

Liz asks for Vicki's help to control Carolyn. Liz says the only way to stop her would be to call off her engagement to Jason. She says Carolyn is being completely selfish and stupid, and then she takes it back. Vicki says that they all think she's planning to marry Jason against her will. They agree not to talk about it any more, and Vicki leaves Liz and goes to check on David.

Jason and Willie arrive at The Blue Whale. Willie doesn't want to be there, and refuses to accept Jason's drink. Jason describes finding Willie in a bank, and wants to know what he was doing. Willie describes helping Barnabas selling off some jewelry. Jason doesn't believe him, but proceeds to tell Willie of his plans to marry Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. Willie doesn't think she'll marry Jason. Jason says he's wrong, and pushes Willie to get a piece of the action from the jewelry he's selling.

Carolyn and Buzz arrive at The Blue Whale. When she sees Jason and Willie, she says they make her sick to her stomach. Jason explains that they're leaving. They have words, and then she and Buzz find a table. Carolyn dances while Buzz sits at the table. They decide to leave, and bump in to Joe Haskell as he's arriving.

Carolyn sends Buzz outside, and she asks Joe about Maggie. He tells her he doesn't want to talk about it. They get into an argument about Buzz, who Joe says looks about as fun as a bag full of spiders. He changes the conversation to ask about her mother, and they argue about whether she's a spoiled brat. Buzz comes back in and he and Carolyn leave.

Jason talks to Liz about wedding plans, suggesting that the pick a date two weeks out. Carolyn and Buzz stumble in, and Jason tells her he and her mother are getting married in two weeks. Carolyn turns to Buzz and suggests that they get married on the same day. Liz tells her to be serious, but Carolyn pushes the idea on Buzz.

Our thoughts

John: The way he wanders around with his dark glasses, I was starting to wonder if Buzz was blind.

Christine: His future's so bright he has to wear shades. He's right about the Blue Whale being a sewer, though I wonder where he can find treetops to "swing on" in Collinsport.

Evidence that they found treetops to swing on.

John: Carolyn's dance moves were pretty uninspired today. They were playing familiar tunes in The Blue Whale, so perhaps she was too distraught by her interactions with Joe.

Christine: I think that's her drunk shuffle. She hasn't had quite enough booze yet to execute the blotto blitz moves we saw in Episode 252. Check out the patrons in the background in the image above. They appear to be mesmerized by her dancing.

John: So Carolyn turns the table on her mother. Maybe we can plan for a double wedding! Or invite Barnabas and Maggie and make it a triple wedding!

Christine: Buzz didn't actually agree to marry her, but he didn't protest either. A double wedding would be awesome! I envision the banister decorated with ribbons and flowers as Buzz and Carolyn ride his bike up and down the stairs.

Buzz reacts to Carolyn's proposal.

It's going to be one big happy family.

Buzz: "Save it, baby! Blow it all down, there's nothing left for nobody else!"
Carolyn: "For someone stupid, you're pretty smart."

Dark Shadows Episode 252 - 6/13/67

Carolyn walks in on her mother having a phone conversation regarding her divorce from Paul. She is trying to push it through immediately. Carolyn tells her mother that she's the picture of the impatient bride. Liz tells her to stop being facetious. She says she can't believe that she would marry Jason. Liz says that she is going to marry Jason McGuire, and there's nothing that she or anyone else can do about it. Carolyn says she just wants to help her. She says she doesn't have a problem with her getting married—she has a problem with her marrying Jason McGuire. Carolyn suggests that she's not doing so of her own free will.  Liz mentions that she also thought there were secrets in the basement, and she has proven that not to be true. Liz asks why Carolyn hates Jason. Carolyn says he lies and is deceitful. She asks her mother if she loves him. Under pressure, Liz tells Carolyn that yes, she loves Jason, and that maybe Carolyn should do something with her own life. Carolyn says she will, and storms out.

Roger and Vicki are reviewing David's schoolwork when Carolyn bursts in. She says she had a confusing chat with the bride to be. She says that her mother insists that she wants to get married to Jason. Vicki says that perhaps her mother is infatuated with Jason. Roger says that regardless of what they all think, his sister has the right to make her own bad decisions. Carolyn picks up the phone and calls 'Buzz'. She mentions having seen him on his motorcycle, and then asks him if the gas tank is full.

At The Blue Whale, Joe tells Vicki how he saw Carolyn on the back of a motorcycle with a bunch of losers. She tells him Carolyn is lashing out against her mother. Joe asks if what he's heard about Liz marrying Jason is true. Vicki explains that it is. A roar of motorcycles outside signal the arrival of Carolyn and Buzz. Carolyn is drunk, Vicki and Joe are dismayed by what they see. Carolyn sees them and drags Buzz over to meet them.

Carolyn talks about the great time they've been having. Carolyn asks Vicki to go for a ride on Buzz's motorcycle, but she declines. Buzz encourages her, and Joe interjects, saying she prefers the safety of the chair. Carolyn and Buzz start making out in front of them.

Back at Collinwood, Buzz pulls up and tells Carolyn to get off the bike.

She starts kissing him and he pushes her away, telling her the world isn't coming to an end. She invites him inside, and he says it's not for him. She convinces him to come in, and he's excited by the stairs. He talks about zooming his bike upstairs, and Carolyn gets excited by the concept. She tries to convince him to do it but he refuses.

"Cool it!" -Buzz

She then offers him a drink, and turns on the radio. He asks for a beer, but she hands him a cocktail instead. They start dancing around the drawing room.

Liz comes down and says it's three o'clock in the morning, and Carolyn is drunk.

Carolyn introduces her to Buzz, who calls her mommy.

Carolyn introduces her mother as Mrs. McGuire, and she goes upstairs without saying anything. Carolyn yells at her that if she's fallen in love, then so has she, and she grabs and kisses Buzz.

Our thoughts

John: How predictable for Carolyn to run out and find a bad boy, strictly for the purpose of showing up her mother. Suddenly Burke Devlin looks like a real catch.

Christine: Predictable, yet entertaining. She attacked Buzz more violently than we've seen Barnabas attack Maggie. Is this the first time she's worn pants on the show? Do you think Buzz is his real name or a nickname for his state of mind?

John: Whatever happened to the curfew in Collinsport?

Christine: Whatever happened to the drinking age? 

John: Every now and then we get an episode that reminds us that it's 1967. I don't know how long this Buzz/Carolyn romance will last, but if it's more than a few weeks, I hope Buzz will be developed beyond the leather jacket and motorcycle... though he's still arguably a nicer guy than Jason McGuire.

Christine: He's certainly more pleasant than Jason, despite the fact that he's tooling around with Carolyn on his bike while they're both loaded. Let's hope she doesn't hear anything about tuning in, turning on, and dropping out, or Miss Carolyn will be packing her bags for San Francisco with flowers in her hair. Part of the allure of Dark Shadows is that, for the most part, it does not incorporate contemporary culture into its storylines. We might otherwise wonder how Burke and Joe have avoided the draft, or why the Collins family does not own a TV. At any rate, the addition of Buzz means we're all in for "a gas."

Carolyn: "To more horsepower."
Buzz: "To louder exhaust."

Buzz is a fun loving guy.