Dark Shadows Episode 780 - 6/20/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Carl looks at his watch. He says he must get out. He looks around and sees the stone which allows him to open the secret door. He rushes out of the mausoleum. Outside, he swears that they'll get cousin Barnabas tonight!

Quentin sits in the drawing room, listening to his theme. He ignores knocking at the front door. Trask enters and says he'd be better off playing hymns. Trask says he has come to see Judith. Quentin says he has a meeting at dusk, and leaves Trask with his music playing,

Outside of Collinwood, Carl realizes that he had to finish Barnabas. He enters and finds Trask. He asks where Quentin is, and Trask tells him he left. Carl asks if he can trust Trask. Trask says that trust is his business. Carl tells him that Barnabas is the vampire, and he can prove it. Trask tells him to prove it, and Carl invites him to come with him to the coffin. Carl says they must hurry, as it will be dangerous once it's dark. Trask says he has the ultimate weapon to keep them safe, and holds up his cross.

Barnabas rises from his coffin. He finds the secret door open. He hears someone enter the mausoleum. It's Quentin. Barnabas bares his fangs, and Quentin says he knows - and he understands why he's his only hope. Barnabas is surprised he's not afraid. Quentin asks if he killed Carl. He says Carl found out about Barnabas in a dream. Barnabas asks how long ago Carl escaped. Barnabas tells Quentin to go to Collinwood to find Carl. He says if it's too late, Quentin should meet him at the old house.

Carl doesn't think Trask is taking him seriously. They arrive at the mausoleum. Carl hears something, They enter, and Carl mentions the secret door. Trask says he's known about it for months, since it contained Rachel. Carl opens it, and says he won't find Rachel in there now. Trask enters, and Carl asks if he believes him now. Carl enters and sees the room is empty. Trask says that Judith has said he is particularly high strung. Trask accuses Carl of trying to make him look foolish. Carl says he has to believe him. He says that Quentin was there, too. Trask says they can ask him, but even Carl realizes that he might lie about it. Carl tells Trask that he'll find a way to prove it, and runs off. Trask thinks that Carl actually needs his help.

Carl returns to Collinwood and tries to phone for help. A bat flaps outside the drawing room window. The shutters suddenly swing open. Carl asks who's there, and the drawing room doors slam shut. He runs to the windows, which are now closed.

Barnabas' voice asks Carl who he told. Carl says he'll do whatever he wants. He promises not to tell anyone. Barnabas appears in the room, and says that Carl will tell. He approaches him and demands to know who Carl told. He grabs his throat.

Carl lies on the ground, unconscious. Barnabas kneels down beside him. Quentin enters the drawing room and sees Carl. He says he knows Barnabas had to do it. Barnabas tells him that they have to go. There's a knock at the door. Barnabas tells Quentin to answer it, and keep whoever it is out of the drawing room.

Trask enters, looking for Carl. Quentin says he's out. Trask offers to wait for him in the drawing room. Quentin tries to direct him to the study. Trask refuses, and lets himself into the drawing room. It appears to be empty. Trask tells Quentin that Carl is in a deplorable state, and he anticipates another tragedy. From behind the curtain, Carl falls down, dead. Trask accuses Quentin of knowing about this. Quentin denies it, and after checking Carl's body, says that he's dead.

Barnabas is in the old house when Trask arrives. He points out that the Reverand is out late, and Trask says that as long as it is still dark, it's not too late for Barnabas. Trask accuses Barnabas of Carl's murder. He says he knows he is a foul and evil supernatural creature. Trask pulls out his cross and tells him not to come any closer. Barnabas turns away, saying that Trask has no facts.

Trask says that Carl told him what he is, after seeing him in his coffin. Trask says he's there to get proof. Trask tells him that if he's innocent, he has nothing to fear, not even the dawn of the new day. He challenges Barnabas to stay up with him until the sun rises. He says that if Barnabas survives the dawn, he will believe he is innocent.

Our thoughts

John: I guess, since he's a natural prankster, it's not completely unreasonable for Carl to have figured out how to open the secret door. Too bad for Carl that cousin Barnabas already had plans to move the coffin that night.

Christine: He did say it was like one of his Chinese puzzles. In yesterday's episode, Carl was able to find and move the step that hides the lever to open the door from the inside, but today he nearly stumbles over the step already opened up. I assume it was deliberately left open because it seemed a stretch for Carl to have figured out that he needed to move that particular step to get out, but then it doesn't make sense that he didn't notice it right away. Also, why would it have been left open in the first place?

You can see the step already opened up as he worries about how to get out.

John: On the bright side, Carl should be reunited with his Pansy now! I honestly wasn't expecting Carl to be dispatched so readily. And for what it's worth, I can't imagine Edward or Judith will be too broken up over this latest turn of events, whenever they show back up and find out about them...

Christine: I think you are wrong about Edward and Judith. Carl may have been an annoyance, but he was a gentle soul who never harmed anyone. Barnabas is so cruel. He could have put the bite on Carl to keep him from talking instead of killing him. And Quentin showed just how dastardly he is by allowing him to do it, and then excusing him for it. Poor Carl.

John: Since Barnabas reacted to Trask's cross, I'm curious why the Reverend didn't press the issue, instead, setting up a showdown at dawn. I'm guessing Barnabas' new ally, Quentin, will save the day. That said, weren't we due another full moon this night?

Christine: Don't count Angelique out. She may be the one to ride to the rescue, despite claiming to Magda she no longer cares about him. By the way, it's funny how Barnabas never reacts to the gravestone cross situated right outside the mausoleum. It's also amusing that Trask wears a cross that hangs down to his crotch.

Dark Shadows Episode 779 - 6/19/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Barnabas tells Magda that now that Dirk is destroyed, there's no reason for anyone to suspect a vampire in Collinwood. He tells her that he'll sleep in the mausoleum tonight, and return to sleeping in the old house tomorrow.

Carl enters the Collins family mausoleum, searching for the vampire.

Barnabas approaches the mausoleum, stopping at Rachel's grave to pay his respects. Angelique appears and says it's very touching. She says she is watching over him. Barnabas says it's almost dawn, and he must go. She tells him he has very little time left in the past. She asks him to come back with him to his own time. He explains that he can't leave until he does what he came to do—save David and Chris Jennings. She begs him to trust her. She realizes that he would rather face anything alone than commit himself to her.

He leaves her to enter the mausoleum. After he does, Carl comes from behind it, and peers in as Barnabas opens the secret panel.

Inside the secret chamber, Barnabas gets into his coffin.

Carl realizes that Barnabas is the vampire.

Quentin is drinking, listening to his theme, when Magda arrives at Collinwood. He invites her into the drawing room and closes the door behind her. She realizes he's drunk, and tells him he'll come back when he's sober. He asks if there's good news, and she nods. He asks her for the cure. She tells him he has to wait until the next full moon to perform the ceremony. She tells him that she has a hand that will remove the curse from him. He asks why she's suddenly on his side, and she tells him because of how much Jenny loved him.

Carl rushes in screaming, and tells Quentin they need to talk, and Magda must leave. Before leaving, she tells Quentin that Barnabas wants to see him after dusk, Carl says they must get Edward and Judith. He says that someone else made Dirk a vampire, and he saw him. Quentin asks who he saw. Carl says there's a coffin the mausoleum, and he knows the vampire is Barnabas. Quentin laughs, and then realizes that he never sees Barnabas during the day.

Carl describes what he saw in the mausoleum. Quentin says they're going to the mausoleum together. Carl says they have to kill him, and goes to get a gun. Quentin realizes that Barnabas is his only hope.

Carl and Quentin arrive at the mausoleum, and go inside. Quentin tells Carl to open the secret door. He does, and they enter the secret chamber with the coffin. Quentin asks Carl for the gun. He willingly hands it over. Quentin opens the coffin, and they see Barnabas inside.

He closes the coffin. Carl tells him to kill him, and Quentin points the gun at him. He asks Carl if he knows how to open the door. Carl says he does not. Quentin leaves and closes the door, leaving Carl trapped in the secret room.

At the old house, Quentin demands that Magda tell him why she's helping him. He wonders how she managed to live in the house with a vampire. He says he's seen Barnabas in his coffin. He explains that he left Carl with Barnabas. She's convinced Barnabas will kill Carl when he wakes.

Carl screams for help.

Magda asks Angelique for help. Angelique is surprised. Magda points out that Angelique loves Barnabas, and says that he needs her help. She explains that Carl is with him, and when he wakes, he will kill Carl. She says that Angelique must make Carl forget what he has seen. Angelique refuses to help. She says she doesn't care about Barnabas any more.

Carl looks at his watch. He says he must get out. He looks around for a way to open the door from the inside. He gets down on his knees and moves the stone which allows him to open the secret door. He rushes out of the mausoleum. Outside, he swears that they'll get cousin Barnabas tonight!

Our thoughts

John: Isn't it strange that Barnabas would open his coffin before closing the secret door behind him? The way Carl describes what he saw sure suggests a better vantage point than standing outside the mausoleum...

Christine: I found that odd as well. I guess he was just assuming that was what Barnabas was doing in the coffin room.

John: It was looking like Magda might spill the beans about Quentin Jr., but not today. Now I'm beginning to doubt that we'll ever see those kids.

Christine: It will be interesting to see if Quentin ever finds out about his offspring, and also how Quentin Jr. ends up buried in the woods.

John: Wouldn't Quentin have been smarter to go to the mausoleum alone? He could have helped Barnabas relocate, and then just told Carl that he was imagining things.

Christine: At that point, nobody would have been able to convince Carl that he imagined seeing Barnabas enter the secret room. Carl has to be silenced one way or another to protect Barnabas' secret. Funny how he was intent on getting Barnabas, but had no ire for his brother Quentin for locking him in the mausoleum with a vampire. Incidentally, does anyone believe Angelique truly doesn't care about Barnabas anymore?

Dark Shadows Episode 778 - 6/18/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

In the cemetery near Rachel's grave, Carl hears Pansy singing. He tells her to come out. He's concerned she might be afraid to come out in the cemetery surrounded by the dead. He then comes to the realization that she may be dead, too.

Judith tells Barnabas what happened to Rachel. He says she should have gone anywhere in the world other than Collinwood. He asks Judith why they destroy the ones they love. Judith says it was a tragic accident, and Barnabas counters that it was no accident. Carl rushes in and tells Judith that Pansy is dead. She asks where he found her, and he explains that he heard her voice in the graveyard, and he's sure that she's dead. Judith tells him that she doesn't want to hear anything else about Pansy.  Carl tells her that Pansy met with foul play.

Judith escorts Barnabas out, and apologizes for his missing the service. She goes back into the drawing room. Carl points out that Barnabas couldn't get away fast enough. He reiterates that he heard Pansy's voice from beyond the grave. Judith suggests Pansy skipped town as soon as she realized there was nothing to gain. Carl says that Barnabas is his number one suspect. Judith threatens to send Carl away.

Back at the old house, Barnabas mopes. Magda shows up, and he tells her about Rachel's accident. He says he knows who killed her, and says he's just as much to blame as anyone. He says he failed her in the same way he has failed every woman he loved. Magda says she located the daughter of the old gypsy, and she too was dead. But the man she spoke to knew a way to end the curse. She shows him a box, and says the end of Quentin's curse is in the box. He tells her to spare him the gypsy nonsense, and asks her to show her what's in the box. She opens it and shows him a severed hand wearing a ring.

She explains that it's not an ordinary hand. She says during Quentin's next transformation, they will lay the hand on his heart and he will be cured. Magda takes the hand out and fondles it. She says an incantation, and then tells Barnabas that it's done. Barnabas doubts that the gross thing will help them at all.

He suggests that she talked to her gypsy 'king' and they made up a story. Magda screams and says the hand moved. She tells him that he'll see the hand will work. She admits that she lied to Barnabas when she said that King Johnny gave her the hand, and tells him she had to steal it, and has to return it when they're through.

Carl sleeps and dreams of Pansy. She tells him it's her farewell performance, and that she's going away. Carl begs her to stay with him, but she says the show must go on.

She goes onstage. Carl is in the audience with Barnabas and Judith. Pansy asks for a volunteer  to join her onstage. Barnabas refuses, but Judith agrees. Pansy asks her to concentrate on the question, and Judith says she doesn't know the question. Carl jumps up and says the question is who in Collinwood is the vampire.

Pansy tells Judith that the vampire is not dead. She screams and runs away. Carl joins her on stage. He asks her who the vampire is. She says she'll put a picture of the vampire's hiding place in Carl's mind. He imagines the Collinwood mausoleum. She calls for her music, and resumes singing. Carl wakes with a start, thinking of the mausoleum.

Barnabas tells Magda that now that Dirk is destroyed, there's no reason for anyone to suspect a vampire in Collinwood. He tells her he'll sleep in the mausoleum tonight, and return to sleeping in the old house tomorrow.

Carl makes his way to the mausoleum. He opens the door and enters.

Our thoughts

John: Nicely preserved hand that Magda brought back with her from Boston. I think a monkey's paw would have been even more appropriate.

Christine: I especially love the bones sticking out of it. We've come a long way from mannequin hands.

Episode 376

John:Wouldn't it have been easier for dream-Pansy to just point at Barnabas in the audience and tell Carl, "there's your vampire"?

Christine: Of course that would have been easier, but then it wouldn't be a Dark Shadows dream. They went to a lot of effort in this dream sequence, creating a flashy sign for Pansy's performance.

John: I'm not too worried about Carl finding Barnabas' resting place. He's not particularly threatening. Of course, it would serve Barnabas right for being so cocky.

Christine: Poor Carl. He may find it with Pansy's ghostly help, but who will believe him when he tries to tell them about it?

Carl's unusual bedside lamp.