Dark Shadows Episode 1245 4/2/71 - The Finale!

You can stream today's episode free on TubiTV 

Morgan goes to the room and unlocks the door. He steps inside holding a gun. The ghost of Brutus appears and says he shall not have them, they are his! 

In the secret room, next to the corpses, Bramwell tells Catherine that it's almost dawn. They embrace. He asks if they ended it. She says Brutus will try something else. Bramwell says that they have defeated him repeatedly, and can do so again. He asks if after this night, she has any doubt that they were meant to be together. He says he has money now, and they will leave Collinwood. 

Brutus appears before them, laughing about their plan, and calls to Amanda. He calls her to him. Bramwell tells him it's over. Brutus calls her and says that all he wants is Amanda's forgiveness. Catherine says yes and approaches him. She asks Brutus if he still loves her, and he says he never stopped loving her. He tells her to come to him and they will be together for all eternity. She tries to go to him, but Bramwell holds her back. Bramwell is mysteriously choked again, and Brutus laughs at him. Catherine comes out of her spell and Brutus says that he must die. They hear a rooster. Brutus tells her to come to him, and she says she ever will. She say s they will bury the bodies in holy ground, and Amanda will finally have peace. She tells him to go from this house and never return again. She says it's done. He asks if she refuses him, and when she says she will never come to him, he says she has won, and disappears.

She tells Bramwell the curse is over, and he says that it's because of their love. He says they must be meant for each other. She says she will leave with him today. She then realizes that Morgan will never let them go. They exit the secret room, and run into Morgan with his gun. He points out that Bramwell has ended the curse, and probably wants some sort of gratitude. He says he's not going to get it, or Catherine, and shoots him at point blank range. 

Catherine consoles Bramwell. She tells Morgan that if he kills Bramwell, he'll have to kill her, too. He picks her up, when Julia and Kendrick come in. Morgan threatens to shoot Catherine if they try to stop him. They run out, and Kendrick follows after them. Bramwell tells Julia that he'll be alright as she helps him out of the room. Kendrick returns and says he lost them. Bramwell tells him that they took a secret passage. Kendrick asks Julia to check on Melanie, and goes in search of Morgan. 

Flora tells Julia that she should be looking for Morgan. She says she could talk to him. Julia asks what she'd say. She says they need to check on Melanie. They go into the tower room and find her asleep. Flora wakes her. Her first words are, "Mama, did something happen to Kendrick?" Flora tells her that she's well now. She asks where Kendrick is, and they say he'll be there soon. She says she never should have married him, and they explain that Bramwell and Catherine stayed in the room, the curse is over, and so is she. She asks if they're okay, and Julia says they left the room sane. Melanie assumes Kendrick left her, and Julia offers to go get him. She asks her mother why he's not there, and she says he'll be happy to see her. She adds that her father would have loved to know that the curse was finally over. Flora says it will never be the same without Justin, without Gabriel, and with Morgan the way he is. Melanie asks her to tell her everything that has happened. 

Julia goes into the drawing room. Kendrick comes through the secret panel. Julia initially thought it was Morgan, but when she sees him, she tells Kendrick that Melanie is alright. He says he heard Catherine and Morgan, and Bramwell is upstairs searching. He goes upstairs to see Melanie.

Bramwell finds Catherine's handkerchief in the secret passages.

Melanie asks her mother if Morgan's madness is real, and not the result of the curse, and she says it is. Melanie says Catherine never intended to hurt Morgan. Kendrick comes in and hugs Melanie. He says he can't stay long. She tells him to be careful, and they kiss.

Morgan and Catherine end up on the roof of Collinwood. He says Bramwell will find them there, and calls to him. He tells Catherine to look down, and ask her to imagine falling to her death. He says her lover is coming. She screams for Bramwell not to come. When he comes out onto the roof, Morgan points out that he has come to watch Catherine die. Bramwell asks Morgan to let him take her place. Morgan says she is going to die first, and then he is going to die. Bramwell apologizes for turning Morgan into who he is now. Morgan says that this is the way it has got to be. Kendrick comes up from behind Morgan. Catherine runs free, and he Kendrick and Bramwell grapple before Morgan falls through the railing. 

Flora is despondent about Morgan. She says it's hard not to blame Catherine and Bramwell. Julia reminds her that they ended the curse. She then says they have to make arrangements for Morgan's funeral.

Melanie tells Kendrick that they can't leave yet. He assures her that Julia can take care of Flora. She agrees to leave with him. They kiss passionately.

Catherine and Bramwell also kiss passionately. He tells her that everything will be alright. She expresses guilt for being responsible for Morgan's death. He tells her that they will leave Collinwood, and they will forget everything that happened there. She says she won't forget — she says she will remember to follow her heart. They kiss again.

Flora tells Bramwell that the family has been split apart in troubled times, and suggests that perhaps now they should stay together if they possibly can. Kendrick comes in and asks if Melanie's ready. They say Harris is bringing her home from the cottage, where she was saying goodbye to Carrie. He tells Flora he appreciates her understanding when Harris and Stokes come in with an unconscious Melanie. He says that he found her lying in the woods. Stokes says she was attacked by a wild animal. They look at her neck — there are two bite marks. They all wonder what could have happened. Stokes says if he didn't know it wasn't possible, he says he'd swear there was a vampire at Collinwood!

We see Bramwell... and then transition to the repainted portrait of Barnabas Collins. Professor(?) Stokes provides a voice-over saying:

There was no vampire loose on the great estate. For the first time at Collinwood, the marks on the neck  were indeed those of an animal. Melanie soon recovered, and went to live in Boston with her beloved Kendrick. There they prospered and had three children. 

Bramwell and Catherine were soon married, and at Flora's insistence, stayed on at Collinwood, where Bramwell assumed control of the Collins' business interests. Their love became a living legend, and for as long as they lived, the Dark Shadows at Collinwood were but a memory of a distant past...

Our thoughts:  

John: You know what they say, sometimes you feel better after throwing up. I was kidding when I suggested that Bramwell and Catherine's love might end the curse. If anyone, I thought it would have been Kendrick and Melanie's love (considering they got their own little Robert Cobert love theme!). After 160 years of blustering about, it's sad to see Brutus fold his hand against this particular pair... But if you think about it, Brutus got both madness and death — in the form of Morgan Collins. So did he really lose? 

Christine: Brutus gave up too easily. It's almost as if he knew it was the last episode and that continuing the curse would be futile. 

                                                                                                                           

John: For the second time, at point-blank range, Morgan was incapable of dealing a lethal blow to Bramwell! And not only is it non-lethal, it's all but forgotten by the end of the episode!

 
Christine: I couldn't figure out why Catherine seemed to be laughing while being dragged off by Morgan. I suppose extreme stress can cause a person to laugh in inappropriate situations. Much like having the giggles during a funeral. 

 

John: I love how they wanted viewers to think that Melanie might be dead in bed this morning.

 

Christine: I love how Kendrick was flossing with Melanie's hair and then smooched it to try and be subtle about pulling it out of his mouth.

 

John: Back to the rooftop precipice from episode 1191, where Daniel made Gabriel (NOT of parallel time) fall to his death! I was kinda hoping Justin might appear to make it more like the last time... 

 

Christine: That was a very satisfying scene. Morgan's fall seemed entirely natural and Kendrick almost going over the edge with him lent some realism to the event. 

John: We can't bring Quentin back for one episode, but we can have Harris the servant show up for the first time ever? Come on!

 

Christine: Quentin was out because of appendicitis and was unable to return. Harris the servant was played by show writer, Gordon Russell, which seemed entirely appropriate. 

 

John: Well, that was something of a surprise to end on. I have to admit, I'm of mixed emotions. I love the fact that it basically ended with Melanie brought in with a vampire bite! And while I welcomed a denouement, they didn't need to so solidly deny the possibility of there being a vampire in parallel time. Worse yet, we are provided with summations on these, to be frank, throwaway parallel time characters. How nice it would have been for them to bring us back to 1971 one last time, and tells us what happened to the characters we actually cared about; those we came to know and love (and hate) over the past five years. 

 

Christine: It is disappointing that the principal characters were left mostly dead with an unresolved storyline, but to try and touch base with them in this final episode would have felt too rushed and may have done a disservice. While it is a little sickening that Catherine and Bramwell's love was legendary and banished the "dark shadows" from Collinwood, in a way it provides some resolution to Barnabas and Angelique's story. The nice thing is, we can go back and revisit those characters we knew from the beginning. I'm ready to start over again with the beginning episodes. How about you? 

 

THAT'S IT! IT'S ALL OVER! OR IS IT???

We've concluded our five year mission, but you haven't heard the last of us...

Dark Shadows Episode 1244 4/1/71

You can stream today's episode free on TubiTV 

Morgan and Catherine go to the locked room. He gets the key. She thanks him, and he tells her not to. She says he won't regret it, and he replies that he's sure he won't. He opens the door, pushes her in, and locks it behind her. He says that now she and Bramwell are together, and he hopes that they rot together like James Forsythe and Amanda. She says he tricked her, and he admits that he did. She tells him that she would rather die with Bramwell than live with him one more day. He tells her that she'll get her wish, and says goodbye before walking away. 

Bramwell comes out of the secret room and is shocked to see Catherine. She runs to him and they embrace. He asks how she got in the room. She says Morgan tricked her into thinking he was going to let him out. They kiss, and he says they've got to find a way to get her out.

Kendrick comes downstairs and sits in the drawing room next to Julia. He says there's no change in Melanie. Julia says if there is a change, it won't be until tomorrow morning. He says he wanted to fight this thing, and now someone else is doing it for him. She tells Kendrick the curse has been going on for 160 years, and it will never end. She says she wishes she knew how to kill the ghost of Brutus Collins. Kendrick asks her if they get Carrie to hold a seance to call upon Brutus. 

Morgan comes in and says the curse is stronger than all of them put together. He and Kendrick argue until Julia interrupts them and asks about Catherine. He says they talked, and he assumes she's fine. Julia asks what he means, and he says that Catherine has left Collinwood forever. Julia asks him what he means. He says that they talked, and they each made their decision. Julia asks if she left without saying goodbye. Morgan seems surprised that she didn't say goodbye. Julia asks to speak to them alone, but Kendrick points out that he's a member of the family, and he would like to stay. Julia explains that it's important that she talk to Morgan alone. Kendrick agrees, and leaves. 

Julia asks Morgan if Catherine is going to have Bramwell's child, and then says he doesn't need to answer. She tells him she's terribly sorry. She asks how he found out. He describes following her when she met Bramwell in the gazebo. They talked about their child. He says he knew what he had to do. He says he wanted his revenge in the form of poetic justice. Julia says that's the way the curse started — when Brutus locked the wife of a Collins lover... she then realizes that he lied when he said Catherine was gone. She accuses him of doing what Brutus did, locking her in the room with Bramwell. 

Bramwell says he's going to try to break down the door. He says their child must live. He sits her down and throws a chair at the door.  The chandeliers start to rattle. He runs to Catherine, and she asks why he keeps calling her that name, adding that her name is Amanda. She stands up. Bramwell tells her to fight it. She says there's only one way for them to have peace. He tells her not to believe it. She says he must kill her, and then kill himself. And if he won't, she will. She grabs a knife. He  points out that it wasn't there before. He grabs the knife and tells her that she is not Amanda, she is Catherine. She snaps out of it, and he calls out to Brutus that she is his, and he will not take her from him. 

Morgan says he doesn't see the difference it makes in where Catherine has gone. Julia reminds her that he loved Catherine once. She begs him for the key. He says he does not have it, and if he did, he wouldn't give it to her. He says he's going for a stroll and bids her goodnight. After he leaves, Kendrick comes in and asks her what's wrong. She tells him that Morgan has locked Catherine in the room and tells him to come with her. 

Bramwell tells Catherine that she's not Amanda. She says she knows. He tells her not to let her guard down. She says she didn't feel anything but drowsy. He says that no matter what happens, they must remain Catherine and Bramwell. The chandeliers shake again, and he says Brutus is with them. He calls for Brutus to show himself and fight him. Bramwell grabs his throat and says that he's choking him, and that he can't breathe. Catherine tells Bramwell to fight him. Bramwell continues to choke himself until he stops, and says that he failed to follow his own advice. He says that Brutus will try once more before the night is over. 

Julia and Kendrick search Morgan's room for the key. Morgan appears and is offended that they searched his room. He tells them to get out. Julia says that her suspicions are justified. She says Catherine wouldn't leave without her clothing and jewelry. She says he locked her in the room and he lets out a maniacal laugh. He admits that he locked her in the room with her lover, and thinks they might stay there beyond the morning. Julia says it must be opened in the morning. Morgan says there are no more rules; he has taken over as master of Collinwood. Julia tells him that he's lost his mind. He tells her that he has regained his senses. He says that he has sympathy for Brutus; but he got his revenge, and now he's getting his, again laughing maniacally.

Kendrick and Julia are in the drawing room when he tells her there's just 15 more minutes. Morgan comes in and says that he's going to open the room. Julia says they'll come with him and he refuses. Kendrick demands that he's coming with him. Morgan says that he's the one who knows where the key is, so he goes alone, or not at all. Kendrick tells him to go. Morgan says that if he's followed, there may be trouble, and lets out another maniacal laugh. He leaves, and Julia tells Kendrick that in his current state, Morgan frightens her. 

Morgan goes to the room and unlocks the door. He's got a gun. Outside the door, he says he can't lose. It's either death or insanity, and if they have somehow defied the odds against him, he's prepared to use the gun.

Our thoughts:  

John: So much for Julia's theory about having to touch the corpses to be possessed!  I love how Bramwell is now an expert on the room phenomena, and how he knew Brutus had one more opportunity to fight him. I'm not sure if my favorite bit was his getting hit by the chair he threw at the door, or his self-strangulation courtesy the unseen ghost of Brutus. Actually, the self-strangulation was worth the price of admission!

 

Christine: At least you have not had to go vomit yet over Bramwell and Catherine's love for one another overcoming all odds.  

                                                                                                                           

John: No sooner that I praise Julia for being shrewd about picking up on the paternity of Catherine's baby, now she can't tell if Morgan really locked her in the room with Bramwell, or if she left of her own accord without telling anyone? On the bright side, At least there's little point in starting a Morgan's Maniacal Laugh tracker... let's just say he was quite the April Fool today...

 

Christine: He does not have a convincing maniacal laugh, but his sweating bullets outside the locked room sure made him seem like he was going over the edge.

 

John: I'm sure we'll see Melanie tomorrow, but where the hell are Quentin and Flora? Do they realize that everything has gone to hell in a hand-basket, and the end is upon us??? I'm not expecting much in the way of other curtain calls, but it will be somewhat disappointing NOT to see the primary members of the family one last time...

 

Christine: Well, we know Quentin is down for the count, but I think we can expect to see some of the folks who have been around for the long haul. 

 

 

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

This is it! Only 1 more episode to go...

Dark Shadows Episode 1243 3/31/71

You can stream today's episode free on TubiTV 

Morgan tells Julia and Kendrick he knows where Catherine's real affections lie. He asks if she'll love Bramwell in the morning as she loves him now.

Catherine goes to the locked room and pounds on the door, calling to Bramwell. He stirs. He calls to her, and manages to stand up. He tells her he's alright, and asks if she can open the door. She explains that Morgan has the keys, and is determined to have Bramwell spend the night in the room. Catherine says he has hidden the key. Bramwell tells her Morgan is insane. He says he can't break down the doors. He tells her that he'll stay and do what he must do. She promises to stay outside the door throughout the night. He tells her that it's best as well that she doesn't stay by the door. She asks how he got her there. He reads her the note that Morgan sent him, saying he knew the truth. She asks what he means by the truth. Bramwell says he must know about the child. She doesn't know how he could have found out. Bramwell tells her that she must go downstairs and face Morgan. He tells her he'll look after himself.

Julia tries to talk sense to Morgan. He says Bramwell will spend the night in the room, and end up dead or insane in the morning. He says it makes no difference who goes into the room, and tells Kendrick that Bramwell is eminently more qualified than him. Kendrick promises to hold Morgan responsible if Melanie is not well after the night is over. Julia intervenes before they begin to fight. She asks Morgan to explain why he did this. Catherine returns, and Morgan tells Julia that she should ask the little mother. They all look at Catherine. Julia asks her what that means. Catherine asks to see Morgan alone. Julia demands an explanation first. Catherine tells them that she is going to have a child. Julia congratulates she and Morgan. Morgan says that he'd like to discuss something with Catherine, and they go upstairs together. Kendrick says he doesn't understand, and Julia says she's beginning to. Kendrick asks her what is going to happen to Bramwell. She says no one knows what happens to people in the room, only what happens to people afterwards — death or madness. She mentions that Morgan took her there during the day, and into a separate room with two perfectly preserved corpses. She says Bramwell must not touch either of them. She says that she must warn Bramwell. 

Bramwell is sitting in the room when a wind appears. He tells Brutus that he has been waiting for him, and asks him to show himself. He goes to the secret door and goes inside. Morgan finds the perfectly preserved corpses. He approaches Forsythe's corpse and reaches out to touch it.

Kendrick and Julia arrive outside the room. She pounds on the door and calls to him. He hears them and comes running. She asks if he found the secret room. He says he just did. She warns him not to touch either of the corpses. She says that's how Morgan was possessed. She explains why Forsythe and Amanda are in there. He asks if she can tell him anything else, and she says no. He asks about Catherine, and she says she's with Morgan. Julia tells him that they're praying for him. 

Bramwell goes back into the secret room.

Catherine and Morgan go into their room. She says she doesn't know how to begin. She admits that she has done him a great wrong. Morgan asks if they were intimate from the beginning. He tells her that she is just as responsible for Daphne's death as Bramwell. Catherine cries. He tells her that he followed her to the gazebo last night, talking about their child. She says she knew something was wrong last night — he had changed. Morgan asks why she couldn't be honest with him. She says it was a moment of weakness that happened before they were married. He points out it was after they were engaged. She says she won't ask him to forgive her. He says he doesn't intend to. She asks what he has planned for her and Bramwell. He says has found one small way to gain satisfaction, and he hopes Bramwell rots in the room. Catherine begs him to set Bramwell free. She says if he does, she will never set eyes on him again. She gets on her knees and offers to do anything for him. He asks if her love for Bramwell is that great, he'll let him out. He says they'll go to the room together and unlock the door.

At 8pm, Kendrick says there are only ten hours to wait. He asks why they don't just break down the door. Julia explains that someone has to spend the night. If they remove Bramwell, it will just anger the ghost of Brutus. Kendrick goes upstairs to see Melanie.

Morgan and Catherine go to the locked room. He gets the key. She thanks him, and he tells her not to. She says he won't regret it, and he replies that he's sure he won't. He opens the door, pushes her in, and locks it behind her. He says that she and Bramwell are together now, and he hopes that they rot together like James Forsythe and Amanda did.

Our thoughts:  

John: I wonder who fake-Amanda and fake-Forsythe were in the secret room? It clearly wasn't Nancy Barrett and Keith Prentice. For a minute I thought today's cliffhanger finale was going to be Bramwell about to touch the corpse of Forsythe (all the while knowing that tomorrow Julia would have interrupted him just in time  — because it's not like they have another few weeks to let Jonathan Frid go wild for another round of 'look who's possessed by Forsythe!').

 

Christine: I wonder if they used the David and Hallie mannequins from Episode 1096 to stand in for Forsythe and Amanda. So, if Bramwell touched Amanda's corpse would he be possessed by Amanda? Isn't she already possessing Melanie? And she didn't touch her.

                                                                                                                           

John: Julia's clearly sharp enough to figure out that Catherine is having Bramwell's baby. Poor Kendrick, being the new kid on the block, didn't get the subtlety of the announcement.

 
Christine: It didn't seem subtle, though it may suggest that Kendrick is far more naive than anyone could have guessed.

 

John: I can't imagine any viewer who didn't see Morgan's surprise for Catherine coming... but I do have to point out that when he said that he hopes that Catherine and Bramwell rot like James and Amanda did, he must have forgotten that rotting is the one thing that they didn't do! In any case, it will be interesting to see if anyone comes to their rescue, or if they end up spending the night together in the locked room. Perhaps their love will be the magic that breaks the curse. Excuse me while I go vomit.

 

Christine: It seemed clear to me that Brutus had no intention of relieving the family of the curse, and their stay in the room seems rather futile in achieving that outcome. You may want to keep the barf bag handy, though it seems unlikely that Bramwell's illicit love affair with Catherine will be what quells Brutus' vengeful spirit. Forsythe and Amanda's love affair may come into play somehow. 

 

 

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

Only 2 more episodes to go...

Dark Shadows Episode 1242 3/30/71

You can stream today's episode free on TubiTV 

Bramwell is waiting in the gazebo when Catherine arrives. She tells him she's risking everything being there. She asks what he wants. He reminds her that Daphne wants them together. He says he heard she had another fainting spell this morning. She admits that it's true. He says it's because she's pregnant, and that's what he wants to talk to her about. She says she doesn't know what to do. He says it's their child, and they have to decide about its future — not realizing that Morgan is watching them from the shadows. Catherine asks if he wants the child to live. He says he does, and she tells him she'll let him know what she plans soon. He embraces her. She tells him Morgan will be suspicious, and she must leave.

Morgan returns to Collinwood. He goes into the drawing room, and Kendirck asks him where he disappeared to. Morgan tells him he'll take the drink Kendrick offered now. He downs it, and when Kendrick asks where he went, he says he went for a walk. Kendrick says he looks terribly disturbed about something. Morgan declines to talk about it. He says it's strange that you could know someone your entire life, and then in one day realize you really never knew them at all. Kendrick asks who he's talking about. Morgan asks him if he's ever had the overwhelming urge to commit murder. Kendrick asks if he's serious. He says he is. Kendrick says he needs to speak to someone, and Morgan tells him he'd like to be left alone. Kendrick leaves him. 

Morgan hears Catherine return. He comes into the foyer and she asks if he was waiting for her. He asks her how everything is at the old house. She asks if something's wrong. He asks her if she went to the old house. She tells him that everything is fine. He asks if Josette was there, and after hesitating, she says that she was. He asks how Daphne looked, and she says she was quite peaceful. He then asks her if Bramwell was there, and she says he was, but she says she didn't speak to him. He starts to ask her something else, and she asks him why he's asking so many questions. He suggests that she should go upstairs and rest, since tomorrow will be an ordeal with Daphne's funeral. He kisses her on the forehead, and she goes up to her room.

The next morning, Catherine does a reading at Daphne's funeral. When she's done, she places flowers  on her grave, after which she and Morgan leave. Julia then places flowers and leaves. Kendrick nods and leaves, leaving Bramwell alone. He kneels at the grave. 

Catherine and the others return to Collinwood. She asks Morgan to take her upstairs, but he says he's got some correspondence to deal with. He asks Julia to take her upstairs, and she agrees, adding that she'll check on Flora, whose doctor recommended that she not attend the funeral. Kendrick also goes upstairs to see Melanie, leaving Morgan alone. He goes into the drawing room and sits down to write a letter.

Morgan goes to the old house, and slides a letter under the door. 

Bramwell sees the letter by the door and picks it up. It's from Morgan. It says, "I know the truth now. Are you man enough to face me? The West Wing of Collinwood at 5 o'clock." Bramwell wonders what truth Morgan is talking about, and if he learned about the child.

Kendrick watches the clock. It's three hours before he's scheduled to go into the locked room, where he believes he'll break the curse. Morgan returns home and is surprisingly pleasant. Kendrick says he looks like the cat who swallowed the canary. Morgan offers him a drink to the future. Morgan asks if going into the room is beginning to get to him. He says maybe it is. Morgan tells him that he's confident that he'll survive the night. Kendrick asks him what's brought that on. He says he looked into his own private crystal ball, and can see what the future holds for the family. Kendrick doesn't understand him, and Morgan tells him to be patient. They toast the future, and then Morgan says he has a matter of the utmost importance to attend to, and goes upstairs. 

Julia finds Kendrick in the drawing room and asks if he's seen Morgan. He says he just went upstairs. He points out that Morgan's demeanor changed completely, and he doesn't understand it.

Bramwell arrives at Collinwood and goes upstairs. 

Morgan goes into the West Wing, and into the 'locked' room. Bramwell arrives and calls out asking if Morgan is there. He hears a noise, and goes into the room. He asks if Morgan is there. Morgan steps out of the shadows and hits him over the head, knocking him out. Morgan welcomes the unconscious Bramwell to 'their special guest room' and locks the door behind him. He leaves the room with a smile on his face. 

Kendrick is downstairs with Julia and Catherine, a half hour before he was planning to go into the room. He complains about the waiting. He says he just wants it to be over with. Morgan comes in and says that Kendrick is not going to go into the room. Kendrick says he was picked. Morgan tells them that cousin Bramwell graciously volunteered. Julia asks if it's some kind of joke. Catherine asks what he's done to Bramwell. He says he did nothing. Julia says Bramwell would never go in voluntarily. She demands that Morgan give him the key so she can let him out. Morgan says he's in the room, and that's where he's going to stay. Catherine calls out Bramwell's name and runs off crying. Morgan mocks her, saying he knows where her real affections lie. He asks if she'll love him in the morning as she loves him now. 

Catherine goes to the locked room and pounds on the door, calling to Bramwell. He stirs. He calls to her, and manages to stand up. He asks if she can open the door, and she explains that Morgan has the keys. She says he's determined to have Bramwell spend the night in the room. 

Our thoughts:  

John: So much for my theory of Morgan confronting Bramwell and Catherine! I'm frankly surprised he was able to contain himself as long as he did.

 

Christine: It could be that his shock overwhelmed his impulsiveness, giving him time to plan something nefarious. I think we can expect he won't get the result he hoped for, and that Bramwell will emerge from the room alive and well, and be successful in ending the curse. 

                                                                                                                           

John: Daphne's funeral almost looked like a Leviathan gathering! They made a point of explaining Flora's absence, and reminded us that Melanie was still locked away, but they didn't mention Quentin being out of town (the reason he missed the lottery — which was the same day of the funeral? I'm losing track of time!)... and they didn't even bother offering an explanation for Josette's absence at her daughter-in-law's funeral.

 
Christine: It would be the ideal time for the Leviathans to show up and claim Catherine's baby. 

 

John: Interesting play by Morgan. I can't fault Bramwell for falling for the 'meet me in the West Wing' ploy, since I didn't see it coming. Nice trick to lock him in the room to fulfill the lottery requirements. Perhaps Kendrick and Melanie will actually have a chance to live happily every after. But things don't bode well for cousin Bramwell!

 

Christine: The one thing about this show that makes it fun to watch, even when the storylines are not the best, is that it continues to do the unexpected. I can understand why fans picketed when it was announced the show was ending. This particular storyline may not be my favorite, but I still would have liked to have seen what came next for our plucky characters. Of course I would have remained hopeful that the original Collins family would be restored and we'd be able to catch up on the doings of Liz, Roger, David, Carolyn, Julia and Barnabas.

 

 

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

Only 3 more episodes to go...

Dark Shadows Episode 1241 3/29/71

You can stream today's episode free on TubiTV 

Bramwell arrives at Collinwood and finds Kendrick in the drawing room. Bramwell says that after hearing his and Melanie's news he expected that he would be more cheerful. Kendrick tells him that there is never anything to be cheerful about in this house. He explains that the lottery was held again, and he's going in the room this time. Bramwell is surprised that they allowed him to participate in the lottery. Kendrick says he was anxious to be picked to go into the room. Bramwell asks him why he's going to do it. He says he's going to end the curse. Bramwell suggests that he not become a part of the Collins' madness. He suggests that he take Melanie away from Collinwood. Kendrick explains that Melanie had another attack, and she's locked in the tower room. He adds that he and Julia saw the ghost of Brutus Collins, who told them she would never be free of madness unless someone else went into the room. Bramwell points out that Melanie seems to have suffered the most of everyone in the house. He asks Kendrick if he thinks he can end the curse. He says he believes it. Bramwell tells him that the only way to end the curse is for the Collins family to destroy itself. 

Catherine walks in and is surprised to see Bramwell. Kendrick goes upstairs to see Melanie. Catherine closes the drawing room doors and asks Bramwell what he's doing there. He says he spent the day making Daphne's funeral arrangements, and came to tell them to the family. She tells him to tell her, and she'll pass them on to the family. She says if they are seen together, it will be difficult for her. He says he'll leave on the condition that she agrees to meet him tonight in the gazebo. She says it's not possible. He asks if Morgan is watching her that closely. He tells her he won't leave until she promises to meet him. She does, and when he turns to leave, he runs into Morgan. 

Morgan tells Catherine to leave the room. She tries to explain but he cuts her off. She leaves, and Morgan tells Bramwell that he can thank Catherine that he's still alive. Morgan tells Bramwell that he's responsible for Daphne's death. He says he would have shot Bramwell if Catherine hadn't stopped him. Bramwell suggests that Morgan doesn't care about Daphne; he's just concerned that her death makes Bramwell a free man. Morgan denies it. He tells Bramwell he wants him to leave, and threatens to throw him out. Julia stops them, and tells Morgan to leave the room. Bramwell tells him he had better listen to his aunt if he wants to live to fight another day. He begrudgingly leaves. Julia reminds Bramwell that she warned him that there would be trouble if he stayed in Collinwood. Bramwell explains that he came to tell them of Daphne's funeral arrangements. He says he'd like to see Flora. Julia says she doesn't want to be disturbed. 

Kendrick goes to the tower room. Melanie asks him what he wants. He realizes that she's still possessed. She threatens to kill him if he comes near her. She tells him to stop calling her Melanie. He tries to get her to listen to him. He asks if she knows what the lottery is, and she says she does. He tells her that it was held again tonight, and he was chosen to go in. He says he will go in and the curse will end, and then she will be cured. She says Brutus will never let it end. She says he'll die, because Brutus shows no mercy to anyone. She says she is his servant to help him get his revenge. She tells Kendrick that she will rejoice when he goes into the room and dies. He leaves the room as she laughs. 

Outside the room, Julia arrives with food. She asks whey he came. He says he thought there might be some hope, but admits that it didn't do any good. She says that Melanie will stay that way. Kendrick tells her that he's not like the rest of them. He says that he's not willing to sit back and accept his fate. He says he will control his destiny. Julia tells him that Catherine used to feel the same way. She says that the curse has always caught up with the people that have tried to run away. She reminds Kendrick that he's just as human as the rest of them, and he's at the same risk when he goes inside the room. 

Morgan is drinking when Kendrick comes downstairs. He offers him a drink, and Kendrick declines. He says it's not going into the room that bothers him, but the waiting. He decides to fix himself a drink. 

Catherine comes downstairs and is about to head out when Morgan sees her. She says that she's going to the old house to pay her last respect to Daphne on her own. She tells him she won't be long. He asks her if she's feeling alright, and she says she is, and leaves. 

Kendrick brings Morgan another drink, and he turns it down.

Bramwell is waiting in the gazebo when Catherine arrives. She tells him she's risking everything being there. She asks what he wants. He reminds her that Daphne wants them together. He says he heard she had another fainting spell this morning. She admits that it's true. He says it's because she's pregnant, and that's what he wants to talk to her about. She says she doesn't know what to do. He says it's their child, and they have to decide about its future — not realizing that Morgan is watching them from the shadows.

Our thoughts:  

John: With each episode in this home stretch, it seems less likely that both Morgan and Bramwell will be alive by the last episode on Friday. And all things being equal, I don't know that Morgan will be able to survive another duel with Bramwell — of wits or pistols.

 

Christine: The question is whether or not Morgan will kill Catherine as well. I don't expect he'll want to keep her around to raise Bramwell's kid.

                                                                                                                           

John: Something tells me that the entire Collins clan is not destined for a dreadful fate... though the only opportunity for happiness would seem to be Kendrick surviving the night in the locked room and Melanie reverting back to her normal self, so they could live happily ever after. I can't see a positive outcome for Catherine with either Bramwell or Morgan...

 
Christine: I can't understand what makes any of them think that holding the lottery and sending another lamb to slaughter in the locked room is going to appease Brutus in any way. I also fail to understand what Brutus is getting out of his relatives spending the night in the room. Does he just enjoy tormenting them while they are in there? Perhaps Kendrick will be the one to reveal the secret of what happens to the inhabitant locked inside. 

 

John: Glad to see that the writers didn't forget Catherine's pregnancy. I'll be surprised if Morgan doesn't come charging out of the bushes at Bramwell at the beginning of tomorrow's episode. He has not proven to be one to think things through before acting impulsively.

 

Christine: I don't think he will do that unless he came equipped with a pistol. I expect he will want to punish them both, one way or another. 

 

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