Dark Shadows Episode 633 - 11/27/68

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Blair begins performing a ritual to unite his spirit with Maggie's. He says she will dwell with him forever in the land of the dead.

Eve's body is on the operating table. Barnabas tells Julia that this will be the last time. Julia tells him they're at Blair's mercy. She asks who he thinks Blair will have found to provide the life force. Blair arrives and asks if everything is ready. Barnabas points out that Blair removed the stake from Tom Jennings' heart, and sent him to Collinwood. Blair says they've got things to do, and they don't have time to waste. Blair goes back upstairs, and Adam comes downstairs. Barnabas tells him he doesn't want him there. Blair returns and says Adam will stay. Maggie follows him down, says she wants to do this. Barnabas tells Julia to turn off the equipment. Blair touches Adam and makes his heart beat quickly. The same happens to Barnabas. Julia begs Maggie to make Blair stop, and when she refuses, Julia agrees to perform the experiment.

Blair takes Adam into his cell and tells him to sleep. Blair says he can make Adam stop breathing if they don't do what he says. Barnabas points out that Maggie will be in great pain, and may die. Maggie says she's ready, and gets up on the second operating table. Barnabas straps her down. Barnabas accuses Blair of having done something to Maggie, and he says that he has given her his love. Blair kisses Maggie on the forehead, and Julia has Barnabas throw the switch to start the experiment. Maggie moans, and then screams. Barnabas can't believe that Maggie loves Blair and is participating of her own free will. Julia asks him what the gauges read. Maggie continues to moan. Julia comes over and says the readings are too high. Maggie starts to scream that she's dying. Eve begins to move, and Barnabas turns off the switch.

Blair tries to keep him from moving with his power, but Barnabas destroys equipment. Blair screams that he will kill him and runs to Adam. Adam asks why Blair tried to hurt him. Barnabas asks where his powers are now. Blair runs away, and they find Eve's body is now a charred skeleton. Barnabas chases Blair. Adam realizes he has no one.

Julia pleads with Maggie to open her eyes. She then injects her with a hypodermic needle, and Maggie wakes up. Maggie asks where she is. She gets up, and when Julia calls her Maggie, she doesn't recognize her, or that name. Julia says that Nicholas brought her there. Maggie asks why, and where she is. Julia takes her upstairs. Adam covers up Eve's skeleton. He can't decide if he should be mad at Barnabas or Blair. He stomps upstairs.

Julia leads Maggie upstairs, and she asks her who lives in the house. Julia says Barnabas Collins, and then plays Josette's music box for her. Maggie says she doesn't know anyone named Josette.

Adam comes upstairs and leaves the house.

Blair is at Widows' Hill, begging for a chance to explain. He says he'll make a new woman for Adam. He explains that he just needs time. Barnabas hears Blair, who is then consumed in fire as he pleads that the experiment will work the next time. Barnabas smiles at the defeat of his foe.

Adam sneaks upstairs at Collinwood.

Our thoughts

John: Holy extra-crispy Eve, Batman! What a great episode. If only Diabolos had made an appearance - it would have been perfect.

Christine: Too bad they couldn't get Duane Morris today. It was disappointing to have Blair talk to an unresponsive Diabolos. Fortunately, Eve's dress fell off when she got cooked or we would not have been able to clearly identify the wonky skeletal bride standing in for her on the table today.

John: Blair finally gets his comeuppance. I'm sorry to see him go, as he was a powerful presence on the show. Of course, there's nothing like a strong character being torn down by his superior.

Christine: I'll miss Blair, though I expect Diabolos will grant Angelique her reward and she'll be back to witching Barnabas and wiping that silly grin off his face in no time.

John: If Maggie isn't Maggie, and Maggie isn't Josette... who the hell is she? I'm assuming she didn't get the spirit of Danielle Roget from Eve's corpse...

Christine: If Blair worked his magic right, she's one of the damned now, so she could be any number of evil people we haven't yet met. It was odd that Julia was trying to get her to remember her captivity as Josette.

Dark Shadows Episode 627 - 11/19/68

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Jeff tells Vicki to go back to Collinwood. He opens a closet door and closes it, disturbed by what he saw. Vicki opens the door and sees Eve's body lying on the floor, dead. Jeff checks her vitals and then closes her eyes. Vicki asks if she's dead, and he says she is.

He has Vicki sit down. She asks who the woman is, and he tells her it's Eve. Vicki asks if it's the woman he told her about earlier and he confirms that she is. She then asks if he did it, and he says he didn't. She says they have to call the police, and he says he needs time to think. He says they'll think he's guilty or insane. She tells him that waiting will only make him appear more suspicious. He tells her to go back to Collinwood and she refuses. He picks up the phone and asks the operator to connect him to the police.

Adam wanders through the woods, forlorn. He regrets killing Eve. He realizes he can't go back to Blair's house. He doesn't know what to do.

He sees Angelique, and she offers to help him. She says she knows that he killed Eve. He tells her he doesn't want her help. She explains that she's the only one that can help him. She says he was right to kill Eve, who was evil. She adds that Blair knew she was secretly seeing Jeff. Angelique quickly fills in Adam on how Blair brought back Danielle Roget to provide the life force for Eve. She says he's only a slave to Blair, and neither of them can escape him unless they work together. She tells him she needs his help to dispose of Blair. He will think that Jeff killed Eve. She tells him to go home, and pretend to be shocked when he hears that Eve is dead.

Someone watches Joe from outside his hospital room window. Joe sees his cousin Tom Jennings and yells that he's dead. The man explains that he's not Tom, he's Chris Jennings.

He asks Joe how Tom died. Joe says he doesn't know. Chris asks about the animal-like wound on his neck. Chris says he got a list of names from the sheriff to investigate, including Jeff Clark and Nicholas Blair. Joe asks Chris if he's seen his sister, Molly. Chris says he hasn't. Joe explains that she fell to pieces when Tom died, and now she's in Windcliff, thanks to Dr. Hoffman.

Julia walks in and screams when she sees Tom. Joe explains that the man is Chris, not Tom. He says he'd like to talk to Julia and offers to drive her back to Collinwood. She agrees, and asks to speak to Joe alone. She asks Joe why he didn't tell her Tom had a brother. Joe explains that Chris was hard to get a hold of. Years ago he changed, and disappeared from Collinsport altogether. Julia asks what he's doing in town, and he tells her Chris is here to investigate Tom's death. He tells her to try and convince him to leave town. Chris watches them from outside the window.

Back at Collinwood, Chris asks if he can ask Julia a few more questions. She invites him in, and asks how well she knew Tom. She says she hardly knew him, and Chris asks why she would react so strongly if she didn't know him that well. She explains she had heard about his unusual wound, and was able to examine him. She says it appeared to be an animal bite. He asks what kind of animal, and she says she doesn't know. Julia asks Chris why it took him two months to come out to investigate Tom's death. She asks if he came for a different reason. He mentions his sister. She says that she's at her hospital, Windcliff, and it would be good to have her brother close. He says that the life he leads is all wrong for her. Julia asks him what kind of life he leads. He says he moves around a lot. She asks if that means he doesn't have or want any responsibilities. He says he'll see his sister later and storms out.

Vicki bursts in, asking for Roger. She tells Julia that she needs Roger to post bail for Jeff. She explains that there was a woman found dead in his apartment named Eve. She goes up to find Roger, and Julia leaves the house.

Angelique approaches her coffin, and thinks that if she succeeds tonight, Blair will be returned to darkness, and the master may lift her curse. She summons a great evil, and is surrounded by fire. She begs not to be destroyed, but screams in agony.

Our thoughts

John: Sure, Jeff. It's going to serve you better to spend some time thinking about what to do before calling the police to report a dead woman's body in your closet. I do think it would be quite humorous for Jeff to be tried and convicted for a murder he didn't commit, just as Peter had been a few hundred years ago.

Christine: It looks like that's the way it's going to go. Of course Vicki is going to stand by her man, even though he's screaming at her to leave one minute and embracing her the next, which seems to be the kind of future she'll have with Jeff Clark, if he's not sent to the electric chair first.

John: Wow, we were treated to a classic soap-trope today... the mysterious arrival of a previously unmentioned twin of a now-dead character! Who is this Chris Jennings, and what new excitement will he bring to Collinsport? I did enjoy Tom, so I have high hopes for Chris!

Christine: How nice that they let us believe he was Tom Jennings back from the dead through the commercial break. He has the same penchant for melodrama that his brother did. This mysterious twin likes to spend time in the mountains and is always on the go. He also has no qualms about staring in at people through windows. I guess that makes him a peeping Chris. 

John: Why would the master lift Angelique's curse if she gets rid of Blair? And what exactly was she trying to summon? Whatever it was, I have to give them credit for today's visual effect. Her burning in the fire was one of the nicer chroma-key effects we've seen.

Christine: I thought she was summoning Satan, though it appears her conjuring backfired. I guess she forgot she's no longer a witch. I was wondering how she knew that Adam killed Eve. Was she spying on him through the magic mirror, or was Eve the one she had her eye on? It's kind of a weird thing for her to be doing either way.

Dark Shadows Episode 626 - 11/18/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Liz helps Vicki out of her wedding dress.

Jeff is about to open Peter Bradford's coffin when Roger shows up in the cemetery. Roger threatens to call the police, and Jeff asks if there's a law against opening your own coffin. He says he intends to find out if he came from the past. He pries the lid of the coffin open, and finds it empty.

Roger says it doesn't mean anything after 200 years. Jeff asks Roger to touch him to see if he's real. Roger says he's being irrational. He says the body could have been stolen. Jeff believes he is Peter Bradford, and Roger asks if he believes it, then Vicki will, too. Jeff says he's going to Collinwood to tell Vicki. Roger asks him not to. Jeff flips out and stumbles away.

Vicki packs up her wedding dress, and wonders why Roger hasn't come back. She says he must have found Jeff at the cemetery. Liz reminds her that he didn't want her to go. Vicki looks at the Collins family history, and wonders who the woman Eve was who returned it to her. She points out Trask's annotations to Liz, that she says were made in 1795. Liz suggests that she lie down to rest, and offers to check and see if Roger has returned.

Vicki reads about her hanging, and flashes back to 1795. Peter tells her he will always love her. He promises to travel through time to find her. Roger and Liz come in, and she asks where Jeff is. Roger says he left him in the cemetery. Vicki says she wants to see him. She says she must go to him.

Eve goes to Jeff's apartment looking for him. The door opens, but no one enters. She calls to Jeff saying she'll make it all right when Adam enters. She tells him not to touch her. Adam realizes this is who she has been cheating on him with. He asks her if she lied to him yesterday about loving him, and she admits that she did. She says she has always hated him, and can't stand him. Adam asks why she hates him. She calls him ugly, scarred, and pasted together. Adam grabs her and they struggle in the darkness of Jeff's apartment. She screams, and Adam stands up over her lifeless body.

Jeff returns home, seemingly back to normal. He takes a suitcase out and begins to pack. There's a knock at his door, and Vicki calls to him. He reluctantly lets her in. She asks him where he's going, and sees classified ads for New York. She asks what he's going to do, and he asks if she wants to track the ghost who breathes? He points out that he was always Peter Bradford to her anyway. He says he won't accept it, but realizes he has no choice. She says he also doesn't have a choice about her. He says he never wants to see her again, and she refuses to accept that. She says they can still get married tonight. He tells her not to make the impossible seem possible. He asks her how long he has before he has to go back to the grave. She says she doesn't care. He says he might leave with no warning. He tells her that he's not real. He tells her to go back to Collinwood.

He opens a closet door and closes it, disturbed by what he saw. Vicki opens the door and sees Eve's body lying on the floor, dead.

Our thoughts

John: It's always fun to see folks knock over tombstones as they run around the cemetery! Jeff was not the first nor do I expect he will be the last.

Christine: I couldn't understand why he was opening the coffin back up again. Just to make sure it was still empty? Or for the dramatic effect of slamming the lid down and running away willy-nilly?

John: Why does Jeff have brand new, unused shirts in his drawers? To make packing easier? I think the writers have worked themselves into a box with Jeff/Peter. With the realization of who he might truly be, why would that change his feelings about Vicki, or wanting to be with her. Particularly since he is now the man she always wanted to be with!

Christine: Yeah, what happened to the guy who was so determined to find Vicki that he traveled through time and death to reach her? Now he's upset about it. Right. Incidentally, I think the brand new shirts are a bachelor's trick. When you don't have any clean shirts, you just open up a new package.

John: I'm not going to miss Eve. But this should make for some interesting drama between Nicholas, Adam and Angelique. Not to mention Vicki and Jeff, who should have to notify the authorities about  her body.

Christine: I was kind of hoping Adam would stick around to finish off Jeff too, though I suspect he left Eve's body in his closet so the murder could be pinned on him. I thought it was funny that Roger actually reached out and touched Jeff Clark's arm in the cemetery. What a touching moment.

"Touch me, Mr. Collins. Touch me."

Dark Shadows Episode 625 - 11/15/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Peter smokes in the garden when Eve comes to see him. She says she has a message for him, and he tells her it's his wedding day. She says she has proof that he is Peter Bradford. She says she has a letter he wrote to her 200 years earlier. She reads him the letter, describing how he has chosen not to escape with her. He takes the letter from her to read what Peter said about his goal of reconnecting with Vicki. She tells him the guests are waiting for a dead man's wedding. He tells Eve to leave him alone. She says he will change.

He hears Roger calling to him, and he sends Eve away. Roger says he's ready to bring Vicki down and the ceremony is about to begin. Jeff says he can't, and tells Roger he has to see Vicki.

Liz helps Vicki get dressed in Naomi Collins' veil. She thanks Liz for treating her like part of the family. Liz says she can hardly remember when Vicki wasn't there. She thanks her for helping with David. Vicki tells her Collinwood will always be home for her.

There's a knock at the door and Roger comes in. He says Jeff wants to see her. Liz says she'll speak to him, and Vicki says she must speak to him. She's sure it's something important. Liz asks Roger what happened, and he says he doesn't know. He tells Liz not to get worked up. He says whatever happens, she must not let it affect her.

Vicki finds Jeff on the terrace. He tells her she's beautiful, and that he really loves her. He explains that he hasn't changed his mind, but they have to postpone the wedding. He takes out the letter and hands it to her. He asks if she recognizes the handwriting, and she says she does. He tells her the date on the letter is 1795, which would mean he lived then. He says that if he's Peter Bradford, he can't marry her.

She asks him who gave him the letter. He tells her it was a woman named Eve; someone he had never seen before. She asks him to tell her about Eve. He says he doesn't understand anything. She asks what the woman wants. Jeff grabs his head and says he doesn't remember. He says he needs to go to the old cemetery. He leaves her.

Roger tells Liz he'll speak to the minister, but Liz asks him not to leave her alone. She points out that nothing ever works out for any of them. She then says that Vicki needs her. She runs downstairs.

Jeff kneels before Peter Bradford's grave. He takes a shovel and starts to dig.

Liz finds Vicki alone on the terrace. She says Jeff left to take care of something, and he'll be back. She says there won't be a wedding today, and Roger offers to take care of the guests. Vicki apologizes to Liz. She says she should have known that something was wrong when she got the book of the Collins family history as a present.

Jeff is about to open Peter Bradford's coffin when Roger shows up in the cemetery. Roger threatens to call the police, and Jeff asks if there's a law against opening your own coffin? He says he intends to find out if he came from the past. He pries the lid of the coffin open, and finds it empty.

Our thoughts

John: Wouldn't a letter from Peter Bradford saying he was leaving Danielle for Vicki further convince Jeff to go ahead and marry the woman of his dreams?

Christine: Maybe all that head grabbing indicates that he has some kind of brain tumor that's preventing him from thinking clearly. Whatever happened to Vicki's backbone anyway? She should have let him know that if he ditched her at the altar, he could forget ever meeting her there again. She needs to move on. This guy is no Peter Bradford, even if he thinks he is.

John: Seriously, Jeff? You assume that if you're Peter Bradford reincarnated that his grave will be empty? This is what you get for being a career grave robber.

Christine: Peter Bradford was hung as a murderer. Who would have gone to the trouble of putting him in a coffin and marking his grave? Did those responsible bury an empty coffin or did he venture forth into the future from under the ground?

John: Once again, we see that one man with a shovel can do miraculous things, like dig up a coffin, lift it to the surface, and check its contents in a matter of minutes! Of course if we're to believe Peter was transported from 1795 to the present, just when and how did that happen, and how did he become Jeff Clark? And isn't it oddly convenient that he would only come to Vicki by way of Dr. Lang's experiment? I have to say, I think the writers have let us down on building up the Jeff Clark side of the Peter Bradford story.

Christine: They may come up with some semi plausible explanation for how it all happened, but it's a pretty weak storyline as it stands now. Perhaps we'll be whisked away into the past again soon so we'll forget all about this mess they've created for the characters.

Roger: You're mad!
Jeff: Oh, I wish I were. Boy, I wish I were. It wouldn't be so bad then, would it?