Dark Shadows Episode 778 - 6/18/69

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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.

Dark Shadows Episode 777 - 6/17/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Judith is frustrated not to remember anything. Trask tells Judith that Dirk is dead, and his hold on her is over.

Tim rushes into the drawing room and Trask pulls a gun on him. Trask tells Judith to call the police and tell them his wife's murderer has been captured.

Tim warns Judith not to make the call. He says that if she tells the police about him, he'll have to tell them about her as well. She asks what he means. He tells her that she shot Rachel, and she's dead. Trask calls him crazy. She can't believe it. He reminds her they were in the abandoned house. He heard the shots and then found her standing over Rachel. He tells her that Rachel's body is at the old house. Trask says that Tim is probably the one responsible for Rachel's death. Judith says she remembers coming back to Collinwood, but not from where. She also recalls Trask and Edward examining a gun, and asks whose it was. Trask says it was her gun. She realizes that she did kill Rachel. Trask comforts her.

He tells Tim that Judith was under the spell of an unnatural creature. Tim says the same was true of him, but he doesn't know who cast the spell over him. He says he'll find out, and looks at Trask. Judith says that they must call the police. Tim suggests that she not do it. Judith tells Trask to call and tell them there are two murderers in Collinwood. Trask offers to speak to Judith alone. He tells Tim not to try anything he would regret.

After he's gone, Trask tells Judith that he has fought evil his entire life. He says she will only be evil if she accepts responsibility for the crime. He says that it won't bring Rachel back if Judith goes to the gallows. He adds that his life would be bleak, dark and meaningless if she were to die. She asks him what to do, and he tells her to be silent. Trask calls the sheriff.

Tim starts to leave, and then goes back to listen at the door of the drawing room.

Trask tells the sheriff that Tim is at Collinwood.

Tim tries to listen.

Trask tells the sheriff that he had forgotten that he had sent Tim to Bangor, and he could not be responsible for his wife's murder. Judith is touched that Trask would do this for her. Trask invites Tim back in, and explains how he told the sheriff that he had sent Tim to Bangor for supplies the night of his wife's murder. Trask suggests that Tim should leave town, and Tim says he's interested in getting a job in Collinwood.

Judith says Edward is responsible for hiring as Carl enters, upset that Dirk is dead. He says that none of them are concerned about his Pansy. Judith says she doesn't want to hear another word about Pansy. Trask says there has been a terrible tragedy, and that Rachel was accidentally shot while the search party was hunting down the vampire. He adds that Judith is upset. He offers to call the police and send them to the old house. Judith says they'll have her buried immediately. Carl asks why, and Trask says there's no need to delay. He tells Carl to go with Tim to the old house to wait for the police. After they leave, Trask tells Judith she must be more cautious.

Tim tells Carl it's difficult to realize that Rachel is gone. He says that they used to be very close. Carl says he doesn't she believe she died by accident. He says there have been too many accidents around Collinwood. He says his Pansy didn't disappear by accident. He says he's going to go to the police about her. He says he wants to return to Collinwood, and Tim says he'll join him momentarily.

After Carl is gone, Tim hears a woman humming a song. Wind blows through the open window. Tim sees a woman and asks who she is, and where she came from. He doesn't recognize Pansy. She says he's not the one she's looking for. He asks if she's looking for Barnabas. Tim calls for Carl. Carl comes running, and Tim says a strange woman appeared in the house. Carl runs around the house, looking for her, but she's nowhere to be found.

Tim says he saw someone, and Carl's convinced it's Pansy. Tim says they're waiting for them at the funeral service for Rachel. Carl sends Tim away, and pleads for Pansy to return.

Trask speaks at Rachel's service. As he finishes, he tells Tim to take the body to the graveyard immediately. 

Carl finishes closing up Rachel's grave. Tim says he wants to go into Collinsport to get drunk. Carl says he's going back to the old house. Tim asks him to tell Barnabas what happened if he sees him. After Tim is gone, Carl hears Pansy singing. He tells her to come out. He then comes to the realization that she may be dead, too.

Our thoughts

John: Judith has never been so honored as when someone lied about his wife's murder so that she would be free? Um, maybe she is the perfect spouse for Reverend Trask...

Christine: Minerva's corpse is not yet cold and he's already got his hands all over Judith. No wonder she felt comfortable being on a first name basis with him after all his touchy feely attention. Will there be two funerals and a wedding by Friday?

John: Trask casually throws out that the search party was looking for a vampire when Rachel was shot. Must have been nice to live in a time when it was safely assumed that the police wouldn't be interested in witness testimony or physical evidence in a homicide.

Christine: Who would think to doubt the testimony of a pistol packing priest?

John: Where do they keep finding brand new coffins at a moment's notice? Not to mention the all too common Collinsport-special same-day internment! Do you think Barnabas will be angry that they had a service for Rachel and buried her without telling him first?

Christine: It's possible they reused Quentin's coffin since he's not using it now, though I do believe they keep a few around in the basement that they restock as they are used up. I guess you can't blame them for wanting to bury folks right away since so many of the dead tend to rise up and walk in that town. I doubt Barnabas will accept Trask's version of events, so he will probably be very suspicious about the reasons why they buried her so quickly.

Quentin's coffin in Episode 721

Dark Shadows Episode 772 - 6/10/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Barnabas returns to the old house to find Pansy in a chair. He puts his hand on her shoulder and she slumps over, with bloody bite marks along with a rope around her neck.

Carl arrives at the old house and asks Barnabas to let him in so he can talk to Pansy.

Barnabas moves Pansy's body into the secret room before letting Carl in. Carl asks where she is, and Barnabas says he doesn't know. He says he left her alone when he went looking for Dirk.

Carl assumes she ran away based on Judith's reaction to her. Carl finds her purse and realizes that she must still be in the house. Barnabas assures him that she's not. Carl wonders if something happened to her. He suggests Dirk may have gotten her.

Barnabas says she may have gone to Collinwood, and suggests that he go looking for her. Barnabas says if she's not there, Carl is welcome to search the old house while he's off searching for Dirk. He also suggests other areas she may have gone off to, including Trask's school. Carl leaves, and Barnabas returns to the secret room.

Carl explains to Charity that he's worried, and she assures him that the woman he is looking for is not there. Carl leaves and Charity goes in to see Tim.

Tim continues to review Evan Hanley's book, licking pages as he goes. He randomly mentions the Queen of Spades. Charity asks what he means, and sees him looking at a vial. She asks what it is, and he tells her to leave him alone to do what he has to do.

Barnabas starts to bury Pansy's body when he hears a rooster.

Tim is lying on his bed groaning when Charity comes in. He says he had a nightmare. She asks why he's behaving so strangely, and he says it's the work he's doing for Evan. She gives him a message from Evan and says the messenger is awaiting an answer. He opens it and it says Queen of Spades. She asks if there's an answer. Her mother bursts in and tells Charity that she has a class to be teaching. Charity leaves, and Mrs. Trask tells him that she wants what they're paying him for.

Tim says that Mr. Trask got him the work for Reverend Trask. Tim tells her to leave him alone. She says they'd be better off without him. He says they will be once he's done with Evan's job. She adds that he had better pay off the debt they owe him. He says that's not possible, due to their bookkeeping practices. She asks if he's accusing her of dishonesty, and he says he is. She says they should go see the Reverend right now, and Tim tells him he can quote what the Reverend would say, and once again tells her to get out. She storms out of the room.

Carl returns to the old house to search for Pansy. He calls to her, and then he hears her singing. He asks where she's hiding. The singing stops. He says that she can stay with him. He hears her singing again. It stops as Barnabas returns. Carl demands to know where Pansy is, and Barnabas says he doesn't know where she is. Carl says he heard her singing, and Barnabas says that's only his imagination. He says he knows she's not there, and Carl accuses him of knowing where she is. Barnabas asks why he would keep her as a prisoner. Carl wonders if he's going crazy. He says he went to the cottage, into Collinsport, and even to the school, but she's still missing. Barnabas reminds him that Dirk is, too. Carl says they must find him, and Barnabas agrees.

Mrs. Trask is writing a letter when Charity comes in. She asks her daughter what she thinks of Carl Collins. Charity says she doesn't think of him at all.

Mrs. Trask says it's time to start, as Tim is not the right man for her. She tells Charity that she thinks it's time to end her engagement. Charity says that there is someone else she's interested in—Barnabas. Mrs. Trask says her instinct is correct, but Barnabas is only a cousin and she needs to focus on one of the brothers. There's a knock at the door, and she says that's Tim, who she's asked to come see Charity. She tells her to break the news to him, and leaves.

Charity tells Tim that she's in love with someone else, but more importantly, she's not in love with him. He asks if her mother told her this. He offers to apologize to her. Charity says that's not the reason, and says she cannot marry him. Mrs. Trask returns and tells them both to go say goodnight to the children. after they're gone, she takes out a deck of cards .

Tim returns and finds Mrs. Trask playing cards. She's startled, but he tells her he knows she plays. She explains that no one is absolutely perfect. He says he has come to apologize. She says that he has gotten her upset, and slams down the last card, revealing the Queen of Spades. He offers to refill her cup, and pours the nightshade into it. He gives it to her, and she tells him he can go. He says he wants to be sure that her tea is alright. She lifts the cup to her lips.

Our thoughts

John: What the hell? Where did that rope around Pansy's neck come from? And what did it signify?

Christine: It signified that someone on the writing team thought the audience might wonder why she didn't become a vampire as Dirk did after being bitten, so they added in some rope burns to prove she died by strangulation before she could transform. Either they didn't think the audience would remember or would not care too much if they did.

No rope in Episode 771.

John: Why would seeing the words Queen of Spades have any effect on Tim? If someone were to say the words, would that trigger Tim's murderous behavior?

Christine: Tim commented that Evan told him he would receive the message when it was time to kill, so perhaps he was programmed to be triggered by the note.

John: Boy, they spent a lot of time setting up the Queen of Spades to get to this point. How would Evan know that Tim would not only find Mrs. Trask playing cards, but also that he would see a particular card? It is interesting to think that Trask orchestrated the murder of his wife. One can only wonder what salacious motive he might have.

Christine: It certainly was amazing the way the whole sordid plan came together so neatly. Maybe he's hoping to coerce Rachel Drummond into marrying him.

The heirloom afghan quilt continues to make the rounds in 1897, showing up on Tim's bed today.