Dark Shadows Episode 776 - 6/16/69

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Dirk returns to the abandoned basement. He tells Rachel he's waiting for Laura to come back. Rachel points out that she's dead, and Dirk says there are people with powers to restore life. Dirk is upset thinking about Laura. He hears a rooster, and realizes that Barnabas has failed. He says he warned him to have her there by dawn, and he'll be sorry he's failed. Dirk opens his coffin. He gets inside and closes the lid.

Rachel hears someone enter the basement, and is surprised to see Judith. She apologizes to Rachel, and then points a gun at her. She tells Rachel that it has to be done. Rachel pleads with her to put the gun down.

Outside the abandoned house, Tim hears gunfire. He goes into the basement and finds Judith. He asks her what all the shooting was. He sees Rachel on the floor, bleeding. Judith explains that she had no choice. Rachel asks Tim if she's going to be all right, and he says she will.

Edward explains that he was all over the house at once. Trask says that he could do nothing against the creature of darkness. Edward wonders who he is and what he wants. Trask offers him a drink to calm him. The phone rings, and Edward answers it. It's the sheriff calling to tell him that the woods have been searched without finding his sister or her abductor. Edward says everyone is confused except Barnabas, who is sure it's Dirk. Trask says he does not trust or like Barnabas, and he doesn't believe that Dirk is responsible. He adds that he is sure Barnabas knows where Tim and Rachel are, and likely is involved in Judith's disappearance.

Judith enters, still in a trance, with the gun in her hand. Edward asks what she has done, and takes the gun from her. He sees that three shots have been fired. Judith says that it had to be done. She adds that she did what he told her to do. Trask assumes she's referring to the vampire. She retires to the drawing room to sit. Trask tells Edward that she's possessed by a will stronger than her own. Edward wonders about the three bullets. Trask says he will seek divine guidance against the evil possessing her and the entire house.

Edward takes Judith upstairs, and leaves Trask alone in the drawing room. He calls for the help of the Lord to drive the demon out of Judith.

Tim brings Rachel to the old house, calling for Barnabas. Rachel says, "it's gone." Tim says that's good, and Rachel says it's bad. Tim continues to call out to Barnabas. There's no answer, so Tim says he'll go to town to get a doctor. Rachel tells him that if he goes into town they'll catch him. He assures her that he'll be fine. She says that if they catch him, they'll kill him, and begs him to stay with her. She asks if he remembers when they were kids, and the sea shanties they would sing quietly so that Trask couldn't hear them.

Edward watches over Judith as she sleeps. As she sleeps, she hears Dirk's voice, calling to her, beckoning her to find him where he lies waiting. Judith gets up and Edward asks her where she's going. In a trance, she walks out of the room. Edward realizes that she'll lead him to the vampire, just like Barnabas said.

Rachel tells Tim a secret—that her father is coming back to take her home. She says he mustn't tell Trask, and then passes out.

Judith returns to the cellar of the abandoned house. Edward follows her in. She says she has come as she was commanded to. Edward tells her to stand away from the coffin, and asks if it's where he hides during the day. Edward tells her to get out of the way. Judith pounds on the coffin and tells Dirk to wake up before he destroys him. Edward opens the coffin and sees Dirk inside. He closes it again. He realizes that it's almost night, and picks up a rock. He then searches for a stake. He leaves the cellar.

Edward returns with a stake. He opens the coffin, and prepares to drive the stake through Dirk's heart. Dirk reaches up to grab him, but Edward is able to drive the stake into his chest, killing him.

Our thoughts

John: Surprise, surprise, surprise, as Gomer Pyle used to say. Did anyone actually believe that Judith was going to shoot Rachel? I honestly did not see that coming.

Christine: I certainly was surprised to see her bloody chest, and even more surprised that Tim kept saying she was going to be all right. I would expect that to be a fatal wound.

John: Vampire Dirk continues to get some creepy sequences, giving Vampire Tom a run for his undead money. From the evil dreams to his dramatic death scene, it would appear that Roger Davis found his calling playing a vampire. As it's only Tuesday, I was not surprised when he appeared to stop Edward before he drove in the stake, and as a result, I was shocked when Edward was able to complete his gruesome task!

Christine: Vampire Tom is still my favorite, but Roger Davis played well as a vampire. He was quite menacing when calling for Judith, and had a nice bloody, gurgling death scene.

John: To be fair, Edward should have been prepared to kill the vampire when he followed Judith to Dirk, but he still deserves kudos for delivering the best vampire staking on the show to date.

Christine: I agree with that assessment. His look of horror when he held the rock and stake conveyed that he didn't want to do it, but knew he would have to. Judith turned out to be an ineffectual vampire servant, and it might have been nice if she'd gotten in the way a bit more, but I still enjoyed it the way it played out.

Dark Shadows Episode 775 - 6/13/69

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Rachel enters the basement of the abandoned house, looking for Tim. She finds the coffin, and wonders why it's there. She sees a lit candle, and is sure Tim had been there. She decides to wait for him. She opens the coffin and finds it empty. As she waits, someone enters. She calls to Tim, but is surprised to see that it's Dirk. He says that Tim can't see her now. Rachel asks what happened. He says she shouldn't have come. He says he's not going to hurt her. She tells him to stay away, and he bites her.

Barnabas arrives at the main house to see Edward. Edward asks where Barnabas has been. He says he's been searching for Dirk. Edward asks if Barnabas thinks he's dead. He says he is convinced that a vampire or some supernatural creature is running loose around the estate. He says a vampire's attack will result in a radical personality change in the victim, turning them into a walking dead person. He opens the door to the drawing room to show him Judith, with two marks on her neck. She says hello to Barnabas. Barnabas asks Edward if he found what he wants to know.

Edward closes the door. Barnabas asks if Edward no longer suspects him of being a vampire, and he apologizes. He says Judith went to see Barnabas at the old house, and Trask brought her back to the main house in this condition. Barnabas says the creature must be found and destroyed. He says that Judith may be able to help them, and offers to help take her to her room.

Dirk tells Rachel there's no longer anything to be frightened about. She asks about Tim, and Dirk tells her not to worry about Tim, and that she's going to help him now.

Judith is asleep in bed as Barnabas and Edward stand over her. Barnabas tells Edward to watch over her, in case the vampire doesn't lure her away. He says he won't be able to stop her, but she may lead him to Dirk's coffin. In the meantime, Barnabas leaves to continue the search for Dirk.

Edward watches over Judtih. He hears a door, and goes to investigate. He calls for whoever it was to answer him, but no one does. He hears more noises, goes into the hall and demands an answer. He goes downstairs and finds the front doors open. He closes them. He checks the drawing room, and also finds it empty. He goes back upstairs, and is grabbed from behind by Dirk, who knocks him out. The front doors shut on their own.

Dirk stands over Judith. He says there's something she must do. He says she can't tell anyone that she's seen him. She says that she will leave the house at dawn, and gives her a gun to use if necessary.

Edward comes to at the top of the stairs. He goes to check on Judith.

Dirk asks Judith if she's ready to do as he asked, and she says yes. He disappears as Edward comes running. She hides the gun under her pillow. He asks her who was in the room, and she denies anyone was there. He pleads with her to tell him who was there, but she says it was only the two of them.

Barnabas loads a gun with two silver bullets, and places it on the mantle. Dirk appears behind him. He says he wants to make Barnabas a proposition. Barnabas says he's not interested, until Dirk explains he has Rachel as a prisoner. Dirk tells him he wants Barnabas to get Laura back. Barnabas says he can't. Dirk says he'll find a way if he ever wants to see Rachel again. Barnabas assures him that Laura is dead. Dirk gives him until dawn, and then Rachel will die. Barnabas grabs for the gun, and Dirk says that by the time he finds Rachel, she'll be dead.

Edward enters Judith's room and tells her it will be light in another hour. He is shocked to see her bed is empty.

Dirk returns to the abandoned basement. He tells Rachel he's waiting for Laura to come back. Rachel points out that she's dead, and Dirk says there are people with powers over death. Dirk is upset thinking about Laura. He hears a rooster, and realizes that Barnabas has failed. He says he warned him to be there by dawn, and he'll be sorry.

Dirk opens his coffin. He gets inside and closes the lid. Rachel hears someone enter the basement, and is surprised to see Judith. She apologizes to Rachel, and points her gun at her.

Our thoughts

John: Damn, vampire-Dirk is working overtime! Three necks in one night? That's a new Dark Shadows record!

Christine: You've got to hand it to him. He's got at least two servants working for him, which gives him a significant advantage over Barnabas. It's questionable whether or not Tim is also a servant or if he did him in, as we haven't seen him since Dirk showed him his fangs.

John: I wonder if Edward read up on vampires in the books in the drawing room? He's become quite the expert in no time at all. Fortunately, it hasn't allowed him to figure out that his cousin is also a vampire!

Christine: Surely he must have noticed that Barnabas is never out and about during the day.

John: If Dirk only gives Barnabas a couple of hours to do the impossible, why not just shoot the bastard? If anything, with Dirk dead, she should be free of his spell. Wouldn't you think Barnabas would know this?

Christine: I was thinking the same thing, but you know the romantic vampire couldn't take a chance, believing that Dirk may have locked his sweetheart away somewhere where she might starve to death before he could find her. I was surprised that Dirk's motivation was to get Barnabas to restore Laura rather than expose him as the town vampire for the sake of revenge. Becoming a crazy vampire makes him even scarier than the unstable human he was, which was pretty frightening already.

Dark Shadows Episode 774 - 6/12/69

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Tim sneaks into the basement of the abandoned house. He lights a candle and looks around. He sees a coffin in he basement. He opens it up and looks inside to find it empty.

Dirk returns to the abandoned house and enters the basement. Tim is surprised to see Dirk, and Dirk asks Tim what he's doing there. He assumes the Collins' sent Tim to find him. Tim is confused, and asks if Dirk is okay. Dirk says he's alright, but Tim shouldn't have come there. He explains he was hiding there, and Tim says he won't tell anyone. Dirk adds that Tim won't be leaving. He points out that Tim obviously saw the coffin, which isn't empty during the day. Tim asks what's in it during the day, and Dirk says that he is. He tells Tim that he will find out his secret soon enough, and he approaches him with bared fangs.

Trask tells Rachel it will be easier if she tells him everything. She says she can't tell him what she doesn't know. He says that his wife is dead, poisoned in a plan by Rachel and Tim. She says that's a lie. Trask demands to know where Tim is. She says she doesn't know, and that she wouldn't tell him if she did. He asks if she'd rather be questioned by the police, and she says that she would. He tells her that she has always occupied a special place in his thoughts, so he's going to allow her to prove her innocence. He says that she cannot leave under any circumstance. If she leaves, he will assume it is to help Tim, in which case he will have her arrested as an accomplice to murder.

Judith arrives at the school, and asks Trask if there's anything she can do for him. He thanks her for expressing condolences. Trask tells her that his wife was his reason for being. Judith puts her hand on his arm and says that she would want him to go on. He describes his wife as the lifeblood of the institution, and Judith reminds him that the school still has him. Judith suggests that he get some rest, and he says he can't until her murderer is brought to justice. Judith asks if he's been caught yet. Trask says that he thinks Rachel knows where Tim is hiding. Judith offers to speak to Rachel. Trask goes to get her.

Rachel makes her way through the woods.

Trask returns and says Rachel is gone, surely off to find Tim. He says that they must be planning to leave Collinsport, but they'll need the help of someone in Collinsport. He asks if anyone in Collinwood might help them, and Judith says Barnabas might. She says she'll go to him and explain what happened, so that he won't help Tim or Rachel. She leaves, and Trask calls Evan. He tells him that everything is going smoothly. Trask thanks Evan for his service, and says that his secret vice will remain a secret.

Judith arrives at the old house and lets herself in. She calls for Barnabas. Dirk comes out, and she asks where he's been. Dirk reminds her that she dismissed him. She demands to know what he told Jamison. He says knowing might damage the Collins family name. She gives him 24 hours to leave the estate, or she'll call the police. He says she won't get a chance to do that. He says that a lot has changed in the last few days. He grabs her, and she tells him to get out of her way. She says he doesn't boss him around any more. He tells her that they are about to change roles. He will be the master, and she will be his servant. She tells him to let her leave, and he can have all the time he needs. He leans in to bite her neck.

Rachel returns to the old house. She looks in the window, sees Judith, and leaves.

Judith sits in a chair, blood dripping from her neck wound.

Trask arrives, saying he came to offer his assistance. He asks if she spoke to Barnabas, and notices that there's a change in her behavior. He asks her what happened. He offers to summon a doctor when he sees the marks on her neck. He asks again what happened, noting that he found similar marks on Charity's neck. She says she can't tell because she's afraid. He says he must find who's responsible, as he's already suffered one loss, and doesn't want to lose her, too.

Judith asks him to take her back to Collinwood. He realized that when he came in, she mentioned Dirk's name. He asks what kind of inhuman animal Dirk is.

Rachel enters the basement of the abandoned house, and finds a coffin. She wonders why it's there. She sees a lit candle, and is sure Tim had been there. She decides to wait for him. She opens the coffin and finds it empty. As she waits, Dirk enters.

Our thoughts

John: Ah, the old empty coffin tease... How many times will we be burned by that cliffhanger?

Christine: Twice in today's episode! I thought Rachel was going to find Tim lounging in there at the end of the episode. I guess we should have started an empty coffin tracker long ago.

John: Dirk was at his creep best today. He actually seemed somewhat restrained in his performance, which made it much more effective. The extra eye make-up didn't hurt.

Christine: I feel somewhat disappointed that he was not his usual over the top self. Like Vampire Tom, he also seems to enjoy the undead lifestyle, biting everyone within fang's reach so far.

John: Ewww! Poor Judith! Do you suppose cozying up to the Collins' matriarch was Trask's plan all along when he coordinated with Evan to have his wife taken out? Of course, being the next Mrs. Trask would still be preferable to being one of Dirk's vampire brides!

Christine: I think both options are equally disagreeable. It is possible Trask got rid of Minerva to set himself up with Judith. If so, it will be interesting to see how long he'll spend in mourning before he puts the moves on her. If that doesn't work out, he may also be setting himself up to blackmail Rachel into a relationship in order to protect Tim. Or maybe he plans to do both.

Dark Shadows Episode 773 - 6/11/69

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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 she just wants to relax and have her tea, 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 takes a sip. She complains that it's bitter, and he offers her more sugar.

She gets up and adds more water to it. She sits back down to play cards, and Tim watches her as she drinks. She asks him what he's staring at, and tells him to go to his room. He just stands there. She gets up suddenly. He asks her what's wrong. She says she has high blood pressure. She then complains of a pain, and asks him to leave.

She tries to get up to call a doctor, and Tim says he'll take care of that. He picks up the phone and repeatedly asks for an operator. He tells her the line is out of order. She moans in pain. She asks him for help, and when he does nothing, she calls out to Charity. She collapses.

Charity sips tea. and asks Rachel how she can fail a girl for sewing, explaining her father is a very instrumental figure. She suggests they give her a D. Charity asks Rachel if she has permission to go out this evening. She then says she doesn't know what Tim told her, but she broke off the engagement. Rachel was not aware.

Mrs. Trask comes to, and says that Tim did this to her. She asks why, and he says she played the Queen of Spades. She calls him a murderer, and then dies. Tim tells her that he was told that it would happen when she played the Queen of Spades.

Evan enters and checks Mrs. Trask's pulse. He tells Tim that he's done well. He picks up the Queen of Spades, and tells him to look him in the eyes. He shows him the card, and says when he tears it up, he will forget all the plans they made about Mrs. Trask.

He gives Tim the card, and tells him to tear it up. Tim does as he's told. Tim comes out of his trance, and Evan yells that he did it, pointing at Mrs. Trask. Tim turns and sees her. He says she's dead. Evan says her last words were calling Tim a murderer. Evan goes to call the police, and Tim struggles with him, ultimately knocking Evan out.

Rachel says she'll be happy to explain her grades to Charity's father. Charity leaves, and Tim goes into Rachel's room. He tells her that she's got to help him.

Charity looks at her dead mother in shock. Evan asks if Tim had a motive for killing her. Charity says she's not dead. Evan says the police will catch Tim. Charity says her father won't let her mother be dead. She asks Evan where he is. He tells her she said he was going into Collinsport. Charity asks why he's not looking for Tim. He explains that Tim is violent, and he's unarmed. Charity says she knows where Tim is—he's with Rachel. She takes a gun out of a drawer and gives it to Evan. He asks where Rachel's room is.

Rachel tries to understand what happened, and Tim asks if she thinks he did it. He admits that he hated Mrs. Trask, but he didn't kill her. She asks if he remembers anything. He says he went to her to apologize. Rachel suggests that Evan may have killed her, and tried to frame him. She tells him to go to the abandoned house near Collinwood where they escaped to previously. She says she'll bring him money after breakfast. He tells her to be careful, as they'll be watching her.

There's a knock at the door, and it's Evan demanding that she open the door immediately. He tells her that she is an accomplice to murder if Tim is in her room.

She helps Tim out the window while explaining she was just getting ready for bed. She opens the door and Evan comes in with a gun. She asks what he's doing, and he tells her that she knows. He asks if Tim went out the window, and where he's running to. He grabs her arm and demands that she tell him where Tim is.

He asks if they planned the murder together, and she asks what he happens to be doing at the house. He says he came to get the translation he commissioned from Tim. She tells him to let her go. He throws her aside. He asks if he should get rougher. He leaves her, taking the key to her room. He says she won't be alone for long.

Tim sneaks into the basement of the abandoned house. He lights a candle and looks around. He sees a coffin in the basement. He opens it up and looks inside.

Our thoughts

John: Mrs. Trask sure seemed like she was going to be one of those characters who was not quite dead yet. I was sure she was dead after Tim poisoned her, but then she needed to come to long enough to call him a murderer as Evan entered. And don't think we missed that blink when Charity was giving her the wide-eyed look (which reminded me of our old pal the wide-eyed skeleton).

Christine: There is certainly some resemblance around the eyes.

John: Is this deja vu all over again for Tim? Trying to run away from a crime he's not even sure that he committed? You'd think he'd have difficulty getting tenure at the school under such circumstances...

Christine: It seems like Trask engineered it to happen that way. Nice little bit of swordplay between Tim and Evan.

John: If it hadn't been Roger Davis' day off, I'm willing to bet that we would have seen him inside that coffin! Of course, one must wonder where he got himself a coffin in his time of need. Do you think there's a Casket Outlet in Collinsport?

Christine: When Beth and Barnabas found an open grave in Episode 771, Barnabas said that Dirk had found his secret sleeping place, so he must have procured a used coffin. I hope this means we'll meet up with Vampire Dirk tomorrow. I don't believe he can meet the standard set by Vampire Tom, but I do expect him to try in the most over the top way possible.