Dark Shadows Episode 802 - 7/22/69

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Victor apologizes to Magda for Aristede's behavior. He pours her a drink, and she notices his cufflink matches the mark on Julianka's forehead. Victor starts to walk away, and Quentin grapples with him, ultimately pulling his right hand off. Magda realizes that Victor is in fact Count Petofi. Quentin hands him back his fake hand. Magda says he's a demon from hell. Victor asks if he was Count Petofi, would he be ashamed of it. Magda tells Quentin that he was a werewolf, and 100 years ago they cut off his hand as payment for curing him. Victor says Petofi is the only one who owned a unicorn. He then says it was killed by a wolf. Quentin stops him. He says werewolves don't remember what happened to them. Victor introduces himself to Quentin as Count Petofi.

Magda says Petofi is dead. Quentin says he's seen ghosts before. Petofi picks up a letter opener and cuts his face, asking if ghosts bleed. Victor says that all they need to know is that he's determined to have the Hand. Magda explains that they don't have the Hand, and he gives them until morning to get it.

Quentin picks up the letter opener and prevents him from leaving. He says if he's human, that also means he can die. He demands to know how he was cured. Victor asks Magda if he should hypnotize Quentin. Magda tells Quentin to let him go. Petofi slaps the letter opener out of Quentin's hand. He tells Quentin that to get something, he must pay the price. He holds up his hand and says he paid his price, and Quentin must pay his.

Petofi leaves, and Magda says they must get the Hand. Quentin suggests that they could fight him. Magda says Evan has books about Petofi. Quentin reminds her that he's not friends with Evan anymore. Magda warns him not to do anything foolish, and he runs off to do something foolish.

Evan is freaking out, continually thinking he's seeing the Hand in his house. He is startled by a knock at the door, until he hears Quentin's voice. He lets him in and is very cordial. Evan's eyes dart around his house. Quentin asks what he sees. Evan asks if he can see it, and Quentin says there's nothing there. Evan suggests that they go out, and Quentin says he came for Evan's help with the Hand of Petofi. He says he wants his books on the subject. Evan says he tried to tell him, and Quentin asks who he tried to tell. Evan is afraid the Hand will be used against him. Quentin threatens to kill him if he doesn't tell him. Evan says that Tim has the Hand. Evan tells him to never come to him about the Hand again.

Magda tries to see the future in a crystal ball. Quentin comes in and tells her that Tim has the Hand. He says that he left on the evening train, and no one knows where he went.

Victor comes downstairs and runs into Jamison. Jamison asks where he's going. Victor asks him if he has ever run away, and says that in a sense, he is. Victor asks Jamison to kiss him goodbye. He kisses him on the cheek.

Magda and Quentin arrive, and Victor tells Jamison they have come to say goodbye, and sends him upstairs. He tells them he's going to leave for a while, but will give them more time to find his hand. He says he's leaving them with a present they won't like at first, but will appreciate in time. He says he'll be back in a little while, perhaps after they have the Hand, and he will undo some of the mischief he has started. He adds that he will be watching them, even though they won't see him.

Quentin says he's lying, and Magda tells him that it takes powers to live as long as he has. From upstairs, Jamison interrupts them. Quentin tells Jamison to come downstairs, and Jamison refers to himself in the third person. He turns to Magda. Jamison asks why they're staring at his gloves. Magda says that he is possessed.

Our thoughts

John: Curious why Count Petofi, this all-powerful warlock, would be so coy about his identity, particularly once it was pretty clear who he was. I do think it was awfully polite of Quentin to give him his fake hand back. And I'm sure the prop and wardrobe folks were thankful, too. How often do you think they'd make a blunder having Thayer David have to pretend one of his hands was missing?

Christine: If you go back and review episodes he appeared in, you may notice that he was very careful not to use that hand. In Episode 794, when Aristede says he must get the Hand back from Angelique, Petofi makes a point of slapping his right hand down on the table while exclaiming, "I must get it!" The clues were being laid out that he was Petofi all along, with his gloved hands, his hatred for gypsies, and his ability to tame werewolf Quentin.

Episode 794

John: Nice to see Evan so skittish for a change, but isn't it strange that an occult object would have such an effect on a devotee of the black arts?

Christine: I think his extreme anxiety was due to the fact that Tim knew he had hypnotized him to murder Minerva Trask and might use the Hand against him to make him pay for it.

John: Stranger danger! I don't think I've ever see Jamison kiss his father, and here this strange old geezer convinces him to kiss him at the drop of a hat? Forget the risk of possession - that's plain creepy right on the surface.

Christine: I think we can see now where Quentin's ghost got the idea to possess David, though he did it without requiring a kiss, which may indicate that Petofi only asked him to do it for gross, pervy reasons.  Where do you suppose Jamison got the gloves?

Dark Shadows Episode 800 - 7/18/69

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Tim peers into the old house, where Magda is at when the Hand appears in the fireplace. She runs out of the house screaming, and Tim comes in. He finds a severed hand on the floor, and picks it up. He tells the Hand that it's exactly what he needs.

Magda comes to Collinwood and asks Quentin for a drink. She says he shouldn't come to the old house because the Hand came out of the fireplace. She says she had no idea how evil the Hand is. He says he knows, reminding her that it's responsible for the death of the son that he never saw. She wonders if she can help his daughter. He asks what happens when she marries, and has children. Magda says her sons will fear the full moon. He asks if he could do something about that, would she want him to, and she agrees. He tells her that he needs the Hand, and can give it to someone who can cure him. Magda asks who claims to know how to do it. Quentin says it's Aristede. Magda doesn't believe it, and says Quentin's a fool for believing him. He says he's willing to believe anything if it might cure him, and prevent the curse from passing down to future generations.

There's a knock at Evan's door, and he's shocked to see the Hand of Petofi. Tim steps forward and says they have important business to discuss.

Quentin and Magda search the old house, and she says the Hand is not there. She wonders if the Hand is traveling on its own.

Tim holds the Hand, and tells Evan he wants to know more about it. Evan says his training is in the law and not gypsy artifacts. Tim points out that he didn't say it was a gypsy artifact. He tells Evan that he knows he already knows about the Hand, because he heard Magda mention it. Tim approaches Evan with the Hand, and he says he'll let it work its will on him. Evan recoils as Tim approaches.

Evan tells Tim how the Hand came to be, and says that it can bring only evil. Tim then shows Evan a note, and asks him what it means. Evan reads it and says it's curious. Tim tells Evan to tell him what the Queen of Spades means. Evan denies that he does, but Tim accuses him of writing it. The oversize hand appears before Evan, and Tim asks why he wrote the note. Evan says Trask made him do it, as part of a plot to have his wife killed. Tim demands that Evan provide all the details.

Aristede meets Victor in the woods. Victor asks for the Hand. Aristede says he doesn't have it, and Victor slaps him around. Aristede explains that Quentin didn't bring it to The Blue Whale. Victor is not interested in his excuses. He says he has relied on Aristede for too long. Aristede says it's too dangerous to come out in the open. Victor makes a fist with his left hand and says that he must have that Hand.

Aristede and Victor search the old house when Quentin and Magda come in. He asks what they're doing. Victor says they can conduct their business in a more pleasant manner. Quentin asks what business he's referring to. Victor says Quentin has something he wants. Quentin knows he wants the Hand, and asks why. Victor says that he owned it once. He says he collects unique things, and accuses Magda of having the Hand. He says every gypsy has a price, and he's willing to pay it. She says she doesn't have it. He doesn't believe her. Aristede steps forward and slaps her. Victor tells Aristede to get out, and apologizes to Magda.

He pours her a drink, and she notices his cufflink matches the mark on Julianka's forehead. Victor starts to walk away, and Quentin grapples with him, ultimately pulling his right hand off. Magda realizes that Victor is in fact Count Petofi.

Our thoughts

John: I think you're right that Chris Jennings is the offspring of Quentin's unnamed daughter.

Christine: I can't believe how easily Quentin was fooled by Aristede, the guy who strapped him to a table below a descending pendulum blade, no matter how desperate he was for a cure.

John: So how did Tim become the master of the Hand of Petofi? And where did it go after threatening Evan? I did like the use of a practical effect (and some black curtains) to make it appear like the hand was just outside of Evan's front door.

Christine: Tim is certainly not the gentle, law-abiding schoolmaster he once was. I guess being hypnotized by a satanist could do that to you. I'm not quite sure how the Hand became his personal pet, though it may have something to do with Tim's desire to seek vengeance. That may be something the Hand can relate to.

John: So Victor is in fact Count Petofi. Former werewolf, and enemy of gypsies. And the poor guy just wants his hand back. Though I don't really understand why, as it's not like the hand is operating under his control.

Christine: Maybe the Hand enjoys the freedom of being on its own to mangle faces and fly around willy nilly as it desires, and is not anxious to return to its owner, who is quite fond of abusing his hand to beat on others. Lots of nice reveals today that set us up for some interesting episodes next week.

Dark Shadows Episode 798 - 7/16/69

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Barnabas and Magda hear three knocks on the door of the old house. Magda tells Barnabas that it's too late to do anything, and she cannot run away from her fate. She goes to the door and opens it. Sandor stands in the doorway. She berates him, saying he found another woman. He stumbles into the old house. She asks him what bad things he's been doing. Sandor says he saw Julianka. She asks what happened. Sandor falls to the ground with a knife in his back. Barnabas says that Sandor is cold and has been dead for a long time.

Quentin drinks as he listens to his theme in the drawing room.

Victor arranges a meeting with someone on the phone. He then enters the drawing room and says the music made him think he would find a lovesick lady. Quentin asks him if he's ever had his fortune told, and Victor tells him not to listen to gypsies. He asks if the gypsy is still living at the old house.

Magda and Barnabas stand over Sandor's grave. She says that one day she'll kill him as he sleeps in his coffin for what he did to Sandor. She offers up her neck to him, and he tells her that she will not kill him, nor will he bite her.

Quentin stands in the garden with a pistol. He hears someone calling for Aristede. He sees Victor and Aristede talking, but can't hear what they're saying. Aristede appears to be upset.

Aristede says that the fact that Victor killed Julianka has nothing to do with him. He asks why Victor didn't get the hand from her. He then apologizes to Victor. Victor threatens Aristede with mangle-face, which he describes as a gift from the unicorn. Aristede says he can't talk to Quentin, as he'll kill him, and Victor suggests that may be what he has in mind.

Magda says she cannot live without love, and whoever she loves must die. He tells her the same is true of him. She says she loves Quentin's son, and she must protect him. Barnabas tells her it can wait until morning, and she says she must do it tonight.

Aristede says he wants to get out alive. Victor says he will, if he speaks to Quentin. Victor tells him to go, and contact him when he feels more positive.

He leaves, and Quentin sneaks up on Victor. He puts his gun to Victor's head and asks him about Aristede, asking if he put him up to killing him. He lets Victor go, and Victor asks if Aristede really tried to kill him. Quentin says Victor knows Aristede very well. Victor plays dumb, and Quentin puts the gun under his chin. Victor says he doesn't really know Aristede, but Quentin doesn't buy it. Victor suggests they go inside and call the police. Quentin says he'll deal with it himself.

Quentin tells Barnabas there's a connection between Victor and Aristede, but they don't know what it is. Magda enters, and Quentin expresses his condolences about Sandor. She says no one else will die. Quentin asks what she means. She tells him that his son is dead. Barnabas resigns himself to the fact that it has happened. Quentin says he doesn't have a son, and Barnabas explains that Jenny had kids after Quentin left. He asks how his son died, and Magda says it was Julianka's curse. His caretaker heard a scream, and when she ran to his bed, he was dead. Cold, as if he had been dead for some time. Quentin asks about his daughter, and Magda says she's fine. Barnabas says she must stay alive if Chris Jennings is to stay alive in the future. Magda says she swears she'll fix them good. Quentin says there's no more fixing, and walks out.

Barnabas asks if she'll be alright. She tells him to do what he has to do, and she will do the same. He tells her to hide the hand, as Aristede is still looking for it. A rooster crows, and Barnabas heads down to the basement. Magda grabs an axe, takes the hand of Petofi, and says it won't cause any more trouble. She raises the axe to strike.

Our thoughts

John: I guess I got my answer to whether Thayer David would be playing two roles simultaneously in 1897. Just for one episode!

Christine: Poor Sandor had to die immediately before opening credits so he could have enough time to wash off all his makeup and change himself into Victor for the next scene. Quite impressive!

John: Did we have a new burial speed record? We never saw Julianka buried, but it sure seems like Sandor was under ground faster than anyone else in quite some time. Poor Sandor will be missed! How will Magda go on?

Christine: Sandor has been gone since Episode 750 and nobody ever asked about where he was, which just goes to show he wasn't really appreciated until he was truly gone. Barnabas said Quentin's daughter needs to be alright for Chris Jennings to be alright in the future. So, does that mean Quentin is Chris, Amy, and Tom's grandpa? What a sad way for Quentin to find out he's a dad. I wonder if he'll try to reclaim his daughter or if he'll assume she's better off without him.

John: Boy, in Victor's presence, Aristede is a completely different character than we've seen to date. By the time Victor was through with him today, I was ready for him to whine about not getting to go into Tosche Station to pick up power converters...

Christine: I loved the way Aristede pantomimed his conversation with Victor. It may have been more believable if both Victor and Aristede were not heard on separate occasions from Quentin's vantage point, which made the whole thing seem quite comical.

Dark Shadows Episode 794 - 7/10/69

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Angelique watches Quentin transform to a werewolf, as Victor watches through the window. He gets up, no severed hand on his chest. He walks out the front door. Victor says he must get the Hand, and enters the house. He looks around for it, but the Hand and the box are missing.

Angelique looks out the window of Collinwood, listening to a wolf howl in the distance. Victor returns to Collinwood and asks her if Edward is there. She says he might be in his study. He flatters her, and tells her that he will be staying at Collinwood for a week or two before leaving to explore the rest of the country. He asks if she's related to the family. She says that she was engaged to a family member, but it didn't work out. She says she is a guest like he is.

He asks her about her ancestors from Martinique, and asks if she has ever been there. She says that she never has. He asks her about the people there and their use of black and white magic. She says that interests her, but she has no direct knowledge of it. He tells her that he needs to return to the Collinsport Inn to get a gift for Edward that he left there. Angelique hears a strange warbling sound. She looks at the portrait of Barnabas, smiles, and leaves Collinwood.

Aristede is in The Blue Whale when Victor arrives. Aristede asks if he got the Hand. Victor says he can almost forgive Aristede s blunder, considering Angelique's beauty. Aristede smiles, and Victor reiterates, "almost." He explains that Angelique may be a formidable enemy, or a most valuable friend. Aristede says someone who attempts to kill him isn't a friend, and if he sees her again, he'll kill her. Victor says that he doubts that. He says he's convinced she has supernatural powers. Aristede asks Victor to let him try to get the Hand from her. Victor says it will take planning, and they must stay longer than planned. He adds that their forged letter convinced Edward Collins. Aristede must stay in the village, as no one must know of their relationship.

A woman enters and Victor is frightened. He says she's a gypsy. He leaves, and tells Aristede to meet him outside of Collinwood. Aristede introduces himself to the gypsy as she drinks at the bar. He tells her that she's beautiful. She asks if he knows Magda, and if so where she can find her. He says he can. He asks her name. She says she's Julianka. He offers to take her to Magda after they've had a drink together.

Angelique comes to see Barnabas. She asks if he's willing to admit that she was right, and his mission in this century is impossible. He asks if she has agreed to help Quentin, and she says that she has. She tells Barnabas that she got the Hand, and tried to use it. She says that Quentin underwent another transformation, and the Hand didn't work. He calls her a fool, and she says she'll try again.

He asks why she's trying to help and she says that Quentin has agreed to marry her. He tells her not to meddle in history, as it will impact lives in the future. She asks Barnabas what he's been doing since he's traveled back in time. He accuses her of doing it out of spite. She says bored with him, and she's sick of waiting. She storms out.

Aristede and Julianka are walking through the woods. He points out the old house, and tells her that's where Magda is living. She thanks him, and he says that she could repay him by joining him at The Blue Whale after she's done. He moves in on her and she pulls a knife. She tells him that he may see her again.

Julianka enters the old house. Barnabas asks who she is and what she wants. She asks him to come out of the shadows. She says she's looking for Magda. He asks why. She says that she was told she put a curse on someone in Collinwood, and she has come to end the curse. Barnabas asks if she can end the curse on Quentin. She says she can. She asks who he is, and he tells her. She says Sandor spoke of him.

Barnabas asks how she proposes to end the curse. She says she cannot tell. She says her great grandmother put the curse on Count Petofi. She says that she passed the secret of the curse down to her grandmother, who passed it on to her mother, who passed it on to her. She asks if Barnabas wants to know her price for providing the cure. She says that Magda stole something from King Johnny Romano's tribe. Barnabas says that neither he nor Magda have the Hand, though he knows who does. She tells him that Quentin's curse will go on if she doesn't have the Hand in 24 hours. He tells her to wait as he leaves, she reminds him that there will be no cure without the Hand.

Aristede stands in the woods, smoking. He hears a rustling, and is attacked by the werewolf. He screams, but the wolf pauses when Victor appears. He tells Aristede to run, and he approaches the werewolf. He tells him that he may not understand him now, but he will when the time comes. Victor tells the werewolf to do exactly what he tells him to do.

Our thoughts

John: Do you think the Hand of Petofi had the day off today? Or did someone misplace the prop?

Christine: Perhaps someone took it home to play pranks and didn't realize it needed to be back on set for the filming of today's episode. So, is the werewolf calm around Victor because he also has a furry face?

John: A cute little gypsy comes to town, and already the new kid is putting moves on her. I only wish that when she pulled the knife, she had a story like the one he told Quentin about the dancing girl...

Christine: When Angelique told Barnabas she was getting a husband for helping Quentin, I expected him to say he had no intention of marrying her, not yet knowing that she has finally decided to move on from her obsession over him. I wonder if he may be a tad bit jealous.

John: Do you think Barnabas is aware that Quentin's got a bad case of mangled-face? The last time he saw him was before Magda tried to de-curse him with the hand, right?

Christine: Barnabas last appeared in Episode 787 when Quentin was in jail but had not yet experienced the delightfully disfiguring effects of the Hand, though I think we can assume Magda filled him in. Our long lost pal, Bartender Bob Rooney, who last served drinks at the Blue Whale in Episode 358, made a mute appearance in today's episode, gesturing to the drink he'd just served Aristede after he ordered another, prompting Aristede to explain it was for someone else.

"Sinister Stranger"

So adorable when he's sleeping. 

She's just not that into you, Aristede.