Dark Shadows Episode 595 - 10/4/68

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In the old house, Barnabas wonders who Adam could have found to provide the life force when there's a knock at the door. Barnabas opens it, and a woman who identifies herself as Leona Eltridge, saying Adam asked her to come. Adam enters and tells Barnabas that she will provide the life force for his mate. He asks if Julia is there, and he says he doesn't know where she is. Adam says he must find her so they can complete the experiment tonight. Adam starts to take Leona upstairs to rest. Barnabas asks her who she is, where she came from, and why she agreed to participate in the experiment. Adam tells him his questions are not important, and demands that he find Julia. After Adam goes upstairs, Julia and Stokes arrive at the old house. Barnabas tells her that since she's been gone, many things have happened that he can't explain.

Adam brings Leona into Josette's room. She lies down on the bed. Adam asks her who she is, and she says she's a good friend of Nicholas. She tells Adam that no one must know they only met tonight, nor that Nicholas Blair has anything to do with it. He agrees to keep the promise.

Julia tells Barnabas it isn't possible, reiterating that Carolyn was dead. He says he spoke to her, and she offered to proceed with the experiment. Adam said that he would provide a new life force, and he showed up at the old house with Leona Eltridge. Stokes asks how to spell her name, and Barnabas says he doesn't know. Adam comes downstairs and tells Julia that this time, the experiment must succeed and his mate must life. Julia goes downstairs to prepare for the experiment, and Stokes asks if he can speak to Leona. Barnabas suggests that he's afraid for her to speak to anyone. Stokes says that perhaps the woman wouldn't object to his speaking to her for a few moments.

In Josette's room, Leona lies on the bed, staring into the distance. She thinks that if the experiment succeeds, she will destroy all these people. Adam comes back in and says there's a man, Professor Stokes, that wants to speak to her. She says Nicholas told her about him, and she'd be happy to speak to him. She tells Adam he'll believe every word she says, and tells Adam to send him in.

He brings in Stokes and leaves them alone. Stokes introduces himself and sits down. He says she's a bit of a mystery to them, and asks how she met Adam and became involved in all this. She says she knew of the experiment through Dr. Lang. She says they were in love, and she wants it to succeed. He suggests that she must love him if she's willing to risk her life for his experiment. She explains that she's got an incurable disease. She says she's going to die a painful death soon, and removes her scarf. Stokes asks how she found Adam. She says she's willing to answer his questions, but she'd like to sleep for a while. He says she's cleared up most of the mystery. He leaves her alone and Adam returns. He asks if Stokes believed her, and she says he did, and the others will, too.

Barnabas asks Stokes if he believes her story, and he says there's something curious about her. He says there's something about the way she spells her name, and then excuses himself.

Julia toys with the master switch in the basement. Barnabas comes downstairs to check on her.

Later in the lab, Julia tells Barnabas she doesn't trust the woman's story. Barnabas says they don't have a choice. Adam comes downstairs with Leona, who is now wearing a gown. She gets up on the operating table. Barnabas tells Adam if the experiment is a success, his mate will come to life without knowledge and experience. He asks who will take care of that, and Adam says that he will. Julia goes to give Leona a shot for the pain, and she says she doesn't want it. Julia tells her what to expect as the experiment starts.

Julia asks Barnabas to monitor Leona's pulse, and tells Adam to get out of the way. He says he'll stay by his mate so he can see when she comes to life. Julia throws the master switch. The lights dim and she flips a few more switches. Julia asks about her pulse, and Barnabas says it's weaker. Leona screams. Barnabas tells her there's no pulse. Adam asks what's wrong. Julia checks the mate. She walks to the master switch and turns it off. She says Leona is dead. They hear a moaning under the sheet of Adam's mate. He slowly removes the bandages and says her eyes are open. He exclaims that, "she is alive!"

Our thoughts

John: I can't believe that anyone would believe Leona's tall tale, and expect that Barnabas would insist on knowing more, or at least vetting her story, before proceeding.

Christine: I think they all just want to get it over with, much like the rest of us.

John: Isn't it a bit odd that people would just sit down and use Josette's hairbrush? Haven't Maggie, Vicki, and now Leona all done that at one time or another?

Christine: I don't think it's too odd. It makes sense that she'd want to look nice before dying on the operating table.

John: So now we are to believe that the provider of the life force's looks were also transferred in the experiment? Shouldn't this make Adam even more upset about not using Carolyn? I'm sure it was cheaper that hiring two actresses. Although I wonder if there's ever been a person in the bandages on the operating table. Maybe the resident Dark Shadows hand model?

Christine: It is actually a different actress. Today is Erica Fitz's last appearance as Leona. I'm surprised they didn't bring her back in another role. She seemed to hold her own quite nicely. Eve is played by Marie Wallace. I thought it was interesting that they put so much eye makeup on her before bandaging her up. I guess they really wanted Adam to be pleased with her appearance when he unwrapped her.

Dark Shadows Episode 594 - 10/3/68

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Outside of Collinwood, Barnabas realizes that he can't bring himself to tell everyone the truth. Then he decides he must tell them about Carolyn, and knocks on the door. He is shocked when she answers. She asks him what's wrong, but he's speechless. She pulls him in, and he asks her if she's all right. She tells him that she only fainted. He asks what she remembers after that, and she says she woke up in her bedroom. She assumed he and Julia brought her to Collinwood, and when he says they did not, she says it must have been Adam. She asks if they'll try the experiment again. He says no, and abruptly leaves.

Outside the house, Barnabas marvels at the fact that Carolyn is alive. He wonders if Julia could have made a mistake, but thinks that as a doctor, she couldn't make that big of a mistake.

Adam is shocked to hear that Carolyn is alive. Blair tells him that he has special powers. He adds that he will provide a new life force, and she will be far more beautiful than Carolyn. He tells Adam that he will love her as much as he loves Carolyn now. Adam says he wants to see Carolyn, and Blair says he'll summon her, but he needs to say goodbye, because his mate, Eve, will be created tonight.

Carolyn comes by to visit Adam. He tells her how happy he is to see her. She says she thought he would be disappointed the experiment didn't work. He offers to go through it again, and he tells her she cannot. He says that someone else will provide the life force. She says she wants to be involved, so that she can help him. He tells her she's making it difficult to say goodbye. He tells her once the experiment is completed, he will be leaving. She says that she'll miss him, and he asks her not to forget him. She says she always will. He asks to hold her, and she lets him. He asks if he can kiss her, and she says yes. They kiss and Adam says goodbye.

Adam goes to the old house, and tells Barnabas they will complete the experiment tonight. Barnabas asks if he wants to risk Carolyn's life, and Adam tells him he'll provide the life force.

Carolyn tells Blair that she wishes she could help Adam. He tells her there is a way; if she'll participate in a ritual to summon a woman who has been dead for hundreds of years.

Blair leads Carolyn to his basement. He gives her matches and tells her to light some candles. He has her sit down in a chair at a table surrounded by circles. He warns her not to set foot outside the circle, as the one they are rising from the grave will  kill her. He tells her he will be summoning the spirit of Danielle Roget, a woman who enjoys the spectacle of death, and sent two members of her own family to the guillotine. Blair tells Carolyn he will protect her.

He gives her a script to recite, and she begins calling for Danielle. As she does, a woman's screaming voice is heard. Carolyn says she can't stand it, and gets up to leave. Blair tells her she cannot leave the circle. She passes out, and a woman's voice asks why he protects her. Danielle appears, and Blair asks her if she'd like to live again. She says it's not possible. He tells her to appear to him as she did in life when the clock strikes 3. She asks him to let her kill Carolyn, and he sends her back to her grave. She disappears and Carolyn comes to. He offers to take her home.

The clock in Collinwood shows 2:45 when Blair returns with Carolyn. She says she'll never forget the terrible screaming and laughter. He tells her to look into his eyes, and he hypnotizes here so that she will forget all that happened tonight, including the experiment. He brings her out of the hypnotized state and bids her goodnight.

In the old house, Barnabas wonders who Adam could have found to provide the life force when there's a knock at the door. Barnabas opens it, and a woman who identifies herself as Leona Eltridge, a friend of Adam's. Adam enters and tells Barnabas that she will provide the life force for his mate.

Our thoughts

John: I got a good laugh out of Barnabas suggesting that Julia couldn't make a mistake.

Christine: Barnabas sure has come a long way. When are those two going to get together, anyway?

John: I had forgotten about Carolyn's M.O., where she hates someone until they they demonstrate they don't need/want her. I'm beginning to think that she's not so much under Blair's spell as she is falling for Frankenstein, as he threatens to walk out of her life. Just wait until Eve arrives and she really has someone to be jealous of!

Christine: I thought it was interesting the way Carolyn so readily agreed to participate in a ritual with Blair. His witchcraft makes me wonder where Angelique has been hiding lately. Did she run off with Jeff Clark?

John: It's been a while since a new character was introduced! I'm curious if Danielle will have history with Barnabas or Angelique from her French Revolution days, or if the writers just pulled her out of a hat to add a new supernatural flavor to the mix.

Christine: While Danielle Roget's pseudonym is listed as 'Leona Eltridge' in credits, I'm quite sure she introduced herself as Leona Eldritch, which I think may be a more appropriate name. Nicholas Blair seems to be the one who has Adam thinking his mate will take on the appearance of whoever provides the life force.

Dark Shadows Episode 593 - 10/2/68

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Barnabas stumbles upstairs and tells Julia that Adam is on his way to Collinwood to make good on his threat. He says they have to warn them. Julia tells him he can't make it, and she can go. She tells him to sit while she goes upstairs to get medication.

Julia grabs her bag in Josette's room, and notices that Carolyn is no longer lying in the bed.

Julia tells Barnabas that Carolyn's body is missing. He asks if she's sure she was dead, and she says she was. He tells her Adam must have come back and taken the body. She says she saw him leave, and he didn't come back. She then adds that if Adam did come back, it means he's not going right back to Collinwood.

Willie returns and says they're going stir crazy in the mausoleum. Barnabas tells him they have more important issues to deal with. He says Carolyn was involved in the experiment and died. He says Adam is on his way to Collinwood to carry out his threat. Willie says he saw Adam alone in the woods, sitting under a tree. Barnabas is confused if Adam wasn't going to Collinwood, and he didn't have Carolyn's body. Barnabas reminds Willie that he needs to keep watching over Maggie. Willie says that he can't keep drugging her, and she's eventually going to get out and report what she knows to the police. Julia agrees they should do something about Maggie, and offers to hypnotize her again. She tells Willie to meet her at the mausoleum in an hour, after which he'll be able to take her home.

Maggie wakes up in the mausoleum. She calls out for Willie, but he's not there. She opens the secret door to find Julia standing outside.

Maggie tries to leave, but Julia won't let her. Julia closes the secret door behind her. Maggie asks what Julia is doing there, and she says she's there to help her. Maggie asks if she's going to help Barnabas kill her. Julia tells her that Barnabas did try to kill her out of fear. Maggie tells her that she knows what Barnabas is. Julia tells her that he's changed. Julia tells her she'll be free if she cooperates with her. Julia pulls out her medallion and starts to hypnotizes Maggie. Maggie screams, and says that Julia made her forget everything before. She says she's going to let the whole world know what Barnabas is.

Julia returns to the old house, and Barnabas confirms that Willie made it back to the mausoleum. He's momentarily relieved, until she tells him that the hypnosis didn't work this time. Barnabas is uncharacteristically calm about the whole thing. Julia says they can't let her leave the mausoleum, and Barnabas says that Maggie is the least of his worries. He laments that his family is at risk, with one more member now dead. Barnabas says that he must spare his family further grief. He says he's going to go to Collinwood and tell the family everything, and accept the full consequences. Julia tries to talk him out of it. He tells her he's grateful for everything she's done for him, and he will do what he can to exonerate her. He leaves, and she paces around the drawing room.

Outside of Collinwood, Barnabas realizes that he can't bring himself to tell everyone the truth. Then he decides he must tell them about Carolyn, and knocks on the door. He is shocked when she answers.

Our thoughts

John: What's with Barnabas being so calm, cool and collected all of a sudden? He's been so keyed up these past few weeks, that came as quite a surprise. Even in the past, when resigned to his fate, he's never really been at peace. Of course, to no one's surprise, it didn't last.

Christine: Perhaps now that Barnabas is human he's finally beginning to mature.

John: It took them a while, but I think they finally mastered a good visual effect for Julia's hypnotizing medallion. Unfortunately, in looking better, it has apparently become less effective...

Christine: Maggie's awareness of her memory loss may have made her less receptive to having her memory wiped again. I do find it difficult to believe that Maggie would rather die than forget that Barnabas is a vampire who tried to make her his vampire bride. I think she's being a bit melodramatic.

John: Was there anyone who didn't anticipate Carolyn opening the door at the end of today's episode? Frankly, I'd love to know how she got out of the old house without walking past Barnabas and Julia. Perhaps she scaled the wall from the window in Josette's bedroom. She would have been the first to do that, which is pretty amazing when you consider how many women have been trapped in that room through the ages.

Christine: Of course we knew she'd be there, but it's nice to wonder how she got there and why she's smirking when she opens the door and sees him. Maybe she has also remembered that he was once a vampire who put the bite on her.

Dark Shadows Episode 592 - 10/1/68

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Julia throws the switch, starting the experiment. She turns knobs randomly, and Carolyn convulses. Then she screams. Julia tells Barnabas to mind the oscilloscope. Carolyn calls to Adam and he approaches her. Barnabas tells Adam to stay back, and tells Julia says the signal on the scope has collapsed. Julia checks Carolyn. She says if the mate doesn't come alive in 60 seconds, Carolyn will die. They all proceed to watch the second hand sweep across the face of the clock.

Barnabas says if the life force is leaving Carolyn, it should be going to the mate. He tells Julia to turn it off before Carolyn dies. She shuts it down and checks on the bodies. She then grabs a syringe and gives Carolyn a shot to revive her. Adam asks what's wrong. Barnabas explains the experiment wasn't working, and Carolyn was in danger. Adam says he will take her upstairs. Barnabas tells him to leave her alone. He picks her up, and tells Barnabas to get out of his way. He steps aside, and Adam takes Carolyn upstairs. Julia tells Barnabas that Carolyn reacted differently than he did. If she stays unconscious, her chances are slim. Barnabas tells her to go upstairs and save her. He says that if she dies, there will be no stopping Adam.

Adam lays Carolyn on the bed in Josette's room. She wakes, and he tells her she'll be all right. She asks what happened, and he mentions the experiment. He says he should not have let her go through with it. He tells her he had to stop it, because something was happening to her. She realizes that means he doesn't have his mate, and he tells her he's happy as long as she's alive. She says she feels a sharp pain. He offers to get Julia, but she asks him not to leave her. Carolyn describes being alone in a cold empty room with no way out. She says the walls began to crack, and then they fell down. She says she was suddenly surrounded by fog, but she couldn't move. She says she saw hazy forms floating in the air that began to take shape. She says it was a collection of dead things coming towards her, trying to take her life from her. Carolyn collapses again.

Julia comes in and finds Adam cradling Carolyn. She asks what happened. He tells her she was awake, and he told her she would be all right.

She tells him to put her down, and checks her vitals. She tells Adam that Carolyn is dead. Adam gets up and walks out of the room. She asks where he's going and he glares at her before leaving.

Barnabas hears Adam come into the lab. He asks why he's not with Carolyn. Adam tells him Carolyn is dead. Barnabas is shocked. Adam accuses them of killing her, and he tells him that he will pay. Barnabas reminds Adam that she was part of his family, and if anyone is responsible for his death, he is.

Adam tells him he warned him what would happen to Vicki and his family if anything happened to Carolyn, and he starts upstairs. Barnabas tries to stop him, and after a brief struggle, Adam knocks him out.

Julia sees Adam go out the front door. Barnabas stumbles upstairs and says Adam is on his way to Collinwood to make good on his threat. He says they have to warn them. Julia tells him he can't make it, and she can go. She tells him to sit while she goes upstairs to get medication.

Julia grabs her bag in Josette's room, and notices that Carolyn is no longer lying in the bed.

Our thoughts

John: I love how Julia points out that if Carolyn stays unconscious, her chances are slim. So that's your expert opinion, doctor?

Christine: Remember back in the early days when Julia was just an expert on blood diseases and then became part time psychoanalyst? Now she's an authority on creating life. If Dr. Lang could see her now!

John: What a pleasant surprise to see our old pal the dream-curse skull making a cameo in Carolyn's fever dream. And here I thought we had seen the last of him!

Christine: I think we can expect that skull to be repurposed almost as often as Maggie's quilt, which showed up in Josette's room today. But what was up with the goblin head, and will we see that again? Are we to assume that Carolyn's raving about body parts and walls falling down means that Carolyn is remembering whatever Adam's mate had seen before she met her end?

John: Come on. Carolyn, dead? I didn't believe it for a second. Although to be perfectly honest, I was really hoping Julia would find the mummified mate wandering around upstairs when she went to get her bag.

Christine: Adam really has a lot of nerve to blame Barnabas and Julia when he really should be mad at Nicholas for insisting that Carolyn be used for the life force, and himself for going along with it. He also may have killed her just by moving her around when she was in a fragile state after the experiment. Adam is really getting to be an obnoxious lout. Perhaps he's more like Barnabas than he wants to admit.

Dark Shadows Episode 591 - 9/30/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Adam tells Barnabas and Julia that if anything happens to Carolyn, they will suffer. Adam exposes the bandaged head of his mate, and he tells Julia to remove the bandages so he can see her. She explains the bandages will prevent  her from being scarred like he is. Adam says he is excited that he will soon see two Carolyn's, and Julia explains she won't look like her. He asks if she'll be like Carolyn, and Julia says, "if they use Carolyn as the life force." Adam grabs Julia and tells her she's not to try and talk her out of it.

He asks again if she'll be like Carolyn, or if she'll be like him—vastly different from the one who provided his life force. Julia explains that they've only done the experiment once before, and Lang felt they could transfer someone's personality, so Carolyn's spirit may be transferred. He says she'd better hope it's true, and Barnabas asks if this is another one of his threats. Adam asks Barnabas why they're different, and he says it may be because they are both alive. Adam says Carolyn must live, and Barnabas tells him if he thought Carolyn might not survive, he'd stop the experiment now. Barnabas reminds him that part of their deal is that Adam will leave with his mate once she's alive. Barnabas goes upstairs to get Carolyn. Adam asks Julia if she's afraid, and she suggests that he might be afraid. He asks what he'll do if his mate looks at him and doesn't like what she sees.

In Josette's room, Barnabas tells Carolyn that he can't let her go on with the experiment. He says he'll find someone else. She says she owes Adam, because he loves her. She says he worships her without knowing who she really is. Barnabas suggests that she's in love with Adam.

Adam enters and tells them Julia's waiting. Adam sends Barnabas ahead. Once they are alone, Adam asks Carolyn if she's frightened. She says that she's not, though perhaps she should be. He hugs her, and tells her he doesn't want her to be frightened.

He says that was the first time she let him hold her. She says she wants to get the experiment over with, and he asks her if she's ever thought of going far away from Collinwood, where she can live her own life. He tells her that Stokes told him people often live the life that's expected of them. He asks her to run away with him, and she says she doesn't want to have that conversation with him. She says she has thought about him, but won't say what she thought. He tells her that once the experiment is over, he has to leave, so it's the last time they have to talk. She says that he's attractive, and that she doesn't even see his scars anymore. He says they can get married and avoid the experiment. She tells him she's going downstairs, and he asks her to wait. He kisses her forehead.

In the lab, Julia says she wishes it wasn't Carolyn. Adam comes downstairs, and says Carolyn is coming. They say they both hope she would have changed her mind. Adam tells Julia that both Carolyn and his mate must live.

Carolyn comes downstairs and examines the bandaged mate. She asks to see her. Adam says she won't be as beautiful as her. She tells him that he must judge her fairly, and he agrees. Julia tells Adam that he must leave during the experiment. His presence will interfere with the experiment. Carolyn tells them to stop fighting, and asks if they can please start the experiment. Adam lifts her up on to the operating table. Julia tells Adam that he must stand out of the way and not move or speak.

They strap Carolyn down, and Julia throws the switch, starting the experiment. She turns knobs randomly, and Carolyn convulses and screams. Julia tells Barnabas to mind the oscilloscope. Carolyn calls to Adam and he approaches her.

Barnabas tells Adam to stay back, and tells Julia the signal on the scope has collapsed. Julia checks Carolyn. She says if the mate doesn't come alive in 60 seconds, Carolyn will die. They all proceed to watch the second hand sweep across the face of the clock.

Our thoughts

John: Sometimes I wonder about Adam. He waffles between smart and sophisticated, and childlike and naive. He doesn't look anything like Barnabas, and yet he thought his mate might end up looking like Carolyn?

Christine: He suddenly seemed very confused about how the experiment was supposed to work. 

John: This is an interesting development. Carolyn seems to be acting independently, and not just because she's under Blair's control. I find it hard to believe, though, considering how superficial she's always been, that she would be able to look past Adam's scars...

Christine: Yes, in keeping with the theme of having characters act in ways we wouldn't expect today, Carolyn now realizes that she loves Adam. But it was really taking things way too far when Julia said, "Barnabas, please don't try to handle me."

John: Weren't both specimens to have some sort of brain-cap for the life force transfer? I love how when Julia says they have 60 seconds, they all focus on the clock, as opposed to either of the two bodies in the experiment...

Christine: Their heads were restrained when Lang performed the experiment in Episode 485, but no brain caps were used.  Whatever happened to Angelique and Jeff Clark? It's out of character for Angelique to not have her way, so I'm surprised she didn't do something to try and prevent the experiment from going on without her.