Dark Shadows Episode 640 - 12/6/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

In the West Wing, Amy calls out to Quentin. She asks if he'll come out to see her. The door opens and David enters. He asks her why she came back to the room, suggesting she used the telephone again. They leave, and Amy says he's afraid. In her room, he explains that he's not afraid, they're just not allowed in the West Wing. He picks up the phone to prove he's not afraid, and hears nothing. He accuses her of lying about talking to Quentin.

David says they could have a seance to contact Quentin. He lights a candle, and tells her he's done these things lots of times. Amy turns out the light, and they sit at a small table. He explains how their hands must form an unbroken circle on the table. He tells her to concentrate on Quentin, and then proceeds to call to him. The door opens and they see a figure in the shadows at the end of the hall.

It approaches, and turns out to be Vicki dressed in black. She introduces herself to Amy as Vicki Clark. Vicki sends David back to his room, and prepares the bed for Amy. She sees the phone and asks where she got it. Amy says they went exploring. Vicki goes to tuck her in, and when she offers to tell Amy a story, she says that her brother Tom used to tell her stories. She then asks Amy if she can find out where her brother Chris is. Vicki tells her that she's sure he hasn't gone, and leaves her to go to sleep.

Muddy footprints lead to Chris Jennings' passed out body lying on the floor.

Carolyn is surprised to see Chris show up at Collinwood. She tells him he hasn't changed. She introduces Chris to Vicki (Clark), who offers to take him to Amy.

David tells Amy not to feel bad. He says he likes to be left alone. Chris walks in and Amy is thrilled to see him. Vicki takes David into the sitting room next door. Chris asks why she left the hospital, and she says she was afraid he would have left again.She asks if she can stay with him in Collinsport. He tells her it's impossible. He tells her he'll find her a nice home in town where she can stay. She's upset, and asks if she can stay with him. He tries to explain why she can't, and she refuses to listen. He leaves her.

Carolyn tells Chris he can't just leave her. She then says that her mother has offered to let Amy stay at Collinwood.

David tells Amy how much fun they would have if she stays at Collinwood. She doesn't say anything.

At The Blue Whale, Chris buys Carolyn a drink. He agrees to let Amy stay at Collinwood temporarily. Chris says it must seem weird to her that he doesn't take care of Amy himself. She points out that it must worry him. She asks if he could settle down, and when he says no, she points out that he could change.

She adds that it would be good for him to stay around town for a few weeks while Amy settles in. As it gets dark outside, he throws back his drink and calls the waitress for the check. As he looks at the waitress, he sees a pentagram over her face. Tom hastily exits the bar, leaving Carolyn alone. The waitress checks her make-up to see if there's something wrong, due to the way Chris had looked at her.

Back in his room, Chris chains himself to the heater. He then transforms into a werewolf, and attempts to break the chain holding him.

The waitress closes up The Blue Whale. She hears someone outside and tells them they're closed. She then sees a figure outside the window, it breaks through the window and she screams as it approaches her.

Our thoughts

John: How did David become the seance master all of a sudden? I don't recall him ever snooping while one was being conducted. I'm actually surprised Vicki didn't ask them about the door swinging open on its own before she came in...

Christine: Just the wind. You know how drafty those halls are at Collinwood during a storm. David became an expert on seances ever since he participated in one over a year and a half ago in Episode 186, and we should assume he's always snooping around the occult meetings at the mansion, even if we don't see him. So, Vicki is back to her job as governess, now that her husband has returned to his own time period, and Carolyn has found a new love interest.

John: Is anyone else having a problem with Vicki being referred to as 'Vicki Clark'? That just sounds wrong.

Christine: They had such a quickie wedding I don't think she's had time to go through the process of officially changing her name, therefore, she'll still be labeled as Victoria Winters in the character links for clarity. Also, I think she's technically Victoria Bradford. So confusing.

John: Welcome to the Pentagram-cam! How fortuitous that a werewolf comes to town just in time to meet our first(?) waitress at The Blue Whale. Good thing Bob the Bartender had the night off. The only down side is that Dan didn't spring for a multi-step werewolf transformation a la Lon Chaney, Jr. Instead, we go right from Chris Jennings to full-wolf. Now can someone explain why Chris would chain himself in, if Chris-wolf would just undo the chain?

Christine: Actually, Don Briscoe transformed to another actor entirely during the change from human to werewolf. Alex Stevens will be bringing his lycanthropic talents to the show for quite some time. I thought his stunt dive through the window of The Blue Whale was pretty impressive, though difficult to capture.

Dark Shadows Episode 639 - 12/5/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Liz walks through the woods to the old house, and hears rustling. She asks if someone's there, but there's no answer. She hears a growl, sees something, and screams. Whatever it is runs away from her. She then sees a young girl. She asks her if she saw what it was, and the girl says it was an animal, and it ran away when it saw her. The girl says her name is Amy Jennings, and she's looking for her brother.

Julia sees Liz enter and recognizes Amy Jennings with her. Liz mentions that she was nearly attacked by a wolf, but it was dressed like a man. She goes upstairs to get Liz a sedative and tells Amy to stay put. After Julia goes upstairs, Amy tells Liz that she has to go now. Julia comes back downstairs with the sedative. Amy says she doesn't want to go back to Windcliff, but Julia tells her she shouldn't have run away from Windcliff. Amy begs her not to take her back. She assures Julia that her brother will take care of her. Liz suggests that Amy can stay at Collinwood tonight. Julia agrees. David comes downstairs and Liz introduces him to Amy. Liz sends David and Amy to get Mrs. Johnson. Julia asks if Liz can remember anything else about the animal, and Liz points out that the sight of Amy seemed to scare it away.

In a room prepared for her, Amy asks David to talk to her a while. She asks him to describe Collinwood to her. He starts to tell her about the closed off wing of the house, and then stops. She asks if it's haunted, and he says it may be. He tells her that he'd show her if she wasn't leaving tomorrow. Amy asks him to take her now. He agrees, and they set out to explore the house.

David takes Amy through the closed off wing of the house. They go into a storage room, and David mentions it's one of the rooms that's supposed to be haunted. Amy picks up an old telephone, and suggests they pretend they can use it to talk to someone from the past. She picks up the phone and introduces herself. She responds as if someone is talking to her. She turns to tell David that he was right—the West Wing is haunted.

She says that the person she's talking to is a ghost. David tells her she's making it up. He asks who she's talking to, and Amy says it's Quentin Collins. David says he's never heard of him and picks up the phone. He's about to tell her that there's no one there when he hears someone breathing on the other end of the line.

David brings a family album and the phone to Amy's room. He flips through it and finds a picture of Quentin Collins. Amy wonders why he would be haunting the West Wing.

Liz knocks on the door, so David hides the book and phone. She asks David what he's doing, and he explains he was telling her about the house. She tells him to go to bed. She asks his Aunt if she knows Quentin Collins, and she says he was her great uncle. He left Collinwood when he was young and died in France. David tells Amy goodnight and then leaves. Liz then leaves Amy. Amy takes the phone out from under the bed, and goes to sleep. In the middle of the night, Amy wakes up and picks up the phone. She asks why Quentin wouldn't talk to David, and then receives instructions to come to the West Wing alone. She does.

In the West Wing, Amy calls out to Quentin. She asks if he'll come out to see her.

Our thoughts

John: Talk about anti-climactic. We get the build up to a werewolf attack, and then aren't even offered the opportunity to see if from Liz' POV.

Christine: It's only Thursday. If we don't get a werewolf reveal by Friday, then you should be upset. It's been awhile since anyone's talked about portraits on the show, so it was great to have David introduce Amy to the portrait of Thaddeus Collins. It has been added to the Collinwood Portraits collection in the Gallery. I hope we'll get a better look at this ancestral portrait soon.

John: Julia asks if Liz can remember anything about the animal that attacked her. Because the fact that it was wearing clothes wasn't enough information to distinguish it...

Christine: She probably wrote it off as a hallucination, which is understandable with the way she freely dispenses sedatives to all the ladies in the house. What was interesting about Julia's question was that the animal didn't actually attack her.

John: There's no doubt that the actress playing Amy is a more accomplished than the other child actors on the show, but as a result, she comes across as older and more mature for her age. Of course it doesn't help that they have her inexplicably uncharacteristically unafraid for a child. I guess that's a side effect of being the sibling of a werewolf and a vampire. If she were a ghost, you'd have the makings of a sitcom. Wait—did someone already do that?

Christine: Amy is the perfect BFF for David! She's not only fearless, but totally cool with getting into mischief and playing creepy games. These two are sure to start all kinds of trouble and scare up more ghosts at Collinwood. I love the ghostly conversation on the antique telephone that makes me think of "Long Distance Call" from The Twilight Zone, and look forward to more talks with Quentin Collins.

Dark Shadows Episode 638 - 12/4/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Vicki walks into the main house at Collinwood and passes out. Liz finds her and helps her onto the couch. She asks where Jeff is, and Vicki says he's gone. Liz asks if he left her, and she says he had to go back to his own time. Vicki says that her love for him couldn't hold him here. Liz tries to calm Vicki down. She takes her up to her room as Vicki sobs.

Julia watches over Maggie as she sleeps. When she wakes, she recognizes Julia. She asks what she's doing there, and Julia asks what was the last thing Maggie remembers. She does, and Julia explains that she's blocked a day from her memory. Julia says that Blair sent for her after Maggie fainted after telling him that she wouldn't marry him. Maggie is surprised to hear that. Julia explains that people block unpleasant things from their memory. She says that Blair told her to say goodbye to Maggie, and that he left for England on business and wouldn't be back. Maggie gets out of bed, surprised to hear that Blair is gone. Julia tells her it was sensible for him to leave considering she wouldn't marry him. Maggie says she feels relieved. There's a phone call, and it's Liz for Julia. She says she needs her at Collinwood to check on Vicki. Julia leaves, and Maggie says she'll be there too after she gets dressed.

Liz checks on Vicki. Vicki tells her that she's better now, and that she's going to find Jeff.

Julia gives Vicki a sedative. She asks Julia to contact Professor Stokes and ask him to come see her. She says she'll do that, but not tonight. Liz comes in and says Chris Jennings and Maggie are downstairs. Jennings to see Julia, and Maggie to see Vicki.

Maggie tells Chris that she's furious. Julia comes down and says that Maggie can go up to see Vicki. She does, and Chris gives Julia some cash for whatever Amy might need. He says he won't be able to go to the hospital again. He says he won't be staying in town. Julia asks him to spend a few more days with Amy, and he tells her it's impossible. Julia tries to impress upon him his importance to Amy. He says he'll keep sending her money, and Julia says she needs him, not money. Julia presses him on his reasoning, and he says he can't explain, and that she won't change his mind.

Maggie asks Vicki if there's anything she can do for her. Vicki sits up and starts yelling, "No."

Liz calls Julia upstairs. She asks Chris to stay while she goes to check on Vicki. Chris waits as the clock strikes 5:30.

Vicki tells them all that Jeff is in the room. Liz says it's not possible. Vicki says she felt Jeff's hand on her cheek.

In the hall, Liz asks Julia if Vicki will be alright. She says she thinks so. The phone rings, and Liz says it's for Julia. Julia is shocked. Liz asks what happened. Julia looks in the drawing room for Chris. He's gone. She tells Liz that Chris' sister has run away from Windcliff, and they have to find him.

Chris wanders through the woods, looking strung out. He looks to the moon and screams, "No!"

Vicki sits up and Maggie tells her she should try to sleep. Vicki gets out of bed and says Jeff is in the room. Maggie asks her to go back to bed and rest. The door to her bedroom opens. Maggie says it's the wind, and Vicki says it's Jeff. She runs into the hall and says she doesn't feel him near her anymore. On the floor in the hall, she finds the watch she gave Jeff. She says that's proof he was there.

Julia calls to check on Amy. Liz comes downstairs. She says she's going to get Barnabas to see if he can help Vicki.

Liz walks through tn the woods to the old house, and hears rustling. She asks if someone's there, but there's no answer. She hears a growl, sees something, and screams.

Our thoughts

John: Isn't it a bit convenient that after some time in the present, Jeff only disappeared after marrying Vicki? Or does one's stay in another time period expire after a certain number of episodes?

Christine: He said he would find a way to be reunited with Vicki in the future. It could be that whatever way he found had a time stamp on it or had preset conditions which would only allow them a short period of time to be together. Or it could just be that Vicki is extremely unlucky in love.

John: So the time-trapped Jeff carried his watch from the past and dropped it in the hall at Collinwood? If he had actually been in the room with Vicki, wouldn't he have left it at her bedside? We can only assume that his invisible spirit was clutching his head throughout the experience.

Christine: The spirit of Jeff, née Peter Bradford, works in mysterious ways. It looks like it may end up being a one way trip to Windcliff for Vicki.

John: I was thinking we might get our werewolf reveal today, but no such luck. I think the odds are pretty good that we'll see hairy Chris Jennings before the week is out!

Christine: I hope you're right! I wonder why there's been no news about the mauling of the Collinsport Innkeeper. You'd think a gruesome murder would be the talk of the small town. I guess there's been a lot going on lately with sacrificial rites, attempts to bring the dead to life, and last minute weddings to time traveling bridegrooms and such. At least it's kept Liz from being preoccupied with being buried alive. That was getting tiresome.

Dark Shadows Episode 637 - 12/3/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Jeff is pacing in the drawing room when Vicki comes in and tells him Mrs. Stoddard will be down shortly. He tells her that he doesn't exist in the present, and if she marries him, it will be like marrying a corpse. She reminds him that his love for her allowed him to keep his vow to follow her through time. He says that he's still a suspect in Eve's murder, and she explains that Roger already told the police that he was with Jeff, giving him an alibi. Liz comes downstairs, and Vicki says she needs Liz to be a witness at their wedding. Liz tells her it's 3am. Vicki says they've already contacted a justice of the peace. Liz says she'll do anything for Vicki, and goes upstairs to get dressed.

The justice of the peace carries out the ceremony. Peter has a brief 1795 flashback, and comes out of it just in time to say, "I do." The justice of the peace declares them married. Liz congratulates them, but looks concerned.

Jeff and Vicki arrive at the Collinsport Inn with a bottle of booze. Jeff pops open the bottle of champagne and they toast. Jeff seems troubled by the storm, and Vicki tries to convince him that it's too late for anything to happen to them. They kiss.

Barnabas and Julia arrive at Collinwood. Barnabas wonders what happened to Adam. He says if his wound isn't treated soon, she knows what will happen. He'll need a coffin at the ready. Julia points out there's a threat other than Adam—Angelique. She says she doesn't have a daytime protector, so they can stake her. Barnabas tries to suggest that he doesn't remember where her coffin was. Mrs. Stoddard comes in, seeming upset. They ask her what's wrong, and she says it's Vicki. She left them in town after they got married an hour ago.

Julia comes downstairs and finds Barnabas in the drawing room. She points out that he didn't get any rest. He asks her why Vicki married Jeff, and Julia reminds him that they were in love. With a resigned sigh, Barnabas suggests they leave to get a hammer and stake.

Julia and Barnabas come downstairs at Blair's house, where a coffin sits. There's also a broken mirror, but they don't know why. Barnabas lifts the coffin lid and it is empty. He thinks something has happened to her, but he doesn't know what.

Jeff admires an engraved watch that Vicki gave him. He says he doesn't have anything for her. Vicki says his love is enough, and they kiss again. They reminisce about first meeting in 1795. Jeff gets excitable, and suddenly thinks he's being drawn back into the past. She tells him to hold her and resist it. He tells her there's nothing he can do to stop it. She picks up the phone to call Professor Stokes. As she watches, Jeff says he loves her and disappears.

Our thoughts

John: I would have suggested to Jeff that he might try a little harder to sell himself to Vicki, but I can't argue with his description that marrying him would be like marrying a corpse.

Christine: I had to laugh when he said that. Now that Vicki is taken, the path is clear for Julia. She and Barnabas have created two lives together, they enjoy going out staking vampires together, and she's always hanging out at his place. When will Barnabas realize that Julia is the one he truly loves?

John: Do you think they marketed this as the most anti-climactic wedding in the history of daytime television?

Christine: You didn't find it romantic that he brought her to the Collinsport Inn for their first night together with a bottle of champagne wrapped in aluminum foil? The way he popped the cork was somewhat suggestive, but the spit swapping was probably a little too much for the youngsters viewing. You could almost hear the collective "Ewww!" No, wait. That was me.

John: I was pleasantly surprised to hear Adam's name come up. I wonder how many more times that will happen before he's forgotten completely. And where's Angelique hiding these days, if not in her coffin? I have no doubt that we haven't seen the last of her.

Christine: I'm guessing that Diabolos granted her wish and she's no longer sleeping in coffins. It was funny the way Barnabas asked Liz if anything was wrong after she dropped her coat on the ground at the foot of the stairs. I guess Liz really was upset. I'm impressed that she could pull together a fancy updo and makeup at three in the morning for an impromptu wedding. I wonder why Roger wasn't invited after doing Jeff Clark the favor of providing him an alibi earlier in the afternoon. Maybe he just didn't want to get out of bed.

Christine: Will Jeff Clark/Peter Bradford's disappearing act be the last straw that drives Vicki over the edge of Widows' Hill? Maybe he chewed one too many herb leaves at Stokes' house yesterday.

Dark Shadows Episode 636 - 12/2/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Adam spins dials, and then goes to Eve's skeleton. He tells Vicki that Barnabas will suffer. Barnabas comes downstairs with a gun drawn on Adam, and tells him to turn off the machine. Adam says if he dies, Barnabas will revert to what he was. Barnabas says he's lying. Julia says Adam must have heard Lang's tape. Adam says he doesn't know what Barnabas is, but he knows he doesn't want him to die. Adam tells him to watch what happens to Vicki when he pulls the switch, and when he starts to do it, Barnabas shoots him in the back.

Julia turns off the switch and offers to help Adam, who runs upstairs. Barnabas checks on Vicki. Julia says she'll be fine, but tells him that Adam will get away. He demands that she check on Vicki rather than worry about Adam. She checks her pulse and says it's slow, but she'll be fine. He says they have to get her back to Collinwood. She asks if she should then find Willie to bring a coffin into the room for him at sunrise? Or should they go searching for Adam? He tells her that he made his decision when he fired the shot, and tells her to help him with Vicki.

Adam breaks into Stokes' house. The phone rings and he picks it up. He hears Jeff Clark on the other end, but doesn't respond to him. He hangs up, and grabs a letter opener when he hears a door shut. Stokes enters, and he sees Adam needs help. He tries to call for help, and Adam stops him, telling him not to call Julia. Stokes calls a friend and asks him to come treat a gunshot wound discretely. Stokes explains that he'll help him whether he likes it or not. He helps Adam to his room.

Julia watches over Vicki in her bedroom when Barnabas enters. Julia asks if he told Carolyn that he shot Adam. He says he did as Vicki wakes, asking where Adam is. She begs for Barnabas to stay with her until morning. Julia says that he can't, but she will.

Stokes has fixed Adam up with another shirt. He apologizes for failing to finish teaching Adam. They talk about love, and Adam says he'll never have it.

Jeff Clark arrives at Stokes' house, and Adam tells him not to let him in. Stokes sends Adam to his bedroom, and lets Jeff in. He shows Jeff some herbs, and tries to dissuade him from taking them. Jeff says that he now knows he was once Peter Bradford, but he needs to know more about how he came forward in time. Jeff eats a leaf and Stokes tells him he needs to follow a ritual. He explains when and how Jeff should eat the leaves, and then begins an incantation to allow Jeff to see his past. Stokes questions Jeff about his past, and hears details of Peter Bradford's life. He explains he came forward in time to see Vicki. He then says he's going back, and tries to stop it, saying he needs to see her again. He calls to Vicki.

Vicki hears Jeff's call and gets up and runs out of her room.

Jeff pictures the noose ready for Vicki. He begs for a chance to talk to her when she runs into the room. Jeff doesn't see her. Vicki tries to get his attention, telling him his love brought him to her, and her love will keep him with her. She screams at him to say he'll stay. He gets up and says he will, kissing her. She says they'll be married tonight.

Our thoughts

John: It's funny how the lab switch also controls the music that's playing. As soon as Julia flips the switch, Bob Cobert's music ends abruptly with the lab sound effects.

Christine: That was pretty amusing.

John: A new outfit for Adam! And all it took was getting shot. Sadly, this was the last we'll see of Adam. Frankly, I think he deserved a bigger exit than Stokes sending him to his room.

Christine: I agree it was not a satisfying way to exit a character we've spent 78 episodes getting to know, and seems problematic with his fate still connected to Barnabas' affliction. If Stokes should send him away for cosmetic surgery and he dies on the operating table, could Barnabas be caught out of the coffin at an inopportune time?

John: I guess they didn't want to spend as much time or effort to send Jeff back in time as they did for Eve. Of course today's episode felt like it was designed to tie up a bunch of loose ends so they could move forward with new storylines.

Christine: I thought it was interesting to find out that Professor Stokes is not only a purveyor of rare herbs, but is also on a first name basis with a surgeon who specializes in treating bullet wounds discreetly. I wonder what other rackets he's involved in. It was quite a dramatic ending with Jeff Clark taking his first magic carpet ride as Vicki shows up in her granny nightgown to bring him down. It inspired him to clutch her head instead of his own for a change. How did Jeff Clark get out of jail anyway? Did he escape or was he cleared of charges?