Monday, June 25, 2018

Dark Shadows Episode 520 - 6/24/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Julia finds Roger fidgeting in the foyer, and he asks her if she's seen Cassandra. She asks who saw Cassandra last, and Roger says Vicki did. He says she's disappeared, and he's going to call the police.


Barnabas arrives at Collinwood, and Julia tells him Cassandra has disappeared. She says that he has escaped her. Barnabas can't bring himself to believe she's truly gone. She tells him that Trask may have finally gotten his revenge. She says if Trask has completed his task, then his skeleton should be back in the basement at the old house.


In the basement of the old house, Barnabas says that if the skeleton is gone, then Trask may still be out there. Julia shows him that Trask's skeleton is there. Barnabas realizes that Angelique may truly be gone. He asks her to show herself if she's still there, and then realizes she wouldn't reveal herself even if she were.


Roger tells Julia that the sheriff assumed that he and Cassandra fought. He says he's concerned about his sister, as she thought Joe Haskell was Nathan Forbes. Liz enters the room, interrupting them, and refers to Roger as Joshua and Julia as the Countess. When they refer to her by her name, she says they're plotting against her. She says they can lock her in a room, but she won't forget about Barnabas. She says her son has been seen, and Roger exclaims that she has no son. She asks Julia if she has a son named Barnabas. Julia explains that she's not a Countess. Roger tells Liz to stop, and then asks her what has happened. She says that she knows Barnabas is not dead, and that he knows where he is. Julia says Barnabas is at the old house, and Liz says that she must go to him. Roger says that Barnabas is their cousin from England. Liz says that she still loves her son, even if he is one of the living dead.


Roger doesn't understand her. He says the Barnabas she refers to died 200 years ago. She tells them to stop calling her Liz; that her name is Naomi. She goes upstairs and Julia suggests that he should consider putting her in a hospital.


Julia tells Barnabas about Liz believing she is his mother, and that she knew her son was one of the living dead. He wonders what will happen if she makes the connection. He says Roger knows more about the family history than the others. He tells Julia that just because she wants to think that Angelique is gone doesn't make it so. He says who else could make Liz think she was Naomi Collins. Julia says that Cassandra may have started something, but Trask took her away. He says Angelique will not be satisfied until Liz speaks the word vampire. Julia asks what happened to his mother, and he tells her she took her own life. Julia tells him to go to Liz, with a firm belief that the Barnabas Naomi knew is dead.


Liz writes a note to Joshua and pours herself a brandy. She wonders why she's doing what she's doing.  She returns to the desk, and pulls out a powder which she pours into her drink. She drinks the brandy, and says she can now face Barnabas as he is.


Julia and Barnabas arrive at Collinwood, and she asks him to tell her what happened the night his mother died. He says he was in the tower room. He says she had written a note to his father. Julia spots the note in the drawing room, and they rush to the tower room.


Liz approaches the tower room, and outside the door asks Barnabas to let her in. She goes inside, and the room is empty. She clutches her chest when Barnabas arrives. He tells her she's under a spell, and she's not Naomi, nor is he her son. Barnabas asks her what she did. He says they must get to a doctor. He asks what she took, and she says it's too late. She passes out, and he tells Julia to do something. 


Our thoughts

John: Strange how the scene with Barnabas and Julia was staged just inside the front door of Collinwood, and not even in the foyer proper. I wonder if there was some reason they didn't use the foyer.

Christine: Maybe they thought they'd be less likely to be overheard there. I'm wondering why Trask's skeleton would return to Barnabas' basement, instead of choosing a more suitable resting place. Of course, now we know the real reason his skeleton disappeared was so he could don a bridal gown and veil to appear in Sam's dream as the skeletal bride. ☺️

John: If Cassangelique is truly gone, shouldn't Liz be free of her spell? I guess it depends on what it means for a witch to be gone. Obviously Barnabas remained a vampire for 200 years while Angelique was idle...

Christine: What makes you think she's been idle the past 200 years? The fact that Liz remains under her spell indicates she's not entirely gone, though her power may have dissipated enough to fool Trask, since he's returned to his cozy place behind the wall. Liz seemed to almost come out of it enough to question what she was doing before going to get the poison Cassandra placed in the drawer in the last episode.



John: So Roger figured out that Liz was referring to the original Barnabas, but didn't seem to concerned about her claims of his being the living dead; nor the implication that if in fact he were, the two Barnabas' might actually be the same. Good thing for Barnabas' sake that Roger is so distracted by Liz' behavior and the fact that Cassandra is missing.

Christine: Roger wouldn't believe in the living dead anyway. He says he'd never put his own sister in an institution, but didn't he agree to that in Episode 158? By the way, what's been going on in the tower room over the past 200 years? It only had a coffin in it the last time we saw it, and now it looks like Henry Bemis has been taking his lunch there. 


Episode 448

Dark Shadows Before I Die Round Robin Nightmare tracker (bold appearing in this episode):
  1. Wide-eyed skull
  2. Guillotine
  3. Lang's Headless creation
  4. Skeletal bride 
  5. Educational Bat-footage
  6. Giant spider-web 
  7. Mounted wolf's head 
  8. Carolyn's tombstone 
  9. Maggie with Sam's coffin

Friday, June 22, 2018

Dark Shadows Episode 519 - 6/21/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Roger is on the phone with Vicki, telling her it will be fine for Maggie to come stay with them, when Liz returns home. She says she doesn't want to talk to anyone. Roger reiterates that he and Cassandra will be delighted to host Maggie. Roger hangs up and says he assumes she heard about Sam Evans. Liz tells him she was up at Eagle Hill today. She asks him to promise that he'll bury her there. She then asks what he meant about Sam Evans, and he tells her he died this evening. She says they'll all eventually die, and that she'll be next. And soon.


He says she's obsessed with death, and asks if she's ill. He asks if he needs to ask her doctor, and she says she hasn't seen anyone. She's just become aware of how much time has past, years she's spent not really living. He tries to understand why she's talking this way, and Liz says he's shallow. He asks if she's hiding something from him, and when she says no, he tells her she must see a doctor.


Cassandra says that thoughts of death are only the first step in Liz' last walk. She says she will soon see the world through Naomi Collins' eyes, see what she learned, and if Cassandra so chooses, she will die by the same poison. Roger tries the door, but it's locked. Cassandra puts her things away and lets him in. Roger says that Vicki is going to bring Maggie home for a few days. He tells her she needs to be nice to Maggie, as Liz isn't herself currently. He says he'll ask Julia about her. He invites Cassandra to join them in the drawing room for a game of bridge. She says she'll be down in half an hour, after she's had time to freshen up.


After Roger leaves, she locks the door and pulls out her poison once more. Trask materializes in the room behind her, but when she turns around there's no one there.


Joe comes to Collinwood to see Maggie. Vicki says she's asleep. He says she loved Sam so much, and he did, too. Joe says he's going to get that monster who killed Sam. And then he's going to marry Maggie, so they can leave and start again somewhere else. Vicki tells him not to do that. He says she can't go back to the house with Sam's paintings and all his things. He complains that he was at the cannery when he should have been with her.


Liz appears in the doorway and demands to know what Lieutenant Forbes is doing there. Joe is surprised when she tells him to leave or she'll have Ben put him out. Vicki tells her it's Joe Haskell, not Lieutenant Forbes, and Liz runs upstairs. Joe asks who Lieutenant Forbes is, and Vicki says he's from the past.


Cassandra comes downstairs and expresses her sympathy about Sam. Joe goes upstairs to see Maggie, and Cassandra asks Vicki to meet her in the drawing room to talk about David.

Cassandra says David seems to be a frightened child, with what's happened to Carolyn and now Sam Evans. She asks what Sam's last words were, under the guise that David was interested in knowing. Vicki tells her that his last words were to Maggie. She says she'll tell them to David if he asks her. She says she's worried about Mrs. Stoddard, and when Cassandra asks if she isn't well, Vicki says she isn't, and, "you wouldn't know anything about that, would you."


She leaves, and Cassandra thinks that if David is not frightened of death now, he will be by tomorrow, and places a container inside the desk drawer in the drawing room.



Trask appears and calls her Angelique. He says the devil has painted her hair, but he recognizes her. He says she's responsible for his death, and the hanging of Victoria Winters. She tries to send him away, and Trask says they will soon see whose master is stronger. He holds up a cross and demands that she look at it. She collapses, and Trask says he will cast out the devils in her.


Trask has tied Cassandra to a tree. She asks who brought him back. He tells her that her hours of vengeance will soon be over. She says he will never rest, because he is wrong. He says she herself has given him all the proof he needs. He asks if she's prepared to give up her evil, and she tells him to leave her alone. He says the power of goodness will drive the devils from her. She calls Trask the devil. She commands him to drop his cross, and he refuses.


He tries to cast out the devils while holding his cross to her forehead. She says she can't speak. He tells them to leave her pure, free and blameless.


Cassandra says she can't breathe. As she screams, her body disappears, leaving the ropes tied around the tree.



Our thoughts

John: Liz is way out there with this death fixation. You know things are bad when even Roger starts to show concern.

Christine: I thought it was funny that once again the tables have turned for the siblings. Not long ago, it was Liz that said he was acting unnaturally and needed to see a doctor when he ran off to marry someone he just met.

John: So where exactly did Cassandra get the poison that was used on Naomi Collins? Poisons 'R Us? Or perhaps she got it from Professor Stokes when she briefly worked for him. And it's interesting to hear that her primary motivation in killing Liz would be to add to David's fear of death. Though he's not been one to exhibit that in the past, especially when you consider that his only friend is a ghost.

Christine: It doesn't seem wise for her to keep poison in the drawer of the bedroom she shares with Roger, or in the drawing room. She continues her habit of attacking family members indiscriminately.

John: So did Trask truly rid us of Cassangelique, once and for all? It would sure seem like it, though we also watched her burn up just a few episodes back. I guess we'll find out next week.

Christine: Fool me once... I doubt he has successfully returned her to the "BOO-zum of goodness," though his performance was thoroughly entertaining, especially when the devil's fly landed on his nose and he had to blow it off with the breath of righteousness. Someone finally gave the guy a cross today and he was really working it!






Dark Shadows Before I Die Round Robin Nightmare tracker (bold appearing in this episode):
  1. Wide-eyed skull
  2. Guillotine
  3. Lang's Headless creation
  4. Skeletal bride 
  5. Educational Bat-footage
  6. Giant spider-web 
  7. Mounted wolf's head 
  8. Carolyn's tombstone 
  9. Maggie with Sam's coffin

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Dark Shadows Episode 518 - 6/20/68

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Sam asks Maggie what's taking Vicki so long. She tries to comfort him when Vicki arrives. Sam says he has to tell her about the dream before he dies. Vicki says he's not going to die. She asks him to tell her his dream.


He says it began with a knock at the door. At that moment, there's a knock at the door. Professor Stokes enters and tells Vicki that she must leave at once. He leads her outside, and Stokes tells Maggie he must talk to Sam first.


After Vicki is outside, he tells Maggie to trust him. Sam asks why he took Vicki. Stokes says he'll be sending Vicki home. He says it will be dangerous if the dream goes one step further. If Vicki has the dream, it will prove fatal to the next one to have it. Stokes says he'll attempt to alleviate the mental torture Sam is going through. Stokes sees Adam outside the hospital window.



Stokes asks Maggie about Sam's accident. She says he fell. He asks if Adam was responsible. She says it was an accident. Stokes points out that Sam felt a strong bond with Adam. Maggie asks what it has to do with the dream. He goes out to talk to Vicki.


Vicki is in the hall when Stokes and Maggie come out. She asks for an explanation. He says she should be grateful he arrived when he did. It would have led to a most terrifying experience. He says Sam is suffering from a dream curse, and she would be the next to have it. He says that witchcraft is at work, and Maggie says she doesn't believe in witches. He asks her how nine people had an identical dream. He says he's doing his best to cope with it. He asks Vicki to leave, and she says if Sam needs her, she'll be there. Stokes explains she cannot ease Sam's suffering, and asks her to promise not to go in.


Adam enters Sam's room through the window. He approaches Sam and calls him friend. Sam hears him, and says only Vicki can help him. Adam says, "No!"


Vicki hears Sam calling to her. She approaches the door to his room and enters. Adam is not there. She closes the window. Maggie enters and asks if something happened. Sam says there's strange music everywhere. Maggie realizes he's telling her about the dream. She tells Vicki she doesn't have to stay, and she says if it will bring him comfort, she'll stay. He says the dream began with a knock at the door. He says he opened it and saw... and then dies.



Stokes arrives at the Evans' cottage.

Vicki tries to comfort Maggie.


Stokes calls to Adam. He says he is a friend. He then turns on a light in the window.


Vicki brings Maggie a sedative. She asks her to come back to Collinwood with her. She says she shouldn't be alone at the cottage right now. She agrees, if Vicki thinks it will be alright with Mrs. Stoddard. Maggie says someone needs to find Adam before he hurts someone else. She says it's ironic that he dad tried to help Adam, not realizing how dangerous he was, and now he's dead because of him.


Adam returns to the Evans cottage and goes inside. Stokes surprises him, and before Adam can run away, he says he is a friend. He says he wants to see him more closely, and reaches for his face. Adam knocks his hands away, and something of Stokes' falls to the ground.


Stokes says he can help Adam, and give him food. Adam tells Stokes that his name is Adam. He then picks up one of Sam's brushes, and says it's a paintbrush. Stokes asks Adam to come with him to his home, where he will give him food, and teach him how to speak. They leave together.


Our thoughts

John: When Stokes saw Adam in the window, I thought for sure that he'd get Sam to tell Adam the dream, ending the curse just as Dr. Lang was able to do with Barnabas' vampire curse.

Christine: Interesting prospect. I was thinking Cassandra might somehow be keeping Sam alive until he could tell Vicki the dream, but he didn't really get to finish telling it to her.

John: Could it be true? Is Sam Evans truly dead? So much for my theory about transferring the dream curse to Adam...

Christine: Yes, the character we met in Episode 5 and have gotten to know over the past two years is quite dead. It looks like there will be no more additions to the Works of Sam Evans gallery unless old paintings are newly discovered in the future. Maybe Portia Fitzsimmons will come back and make Maggie an offer on his paintings.

John: I love when Stokes interrupts Adam trying to say communicate. Great lesson in communication, there, Professor.

Christine: I think he just wanted to sneak him out of there before he was discovered, though since there was an obvious zoom on the pin or tie clip or whatever it was he dropped, we can be assured that his presence at the cottage will be noted by someone.


In Memoriam: Sam Evans





























Dark Shadows Before I Die Round Robin Nightmare tracker (bold appearing in this episode):
  1. Wide-eyed skull
  2. Guillotine
  3. Lang's Headless creation
  4. Skeletal bride 
  5. Educational Bat-footage
  6. Giant spider-web 
  7. Mounted wolf's head 
  8. Carolyn's tombstone 
  9. Maggie with Sam's coffin