Dark Shadows Episode 1124 10/15/70

You can stream today's episode free on TubiTV! 

Desmond reads from the Journal of Judah Zachery. It says after 200 years of waiting, I will find the answer, the search will be over and I will know what I must — Otis Greene will be here. Leticia walks in and says she can feel evil in the room, and faints. Desmond runs to her and helps her up. She tells him to get away from her. She says she sees madness and death in the room. He seems possessed and tells her she will tell no one what she saw. She asks him to let her help him. He tells her that she's imagining things, and tells her to forget it. 

Leticia returns to the room and says that she still feels it. She sees the Tarot cards, and picking up the top card reveals the tower of destruction. She then pulls back the curtain revealing the head in the box. She screams, "EVIL!"

Barnabas tells Roxanne he's glad to see her feeling better. She says she's embarrassed for acting like he was responsible for what happened to her. Trask walks in, and says his prayers have been answered now that Roxanne is well again. He tells her that he warned her about going out alone at night. He then says he made an interesting discovery that may help the police find who attacked her. He questions her and Barnabas tells him that he doesn't think he's helping. Trask says Barnabas is like his father, and pulls out a letter in which it's detailed how Barnabas 'father' ridiculed Trask's father in 1797, when similar attacks occurred. Trask goes to read the letter and Barnabas tells him it has no relevance. Trask accuses Barnabas of being in league with the power of darkness. Roxanne says she can't believe she ever wasted five minutes on Trask, and asks Barnabas to let her speak to him alone. 

Barnabas leaves, and Trask tries to convince her that Barnabas is his father's son. She says the same could be said about him. He tells her that her eyes are filled with secrets, and they weren't before. He accuses her of evading him over the attacks, and Barnabas. She says the two are unrelated, and he says that she's the only one that has connected the two. He tells her that he thinks she remembers more than she's saying. He tells her that he'd give his life to help her. 

Leticia comes in and asks if Trask is bothering her. She asks for Desmond, and Roxanne says she hasn't seen him. Barnabas returns and tells Roxanne that his sister is ready to see her upstairs, and he escorts her out. Leticia says she's there to meet Desmond. Trask introduces himself, and when she says who she is, he says she's from the circus at Rose Cottage. She says she looks into men's souls to see their secrets. He says only the almighty has such power. She tells Trask that she sees he's out for revenge for someone close to him — someone he doesn't even know. He asks if she can see where is father's body is. She says she'd need something of his, and Trask pulls out the letter. He says he's convinced his father was murdered in Collinwood. She says she wants to have nothing to do with murder, and he says it will bring peace to his father's tormented soul. 

She takes the letter and holds it to her forehead. She sees a vision of the old house. She says she sees a man, but cannot see his face. Barnabas comes downstairs and hears them. He walks in on them and interrupts Leticia. Trask takes the letter, and Barnabas tells her that Trask was taking advantage of her gifts. Trask tells Barnabas that he interrupted her too late, and leaves. Leticia tells him that she needs to find Desmond, and he says she's going nowhere until she tells him everything.

Desmond writes in Zachery's diary saying that Greene will soon be there, and he will find out where his body is.

Barnabas finds Trask searching the old house. He says that he and his sister have been given the house, so he might have waited for an invitation. Trask says he knows his father is buried in the house. Barnabas asks him to leave. Trask says that he will return.

Desmond puts the diary away and closes the curtain to hide the head. An old man, Otis Greene, comes in and admires the furniture and antiques. Desmond points out a table that came from Bedford, after the witch trials, and says the owner was hanged for being a witch. He asks Greene if he knows about the witch trials, and Greene says his family came from Bedford, and his grandfather was an executioner. He says there's a curse on the executioner's family. Desmond tells him he has something else that will really interest him, and tells him to open the curtain. Greene does, revealing the head. Desmond says it's an old friend of his. Greene says that Desmond is under his power. He refuses to look at the head. Desmond says that he knows where the body was buried, and demands to know. Greene says the only way to stop it was to cut off the head. He grabs his heart. Desmond yells at him. Greene says the noose... the regal guard... and the stairs. Desmond yells at him to tell him where the noose is, and he says an unmarked stone, as he collapses, dead.

Desmond tells the Head it will be found. 

Our thoughts: 

John: So now we know what the head wants... and it's almost so pedestrian that it's disappointing. Why does it need its body when it clearly has the ability to possess others? Is this going to be another re-run of the Hand of Petofi? I'm hoping for something fresher.

 
Christine: That may not be a realistic expectation at this point in the show, but hey, a decapitated head searching for a headless body can't be all bad, can it? Listen, if you were an evil decapitated head, wouldn't you want to have your own body so you could run around spreading evil at will instead of having to rely on possessing others? I just wonder why Judah Zachery feels the need to document his evil in a journal, or why he isn't more discreet by leaving his name off the front cover. 

John: How long do you think we'll have to wait before we get to see one of our old skeleton pals standing in for old man Trask's body behind the brick wall in the basement of the old house?

Christine: I hope the skeletons will come out before Halloween, but we'll see. Trask says that the letter that proved Barnabas' daddy was mean to his daddy was written to his dear mother. I wonder where the good Reverend Trask was hiding his good wife. He surely made no mention of her back in 1795 1796 1797. 

John: Abe! What a welcome surprise after all these years! While it's disappointing that he appears to have only been called upon to walk in and die, I can't help but be amused by the fact that he was a go-to solution when they needed a really old man on the show, considering that even by this point, he wasn't quite 50 years old!

Christine: It's like Ezra Braithwaite all over again! At least he got to admire the antiques before having Desmond throttle him while in the throes of a heart attack. Someone left the tarot cards out from yesterday, so it was inevitable that The Tower (of destruction) would make an appearance, as it often does when tarot is in use on the show, along with Death. 

Dark Shadows Episode 713 - 3/19/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Barnabas makes his way to his coffin in the basement of the old house, and is shocked to find Rachel lying within it. She tells him not to take her with him, because he's dead. She passes out and Barnabas realizes that only Angelique could be so cruel.

Rachel is in a chair in the old house when Barnabas wakes her. She asks where she is and how she got there. He asks what she remembers, and she describes seeing him, and then going out to get some air. He tells her that he found her in the woods and brought her home, only to have her collapse in the chair. She says she doesn't recall anything. She asks if he knows something that he's not telling her, and he denies it. She says she has to get back to Collinwood and leaves.

A rooster crows signaling the arrival of dawn. Magda opens Barnabas' coffin and finds it empty. He comes downstairs and tells her that he needs her help and will pay her well. He asks her for an amulet that will protect him from a witch. She says that she has one, but if there's a witch she'll need it. She agrees to get him an amulet by nighttime. He then adds that she must watch over his coffin. He tells her that the witch's name is Angelique, and she has one obsession—to destroy him. He tells her to go see Judith and tell her she's seen a sign in her cards showing the location of the will. He says that he hid it in Collinwood, and tells her that she can't let anyone know he was involved in its disappearance. Barnabas opens his coffin, but before he gets in he tells her not to entertain thoughts of betrayal. He then gets in the coffin and closes the lid.

Judith asks Rachel how she is feeling. She says she's better, and looks forward to taking the children for a walk. Judith tells Rachel that Quentin has been a bad influence on Jamison. Beth comes in carrying a baby doll. Judith asks where she got it, and she says it just came in from Boston. Rachel says she's sure Nora will adore it. Beth starts to say it's not for Nora, but then says that it is.

Judith asks her into the drawing room. While Rachel listens, Judith chastises Beth for just walking in through the front door. She says she's been careless, which is a sign of being emotionally involved. Beth says that she feels sorry for her, as she's so lonely. Judith says that if she can't do her job without becoming involved, a change will be required. Outside the drawing room, Rachel runs upstairs.

At dusk, Barnabas rises from his coffin.

Beth comes downstairs and Rachel comes out of the kitchen, asking her for help. Rachel asks Beth about Jamison and Nora's mother. She says that the kids ask her if she's ever coming back. Beth says it's a forbidden subject, at the request of Edward Collins. Rachel asks if anyone knows where Mrs. Collins is now. She says that no one does, and it's best that she not ask about it. Judith comes downstairs and tells Rachel that she should heed Beth's advice. Magda arrives to speak to Judith. She says she can tell her where to find her grandmother's will, and Judith lets her in.

Magda deals out the cards and tells Judith what they mean. Judith doesn't understand. Magda tries to clarify, and says the will is in the heart of the room. She describes a book where she will find the will. She tells Magda that she will look in the family history tonight. Magda asks her to let her know if she finds the will.

Barnabas asks Magda how things went, and then sends her to the old house.

Barnabas enters Collinwood and offers Rachel a charm to protect her. Rachel tells him he's very kind. Before leaving, he suggests that they see one another tomorrow night.

Judith comes downstairs with the will in hand. She goes into the drawing room and closes the door behind her. She thinks that she is going to inherit everything that belonged to her grandmother.

Rachel comes into the drawing room and tells Judith that she made a mistake mentioning the doll Beth brought home to Nora, only to find that Beth hadn't given it to her. Judith says she'll talk to her.

Beth comes to a door in the West Wing, with doll in-hand, and speaks to Jenny through the door. She tells her that she has a nice surprise for her, and unlocks the door and walks in.

Our thoughts

John: Barnabas explains how he needs Magda to stay with his coffin to protect him, and then proceeds to send her off to Collinwood on a separate mission. I guess it was a good thing that Angelique had the day off today.

Christine: Somehow you missed seeing Magda watching over Barnabas' coffin when he arose. She went on her mission to Collinwood after that. He is taking a big risk by trusting her, but as long as he pays her well and she does not feel threatened by his nemesis, he may be safe.

John: What's with Beth walking through the front door cradling the baby doll? At the very least, I would expect it would arrive in a bag, if not a gift-wrapped box. Interesting that we've heard quite a few mentions of Nora without having seen her. I would assume Nora will have a strong resemblance to Amy in present day Collinwood, but it's been so long I wouldn't necessarily be surprised if they brought in someone new.

Christine: That certainly looked strange, but Rachel would not have had the opportunity to be nosy about why Nora didn't get the doll if it had been wrapped up.

John: So I'm going to go out on a limb suggesting that Jenny is in fact Jenny Collins, Edward's estranged wife and mother of Jamison and Nora. Of course that wouldn't line up with his wife being another incarnation of Laura the Phoenix—unless she's using a different name than all of those we saw documented in the cemetery with the crazy old caretaker...

Christine: What made you think Edward was married to Laura the Phoenix? Let's hope we may get to meet Jenny tomorrow and find out why she's locked away in the Tower room. Time for another tarot reading with Magda! Some interesting things to note that Magda did not mention was that the King of Wands to the left of "The Queen" and King of Cups to the right may represent Quentin and Edward respectively, while Carl is clearly "The Joker." It's appropriate that the Ace of Coins, which represents wealth, was an indicator of where to find the will, and as it turns out, may have represented Judith, since it sounds like everything was left to her. It looks like we were wrong about Barnabas not being astute enough to get the original will from Sandor. I wonder how Judith's brothers will feel about being left with nothing from dear old grand-ma-ma. Here's a recap of today's reading:

The Queen (The Empress) inverted represents Grandmother Edith after death.

The Joker (The Fool) is below the Queen.

The Tower of Destruction represents Edith's room according to Magda, though Edith said it represented Quentin.

The Ace (of Coins) is at the heart of the cards, indicating that the will is in the heart of Edith's room.

Magda's layout.

Dark Shadows Episode 786 - 6/30/69

Amazon Prime members can stream today's episode free!

Quentin says if the hand could do what it did to Evan, he doesn't want to have anything to do with it. He begins convulsing as the transformation takes effect. Magda says it isn't too late to use the hand, and Quentin says it won't help. Magda says it can't be any worse, and asks if he wants her to try. He tells her to try. She recites an incantation to remove the curse, and places the hand on Quentin's heart. He tells her it isn't helping and he tells her to take it away. She says she can't control it, as the hand grows to be larger than Quentin and appears to pinch him.

It disappears, and Quentin tells her the pain has stopped. She says that it helped, and he tells her the pain always stops right before the transformation. She holds a pentagram towards him as he transforms into a werewolf. She uses the pentagram to force him out of the old house.

Trask brings Charity to Collinwood, and tells her that it's her new home. She says she will not question her father's judgment, though she is concerned about the school. He says his marriage to Judith contains certain burdens, such as managing the great estate. She realizes that means he can no longer run the school. He adds that her mother wanted her to be a Collins. He says there is still one eligible bachelor in the family, Quentin. He says that under her influence, Quentin might just change his ways.

There's a knock at the door and Magda enters to see Beth. Trask says she will see no one without his permission. He says that as master of Collinwood, one of his concerns includes her. Charity steps out to say a prayer at her mother's grave as Trask leads Magda into the drawing room. He gives her 24 hours to get off the estate, or she will be forcibly removed. She tells him that he shouldn't threaten people from a position of weakness. He says he can prove she worked with Barnabas, and she reminds him that she sold Tim the deadly nightshade that killed his wife.

She says the sheriff knows he made an alibi for Tim. She asks if Trask understands her, and he says he does. She tells him that she and Sandor will stay, and that she will speak to Beth now. He tells her to speak to whoever she likes, and then get out of the house.

Charity is on her way to her mother's grave when she hears a rustling and growling. The werewolf approaches and she screams. He chases her through the woods.

Magda tells Trask Beth wasn't in her room. They hear Charity screaming, and she runs into the house. She tells them there's a beast in the woods. Trask says it must be the creature who attacked Judith. Magda takes her up to her room as Trask goes to call the sheriff.

Charity asks Magda about Quentin. She says he doesn't seem to spend a lot of time in the house. She asks what happened to his wife, and Magda says that she's dead. She pulls out her Tarot cards and asks Charity if she'd like her to read her future. Charity agrees, and Magda lays out the cards. The first card is the sign of Force to represent Charity, a good card. She then reveals the Moon, saying it's a bad card representing a secret revealed. Next up is the Lovers, a card of marriage, though she says it's inverted, which could mean separation or infidelity. Next are the Tower of Destruction and the Hanged Man, both inverted. Charity asks what it all means, and Magda tells her there will be a man in her life who is evil. She warns that Charity will be attracted to him.

Trask is with a deputy, setting a trap for the werewolf. They hear a howling in the distance.

Magda comes downstairs as Trask returns. He suggests that she be careful making her way to the old house, as the sheriff has set several bear traps. She seems concerned, and he asks if she knows of the beast, as she knew of the vampire. She tells him his daughter needs him more than she does, and leaves.

Charity sleeps, and dreams. Quentin's music plays.He sits in a chair next to the Victrola. She asks if it's him, and he says he's been waiting for her. She approaches and he stands up. She tells him that she missed him, and she doesn't want him to go away again. He tells her their destinies are entwined by a strange wheel of fortune. He says many things frighten him, the moon most of all. She asks why, and he tells her it's a secret that no one must know. She asks what the music means to him, and he says it frees his soul and allows him to dream.

She hears the music with his lyrical accompaniment. As the song ends, he kisses her. He tells her to go upstairs and wait for him.

He sits back in his chair, and as she goes, she hears a growling. She asks him what it is, and he tells her that he only hears his music. She says it's the animal that attacked her in the woods, and the werewolf appears behind Quentin's chair. She begs for Quentin to help her, and screams as the werewolf approaches. Quentin tells her the wheel of fortune spins, and she mustn't be afraid. She wakes from her dream.

The werewolf attacks the deputy placing traps, and steps right into one. He howls in agony.

Our thoughts

John: Okay, I get that they couldn't find a stuntman as tall as David Selby, but they could have done a better job matching the wardrobe between Quentin and the werewolf. It's silly when the transformation includes the color of his clothes...

Christine: I had to go back and look since I honestly didn't notice while watching the episode, but in looking at the screenshots, it's easy to see the differences in height and clothing.

John: Trask spent a few moments staring at Barnabas' portrait, which got me thinking. Wouldn't you remove the portrait of a vampire family member from the foyer of your house?

Christine: Only if you didn't like vampires or your vampire cousin wasn't a central character. I was surprised Trask let Charity go visit her mom's grave at night considering that he knew she was recently a vampire victim. How did he know Barnabas wouldn't give her another little nip on the neck at the graveyard? Little did he know she'd run afoul of one of Collinsport's other supernatural creatures. Trask stabbing the Bible may have been a clue that he was also responsible for the knife Liz found in the Bible in Episode 785, and possibly the childish drawing as well. I love how Magda basically called him out for killing his wife.

John: We finally get the version of Quentin's theme with 'lyrics'! I never expected to hear that on the show. It's worth noting that the recording of Quentin's Theme by The Charles Randolph Grean Sounde peaked at #13 on the Billboard charts on August 2nd, 1969.



Christine: Quentin's theme with David Selby's voiceover is Cobert's Cue 294, which can be found on Disc 6 of The Complete Dark Shadows Soundtrack Music Collection. It's interesting to see the other singles on the Billboard Chart that week to get some context. I am really surprised Magda's tarot reading not only didn't turn Charity off Quentin, but inspired a fantasy/dream. What a great Monday episode! Here are the lyrics to Quentin's theme so you can sing along with your Charles Randolph Grean Sounde record:

Shadows of the night,

falling silently,

echo of the past,

calling you to me.

Haunting memory,

veiled in misty glow.

Phantom melody,

playing soft and low.

In this world that we know now,

life is here,

then gone.

But somewhere in the afterglow,

love lives on and on.

Dreams of long ago,

meet in rendezvous.

Shadows of the night,

calling me to you.

Calling me to you. 

Magda's tarot reading

"The Force" aka Strength

The Moon

The Lovers, inverted. The Tower and The Hanged Man were also inverted but not shown.