Diaries of the Dark

Dark Shadows skipped over Episode 131, so as I went from 130 to 132.

I wasn't feeling this episode. I understand why it was necessary, but normally episodes designed around David do nothing for me personally. Roger and Elizabeth discuss the situation involving Laura and David. Should she be allowed to see him? Can a concerned Elizabeth even stop Laura from seeing her son? Will Laura gain custody over her son? Does Roger care? We actually see Vicky doing her job, trying to get David to do better at math, listening to his comments on Laura, his worries about her. David seems to know all about Laura, what she wore, and looks like, the night she made her first visit to Collinwood since leaving due to a breakdown. This is focused specifically on David; you like his character, then this episode is for you.

Laura returns to Collinwood after watching her son swing from behind a bush. Burke learns from Ms. Johnson that Laura has returned and plans to communicate with her. Laura makes her intentions clear to both Roger and Elizabeth...all she wants is her son. Roger obviously seems fine with the idea of letting go of a son he has little regard for, but Elizabeth adores the boy. What I like about this new storyline is how enigmatic Dark Shadows Creative has made the character of Laura. She seems "otherworldly", as if she's in control of some strange power yet revealed. The beginnings of what she is capable of come at the end of this episode, the show's 130th, when David seems under a spell and the Collinwood entrance doors swing open as if two giant hands jerked them. Laura engages Liz and Roger carefully; you can see that she chooses her words wisely, delicately laying out what she wants. She wants David, and I think we see right here that a fight for the custody of the boy...

Building upon Laura's mystique, this episode is all about her. Elizabeth and Roger contemplate how to keep her out of their lives, particularly David's. Sam is so drunk, he will not even remember an important painting that symbolizes what Laura had previously mentioned to Maggie (and Maggie previously mentioned to Sam). Laura had been sent away, partly due to heavy drinking because she knew who actually drove the automobile that struck the victim, a crime Burke went to prison for. Sam and Roger have further conversation about Laura, what her return to Collins Port might mean and how it will affect them. Sam questions to Roger if Laura even knows about his testifying falsely at the trial. Laura was "away in Phoenix", Roger and Liz moving on with their lives, fully capable of completely forgetting about her. David's welfare is Liz's concern while an anxiety-ridden Roger just wants to avoid Laura. Meanwhile, Maggie is given a lift home from the Blue Whale by Joe,...

Sliding back into the routine, we get to see Sam boozing up. I tell you, I damn near forgot Kathryn Leigh Scott was on the show, her Maggie has been given so little to do. She is to be Sam's private investigator, trying to pry information from Roger's wife (well, again, this hasn't been announced, and I'm sure Dark Shadows Creative will prolong the meeting of mother/wife with son/husband as long as humanly possible) about who she is and what her reasons for being in Collins Port are. Sam knows who she is, perhaps shaken in disbelief, maybe attempting to convince himself this mysterious woman isn't who he thinks she is. Maggie has a conversation with Joe about Matthew's "death by fright" (while allowing Maggie, Sam, Joe, and the mystery lady to have this episode, DSC still want to emphasize that what happens at Collinwood is the talk of the town). Joe laughs on the whole notion that Matthew died of such a thing, instead believing his heart just gave out...

This episode just deals with reactions from those surrounding Vicky's brush with death, Matthew's mysterious death, the obvious attraction between Burke and Vicky, Elizabeth's worries concerning Vicky's never-ceasing troubles since coming to Collinwood, and the usual tensions between Burke and the Collins family. Vicky tells of Josette's ghost while Elizabeth, Roger, and Burke contemplate her mental state, chalking it up to possible hysterics due to almost perishing at the hands of the mad caretaker. We saw Josette, heard the voices that drove Matthew insane and dead, and at the very end of this episode actually see the ghost in her bride dress roaming the grounds near the Old House (a cool visual that really leaves the chills). Nothing really exceptional here, but to see how important Vicky's well being is to those around her, especially Burke. This episode also confirms that Vicky is very fond of Mr. Devlin (see how she reacts when Miss Johnson tells her that ...

If ever there was an episode to grab a Dark Shadows viewer prior to the arrival of Barnabas I'm sure this is the one. Dark Shadows Creative pooled all their collective energies into this episode. It has been building for quite some time. We have went through Malloy's murder investigation, multiple suspects polarized as potential murderers, numerous death attempts on Vicky's life, her imprisonment by the killer, Matthew Morgan, Morgan's copious opportunities to put an end to Vicky yet always persuaded right before doing the deed, and his ultimate executioners, ghosts who frighten him to death. Morgan goes to the tool shed, finds an ax buried in a tree stump, warms the blade on a spool, all the while this episode has David trying to tell Burke (often stalling, a dramatic tactic by DSC to infuriate a nervous audience wanting him to spit it out before Matthew is finally able to kill Vicky), but uneasy because he fears he'll  go to jail. Even worse is that Roger is right...

Near the pivotal conclusion to the “Victoria Imprisonment” storyline is Episode 125 has the ghost of Bill Malloy reappearing, not only to a conflicted David who fears going to jail (he almost releases Vicky but his fear of going to jail deters from doing so) but also to the unstable Matthew, trying to decide whether to kill Vicky or take her with him on the lam. Once he sees Malloy, Matthew goes off the deep end, even forgetting about the time he has kept Vicky concealed in the staircase secret room, thinking it a dream. Vicky, finally free, almost leaves the Old House when Matthew gains his bearings and is determined to put an end to her once and for all. Tying her back up, Matthew believes the ghosts want Vicky dead (his mental faculties are skewed, to say the least). This is Thayer David’s moment; the last dozen episodes have been catered specifically to him. Calling good buddy Burke, this could be David’s escape route from being linked to Matthew, avoiding jail time (in his min...

The nature of Roger’s wife (I’m labeling her this because it is obvious) is starting to flower as her elusiveness regarding identity (Maggie, not afraid to probe and question, gets a few details out of her like how she’s from Phoenix, Arizona, gone from Collins Port ten years), while still for the most part intact, may be deteriorating, especially once a hung over Sam visits for a bit to talk with his daughter. When Maggie tells him of her questions about the Collins, being a local, and her past in Arizona, Sam becomes unnerved, perhaps understanding who she is, leaving in a hurry. Meanwhile, Matthew’s on the verge of possibly harming David, with definite designs on killing Vicky as he senses his end is near if he doesn’t act and act fast. David narrowly escapes but it appears Vicky’s life is in jeopardy. I have to hand to Dark Shadows Creative, they really leave you in this episode hanging as to Vicky’s fate. David rushes to get help…

Joe is worse for wear after helping search for Vicky, stopping by the diner for a cup of coffee and a chat with Maggie, admitting that his relationship with Carolyn was over, both of them recognizing a rather bewildered young woman, enigmatic with a haunted face, entering, sitting down at a table. When Joe leaves for sleep, Maggie and this woman talk—the conversation about the Collins and Collins Port. I think it is easy to venture a guess that this is Roger’s troubled wife, returning unannounced, not quite sure what to do or how to approach her estranged family. This is a set up for the future, as her presence will make a Burke Devlin type immediate impact, while the “Victoria Imprisonment” storyline is on its way to   a close with David finding an increasingly paranoid and fearsome Matthew chomping at the bit because of his being stuck in the Old House (the Widows and the lighted portrait of Josette are really what bother him). David has been eyeing the staircase ever since h...

 I have to give Dark Shadows Creative a great deal of credit for really mixing it up and getting not only more supernatural but giving David a more crucial role regarding his complex friendship with escaped fugitive, Matthew. David is a constant source of aggravation and worry for Matthew yet he is needed for food and information. Plus, how long can Matthew keep his secret of Vicky and the hidden room from others?

David attempts to talk with a grouchy Burke who hasn't slept much over the last few days as Patterson and his officers have given up searching Collinwood grounds. Meanwhile, Matthew is hearing the voices of the Widows’ ghosts, calling his name antagonistically, and this is starting to cause him to unravel, fracturing his confidence in escaping Collinwood in one piece. Vicky remains bound and gagged unless Matthew gets a little rough with her, especially after her calling out to David and his hearing those voices. Carolyn wants to talk to Burke but he isn’t interested at the moment, clearly concerned more for Vicky’s welfare. I think it is visible that Carolyn is growing restless and uncomfortable the longer she is away from the man she has a passion for, while perhaps there’s the knowledge, no matter if she wants to accept it or not, that the true object of Devlin’s desires is Vicky, not her, and that her family was right about him all the while.

I’m not sure the current “Vicky Imprisonment” storyline has legs. It could get awfully repetitive really fast if we get the same routine of Matthew keeping a watch for others who might pass by the Old House, keeping Vicky hid away, warding off David’s thoughts of where he hides and the scary idea of being an accessory after the fact in regards to helping harbor a known fugitive. Sheriff Patterson tells an inquisitive David this while the two are chatting about Matthew. Patterson is reluctantly honest with Elizabeth about the chances of finding Vicky. Matthew is spending a lot of time having to persuade David not to keep coming over to him, trying to keep his secrets under wraps, and this mission of escaping law enforcement dwindles the longer he puts his trust in a curious child.

Episode 120 is primarily confined to the Old House, with one conversation between Collinwood maid, Ms Johnson, and David talking about Vicky’s disappearance and Matthew’s possible involvement. David knows of Matthew’s whereabouts, even bringing him breakfast from the Collinwood kitchen, the two talking about where Vicky might be and who would want to harm her. Matthew is evasive when David mentions a secret the former caretaker has to share with the kid. Matthew needs David in order to survive for a while in his current hiding-place so he apologizes for yelling when the tyke persisted in knowing what the secret was. At the end, when Matthew is gone for the moment, David can hear Vicky, trying to call out to him while gagged, quite a teaser for the next episode for sure.

Emotions are running high in Episode 119 as the gloves come off. Carolyn insists on continuing seeing Burke despite the pleas of both Elizabeth and a returning Roger who try to convince her of Devlin’s supposed true motives in using her to destroy the Collins family. Carolyn’s defiance troubles her family greatly. Burke and Joe return from a fruitless search and Roger’s snide remarks cause quite a bit of animosity. Roger is flat PMSing here, his disregard for Vicky’s safety, snotty comments aimed directly at Burke, his chastisement of Elizabeth for offering Devlin coffee. Carolyn and Joe have quite an ugly back-and-forth about their dissolving relationship, and it is pretty much clear that their time has passed, ending unpleasantly. It is time for Joe to move on and he even apologizes to Burke for slugging him, while Devlin realizes (and lets Joe know this) he isn’t completely over Carolyn. But that final argument relates to us that any sort of loving relationship is highly unlikely....

While I can’t see much elasticity in the plot involving Matthew’s keeping Vicky prisoner in the secret hidden room behind the book shelf in the Old House, it does allow Dark Shadows Creative to return to the ghost of Josette and they go out of their way to establish her for a reason…and it just might come into play during the “Vicky’s Imprisonment” angle. That great old tease that has been used in soap operas time immemorial, the near rescue, is once again utilized excellently. Matthew has Vicky almost out the door when Burke and Joe appear, loaded shotguns in tow, the former caretaker/current killer-on-the-lam quickly forcing his prisoner back into the hidden room before getting caught. While Joe and Burke search the Old House, Matthew keeps his huge hand over Vicky’s mouth and his raw thuggish strength keeps her at bay. Vicky can’t call out for help even as Burke and Joe are only feet away. Burke even says, “There’s nothing we can do for Vicky here.” It is a formula that works; you...

Episode 117 deals with Vicky’s disappearance and the relationship between Carolyn and Burke. Joe and Burke come to blows following a heated argument about Carolyn’s leaving from Bangor for Collins Port. Burke and Carolyn *get cozy* in his Bangor home, their potential tryst interfered by Joe, at Elizabeth’s request to find her due to fears of something wrong with Vicky. Matthew’s on the lam, Vicky’s imprisoned by him, and Burke moves into action, adamant about helping Liz find her lost governess (it is reported by the man she was to meet, Frank Garner, to Liz that she never made it to Bangor, Vicky’s travel bag found by Joe still in the hall near the front door). In the dialogue between Burke and Carolyn, it is visually present that when she mentions Vicky’s potential romance with Frank, Devlin is a bit bothered by it. Burke’s change of mood when he is informed of Vicky’s vanishing offers a clear picture of just how he feels about her. Carolyn is conflicted because she’s passionate ab...

This episode just works as a tease. Will Vicky somehow free herself from Matthew? He has a secret room in the Old House only he knows about. It is behind a shelf, rather large room with plenty of space. The episode is all about Vicky's attempts to keep Matthew from killing her, while she also tries to talk him into fleeing from the premises. Matthew believes all of the chaos surrounding him was caused by Victoria's hatred of him; the ultimate betrayal was Elizabeth turning on him. Miss Johnson and Elizabeth talk about Vicky, why she hasn't made it to Bangor yet, and the cleverness of Dark Shadows Creative is spotting her suitcase resting where she last left it before being taken prisoner. There's a parlor trick used often by writers of soap operas when characters are imprisoned: able to get her captor to leave for a moment, quietly attempting to retreat, out the door of the place that has been your prison, only to be grabbed right before freedom, placed right back into ...

It’s the suddenness that frightens. The unexpected. The feeling you don’t know what’s gonna happen next. It was building to this as Matthew fled his cottage as a fugitive and Vicky tried to come to terms with nearly facing death that the two of them were fated to meet face-to-face once again. Dark Shadows Creative was not about to let this story end like that, and they sure knew how to milk a plot for all its worth. David becomes a major inadvertent catalyst as it is his being at the Old House where Matthew was hiding that would inevitably bring Victoria straight into the clutches of the killer. It starts with a rather uncomfortable meeting between David and Matthew; David was bringing him food raided from his family's cupboard. Matthew is not a trusting fellow and in little David he believes is someone he can rely on. David questions Elizabeth about loyalty, what it really means, pondering if his friendship with Matthew is on solid footing. I think DSC was planting a see...

I think this will be the episode most remembered as the first kiss shared between Burke Devlin and governess Victoria Winters. Let me tell you that this wasn't a one-sided affair--Vicky liked and desired that kiss just as much as Burke did. It is also the episode where Burke gets the call that Logan's Port Enterprises is now his to operate as he sees fit--now Elizabeth and Collin's Port Enterprises have competition, a major threat. Roger is snide, as always, nose and chin high, holding a smug veneer as Victoria humbly asks for forgiveness. Sure, Roger should be a bit sore, but who does he have to blame but himself? He hasn't exactly done himself in favors shying away from suspicion. When Burke calls wanting to see Vicky at his inn room, Roger answering the phone, the pressure mounts. Victoria must choose: the Collins family or Burke. She chooses Elizabeth because of the home and warmth provided to an orphan who has never had a family to call her own. Yet, Vicky is unset...

In this episode, Dark Shadows Creative makes sure to remind us that Burke Devlin and Miss Johnson are still part of the cast as Matthew has (and will continue to) hogged most of the storyline focus. Vicky has really deprived from Burke the orbit of the Dark Shadows Universe as his designs on destroying all things Collins have taken a back seat to "Who is trying to kill Vicky?" and "Malloy's killer revealed!" Johnson raises an interesting question to Burke on whether or not he really was responsible for the manslaughter, considering he was drunk and the events of that night were hazy. He does ponder for just a moment but completely believes he would not leave the scene if he was the one who caused the car wreck. This episode returns to characters reinforcing their desire to destroy Roger, with Johnson and Burke meeting at his inn room to discuss the current state of affairs at Collinwood regarding the real murderer of Malloy. It was rather fascinating seeing such...

The Episode I titled "The Search" is listed as Dark Shadows Episode 111 for some reason, with 109 & 110 skipped (not sure why), but getting into this episode, listed as 112, Matthew is caught by Elizabeth as he was about to break Vicky's neck. Elizabeth needs to get Vicky out of the cottage so she tries to convince Matthew that his admission to the accidental death of Malloy would be kept silent if he just cooperated in her release. It is only when Matthew almost strangles a courageous Elizabeth (counting on his obsessive loyalty to her as a means to set Vicky free) that he realizes how far he has fallen into the abyss that he flees. Patterson's boys out looking for him, no one believes Matthew is in fact still on the grounds, heading for the Old House where he plans to take refuge, the ending letting us know that Vicky's life is still not without danger. Roger makes an entrance late in the episode, his snobbish nose stuck high up, his contempt for Vicky quite...

Patterson and his boys are searching the grounds for Vicky while Elizabeth and Frank contemplate nervously what happened to her, where she could be, and who would want her silenced. Meanwhile, Vicky attempts to talk Matthew out of murdering her in cold blood. Matthew wavers for a bit but is wholly convinced that the only way to save his hide is to kill her. I imagine Thayer David must have loved saying "KILL YOU!", because Matthew really emphasizes it over and over to a frightened Vicky who does all she can to worry him about possibly facing a guilty conscience and murder conviction. Matthew believes he can do away with her and bury her in a cove where no one will  find her. This episode is built on delay and having the viewer on edge wondering when Matthew would finally close in on Vicky as she tries, and fails, to escape or seek help (the phone rings as Elizabeth tries to contact Matthew again for a search update). Frank, interesting enough, is the only who plants the seed ...

Finally, finally, finally. By episode One Hundred-Eight, the murderer of Bill Malloy is finally *outed*. Vicky was nearly killed by a falling "statue urn", and the person responsible was...Matthew, the caretaker. Matthew will not allow Victoria to leave when she attempts to use his cottage phone to call for Sheriff Patterson (the statue urn nearly falling on her), and through Freudian slips (he knows the time when Vicky was almost hit by the car, 8:00; he lies to Elizabeth about not knowing Vicky's whereabouts; he is restless about what she does and does not know about Malloy's death; then, most of all, he admits to being unable to hold "it in" any longer) unveils he is the murderer of Malloy and plans to kill her! The subplot has Elizabeth and Frank Garner concerned for Vicky's well being when she vanishes without a trace, calling Patterson to come to Collinwood, fearing for the governess' safety. Very important episode, but we Dark Shadows fans kno...

This time Sam Evans gets the third degree from Sheriff Patterson involving his conversation with Vicky about Malloy, a second line of questioning providing a possible motive for wanting to kill her: perhaps her reasons for seeing that a killer is brought to justice for Malloy's death could potentially defame him for the wrongful manslaughter charge, worse if he is the one who pushed Bill off of Lookout Point. Frank Garner comes down from Bangor when he got word Vicky was almost killed causing a conflict with his father, Richard, representing Roger Collins. Frank is who stirs up Patterson to bring Sam back in for questioning when he establishes a motive after talking with Vicky regarding that conversation at the Blue Whale about Malloy. It is indeed getting more and more convoluted as the show continues; everyone now just about is involved in the Malloy murder storyline. Someone tries to kill Vicky yet again when a flower pot nearly lands on her head, pushed off by someone at the to...

Sheriff Patterson questions Victoria, Carolyn, and arrested Roger about the fountain pen and the night Malloy was killed. Roger, no surprise, annoyingly, frustratingly, pleads innocence and no responsibility for either Malloy's death or the two events that frightened Victoria (someone trying to get into her bedroom and the attempt to run her down with a car late at night). Roger says he was elsewhere when Victoria was nearly hit by the car, miles away at a gas station. Carolyn is a wreck, completely in grief that Roger would be considered capable of any sort of violent or criminal act. Vicky simply tells the truth and/or answers Patterson's questions to the best of her knowledge, particularly adamant that the potential bedroom intruder was not some dream or a figment of her imagination. Roger lies about why he wanted to meet Malloy, but admits hiding the pen and knowledge of the death at Lookout Point because he was afraid Patterson would implicate him as a murderer. He is pass...

Oh boy, does Roger walk into a trap. Really stupid. Sheriff Patterson has Collins Port believe that Malloy's death is ruled as an accident, although technically the case is open. I think it's just smart on Patterson's part to allow the public to move on with their daily lives while he quietly seeks answers on behalf of Malloy. The main suspects, Sam and Roger, have behaved suspiciously and nervously, wanting Victoria to just back away. That fountain pen has become a thorn embedded in Roger's ass and its location has been hidden, but how long could Roger evade? Roger is good at escaping the noose, no doubt, but when Patterson and his arch nemesis Burke catch him digging up the notorious pen, caught with a key piece of potential evidence possibly linking him to Malloy's death, what explanation could he produce to get himself out this jam? Elizabeth questions Roger about the pen; this after Patterson listens to events that happened to Vicky (the night someone tried to ...

Vickie has really put her head in the vice as she has aligned herself with Burke, believing it is possible that someone, perhaps Roger, tried to get in her room, later while walking home after a discussion with Sam Evans at the Blue Whale (he was attempting to persuade her to leave well enough alone regarding her crusade to find out what happened to Bill Malloy, the fountain pen a motivational tool that started it all), at night, a car with bright headlights nearly hits her! I think most people would have left Collins Port a long time ago, but not Vickie, no she has to dive headlong into the abyss in order to discover her identity. This pursuit of an identity is what brought her to  the Blue Whale in the first place as Sam fibbed to her that he knew more about the Betty Hanscomb portrait. Sam wants her to just drop it, but with Burke's insistence, Vickie forwards on. Roger had snidely remarked to Elizabeth that it is all possibly imagined in Vickie's head; he thinks she should ...

Dark Shadows Creative used this episode to keep Roger under suspicion as evident by how he might have tried to sneak into Victoria's room when she laid down to sleep. He knows she was out perhaps with Burke Devlin as he caught her in a lie saying she met with Maggie. Maggie, however, was in fact at the Blue Whale with Sam, the two discussing what Vickie might know about Malloy's death, how she just can't leave well enough alone. The letter Sam wrote for Maggie to open if something were to happen to him is brought up again, talked about at length, but what lies within it remains a mystery. Roger spends a portion  of this episode nervous, but when he knows Vicky is hiding something from him, he takes the opportunity to let her know, in his own snide way, with her left in the bedroom contemplating what to do next.

I think most Dark Shadows fans will most remember Josette's ghost after Matthew and David's chat about Vicky (her secret knowledge of Roger's guilt in killing Malloy, or so the kid believes) once they leave. Other subplots include Burke's dinner with Carolyn and Roger's damage control informing Vicky that yes he did go to meet Malloy at Lookout Point, where he dropped the pen, but got there just after Bill's demise. Burke flatters Carolyn with compliments on her beauty (she eats from the palm of his hand; he could have went to bed with her this night if he'd wanted to), but once he learns of Roger's knowledge that Vicky knows about his dropping the fountain pen at Lookout Point, Burke sets in motion a "plan of rescue" fearing for the governess' welfare. He will "ditch Carolyn" and pick up Vicky (Burke has Vicky pretend she's talking to Maggie, relating what he wants her to do) if she can get out of Collinwood in one piece. Lik...

I love Dan Curtis' movies, but the last two episodes do not speak well of his role as a producer on the show. One cameraman seemed to trip over a table with the camera shaking as a result, and I actually saw a second camera in the Collinwood living room (it was to shoot Carolyn at another angle) appear. Boom mikes drop right down in plain view, and equipment shadows have become so commonplace I consider them part of the furniture. The lighting of the sets was too bright, for one thing, so the shadows would become far more noticeable.

The ending is quite a stunner! Good job of the writers and performers building to it as well. Roger knows Vicky places him at the scene of the crime regarding Lookout Point and Bill Malloy's death thanks to the fountain pen. Carolyn, David, and even Maggie are weaved into the plot through various means. Carolyn has no idea that her relating the fountain pen and Roger's connection to Vicky could threaten her life. Vicky needing to talk to Burke, whether requesting Carolyn to tell him to call her or even trying to use the Collinwood phone to get in touch with Devlin, these acts are questionable considering how they can tie the governess to the Collin's family #1 adversary. Maggie is uncomfortable when (after returning Vicky's purse to her after leaving it at Collins Port diner on accident) Vicky starts admitting she may know who killed Malloy and why because Sam could possibly be implicated somehow. David is always snooping, trying to always listen in on conversations. ...

Laying out some key plot elements in this episode, I will use bullets. The fountain pen. It is missing. Burke gave it to Carolyn. Roger took it from Carolyn. Roger dropped it at Lookout Point where Malloy died. Vicky found it. It disappeared. Vicky first suspected Burke of killing Malloy because of the pen.Roger insists Vicky keep the finding of the pen secret. She learns of Roger's acquiring the pen. She now suspects Roger. Carolyn has the hots for Burke. Burke invites her for a date. Carolyn is not persuaded by her family's angst to just abandon thoughts of a relationship with Burke. She intends, despite Roger's angered demands against it, to still meet the dinner engagement with Burke. Vicky meets Burke at his inn room to discuss the pen, her suspicions and new fear of Roger, and how to address her current predicament regarding what to do about everything concerning the death of Malloy. Little pissant David overhears Carolyn and Vicky talking about the date and is...

I  was wrong. I have to give the writing staff credit for the inclusion of the fountain pen and its supposed implication of Burke. Roger's adamant insistence on Vicky keeping the pen secret is of crucial importance here because of revelations from Carolyn. She tells Vicky of a dinner engagement she had and will be having with Burke Devlin. The one in Bangor when Burke gave her a special present...the fountain pen, one of only six, for which Roger took from her because of who gave it to Carolyn. Vicky's suspicions of Burke go away and a new suspect emerges to her: Roger Collins. Carolyn is asked on a date with Burke at the Blue Whale, but her jovial enthusiasm of something in the works is a ruse: Burke is using her because his attempt to hire away Elizabeth's fishing fleet, cannery workers was unsuccessful. He learns here that money doesn't necessarily buy people, that loyalty does matter. While I personally admire their decision to remain with the Collins Port business,...

Really important episode in that it introduces a fresh new face and she is immediately indoctrinated into the ongoing stories that have been formulating over the long term. She's a plant by Burke Devlin to spy for him. Butting heads immediately with caretaker Matthew Morgan who doesn't trust her, voicing his concerns to Elizabeth, we see that she will not have it easy in her role as a mole. Elizabeth has made it clear she needs help in regards to chores around the place, but Matthew certainly is not happy that another person now has some liberty to snoop around the house and "stick her nose in where it doesn't belong". And, he's right. Ms. Johnson, former maid for Malloy (critical in its importance since it is a motivation for a pursuit in truth; his death hasn't been solved, justice not yet meted out to the one responsible), isn't hardly in the house five minutes and she's asking David about secret rooms. Matthew has really started to become a mor...

The portrait that features a woman who resembles Vicky rears its head again and Elizabeth's dogged attempts to keep the secret of her governess' past is starting to fracture. Vicky puts Carolyn in her place regarding Burke and how behavior of those who live in Collinwood is presented to others outside the mansion on Widow's Hill. Vicky is sick and tired of how she is character assassinated and goes for a walk; it's at this point that she just needs refuge somewhere else, heading to the Evans home to see the Betty Hanscomb portrait again. This is a good episode for the Sam Evans character. He is sober, light-hearted, and just pleasant. I would recommend this episode to those who have this picture of a tormented drunk cemented in their minds regarding Sam; he's hospitable and offers a nice welcome to Vicky. He even gives her the portrait, certain to cause many sleepless nights for Elizabeth. This is a strong episode as it pertains to why Elizabeth is adamant in mainta...

I have to say that this is a pretty useless episode other than it feels like an attempt of creative damage control. Vicky and Roger are heading home from Bangor during a bad rainstorm that is washing out roads. Roger insists Vicky keep the fountain pen secret, also telling her she should leave Collinwood because of what Burke might do to her if he found out she had such knowledge that might implicate him of Malloy's demise. There is a small scene in Collinwood living room where Sheriff Patterson stops by to inform Elizabeth that the main road is enduring a major washout, drinking some coffee, acknowledging that he knows about Burke's desire to buy Logan's Port. This all feels unnecessary, to tell you the truth, except to tell  us that the rainstorm was bad and that the trip back home for Roger and Vicky might be difficult and arduous. Roger and Vicky find a dilapidated shack on a back road that leads to Collinwood, a small pond that would not be easy to cross forcing the tw...

Victoria had found a certain fountain pen near Lookout Point, the location of Malloy's death, an exact duplicate of a South American pen owned by Burke's business associate, Blair. Vicky has a nice dinner conversation with atty Frank Garner, who expresses his desire to see her again. Frank's daddy warned son that they are employed by Elizabeth Stoddard (why would he be saying this unless hiding the discovery if his investigation turns up something?). Burke was meeting with Blair about acquiring Logan's Port properties, but those in charge of the company aren't so quick to sell, opting to see if there are any other takers. Vicky tells Frank of the Malloy ghost experience and the young lawyer convinces her  to look at this logically as perhaps just a nightmare, nothing real. The fountain pen has Vicky questioning to if perhaps Burke dropped his at Lookout Point in a possible confrontation with Malloy. Personally, I think Dark Shadows Creative's attempt to imply Bu...

Yes!Yes!Yes! Why am I so excited? Because the end is near for Joe Haskell and Carolyn Stoddard. I never wanted the end of a relationship so badly, but I must admit that this dissolution is long coming. By Ep 94, the strain of Carolyn's indecision and the weight of waiting has finally taxed Joe to the breaking point, and he has now found another more suitable candidate for his attention in waitress Maggie Evans. Maybe this should have already happened, but Dark Shadows Creative never get in too big a hurry. Carolyn's interest/desire/lust for Devlin has cost her a good man in Joe. This episode has Joe and Carolyn having a chat at the Blue Whale when Maggie and her pops stop by. Carolyn, trying to be friendly (or so she says), invites the two to sit at her table with Joe. Awkward! Maggie denies her feelings although Sam knows she has eyes for Joe. Joe soon realizes when Carolyn acknowledges that Victoria went to Bangor with Burke, that the whole point of their date at the Blue W...

Entirely set in Collinwood, this four character set has Elizabeth trying to convince Carolyn that this obsession with Burke and her anger with Vicky are ill-advised. Roger confronts his son, David, about the ghost of Malloy and what Vicky said about the experience. David tells Roger that Vicky knows something which is why Malloy visited her. David also tells him he is the one who killed Malloy, with Roger slapping him. David, of course, makes more out of it than it was, telling Liz Roger was trying to kill him. That slap, I must say, was all too real, and such an authentic-looking moment kind of had a bit of potency; the kid takes in right on the cheek. Roger wants Vicky gone, while Liz tells Carolyn that Ned Calderon once loved her. Ned proposed, Liz waited too late, stringing him along as Carolyn does Joe, and by the time she was ready he had moved on. Liz admits that Carolyn's father married her for the Collins fortune and title, although she did love her husband. Roger just wis...

Vicky has two men now it seems vying for her affections. Vicky visits Elizabeth's law firm, Garner and Garner, to learn of the B. Hanscomb on the ledger sheet, meeting Richard himself, but is given (later discovered purposely) the runaround routine of his not knowing exact names. Later, Richard is shown talking to Liz across the phone, informing her of Vicky's visit and that everything would be okay (thus, the conspiracy remains intact and Vicky's knowledge of her identity continues to remain concealed). Richard's partner, Frank, is eager to help Vicky, and obviously has an interest in the young woman beyond just searching documents for B. Hanscomb's whereabouts. Burke finds Vicky sitting down for a dinner at a Bangor restaurant, wanting to talk;  this dinner conveys his possible interest in her as well. It is 92 episodes into the series and Vicky's identity is still unknown: soap operas have a way of prolonging story-lines for quite a while. Sheesh.

Vicky, her ledger sheet with the name of Betty Hanscomb (the woman whose Sam Evans portrait looks eerily similar to Victoria), decides to take a few days off so she can seek answers about whether or not this woman is possibly a relative, mother, or someone close. Carolyn is flat infatuated with Burke Devlin, even calling him from his inn room to meet her for some coffee. She's ridiculously furious (soap opera furious) about Devlin's insistence that Vicky ride with him to Bangor (that's where Elizabeth's bank is located, on the ledger so Vicky wants to talk to owners about Hanscomb) instead of taking a bus. Carolyn turns cold to Vicky, her jealousy having brought forth irrationality and despair. Her "reversal" of feelings for Vicky leaves Elizabeth understandably surprised, especially since the girls left in such high spirits. It just took an offer for a ride by Burke to Vicky to turn Carolyn into a mournful and equally hostile crybaby. When Carolyn tells Eliza...

I have to say this was a rather fascinating episode as it addresses Victoria's indecision in leaving Collinwood--this is a constant of the series, Vicky finding reasons to stay when everything seems to tell her leaving is the best option--as well as, her experience in a decrepit office room containing old ledgers and fishing fleet reports seeing the ghost of Bill Malloy as morbid David begs/pleads for her to now stay after all the "I hate yous!" and wishing she was dead, telling her he wouldn't even come to her funeral, all of that cruel behavior that proposes a potential psychopath. At the very end, when David tells Vicky he loves her, Carolyn tells Ms. Winters that the last time he loved, a cat, he drowned it! Haha. Anyway, Vicky takes Carolyn to the old room, as Matthew prepares to put a new lock on the door that leads to the closed off wing of Collinwood mansion. David really wants Vicky to stay after she admits to seeing Malloy's ghost. All the talk of seeing...

Episode 89 establishes a war that was set in motion essentially during the very first episode when Burke Devlin left the train onto the depot heading into Collins Port. So Devlin has his personal business associate Blair talk over the details about acquiring rival canneries/fishing fleet, Login's Port, gathering the Collins Port fishery's best managers as to offer them plenty of incentives (money, profit-sharing, etc) to leave their company for his. It would be lucrative and Devlin is sure not short of a confidence that at least one of the party will come on board. He doesn't even have Logan's Port properties yet, but, again, his feelings are that it is only a matter of time. Elizabeth has a major ally, Amos Fitch, who returns from the meeting furious, reporting to her Devlin's proposal. She calls him up and states that this is a fight Devlin will  not win; she is prepared to battle him with everything she's got and the deck is certainly stacked against her. He ...

This episode is specifically designed for the characters involved to take a giant heaping pile on Burke Devlin. Even Carolyn will believe the ravings of a madman, caretaker Matthew, that he possibly killed Malloy! I consider the implication of Burke's murdering the only man who could help clear his name ludicrous. Matthew told Burke he'd kill Devlin if he tried to do anything that would hurt Elizabeth Stoddard. Matthew's obsession with Elizabeth's safe reputation is hilarious to me; but, he is willing to go to any lengths, I believe, for his employer. That is where the show seemed to be going with Matthew: he is a dangerous individual that seems determined to spare Liz any misery. What else? Maggie goes to Collinwood for the first time to address Roger Collins about what is troubling her father, Sam. Instead she meets Elizabeth and the two chat about the 11:00 meeting, why her father is being tormented and what it has to do with Roger, and Burke Devlin himself. Everyone...

This isn't the name of Episode 62 but an actual problem I have. Currently two discs of Dark Shadows Collection 3 are not available on netflix to me so I will have to, seeing as I have not other way to avoid this, no alternative, skip certain episodes. I hate this as I want to stay in order and not have to miss huge gaps of story and character development. The only other choice I have is to buy the entire expensive set, and I just can't afford it. So, if you one or two people who have happened through my blog at some point, I want to apologize in advance.

Roger questions Victoria about her dinner with Maggie and Sam, learns that Burke stopped by telling his side of the story of the car wreck that put him behind bars, and explains to Ms. Winters that what Devlin is spreading is all lies. Burke and Sam discuss Malloy and the night of his murder. Sam denies any involvement in the manslaughter or Malloy's death, just wanting Burke to leave his family alone. Vicky has had her fill of Roger, his ornery attitude at times, and constant questioning of her every move. More of the same, not surprising that after the 60th episode the show falls back into monotonous routine, conversations that just prolong the story instead of advance it. Sam won't budge and Burke remains frustrated and despondent. The truth remains as buried as ever and no matter how hard Burke tries to peel away the layers of deceit and lies, the secret of Malloy's death and justice for him are trapped behind solid firmament because no matter how fragile Sam's psyc...

Burke interrupts what could have been a decent dinner between Maggie, her father, and Vicky, and he's sore, agenda-driven, and pointed in defending himself, while also demanding answers...answers Sam is willing to flee to protect. Sam's only link to Burke at all, besides Roger himself, is the letter he wrote to Maggie. He escapes out the back door while the others were in the living room and heads to Collins Port Inn where the letter is kept but the owner will not give it over to him. The letter is Maggie's and she will have to give permission before Sam can get his hands on it. Malloy's death looms large and will not go away--especially as long as Burke steamrolls throughout Collins Port, pissed off and unrestrained. He wants to know Sam's connection to the wrongful conviction and isn't about to just forget his presence at the meeting that night. Maggie just cannot believe that her father had anything at all to do with Malloy's death; Sam and Malloy were fr...

Soap operas have always had a way of prolonging stories past their end date (Joe and Carolyn are still together, Vicky had until the 60th episode learned nothing of her past, Sam was still holding on to the secret regarding his involvement with Roger), but I like that we are finally getting some payoff for our patience. For some time it didn't seem like Dark Shadows Creative really were that inspired with Victoria's *past storyline*. The Burke/Roger/Sam saga seemed to be at the forefront while other stories tried to wiggle their way into the limelight. I thought since I (and those one or two who have stopped by to read my blog from time to time; oh, by the way, thank you) have made it to 60, those subplots should be mentioned before moving on to the next episodes to come. *David and Roger* David's involvement in the Burke saga has been interesting in that he has sided with Devlin because of his father's shitty treatment of him. Roger is not a model father, the mother...

"Do you have room for one more?" Finally, finally, we get the story almost in full. This is one of the most important episodes of the pre-Barnabas era as it has significance on two fronts: it may answer a vital question regarding Victoria's past and gives us a full detailed account (with an obvious truth left untold) of the night a man was killed with Burke implicated in his death. The 60th episode opens with quite a grip: Vicky is having dinner at the Evans home (Sam isn't there yet) with Maggie and she finds a relic 25 year old painting of a woman that has more than a passing resemblance to Ms. Winters! Yes, it took 60 exhaustive episodes (that's a soap opera for you) to finally get to this point, but we are here folks. Sam places a name to her, Betty Hanscomb, but Maggie swore he said Hanson, a woman linked to the man killed in the car manslaughter that sent Burke to prison! Sam quickly puts that to rest, tells Vicky that Betty died before she was born, an...

Sheriff Patterson arrives at Collinwood with more questions for Roger regarding Malloy's mission and Burke's insistence that the 11:00 night meeting was about clearing his name of the wrongful manslaughter charge. Vickie is getting ready for the dinner with Maggie and Sam Evans. Patterson wishes to speak with Elizabeth as well regarding Malloy's last talk with her, his demeanor and possible admitting of why he was acting as he was. Roger appeals to Liz that he is her brother (what a pathetic scoundrel) and that she should watch how she answers Patterson's questions. The money scene of this episode is a confession of sorts, where Roger admits to wrongfully convicting Burke at the trial, for being the one responsible for the death, and for killing Malloy, horror and shock on Liz' face before he denies everything he just said. It was a great scene to me because it could all be true (we are uncertain who killed Malloy, but his admitting to it, even in stride just to pro...

David begins a morbid fascination with where Malloy's body actually landed before its discovery at the bottom of Widow's Hill, asking Carolyn about that night she found him. Joe stops by the Blue Whale because the Cannery was closed due to Malloy's death, asked by Sam to join him for a beer. Sam starts to question exactly what Joe knows about the case of Malloy...why does Sam seem so desperate for details? Sheriff Patterson wants to question Sam about that 11:00 meeting but as usual the drunk lies about his connection to the wrongful manslaughter conviction and why he was told to be there by an insistent Malloy. Carolyn is not happy with David's curiosity about Malloy's body, looking at tide charts to determine just where he first landed the night of his murder. David does get Joe to help him until Carolyn bitches and whines. Joe and Carolyn, still together yet should have separated 20 episodes ago.

Burke learns of Malloy's death from Maggie in the Collins Port diner, equal parts enraged and mournful. He is sure either Roger or Sam killed Malloy and talks with Sheriff Patterson about the arranged 11:00 pm meeting that night. Patterson is rightfully cautious of taking anything Burke tells him as totally accurate, although we all know that he's right about every detail, especially as it concerns Malloy's mission to see his name cleared. The autopsy results prove that Malloy had a blow on the head and died of drowning. He had a pocket watch that stopped at 10:45, meaning his death occurred at that time. The mystery builds and this episode contributes to the investigative part of Malloy's death. Burke is a suspect but he is adamant that he wanted Malloy alive not dead. The second subplot has Vickie meeting Maggie to talk about her past (yes, old details are brought up once again, the growing up at the foundling home, receiving money from an anonymous benefactor, and ho...

Carolyn is all bent out of shape when she gets the phone call from Sheriff Patterson confirming the body found being Bill Malloy. Elizabeth wanted to tell her but Carolyn has a way of diverting a serious matter through evasion (in this case, not purposely). Carolyn gets all fatalistic and existential, how life is precious and could be taken away at any moment. A mourning period will now begin for Malloy, what he meant to those around him. At the Blue Whale, Sam is drinking heavily--no surprise--and Roger wants his assurance that the secret regarding Burke's manslaughter charge remain hidden. Both parties deny having anything to do with Malloy's demise but Sam is acting awfully strangely, especially when the topic of autopsy is brought up. Vickie plans to have dinner with Maggie and Sam, and is curious if Roger's reasons for her not meeting them might have something to do with her past. Vickie's past has been rather buried lately, with a few episodes finding a little roo...

The “money shot” of episode 55 of Dark Shadows is definitely Sam’s reaction after it is confirmed in a phone conversation with Sherriff Patterson in the Collins Port diner that Malloy’s body was found, dead. The brunt of episode is Roger’s attempts to persuade Patterson that Malloy’s death could have resulted from other means, suicide, accidental drunken slip, but the 11:00 meeting is brought out in the open. That night is crucial to Patterson’s investigation and now he has the principles. Burke, Sam, and Roger were there, time of death was most probably between 10:30 when his housekeeper saw him last and the meeting he never attended but demanded at 11:00, and the reason behind it is now a topic the sheriff is certain to dwell on going forward.   The diner conversation between Maggie (waitressing as always) and pop Sam is recycled dialogue from the past episodes. “What is in the letter? Why can’t I read the letter? Pop, I’m worried about you. Pop, does it have anything to ...