Diaries of the Dark

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 ...

Dana Elcar (Macgiver) makes his first appearance as Sheriff Patterson introduced when called by Elizabeth Stoddard after being told through the startling admission from caretaker Matthew regarding his pushing the dead body of fishing fleet manager Bill Malloy, found at the bottom of Widow’s Hill, back into the water, watching the corpse catch a current, floating away. Meanwhile, Burke Devlin first calls Roger about how Sam Evans ties to his wrongful conviction and why Malloy would insist on his being at the 11:00 night meeting. Burke’s got the taste of flesh and blood in his mouth and wants to feast on the carcass of Roger—and perhaps Sam if he had a hand in the false implication—demanding to know if they had a partnership in his conviction. Roger, of course, swims around such accusations (he calls Burke’s forceful questions an Inquisition) and flat denies any involvement with Sam and considers Malloy’s disappearance possibly voluntary. Roger has few aces left up his sleeve, and it...

Now that I have finally received another Dark Shadows disc from netflix (and have another on the way) I can really get back to business. I sure wasn't intentionally neglecting this blog and look forward to a double feature tonight. Hooray.

I really hope I can get my Dark Shadows viewing schedule back to normal soon because I prefer the format of an episode or two a day as opposed to hours in a marathon. It serves better in smaller doses I'm sure than all posted at once. To explain my situation is that I don't have the money to buy the coffin-complete dvd set of the entire series, so I rely on netflix to service me. I just hope the long/short waits will not hinder me during this process, but I figure eventually receiving copies in order will be hard to come by. But, thanks to anyone who reads my reviews and visits the blog. I hope I bring some enthusiasm to the written word because following the show has been a joy. That said, the shabby production and technical miscues have been rampant lately. I appreciate those who perform in front of the camera even more when you see how saddled they were with 13 days, trying to get an episode right. Shadows of cameras--hell I even saw the camera in one shot--are as clear as e...

Closing out another "Marathon Saturday", along with the discovery of the body in Episode 50, this episode certainly clocks us with another (not surprising to me) whopper...Matthew comes clean. Yep, he did find a body and it was Bill Malloy! This adds a new wrinkle in what was a possible clean getaway for Sam or Roger, but who would benefit more? Really, both men needed him silenced. Sam does seem generally worried about Bill's whereabouts, but Roger's "missing time" off away from home and work does raise suspicion. But is Roger just a red herring? This brings us back to Matthew. He also wouldn't want Malloy stirring trouble because it would return to the Collins' family, defaming Elizabeth who he holds an idol-like esteem for. It doesn't even take much to pull it from him, particularly when Liz mentions that he doesn't lie to her. I guess it was that simple to motivate the truth from him. Such a revelation, and Liz' calling the authoritie...

On her thoughts, the body at the bottom of Widow's Hill, Carolyn cannot sleep. She wanted to sleep in Vicky's bed with her because of this innate creepiness she can't get rid of. Malloy is a topic of conversation even between a besides-himself Sam Evans, pacing and restless, and Maggie, trying to pry what wears away his ability to function normally. Yes, Sam and Maggie talk Burke and Malloy, and do you think she will be able to get answers from him? If you said, "Nope," you are right on the money. It's the same tiresome shit. Sam had a series of episodes fixated on his torment, on his secret, and lots of Maggie trying to figure out what was wrong, eating away at him. When you keep repeating the same scenes over and over, how can it not get irksome? Maggie talks of reading the letter pop wanted her to if something happened to him, and he insists she bring it to him so he can destroy it. He shrugs her, hurting her arms, adamant that she swear on mama's name ...

Well, Vicky and Carolyn's proclamation of a body found at the bottom of Widow's Hill is considered absurd by Elizabeth and Roger who pretty much write it off as a "trick of the eyes", perhaps a delusion caused by old folk tales present in their minds, an illusion that was actually a *clump of seaweed* instead. Liz has caretaker Matthew go down to look and he returns, acting strange, saying nothing was there. Liz goes to his cottage to address her concerns that he might be concealing something yet he continues to deny anything was there. He even takes her to the spot where the girls saw the body, nothing but seaweed (it even has her jump and sigh in fright). Roger never wavers in front of the women of the house about how silly the idea of a body at the bottom of the hill is, yet when he turns away (and they are not looking), a concern richly appears. What would he even have to be concerned about if he had nothing to worry about? This episode certainly casts doubt in Ro...

I have to hand to Dark Shadows Creative: the payoff for the mystery regarding "Where is Bill Malloy?" was a humdinger! The mood and sense of gloom and doom is impressive as the stage has been set for the last three episodes regarding Malloy's absence and where he would be found. This episode, the 50th, opens with Carolyn in a rather glum state, unsure of what to do about her relationship with Joe (God, someone put me out of my misery, please..), sitting at the crest of Widow's Hill with Victoria joining her. They also chat a bit about *you know who*, and how worse for wear Elizabeth is about his disappearance. Roger finally returns after being gone for a good portion of the night after leaving the office, saying to Elizabeth that he had went to Malloy's cousin's house to see if he was there. The episode spends some time talking about "ghosts", associating the conversation around Widow's Hill because of its mythos regarding the two suicides and po...

“Where are we all headed?” “Towards death, Maggie. We’re all headed towards death.” Burke wants to know where Malloy is. He presses and presses Sam for answers. Nothing. Sam, dammit, just will not budge. This guy has hammered himself with the liquor the entire series and Maggie keeps trying to just get through to him. His peace of mind, something that has been under subjection thanks to the secret he holds with Roger, is what she wants.  What will crack him? There’s a scene towards the very end where Maggie wants to know how he ties in with Malloy, Roger, and Burke. He is adamant she just drop the questions. He gobbles the whiskey, lives day to day to day in misery, pining in anguish, yet will simply not release his soul from what ails him. Frankly, I’m tired of writing about him. This episode did little for  me, although I am glad Dark Shadows Creative hasn’t completely given up on the Maggie character, placing her in the Burke storyline as a means to needle into ...

Malloy’s absence from home (his maid says no one is there when Joe Haskell went to find him after his not reporting to the fishing fleet office) and the office is worrying Elizabeth. Joe stopped by to see Elizabeth about this and to visit. David received from Burke Devlin a crystal ball as a gift much to Elizabeth’s disapproval but the young lad was insistent in keeping it. This will allow Dark Shadows Creative to use David as a possible device to provide facts such as Malloy’s demise, his killer, and Carolyn not marrying Joe but Burke (David, not happy with Joe’s rubbing that he’s a quack in his premonitions from the ball, tells him he will not be marrying Carolyn!). The episode brilliantly closes with David saying his father killed Malloy! David is sore with Vicky for showing his Collinwood portrait to daddy Roger, ripping it up because it was meant for someone else…Burke! Oh, goody, goody, Burke becomes David’s pal. Roger and Burke hate each other. David hates Roger. Elizabeth i...

Just as I figured: At 11:00 pm, Burke, Roger, and Sam meet at the fishing fleet office, but the man responsible for their gathering, one Bill Malloy, doesn’t show up. Where is Bill? Dialogue implies when Burke goes to Bill’s house to attempt to find him, between Roger and Sam that perhaps something happened to him (Roger smugly goads Sam when the alcoholic artist opens a door regarding Bill’s absence). It is more for our benefit than anything else. I think Bill’s fate was sealed when he pushed head-long about calling those out in the open who wrongly sent Burke to prison. Carolyn and Elizabeth are up as the Witching Hour approaches because Mama Collins Stoddard is worried about Roger. Burke is really anxious and angry (as he should be) as Roger and Sam get antsy about leaving. Dark Shadows Creative make it a matter of importance to establish time, pointing out the grandfather clock in the Collinwood mansion and the wall clock in the fishing fleet office. Malloy’s car is parked at h...

Malloy is a force. He tells, no, orders Sam Evans and Roger Collins to a meeting that night at eleven with Burke Devlin. It is time to get everything out in the open at the fishing fleet office. Victoria kind of fits awkwardly into this episode. Maggie invited Vicky to a dinner with her and Sam; Vicky tells Roger that her son is starting to show promise in art and wants to introduce him to an artist. Sam is an artist, and Roger is ill-at-ease with David meeting him. Vicky is not aware of the Burke/Sam/Roger connection so being told not to go to the dinner and eventually introduce David to a real artist is odd to her. Anyway, Sam and Roger both argue intensely with Malloy about going to the meeting, but Bill will not take no for answer. The episode ends with Sam and Roger, definitely nervous and uneasy, entering the fishing fleet office, Burke waiting on them with a grin on his face. This *is* Burke's moment...a moment ten years in the making...

You know, I was thinking of how the show has shifted, as lots of series and soap operas have been known to do when a storyline evolves, from "What is Burke up to and what are his plans in getting revenge?" to "What will Roger do to save his own hide?" And, Dark Shadows Creative keep a scar made up on Roger's forehead as a reminder of his crash and near-death experience, often opening scenes with a close-up. He's the most polarizing figure on the show, even more so than Burke because Roger causes nerves to tighten, his words have a bite that is poisonous (notice how Elizabeth winces as if stuck with a hypodermic containing a most deadly poison). But, through it all, his relationship with Carolyn continues to leave me uncomfortable, their "bond", the way he has a hard time speaking to her any other way than as a sugar daddy addressing his prize barbie doll when she wants his complete attention and money. Am I the only one who ever found this rather i...

The walls are crashing down around Roger and the major development for all of this is none other than Bill Malloy. Not exactly the character I envisioned would be to Roger's detriment, but such a loyal man as Malloy who is maybe a bit too honestly blunt and confrontational for his own good. Knowing that Roger is desperate to stay out of jail (as he says in this episode, he is not about to be the sacrificial lamb just so Burke won't target his family's business affairs), Malloy's fate doesn't look promising. He has meetings with Burke at the Blue Whale, trying to negotiate with him so the other Collins' family members will be spared his ruthless agenda. Carolyn has fallen unfortunately right in the middle because of her interest in Burke, a fountain pen, worth a pretty penny, raising the ire of Roger who snaps at her for accepting it. Roger knows Carolyn is just a pawn of Burke's to play in the revenge saga, but a man upon reflection (he impulsively snaps at ...

I have now updated my blog to include a whole slate of reviewed episodes of Dark Shadows. I appreciate those who might stop by from time to time to read my reviews. Ever care to comment, please do, any feedback would be welcome. I try to incorporate as much detail as possible. Making it to Episode 50 will be quite a thrill and it's hard to believe I have already reached that point. Amazingly, Victoria and Burke's storylines, upon leaving the train from the very first episode still haven't reached their initial goals when entering Collins Port, but both have left quite an impact. I haven't mentioned him much while writing the reviews for today's blog, but a character who once successfully managed the fishing fleet could be of great importance down the road. His name is Ned and this manager once proposed to Elizabeth, resigning because she wouldn't accept his hand in marriage. Details about him in conversations reveal that the fishing fleet has suffered since his ...

Malloy confronts Elizabeth about Roger being behind the steering wheel of the car that hit a man that killed him instead of Burke but she isn’t willing to accept that. She hides behind the verdict even if “evidence” presents itself that might condemn Roger. Liz’s banker, John Harris, stops by to settle a trust fund for David and tells her of another banker interested in buying up all of the Collins Port assets/debt to secure all properties and business. When Carolyn tells him of her dinner with Burke, meeting a banker by the name of James Blair, the very one interested in buying Collins Port businesses associated with Elizabeth and her family, Harris must inform them of Devlin’s intentions. The question is what Elizabeth and her family plan to do about all of this? Will this revelation, spilt out of Carolyn’s mouth, ruin Burke’s devious plans to get revenge over the family that wronged him? It is funny that Carolyn, just in Bangor to eat dinner with a man she’s infatuated with, cou...