Roger Threatens, Laura Yearns, & David Slips

Episode 1-5-67

Well, Roger’s on the warpath. He threatens to shoot Burke at gunpoint for “being on his property” when Devlin attempts to make out with Laura (“You’re still my wife!”). Burke has got some cajones, let me tell you, as he faces off with Roger, and actually grabs the rifle as it was fired off. This face-off is a major development in this ongoing storyline involving the three of these characters. Roger tells Burke he’ll kill him if Devlin goes near Laura. An outright threat that shouldn’t be taken lightly (of course, Roger’s always blowing smoke that gives you little more than a cough), but Burke doesn’t flinch. I think this event really further emasculates Roger and Burke is built as a major force to be reckoned with because if he will look a rifle shot and not blink, that says verbal threats are meaningless. Roger then tears into Laura after she pleads with Burke to exit stage left. Roger even questions if David is his after informing her that if she even thinks about helping Burke in a re-trial for the manslaughter charge Laura will go down in flames with him (pun intended). Then Roger tries to threaten David with “a good thrashing” if he doesn’t get dressed and come with him to Laura’s cottage. Then Vicky settles an anxious David after that threat and talks sense to Roger, explaining that the kid’s nightmares involving Laura and fire keep him in fear. She will try to get David to see Laura as a request from a nervy Roger. 

 A major development that will play in future episodes has a “family heirloom”, a locket given to Laura by Roger on their wedding night, is shown to Vicky as the two share tea together. Vicky wants to get to know Laura, and this locket has definite storyline significance later. Laura wants a lock of David’s hair, hinting to us that she’s a witch. Vicky doesn’t see the importance of the hair; it seems perfectly reasonable that mom would like to have a lock of her boy’s hair. Vicky is totally sold to reuniting mother and son, not knowing that perhaps a sinister intent is possibly behind why Laura needs David.

Watch that last step...it's a doozy.

The show has those moments that are telegraphed loudly. David keeps going too near the cliff of Widow’s Hill, looking into the rushing waves with Vicky continually warning him to stay at a safe distance. The whole point was to get David at a spot where Laura can arrive, with mother and son perhaps finding a bonding moment. David is still too freaked out by her and slips from the cliff, holding on to conveniently placed rocks stuck in the earth. It is a Lost in Space type cliffhanger that feels so incredibly forced it looks cheesy. I understand the need by Dark Shadows Creative to emphasize how deeply scared of Laura he is, but the whole “holding on for dear life as a plunge to the rocks below is possible” just looks a bit funny; not the intention, I’m sure.