Dark Shadows Episode 222: Portrait of a Vampire

"The past and the present have intermingled at Collinwood." Victoria Winters goes to the Old House to find Barnabas, but finds Willie Loomis there. He says get out of this house right now. She says why should I. 

Victoria's response to learning that Willie is working for Barnabas fixing the old place up is sort of unusual. She is pleased how he has helped fix the old place up. Fearing perhaps for her safety Willie asks her to leave. 

As soon as she is gone Barnabas appears. 

Barnabas then visits Maggie Evans, who seems in a state of distress. She cannot shake the feeling that she is being followed. Barnabas tries to put her at ease and says he has come to commission a portrait of himself by Maggie's father, who is an artist. He arrives with the news that another local woman has been attacked. 

Barnabas offers Sam Evans $1000 to paint his portrait, but insists the work must only be done at the Old House, and at night. 

Sam Evans sets up his easel at the old house, and begins working. This is the first time Barnabas Collins has been in two consecutive episodes, or is it now three? I just was overtaken with the curiosity to know if that portrait of Barnabas Collins was on the wall in episodes of the show before he appeared as a character. 

At dawn Sam Evans says he has one more line to finish, but Barnabas says they are finished. He finishes the brush stroke and discovers Barnabas is gone, replaced by Willie Loomis who says he must return the following night to continue working. 

I think I will now go watch an episode previous to 210 to answer my previous question.  Pin It

Dark Shadows Episode 220: Willie's Strong Now

Willie Loomis seems to be feeling a lot better. He no longer looks ghoulish.

Willie seems to have made a miraculous recovery, and agrees to leave Collinwood. First he tries to apologize to Victoria Winters and Elizabeth Stoddard, but his words fall on deaf ears. Jason gives Willie the $500 and tells him to go to town.

After Willie departs Barnabas arrives to ask Elizabeth Stoddard has given any more thought to allowing him to stay at the Old House. She says she has decided to allow him to stay there, and gives him the keys. They are old and rusty. Barnabas says he has plans to restore the house. Victoria is very interested in this possibility, and Barnabas says she can come by any time she feels like it.

Barnabas returns to the Old House to find he has a visitor. You'll never guess who it is. "This will be our home from now on.There will be much for you to do." 

A wolf howls. 



Pin It

Dark Shadows Episode 219: I'm Not a Doctor, But I Play One On TV

"A dawn obscured by mists from the sea slowly creeps towards Collinwood. Through the morning mist a man emerges from the darkest pit a man can know." Victoria narrates the introduction of episodes she's not in. I wonder if she will be the narrator for many future episodes. So begins episode 219 of Dark Shadows.

Willie appears at dawn. Through the front door. It makes me wonder why for such a large estate, why there aren't any other entrances one might sneak into. Jason McGuire is waiting to confront him. He wants to know one thing, and one thing only: why he went to the cemetery. Will he get an answer?

"You were looking for the jewels, Willie." Contrary to my hunch that Jason McGuire had caught on to the fact that Willie is a vampire, he believes he is simply in it to rob the jewels that are supposedly buried in Barnabas Collins' coffin.

Personal feeling: I am happy to be watching these episodes, but saddened to think I will very quickly remember almost nothing of what I have seen. I will use this blog as an external hard drive. Perhaps the experience of typing these blogs will help me remember. I went to Cub Scouts with Jack tonight and we built a birdhouse. I was completely unprepared for the experience, but I remained calm, and we managed to finish it. I was proud of us. Back to Dark Shadows.

Willie sees a way to deflect suspicion from his real malady and agrees he was looking for the jewels. Jason insists he will now leave town on the next bus. Willie insists he is sick and returns to bed.

Roger Collins confronts Willie in the early afternoon and demands he leave. He applauds Willie's "performance." He does not believe Willie is sick. Jason McGuire tries to convince Roger Willie is suffering from a strange illness, and they agree to bring in a doctor.

The sheriff calls wanting to see Roger Collins. But he will not mention why he wants to see Roger.

Jason calls the doctor.

What I learned: There IS a phone at Collinwood.

Roger's meeting with the Sheriff does not go as expected. He is told the animals from many local farms have been drained of blood. The reason Roger would be consulted is because the Collins family owns many of those farms. 

Meanwhile, the doctor gives his diagnosis of Willie. He is not sick. He is suffering from a loss of blood. An enormous loss of blood. Why the doctor doesn't consider this an illness makes no sense, but what am I, a doctor? 

The episodes without Barnabas Collins seem more like they exist more to move the story forward and provide details than anything else. This one was slightly dull. 








Pin It

Dark Shadows Episode 218: Will Barnabas Move In?

"There are those who walk the path of darkness. Those who can never be good."

So opines Victoria Winters in the introduction to episode 218 of Dark Shadows. 

Will Barnabas Collins return in this episode?

The question is answered early in the episode as Barnabas has his eyes on Jason McGuire after he exits the Collins crypt where Willie Loomis seemed to disappear.

Meanwhile at the New House Roger and Elizabeth discuss inviting Barnabas to stay, unaware he has been staying at the Old House all along. 

As they discuss Barnabas, he arrives at the door, and Roger asks him where he has been staying. They invite him to stay at the New House, but he counterproposes that he'd like to stay at the Old House. They say it in in decay and uninhabitable. Barnabas disagrees. Barnabas gives an impassioned speech about his branch of the family and he feels such a connection to the Old House. 

Barnabas encourages Roger to talk Elizabeth into letting him stay at the Old House. Meanwhile, she has gone to ask Jason McGuire about Willies' whereabouts. She tells him she is going to end the nonsense, but he once again threatens her with going to the police. What is the secret they are hiding in the basement?

Roger Collins withdraws to get an address for a shipyard Barnabas intends to visit, and Jason McGuire enters the room. He meets Barnabas, and insists the two have met before. Have they? 

Jason remarks he has head some unusual stories about Barnabas Collins the ancestor. Barnabas asks what sort of stories, and Jason says he was supposed to have been buried with all his jewelry. Jason slyly insinuates that someone buried with such a cache of jewelry might invite a grave robber, seeming to indicate he has put two and two together and suspects Willie Loomis may have disturbed Barnabas' coffin and fallen prey to his vampirism. 

Will the two become foes? If so it seems Jason McGuire is destined to get the short end of that stick. But who knows.

Vampire rules: In one scene Barnabas exits the tomb and places his hand upon a stone cross. Does this violate the vampire's terms of service, or does the cross only apply to certain situations?

Overall, a very weighty and entertaining episode. I learned that Roger claims he, Barnabas, and Elizabeth Stoddard are the three remaining members of the Collins family, although I am sure in future episodes more appear. Where do they come from? I guess I'll find out. On to episode 219. 

Question: Will Barnabas Collins ever appear in two consecutive episodes?




Pin It

Dark Shadows Episode 217: Willie's Mysterious "Illness"

Episode 217 of Dark Shadows begins with Willie Loomis writing in bed. Jason McGuire examines him, and the removes the bandage on his wrist. The wound appears to be no more than a scratch, but his arm has turned gray. It is as if the blood had been drained from his arm.

Carolyn tells Vicky that Willie looks like a different person, a person who doesn't want to hurt anyone, and doesn't want to be hurt by anyone.

"Don't let it get dark again. I'm scared."

Victoria brings Willie a tray of food, which he shows no interest in, and Jason McGuire witnesses him fall into a deep sleep. As he leaves the room Willie awakens. It is now dark. He goes to the window and seems to answer the call of some master who beckons him. Could it be?

Jason catches Willie trying to leave the new house and confronts him. Willie says he just has to leave this house. Jason tries to coax him back upstairs, but Willie bolts from the house.

Interestingly, we hear the sound of a car being started and driving off, but no car is seen. We then hear the sound of a car slowing down and someone getting out at the cemetery, but once again, no car is seen. 

Jason follows Willie to the cemetery and witnesses him entering the Collins family crypt. Willie trips the mechanism that open the door to the secret crypt where he first found Barnabas Collins' coffin. Jason follows.

Unable to find Willie in the small, enclosed crypt, Jason seems to become bewildered and frightened. He leaves the crypt and we hear the sound of heartbeats. 

This is two consecutive episode with no appearance from Barnabas Collins, instead focusing almost entirely on the "sickness" of Willie Loomis. I got an answer to my query about cars. Maybe they will be shown later in the series, and they're certainly in the two movies, but so far the action is confined to four locations. On to episode 218. 

Pin It