Dark Shadows Episode Six

By David Lawrence

“Episode 6.” Dark Shadows. ABC. Various stations. 4 July 1966.

Victoria’s monologue lets us know she is going to stay, even though by this point she knows full well she should run. She’s in the basement, looking for David. She fails to find David, but she does find a creepy old man lurking in the shadows.

The old man takes Victoria to be a snooper, and makes it clear he’s going to do something drastic with the poker he’s carrying. The intervention of Elizabeth saves Victoria, who introduces her to Matthew (the old man). The point is reached relatively quickly, as proper introductions are made all around. Matthew is the handyman of the Collins family, and he doesn’t like snoopers. Elizabeth doesn’t seem to believe Victoria about her reasons for being in the basement, and seems quick to point out that a certain door down there is always locked.

Dismissing Victoria, Elizabeth hurries to the locked door and unlocks it. Behind the door is a storage room, and after searching the place, she finds David nestled inside a box. She scolds David for his actions, politely ignoring his insistence that his father would in fact beat him then says nothing as David scolds her for bringing Victoria to the house. David swears Victoria is a spy and plans to hurt him. Elizabeth tries to comfort the boy.

Upstairs, Victoria runs into Matthew again. He introduces himself as Matthew Morgan. When Victoria asks why the basement is forbidden, Matthew doesn’t give an answer. Victoria tries to bring up another topic, namely the subject of Mr. Stoddard. Matthew makes it clear he knows nothing about Mrs. Stoddard’s husband.

Matthew explains his loyalty to the family. Eighteen years prior, Matthew labored in the canary when Elizabeth hired him to work at the Collins house, as well as giving him a cottage. He was hired by her the day after her husband vanished (and right after she fired all the other servants). Matthew’s advice to Victoria: keep your nose out of other people’s business and you’ll do alright.

Back in the basement, Elizabeth finds an old paperback of the Rover Boys, a boy’s adventure series. She gives the book to David (and fumbles with Matthew’s name a bit), who seems appreciative…at least until she mentions how much his father liked the books when he was David’s age. That turns David right off.

David speaks for a bit about his mother. It seems he’s convinced that as long as Victoria is there, his mother won’t come back. Elizabeth scolds him for that, and says Victoria would never want to keep a child from its mother.  She seems to projecting a bit, isn’t she?

In the drawing room, Carolyn and Victoria have a talk. Carolyn demands Victoria talk to her mother about the money the orphanage received when her mother comes in.  A phone call from Joe takes Carolyn's attention away as Elizabeth confronts Victoria.

She informs Victoria about David’s concerns and fears. She doesn’t come out and explain why, naturally, but Victoria has questions too. She points out the money to care for her came about the same time as Mr. Stoddard’s vanishing act. Elizabeth makes it clear the two are not related.

Victoria tries to find out why she of all people would be hired to care for one child several states away. Elizabeth grows hostile. Victoria backs off, but Elizabeth makes it clear that her previous answer regarding Victoria’s hiring was the truth and will no go any further. Victoria leaves to phone the orphanage, but will have to drive herself; as that phone call from Joe? It seems he’s going to come to the house and needs to talk to both Carolyn and Elizabeth.

We see more of David, and while some sympathy is raised, he manages to kill it almost at once. Elizabeth proves to be a master at bringing up a subject then refusing to elaborate. Also, Carolyn should stop saying ‘make out’ in conjunction with her relatives

Questions raised: What does Joe want to talk about? What is the issue with David’s mother? Who is Victoria going to talk to?

Dark Shadows Episode Five

By David Lawrence

“Episode 5.” Dark Shadows. ABC. Various stations. 1 July 1966.

It’s finally morning as Carolyn enters Victoria’s room. Victoria is leaving, mostly due to the weirdness of the whole area, but Carolyn implores her to stay, at least long enough for a cup of coffee. While the two young ladies go downstairs, David, who has been eavesdropping, slips into Victoria’s room.

He calls out to his mother before he violently attacks Victoria’s luggage. Down in the breakfast nook, Victoria and Carolyn chat. Victoria makes it clear she wants nothing more to do with the job or the area. Carolyn protests, but Victoria makes it clear David and Roger’s actions have convinced her to leave. She also mentions the sobbing she heard, something that takes Carolyn by surprise. She swears she heard nothing.

Roger enters the room. He’s happy, but kind of forced. He apologizes for his actions the previous night and starts to leave when Victoria mentions the crying. Judging from Roger’s expression and the background music, Roger knows the source of the noise. He swears it was Victoria dreaming, nothing more.

Back in Victoria’s room, David is rifling through Victoria’s clothes and drawers. Downstairs, Victoria reads a letter from the orphanage and makes it clear she’s going back to New York. Carolyn grows more agitated at the idea of Victoria leaving. Victoria points out that it was Carolyn who insisted she leave.

Carolyn swears she was kidding, and expresses envy at Victoria’s freedom of movement. Victoria points out that while Carolyn may have a weird family, at least she has one. We get into Victoria’s background some more.

She was a foundling, abandoned at the doorstep of an orphanage. She only had a note with her first name on it. From there, the orphanage received fifty dollars a month every month from the time she was two until she turned sixteen. The only clue to the sender’s address was a Bangor, Maine postmark. Noting that Collinsport is only fifty miles from Bangor, it seems the chief reason Victoria took the job was to discover where she came from.

Back in Victoria’s room, David is continuing to rummage through her things. Victoria herself is walking along the stretch of cliffs known as Widow’s Hill when a strange appears behind her and implores her to return to New York.

Victoria, at this point annoyed, asks the man who he is. The man rambles for a bit before telling her to tell Roger of his appearance and no one else. The man, calling himself Sam, then rambles on a bit about Josette Collins. Josette, the bride of Jeremiah Collins, committed suicide on the same spot where Victoria is standing and her ghost continues to cry to this day. He also imparts some more info about the Collins family.

Victoria promptly tells Sam that he’s crazy and heads back to the house. Confronting Carolyn, they talk about her mother. It seems the reason that Elizabeth hasn’t left the house in eighteen years is that Carolyn’s father ran out on them. Carolyn explodes at Victoria, but later runs after her. All this talk has sparked an idea: what if Carolyn’s father is also Victoria’s father? After all, he left eighteen years ago and that’s when the money started. Even Victoria admits this is stretch.

Finally entering her room, she sees David’s handiwork. David jumps out from behind a curtain, mockingly reading the note that was left with her. He gives it back to her, but only after crumpling it up first. He angrily tells her “the Widows” ordered him to do that and adds that no one listens to him. A little while later, Victoria tells her Carolyn she is going to stay.

Seriously, can no in this town ever get to the point? After all that build up we finally see David, and the term brat doesn't seem adequate. Theories are brought up, although at this point they just that.

Questions raised: Who are the Widows? Who is Sam?

Dark Shadows Episode Four

by David Lawrence

“Episode 4”. Dark Shadows. ABC. Various stations. 30 June 1966.

It’s just before midnight as Victoria hears someone arguing near her bedroom. The door handle to her room jiggles as Elizabeth and Roger begin to shout. Moving downstairs, Roger and Elizabeth continue their fight as Roger plies himself with brandy. He is convinced that Victoria is an agent for Burke Devlin.

Roger tears into Elizabeth, swearing he won’t become a recluse like her or allow Devlin to kill him. Carolyn enters and gives her staunch approval over her uncle’s speech. The fight grows nastier as Elizabeth tries to use their ancestors against Roger, implying they would have handled the matter differently.

Carolyn brings Victoria downstairs. We learn that Roger’s wife isn’t dead. Victoria is grilled about Devlin, with Roger growing more and more convinced that the two are partners in some devilish enterprise. Switching topics to talk about his son, Roger warns that David is special; although it seems to be more ‘chained up and wearing a potato sack’ deal than gifted. Victoria, finally having enough, suggests she might just leave the town and family altogether in the morning.

A few hours later, Victoria is woken up by a loud sobbing. Investigating, she searches the drawing room but finds no one. Going back to her room gives her the first sight of David. The young boy glowers at her and declares he hates her.

Well, with this we finally see David Collins. Roger’s paranoia is growing, but we still know nothing about Devlin’s plan.

Questions raised: Who was doing the crying? What is Devlin’s plan? Why does David hate Victoria?

Dark Shadows Episode Three

“Episode 3.” Dark Shadows. ABC. Various stations. 29 June 1966.

We open with Roger Collins racing towards a cottage. Pounding on the door gets him no response, so he leaves in a huff.

Back at Collinswood, Victoria is busy writing a letter when Carolyn introduces herself. She seems nice, but she still offers to help Victoria pack. Convinced that Victoria isn’t going to flee that night, Carolyn then offers to answer her questions. Carolyn makes it clear she has no idea who Devlin is or has any interest in Joe Haskell. Who catches her fancy then? Why, her Uncle Roger, who else? Yeah, I suppose this was less creepy in the 1960’s, I guess.

Speaking of Devlin, he’s meeting with none other than Joe Haskell at the Blue Whale. He drops some hints about Carolyn, prompting Joe to sit down.

Roger arrives at the Inn. The picture becomes clearer, as the man he was trying to see earlier was Maggie’s father. He tries his charming act, trying to figure out where her old man is and even offers to buy one of his paintings. Maggie seems hopeful at that last remark.

We finally get some more info on Devlin. Seems he really was local boy, but has recently returned with money (as evidenced by his renting three rooms at the inn). Maggie’s father also seemed rather fond of Devlin too, yet hasn’t mentioned the name is years.

Back at the house, Victoria and Carolyn are walking about the house. We learn about more about the Collins family (also Roger looks a bit like Isaac Collins, the founder of Collinsport and the family fortune), but while the girls talk, a door opens slightly…

Carolyn glibly suggests the wind opened it…despite it being inside.

Devlin and Joe continue their talk. Devlin seems to know a disturbing amount of info on Joe. He also offers Joe a large amount of money, in exchange for some information.

While Roger waits for Maggie’s father, Mr. Malloy of the Collins fishing fleet barges in. He is clearly agitated about Devlin’s return. Roger acts cool, but Malloy reminds Roger about ‘ten years ago’, and refers to Devlin as an ex-con.

Devlin continues his talk with Joe, mostly explaining how he got his money. Joe, flustered, refuses his offer. Malloy enters the inn and orders Joe home. Malloy begs Devlin to ‘let things go’, but Devlin refuses.

Back at the house, Victoria and Carolyn come back to Victoria’s room, where someone has been rifling through Victoria’s things. Carolyn only cryptically offers warning about locking the door and promises to see her in the morning.

So, is everyone in this town afflicted with a disease that prevents them from actually getting to the point? Carolyn warmly greets Victoria, then promptly tell her to flee, then welcomes her again. Malloy drops hints about Devlin’s past, but doesn’t say much more than him being an ex-con. Obviously if he spilled the entire story it would seem odd, as Roger clearly knows what Devlin did, but we the viewers do not.  

Questions raised: What happened ten years ago? Who is spying on Victoria?

Dark Shadows Episode Two

“Episode 2.” Dark Shadows. ABC. Various stations. 28 June 1966.

We open with Victoria inside the Collins estate. Elizabeth, while preparing tea, only drops hints about David, Roger’s son, and cryptically refers to the boy as unlike Victoria has ever met. We cut back to the Blue Whale (the local hangout from the previous episode), where Devlin and the PI (Wilbur Strike) are still talking.

We meet another member of the Collins clan. Carolyn Stoddard, Elizabeth’s daughter. She dances with several young man, much to the annoyance of her date, Joe Haskell.

Through Mr. Strike we learn that Joe Haskell is practically Carolyn’s husband, at least if Elizabeth has her say. A fight nearly breaks out between Haskell and a local youth, but Devlin steps in and stops it. He orders Joe to take Carolyn home, and then ask him to meet with him later, refusing to go into specifics.

Back at the house, Victoria tries to ferret out more information about her hiring, but Elizabeth is less than forth coming. Carolyn’s arrival takes the older woman away, leaving Victoria to settle into her room. A room that Elizabeth used to sleep in, a fact that heavily mentioned.

Carolyn and Elizabeth talk. There is tension, but neither side is truly upset with the other. Carolyn simply wishes to leave the oppressive house, while Elizabeth doesn’t want to be alone. Elizabeth cheers Carolyn up about the last part, suggesting Victoria is to serve another function besides nanny.

Victoria, meanwhile, has gone exploring the grounds. Standing on the cliffs overlooking the sea, she encounters Roger. The man seems charming, if a bit too forward. When told of Devlin’s presence in town, Roger flies into a fit and runs away. Victoria enters the house later as Elizabeth plays the piano. When Elizabeth collapses, Victoria runs off into the darkened house’s interior.

Well, so far the plot thickens a bit. We have a clearer idea on why Victoria was hired, although Elizabeth credits Roger with hiring Victoria, while Roger credits Elizabeth. Devlin sets things in motion with Joe, although if Strike’s info is so complete why doesn’t he just read the report instead of having it read to him in the middle of a bar? We also learn a bit about the background of the Collins family and fortune.

Questions raised: What exactly is the deal with David? What is Elizabeth hiding? What is Devlin’s deal?

Dark Shadows recap/review 1

Having recently purchased a collection of Dark Shadow comics from the 1960’s, I’ve decided to take a critical eye towards the show that spawned it. The brainchild of producer Dan Curtis, the series made its debut in 1966. At first focusing on purely gothic standards, the series quickly embraced the supernatural with the introduction of vampire Barnabas Collins. That particular debut is still a way off, however, so let’s wind back the clock to the first episode.

“Episode 1.” Dark Shadows. ABC. Various stations. 27 June 1966.

We open with Victoria Winters onboard a train to the remote area of Collinsport, Maine. Through flashbacks we learn a little bit about her. To wit, she’s orphan from New York City and she is traveling to accept the job of governess to the Collins family. Also on board is a man named Burke Devlin, who stares intensely at everyone.

Getting off the train, Victoria goes through a greeting standard to most characters in a Universal horror film. She can find no taxi, and the locals do everything short of crossing themselves whenever she mentions the Collins family. Devlin is kind enough to give her a ride to the local inn, but he is rather insistent that she board the next train to New York. He refuses to say why, however, and grows angry at the innkeeper apparently recognizing him.

From there it’s more of the same. Victoria has dinner in the local diner, where the waitress Maggie Evens good naturally insults her, before pleading with her to leave town. Devlin, meanwhile, is meeting with a private eye at the local (and implied only) watering hole. He’s hired the man to gather information on the Collins family, and it’s through this we are given the run down. The family is old, rich, and extremely eccentric.

We are then introduced to two members of the Collins clan: Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and her brother Roger Collins. Elizabeth is the one who insists on a nanny for Roger’s son David, but Roger does everything short of mocking her to her face and decrying her ‘bringing in outsiders’. Roger seems to handle most of the money and the family’s business, while Elizabeth hasn’t left the sprawling Collins estate in over eighteen years.

We end with Victoria finally making her way to the dark old house and being welcomed inside by a grim Elizabeth.

As far as introductions go, you could do worse. Curtis does hit the viewer over the head with how the Collins family is hiding something, but the performances of the actors are muted. An effect which works, as if everyone chewed the scenery this would easily turn into a comedy. As it stands, and this might have been effective in 1966, we are shown a creepy house and a few slightly less creepy interiors. We are told, however, of mysterious and strange goings-on. Although if the residents don’t want people to investigate, why do they constantly bring up staying away from various points, then refuse to explain why they brought it up in the first place?

Questions raised: Why exactly is Victoria hired? Who is Devlin and does he actually hail from Collinsport?