I always admired Stokes' savvy, intellgence and chutzpah.  The guy had cojones the size of bowling balls.  I think he was one of the most complex and fascinating characters on DS.

Love, Robin

509 - (black and white - we haven't had any of these in a long time) - Sam asks who it is, he knows someone is there, he can feel him breathing! Adam backs away, realizing something is wrong with this man. "Say something!" demands Sam. Adam backs off, holding the knife, then drops it on the floor. Sam hears it fall and tells Adam he can't see. "See?" asks Adam. Sam asks who is he, and Adam responds, "Adam." Sam asks what he's doing there. Sam touches him and realizes he's hurt. What are you running away from, what have you done wrong? asks Sam. "Hurt!" cries Adam. Sam says he'll fix his arm, and realizes this huge man is afraid. He helps Adam to the sofa and asks what his last name is. He decides Adam can't understand English, and says it's nice to take care of someone else for a change. Sam goes into another room, and Adam painfully bends to retrieve the dropped knife. Sam brings out a bowl of water and asks where Adam went. "Here," says Adam. "Come here," says Sam. "Give me your arm." Adam trustingly extends his arm to Sam who warns him it's going to hurt. He washes Adam's arm with the rag, talking about germs. Adam moans with pain, and Sam talks to him as if he's a little child. There's a knock at the door, and this upsets Adam. Sam notes this and tells him to stay there. Sam goes to answer the door and Adam limps away. It's Stokes, who says he wanted to add a footnote to their meeting this evening. Stokes spots the bloody mess that is Adam and, surprised, says, "Mr. Evans." "That is Adam, last name unknown," explains Stokes. Adam stands there, clutching his wounded body, as Sam introduces Adam to Stokes, who notes that he's been in an accident. Stokes tells Sam he was trying to fix him up, but Stokes notices the knife on the floor and picks it up. Stokes asks what's happening here. Adam seems ready to flee, and does so, with Sam calling for him to come back.

Sam asks Stokes to stop him, citing the serious trouble he's in, and the professor says the man resembles the newspaper description of the man who kidnapped Carolyn. That man jumped from Widows' Hill, protests Sam--no one could survive that. His arms were nothing but muscle. Stokes describes Adam as a giant who speaks no English.He was so gentle, says Sam. Stokes explains that Adam saved Carolyn's life, she told him so herself. And they were going to shoot him after he did, says Sam, no wonder he jumped. Poor misunderstood Adam won't be coming back, says Stokes, and says he needs to speak to him. When he left the Old House, he realized he hadn't been properly communicative. Sam is distracted. Stokes tells him about his dream, which Sam might have, too-it's rather like measles. (LMAO!) If Sam has a dream that begins with a knock at the door, and a man, probably Barnabas, gesturing him to follow him, please call me at once, urges the professor--a man's life might depend on it. Sam is more concerned about Adam's life, and Stokes adds one more thing-in Adam's case, there isn't a witch involved! He bids a stunned Sam good night.

At Tony's office, Cassandra asks him why he always fights her. Because I don't like you, he claims. She calls him quite the puritan and says it's himself he doesn't like. He orders her to stop analyzing him and she says she knows him so well. He says she doesn't know him at all. "Spoken like the sulky boy you pretend to be," she coos, taking out a cigarette. What do you want? he asks. He wishes she were sitting at home with her husband. "Do you?" she asks, and he gazes at her and asks again. A light for my cigarette, she replies. He pulls out his lighter and holds it up. She chides him for never remembering about the cigarette lighter. The moment he looks into the flame, she does what he asks. Tony sinks to his knees and lights her cigarette. (Implications!) She has an important matter for him to attend to and needs his help.He agrees to help her. Professor Stokes, a very interfering man, is his target, and all will be very easy-Tony is going to pay him a visit. Coming out of his trance, Tony says, tensely, "I won't go!" "You must," she tells him--look into my eyes and tell me you will. Tony fears Stokes will know why he's there. Cassandra hands him what looks like a cross with a circle on top of it, and she tells him it's the key that will open Stokes' door for Tony tonight. She closes his hands around it, then gives him her poison ring, explaining it will close all doors for Stokes-forever! She slides the ring on the third finger of his left hand. (Like a wedding band?)

Vicki comes to see Stokes at his home--the portrait disappeared last week, she reveals, and she was very upset about it. Stokes says he might be able to help, bluntly adding that he wants to talk to Vicki about Angelique Collins. Vicki looks uneasy, and Stokes says he realizes it's a personal matter for her. Why did you buy the portrait? asks Stokes. He asks her if she realized the identity of the woman in the portrait, but Vicki refuses to answer this question-she doubts he'd believe her, anyway, and she's trying to forget. I envy your trip to the past, he says, and believes it happened. This fascinates Vicki. If you tell me everything you know, he points out, it might save Barnabas' life. Vicki asks if Barnabas is in danger-is she trying to kill him? It's Cassandra, reveals Stokes. She looks so much like Angelique, muses Vicki--I tried to tell myself I was wrong and had misjudged her-if you're right, I'm frightened.Stokes tells her Angelique was a witch. "And I was blamed for it," says Vicki. Did Angelique accuse you? asks Stokes, and Vicki says, no, not at first--there were strange things happening in the house, Angelique was Josette's servant, but it was Abigail Collins who decided a witch was causing the odd happenings, and she called in a witchhunter. "Named Trask?" asks Stokes, and Vicki looks away and says "Yes." Stokes takes a daguerreotype and shows it to Vicki, who sees Trask's obvious profile and walks away from him. She apologizes, explaining that she had hoped never to see that face again. Stokes says they must discuss Trask-did he honestly believe Vicki to be the witch? Yes. He wasn't working with Angelique? Queries Stokes. Vicki is sure of that--before he disappeared, Trask discovered she was innocent and left a note exonerating her, but they couldn't find him. Stokes' doorbell rings. He asks Vicki to leave by the back way; this visitor must not see her--will she help him further? For Barnabas I will, she vows. Stokes requests that she spy on Cassandra. The witch will kill you, she warns him. Stokes assures her he is constantly vigilant--and so must you be, he advises.

Tony is Stokes' visitor; calling himself Mr. Haley, he thanks Stokes for seeing him so late. Tony Cassandra's "key" in his hand--he heard Stokes was the only one in the city who would know about the cross--he and his wife just bought a house from the 1720's, and when he was tearing up the floorboards, he found this cross. He hands it to Stokes, who wonders how Mr. Haley found out about him. His neighbor, Mrs. Bland (ancestor of the Bland who married Barn and Ang?), knows you, says Tony. Stokes recognizes the artifact as a gold Coptic cross. Tony says his wife got all excited about the piece. Stokes tells him the writing on it means nothing. Tony paces the room nervously, and Stokes asks if something is wrong. No, replies Tony, I feel bad bothering you like this. Stokes offers him a sherry, and Tony accepts. Stokes says the cross is probably not authentic and he'll need it for a few days to test it. Tony agrees. It's used for protection against witches, says Stokes. Stokes pours the sherry, and Tony surreptitiously takes out the ring containing the poison. Stokes says he's going to get some cheese, which helps him sleep, and excuses himself to get it. Tony says he'd like some, too, and after Stokes leaves the room, empties the powder in the ring into Stokes' glass. When Stokes returns, he finds Tony examining the cross, saying he's fascinated by it--his wife thinks it's real gold. Tony's back is to the professor while he's talking to him, and Stokes urges him to come drink his sherry."To your antique gold Coptic cross," toasts Stokes, "may it turn out to be antique and gold for your wife's sake." They drink, Tony draining his glass in one gulp. While Stokes is prattling on about the cheese, Tony grabs his throat and begins to convulse. "Professor!" cries Tony, before falling to the floor, unconscious.

NOTES: Hm, it appears our intelligent professor figured out that "Mr. Haley" was only Cassandra's shill and deliberately switched drinks with the intended poisoner. Very clever, Professor, you might outwit Cassandra yet!

OK, who thinks Tony's relationship with Cassandra is platonic, raise your hand! I think she's giving him what Roger isn't getting ANY of right now!

How well Adam responds to a little kindness! This is straight out of FRANKENSTEIN, of course, with the blind man and the monster, but with DS' own unique twist. Sam seems to need a project more needier than himself. Adam just might be what he needs.

This episode was slated to be shown 6/6/68, but was pre-empted by Robert Kennedy's assassination and instead aired 6/7.


510 - Stokes calmly dials Collinwood, luckily reaching Julia, and tells her to come immediately-he might have just killed a man!

Stokes paces back and forth in his living room, picking up Tony's dropped sherry glass. Julia comes out and report to Stokes, "You gave him the right emetic."--Tony's been very sick, but he's resting now. Stokes explains that Tony was acting quite nervous, and he suspected him of being up to something--when he went to the kitchen, he felt the man might have tampered with the sherry, so when he returned, he switched the glasses. Why would Tony do this? asks Julia, and they learn that the lawyer, who Julia says has lots of integrity, is not Mr. Haley. "Just the sort of person our favorite witch would pick!" suggests Stokes. Julia finds this odd, but Stokes believes she has Tony in her power--what she can't do herself, says Stokes, she delegates to others. How many others have helped her? They wonder. This IS war, and both realize Cassandra won't let him stop the dream curse. Stokes says she'll learn they can fight back--they must find someone who is already dead, says Stokes, someone she can't affect. Stokes asks Julia if she believes in ghosts-even a witch will fear a ghost, especially the ghost of a witchhunter. He mentions Trask, the man responsible for Vicki's hanging--Trask left a note admitting Vicki wasn't the real witch, but couldn't be found to give his reasons. Trask is very important to them, says Stokes, a religious fanatic whose one passion in life was and is to kill witches--this is Trask's chance to right a wrong, and they can use his fanatacism. Julia reminds him Trask isn't instantly available. Stokes takes out a notebook-Ben Stokes' memoir--he didn't learn to write until the first Barnabas Collins taught him after the age of 40--somewhere in the notebook, from which entire chapters are missing (Stokes says the first Barnabas changed from a fairly advanced thinking gentleman into some kind of monster). Julia is uncomfortable about this, and hesitantly asks Stokes if his ancestor explains how or why. He dreams of finding the missing chapter, says Stokes. He shows her the section where Ben says that Barnabas, in a rage because of the innocent girl sentenced to be hung (and here Stokes himself mysteriously fills in the name Trask, and in Ben's handwriting, not his own). Trask was walled up, explains Stokes--Mr. Barnabas convinced Trask he had accused the girl falsely, and the evil man signed a statement to that effect, but Mr. Barnabas walled. . .again, Stokes adds, "Trask up on the north wall of the coffin room."Julia and Stokes are stunned. Ben Stokes is on their side, and Timothy says they must find the coffin room, which Stokes finds an interesting name. It's in the basement of the Old House, says Julia, although she doesn't know why they called it the coffin room (yeah, right). Excitedly, Stokes tells her they must go to the Old House and reach Trask--he will now stage his last witch hunt--his beliefs will make it happen, he assures Julia. An exhausted Tony exits Stokes' room, saying he feels terrible physically or mentally. Tony is shocked to hear Stokes doesn't want to turn him in-he himself could be arrested for switching the drinks. Tony has no explanations and simply wants to get out. Stokes knows why he came there to kill him, and Cassandra is the reason. Tony sits down. Stokes tells him he knows Cassandra gave him the cross and his fake name--he doesn't seem like the kind of young man who would deliberately do that, and Julia vouches for Tony's good character. She has power, says Tony, and Stokes says Cassandra is literally a witch who has him under a spell--would you like to fight her? asks Stokes.Tony says he would. They'll start immediately. Stokes needs time to fight Cassandra, and Tony can give him the few days he needs. Go tell Cassandra Stokes is dead, orders the professor heartily--he drank the poison and is dead. Tony looks uncertain.

Roger and Casssandra are playing chess in Collinwood's drawing room, but she is clearly not into the game. He notes her poor concentration, and the fact that she couldn't concentrate last night or the night before that. Perhaps it isn't her game, suggests Cassandra, and Roger, miffed, asks her just WHAT her game is. To make him a loving, perfect wife, even if it doesn't include chess, she answers. Do they do that, asks Roger. Only he can tell her, she says, but he complains he doesn't see enough of her. He wraps a hand around her arm and reminds her they haven't even had their honeymoon-let's pack our bags and fly out tomorrow, he urges (I bet they haven't yet consummated, at least not for real). No, says Cassandra, walking away from him. Roger wants them to be alone, and while she says that would be marvelous, he seems to doubt she means that. When they're alone, they fight, she retorts. He sometimes feels she is just here filling time with him, there's something else important in her life happening somewhere else (go with that, Rog!) She denies this, and suggests he go to bed. Roger won't go, he hasn't finished his brandy. Take it up to bed, she says, since he'll only have another when he gets there, anyway. Roger drains his glass and asks if she's coming up. Not quite yet, she says, and he silently, angrily heads upstairs alone.Cassandra hears the clock striking midnight. Where is Tony?--it must be done by now!--what if he failed, or was caught? Tony watches her through the window, then knocks at the glass. She gestures for him to come to the front door. He comes inside. I was worried about you, she says, and he tells her it's done-he's dead! Tell me how he died, she demands. Roger appears at the top of the steps and Tony, quickly covering, says he's sorry Carolyn is asleep and he hopes he didn't disturb her. He bids her Cassandra good night and leaves. Cassandra sees her husband glaring down at her.

In the Old House basement, Stokes asks Julia if she's sure Barnabas won't mind them being there, but she assures him he wants Cassandra stopped as much as they do. What about Willie? They've driven up the coast, says Julia (looking for Adam, I guess), to look for a friend. Stokes understands why they call it the coffin room and notes Julia's nervousness. Seances make me nervous since Vicki disappeared at the last one, says Julia. Tony comes downstairs and reports that Cassandra believes Stokes to be dead. "May I rest in peace!" quips Stokes (LOL!)--but no time for eulogies. He asks Tony, who doesn't believe in seances, to sit at the table he's set up. Just concentrate, he urges an unbelieving Tony. Stokes, Julia and Tony assume the seance position, fingers touching. Concentrate on the spirit of the Reverend Trask, and don't break the connection. Stokes calls to Trask, asking for his spirit to come to them--they need him, they're at the mercy of a witch. An innocent girl was hanged because of Trask, and he didn't see the truth until it was too late. You have the chance to correct that wrong, Trask, come to us, help us, calls Stokes. Tony goes into a trance, and Julia wants to stop-he's been ill. Stokes orders her to be quiet. "No, no," says Trask. "Ben Stokes does not need me." Timothy says HE needs him very much, Angelique tried to kill him, and he let her live. "I was killed before I could do anything!" says the Trask-possessed Tony.Stokes urges, "Come back to us, for your own sake, for your conscience's sake, finish Angelique and rest in peace!" The candle goes out as Stokes demands an answer. Behind them comes the sound of the brick wall behind which Reverend Trask was entombed coming apart, breaking up!

NOTES: Intro: In such a short time, Stokes has set himself up as Angelique's greatest threat? Cool! That last scene is mucho creepy. Does this mean Trask is joining the party? It would be great if he could deal with Cassangelique, but he's got a bone to pick with Barnabas, too!

Tony does a great job of reacting to the poison, doesn't he? We see Stokes for a brief moment in his bathrobe over the credits, but he quickly retreats.

It's true that Cassandra is being a real bitch-witch here, but not just to Barnabas, Tony and Stokes. Her biggest cruelty is toward Roger, who she's sending to bed alone without any nookie to speak of. It's supposed to be their honeymoon, who needs to go away/be alone to have a good time when you're behind a locked door-even in Collinwood? C'mon, Cass, what's the big deal? Give Roger some loving!

Love, Robin

Off topic- - -You know, I happened to be watching an episode of Charlie's Angels the other morning, and it hit me how very AWFUL both the writing and acting were!  It happened to be an episode made after Kate Jackson had left the show, but all three "angels" and even "Boz" were just horrendous, the villains cartoonish, and I wondered how I ever could have seriously watched the show for even one moment!  Then I remembered, I was a lot younger, and even watched Gilligan's Island and F-Troop with great enjoyment.

The point I wanted to make is, when I watch any of those programs today, I'm appalled at the idea that I EVER thought them funny or even sat through them!  When I watch DARK SHADOWS today, I never feel that way.  DS transcends the other shows from my childhood/teen years, and always will, I am sure.  I feel the same way about this program as I did 35 years ago, and that's saying something about how special and unique it was.

Sure, we had Addison Powell and Geoffrey Scott, we had other God-awful performances that smell up the room when we see them on the screen--but much as DARK SHADOWS transcends other shows of its era, so Jonathan Frid, John Karlen, Lara Parker, Louis Edmonds, David Henesy and so many others transcend the disgraceful acting of those few dreadful actors and make the scenes shine despite them.

Love, Robin

505 - Adam, hunted by the sheriff and his men, runs through the woods. The sheriff sees the Old House and says that every time things go wrong around here, that's where all roads lead. Adam watches them head toward the Old House, his face contorted with fear.

Barnabas sits at the Old House, fretting over Adam--what's happening to him now?--they hunted him down and penned him in like an animal, and he can't help him! Barnabas hears voices outside and looks out the window. The sheriff and his deputies come to the front door, where the sheriff gives orders to his men. Barnabas hears the knock at the door and slowly goes to answer it. He greets Patterson cordially, surprised to see him again. The sheriff asks him what he's been doing all night, and Barn says he's been there since Adam's capture. Why didn't you look for Carolyn? asks the sheriff, and Barnabas says he figured Carolyn was safe, that the man had confessed to her whereabouts.The sheriff drops the bomb on Barnabas-Adam escaped! Barnabas' reaction is almost one of relief. The sheriff describes how the escaped prisoner broke the bars on his cell window, mauled one of his deputies, who might have a broken neck, and released himself from the chain attached to the wall. What brings you here? asks Barn. This is the place they picked him up the first time, says the sheriff. It would be foolish to return here, points out Barn, but the sheriff says they aren't dealing with an ordinary man-are they? Barnabas doesn't know what he means. Did he come here? asks the sheriff, and Barn says if he had, he'd have told him. Patterson looks skeptical, and opens the double doors leading to the back of the house--how much does he know about this man? Demands the sheriff. Barn knows nothing, doesn't know who he is, only saw him once, when Roger shot at him. What about Willie?-the sheriff questioned him and believes he was concealing something. Barnabas doubts this. Why was Willie so nervous? The bad dream he had, says Barnabas. Patterson points out Willie was nervous when Liz questioned him, too, and blurted out the man's name. This stuns Barnabas. Adam, says the sheriff. Nonplused, Barnabas walks away, saying that's news to him. The sheriff wants to know how the man knows his name, if he never had dealings with him. Barnabas has no idea, and suggests he be out looking for Adam instead of talking to him. The sheriff has two dozen men looking, and he intends to keep asking his questions until he gets satisfactory answers. Barnabas insists he's told him everything he knows, but the sheriff says that means someone else is lying--there must be some reason Willie knows the man's name, and some reason why Adam knows Barnabas' name. Prepare yourself for an ordeal, warns the sheriff, telling Barnabas to sit down--he won't leave until he gets the answers he wants. Barnabas obligingly sits.

Adam wanders the woods. He comes to the root cellar where he left Carolyn, and smiles. She's still trying to force it open, but the large rock he left there is preventing it. It's no use, she tells herself, I'll never budge the door. She leans her head against a brick wall thinking morbid thoughts. If he doesn't come back, she'll die there, she tells herself, unless she can find another way out. She searches the root cellar, checking the small space, but realizes the only exit is the door. She hears Adam's chain outside. He moves the rock, opens the door and looks around. Carolyn, hiding behind a wall, tries to crawl quietly out, but he sees and grabs her, toppling her to the ground. He grabs her hair, and she cries that he's hurting her. She begs him to let her go--he's hurting her! "Hurting" repeats Adam, "No hurting, no!" He lets go of her hair. She cries that she wants to go home and begs him. He repeats home, and she screams that he has to stop repeating what she says. He covers her mouth and drags her back into the root cellar, closing the door. He tries to calm her down. She tells him he can't keep her here. The police are looking for her. Doesn't he understand? They'll find them here, arrest him, take him to jail. You don't want to go there, do you? she asks, then realizes he doesn't understand her.He plays with her hair, crying, too, trying to make himself understood. He hugs her, presses his face against her gold hair, and cries with her. Dogs approach, barking. He takes her hand and pulls her from the root cellar. When she screams, he covers her mouth. He lifts her into his arms and carries her off again. The deputies search. They hear Carolyn's scream and run in that direction.

Nose to nose with Barnabas, the sheriff demands to know another thing that doesn't make sense-when they met Adam in the woods, Roger shot at him and he was hit in the shoulder. The last time he saw him, a few days ago, he was running into the woods with a bullet wound in his shoulder-and yet, when they captured him earlier that evening, it took six of his deputies to subdue him--no man alive has that kind of recuperative power-he had help from an expert attending his wound. No licensed physician in the area treated that wound, and there's only one doctor they haven't checked-Julia Hoffman.Do you think Julia did it? queries Barnabas. This whole business stinks to high heaven, opines the sheriff (love it!), and no one is above suspicion, including Barnabas. Barnabas asks what connection he could have with a vagrant, which is what he believes the man to be. The sheriff doesn't know anything but what he feels, and he won't let up on Barnabas until he tells him everything he knows. Barnabas feels he's making a big deal about nothing. The man kidnapped a member of your family, the sheriff says, but Barnabas says he believes Carolyn is quite safe. How do you know that? asks the sheriff, and Barnabas says it was something Willie told him. Ah, now we're getting somewhere, exults the sheriff. Not that Willie knows the man, says Barnabas, but the man did come to the house several days ago, looking for food. Willie felt sorry for the man and gave it to him. The man couldn't speak at all, and didn't understand what Willie said. Willie did mention Barnabas' name several times, which could explain how he knew that name. What did Willie say to reassure him that Carolyn is still alive? Asks the sheriff. The man seemed gentle, said Willie, but the sheriff points out all the opposing facts-the kidnapped woman, wrecked jail cell and broken-necked deputy--why didn't Barnabas come to him in the beginning? Barnabas explains that he feared being implicated somehow. The sheriff still isn't convinced he's not. A knock at the door intrudes on the inquisition, and Barnabas lets in one of the deputies, who tells the sheriff they've tracked down the man-he was hiding Carolyn in an old root cellar. They're heading now for Widows' Hill. This perturbs Barnabas. The sheriff says to get all the deputies, they'll have him trapped. The sheriff insists on Barnabas coming along, not for help, but to be there when's he's caught-he wants to see if this man recognizes Barnabas. Tight-lipped, Barnabas gets on his cape, grabs his cane, and ushers the sheriff out ahead of him. A deputy stands guard at the Old House door.

Widows' Hill - Adam carries Carolyn up there, and the two of them gaze nervously at the water crashing over the rocks below. Adam looks around, scared. The cops home in on the Hill. Carolyn tells Adam he can't get away, the police are getting closer, and he's trapped. He can only go back into the woods, and that's where they are. She begs him to let her go, kicking her legs. He puts her down; she loses her footing and falls over the cliff, grabbing onto and desperately clinging to the rocks. She begs him to grab her arm-I'm slipping, for God's sake! The sheriff, three deputies and Barnabas enter on this tableau, and they all quickly realize they can't do anything or Carolyn might fall. Adam grabs her arms and pulls her up and back, then caresses her hair and releases her. Like her cousin David the other day, she runs into Barnabas' arms. The deputy cocks his rifle, ready to shoot Adam, but Carolyn begs, "Don't shoot him, he saved my life."Adam, realizing he is completely trapped, leaps off Widows' Hill, sending Carolyn into wild sobbing against Barnabas cape. The sheriff and his men gaze at the now-empty cliff. We see another view of the ocean crashing on the rocks as they all retreat.

NOTES: Once again, we hear Dr. Lang's message to Julia recited over the wild thrashing sea. Is Adam dead? Does that mean Barnabas Collins will be as he was before, a bloodthirsty vampire?

How was that grilling Patterson gave Barnabas, I think he cooked him to a turn! Some of it was almost comical. You've got to love the sheriff's comment that "something stinks here."

Great stuff today. You've got to feel badly for poor Adam--what a way to go! At least he got one last caress of Carolyn's hair as his consolation prize, right?


506 - Intro: "Appeared to be the destruction of. . .Adam."

Over the crashing waves, we AGAIN hear Dr. Lang's tape.

Barnabas and Willie search the beach for Adam. Barnabas is annoyed that Willie is shining the flashlight in his eyes, and Willie insists that any man who jumps off the cliffs will die as soon as his body hits the cliffs. Barnabas reminds him that Adam isn't an ordinary man, and besides, his intuition tells him Adam is alive. Willie reluctantly stands from the rock on which he's sitting at Barnabas' orders, and Barnabas himself screams, "ADAM!" to the wave-torn beach.Willie screams for Adam, too, and a few feet away, so does Barnabas, in a voice that must have left him hoarse. Willie says Adam is dead-get over it, but again Barn says he isn't. He might be badly hurt. Willie says he's never seen Barn like this, refusing to listen to reason (?), and Barnabas tells him to stop arguing, he doesn't care about the police, or believe Adam's body was washed out to sea. Barnabas feels that the sheriff, believing Adam dead, won't question them further. Willie suggests coming back in the morning, when it's light, but Barnabas insists they continue the search. Willie says he can't do it, and Barnabas says he will. Willie needs to go to Collinwood; the dream is driving him crazy and he has to tell it to her. Barn forbids it, even though Willie says he'll go crazy. Carolyn's been through an ordeal, Barnabas reminds him, and he won't let him put her through another. What about what I'm going through, demands Willie?-- I'd rather go back to Windcliff than have the dream again. Barnabas says he understands (but his voice belies that), but if the dream curse goes to its end, he'll be the one who suffers. Willie complains he's scared all the time, always shaking with fear. Barnabas assures him he DOES know how he feels. Then let me go to Collinwood, begs Willie, and stop searching for a dead man. They argue about it vehemently. He probably broke every bone in his body, screams Willie, yet Barnabas feels Adam survived and crawled off somewhere. Barnabas sits on the rocks and Willie tells him the way he's acting isn't healthy--he was washed out to sea. The abandoned root cellar, remembers Barnabas, and sends Willie there to look while he continues combing the beach. Willie wants to tell Carolyn about the dream, then he'll do whatever he wants him to. Stop harping on the dream, orders Barnabas, and go to the root cellar. Willie gives Barnabas a look of pure hatred.

Carolyn, clad in a pretty powder blue nightgown, sits in her room, her sandwich untouched. She seems dazed. She brushes her hair, looking like she's about to cry. Liz comes in to check on her, noticing she hasn't touched her food. I will, says Carolyn, assuring her mother that she isn't afraid. Carolyn doesn't seem happy to hear the police are certain Adam is dead--she needs time to get back to being herself. Liz asks if Adam hurt her. He used force to keep me there, says Carolyn, yet didn't hurt her--he was strange, pathetic, trying in his own clumsy way to be gentle. Liz finds this hard to believe.He was frightened, trapped, and had to do something desperate, explains Carolyn. Liz wonders how she can defend this man, who could have killed her. He wouldn't have done that, says Carolyn, trying to explain, but in a strange way, she feels sorry for Adam, but doesn't understand why--she isn't happy the man is dead, because now they'll never know who he was, where he came from--there was something about him that made him so different from other people, almost like a child who hasn't learned to talk or had any experience with other human beings. His instincts were childlike, too, he kept trying to learn from her, and seemed sensitive. Liz listens; she still believes the man could have killed her. Why did he save her life, if he had no human compassion, why didn't he let her die on Widows' Hill? queries Carolyn--he pulled her up, saved her life-why? Liz is glad they won't have to see the man again, and says Carolyn should sleep, but you just know there will be no sleep for the troubled Carolyn this night.

Willie lurks in the garden by the fountain at Collinwood, disobeying Barnabas' orders, deciding if he should scale the side of Collinwood.

Liz offers to stay with her a while, but Carolyn says she's tired and will fall asleep quickly. They exchange kisses and Liz leaves.

At 2 AM, Willie begins climbing. Carolyn is asleep when Willie climbs through her window. He creeps toward her bed, then leans over and softly calls her name. Carolyn wakes up with a start, leaps from bed, and covers herself with her robe. She wants him to go out the same way he came in, demanding that he leave or she'll call for help--she doesn't want to get him into trouble, she says, backing away from him, but she will if he has to. He says he needs to tell her a dream. Carolyn, holding her head, asks if he really broke into her room to tell her a dream-he must be crazy!She gives him one more chance to leave her room, but, acting crazed, he grabs her, covers her mouth, orders her to keep quiet--he'll tell her the dream and go away. When it becomes clear she won't be silent, he screams that he'll tell her anyway, and, holding her fast, his face a mask of terror and determination, begins to tell her his dream. Carolyn bites his hand, forcing him to release her. Carolyn screams. Liz, downstairs in the garden, hears and races up to her daughter's bedroom. Willie, nursing his wounded hand, asks why she did that, he had to tell her the dream, he didn't mean to hurt her! Carolyn, as hysterical as he is, orders him out, but neither is listening to the other. Willie, sobbing, exits through the window. Liz enters and gathers the sobbing Carolyn into her arms. Carolyn calms down and tells Liz Willie broke into her room; she doesn't know why. Liz locks the window, assuring her he wouldn't get another chance--she's telling Barnabas to send Willie back to Windcliff. He told me he didn't mean any harm, explains Carolyn, he wanted to talk to me--he must be crazy, he kept jabbering about a dream he had and had to tell me about it. He's having hallucinations, says Liz, he told her about some dream, too, at the Old House. Carolyn thinks what scared her the most was the way he spoke of the dream-it must be the most terrifying thing that's ever happened to him--he acted like he had no peace of mind until he talked about the dream. He said Carolyn was the one he had to tell the dream to, which puzzles both women. He took a huge risk, breaking into my room, says Carolyn, yet he did it anyway-why? Willie's mental state, guesses Liz, but Carolyn said he didn't act deranged, just terribly frightened. Carolyn thinks Willie really did have this dream and for some reason, she is the only person he could tell about it.Liz doesn't believe this, and tells Carolyn to go to sleep. No, says Carolyn, she's afraid. No one can get in, Liz assures her. But it's the dream that is scaring Carolyn-if she goes to sleep now, she'll have the dream Willie was telling her, and if she does, she's afraid she'll die!

NOTES: Another stellar performance from Karlen, both in the beach scene with Barnabas and the scene with Carolyn. He is just so good!

Why is everyone so mean to Willie? At least Carolyn seemed to have some compassion for him, more than anyone else is giving him these days. Carolyn felt badly for Adam, too, and hopes he didn't die. But how could he possibly survive such a fall? Barnabas is sure he's alive, too, something we're pretty sure of. How? Wouldn't Barnabas be a vampire already if Adam were really dead?

Did Carolyn hear enough of the dream to be the next victim of it? Or does Willie have to finish it in order for her to have it?

Love, Robin

503 - Willie sits in the chair at the Old House. Julia comes in and finds him looking almost catatonic. He was afraid it was Carolyn. Carolyn is missing, she reminds him. He doesn't want to talk about it. Julia says Barnabas wants him to help search for Carolyn. He can't--I want to be left alone, he insists. She realizes he's had a dream--THE dream. She knows about it, she had the same dream, as have others. It's part of a dream curse, she explains, but unless the curse is stopped, someone will die."Who?" asks Willie. Barnabas, reveals Julia.

Willie tells Julia his dream, biting his knuckles, his face contorted with horror. The last door held a snarling dog, and it would have ripped him to pieces. Then Willie hears the police dogs and leaps to his feet in consternation. Julia assures him they're just searching for Carolyn. Willie awakened from the dream unable to move or think of anything else. Julia tries to figure out the significance. Willie is puzzled that telling Julia didn't help him, but she says she didn't expect it to. I must find Carolyn, says Willie, but Julia says he can't tell her the dream--if he does, she will have the dream and the curse will continue--and harm will come to Barnabas. Willie doesn't want that. So Julia tells him to stay there, but Willie screams he'll go crazy if he doesn't go. Julia suggests erasing the memory of the dream. She takes her medallion and hypnotizes the terrified man.He watches the colors, looks for the center of the light--where Willie sees a vision of Carolyn--under the ground!

Carolyn asks Adam why he brought her to this place. Her eyes look glazed, like she's had enough. She fears the roof of the root cellar will cave in--it's dangerous for both of them to be there, she cries shrilly. Doesn't he understand anything? He keeps staring at her, and she asks why, then begs him to let her go. No harm will come to him, just let her go, please! He holds out his hands, unsure of what to do or say, but when she sits down on the cot and caresses her face, she quickly runs from him. "Get away from me!" she insists, then apologizes for startling him. She didn't know he was going to touch her like that. She begs him not to hurt her. He is completely at a loss for words. He sits on the cot. Carolyn picks up a large rock and approaches Adam, intending to hit him with it. He grabs her hands, forcing her to drop the rock.

Julia, still working to hypnotize Willie, finds the center of the light. She tells him to listen carefully, and says when she snaps her fingers, he'll wake up but remember nothing about the dream. She snaps her fingers and Willie awakens. He doesn't remember what they were talking about, but he remembers seeing the medallion. He feels the same, he says--scared to death of the dream. She's upset to hear her hypnosis failed; the dream is too deeply locked in his subconscious. She asks about what he said about Carolyn in his trance, that he knew where she was. THAT he doesn't recall. Julia doesn't want to tell him what he said, but relents--he saw her under the ground, but that's probably his imagination. Willie fears Carolyn is. . .don't say it, cautions Julia, but Willie has to--suppose she's dead?

Carolyn struggles with Adam and breaks free, begging him not to kill her. She sobs, and Adam helplessly approaches her, caressing her blonde tresses gently, then her face. She realizes he doesn't intend her harm, he's trying to comfort her. How strange--at times he's so frightening, but really very gentle, she says. He takes his hands away, and she tells him she doesn't mind. She takes one of his huge hands and places it back on her face. She likes him, she says, wants them to be friends. He repeats, "Friend!", smiling, and Carolyn says she wants them to be friends. Friends protect each other, she says, they must protect each other--he must take her back to Collinwood."Friend. . .music!" he says. She again asks to go home, promising him food. She's pleased he knows that word. Take me back, she sobs. He repeats friend and food, then opens the door. Carolyn thinks he's letting her go, but when she tries to walk out, he pulls her back. She falls and smacks her head on a rock and falls to the ground, unconscious. Adam caresses her hair, trying to revive her, crying, "Friend! Food!" He stands, terribly upset, and leaves the root cellar, closing the door behind him and bracing it shut with a rock. Sound and pushing don't go together here, but that's DS for you!) Adam leaves Carolyn alone in the root cellar and disappears into the sunshine.

Back at the Old House, Julia paces and Willie frets. There's a knock at the door. It's the sheriff, who wants to see Barnabas, but says he wants to speak to Willie, too. They haven't found Carolyn yet, he says. Julia tells the sheriff Barnabas isn't there, and she wonders what he expects to learn about the kidnapping. The sheriff remarks that she spends a great deal of her time there, and Willie works there, so they should know things. The maniac seems to have a connection to the Old House; Mrs. Stoddard met him once, in the woods--perhaps he was coming from this house? That's ridiculous, says Julia, but the sheriff isn't so sure. He was a prowler wandering through the woods, suggests Julia. Roger told the sheriff the maniac seems to know Barnabas, said his name. Julia heard about that, but is mystified about it. Barnabas doesn't know anything about the man, either. The sheriff goes to Willie, who nervously says he knows nothing. Julia says Willie's been having nightmares, and it isn't his questions that are upsetting Willie. Willie hears the dogs and asks how many they have. A dozen dogs, three dozen men, and if he's out there, they'll get him, says the sheriff.

Adam lingers by the Old House columns, scared. Willie spots him and yells. Adam is staring in the window and the sheriff says he fits Mrs. Stoddard's description exactly. Adam runs off, and the sheriff runs outside. "Stop or I'll shoot!" he shouts, and fires off a shot. Willie and Julia stare at each other, worried.

The sheriff returns--the man has been captured and his deputies are taking him to jail. Julia's glad he isn't dead, whoever he is. (Tell me this doesn't sound to the sheriff like an odd reaction.) The sheriff says the man's strength is superhuman--it took 20 men to subdue him. They must him to reveal where he took Carolyn, but he couldn't--or wouldn't--tell them. Willie says they must keep looking for her. They haven't given up the search, says the sheriff, but in the meantime, this man, why did he come to the Old House?Julia has no idea, and Willie doesn't, either, but the sheriff doesn't believe them--he saw the way the man looked at both of them, he knows them. Nonsense, says Julia, but the sheriff says he knows what he saw--that man recognized them. Prove it, says Julia feistily. He can't, but he has his instinct, says the sheriff. "Instinct isn't fact," retorts Julia. Julia and Willie retreat into the house, where the fearful Willie says they are going to find out about Adam, Barnabas and everything. Julia says Adam can't speak, but Willie is so jittery, he makes Julia nervous--she can't control her own fears. Willie apologizes. She understands that dream, and wishes she could help him, but she can't. Carolyn must be all right, they have to find her, she can't be dead, whispers Willie, his focus on the person to whom he must tell his dreadful dream.

Carolyn lies in the root cellar, unconscious.

NOTES: Good ep. I love Adam's interaction with Carolyn, and John Karlen turned in a superb performance as the nervous, paranoid Willie. Even if you don't like this storyline much, you have to love the little gems presented in some of these episodes.

Poor Willie! Now he's going to have that dream over and over until--unless--Carolyn is rescued--and that doesn't look very likely, does it?


504 - Drawing room, Collinwood - After wringing her hands over the silent phone, Liz sits with her head in her hands, worrying about Carolyn. Vicki sits with her.

Root cellar - Carolyn awakens, her head throbbing. She remembers the strange man who brought her here, and realizes, happily, that he's gone. She can't open the door, however, and knows he must have done something to lock her in. She grows hysterical--she can't be trapped in here! Sinking to the floor, she realizes she sure is.

Liz tells Vicki that Carolyn is dead or soon will be. Vicki argues this, wishing she could be of more help. The phone rings and Liz races to answer it. It's the sheriff--they've got the kidnaper, but he apparently isn't talking about where he's hidden Carolyn. Liz relays all this to Vicki. They've been questioning the man, who was caught in front of the Old House, endlessly, but can't get a word out of him. Liz wants to order the sheriff to release the man, who might lead them to Carolyn.Vicki doubts they'd release him, even for her. They decide to go into town to speak to the prisoner themselves. Liz says that if the man has killed Carolyn, or hidden her somewhere she can't get out of. . .they leave.

Root cellar - Carolyn remembers saying "food" to the man, the only word he seemed to understand. She remembers that he started for the door, and she followed, thinking he was taking her home, and that's when he knocked her down. Perhaps he went for food, she muses, and will be back. She'll reason with him. He tried to comfort her once, and he did go for food. . .she thinks. If he didn't, if he just went away and left her here, she's trapped! She pushes against the door, sobbing, begging him to come back.Adam sits in his cell, his ankle chained, absolutely miserable, as frustrated as Carolyn.

Liz and Vicki go to see Adam at the jail; apparently, Liz wasn't able to talk the sheriff into releasing the man. The deputy shows them to Adam's cell, calling him pretty. He got rambunctious, says the deputy, and he had to rough him up a little (police brutality in a small town, how nice). He calls Adam an animal, and describes him as mean. Liz greets Adam, and the deputy teases Adam by running the keys over the bars. Adam looks as if he wants to attack, and Liz wants the deputy to go--he's upsetting Adam. Just let him try something, warns the deputy, holding his gun on Adam. Liz orders him to put it away or she'll report him to the sheriff. The deputy reluctantly moves out of the line of Adam's vision, which calms the big guy. Liz speaks to Adam, asking if he can talk to her--one word? Vicki thinks he looks puzzled. Liz tells him he can trust both of them. She won? let anything happen to him--just tell them where Carolyn is. You must tell us, begs Liz. He seems frightened, notes Vicki, but Liz speaks gently to him, promising to help him, as a friend would, if he helps them find Carolyn. Adam tries to speak, but all he can say is "Friend." Vicki agrees, they are all friends. "Food," says Adam. He repeats both words, but can't respond to Liz? desperate questions. Vicki doesn't think the man knows more than a few words. Liz is depressed; they'll return to Collinwood. Adam moans, trying to get them to come back. Vicki feels his face shows pity, and that he wants to help. Sadly, Liz and Vicki leave.

Carolyn looks really spaced out, contemplating the hours that have passed, and he hasn't returned. Maybe he never will, and no one will find her. She's got to get out! If he doesn't come back, and no one finds her, she sobs, she'll die there! "Where are you?" she sobs, over and over.

Adam, frustrated, bangs his head against the wall of his cell, crying for "Friend," and "Food."

Vicki and Liz return to Collinwood, discussing Adam. Vicki found him childlike. Liz tells Vicki something she hasn't told anyone--she suspects Barnabas is connected with Adam. She hasn't mentioned it to the police because she wants to speak to Barnabas about it. She believes he knows more about Adam than he admits--Adam's only word in the woods was "Barnabas." Also, another odd thing--Willie brought her a note from Barnabas, telling her he's going away to England and that a young nephew named Adam Collins would be coming to stay, and to treat him as one of the family. This shocks Vicki. Barnabas never did go to England, and now this Adam appears. Coincidence, insists Vicki, but Liz doesn't think so. Cassandra overhears a bit of this and lets herself in just as Vicki is promising Liz to keep this to herself. Cassandra asks Liz if she's had any news of Carolyn--she's sure she will soon and will be all right. She offers her help, but Liz coolly refuses. Vicki encourages Liz to go upstairs and get some rest, and the older woman reluctantly leaves. Cassandra says she knows the man who kidnapped Carolyn has been found. Gossipy, Cassandra asks if Vicki has seen Adam--is he really big (yes, alllll over!)?Yes, says Vicki, suddenly annoyed by Cassandra's curiosity, which she claims is only because he kidnapped Carolyn.Vicki responds coldly, and Cassandra asks about her hostility--she doesn't like her! Why, what has she done? Nothing, insists, Vicki. Cassandra is aware of the suddenness of her marriage, and it will take time for the family to accept her, but Vicki isn't a family member, why the resentment? Vicki claims she didn't know her well, but Cass accuses her of not liking her. Why? What is it, asks Cassandra, does she remind her of someone she doesn't like? There is a resemblance to someone she once knew, admits Vicki. Cassandra reminds her she isn't that person (you are too!). Beginning to cry, Cassandra says she is only a woman who loves her husband and wants to be accepted by the family. "Oh, what's the use?" demands Cassandra, and runs upstairs sobbing. Vicki looked upset, but Cassandra, grinning, walks slowly up the remainder of the staircase. "Got her!" she is probably thinking. What an award-winning performance!

Liz, dressed in a lovely pastel, multi-colored robe, comes downstairs--she couldn't sleep, she tells Vicki. Vicki tells her she thinks she misjudged Cassandra--the way she appeared so suddenly, resembling the portrait she bought, she didn't trust her, but perhaps she was wrong. Vicki describes to Liz her conversation with Cassandra; she feels guilty and sorry for her. Liz says Cassandra has a talent for making everyone feel guilty, and doesn't believe Vicki's first opinion was wrong--she doesn't trust her, either, at all.

The deputy goes to Adam's cell and asks why he looks down in the dumps--does he miss his rich lady friend, the one who treats him like dirt?--too bad. He takes out his gun and aims it as Adam, who flinches. The deputy promises to think up something real nice for him, and opens his cell, takes out his Billy club and threatens Adam with it. The grapple, the deputy pulls out his gun, and the two struggle. The deputy's cries bring another deputy to the cell, but the first idiot lies on the floor, unconscious, Adam is gone, and the bars on the cell window have been pulled apart by someone with enormous strength.NOTES: The big guy is strong--perhaps he inherited some of Barnabas' better vampire tendencies? I do remember Barnabas doing the very same thing to a barred window in Dr. Woodard's office. Now he's escaped, and will presumably return to the pretty little blonde who's making his heart go pitty pat.

Liz has added up 2 and 2 and come up with 4, realizing there is a connection between Adam and Barnabas. It's rare she does this, but here she does.

Who'd think the cops in a small town would be so nasty? Why did the one deputy feel compelled to be so cruel to poor Adam? At least Willie has a motive!

Love, Robin

When I saw the show the first time around, in the 60's and early 70's, and Barnabas joined the cast, I constantly used the word "loathe," as Barnabas did.  My friends looked at me so oddly when I did that, but I kept right on using it.

I walk 3-4 miles daily, always with my Sony Walkman clapped arouny my ears, and CD's that I've burned myself blasting through my brain.  I find myself adding songs to the CD's that remind me, overtly or otherwise, of DS characters.  For instance, "Stairway to Heaven," by Led Zeppelin, always sounded to me like Angelique's song.  As bad as she was, she seemed to long for a Samantha Stepens-like existence with Barnabas.  "Take On Me," (can't recall the group) is Julia's song.  Nearly every character on the show has several songs that put me in mind of DS, and as I walk along, I remember scenes, kisses, lines that resonate with me.  It helps make the walking go by very quickly.

I lived and dreamed DS during its first go-round (some said obsessively and unhealthfully), but I was a sad teenager and DS helped me through my difficult days.  Now, I wife and mother, postal worker and free lance writer, I have other interests and concerns--but DS is always there, somewhere.  

That crazy show has influenced me so greatly, I suspect it will be amongst my last thoughts on the day I die, many years in the future, I hope!

Love, Robin
 

There was tons of bad acting on DS, some by the very best actors.  

There are those who didn't seem to have even one bad day, like Nancy Barrett, Joel Crothers, Humbert Allen Astredo and Thayer David.  

Jonathan Frid was sublimely good, but even I, amongst his most ardent fans, admit he had his bad shows.  And there were times he was only fair to middling.  The same could be said for Grayson Hall.  When they were at the top of their form, they could bring you to tears with their performances.  Joan Bennett rarely did anything for me, but I loved her in her old movies.  Perhaps it was Liz I didn't care for, because I thoroughly enjoyed her as Judith in 1897.

I never cared much for Lisa Richards, Roger Davis (who I much preferred as vampire Dirk), wood-man Geoffrey Scott, the horrific woman who played Joanna in 1840, Addison Powell.  

Being a newbie at acting doesn't, IMHO, give one license to turn in a terrible job (like Donna McKechnie, sorry to her fans).  DARK SHADOWS gave Kate Jackson her start, and while she was tentative, acting-wise, I thought her luminous and enchanting.  David Selby was amazing as the original Quentin, but the writing never matched his talents from then on, sad to say.  

I'm rambling, and I know once I sign off, I'll think of someone really good or bad I forgot to mention.  But I guess that's what the "modify" is for.

Love, Robin    

Mark, you're a hoot.  

I LOVED your book, it was wonderful.

Now where's MY check?

Love, Robin