Yes, it's time to bid a fond farewell to Mr. Horace Gladstone, late of Boston, MA.
We did not get to see a great deal of this highly enigmatic character during the Parallel Time storyline. Nevertheless, I think that we were able to determine that Horace was a very complex man with many hidden talents and interests. For example, in addition to Horace's extensive understanding of the principles of chemistry, Horace displayed great powers of observation, on a scale greatly reminiscent of the legendary consulting detective himself, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. (Who can forget Gladstone's brilliant use of deductive reasoning in uncovering Dr. Longworth's deep, dark secret?)
Of course, Horace Gladstone's professional relationship with Angelique Stokes-Collins only further illustrates his wide range of interests in eclectic "disciplines."
The demise of Horace Gladstone marks the final appearance of actor John Harkins on Dark Shadows. Mr. Harkins, a fine character actor, had previously portrayed both Garth Blackwood and Mr. Strak on the program.
By the way, you know that you're an obsessed Dark Shadows fan when you recognize former DS actors in their other acting gigs. Years after Dark Shadows had been cancelled, while watching Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine in the film comedy, "Being There," with some friends in a movie theater, I saw a familiar face up on the screen. "Hey, it's Garth Blackwood!" I shouted, in recognition of the distinguished-looking actor (Mr. Harkins) portraying a Washington Post journalist. To which one of my friends responded: "Who the 'expletive-deleted' is Garth Blackwood?"
So, as Horace Gladstone enters that pantheon of departed and beloved Dark Shadows supporting characters (Buzz Hackett, Donna Friedlander and Jeff Clark to name but a few), I will always cherish my impressions of this truly fascinating Dark Shadows character; an impression of an intense (if not obsessed) middle-aged scientist hurriedly exiting a Times Square movie theater, still wearing his trademark and "de rigueur" raincoat. Or the deep-seated impression that that prominent cut on the right side of Horace Gladstone's face has left on me over the years. (Perhaps Horace was the unfortunate "recipient" of a Jim Beam bottle, that Buffy Harrington had savagely tossed at him, as Horace was peering through Buffy's bedroom window, no doubt, in trying to track down the elusive John Yeager?)
Au revoir, Mr. Gladstone. You have upheld the highest professional standards of the world's greatest chemists. We can now add the name of Horace Gladstone to those of Marie Curie, John Dalton and Linus Pauling. Yes, Horace Gladstone, indefatigable scientist and former manager of an adult bookstore and novelety shop in the so-called "combat zone" of Boston, Massachusetts. Horace Gladstone, of whom it may be truly said: "He was banned in Boston!"
