MT, I absolutely agree! With Thayer David on board, NOW we're really seeing Dark Shadows! Matthew is very big and scary indeed and could probably break Burke Devlin in two without noticing it much.

I think Elizabeth knew exactly what she was doing--and exactly what the outcome would be--when she offered Vicki the key to the Locked Room. Otherwise she wouldn't have done it.

I still say the sobbing person is Elizabeth herself, because in Ep. 2 we saw her break down while playing Chopin's C minor Prelude. (Having played that prelude myself, I know it's enough to make anyone break down.)

Nice to know about Angelique's music. I don't have any videos or DVDs, just the Robservations and some summaries I put together for my own amusement back when I actually had time for such things.

When Vicki arrives at the coffee shop, Sam says that Vicki has been at Collinwood for "some time" and that she must know Elizabeth pretty well. But aren't we still on Day 3? 

Stunned by the extent of Roger's bitterness (and it really is extensive!), Elizabeth places the famous call to Ned Calder. I wonder if the writers were considering introducing a new character here.

I've done more than my fair share of copy editing on many history books, Gerard, and am always glad to meet a kindred spirit!    But yes, the suits always win in the end.

And a Bad Lieutenant. 

Steamers are clams, MT. But I'm surprised the BW doesn't serve raw littlenecks or cherrystones with clam sauce (for dipping) and oyster crackers and beer and maybe cole slaw on the side. 

Harvey Keitel and his partner are still dancing at the BW. Oy!

Joe has achieved the remorseful stage.

Yes, that's a nice scene with Burke and Vicki in Burke's room. Maybe he orders steaks to spite the Collinses and their fishing fleets. I liked the enigmatic little smile Vicki gives him when she leaves.

You are correct! Well, at least Elizabeth gets some exercise once in a while.

It's so inconvenient that the Mistress of Collinwood has to walk to Matthew's cottage whenever she wants to tell or ask him something. Couldn't they have installed a couple of tin cans on a string or something?

Here endeth the Tale of the Bleeder Valve--at fewer than thirty episodes, surely the briefest story line in the whole series. I suppose Carter agreed to drop the case because it would have degenerated into a "He said, he said" situation and was essentially unprovable one way or the other. And this way, he gets to take his wife to the movies. 

Wonderful performance by Louis Edmonds as Roger fiills in his back story--including that interesting detail of the timing of David's birth.

"He's a monster, Liz! He's been nothing but trouble to me since the day he was born. David and his mother, my loving wife and my adoring son, Laura and David, love and respect. Liz, it was hell!" Regardless of Roger's own faults, that's still a bitter, bitter assessment. I'll bet that duo shut him out almost all the time. Who knows how Laura poisoned David against him. And now he's stuck at Collinwood with the son who tried to kill him.

It would have been interesting to see the story of how Isaac, Jeremiah and Benjamin stood together.

Things could hardly be worse, could they? In the real universe, Elizabeth would give Vicki a generous severance package and a good reference to keep her from blabbing. David would be packed off to reform school or some military school, which would completely ruin him. Elizabeth belatedly would have to start training Carolyn to be the next Mistress of Collinwood--but of course, that would mean Carolyn would actually have a job.