Thanx, Magnus. I felt a little weird posting old reviews/opinions but I don't want to stop watching and I don't want to have wasted my time, either. This is going to be my style for some time, playing catch up. But I'd rather catch up than give up.

As per usual, I spoke too soon. Seeing Jeff Clark and Dr. Lang, especially Dr. Lang, was a real downer, I don’t like the Lang character at all, already. The thought of Barnabas as a patient in a hospital is funny to me and strange in context and to the eyes – mine anyway. I guess at this stage of the game I shouldn’t be at all surprised that Lang pegs Barn as a vampire and forces Julia to comply with his wishes concerning “our” patient. We get our first cause for concern when JClark reacts adversely to the knowledge that Vicki is Lang’s patient. This episode was not fun for me at all. I didn’t much care for it. The ending was noteworthy. Frid’s a fabulous big-time screamer – who knew?! I didn’t. It’s the best male scream I’ve ever heard. I guess we should be grateful to be spared the ’68 smoking body special effect.

Afterthought: I was doing the dishes, humming a Brenda Lee song while rerunning the episode and something came to me. For whatever reason, I was under the assumption that Vicki, while bitten, wasn’t really aware of the big picture – Barn being a vampire and all that goes with it, but when Lang was questioning her about her bite marks she got all defensive as if she knew exactly what the big picture entailed. I forget which, but in a previous episode Barn mentions (to Julia, I imagine) that his vampire ‘effect’ is different on Vicki – he may have described it as something being wrong. Another thing that came to me was that Lang tells Barn he’s been imbued with a myriad of new & experimental drugs – so now I am wondering if these drugs have anything to do with Barn not exploding in the sunlight or not needing to be in his coffin after dawn, and perhaps his not being able to dematerialize himself out of there? I feel that is the 'point' of that 'mention'. And, is Julia sharing her serum with Lang? I guess I had to be listening instead of watching to appreciate some of what this episode has to offer.

It’s ‘something’ to think that so much heartache has transgressed in this very drawing room at Collinwood. How can Barnabas take it? Not to mention living in the Old House. I personally think the portrait of Angelique is hideous so all this talk about it’s beauty and being angelic is driving me up the wall. Wow, first Roger calls Julia “countess” and then Professor Stokes shows up. Then Vicki remembers all about Angelique – how exciting! Thayer looks very heavy; I didn’t expect it. Anyway, Stokes tells Barn his is an occultist. Fascinating! I love every bit of this. Julia discovers Barn’s bite on Vicki’s neck and confronts him about it. Julia’s still got the biggest pair in Collinsport – threatening Barnabas with exposure.

Random thought:  Vicki doesn’t recognize Stokes as MM anymore - only Ben (or so it appears). We learn via Prof. Stokes that Ben ended up doing well for himself and that made me feel great. I imagine that Barn felt good about it too – that Joshua kept at least that promise.

Julia’s haircut and new makeup as a metaphor for a whole new direction for the show – nice – and it works for me. It’s nice that is was ‘noticed’ by the rest of the family, and not ‘unmentioned’ as with Maggie going from blonde to brunette (or is it auburn?). Julia’s medallion – lol – I’d forgotten that thing. Vicki’s eye makeup is strange. In this episode I find myself wondering where they are trying to take the present day storyline. I really like the line spoken by Vicki that she is afraid of sleeping because she fears she may end up back in the past again – and in a sense, she is correct. The Jeremiah ghost ‘thing’ was weird to me, but it makes sense when you think about it. She was in the past and Jeremiah did like her very much. Julia is still trying to get back on Barn’s good side – and Barn now feels the need for her help, interesting, plot wise. I had questions pertaining to Barnabas when Phyllis Wick showed up in Vicki’s place during the séance, and this episode provided the answers. I mostly wanted to know if Barn recognized Phyllis and if Vicki changed history or merely took Phyllis’ place. While Vicki obviously changed history’s details, it appears more so that she took Phyllis’ place in 1795. Though, Barn states that Phyllis knew he was a vampire. It appears as though Julia is still bent on protecting Barn – though he is unsure of her. Julia reveals Peter Bradford’s fate to Vicki causing Vicki to admit her love for him. This news distresses Barn and causes him to panic – he bites Vicki to win her devotion.

Random Thought: I’d never known that Vicki was ever bitten and the first time I saw this I was so shocked that it happened. I never expected it.

You missed! You die! As Magnus notes, terrible editing/voice add (don’t know what to call it). The Collinsport Strangler strikes again! I wonder if any purposeful thought went into having Barn strangle so as to not create more vampires? Nathan gets his (finally!) and is buried in the woods (is there a body count for woods burials?). Joshua tells Barn he will end his curse with silver bullets but in the end settles for a silver cross and chains – handled by Ben. I can barely wrap my head around Joshua’s final decision but I guess you have to walk a mile in someone’s shoes….

I was surprised that Joshua didn’t ask Ben to do it. Ben gets his freedom and deserves it. At least there was one happy ending in this storyline. Vicki hangs – another great Friday style cliffhanger. This must have been gut wrenching for fans in ’68.

It’s a shame that it takes the ultimate tragedy to prove to Naomi that Joshua still cares deeply for her.

And there’s that Lost In Space music again; it is aptly named Naomi’s Suicide on the Dark Shadows music CD volume 4 (the first minute of said selection). On the Music Library set, it is 85: Little Faster Spooky Tension – Confusion, &, 85A: Same But Lower Pitched - Good Ghostly Spook.

I guess in the end, other than Barnabas, Joshua suffers the most from Angelique’s curse.

Afterthoughts: I loved that Naomi refused the drink that Joshua poured for her and the symbolism behind it. Their conversation was wonderfully written. Alexandra is wearing a wig.

I was so pleased that Daniel got Vicki into Collinwood. Close call with Millicent! And Nathan! Naomi busts Noah as Daniel’s attacker and of course Nathan talks his way around it and Vicki hears that Peter has been taken to jail. Vicki Stays overnight with Naomi. I expected Nathan to bust them.

In order to keep Naomi from involving the authorities re: Daniel’s attempted kidnapping, Nathan-the-prick tells Naomi the truth about Barnabas being the Collinsport strangler and directs her to the tower room for proof.
How much more unlikable can they make Nathan for goodness sake. I wonder if Crothers enjoyed the opportunity to play the bad guy?

LOL, about Nathan's uniform, DarkLady!

Vicki proves once again that she cares more for others than herself. I was having similar thoughts, AD. Has anyone here considered that Vicki is thinking that if Daniel (who she called David) doesn’t carry on the Collins name, she herself might never be born? I don’t remember if Vicki ever considered that she might be a Collins. It was the first thing I thought of when she mentioned it to Peter.

Well, was anyone really worried than Daniel wouldn’t be able to outwit Noah? The world's dumbest criminals volume one. I never noticed that there is another mausoleum just to the left of the Collins family mausoleum.