I agree with everybody here! I LOVE the Beginning!!!!! I recently reached a stumbling block in my fan fic concerning my portrayal of Roger and so marathoned the first 200 episodes--a ton of which I had never seen before. The characterizations were GREAT!!! I found the answers to my problem (Thanks, Adamsgirl!) and had a blast besides!
As much as I loved the Dark Shadows I knew--1968 on, I discovered this GREAT, FUN, SPOOKY soap that was completely fangless!!!! The Trials and Tribulations of Angelique and Barnabas will always be my favorite, and Catherine and Bramwell are in the running too, but right up there near the top is the Beginning!!!!
The one thing I didn't like about the Beginning episodes (though I have seen many here disagree) was the Laura storyline. I don't know why. I guess partly maybe the inconsistency thing? She had been successful with David Radcliffe. Is that why she moved on to another family in the same area? And now she keeps coming back until she gets to carve a Collins notch in her Presto-log?
And I forget now (not owning the episodes, just borrowed them), was it 1867 when she was successful with Daniel Radcliffe? Because that would establish the 'return every hundred years and marry Louis Edmonds' thing? But then she showed up in 1897??? But she wasn't in 1797 (Of course, we weren't either to begin with. We got 1795. But didn't Barn recognize her? Because she was married to Cousin Uncle Jeremiah?
Let's see...179something...1867...1897...1967...um...every 100 years...
OK. I'm getting one of my continuity headaches again....
Anyway, I digress. Yes. The EARLY DAYS of COLLINWOOD. Been there. LOVED THEM!!!! GOT TO HAVE THEM!!!!!
Judy