Prop Project: The Black-Bordered, Multicolored Afghan.

[Lydia]

So much has been said on the subject of the black-bordered, multicolored afghan that there may well be nothing left to say about it.  But that's no excuse for leaving it out of the Prop Project, especially since there is a topic for the other oft-appearing afghan.  So here is a PP topic for the most well-known of the Dark Shadows afghans, and even if nothing new is said, at least I'll be adding links to other topics dealing with the afghan.  Because everybody wants links to afghan topics, right?

Hereafter I'll be referring to the black-bordered afghan as the primary afghan, and to the other afghan – brown, red, and gold, with larger squares –  as the secondary afghan.

On to my two standard Prop Project questions.

First, is the primary afghan real?  I don't think there has ever been any doubt that it is.  It appears to be made of standard yarn rather than styrofoam, wood, or cardboard.  We have seen it folded, we have seen it spread out, and we have seen it rumpled, and its movements are those of a genuine afghan.

Second, has it been the subject of a collectible?  Has anybody ever made a copy of it?  Have limited edition copies of it been sold, with certificates of almost-authenticity?  Have pictures of it appeared on a Dark Shadows calendar?  And if so, was it topless?  I just don't know.

Here's a non-standard Prop Project question: In which episode does the primary afghan first appear?  The initial appearance may be hard to spot, because it surely would have been in a black and white episode.  I assume that the primary afghan started its Dark Shadows life on the sofa in the Evans Cottage, but I was surprised to notice the secondary afghan on that sofa at a point in the series – episode 146 – at which the primary afghan had not yet been seen, as far as I could tell.  This would make the secondary afghan first and the primary afghan second, which could be confusing.  Maybe we should just call the afghans Fred and Ethel.

The afghan is such a huge subject that I'm breaking down my opening remarks into several posts because otherwise everybody would fall asleep before I'm finished.  Stay tuned for captures, sightings, and links.

[Lydia]

Here are some captures of the primary afghan.  I regret that none of them shows its inner border of lime green squares.

Relaxing at home in episode 303:



Neatly spread out for Elizabeth in episode 577:

Slightly rumpled for Jamison/David in episode 828:

[Lydia]

Here's a list of some – but by no means all – sightings of the primary afghan:

383 on the honeymoon bed of Josette and Jeremiah

673 in the caretaker cottage when Chris lived there

758 at the Old House for Jamison

765 in Beth's room

772 in Tim's room

783 in Charity's room

809 in Tessie Kincaid's room

810 around Lenore's cradle

818 on the sofa in Tate's studio - not there in 820 - back in 822

828 on Jamison/David

865, 866 on Charity/Pansy's bed

877 on the sofa in Tate's studio again

892 on Megan's bed

[Lydia]

There are enough links to references in these boards to the afghan so that I'm going to split them up into three types: Current Talk topics about the afghan, a couple of good quotes about the afghan, and Complete This Phrase / Fill in The Blank(s) topics about the afghan.  I searched on “afghan” but there were so many results that I may well have missed some good stuff.

Here are the Current Talk topics:

From 2002:

The Ubiquitous Dark Shadows Quilt

From 2005:

That Damn Afghan...

From 2008:

Anyone have a screen capture of the colorful quilt/afghan thing?

And here's the Prop Project topic for the secondary afghan:

The Prop Project, Gold and Red Afghan

[Lydia]

Here are two quotes about the afghan that I particularly like, from topics that are not specifically about the afghan.

From a Caption This! topic, episode 673

OMG! That damn afghan was *everywhere* wasn't it?

I have no doubt Buzz that had they gone back in time to the first cave dwelling Collins' that afghan would be there,drapped over a rock!

From “Collinwood in the new Depp/Burton DS film”

I guess I really don't mind what they use for Collinwood, but if there ain't no afghan sitting on the sofa in the drawing room, I ain't going to go see the movie. There are some things that are non-negotiable!

[Lydia]

Here are some “Complete This Phrase / Fill in The Blank(s)” topics in which the setup was about the afghan:

Episode #0263

When Maggie's beloved afghan was destroyed during a particularly rowdy night at the Tool Shed Bar and Grill, Sam and Joe didn't know how they could keep Maggie from finding out – but finally they decided...

Episode #0514

After the afghan started __________, Maggie finally agreed with Joe that she'd simply have to burn it.

Episode #0577

CS: "Heavens no, mother! You don't know where that afghan's been!"
ECS: "Yes, I do! ____________________!"

Episode #0654

J: "But what is it doing here? I've seen this afghan in every other room I've ever been in in this town!"
Afghan: "It's because __________! Ain't that a kick in the head?!"

Episode #0828

J: "It's the afghan! It's temporally unstable! It causes me to be possessed by people who haven't been born yet and stuff like that! Take it away!"
A: "Hmmm... ______________!"

And that's all I have about the primary afghan...for now.

[MagnusTrask]

Yes, three quoted references to Fred from me, here!

[Lydia]

I spotted the primary afghan in episode 906, spread out over a chair in Paul Stoddard's hotel room.

[Lydia]

It was used on Tate on episode 922.

[michael c]

I spotted the primary afghan in episode 906, spread out over a chair in Paul Stoddard's hotel room.

which is itself the famous shapeshifter "room twenty four".

[Midnite]

which is itself the famous shapeshifter "room twenty four".

I thought it was too, but I watched #902 recently and in it Paul tells the front desk to hold calls to room 37.

[Lydia]

It may call itself Room 37, but if you check its fingerprints I'm quite sure you'll find that it's Room 24 in disguise.

And why is it that I didn't notice until yesterday that I had put an unnecessary period at the end of the subject for this topic?

[MagnusTrask]

It may call itself Room 37, but if you check its fingerprints I'm quite sure you'll find that it's Room 24 in disguise.

And why is it that I didn't notice until yesterday that I had put an unnecessary period at the end of the subject for this topic?

1: Good one... and 2: Give us time, and I'm sure we'll forgive you!

[michael c]

they can call it any number they want but it's the same purgatorial space.

the sense of despair that permeates room twenty four is unmistakable.

woe betide all who end up there.

[Lydia]

This afghan covered Megan in episode 962, as she dreamed in her latest bedroom of her latest heartthrob.