Buffie Harrington: The Distaff Rodney Dangerfield of Dark Shadows?

Hey gang,

In watching the Parallel Time 1970 episodes recently, I was struck at how much Buffie Harrington's life seemed to be like that of the great actress Barbra Stanwyck's character's life in the memorable 1930s tearjerker, "Stella Dallas."

Poor Buffie, she works as a waitress in a dive like The Eagle, and she gets to date real losers like Steve-the-Longshoreman, Collinsport's "proud" answer to such "renowned" American Neanderthals as New Orleans' Stanley Kowalski or Long Island's Joey Buttafucco.   No wonder Buffie gets "no respect" like the late, lamented Mr. Dangerfield always did (or didn't?).

Sadly,  Buffie did not raise her social status appreciably when she started to date (or is that tolerate?) John Yeager, the epitome of evil and cruelty (and, not to mention an avid fan of exceedingly "understated" zoot suits).  And, what happens when Buffie finally meets an urbane gentleman of obvious breeding and savoir-faire? He puts the lousy bite on her!

Of course, Buffie did not help herself at all, what with the extremely garish selection of clothes she seemed to favor.  I mean,  in that cheap, imitation royal blue leather coat of hers, Buffie displayed all of the "style," "taste" and timeless "elegance" of Peg Bundy at a "blue light special" at K-Mart's (or possibly even Walmart's).

So, after Barnabas and Dr. Hoffman departed unexpectedly for 1995, what may have happened to the hapless Ms. Harrington?  Did Quentin and Maggie, in an act of selfless kindness, offer Buffie her old job back with the family as a maid at where ever the Collins family was now residing after the conflagration at Collinwood? Or did Buffie eventually relocate to "scenic" Seaside Park, New Jersey, where Ms. Harrington began life anew as a much-in-demand nail manicurist, and chilling out with such stylish and upscale yuppies as the comely "Snooky" Polizzi, the unfailingly convivial Paulie "Walnuts," the eternally young-at-heart Sen. Frank Lautenberg and  the rest of the beautiful literati  on the breathtakingly spectacular  New Jersey shore?

Bob the Bartender

that's lots to ponder...

i haven't seen buffie's part of the show in some years but i recall at the time quite enjoying miss harrington.

she had that swank room at the boarding house with i believe one of only two television sets ever seen on the series. wasn't she something of a second banana sabrina stewart during this plot(talk about no respect)?

unlike most characters during the time-travel storylines i don't recall buffie getting offed towards the end. that alone speaks to her survivor's mentality.

she was sort of one of those short-term players,along the same lines of say suki forbes,that for me left a lasting impression.

I figure Tim Stokes ended up alive but bedridden with all sorts of wounds that never quite healed and were very unpleasant, and that Buffy Harrington got a job tending him.

That would actually [spoiler]go against the voiceover for Ep #1061, which states that Timothy Stokes "died in the flames."  [/spoiler]

Rats.

Maybe, after all of the abuse and anguish that John Yeager had subjected Buffie to, perhaps Cyrus Longworth did do the right thing and made Buffie the sole beneficiary of his will, before he transformed into his evil alter-ego for the last time?  If so, Buffie would have gotten at least a couple of hundred thousand dollars from the sale of Cyrus' home and belongings, leaving her with a windfall to pursue her dreams.

And, being an incurable romantic, I'd like to have seen Buffie finally find her true soulmate, someone who could make her truly happy and contented in life.  And, whom might that person be you may ask, well, what about the faithful Collins family butler, Mr. Trask?  Don't laugh, we've all seen the same situation in life where "opposites attract": Mary Matalin and James Carville, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche and Ellen Degeneres and Liza Presley and the late Michael Jackson, to name but a few.

Mr. Trask, being a cultured and reserved man, could provide Buffie with sage advice on how to dress like a lady (a la Maggie Evans-Collins) and how to act with decorum in refined society.
And, Buffie, with her worldly ways and true spunk, could provide the self-effacing and timorous Mr. Trask with some much-needed backbone and a fire in his belly.

Yes, I can envision Mr. and Mrs. Trask running one of Maine's finer bed-and-breakfasts in some tony location like Bar Harbor or Kennebunkport, and hobnobbing with the eclectic likes of Bill and Hillary Clinton, George and Barbara Bush and even John and Kate Gosselin!

I always wished that Terrayne Crawford had played Buffie.

I definitely wished Tearrayne would have played more than two characters for sure.  She is/was a wonderful actress. I cannot wait for her audio drama with Marie!

Mr. Bob:  I sense a great feeling of pity for young Miss Buffington in your statements.  I believe that if she had indeed inherited Cyrus's vast estate (if it existed), she would have made a very quiet, respectable life for herself in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Perhaps running a quaint antique shop and book store.

As for Miss Buffie after dealing with that misogynistic creep John Yeager I think she moved to NYC and turned into an extremely strong woman who took up martial arts and became an avenger of women, men, boys and girls everywhere kicking ass and taking names and helping the helpless!  I wish JY had lived  so she could have returned to Collinsport to open up a can of whoop ass on him as well!   

I see Buffie, say that she will survive. I think she helped Maggie and Quentin help rebuild a new Collinwood. She could take over Hoffman's job. I think she could be more friendly.