Mrs. Findlay Has Died...but...

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It was never mentioned at all, however, Once Barnabas returns from 1897 and with Quentin's ghost never having existed, Madame Findlay (and Ezra Braitwaite) should still be alive and kicking.

SPOILER .....











This is true.  Mme. Finley wouldn't have had a reason to visit Collinwood in the first place, so she should have been spared the whole ordeal.  

It was never mentioned at all, however, Once Barnabas returns from 1897 and with Quentin's ghost never having existed, Madame Findlay (and Ezra Braitwaite) should still be alive and kicking.

Not necessarily. As you will recall, David was on death's doorstep when Barnabas traveled back to 1897. Later, after solving a few problems, Barnabas learns from Julia that David has "returned to normal." However, the family proceeds from that point on, still with the memories of what happened with Quentin's ghost. It really doesn't make any sense; history should have been altered drastically but it doesn't seem to have been.

In the Summer of 1970 when Gerard and Daphne are haunting the mansion, no one remembers the haunting of Quentin and Beth at all.  The writers realized by that time, they shouldn't have happened at all.

Did everyone catch the practical joke that Quentin's ghost played on Madame Findley?  When she enters his room for the first time, Ms. Findley trips on the wire that was set up on Quentin's door.  That Quentin! He is such a laugh riot!!  

Of course this was the wire they hooked up to make the Q man's door open and close by itself. Amy tripped on it too, when she entered the room the other day. David Henesy covered for her very nicely.  After she tripped, he adlibbed the line, "Be careful".

The whole thing of a paradox caused by changing history has always plagued Dark Shadows.  Of course, that gets into the whole is-it-possible-to-change-history thing.  For example, if one traveled back in time to land on the Titanic on April 14, 1912, and convince them to change course, would that change history?  It is argued that no, it wouldn't.  If one went to the past and saved the Titanic from hitting the iceberg, back in the present, there would be no recollection of her sinking, thus in the present if one traveled to the past, one could not warn them, and thus she would still hit the iceberg.  Maybe there would be a temporary paradox, but then time would reset itself to what actually happened.

I look at it this way, using my own twisted imagination and attempts at understanding things on Dark Shadows.  Barnabas (and later Julia) go to the past and change history.  Back in the present, the whole haunting of Collinwood never happened (even though David and Amy still remember it, but just forget about that).  Miss Cleo and Ezra ARE still alive, since they never came to Collinwood.  However, Barnabas and Julia are somehow "protected" from not remembering the changed circumstances because of their time-traveling.  But everyone else has no memory of something that never happened.

Gerard

The way that Janet Findley saw and immediately understood the implications of the pentagram on Joe's face, leads me to suspect that the very talented psychic would have been hip to the rest of the supernatural shenanigans going on in and around Collinwood.

If Madame Findley knew all about werewolves, it stands to reason that she was equally familiar with witches, warlocks and, most importantly, vampires!

I don't believe that we ever definitely heard from Prof. Stokes that Madame Findley was associated with his university.  However, she probably lived somewhere in the vicinity of Collinsport.  Janet Findley must have had some opinions/theories as to what the heck was going on in Collinsport.  What do you think about this apparently very knowledgeable psychic/parapsychologist?

The way that Janet Findley saw and immediately understood the implications of the pentagram on Joe's face, leads me to suspect that the very talented psychic would have been hip to the rest of the supernatural shenanigans going on in and around Collinwood.

If Madame Findley knew all about werewolves, it stands to reason that she was equally familiar with witches, warlocks and, most importantly, vampires!

.I don't believe that we ever definitely heard from Prof. Stokes that Madame Findley was associated with his university.  However, she probably lived somewhere in the vicinity of Collinsport.  Janet Findley must have had some opinions/theories as to what the heck was going on in Collinsport.  What do you think about this apparently very knowledgeable psychic/parapsychologist?

Well, Bob, I think you're on to something. The ghost probably knew that she would eventually unearth more than anyone could handle and it was best to dispatch her to the "other side" where she could be watched.

Not sure if anyone commented on this elsewhere, but it was nice to see a skilled actress in the role of Madame Findley.

Did everyone catch the practical joke that Quentin's ghost played on Madame Findley?  When she enters his room for the first time, Ms. Findley trips on the wire that was set up on Quentin's door.  That Quentin! He is such a laugh riot!!

Of course this was the wire they hooked up to make the Q man's door open and close by itself. Amy tripped on it too, when she entered the room the other day. David Henesy covered for her very nicely.  After she tripped, he adlibbed the line, "Be careful".

I just saw this scene with Madame Findley (again) last night. Hysterical! Probably my favorite blooper.