Taeylor Collins,
I hear you on your excellent point about the members of the Trask family making Dark Shadows fans feel slimy, sort of like slowing down in your car to watch the aftermath of a terrible accident or, more likely, watching "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" on the E Channel.
As everyone has pointed out, the original Rev. Trask was essentially a "somewhat" overwrought zealot in pursuit of witches and warlocks (even if the "good" reverend
did suborn Nathan Forbes' perjury during Vicky's witchcraft trial). At least, the Rev. Trask appeared to be a (relatively) happily and faithfully married man unlike his "randy" descendant, the Rev. Gregory Trask.
Incidentally, we know that Lamar "Casanova" Trask was Rev. Trask's son. However, Lamar must have had other siblings for the Trask family to have "flourished" into the late 19th century. It's too bad that we never got to see Gregory Trask's mom and dad. (They must have positively been the "Ozzie & Harriet of New England," don't you think?)
I personally think that the Rev. Gregory Trask was the biggest stinker in the Trask family tree. In addition to being an unbelievable religious hypocrite as the "Tartuffe of Dark Shadows" (just how many women did he hit on: Rachel Drummond, Dorcas Trilling, Amanda Harris, not to mention all of those lonely widows in his congregation?), the guy had all of the "moral fiber" of the late, unlamented Rev. Jim Jones.
And, what of Parallel Time 1970 Collinwood butler "Mr. Trask"? That poor guy was
so nervous and fidgety, that he made Deputy Barney Fife seem like "Dirty Harry" Callahan by comparison! So far as we know, Angelique Stokes-Collins was the only woman for whom Mr. Trask ever "lusted in his heart" for. Although, I venture to say that while pianist Bruno Hess actually hit a home run with Quentin Collins' "beloved" wife, poor, sadsack Mr. Trask struck out with the bat on his shoulder when it came to the so-called "Mesalina of Collinwood."
Finally, you know how we eventually found out that the Jennings kids were actually members of the Collins family? Well, what if it turned out that Buzz Hackett was a longlost member of the Trask family? What would the Rev. Gregory Trask have made of that
THAT joyous news? He'd probably exclaim in horror:
"Beam me up, Minera!!!"