Gerard's sudden fixation on Daphne is very much of a retread of Nicholas Blair's infatuation with Maggie. It worked better the first time. Nicholas turned on the charm big time and it was easy to see that Maggie would be flattered that an urbane, sophisticated gentleman would be interested in her. Gerard comes on way too strong with Daphne is, not surprisingly, unreceptive.
The Dark Shadows dream sequences were always a highlight of the show and often managed to capture the bizarre feel of a real dream. The dreams that Gerard begins to induce on Daphne are nothing like that. Not spooky. Not particularly interesting. And definitely not erotic. This is the first of many and they don't get any better.
