Barnabas Collins' supernatural powers in 1967

During the 1967 storyline Barnabas confides to his victim-slave Carolyn that he plans to retaliate against Dr. Julia Hoffman by using abilities he learned from an Indian warlock he had met in Barbados, who had given Barnabas the ability to "plant a germ in someone else's mind and watch it spread."  He subsequently uses that ability with terrifying effect on Julia Hoffman.

If Barnabas really had acquired such paranormal abilities as that, why didn't he use them on Angelique in 1795 or on Cassandra in 1968?

Lol. Maybe he forgot. 

It seems like there's a heirarchy of supernatural powers on the show;  you can only cast a spell on someone if you're more powerful than they are.  I think it was in 1795 when Joshua called in some witch woman to try to release Barnabas from his curse, but she wasn't as powerful as Angelique, so she ended up burning in flame.  Only Nicolas Blair seemed to be able to cast spells on her, at least that I can remember.

Hi Millicent, welcome!

I think, and of course probably everyone knows, that TPTB decided to make Barnabas into an innocent; after they realized they couldn't kill him off like they had first planned. .

But, during the show they keep switching back to him knowing lots of occult things. Doesn't he do some sort of spell during 1897? Trying to help Quentin, and then again to hurt Laura? My memory might not be that great since I only watched 1897 once.

Misa

I think, and of course probably everyone knows, that TPTB decided to make Barnabas into an innocent; after they realized they couldn't kill him off like they had first planned. .

I think you are dead on Misa.  I just chalk things like this up to continuity bloopers!  If I dwelled on them I'd stop watching the show, LOL!

If Barnabas really had acquired such paranormal abilities as that, why didn't he use them on Angelique in 1795 or on Cassandra in 1968?

I think he might have used this knowledge successfully on the 1795 Angelique, but she seemed to gain powers in death, making Cassandra and even the 1897 Angelique far too powerful.  However, one of his spells did have an effect on PT Ange, who was not a full-fledged witch-- [spoiler]an incantation in front of her portrait allowed him to learn her secret by seeing through her eyes, which she sensed and also caused her eyes to burn.[/spoiler]Imagine how useful it would have been on RT Angelique's portrait.

I recall that he was also able to distract Laura in 1897 by creating thunder at the right moment.  But it seems unclear where he acquired that particular power.

I think the thunder thing was one of his innate supernatural abilities as a vampire.  In some legends vampires have control over the weather.

Barnabas' powers were inconsistent at times and we didn't see some of them very often.  For example, Barnabas definitely had supernatural physical strength as a vampire but we rarely saw that displayed onscreen with a few exceptions - most notably "the one-handed strangulations of doom" and the Dave Woodard window bars which happened offscreen.

His powers seemed to be a combination of innate vampiric powers and of things he learned during his travels.

Suddenly I feel my own education missed out on quite a few of the essentials.  Imagine trying to get by in life without being able to curse your enemies for all of eternity.

Suddenly I feel my own education missed out on quite a few of the essentials.  Imagine trying to get by in life without being able to curse your enemies for all of eternity.

You must not be Sicilian.  We toss curses at one another like throw pillows......

You must not be Sicilian.  We toss curses at one another like throw pillows......

LOL!  Reminds me of that scene in Moonstruck at the airport when the old lady tells Cher she put a curse on a plane her sister is on back to Palermo because she'd found out 50 years previous said sister had stolen a man from her, and just for the hell of it too!  

LOL!  Reminds me of that scene in Moonstruck at the airport when the old lady tells Cher she put a curse on a plane her sister is on back to Palermo ......

Actually, the best line in that movie is "...and someday you'll drop dead and I'll come to your funeral in a red dress!!".......(wearing red to a funeral being the MOST insulting thing anyone could do).....but we're sliding off topic here.......

Hi Millicent, welcome!

Hey Misa! Thanks.  Love this board. MagnusTrask told me about it. I love it!

LOL!  Reminds me of that scene in Moonstruck at the airport when the old lady tells Cher she put a curse on a plane her sister is on back to Palermo ......

Actually, the best line in that movie is "...and someday you'll drop dead and I'll come to your funeral in a red dress!!".......(wearing red to a funeral being the MOST insulting thing anyone could do).....but we're sliding off topic here.......

Was there a bad line in that movie?  LOL!  The above you mentioned is probably my favorite from the flick, that and the old man crying at the end and then Vincent Gardenia asks, "What's wrong Pop?" and he says, "I'm confused!"

I think the thunder thing was one of his innate supernatural abilities as a vampire.  In some legends vampires have control over the weather.

PennyDreadful, I was hoping you'd respond.    Thanks!  Now that you've mentioned it, didn't Stoker give that power to Dracula?

Hi Midnite, IIRC Stoker's Dracula did indeed possess that ability!