If Barnabas had married during the course of the series.....

Who would have been the ideal wife for Barnabas?

Mrs. Johnson. And before you scoff, think about it - the question is who would have been the ideal wife - not who would have been his soulmate or his best romantic pairing. Mrs. Johnson wouldn't have put up with any of Barnabas' foolishness and she would have most definitely kept him in line. Let's face it, the man was in desperate need of someone to reign him in. And no other woman on the show had ever shown that she was ever capable of doing that.    Mrs. Johnson was certainly the best person for that job.    And who knows, reigned in, Barnabas could have finally come to realize that his obsessions with SYTs were always a waste of his time and what he needed by his side all along was a real woman with enough spark to not only keep him in check but to show him how his life could really be. I suspect when Mrs. J doffed that apron, she was truly a wild woman in every sense! 

No, no, Mrs. Johnson couldn't even keep Harry in line, and you expect her to be able to manage Barnabas?  I haven't seen more than a few scattered episodes of parallel time, but it sounds to me as though Hoffman would be up to the job.

No, no, Mrs. Johnson couldn't even keep Harry in line, and you expect her to be able to manage Barnabas?

True with regards to Harry. But the relationship between mother and son is very different than that between husband and wife. Trust me, I was a master manipulator when it came to my mom and getting around her and getting my way. 

I haven't seen more than a few scattered episodes of parallel time, but it sounds to me as though Hoffman would be up to the job.

Maybe. But beyond the fact that Hoffman [spoiler]died not all that long after Barnabas met her[/spoiler]one strongly suspects her proclivities [spoiler]were elsewhere - as in she was too obsessed with Angelique to ever have a relationship with someone else.  [/spoiler]

Oh, come on, when did
[spoiler]being dead[/spoiler]
ever stop anybody on Dark Shadows?

one strongly suspects her proclivities [spoiler]were elsewhere - as in she was too obsessed with Angelique to ever have a relationship with someone else.  [/spoiler]

Exactly.  She would have had the clear-headed detachment necessary to keep Barnabas on the straight and narrow.

She would have had the clear-headed detachment necessary to keep Barnabas on the straight and narrow.

You have a good point there. 

Not to mention that the Juliaphiles get to have Barnabas and a Julia Hoffman end up together. 

Shirley from 'What's Happening!!'
 

I'd pick either the non witch Angelique or Julia.  Angelique without her manipulations might have been just fine. Julia would have been a good choice as well for Barnabas.

Or maybe Charity Trask.

nancy

Post-vampire Barnabas? Kitty Hampshire. She was [spoiler]the reincarnation of Josette,[/spoiler] with an edge that would be needed when dealing with him as he became after the curse. Too bad the writers so quickly discarded her to get to Leviathans.

Pre-vampire Barnabas? Josette. They would've been happy together had Angelique not ruined them.

Post-vampire Barnabas? Kitty Hampshire. She was [spoiler]the reincarnation of Josette,[/spoiler] with an edge that would be needed when dealing with him as he became after the curse. Too bad the writers so quickly discarded her to get to Leviathans. Pre-vampire Barnabas? Josette. They would've been happy together had Angelique not ruined them.

Agree with this 110%  And maybe Catherine from 1841 PT.  She had that 'Angie' look, w/out all the baggage, LOL!  Julia SHOULD have gotten him, she went through enough for that man, but frankly, she's too good for him.   

Shirley from 'What's Happening!!

 

Right ON Penny!  She'd be like, "Fool, don't you be telling me about no Roxanne!  Uh uhh!  Now come give ol' Shirley a big old WET one!"   

Barnabas & Angelique never divorced & never really died, so.......

David

Post-vampire Barnabas? Kitty Hampshire. She was [spoiler]the reincarnation of Josette,[/spoiler] with an edge that would be needed when dealing with him as he became after the curse. Too bad the writers so quickly discarded her to get to Leviathans.

Pre-vampire Barnabas? Josette. They would've been happy together had Angelique not ruined them.

If all Angelique He## hadn't broken loose and Barnabas stayed in his own time and environment where he should have been, Josette was obviously the one. And, I'm all for the [spoiler]Kitty/Josette reincarnation[/spoiler] as well - since Josette was long gone by that time.

In the present time, I would choose Vicky because unlike Maggie , Barnabas really fell in love with her and couldn't wait to court her as a human instead of making her a vampire like himself.    Julia became more of a dear friend or a sister to him.   Barnabas wouldn't have approved of one of Mrs Johnson's famous boiled dinners so that wouldn't have worked out.  

 Barnabas wouldn't have approved of one of Mrs Johnson's famous boiled dinners so that wouldn't have worked out.   

Oh, I don't know, Barnabas could have slipped it to the dog (there would have to be a dog) and filled himself up on claret cup, Breakfast of Champions.

Laura might have worked out very nicely for him, coming back every hundred years or so to clean up any inconvenient children, and then going off and leaving him free to pursue the latest SYT.

But if he wants an actual live-in wife, Elizabeth would have been perfect for him - beautiful and gracious, but smart enough to see through a lot of guff when she cares to.

That is, if he absolutely refuses to make an honest woman of Julia.

i have to say julia because she knew all of his dirty little secrets!

jennifer
Mrs J was too smart to ever marry again