Tag: all-surviving cast

Episode 1077: It’s wrong to love the dead and go on looking for them

The ghost of Daphne Harridge, who died in 1841, gives a bunch of lilacs to Quentin Collins, who immediately falls in love with her. Quentin himself died a couple of times before gaining eternal youth in 1897, so he and Daphne have more in common than you might think.

Carolyn Stoddard Hawkes is half convinced that a local man named Sebastian is actually her dead husband returned to life, mainly because he is played by the same actor. They did this same story in 1968, when well-meaning governess Victoria Winters was convinced that a local man named Jeff was actually her dead boyfriend come back to life. That time around the story was a total non-starter, because it was obvious that Vicki was right. This time it is unclear whether Carolyn is right. It is also unclear what difference it would make if she were, since Carolyn’s husband was entirely exhausted as a source of story development when he died and Sebastian is a clown.

Daphne’s ghost has been appearing to grouchy New England teen David Collins longer than she has been appearing to Quentin, and the two of them are keeping their connections with her secret from each other. They themselves don’t know why. They don’t actually have motivations- it’s the influence of the ghosts holding them back. The ghosts, you see, have a deal with the writers to keep the story from moving faster than they planned when they made up the flimsies for these thirteen weeks.

David borrows Quentin’s camera and takes some pictures at a picnic. He develops the pictures in his darkroom. (Yes, David has a darkroom but no camera.) It is a picture Carolyn had in #1064, set in 1995, 25 years after the present. Carolyn was a crazy woman then, living in the aftermath of a catastrophe that is due to strike the estate of Collinwood later in 1970. Housekeeper Mrs Johnson said that the picture was taken “the first time we saw him,” and Carolyn tore it up. David tells Carolyn today that the picture gives him a sense of dread, and she doesn’t know what he is talking about. But we see the malign ghost that ruled the house in 1995 standing in the background behind them.

The picnic scene is the first attempt they have made in a while to represent an outdoor setting in the daytime, and it is executed quite well. It is preceded by a still of a wooded scene that I don’t believe we’ve seen before. We had some fresh stills of the Moon the other day; it’s nice that they are giving us new images of the outdoors, even if they are not motion pictures.

Sunny day.

Also, Carolyn eats a little food today. She ate some grapes one day in the 1995 segment. People ate on camera quite often in the first six months of Dark Shadows, but I believe these are the first two instances of characters taking solid nourishment in front of us since then.

In a bit of Collinsport English we’ve heard before, Quentin refers to another Collins named Quentin, one who was alive when Daphne was, as his “great-grand-uncle.” “Grand-uncle” is not unknown in American English, but it is far less common than “great-uncle.”

Episode 751: Your most concerned friend

Libertine Quentin Collins presents himself as maidservant Beth Chavez’ great love. He wants her to run away with him and make a new life together, and to do so right now, before the curse he brought upon himself by murdering his wife in front of Beth kicks in. She is inclined to go along with him, but he collapses in agony before they can leave her room.

Teacher Dorcas Trilling presents herself as the most faithful devotee of the Rev’d Gregory Trask, keeper of a brutal dungeon for children disguised as a boarding school called Worthington Hall. Dorcas asks Trask why he keeps her disobedient colleague Rachel Drummond on the faculty. Trask tells Dorcas that he thinks of Rachel as a thorn in his flesh. She stirs up his basest impulses. Regular viewers know how true this is- in their scenes together, Trask has not only extorted Rachel to come to work for him, but has repeatedly made it clear that he wants to force her into a sexual relationship as well. But the base impulse he admits to in his conversation with Dorcas is anger at Rachel’s wickedness. He says that he keeps her around as a way of building his resistance to the sin of wrath. Dorcas takes the bait, and declares that it makes her admire Trask all the more.

Dorcas looks at Trask with love in her eyes. Screenshot by Dark Shadows Before I Die.

Rachel presents herself as the protector of twelve year old Jamison Collins, heir presumptive to spinster Judith Collins as the owner of the great estate of Collinwood and the Collins family’s business enterprises. She slips out of Worthington Hall, which is currently operating from a house on the estate, in order to tell Judith that Trask has falsely accused Jamison of academic misconduct and is refusing to feed him until he confesses. As it happens, Trask confirmed to Dorcas that this is true, and said that by forcing Jamison to confess to something he did not do he will teach him humility. Dorcas is so far gone that this admission of loathsome injustice adds further to her admiration for Trask.

Beth presents herself as Quentin’s representative in a telephone call to the doctor. When she finds that the doctor is out, she urges his assistant to call back as soon as possible. She is about to go back to check on Quentin when Rachel comes to the great house looking for Judith or for Jamison’s father Edward. Beth tells her that they are out, and that there is an extreme emergency in progress. Rachel accompanies her to the room. They find that it is in a shambles and Quentin is gone. They return to the foyer, where the telephone rings. Beth is disappointed it is not the doctor. It is Trask, and he asks to speak to Rachel. Beth hands her the telephone.

Trask presents himself to Rachel as her “most concerned friend.” He also reminds her of his threat to frame her on charges of theft and murder, and demands she return to the school at once. As she has done before, she crumbles and rushes off. Beth watches her go with puzzlement, as others have done on those previous occasions.

Dorcas presents herself as a spy and enforcer for Trask. After Trask tells Rachel he has docked her a week’s pay for trying to feed Jamison against his orders, Rachel catches Dorcas listening at the door. Rachel leaves the room after their confrontation. We see Dorcas alone for a moment, then hear a window breaking and see her horrified reaction. We hear growling and snarling. Rachel comes in, Trask follows, and they see Dorcas’ mangled corpse. Returning viewers know that Quentin’s curse is that he has become a werewolf. Dorcas is his first victim.

Dorcas is played by Gail Strickland, who went on to have a huge career on TV in the 1970s and 1980s. Miss Strickland is a fine actress, and it is a terrible shame she wasn’t on the show more. Terrayne Crawford, who plays Beth, is good today, but she could really only project one emotion at a time. That is a grave weakness in this part of Dark Shadows, when most characters have complex motivations in almost every scene. In Miss Strickland’s hands, several scenes that were flat and tedious due to Miss Crawford’s literalist acting style would have been exciting and nuanced. Beth was originally seen as a ghost who did not speak but made an impression by her stark yet lovely features. Miss Strickland’s looks could have that effect as well as did Miss Crawford’s. Indeed, I suspect she must have attracted the producers’ attention when they were deciding between the two of them for the role of Beth.

As of this writing, every member of today’s cast is still alive. When you’re watching a show and posting about it on the 56th anniversary of its original airdate, that’s an unusual thing to see. I believe it is the first such episode we have come upon.