All Things DARK SHADOWS (w/Spoilers)

Tonight, we watched episodes 222-225/226, for a total of four episodes.  (The episode marked 225/226 is one episode, with the first numbered episode being pre-empted.  ABC did not wish to omit any of the numberings even when episodes were pre-empted, which occurred twenty times during the series original run.  This accounts for the discrepancy in some sources for the episodes totaling 1245 instead of the actual 1225.)

The story line is quickly moving from Willie and Barnabas to Maggie and Barnabas.  Even though we haven't heard the word vampire (and won't for quite some time in the series), we did get to see the fangs for the first time in one of these episodes.  And the make-up job on Barnabas is very dark, especially around the eyes.  He's one sinister character when the lighting hits his face just right.

All Things DARK SHADOWS (w/Spoilers)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeJA 

 

 

Scott, I'll drink to that!

 

Another thing I wanted to mention about that last Blue Whale scene:  I detected the Beatles song "She's A Woman" on the jukebox.

 

George,

You're right about the Beatles tune (although I don't know who was performing it).  I too noticed it when I watched that episode.  Good catch. :)

 

All Things DARK SHADOWS (w/Spoilers)

^^^

Charles,

Thanks for that informative and very interesting information.  It sounds as though we owe Mr. Segura a debt of gratitude not only for his work on some of Dark Shadows, but also for what he did with regard to The Ed Sullivan Show. :)

BTW, thanks also for the link.  It should make for some very interesting reading.

All Things DARK SHADOWS (w/Spoilers)

We completed episodes 227-228 last night.  The Maggie - Barnabas story line is heating up, as is the Jason - Elizabeth story line.  Jason has now forced his way into the business, much to Roger's (and Carolynn's) chagrin.  He is now the director of marketing -- LOL.  Although Jason can push Elizabeth around given what they both suspect regarding the basement, he has underestimated Carolynn.  And to think that only a handful of episodes prior to this, Carolynn was referring to Jason as a 'charming' individual. ;)

All Things DARK SHADOWS (w/Spoilers)

George,

Last night, we watched nos. 229-230.  We're moving on to Disc 3 tonight.

The connections are starting to be made between what has happened to several animals, Willie's loss of blood, and now Maggie's loss of blood.  What I find interesting is that when I am viewing the series, it is fun to try to recall who has said what to whom when it comes to continuity.  Sometimes, the camera work will help with this.  For example, when the Doctor who was checking Maggie (at Sam's and Maggie's cottage) mentioned that she had had a loss of blood, the camera went almost immediately to Joe, as opposed to Sam.  It may be that Joe at this point knows more than Sam does about this phenomenon.  I do recall that it was Joe who broke the news (in the Blue Whale) to a couple of characters concerning how some of the animals had been drained of blood.  He was quite creeped out when he was conveying this information, too.

All Things DARK SHADOWS (w/Spoilers)

"The family just loves Barnabas, but Vickie (sorry, I should say Victoria) has her warning signs flashing a bit. She's still in Nancy Drew mode."

George,

Yes.  A name so beautiful that not a single syllable ought to be surrendered. ;)

"Scott, yes it was Joe (in episode 215) that broke the news about the calf that had it's blood drained. This was also where Willie finally returns. The unusual thing is that the entire episode takes place at the Blue Whale.  How often has that happened?"

You know, I was thinking the same thing (and said as much to my daughter) when we saw this episode.  It may have happened once before, but I am not certain.  Did you also notice that the music for that particular episode was very non-Blue Whale like for much of it?  I suppose that's not too surprising given the topics that were being discussed that evening.

And speaking of Nancy Barrett, I believe that she plays a total of eight parts in the series.  Not too shabby, eh?

Incidentally, the bonus features for the last disc had Jonathan Frid speaking about his days on Dark Shadows.  He spoke of how he believed that when he received his first piece of fan mail, he thought this was actually his walking papers!  The interview was a very interesting segment. :)

George,

Yes, that's right (about the Blue Whale music).  Recently too, I've noticed a few tunes that are not the 'standard fare' that you hear whenever anyone deposits a coin into the juke box.

I didn't notice the omission in the credits.  I'll look for that next time.  I do know that in a future episode, they will refer to Dr. Hoffman as a 'he' since they believed for a short time that the character was going to be a male.

We finished nos. 231-232 two nights ago.  And last night, we finished episodes 233-234.  The Maggie Evans story line is getting a lot of attention, and we are hearing a lot more of dogs barking than usual in these episodes.  Oh, and (as Barnabas says) "My faithful servant Willie..." is getting disciplined for a few things that he ought not to have done. ;)

We watched two more episodes tonight (nos. 235-236).  Dr. Woodard gave the nurse one directive, and she couldn't keep it.  She was gone for only ten seconds, and poof!  Then again, it's in the script. ;)

It was wonderful to hear Josette's music box again.  I bought a replica of this music box (with the same tune) for our daughter several years ago from one of the Dark Shadows fan clubs.  She cherishes it.  And yes, she also has some jasmine perfume. :)

George,

Yes, it was during one of the episodes I saw this last week, so probably within the past seven or eight episodes.  I will have to go back a page to see what episode it was, though.  {You will probably see these for the first time in one of the episodes nos. 222-225/226.}

Side note: I saw Dennis Patrick on a season five episode of All In the Family last night.  And guess what?  He was a scheming, no-good, shrewd character in that episode as well!  He was trying to sell Archie some aluminum siding for their brick house, and Archie was buying into it.

George,

I thought the same thing when Maggie's neck was covered.  I do believe that Dan Curtis was playing it safe.  I believe I've either heard or read that somewhere before.

Last night and tonight, we watched episodes 237-240.  When Barnabas dines with Maggie (Josette) at the Old House, I turned to my daughter and said how interesting it would have been had we not known for about two episodes that Maggie had been retained there already.  In other words, what a surprise it would have been when she first appeared coming down the stairs, with her back toward us.  Since we've seen the ghost of Josette numerous times, who knows what the viewer would have thought up to that point. 

BTW, when we see eventually have Maggie sitting at the table with Barnabas, I could not help but think how easy it would have been to have prying eyes look through the window of the Old House (such as David often does when he visits there before going in to the house).  And as you probably know, Sam and Joe do visit the Old House that evening -- to inform Barnabas that under the circumstances (Sam's daughter being missing), the portrait sittings will have to be suspended a bit.  {BTW, there is a wonderful scene at the Blue Whale in episode #239.  We've just cut from the Old House, and Sam and Joe are talking about Maggie's disappearance.  When Sam mentions that he is thinking about going to the Old House 'tonight' to talk to Barnabas, Joe says he'd be happy to drive Sam there.  At that exact moment, the music cue is very informative.  It's nothing at all like music you often hear at the Blue Whale, and in this instance the viewer is being told something rather specific about what is occurring in the story line with Maggie.}

The tension that builds up with the two of them dining is quite interesting too.  At any moment, someone could come to the door.  And when they finally do, Barnabas and Maggie don't move!  They remain on the first floor, just out of sight from whomever is at the door.  It's only when Willie comes back and says that Sam wants to talk to Barnabas that Maggie is taken by Willie upstairs.

Brent,

Thanks for that information.  As much as I love All In the Family, I don't believe I have ever seen most of the last two seasons (and only a handful of episodes from Archie's Bunker's Place).  BTW, the Jefferson's spinoff episode from season five of All In the Family was also a treat, and one which we saw recently.  I really love the character of Bentley (their neighbor).

George,

Yes, that's one of the reasons I lost interest in All In the Family as well.  But now many years later, I may try to catch up on those seasons I missed.  I'm curious about the episodes that I didn't see the first time around.

BTW, tonight we watched a couple of episodes of The X-Files.  In one of them ("Eve"), there are puncture wounds on the neck of a little girl's father who has died.  He has been drained of four liters of blood.  Both the father and the girl live in Greenwich, Connecticut.  Cue Twilight Zone music: Mulder tells Scully that the first evidence for this, which also included livestock (cattle) having been drained of blood, occurred back in ... 1967! :)

We watched three episodes tonight (nos. 241-243).  More goodies from Maggie, David, Barnabas, and especially Jason.  The question was popped tonight by Jason, and it was quite the ringer. :)

We're up to episode #247 now, having watched nos. 244, 245, and 246 tonight.  Willie, quite reluctantly, is eventually urged by Barnabas to succumb to Dr. Woodard's request for a blood sample.  What Willie doesn't know is that Barnabas has a trick or two up his sleeve.

Jason is putting the pressure on Elizabeth to tie the knot.  She's reluctant at first, and although she calls his bluff a few times, she really has little choice but to adhere to his wishes.  It was nice seeing Mr. Garner again -- although this time, it's purely business with Mrs. Stoddard.  And although Roger knows about the insidious plans of Mr. McGuire, he really is at a loss as to how to thwart them.  What Jason doesn't know, of course, is that Carolynn doesn't have to succumb to his wishes regarding her mother.  As I mentioned quite a few posts back, he underestimates Carolynn, and this will in part lead to his undoing.

As always, it's great to see the Blue Whale any time we can.  Victoria and Burke are getting cozy there, but she is quite nervous about a good many things, not the least of which is the howling of more dogs that one can hear quite vividly over the music.  I do hope that Bob receives some excellent tips for all of the work he does. ;)

George,

I did wonder that about Chris Carter when watching that particular episode of The X-Files.

Yeah, KLS is quite good in her role, isn't she?  She's come a long way from serving coffee in the early going of the series.  Of course, she will be back there again once this arc is completed.

Dr. Woodard will eventually be replaced again.  You might find this bit interesting, especially if you haven't heard/read this before:

"Robert was the primary actor to play Dr. Dave Woodard on Dark Shadows, and left the show after refusing to cross picket lines to tape during a technician's strike. He was hastily replaced with Peter Turgeon for the character's final episodes. His other daytime drama credits include Another World, Love of Life, The Guiding Light, The Edge of Night and Texas."

http://www.collinwood.net/cast/gerringer.htm

I frequently find it amusing how Barnabas is so concerned with the disappearance of Maggie.  He even asks about her well-being in his own home while entertaining guests, and she's only but a floor away upstairs in Josette's room!  These kinds of things really add to the tension of the show, though.  And I cannot overestimate the quality of work put forth by John Karlen in this series.

George,

And another interesting line spoken by Maggie (to Victoria) in the early days: "And you're a jerk."

You're probably going to do some good catching up to where I'm at, George.  My family is away visiting our extended family, and they won't be back for two weeks.  I'm under strict orders from our sixteen-year old daughter not to watch any 'new' Dark Shadows episodes until they return.  What this means is that I'll probably go back to the good ol' days of Bill Malloy and Matthew Morgan for a while. ;)