Dark Shadows: 192

"My name is Victoria Winters. The night sky of Collinwood is red with the color of fire. Wisps of fog from the sea are choked with smoke. Terror leaps in the heart like a flame, and the cries that cut through the night air seem to cross not only space, but centuries, and the mind, numb with fear, knows that one world has been touched by another."

"Episode 192" of Dark Shadows first aired on ABC on Tuesday, March 21st, 1967. It was directed by John Sedwick and written by Ron Sproat. In this episode, Victoria Winters saves David Collins from the rampaging fire that claimed not only the Collinwood fishing shack, but his mother Laura Collins as well. As the household sees that David is safe at home, they are relieved to discover that he retains no memory of being under his mother's spell.

Synopsis
Victoria Winters pulls David Collins away from the burning ruins of the fishing shack. He is still suffering the bewildering side effects of his mother's spell. She drags him away as David points the shack shouting "Fire!" Burke comes up to them and is happy to see that they are okay. Vicki tells him that Laura was inside the shack, but just disappeared. If she remained inside, she could not possibly have survived.

In Boston, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard is awake and resting comfortably. Her daughter Carolyn sits by her side. Liz tries to recall the events that led to her illness, but Carolyn insists that she should save her energy. She remembers an ominous form standing before her when she was stricken. She knows that it was Laura Collins, but not in the Laura that anybody would have recognized. Carolyn calms her down and tells her mother that Laura has gone away from Collinwood. Changing the subject, Elizabeth begins asking about Doctor Guthrie. She asks about which rooms at Collinwood he had personally inspected. Carolyn says that he they had given him the full run of the house, and this causes Liz no small degree of agitation. She insists that she must return to Collinwood immediately.

Meanwhile, Vicki takes David home and puts him to bed. David appears to have returned to normal, but he has no memory of what happened at the fishing shack. He asks about his mother, and Vicki tells him that she went away. She lies and tells David that he chose to stay at Collinwood. David is glad. Vicki goes downstairs and tells Burke about her conversation with David. Burke theorizes that David must be in a state of shock. Roger Collins returns home and Vicki tells him what happened. He is in a state of total disbelief when Vicki tells him that Laura died in the fire. She says that David is safe and resting upstairs. Roger goes upstairs to see him.

Carolyn telephones home and Vicki tells her about the fire and David's condition. Horrified to learn that Laura is dead, she is nonetheless relieved that the woman is gone for good. After she hangs up, Elizabeth speaks up, telling Carolyn that she must return to Collinwood.

Roger goes upstairs to see David. He is glad to see that David is all right, and is even more relieved that he does not seem to have any memory concerning the truth about his mother.

Burke returns to Collinwood after having thoroughly inspected the fishing shack. He shows Vicki a locket that he recovered while sifting through the ashes. Vicki knows that it belonged to Laura Murdoch Collins... "whoever that was".

Notes & Trivia

 * This episode has been made available on disc 2 of Dark Shadows: The Beginning DVD Collection 6 and disc 22 of the Dark Shadows: The Complete Original Series DVD collection.


 * Opening narration: Alexandra Moltke.


 * Closing still: Collinwood drawing room.


 * This episode was recorded on March 9th, 1967.


 * Epilogue to the "The Return of Laura Collins" storyline. Laura Collins was consumed in flames in episode 191.


 * Roger Collins appeared last in episode 188.


 * Burke Devlin appeared last in episode 190. He appears next in episode 199.

Allusions

 * Doctor Peter Guthrie was a parapsychologist who had been called in to investigate the mystery of Laura Collins. When his investigations threatened to expose Laura, she had him killed.


 * Elizabeth's concerns over Doctor Guthrie's examination of Collinwood becomes the next major plot device in upcoming episodes.


 * Reference is made to Matthew Morgan in this episode. Matthew Morgan used to be the Collinwood groundskeeper.


 * Reference is made to Joe Haskell in this episode. Joe appears next in episode 193.

Quotes

 * Roger Collins: She wanted to kill David. Wanted to burn him.

....
 * Elizabeth Collins Stoddard: I can't describe its face. It was distorted with hate. Eyes blazing. Yes Laura... in some other form... almost some other being.

....


 * Victoria Winters: Laura Collins burned to death tonight.

....
 * Carolyn Stoddard: Are we really free? Can we stop being afraid?

Keywords
1960s; 1967; Boston; Burke Devlin; Carolyn Stoddard; Collins family; Collins fishing shack; Collinsport; Collinwood; Collinwood drawing room; David Collins; Doctor; Elizabeth Collins Stoddard; Hospital; Joe Haskell; Laura Collins; Maine; Massachusetts; Matthew Morgan; Peter Guthrie; Phoenixes; Roger Collins; Victoria Winters