Dark Shadows: 193

"My name is Victoria Winters. The sky now is clear over Collinwood and the cold stars can be seen. But the night air is still awake, trembling from an unforgettable terror; a terror that cannot die with the flames that nourish it. The night struggles to a dawn in the hope that morning will bring peace, but the morning has not yet come. Peace has not yet found a home near Collinwood."

"Episode 193" is the untitled 193rd episode of the daytime Gothic soap opera series Dark Shadows. It was directed by John Sedwick and written by Ron Sproat. It was produced by Robert Costello and first aired on ABC on Wednesday, March 22nd, 1967. In this episode, an art matron named Portia Fitzsimmons visits Sam Evans looking to purchase some of his art. Sam knows that the pieces she is interested are now in the possession of Roger Collins, which reignites old tensions between the two men. Meanwhile, a seaman named Jason McGuire arrives in Collinsport and takes a keen interest in the affairs of Elizabeth Collins Stoddard.

Synopsis
At the Evans' cottage, Maggie Evans answers a knock at the door. Opening it, she sees Joe Haskell covered in soot and ash. He tells her that there was a fire at Collinwood. Maggie instantly grows concerned over the fate of David Collins. He tells her that Vicki got to the fishing shack in time to save David. The noise awakens Sam Evans who comes out into the living room. Maggie recounts to her father everything that Joe just said to her. They both ask if Laura Collins was killed in the fire, but Joe finds it difficult to explain. He says that she just disappeared in the midst of the flames. There was no evidence of any other bodies in the fire. Maggie tells Sam the story of the Phoenix, but Sam cannot bring himself to believe that Laura was in fact such a mythological creature.

Later that afternoon, a woman named Portia Fitzsimmons comes over to see Sam. She is very aloof and egotistical and it takes Sam a moment to realize who she is - an important matron of the art world. Portia dismisses Sam's confusion and gets right to business. She quickly scans the paintings in his gallery, but she has little interest in his modern stuff. She is only interested in the style of work he used on paintings that he had done from ten to twelve years ago. She wants to put on a show at her gallery using Sam's work and feels that the style he used on that work is about to come into fashion again. Sam is excited at the idea of selling his work, but he is not sure where those paintings are at. She gives him a week to find the paintings. At the Blue Whale, Joe Haskell and Maggie Evans have a drink and talk about recent events. Joe tells her that he received a call from Carolyn Stoddard who told her that her mother Elizabeth has recovered from her recent illness. This news sparks the interest of one of the bar's other patrons. A seaman named Jason McGuire overhears the conversation and approaches Joe and Maggie. He inquires about Mrs. Stoddard and wants to know if she is in good health. Joe is put off by the man's abrupt interruption of their conversation, but Maggie is eager to talk to him. As the conversation continues, Jason makes reference to a reputed scandal involving Mrs. Stoddard. Maggie tells him that Elizabeth is a recluse and has been so for more than eighteen years. She confesses that nobody truly knows the reason behind her strange behavior. Jason is intrigued by this and wonders what could possibly have kept a woman such as Mrs. Stoddard so rooted to Collinwood for such a long time.

Meanwhile, Sam drives over to Collinwood to speak with Roger Collins. Roger is in a foul mood and has little patience for Sam Evans. Sam wants the paintings that he had sold him more than a decade ago. In a single breath, Roger both criticizes Sam's talent, but also says that he has no intention of selling him the paintings. He's not even sure where they are at, or if he even still has them. He insinuates that he may have even thrown them away with the garbage. Roger reminds him that he paid a tidy sum of $15,000 to Sam for the paintings, but Sam retorts, saying that the $15,000 was for something else entirely. When Roger refuses to give him back the paintings, Sam threatens to go to Burke Devlin. Roger recalls that Sam knows the truth about the incident that sent Burke Devlin to prison and he is more than willing to reveal that truth to Burke if Roger refuses to concede to his demands. Roger tries to twist the tone of the conversation and makes a counter-offer. He says that he won't give him the paintings, but he will agree to sell them back to him. Roger arbitrarily picks a sale price of $50,000. Sam however, makes a sinister counter-offer. He gives Roger forty-eight hours to surrender the paintings or else he is going to go to Burke Devlin and tell him the truth.

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: Evans' cottage (interior).


 * This episode was recorded on March 10th, 1967.


 * This is the eighty-fifth episode of Dark Shadows directed by John Sedwick.


 * This is the fiftieth episode of Dark Shadows written by Ron Sproat.


 * First and only appearance of Portia Fitzsimmons.


 * First appearance of Jason McGuire. McGuire becomes a major antagonist throughout most of the 1967 season and the key figure in the "Jason McGuire's Blackmail Scheme" storyline.


 * Alexandra Moltke provides the opening monologue but does not otherwise appear in the episode.


 * Bob O'Connell, who plays bartender Bob Rooney, is uncredited in this episode.


 * This is the 105th appearance of Roger Collins on Dark Shadows.


 * This is the fifty-fifth appearance of the character of Sam Evans on Dark Shadows and David Ford's forty-eighth episode in the role.

Bloopers

 * When discussing the quality of Sam's talent, Roger says, "... and I think you're exceptional, Evans. I always told you that". However, earlier in the conversation he regarded Evans' work as "preposterous".

Quotes

 * Sam Evans: No, not possible. But very likely the truth.

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 * Portia Fitzsimmons: You know you almost toppled the monumental ego of the art world.

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 * Roger Collins: Are you drunk, demented, or what?

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 * Sam Evans: I'll give you forty-eight hours. Then I'm going to Burke Devlin and I'll tell him the whole story... how you killed that man and you framed him for it!

Keywords
1960s; 1967; Artist; Bartender; Blue Whale; Bob Rooney; Burke Devlin; Carolyn Stoddard; Collins fishing shack; Collinsport; Collinwood; Collinwood drawing room; Collinwood foyer; David Collins; Elizabeth Collins Stoddard; Evans' cottage; Hospital; Jason McGuire; Joe Haskell; Laura Collins; Maggie Evans; Maine; Phoenixes; Portia Fitzsimmons; Roger Collins; Sam Evans; Smoking; Victoria Winters

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