Dark Shadows: 458

"A seance has been held in the great house at Collinwood, a seance which has suspended time and space, and sent Victoria Winters on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past; back to the year 1795. Soon her journey will be over, but not before a terrible secret is discovered by still another member of the Collins family. And with that discovery, history will record one more strange death at Collinwood."

Episode 458 is the untitled 458th episode of daytime Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. The episode was directed by Dan Curtis and written by Gordon Russell. It is part of the multi-episode story-arc commonly referred to as the "1795 Flashback". It originally aired on ABC on Wednesday, March 27th, 1968.

Synopsis
Naomi Collins comes into Collinwood looking very distraught. She speaks with her husband, Joshua, telling him that she had just seen Barnabas in the woods of the estate terrorizing Millicent. She says how he looked like a wild animal. Joshua confesses to having known the truth about Barnabas and that it was why he had gone to Boston - to hopefully find some sort of solution to Barnabas' condition. Alas, he found none. Joshua brings Naomi into the drawing room and pours her a drink, but she refuses it.

After Joshua leaves the drawing room, Naomi sits at the desk and drafts a letter. She then goes to the locked study where Victoria Winters has been hiding. Victoria expresses her gratitude for all of her help, but pleads with Naomi to convince Joshua to help the imprisoned Peter Bradford. Naomi tells her that Joshua is doing everything he can. As she prepares to leave the room, Victoria notices a marked difference in Naomi's personality. Her demeanor speaks of someone who is saying "Good-bye".

After Naomi leaves, there is another knock at the door. Victoria calls out, but no one answers. She steps into the foyer whereupon Nathan Forbes sneaks up behind her. Pushing back inside the study, he holds her at gunpoint. Victoria asks why he has always sought her destruction, considering that she has never so much as said an unkind word about him. Forbes reveals that he intends to collect on the money on Victoria Winters' head, adding that he has lost whatever chance he may have had to gain a foothold in the Collins family fortune.

Back in the drawing room. Naomi pours an envelope filled with poison powder into a wine glass and drinks it. She then takes the letter to Joshua out from the desk drawer and leaves it where it can be plainly seen. She then goes up to the tower room where she finds Barnabas. She pleads with him to make her understand and Barnabas tells her about everything that has happened to him. Naomi is relieved to know that Barnabas is a true victim in all of this and professes her love for her son. Like Victoria, Barnabas takes note of Naomi's odd choice of words and begins to suspect that something is amiss. The poison she consumed finally takes it toll and she collapses in Barnabas' arms. At which point, Joshua bursts into the room shouting, "What have you done?!"

Notes & Trivia

 * DS: 458 and DS 458 both serve as shortcuts to this page.


 * This episode is included on disc one of the Dark Shadows DVD Collection 7 and disc 49 of the Dark Shadows: The Complete Original Series DVD collection.


 * Opening still: Collinwood (exterior, night).


 * Opening narration: Alexandra Moltke.


 * Closing still: Collinwood study.


 * This is the final appearance of Joan Bennett in the role of Naomi Collins. Although her character appears to die in this episode, she actually doesn't die until shortly after the events of this episode. Her death is revealed in episode 459.

Allusions

 * Naomi Collins first learned the truth about Barnabas Collins in episode 457.


 * Victoria Winters makes reference to Daniel Collins in this episode. Daniel is the young brother of Millicent Collins and the heir to Millicent's will. Naomi Collins sent Daniel away so Nathan could not threaten him.


 * The man whom Victoria Winters killed is Noah Gifford. Forbes hired Gifford to kill Daniel Collins. When Forbes found Gifford's body, Peter Bradford was present at the scene, leaving Forbes to believe that he had killed him.


 * Peter Bradford is the lover of Victoria Winters. At this time, he is incarcerated at the Collinsport jail on the charge of murdering Noah Gifford. He is scheduled to be executed.


 * Millicent Collins is a cousin of Barnabas Collins and the wife of Nathan Forbes. Nathan married her so he could get his hands on Millicent's inheritance.

Bloopers

 * All things being equal, this is one of the cleaner episodes of the series. No on mis-speaks their lines, no camera equipment is visible a

Quotes

 * Joshua Collins: My God, what you done?!