A dark and sinister night at Collinwood; the sudden and strange disappearance of a young woman has led to a chain reaction of terrifying events. Found unconscious near the old abandoned mausoleum, the mistress of Collinwood has again become the victim of an evil spell, which she thought she had overcome; a spell, which could end her life at any moment
| Episode 652/653 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Air date | December 24th, 1968 |
| Writers | Gordon Russell |
| Director | Lela Swift |
| Producers | Robert Costello |
| Starring | Joan Bennett; Jonathan Frid; Kathryn Leigh Scott; Joel Crothers; Denise Nickerson |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous Episode 651 |
Next Episode 654 |
Episode 652 is an untitled episode of the daytime Gothic soap opera series Dark Shadows. It was directed by Lela Swift and written by Gordon Russell. It first aired on ABC on Tuesday, December 24th, 1968.
Synopsis[]
Napping werewolf.
Barnabas and Amy walk Mrs. Stoddard back to Collinwood. Barnabas tells Amy to wait in the drawing room for him while he takes Elizabeth upstairs to her room. Instead however, Amy goes back outside and stares up at the full moon. At the Collinsport Inn, the sedatives that were keeping werewolf Chris Jennings unconscious begin to wear off.
Upstairs at Collinwood, Barnabas tells Liz that he is going to get Julia Hoffman to give her a stronger sedative, but Liz refuses to take it. She admits that she didn't take the previous dose either. She walks to the window where she claims she can hear the "Widows" wailing. Barnabas is convinced that whatever is troubling Elizabeth is strictly in her mind and that she is in no physical danger as she would have him believe. Elizabeth's main concern right now though is the wellbeing of the children. With Vicki no longer available to take care of them, they are going to need a new governess. Liz wonders if Maggie Evans would consider the position. Barnabas promises to make an inquiry, but Elizabeth insists that he should do so as soon as possible - tonight. Despite the late hour, Barnabas agrees to go find Maggie.
Barnabas goes downstairs and finds Amy standing outside crying. He brings her into the drawing room and asks her what has upset her. She isn't entirely sure, but she knows that something about the moon is incredibly frightening to her right now, but she doesn't know why. Back at the Collinsport Inn, the werewolf fully awakens and tears apart the room. He breaks through the locks on the door and runs outside.
Meanwhile, Joe Haskell goes to visit Maggie Evans at her home. Despite the fact that the two are no longer seeing each other, Joe wants to smooth things over with Maggie. He apologizes for the way he has behaved in the past and Maggie is more than willing to put all of that behind them and start life over again. Joe tells her that he may be leaving Collinsport for some time, perhaps even forever.
As the two talk, Barnabas telephones the Evans cottage. He asks her to come to Collinwood so he can tell her the news about Vicki in person. Maggie and Joe drive to the house and Barnabas explains the entire story to them, as well as the effect her disappearance is having on Mrs. Stoddard.
Barnabas takes Maggie upstairs to see Mrs. Stoddard, leaving Joe in the drawing room with Amy. Joe tells Amy that he had spoken with Chris and he had promised that he would come see Amy tomorrow. Amy is overjoyed at first, but a moment later is stricken when she sees the sign of the pentagram across Joe Haskell's face again. Joe, of course, cannot see it, but Amy feels that Joe is in danger and doesn't want him to go back into town.
Upstairs, Elizabeth describes the position of governess to Maggie and she accepts the job. Liz wants her to start that very evening. The suddenness of it surprises Maggie and she says that she will need to stop at the cottage to pick up a few things. After Maggie leaves, Elizabeth tells Barnabas that she feels a lot better now, knowing that the children will be cared for. She thanks him for helping her through this crisis.
Maggie goes downstairs and tells Joe and Amy the news. Joe volunteers to drive back to the cottage to pick up Maggie's things for her. Amy pleads with Joe to not go into town, but Joe thinks that she is just imagining the danger. Joe leaves and Amy tells Maggie how worried she is for Joe's safety. She neglects to mention seeing the pentagram.
Joe goes to the cottage and begins collecting Maggie's things. The werewolf breaks through the window and Joe wheels around. It lunges at him and Joe screams in pain as the creature begins clawing at Joe's face.
Cast[]
Principal Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Joan Bennett | Elizabeth Collins Stoddard |
| Jonathan Frid | Barnabas Collins |
| Kathryn Leigh Scott | Maggie Evans |
| Joel Crothers | Joe Haskell |
| Denise Nickerson | Amy Jennings |
Guest Stars[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Alex Stevens | Werewolf |
Notes & Trivia[]
- This episode is included on disc 4 of Dark Shadows DVD Collection 11 and disc 68 of Dark Shadows: The Complete Original Series DVD collection.
- Opening narration: Kathryn Leigh Scott.
- Closing still: Chris' room at the Collinsport Inn.
- There is no episode 653, which is why episodes 652 and 653 are combined as a single episode on home video releases.
- Alex Stevens is credited as stunt coordinator in this episode.
- Considering the bizarre nature of Vicki's disappearance, Joe and Maggie take the news relatively well.
Allusions[]
- The wailing widows' that Elizabeth speaks of refers to the ghosts of women who have taken their lives by leaping off the nearby cliffs into the sea thus earning it the name Widows' Hill.
- There is a photograph of an elderly woman seen on Elizabeth's bureau. The episode provides no indication as to the person's identity, but it could be a photograph of Elizabeth and Roger's mother.
- Victoria Winters disappeared into the past with her husband Peter Bradford in episode 650.
- This episode suggests an empathic bond between Amy and Chris Jennings.
- Jeff Clark/Peter Bradford disappeared into the past in episode 637.
Bloopers[]
In the opening scene, the shadow of a boom mike can be seen to the right of the screen near the wall-mounted candles.
Quotes[]
- Elizabeth Collins Stoddard: My life is in the hands of some terrible fate... and I can't escape.
- Amy Jennings: It was the moon. I'm afraid of the moon, Barnabas, and I don't know why!