335

Dr. Woodard starts to suspect that David may have been telling the truth about Barnabas; later he meets Sarah at the Collins mausoleum.

Synopsis

Teaser

Within the walls of the great house of Collinwood, there is a frightened child. Young David Collins is searching desperately for a friend who has the dark, secret answers to his question. But his friend is not easy to find because she comes from a world beyond the world we know at Collinwood.

The next day, David sits in his room peering into his crystal ball. He abruptly stands, imploring Sarah Collins to appear and talk to him. David retrieves his crystal ball and rests on his bed, singing London Bridge. Much to his delight, Sarah finally appears.

Act I

Both Sarah and David are angry at each other: Sarah, because David broke his promise to her, and David, due to the fact Sarah took her time appearing to him. David learns that Sarah knew the secret door at the mausoleum would not open, and David relates that his aunt is bringing a psychiatrist to examine him. Sarah wants David to return her flute, but he cannot do this because Dr. Dave Woodard took it for study. This upsets Sarah greatly, and David promises to get it back for her. A knock on the door interrupts them; Sarah vanishes. Elizabeth and Dr. Fisher come in. David maintains that he's not crazy, despite what everyone else thinks. Elizabeth leaves David alone with Fisher, who examines the crystal ball.

Act II

A short while later, David has related his nightmare about Barnabas Collins to Fisher. He goes on to tell the doctor about his fear of Barnabas harming him. Fisher wonders if David is fixated on death. He asks David to retell him the dream in which Sarah showed him a coffin and Barnabas rose from it.

Downstairs in the drawing room, Burke Devlin and Dr. Woodard wait while the consultation is taking place. Burke believes David is suffering from delusions, but Woodard is not so sure. Woodard thinks there is a similarity between the ordeal Maggie Evans experienced and what is terrifying David now. He doesn't believe Willie Loomis was responsible for Maggie's kidnapping, despite the evidence against him. Woodard goes over the fact that Willie was suffering from the same kind of strange wounds as Maggie. If Willie was responsible for Maggie's wounds, who was responsible for Willie's?

Act III

Dr. Fisher, having finished his consultation with David, comes downstairs and speaks with Elizabeth, Woodard, and Burke. He has concluded that David is a "very disturbed" boy. It is possible David never accepted Laura Collins' death, and he has become fixated on the subject, making it more terrifying. Fisher thinks Sarah is merely a figment of David's imagination in an attempt to "make friends" with death, to reconcile himself with it. Woodard is not convinced. Fisher reckons David's fear of Barnabas is linked to Barnabas' striking resemblance to his ancestor. The mention of the way in which Barnabas appeared in David's nightmare, fangs bared, sparks something in Woodard. He excuses himself, and both he and Fisher depart.

Elizabeth speaks with Burke alone about a different subject. It concerns him and Victoria Winters.

Act IV

Elizabeth cannot sell Seaview to Burke, per an agreement in an old Collins family will. The last member of the family to live in the house, one Caleb Collins, had a morbid fear of strangers, and made a provision in his will that it cannot be sold to someone outside the Collins family for 100 years. That proviso will be up in five years. Elizabeth is deeply sorry over the matter; Burke is angered. She intends to give Seaview to Victoria and Burke as a wedding present as soon as it is legally available.

Meanwhile, Dr. Woodard has gone to Eagle Hill Cemetery and makes his way to the Collins mausoleum. He reaches for the ring mechanism to try and open the secret door... but is startled when Sarah suddenly appears.

Memorable quotes

Dr. Woodard: I’m sorry, Mrs. Stoddard, but I’ve got to go somewhere and do something immediately.

Dramatis personae

• Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
• Anthony George as Burke Devlin
• Peter Turgeon as Dave Woodard
• William Shust as Dr. Fisher
• David Henesy as David Collins
• Sharon Smyth as Sarah Collins

Background information and notes

Production

• The color videotape master of this episode is lost. However, a poor-quality monochrome kinescope copy does exist.
• This is the first episode to be recorded since the NABET/AFRTRA strike against ABC began, which had brought production of new episodes to a halt.
• Peter Turgeon takes over the role of Dave Woodard from Robert Gerringer, making him the third and last actor to play the part. Gerringer was replaced at this point as he refused to resume work on the show while the NABET/AFRTRA strike was still ongoing. (It's sad to note that this was the turning episode for Dr. Woodard in which he realizes the truth. Up until this point, Woodard had no clue. It's sad that the strike interfered with what would have been just a handful of episodes to wrap his story and that Gerringer didn't get that "aha" moment.)
• During the opening credits, there is a voice announcement: "The part of Dr. Woodard is being played by Peter Turgeon." (The voice is not that of Bob Lloyd, who stopped making DS announcements a few episodes ago.)
• When the copyright notice appears during closing credits, there is no voice-over saying "Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production." Also, the theme song restarts briefly three times in a row at the end of the closing credits.

Story

• Dr. Woodard quotes the poem "I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell."
• Elizabeth receives a letter from her lawyers telling her that, due to the will of the previous owner, the house by the sea "could not be sold or passed down to anyone but a member of the Collins family for a period of 100 years." The provision won't be up for another five years, so Burke won't be able to purchase it until that time. Elizabeth tells him that as soon as it's legally possible, she will give the house to him and Victoria as a wedding present.
• GHOSTWATCH: Sarah's ghost appears to David. Later, Sarah's ghost appears to Dr. Woodard.
• INTERNAL MONOLOGUE: Dave Woodard: Secret room in mausoleum.
• TIMELINE: Day 125 begins, and will end in 341. It was "last night" when Dr. Woodard and company were unable to open the secret room in the Collins mausoleum.

Bloopers and continuity errors

• At the beginning of Act I, Sarah trips over her lines a bit: "When a se- ...a secret's not a secret..."
• Anthony George mistakenly refers to Dr. Woodard as "Dr. Hoffman." Unlike his predecessor in 318, Peter Turgeon does not laugh off the error.
• When Dr. Woodard is discussing with Burke Devlin the similarity between the cases of Maggie and Willie, he says that Willie had the same kind of neck wound as Maggie. But Willie never had a neck wound; his was on the wrist (217).
• When Burke and Dr. Woodard are talking in the drawing room, there is a lot of off-stage noise--shuffling, squeaking, etc. As well, when the group is talking about David and Barnabas in the foyer near Barnabas's portrait, loud squeaking is heard again.
• Joan Bennett stumbles over her line when saying goodbye to Dr. Woodard: "Doctor, I want to thank you for all the time and attention you have devoted to David's problem. Let's hope we're closer to a... ah... closer to a situation now than we were before." To which Turgeon, who continues on as normal, responds, "A solution...I'm sure we are."
• When Dr. Woodard starts to pull the ring in the Collins mausoleum, Turgeon suddenly jerks away for no apparent reason. Then he's seen with his back towards the wall with Sarah standing in front of him. (As is seen in the teaser in the next episode, Dr. Woodard jerks away and turns because Sarah was supposed to say "Hello, Dr. Woodard." But no such line was uttered here, hence there seemingly being "no apparent reason.")

External links 

Dark Shadows - Episode 335 on the IMDb

Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 335 - The Shadow He Casts

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 335: The imaginary Barnabas

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 335: 10/6/67