- Awards
- 27
I didn't say he's one of the best characters but I really enjoyed the problematic romance.
And there's something very haunting about his last words "I will find you".
And what are the other worst characters? How dare you!
And there's something very haunting about his last words "I will find you".
And what are the other worst characters? How dare you!
- Awards
- 24
Just as the actors who played modern-day characters had to be carried into the 1795 arc, they similarly had to bring some of 1795 back to the modern time plotlines to maintain a semblance of continuity. It wasn't so much contractual as it was the producers wanting to hold the attention of the fans who might stop watching when they change the time period. If they had not done this, the change would likely have been too jarring for new viewers. Luckily they had the option to have the actors play new characters or simply continue the role they played in the past since the viewers had more or less accepted the "actors playing an ancestor of their regular character" situations.
- Awards
- 27
Catching up on DS with 10 brand new episodes.
It's pretty awful but because there are so many new things going on it's still very addictive.
Even though a lot of bizarre events have already plagued the people of Collinsport, they still maintained a sense of disbelief as if it never happened.
Until now I didn't understand how crucial Victoria Winters' iconic quote "I don't understand" was to the overall narrative.
Now that she does understand, and has fully embraced the concept of time travel, it feels a bit like "anything goes".
This is underlined by Doctor Eric Lang - a man of science - who casually accepts the least likely of scenarios: his patient is a vampire.
It took Julia Hoffman quite a few episodes to draw that very conclusion, starting with Maggie Evans' peculiar blood disease.
And, btw, how hilarious that vampire Barnabas would end up in a hospital bed, only to be accidentally cured because of a random blood transfusion.
Then there's Jeff Clark who isn't Peter Bradford but I suspect that's just a matter of amnesia, exploited by Dr. Lang. After all, both Peter and Jeff are alleged murderers.
Because of my irregular DS watch I didn't remember that Barnabas and Vicky had wedding plans. Wasn't she romantically involved with Burke Devlin?
In the meantime, Carolyn tries to seduce Reverend Trask who is now Julia's lawyer. On their first date she runs off, courtesy of Barnabas, and Trask (forgot his name in this storyline) witnesses the two in a peculiar embrace.
Oddly enough, it is his interpretation of that embrace that seems more shocking than Barnabas' blood sucking antics.
Not only because Carolyn "betrays" him during their first date, not only because Barnabas is much older than she is (although this is rarely implied by the other characters, and technically he is still the same young man who was chained in the mausoleum in 1795) but also because she tells him, without a moment of hesitation, that he is her cousin!
Rightfully outraged he ends their date right there and then.
In another meantime, Roger Collins has fallen under the spell of the painting of Angelique which Vicky has bought in an antique shop.
These scenes are bafflingly stupid, something I would expect from Maggie but certainly not Roger, but at the same time there is something very eerie about his deceitful behaviour, and I simply need to know where this is going.
Dr. Lang's stethoscope (!!) is used as voodoo device to inflict severe headache attacks on the scheming doctor, including some intervals after which the doctor claims that "it's gone!" only to start all over again.
It's a ham extravaganza that has to be seen to be believed.
It's pretty awful but because there are so many new things going on it's still very addictive.
Even though a lot of bizarre events have already plagued the people of Collinsport, they still maintained a sense of disbelief as if it never happened.
Until now I didn't understand how crucial Victoria Winters' iconic quote "I don't understand" was to the overall narrative.
Now that she does understand, and has fully embraced the concept of time travel, it feels a bit like "anything goes".
This is underlined by Doctor Eric Lang - a man of science - who casually accepts the least likely of scenarios: his patient is a vampire.
It took Julia Hoffman quite a few episodes to draw that very conclusion, starting with Maggie Evans' peculiar blood disease.
And, btw, how hilarious that vampire Barnabas would end up in a hospital bed, only to be accidentally cured because of a random blood transfusion.
Then there's Jeff Clark who isn't Peter Bradford but I suspect that's just a matter of amnesia, exploited by Dr. Lang. After all, both Peter and Jeff are alleged murderers.
Because of my irregular DS watch I didn't remember that Barnabas and Vicky had wedding plans. Wasn't she romantically involved with Burke Devlin?
In the meantime, Carolyn tries to seduce Reverend Trask who is now Julia's lawyer. On their first date she runs off, courtesy of Barnabas, and Trask (forgot his name in this storyline) witnesses the two in a peculiar embrace.
Oddly enough, it is his interpretation of that embrace that seems more shocking than Barnabas' blood sucking antics.
Not only because Carolyn "betrays" him during their first date, not only because Barnabas is much older than she is (although this is rarely implied by the other characters, and technically he is still the same young man who was chained in the mausoleum in 1795) but also because she tells him, without a moment of hesitation, that he is her cousin!
Rightfully outraged he ends their date right there and then.
In another meantime, Roger Collins has fallen under the spell of the painting of Angelique which Vicky has bought in an antique shop.
These scenes are bafflingly stupid, something I would expect from Maggie but certainly not Roger, but at the same time there is something very eerie about his deceitful behaviour, and I simply need to know where this is going.
Dr. Lang's stethoscope (!!) is used as voodoo device to inflict severe headache attacks on the scheming doctor, including some intervals after which the doctor claims that "it's gone!" only to start all over again.
It's a ham extravaganza that has to be seen to be believed.
- Awards
- 9
Oh yes, I think the point you're at is one of the weaker parts of the show because as you said - it's very much throwing everything and the kitchen sink at the wall and it just gets worse as the fall of 1968 progresses. With that said, there's some genuinely great things there - Carolyn is one to watch out for in this time period.
- Awards
- 24
Prior to Vicky's vacation in the past, Barn had been plotting to make Vicky into his NuJosette, with GhostSarah dropping in occasionally to try to stop him. After her return, they forgot all about the Sarah angle but picked up on Barn's efforts with Vicky. Following up on that old soap trope about car scenes ("If characters are seen in a car, they will inevitably crash"), I just found it hilariously out-of-place to see Barnabas in a car at all. I guess you missed the part where Burke died in a plane crash somewhere in the Amazon. He was actually dead for a while (or "assumed dead," as soap characters are) before Vicky took off for 1795.
Dr. Lang and his portrayer Addison Powell are quite simply the worst of the worst, in my opinion. Even worse than Craig Slocum and his unfortunately-named Harry Johnson. Even worse than....oh, never mind this could be a long list. Trust me, he stinks up the place worse than anyone I can recall.
As for Louis Edmonds and Angelique's portrait, something in his OTT performance says "Oh, good---I get to join in on the lunacy!" And Jerry Lacy's 1968 character might have been named Tony Peterson, but someone convinced him he was playing Humphrey Bogart. At least he didn't think he was Naomi Collins.
Last edited:
- Awards
- 9
Or a dead psychic prostitute.
- Awards
- 27
No I do remember the news of the plane crash.
Somehow I "remember" the reason for the séance as a means for spiritual contact with Burke, to see if he's still alive or not.
But I'm probably wrong about that too. It's been such a long time since I watched those episodes.
Yes! But at least they remembered that he wouldn't be able to drive a car.
It was also mentioned by Vicky. Imagine if this happened in the eighties soaps when lots of characters got a "new season" make-over.
But in the case of Julia Hoffman it felt as if they were complimenting their co-star, which is kinda sweet I think.
- Awards
- 24
Actually they were trying to contact Sarah to get her to finally explain what the hell her problem is, showing up and disappearing at random, talking in riddles and wearing a nightgown everywhere. Of course not everyone wanted them to make contact--Barn and his lackey Carolyn were trying to sabotage the proceedings--but things went awry independent of their efforts.
There was always the passing lines about Barn being in Bangor or some other place "on business" during the day, but they never said just how he got there every morning and the characters never questioned it. I guess Willie could lie and claim he drove Barn to the train station every morning, but Willie wasn't always there to do that, what with stints in the hospital, Wyncliff, etc.
- Awards
- 27
It's also funny (and kinda tragic) that Barnabas is so eager to show himself in daylight. He also mentions neglecting gardening for too long.
Maybe Dr. Lang should tell him "I never promised you a rose garden".
Maybe Dr. Lang should tell him "I never promised you a rose garden".
- Awards
- 9
Well, distances in Dark Shadows tend to change depending on the storyline so maybe they thought Barnabus walked.
Or rode a bike!
- Awards
- 24
It's interesting that yes, Barnabas would have been shocked when he first saw a car. But it just occurred to me that he'd have been just as shocked by a train. He was THAT old. And while Vicky thought Barn's old-fashioned living in the Old House without electric lighting was "romantic," would she have been willing to live with Barn as her husband in a house that had no running water to wash that bouncin' and behavin' hair of hers, much less anywhere to plug in a hair dryer? The whole vampire thing might have been a shock, but having to use a chamberpot might end up being the real deal-breaker.
- Awards
- 27
Dark Shadows has presented us with a complex and emotional dilemma.
Nitwit Doctor Lang has revealed his Frankenstein project that could help Barnabas to sabotage Cassandra FKA Angelique's plan to restore his vampire condition.
Barnabas agrees to undergo the experiment and Dr. Lang says "Great! You won't regret it" as if he had just sold him a car.
BUT!...Barnabas is very much against the blossoming romance between Vicky and Jeff Clarke, and in a most shocking twist he tells Dr. Lang that he wants Jeff's head to become the head of his new body!!
Dark Shadows isn't really a supernatural soap, it just takes the soap opera insanity to the extreme.
It's all the doppelgangers and previously unknown family members and facial reconstructions and bizarre coincidences and returns from the death that you get from any soap, but translated in a gothic language.
Kinda like a too literal (and therefore nonsensical) translation of one language to another language.
Nitwit Doctor Lang has revealed his Frankenstein project that could help Barnabas to sabotage Cassandra FKA Angelique's plan to restore his vampire condition.
Barnabas agrees to undergo the experiment and Dr. Lang says "Great! You won't regret it" as if he had just sold him a car.
BUT!...Barnabas is very much against the blossoming romance between Vicky and Jeff Clarke, and in a most shocking twist he tells Dr. Lang that he wants Jeff's head to become the head of his new body!!
Dark Shadows isn't really a supernatural soap, it just takes the soap opera insanity to the extreme.
It's all the doppelgangers and previously unknown family members and facial reconstructions and bizarre coincidences and returns from the death that you get from any soap, but translated in a gothic language.
Kinda like a too literal (and therefore nonsensical) translation of one language to another language.
- Awards
- 27
I was already there a few months ago, but an extended trip in the Tardis had put DS on hold.
The problem with DS is that it usually takes a while before the story becomes seriously addictive.
But I think I prefer Angelique with the black wig.
- Awards
- 27
Dr. Julia Hoffman discovers Dr. Lang's secret experiment.
And so does the whole neighbourhood.
Tony is pretty. He's sort of New Romantic before that became a thing in the 1980s.
Angelique is such a modern and practical witch. A lighter, a leaf, a monologue - everything works. Is she going to torture Dr. Lang now that he doesn't have the talisman anymore? I'm hoping to see many more Dark Histrionics, but I also want the experiment to succeed. Not to replace Barnabas but I like to see that monster interacting with Vicky and the Collinses.
And so does the whole neighbourhood.
Tony is pretty. He's sort of New Romantic before that became a thing in the 1980s.
Angelique is such a modern and practical witch. A lighter, a leaf, a monologue - everything works. Is she going to torture Dr. Lang now that he doesn't have the talisman anymore? I'm hoping to see many more Dark Histrionics, but I also want the experiment to succeed. Not to replace Barnabas but I like to see that monster interacting with Vicky and the Collinses.
- Awards
- 27
Oh and btw, why does Jeff's head have to be on the other body? Why can't they just kill him and revive him as Barnabas? It's almost as convoluted as Angelique's dream curse (Kathryn Leigh Scott had lost some weight, I think, but not because of Angelique).
- Awards
- 24
If you think too deeply about what you're seeing, it'll ruin everything. Such as just how that headless body is just lying around without the benefit of refrigeration. I mean, we're told that the various parts came from the recently-deceased in the area, so the parts would already have been....less than ideal. Now Dr. Lang can't even be bothered to slip Headless Harry into the crisper in his fridge? And how is HH supposed to shop for his own Ohrbach's wardrobe if all his measurements come from different people? I mean, one shoe might be a 10.5 medium and the other, 12 EE. Is that any way to live???