Format: Due to the extreme number of episodes and plotlines this
synopsis will not go into full detail. Those aspects of the show which
follow its supernatural nature will be concentrated on. The Dark
Shadows Companion has been a great help in creating this. Any comments
on something I have forgotten or left out will be greatly appreciated.
Please forgive any spelling or punctuation problems.
Background: Dark Shadows aired on June 27, 1966. It was on the air
through 1971 and comprised over 1200 episodes and two full length
movies. While on the air the series was continually at the mercy of the
ratings. As a result it constantly tested the bounds of what had been
done before on tv and what was considered acceptable.
Episodes 1 - 300
Dark Shadows began with the arrival of Victoria Winters to the
Collinwood estate; hired as the new governess for the Collins family.
Having been raised as an orphan she is convinced that a key to her past
lies with this family in Collinsport, Maine. She soon finds that the
Collins family is far from normal. Her ward, David, is a constant
trouble and has a developing interest in the occult. For the first
couple of months the plot centers around attacks on Victoria's life and
the grudge between the Collins family and businessman Burke Devin.
Things remain pretty much like any other soap. Nothing happens out
of the ordinary until episode 70. With failing ratings Dan Curtis
decides to go out with a bang. While playing in the Old House David
discovers Josette's portrait, and subsequently her ghost. In addition,
after being locked(by David) in the closed off section of Collinwood
Vicki encounters the ghost of Mallory, a recently murdered character.
The plot proceeds with the hunt for Mallory's killer and Vicki's past.
The murderer, Matthew, takes Vicki captive and hides her in the Old
House. David is convinced by Mallory's ghost to help her. Josette's
ghost appears and protects Vicki when Matthew tries to kill her. He
soon dies from fright after being visited by Mallory's ghost.
Now that the murder has been solved the plot shifts. Laura
Collins, Roger's wife and David's mother, has returned to Collinwood to
get a divorce and custody of David. This is bewildering to all, as
Laura supposedly died in a fire in Phoenix, AR. Even more so when it is
discovered that her body was positively identified in the remains. It
is then revealed that Laura is a phoenix, but the family doesn't know
this yet. The Collins family gradually gather clues. After tracing
Laura's maiden names through women who appear to die every hundred years
a pyschic investigator, Guthrie, is called in. Guthrie discovers that
Laura has some sort of powers but is unsure what she is. He decides to
conduct a seance to contact Josette and expose Laura. Guthrie is killed
by Laura. The seance goes ahead as planned. Laura makes her move to
destroy David and herself in flames. However, Vicki has been warned by
Josette's ghost and she saves David.
Having survived more trials, Dark Shadows is again plagued by
ratings problems. The supernatural was called on again to save the
show, this time with a vampire. Willie Loomis, a drifter, had been
introduced briefly already in the series. Willie was fascinated with
the portrain of Barnabas Collins and the legend about a secret family
treasure. While searching for the treasure in the family crypt he
discovers a chained coffin, the perfect place to hide jewels.
Unfortunetly when he opens the lid a hand emerges, grasping Willie
firmly about the neck. Thus is introduced Barnabas Collins.
Barnabas assumes the identity of a cousin from England and
"arrives" at Collinwood. A weakened Willie is found at the Blue Whale,
with puncture wounds on his wrists. He is diagnosed as suffering from
blood loss. Barnabas gains permission to move into the Old House, with
Willie as his servant. Barnabas sees a resemblance in Maggie to his
lost love Josette. He devises a plan intended to recreat Josette.
After several night meetings with Barnabas Maggie becomes weaker and is
hospitalized. Everyone thinks she dies, until her body disappears.
She is in fact being held captive by Barnabas. To protect himself,
Barnabas switches the blood samples Dr. Woodard took from Willie.
Maggie eventually escapes through the aid of Sarah, the ghost of
Barnabas' nine-year-old sister. Maggie suffers from a memory loss
and has reverted to her childhood. She is found by Sam and Joe and
secretly sent to the Windcliff Sanitarium. Her doctor there is Julia
Hoffman. Barnabas has now switched his intentions to Vicki, hosting
a costume ball to get Vicki in Josette's dress. At the party a seance
is held and Vicki goes into a trance. Josette speaks though her.
Meanwhile, Julie Hoffman has been probing into Maggie's mind.
She finds, under hypnosis, that Maggie is deathly afraid of the name
Barnabas. Julia decides to go the Collinwood to find the answers,
posing as a visiting historian. While at the Old House she notices that
Barnabas casts no reflection. She returns to find Barnabas in his
coffin and offers to help him find a cure. Dr. Woodard and Burke start
to become curious about Barnabas. At the same time Sarah helps Maggie
escape. She stumbles into the Blue Whale and collapses. Julia is then
forced to hypnotize Maggie to cover her memory of Barnabas. However,
Barnabas has come to the conclusion Maggie must be killed. When he
attempts to do this he is stopped by Sarah's ghost. Barnabas' plans
are in doubt when Vicki decides to marry Burke. Therefore, Barnabas
decides that Burke must be destroyed.
Episodes 301 - 600
Anxious to be with Vicki/Josette Barnabas urges Julia to hurry with
the cure. Julia has however become highly enamoured of Barnabas.
Meanwhile Burke continues to investigate Barnabas, to Vicki's
disapproval. Sarah starts to show up often. She shows David the secret
room in the crypt and leaves her shoe in Maggie's room. All attempts by
Barnabas to talk to her prove fruitless. He becomes afraid that she
will expose him. David is locked in the secret room when he hides there
from Barnabas and Willie. Barnabas knows Sarah talks to him and is
afraid that he knows the truth. Sarah helps David out of the room and
Burke arrives before Barnabas can do anything. David does, however,
start to have nightmares about Barnabas.
With Maggie's memory returning she is once again a threat. The
police shoot an intruder outside her bedroom, only to discover it is
Willie. Barnabas has decided to frame him for Maggie's kidnapping.
Dr. Woodard diagnoses Willie as mentally unsound.
Barnabas has now switched to scare tactics with David. However,
the boy sneaks into the Old House and finds the open coffin. Julia
manages to stop Barnabas from killing him. David's story has caused a
search to be conducted of the Old House by Burke and Dr. Woodard, it
turns up nothing. Unfortunetly, Sarah has been talking to Dr. Woodard.
He confronts Barnabas and later steals Julia's notebook, containing the
specifics of Barnabas' condition. Julia is forced by Barnabas to help
kill Woodard. The death is made to look like a heart attack.
Vicki becomes distraught when she learns that Burke's plane has
crashed without survivors. Barnabas takes this opportunity to get
closer to her. However, Julia is jealous and hypnotizes Vicki so
that she finds Barnabas very unattractive. Growing impatient Barnabas
forces Julia to hurry the cure. As a result he ages to his true age of
200 years. Carolyn coming to check on David's story sneaks into the Old
House. The aged Barnabas catches her and puts the bite on her. Which
causes him to return to normal, and with a new slave. Carolyn catches
Julia hypnotizing Vicki and Barnabas is furious. He swears to kill her.
Julia saves her life by blackmailing Barnabas with her notebook, which
she has given to Tony Peterson for safekeeping. Carolyn attempts to
steal it but is caught. Barnabas starts to play mind games with Julia.
Sarah visits her but will not help her. Sarah tells Barnabas that he
must be "good". A seance is held to determine if David is telling the
truth. While it is going on Vicki dissappears.
Vicki has been transported to 1795. She meets Barnabas before he
became a vampire. There is a striking resemblance between the old and
new Collins families. Jeremiah, Barnabas' uncle, agrees to help Vicki
get hired as the new governess. Josette's maid, Angelique, arrives.
She has her own plans for Barnabas. When his fiancess arrives(Josette)
Angelique uses witchcraft to cause Barnabas to nearly choke to death.
She then uses her witchcraft to turn the Collins servant, Ben Stokes,
into her slave. She casts a spell causing Jeremiah and Josette to fall
in love. Millicent Collins, a family heiress, arrives. When Jeremiah
trys to leave town, Angelique turns Barnabas' father Joshua into a cat.
Natlie suspects there is a witch but believes it is Vicki. She urges
Barnabas to hurry with the wedding. Before it can occur Jeremiah and
Josette run off together. Unfortunetly, it does not change Barnabas'
mind. Natalie and Joshua's sister Abagail find Vicki's charm bracelet
and are convinced she is a witch. Jeremiah and Josette return.
Barnabas challenges Jeremiah to a duel, which he wins by mortally
wounding Jeremiah. Abagail has meanwhile solicited the aid of Rev.
Trask, a fanatic who supposedly reveals witchs. Barnabas and Nathan
hide Vicki in Collinwood, which is under construction. Upset by events
Angelique takes it out on Sarah. She promises to cure her if Barnabas
will marry her. Jeremiah, who has been in a coma, dies.
Barnabas now agrees to marry Angelique. As an added incentive, she
has enlisted the aid of Jeremiah's ghost. Barnabas is disinheirited for
his wedding plans, but is given the Old House as a wedding gift. Vicki
tells Barnabas she is from the future. Ben is caught by Abagail and
confesses his part. Thinking Vicki is in the Old House Rev. Trask
exorcises it. Angelique causes Vicki to run out of hiding into the
Rev's waiting arms. She is put in jail. Ben is forced by Barnabas to
reveal Angelique. Barnabas tries to kill her but she threatens to kill
Josette. When Barnabas shoots Angelique she believes she is dying and
puts a curse on Barnabas. A giant bat is sent to him. When she doesnt
die she regrets this and tries to save Barnabas. Josette believes Vicki
is the witch and emplores her to help Barnabas. Unfortunetly,
Barnabas dies anyway. Angelique does not want him to revive as a
vampire so she goes to stake him. He rises and kills Angelique.
Sarah sees Barnabas and follows. When he finds his first victim
she is terrified and runs away. Ben later finds her in the cemetary.
She has contracted pneumonia and dies in Barnabas' arms. Feeling
remorse Barnabas tells Ben to put a stake through his heart. The spirit
of Angelique returns and prevents this. She then summons Josette and
Barnabas nearly bites her. In a short time he can no longer hold back
and bites Josette, the subsequent strange behavior of Josette does not
go unnoticed. Joshua discovers that Barnabas' coffin is empty.
To stop Barnabas' plans at having a vampire bride, Angelique calls
Josette to Widow's Hill and causes her to fall to her doom. The
witchcraft trial of Vicki begins. Barnabas decides to revive Josette
but is shocked by her disfigured face. She wishes to return to death.
Barnabas moves his coffin to the Old House basement but is caught by
Abagail, who dies from fright. Vicki is accused of being responsible.
During Vicki's trial Ben trys to tell the truth, but Angelique
shows up to testify. Vicki is sentanced to hang. Barnabas knows that
Trask is responsible for this. He kills a woman and puts her in Trask's
bed. He later forces Trask to write a declaration of Vicki's innocence.
After which he bricks Trask up in the Old House basement to die.
Meanwhile, Joshua has discovered Barnabas' coffin and decides he must
destroy Barnabas. Millicent is bitten by Barnabas. Joshua brings in a
good witch, Buthia Mapes, to help Barnabas. Unfortunetly, she goes up
in flames with a little help from Angelique. Vicki escapes from jail
but is wounded. Nathan tells Naomi that Barnabas is a vampire. She
takes poison and dies as she tells Barnabas that she forgives him.
When Barnabas finds out it was Nathan who told her he plans to kill him,
and does. Joshua finds he is unable to destroy Barnabas so he chains
his son in the coffin to protect the Collins name. Vicki is hung.
Peter vows to someday find her. When the hood is removed Vicki is gone,
replaced by Phyllis With. Vicki has returned to the present.
Barnabas is now afraid that Vicki learnt of his condition in the
past, so he bites her. He is terrified to learn she has bought a
portrait of Angelique. Barnabas convinces Vicki to marry him. Before
this can happen though Vicki wrecks the car they are in, when she sees
a Peter look alike. In the hospital, Barnabas is exposed to sunlight
and learns he is partially cured due to a blood transfution. The
hospital doctor, Lang, has an assistant who looks just like Peter
Bradford, Jeff. Vicki believes he is in some way Peter and calls off
the wedding. Dr. Lang plans to finish the cure and give Barnabas
Jeff's physical features, by transferring him to a body made of human
parts. Roger arrives with a new bride, Cassandra. It becomes obvious
to Vicki that she is actually Angelique. Angelique renews Barnabas'
curse with a dream curse, passed on to whoever it is told to.
Cassandra kills Lang. Julia plans to finish his experiment but when
she does the results are not right. Barnabas is still alive, but the
creature comes to life, as Adam. Adam gradually matures and learns to
talk. Barnabas has Sam age the portrait of Angelique, and Cassandra
ages as well. Cassandra has it stopped by blinding Sam. Willie taunts
Adam and he escapes. After he trys to kill Barnabas, Barnabas decides
to kill Adam. Adam kidnaps Carolyn but is later captured. He is put in
jail but escapes. He saves Carolyn from leaping off Widow's Hill, and
then jumps himself. He is not killed however. Julia and several others
hold a seance to contact Trask in the hopes he can stop Angelique. Trask
is set on revenge with Barnabas however. He holds a mock trial with
Barnabas' 1795 victims and finds Barnabas guilty. When Julia sees
Josette's ghost she realizes what has happened to Barnabas. He has been
walled up in the Old House basement. Julia and Willie save him.
Meanwhile the dream curse has ended, because Sam dies before he can
relate it to anyone. Trask is finally sucessful in exorcising
Angelique. However, Warlord Nicholas Blair arrives, posing as
Cassandra's brother. He searchs for her and eventually brings her
back. Cassandra raises Sam so that he can tell the dream to Vicki.
Barnabas tries to help her by listening to the dream. He survives it
but is then attacked by a bat and is believed to be dead. Julia
discovers that Adam is alive and knows Barnabas is because of the link
they have. Stokes and Julia save Barnabas, who is still human.
Nicholas learns that Julia brought Adam to life. He befriends
Adam. When Cassandra tries to kill Adam, Nicholas is upset and takes
her powers away. Cassandra confeses to Barnabas but he refuses to
forgive her. Adam is upset that Carolyn doesnt like him and demands a
mate for him be made. Vicki decides to marry Jeff but Adam kidnaps her.
Nicholas brings Angelique back as a vampire under his control. When
Adam starts to get testy, Julia agrees to make him a mate. Tom is
killed by Angelique, and returns as a vampire. He attacks Julia who
then stops the experiment. Barnabas comes to the rescue and stakes Tom,
although the coffin is later missing. Willie tells Nicholas how Adam
was made and Angelique overhears. She bites Jeff and uses him to start
the experiment, intending to resurrect herself. Vicki calls off her
wedding because of Jeff's strange behavior. Barnabas manages to stop
the experiment but is beaten around by Adam for it. Maggie's memory
of Barnabas starts to return.
Carolyn now volunteers to be the lifeforce for the next
experiment and Julia begins. However, something goes wrong and Carolyn
dies, but the body disappears. She later reappears in full health.
Danielle Roge is summoned by Nicholas to serve as a life force for his
own experiment. As it happens she was a very nasty person from the 18th
century. Danielle's body, Adam, and the new Eve all disappear
afterwards. Eve appears to tell Nicholas about her hatred for Adam.
Episodes 601 - 900
Barnabas plans to kill Eve, so Adam hides her in Nicholas'
basement. When Barnabas goes there he finds Angelique waiting. He is
bitten by her and is put under her spell. However, Nicholas forbids her
from seeing Barnabas without his permission. Joe is rejected by
Angelique and tries to kill himself. When Barnabas takes him to Julia
they discover bite marks on his neck. Nicholas sends Eve on a trip to
the past to meet Peter Bradford, who she is in love with via Jeff.
Unfortunetly, Peter does not feel the same way. Nicholas proposes to
Maggie but is turned down. Barnabas is ordered to poison Joe by
Angelique. Joe in turn tries to strangle Barnabas. Julia discovers
that Peter has been bitten and tries to lock him up, but he escapes.
Angelique tries to run off with Barnabas, but he escapes and is found by
Vicki. It appears that Angelique has been getting around when Julia
finds that Adam too has been bitten. Nicholas decides to destroy
Angelique, but he cannot find her, the coffin is empty. It appears that
Angelique got wise and moved it. She sends Eve back in time to 1796 to
find Peter. Peter is in jail, waiting to be hung. He refuses aid from
Eve but gives her a note just before he dies. Eve returns and gives the
note to Jeff, who then calls off the wedding with Vicki and goes to
Peter's grave. When he digs it up he finds it empty. Adam kills Eve.
Chris Jennings arives, mistaken by some for his brother Tom.
Angelique takes a field trip to the Netherworld to discuss some things
with Diablos (aka Satan). She tells him of Nicholas' love for Maggie.
Subsequently, Diablos orders Nicholas to sacrifice Maggie in a Black
Mass. Vicki learns of these plans so Nicholas calls up Tom Jennings to
stop her. He is destroyed by Barnabas.
Adam tries to revive Eve but is stopped by Barnabas. Around
this time Nicholas is believed destroyed by a fireball. Adam kidnaps
Vicki in order to try once more at the experiment, but he fails. Jeff
discovers that he is indead Peter Bradford. Jeff and Vicki are married
but Jeff fades back to the past. Amy, Chris' sister, moves into
Collinwood. David shows her a phone (disconnected) where she talks to
Quentin Collins. David and Amy then hold a seance to contact Quentin.
Meanwhile, another seance is held so that Vicki can contact Jeff. David
and Amy are possesed by the ghosts of Quentin and Beth Chavey. They
then try to kill Roger. As a result, a pyschic medium, Janet Findley,
is brought in to investigate. Unfortunetly, the children trap her and
she dies of fright when Quentin pays a visit to her. Jeff stops by the
present one more time and takes Vicki to the past with him (in reality
the actress was pregnant). Maggie takes over as governess.
Following several shadowy appearances, Chris transforms into a
werewolf and attacks Joe. With many strange things occuring Barnabas
decides to take the children to Boston for awhile, for safety. Joe
starts having vampire and werewolf dreams and is put in Windcliff
Sanitarium. There is evidence that Vicki wants to return to the present
and that she dies in the past. Barnabas decides to time travel to save
her. Angelique offers to help in the past, but changes her mind. Vicki
is saved when Barnabas torches Angelique. Barnabas has himself chained
up in his coffin and is revived in the present by Julia and Willie.
All this while Liz was believed to be dead. Actually she was
paralyzed in her coffin (actually the actress was doing a play). After
she senses Carolyn is in danger, attacked by the werewolf, she revives.
One of Carolyn's friends visits Chris and is killed by the werewolf.
Chris is jailed for the murder, but is released when Barnabas provides
an alibi. Chris confides in Barnabas. The ghost of Quentin recognizes
Chris as his descendant and tries to poison him. David is punished by
Maggie and gets very upset, he vows revenge. When Barnabas finds a
child's coffin with a pentagram in it he calls in Ezra Raithwaite for
assistance. Ezra realizes who Quentin is but dies of fright. Chris is
protected on the next full moon by Barnabas. David is punished for not
following Quentin's orders. Quentin starts to be a very annoying ghost
and the family abandons Collinwood. David sneaks back in and ends up in
a coma. Barnabas attempts an I Ching trance, to contact Quentin, but
ends up in 1897.
Barnabas uses the same line of being a cousin from England, but
Quentin is suspicious. Quentin has been trying to get his grandmother,
Edith, to reveal the family secret. She realizes that Barnabas is the
secret. Edith dies and Quentin has her will stolen. Barnabas finds
another Josette look alike in Rachel. Quentin and Evan Hanley hold a
ritual in order to obtain aid in dealing with Barnabas. They get
Angelique. She puts Rachel under a spell and Barnabas must then get a
amulet from the gypsy Magda to protect her. Everyone is shocked when
they learn Judith, the house mistress, is Edith's only benificiary.
Previously Quentin had married Jenny, but his eyes roamed. He ran
off with his brother's wife, Laura. Leaving his pregnant wife at home.
She has twins, a son and a daughter. Since Jenny is considered to be
insane the children are taken away and Jenny is locked in the tower
room. Quentin returned later.
Now Jenny escapes and attacks Rachel. Judith tries to hide Jenny,
but she escapes whe she hears Quentin's music. Jenny stabs Quentin and
leaves him to die. Angelique is summoned by Barnabas to help. He is
resurrected as a zombie, possesing Jamison. When he starts misbehaving
a ceremony is performed to try and bring things back to normal (or
Collinwood's equivilent). Rev. Gregory Trask attempts to exorcise
Quentin from Jamison's body. When things work out, Trask thinks he is
responsible. Barnabas bites his daughter Charity. Laura Collins now
returns to Collinwood. Much to Quentin's anger, since he saw he burnt
on a pyre in Egypt (the phoenix returns). He tries to kill her and is
injured. Angelique offers to help, but only if Barnabas marries her.
Laura is warned by Rachel about her children's treatment at Rev Trask's
school. When he refuses to return the children to her the school
catches fire.
Quentin tries to destroy Laura's source of supernatural power.
Laura calls on the god Ra for aid. Clues gather for the rest of the
family about Laura's true nature. She admits to returning for the
children. It has decided by Quentin and Barnabas that they must destroy
Laura. However, she has already sent Jenny to stop them. During a
struggle, Quentin kills Jenny.
It turns out the Jenny was the daughter of Magda, a gypsy witch.
She places the werewolf curse on Quentin and his descendants. Not
realizing that she had grandchildren by him, who are also cursed now.
A character names Dirk, who works for Laura, finds a diary in the
grave of Ben Stokes. Laura learns from it that Barnabas is a vampire
and plans to destroy him. Quentin attempts another ceremony intended to
destroy Laura. Ra is again called on by Laura in order to destry
Angelique. Laura has written a letter to Judith describing Barnabas'
condition. Barnabas manages to destroy it after attacking Dirk. Laura
attempts to take the children into the fire with her, but she is
destroyed by a spell Angeliques casts.
Quentin now devotes his time to the werewolf curse. When Barnabas
cannot get any straight answers he bites Beth, she becomes his slave.
Barnabas is told by Magda about a possible cure for Quentin, but
Barnabas has his own problems. When Dirk reveals his secret Barnabas
attacks him, he later rises as a vampire. Dirk tries to get Barnabas
to bring Angelique back to life, but then Edward stakes Dirk.
Enter Count Petofi. A powerful, yet eccentric, sorcerer. Petofi
had suffered as a werewolf and had killed the last unicorn in grief.
In addition, for killing one of them, the gypsies severed his hand,
where his power was centered. It now travels the earth in its own
box. Magda returns afer a long trip with a mysterious, bearing the box.
Carl sees Barnabas enter the masoleum and is trapped there by
Quentin. Barnabas rises and kills him Carl. Barnabas later finds his
coffin chained up and with a cross on it. Trask is now on Barnabas'
trail and attempts to use Charity to trap him. Trask marries Judith and
reveals to her Barnabas' secret. Magda uses the hand of Petofi in an
attempt to cure Quentin. However, the werewolf is caught in an animal
trap and the hand stolen by Evan. Judith has now come to the opinion
that she is Minerva, Trask's recently deceased wife. Minerva's ghost is
raised by Trask and Evan. Judith is "persuaded" to commit herself.
Aristede, a new character addition, forces Quentin to relinquish the
hand to him. Quentin then goes to Angelique for help. Unfortunetly,
Angelique attempts a cure but fails. A gypsy, Julianha?, persuades
Barnabas that she can cure Quentin, if the hand is returned to the
gypsies. Aristede captures Quentin and threatens his life if he doesnt
give Aristede the hand. Julianha is found dead. When she is contacted
through a seance she refuses to help Quentin and curses Magda. When
Magda's loved ones start to die she tries to destroy the hand.
A new character appears, Victor Fenn-Gillons. Magda and Quentin
soon discover that he is in fact Count Petofi, come for his hand.
Petofi devises a cure for Quentin. Charles Delaware Tate arrives to
paint Quentin's portrait. He has been given a power by Petofi.
Instead of Quentin turning into a wolf his portrait does, it also gives
the effect of immortality. Through a few plot manipulations Petofi is
reunited with his hand. Count Petofi tries to extort the secret of time
travel from Barnabas. He chains Barnabas in his coffin. Quentin
manages to release Barnabas. Magda is placed on trial by the gypsies.
Quentin now appears to be fully cured, but Petofi has made a deal with
Edward to trap Barnabas.
Back in the present, Beth's ghost appears and explains to Julia how
Quentin dies. Julia travels back to 1897. Julia agrees to stay and
cure Barnabas, but she is taken hostage by Petofi who wants the I Ching
wands used in time travel. Barnabas manages to rescue her. He and
Angelique make a deal to destroy Petofi. Lady Kitty Soames arrives,
and suprise, she looks just like Josette. Before this can be expanded
on, Barnabas is staked by a posessed Charity. His coffin is sealed in a
cave. Petofi discovers that he needs a body in the future to time
travel, so he begin manipulations to posess Quentin. Julia is called
back to the present. Angelique is warned about the mind switch.
Now it is revealed that Barnabas was not killed (he actually took
a vacation). It was only a double created by Angelique. In fact, he is
human again (Julia's cure worked). Kitty is becoming aware that she is
Josette and goes to Barnabas. Angelique is forced to tell Petofi how
she created the double. Petofi attempts to time travel but is called
back. Quentin manages to reverse the mind switch and orders Aristede
to kill Petofi. Judith has returned, fairly sane, with the knowledge
that Trask is after the family wealth. She has him bricked up in
Quentin's room. Though the effects of several sub plots, Petofi is
destroyed in the burning studio of Tate. Kitty fades into the past and
Barnabas does likewise. Josette believes that he has betrayed her and
kills herself.
Barnabas is captured by the Leviathans. A Lovecraftian race of
ancient beings. Barnabas is returned to the present with the task of
finding a suitable couple to raise a Leviathan child. There are two
new inhabitants of Collinsport, Philip and Megan Todd. They run a local
antique shop. Megan is given the box containing the essence of the
Leviathan leader and the Leviathan comes to live with them. Paul
Stoddard now appears, Carolyn's father. The book on the Leviathans is
stolen by David. Paul realizes that the Leviathan's want Carolyn, due
to a deal he had made with them years ago.
Episodes 901 - 1245
Evidence of the Leviathan child comes when Carolyn hears loud, and
strange breathing coming from the baby's room. Due to his sucess before
in the series, Quentin is brought back. While taking a drive Barnabas
hits a man who mysteriously looks just like Quentin. The man claims to
be Grant Douglas, but Julia believes him to be Quentin. Meanwhile the
Leviathan child has aged rapidly into a little boy, and is introduced
as Alexander. The Leviathan's gain control of Liz and Paul realizes who
Alexander is. Julis attempts to restore Grant's memory as Quentin, but
to no avail. Julia discovers that Harrison Monroe is in fact Charles
Delaware Tate. Alexander ages further and is now introduced as Michael.
Barnabas is ordered by the Leviathans to kill Julia, but tries to bring
her into the group instead. Paul escapes from Collinwood and goes to
the police. Chris goes to Tate in the hopes that he can cure him by
painting his portrait. Olivia Corey reveals that she is actually Amanda
Harris and tells of a pact she made in 1897. In order to survive she
must get Quentin to remember. Julia discovers that Angelique is back.
She is married to Sky Rumson and wants nothing to do with the Collins
anymore.
Michael traps Maggie in a secret passage and orders Megan to kill
Philip, but Barnabas stops her. Michael is ready to transform into the
next stage but he is having second thoughts. Barnabas decides to help
Paul and saves him when he is attacked. When Julia shows Quentin his
1897 portrait his memory returns. It was gone due to damage to the
portrait. Amanda and Quentin try to escape the mysterious Mr. Best but
their plans go awry and Amanda is buried alive. The sheriff
investigates the antique shop but only finds Jeb Hawkes, the fully grown
Leviathan child. Jeb believes it is Barnabas who has betrayed him.
Julia realizes who Jeb is and confronts Barnabas. To Barnabas'
rage Jeb proposes to Carolyn. Barnabas then goes to Angelique and begs
her for help. Jeb hides Maggie in a crypt, with Sheriff Davenport (who
he has raised from the dead). A Leviathan follower arrives in town,
Bruno. Sabrina attempts to cure Chris with a special flower. As it
turns out the only thing which can harm a Leviathan is a werewolf. Jeb
gets edgy when he finds out there is one near. Bruno tells Jeb that
Sabrina can identify the werewolf. Jeb's true nature is revealed to
Carolyn in a dream. The werewolf attacks, but doesnt kill, Jeb.
Barnabas prevents Jeb from learning who the werewolf is and conducts a
seance to contact Josette. Philip attempts to steal the Leviathan box,
but is caught by Jeb. Due to Barnabas' treason against the Leviathans,
Jeb decides to punish him. Barnabas is bitten by a vampire bat, a
becomes once more a vampire. As revenge, Barnabas sets fire to the
antique shop. Julia agrees to try and cure him again. Nicholas Blair
returns to town to help the Leviathans, whose plans seem to be going
wrong. Barnabas makes Megan his servant. Angelique discovers that her
husband is a Leviathan. Quentin saves Maggie from Barnabas.
Without a husband, and just a little bit peeved, Angelique returns
her sights to Barnabas. She casts a spell causing Quentin and Maggie to
fall in love. Jeb decides he actually loves Carolyn and renounces his
Leviathan ties. Because of this Blair punished him with a shadow which
follows him everywhere, growing larger. A hanging man is seen in
David's room. Bruno learns that Chris is the werewolf and orders
Davenport to destroy him during the next full moon. He changes his mind
and decides to get in good with the Leviathans by destroying Jeb. He
tricks Jeb into getting trapped with Chris just before the full moon.
Megan is attacked by Barnabas.
Jeb learns that Julia cured Barnabas once and has her kidnapped
by an army of zombies, in the hopes that she can make him human.
Nicholas warns Julia not to interfere. Zombies bury Quentin alive.
Carolyn has a dream and learns that Jeb killed her father. Peter
Bradford's ghost appears and threatens to destroy Jeb. Philip falls
off Widow's Hill to his death. Angelique vows to destroy Jeb. Carolyn
and Jeb are married.
With failing ratings a new twist to time travel is tried, this
time sideways in time. Barnabas discovers a room in the closed off east
wing which looks into a parallel universe. Julia informs Barnabas of
Stokes' theory of parallel time. Carolyn learns about the shadow which
is stalking Jeb. To protect Chris, Sabrina tries to kill Bruno. Bruno
takes her hostage and sets a trap for Carolyn, trapping her with the
werewolf. Angelique finally agrees to help Jeb, if he kills Nicholas.
The shadow curse is transferred to Nicholas and he is killed by it.
Sky vows revenge and pushes Jeb off Widows Hill, unfortunetly he was
human enough to die. Barnabas observes the paralled universe for a time
and decides to enter, in the hopes that he will be cured of vampirism.
In the parallel universe things are different. Julia is a
housekeeper in league with Angelique and Barnabas never became a
vampire. When he enters he is still a vampire though and attacks Willie
Loomis' wife Carolyn. Willie, who is an author (of the history of
Barnabas Collins no less), traps Barnabas and learns everything. He
chains Barnabas in a coffin. The newlyweds Quentin and Maggie return
to Collinwood. Quentins first wife, Angelique, is dead and his son is
David. David decides to drive Maggie away, he believes his mother is
going to return. Angelique's twin sister Alexis arrives. Scientist
Cyrus Longworth is experimenting with the good and evil sides of people.
Maggie leaves Collinwood out of jealousy of Alexis. Bruno thinks Alexis
is Angelique and tries to dig up her grave but is stopped by Quentin.
Cyrus tests his formula with Jeckyll/Hyde effects. A seance is held to
contact Angelique. As a result Sabrina believes Angelique was
murdered. Hannah Stokes informs Bruno that Angelique's spirit is at
Collinwood. Quentin and Alexis come to the opinion that Angelique
isn't at rest. Collinwood is haunted by the ghost of Damion Edwards.
Under the influence of his potion, Cyrus becomes John Yaeger and flirts
heavily with Buffie Harrington, the Blue Whale barmaid. Bruno tries to
kill Alexis, believing she is Angelique.
Angelique comes to life and kills Alexis, taking her place.
Damion's ghost warns Quentin he'll die by hanging. Angelique tries to
get tid of Damion's ghost. Gladstone finds out about Cyrus/Yaeger and
blackmails him. Daniel becomes mesmerized by Barnabas' portrait.
Joshua Collins spirit warns there is an evil spirit at Collinwood.
Yaeger discovers a passageway to the Old House basement and finds
Barnabas' coffin. Will stops him from opening it but is bitten by
Barnabas, who "arrives" posing as an English cousin. Quentin is
suspicious of him. Angelique reveals to Hoffman who she is and performs
voodoo on Quentin. Angelique brings Maggie back to Collinwood hoping to
disolve her marriage with Quentin. Angelique kills lawyer Larry Chase,
using his body heat to survive. Buffie is bitten by Barnabas and become
becomes his spy. Maggie is driven to suicide but Liz stops her from
killing herself. Barnabas confronts Angelique. She goes to her father
Timothy Stokes for help. Yaeger kidnaps Maggie.
Barnabas returns briefly to normal time. He talks to Julia then
returns to parallel time to save Maggie. Yaeger kills Sabrina and
tries to kill Maggie but Barnabas saves her, killing Yaeger/Cyrus in the
process. Julia arrives just in time to stop Hoffman from staking
Barnabas. She kills Hoffman and takes her place. Julia discovers how
Angelique is staying alive. Barnabas and Julia find Stokes secret lab.
Quentin is framed for Angelique's and Bruno's deaths. Angelique panics
when Barnabas takes a life force from the secret lab. Angelique tries
to get Barnabas' secret out of Will, but he jumps from the tower room to
his death. Barnabas manages to partially revive the life force (aka
Roxanne Drew). After various events Angelique finds out who Julia is.
Roxanne comes fully to life, killing Angelique as a result. Barnabas
bites Roxanne and later rescues Julia. However, Roxanne dies.
Barnabas is distraught over Roxanne's death. Collinwood is set on fire
by Stokes. Julia and Barnabas return to normal time, but the year 1995.
They find Collinwood deserted. Carolyn is insane and living in a beach
shack. She is convinced that the family will return. The sheriff warns
Barnabas and Julia to leave.
Barnabas and Julia see Davids ghost. They are warned of danger by
Quentin. Gerard's ghost appears to Quentin and Julia. Quentin believes
Prof. Stokes is responsible for Collinwood's disaster. Barnabas finds
out Carolyn is dead and discovers her description of the destruction of
Collinwood. The sheriff is killed by Barnabas. Julia and Barnabas
manage to return to the present by using a stairway through time. It
is learned the Daphne (who appeared as a ghost in the future) was the
1840 governess. Her and Gerard's graves are found. Liz consults an
astrologer after learning about the future. Stokes niece, Hallie, is
found dressed in 19th century clothing. A west wing playroom is
discovered by David and Hallie. Daphne's ghost appears to Quentin and
he discovers her diary. Daphne tries to kill Quentin but he convinces
her not to. The spirit of Tad Collins speaks through David. Barnabas
meets Roxanne Drew, who is identical to the parallel time Roxanne.
A dollhouse is found by David and Hallie. The dolls look like them in
19th century clothes. They destroy the dolls but discover them back in
the dollhouse. Their 1840 counterparts are seen in the playroom. It is
learned that the stairway used by Julia and Barnabas was made by
Quentin. David and Hallie's 1840 counterparts motion them toward the
staircase but it disappears. Gerard's ghost menaces David. Liz is
warned by Sebastion that the stranger in her future may not be alive.
Gerard possesses Liz and appears to David and Hallie. Maggie colapses
and Julia discovers bite marks on her neck. Barnabas convinces her that
he was not responsible. Julia prepares to give Maggie a blood
transfusion. After Carolyn sees Gerard she is possessed by Letricia
Faye. Barnabas and Julia decide they must get David and Hallie out of
Collinwood. However, Gerard leads David to the real Rose Cottage(aka
the dollhouse). David and Hallie are possessed by Tad and Carrie. They
conduct a ceremony to bring Daphne and Gerard back to life. The newly
risen Daphne talks to Quentin. She refuses to help Gerard come back so
he sets fire to the Cottage with her in it. Carolyn (aka Letricia)
stops him. Julia finds that Daphne is alive. Barnabas confronts
Gerard. Willie discovers Maggie next to an empty coffin. The other
vampire is Roxanne. Barnabas stops Sebastion from killing her and
chains her in the coffin. Maggie is taken to Windcliffe. Sebastian
announces Gerard will take control of Collinwood. Gerard kills the
children. Julia travels back in time to 1840 by using the stairway.
Julia hides from the current inhabitants. She is saved from an
insane Daniel Collins by Ben. Ben and Julia set Barnabas free, but
he doesn't recognize her. Julia poses as Barnabas Collins sister from
England. Barnabas and Roxanne decide to spend eternity together.
Julia tries to stop him and Barnabas attacks her. The 1970 Barnabas
possesses his 1840 body and saves her. Daniel gives Barnabas the Old
House. Ben is shown the mystical head of Judah Zachery. Judah's
powers kill Ben. The head also affects Desmond. Samantha is surprised
when her dead husband Quentin arrives. He tells her that Tad is also
alive. Daphne meets Quentin and decides that he is the man she is
going to kill. Lamar Trask uses Letricia's powers to discover what
happened to his father, the Rev Trask. Desmond discovers the vault
containing the body of Judah. Lamar's father warns of evil. Judah's
escapes and kills Tim Blaikwater. Samantha tells Quentin that Tad is
not his son and that she will stay married to Gerard. Julia tries to
warn Daphne. Angelique discovers that Barnabas is free. Julia and
Letricia try to rejoin Judah's head. Angelique warns Barnabas
that she will turn Roxanne into a vampire. The jeweled mask of Judah
is needed to reunite the head and body. The mask is found and the body
revived but in a coma. A fire burns the body but the head lives.
Angelique remembers Judah's original threats of revenge in 1692. Gerard
hides Judah's head. With Charles Dawson's help Judah possesses
Gerard. Barnabas meets Roxannes's brother. Angelique hides Julia in a
abandoned lighthouse. Quentin reveals to Gerard his time travel
therories. Gerard (aka Judah) trys to bring Edith and Daphne into the
coven. Daphne admits she is the sister of Joanne. Barnabas rescues
Julie and Roxanne rises as a vampire. Quentin is accused of being a
warlock. Randall is killed after finding Judah's mask. Quentin is
arrested for the murder. Gerard and Charles talk David into changing
his will. Gerard convinces Angelique that Judah had possessed Quentine.
David suffers a stroke and dies. His sole beneficiary is Gerard. The
constable's wife dies in Quentin's cell and he is now on trial for
witchcraft. Samantha testifies that Quentin brought a spirit to
Collinwood. Ben's diary is found and subsequently Trask's skeleton.
Lamar bricks up Barnabas in the basement. Angelique realizes that
Gerard may be Judah. Desmond is arrested and admits to having Judah's
head. Prof. Stokes arrives from the future with information. Barnabas
shows up mysteriously as Quentin's lawyer. Gerard has Mordenia Grimes
killed to prevent testimony for Quentin. Daphne sees paralled time in
the east wing. Quentin is convicted but he and Desmond escape. Daniels
ghost kille Gabriel. Quentin and Daphne are trapped in the paralle time
room but escape. Joanna forces Samantha off Widows' Hill. Daphne is
put under a spell and marries Gerard. Quentin is sent back to jail and
Barnabas goes to Angelique for help. Gerard takes away Angelique's
powers. But she still stops the execution by arriving with Judah's
head, freeing Gerard. Lamar shoots Angelique and she dies in Barnabas'
arms. Julia and Barnabas return to the present to find everything back
to normal, history had been changed.
That ends the normal storyline and characters for Dark Shadows. The
last plotline took place in the paralled time of 1841. Bramwell Collins
(played by Jonathan Frid) tries to convince Catherive to marry him
instead of Morgan Collins. Before Justin Collins dies he gives Morgan
a letter describing the curse on the family. Morgan is put in charge of
the lottery. A drawing to determine which of the family is to spend the
night in the cursed room. If they come out sane the curse is broken.
Bramwell abducts Catherine. It is discovered Melanie Collins has a
mental disorder. She discovers Stella Young being held captive in the
tower room, but Stella is stabbed and dies. With a memory loss Melanie
is not for sure if maybe she killed Stella. Morgan and Catherine
prepare to marry. Bramwell loses his duel with Morgan, wounded in the
process (he didnt fire his gun). Gerard Stiles and Kendrick Young find
the secret grave of Stella. The family is warned during a seance that
the lottery must take place. Melanie gets the plague. Gabriel Collins
is chosen to stay in the room but escapes from Collinwood. Quentin
comes down with the plague. Morgan returns Gabriel and he spends the
night in the room. The next morning Morgan discovers a villagers dead
body in the room in place of Gabriel. Justin's spirit warns the curse
isn't over. Having gone insane in the room Gabriel attacks Kendrick.
Bramwell tries to marry Catherine's sister Daphne but Catherine trys to
stop them, to no avail. Catherine is pregnant with Bramwell's child.
Catherine gets the next turn in the room but Morgan takes her place. He
comes out insane, possessed by James Forsythe, the man who placed the
curse on the family. The ghost of Brutus Collins haunts Morgan.
Kendrick discovers Melanie has a split personality. Catherine admits
she loves Bramwell and Daphne becomes suicidal. Julia is saved from
Morgan by Quentin. Forsythe's spirit reveals why he cursed the family.
Daphne gets an undiagnosable illness. Brutis ghost traps Morgan and
Julia in a secret corridor with two bodies. Morgan kills Gabriel.
Josette Collins, Bramwell's mother, reveals to Melanie that she and
Barnabas are her parents. Daphne dies. Melanie marries Kendrick but
goes insane. The lottery is held again and Kendrick draws the slip.
Morgan learns Catherine is pregnant. He traps Bramwell in the room and
adds Catherine when he finds out the child is Bramwell's. She is
temporarily possessed by Amanda Forsythe. Bramwell and Catherine banish
the Brutus' ghost and break the curse. Morgan wounds Bramwell and tries
to kill Catherine but Kendrick stops him. Melanie recovers.
Two bite marks are found on Melanie's neck. Ben comments there may
be a vampire around. However, the final voice over reveals that it was
merely a wild animal loss on the estate. So ends the original Dark
Shadows series.
