DARK SHADOWS 182

 

DARK SHADOWS 182

 

“I like it here at Collinwood, especially since you came.”

 

Let me start out by saying that almost ALL the dialog in this episode is quotable and while I’m not 100 percent convinced, another fan recently pointed out that this storyline is his favorite among all five years of this soap opera. I’m inclined to agree. I find it riveting and fantastic, balancing loyalty and love with horror and deceit better than ANY of the other storylines. At times, I’ve felt it went on far too long but now I don’t want it to end as I approach the end of it.

 

David believes Aunt Elizabeth always keeps her word. Although implied that Vicki will tell Burke while Guthrie will tell Roger all the new info in order to get their help in keeping David from leaving with Laura, Vicki says, “We’d both be taking a chance,” before it is detailed out. Vicki also gets an IDK.

 

Dr. Landis is Liz’s doctor. Roger flubs, “Prune proved…” Liz has to be fed. She doesn’t recognize anybody and can’t move. Guthrie believes there was a definite improvement in the motor responses. Roger has spent several days talking about this subject.

 

That cemetery is five miles out on the north road leading out of Collinsport. Roger is aware of its existence. Roger’s conversation with Guthrie as well as Vicki’s with Burke is awesomely fantastic. Every word is important and holds attention.

 

Guthrie gets an IDK. So does Roger.

 

Later in the episode as Burke and Vicki talk someone’s moving around large objects or opening and closing drawers.

 

David and Roger’s talk is nice. David HAS been behaving. He gets an IDK. Roger might have reached a turning point when it seems David might actually die. He isn’t angry at the supernatural events David describes and when David wants to go away with his mother, Roger says IDK and is worried for David, even though David WANTS to go with Laura now. Roger DOES seem to care about David here, not getting upset by the talk of the supernatural and putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder. David expects Roger to keep his promise and it’s easy to feel sorry for Roger now. Roger drinks.

 

What I don’t get is since David is the one who knows the most about Josette why don’t they all just explain it to David: Josette’s been warning you that your mother wants to kill you and you were correct to fear her from the start so you must not go away with her.

 

In what must be an amazing first, Roger sees first hand the book open by itself (Josette) to the clipping of the news report. There, Roger reads that the boy, David, wanted to die in his mother’s arms, burned alive of his own free will!

 

What’s totally amazing about this episode is that with just maybe one supernatural event and one that’s not all that scary, it presents the ramifications of horrible events and horror itself, thus the entire thing is scary because of the premise and the talk.

 

And again, although this is mostly talk, what talk it is. And what it’s about is scary. If Burke or Roger tell Laura what Vicki and Guthrie told them, they could be in danger, though Laura might already know about some of the info the others found out about. It’s  a startling, well acted, well made episode with hardly a flub (I counted one plus the shuffling of boxes or whatever that was).

 

And while this episode furthers the plot along a lot, it’s also riveting and amazing in and of itself AND it furthers the character interplay and development. I love it to pieces and that fan might just be right: this is the greatest story DS ever told.

 

https://darkshadows.fandom.com/wiki/182

 

As you can tell from my past review which was done around 2010 – 2011, I felt a bit differently about this storyline but POVs can change….

 

182

      David Hensey holds up the clapboard over his head, smiling, unsmiling, and

      generally being charming until someone puts their fingers over his eyes

      which makes him laugh. David is doing math and tells Vicki he has decided

      to go away with his mother; the fireplace vision, to him, was a warning to

      leave. David likes Collinwood, especially since Miss Winters has come, he

      tells her. David also knows his Aunt Elizabeth always keeps her word but

      then David says something that might be a flub when he says the fireplace

      vision was a warning that he SHOULDN'T leave Collinwood. I think Moltke

      tries to cover this up with more dialog, dialog we've heard already a few

      moments ago! David tells Vicki and Guthrie that he will leave and they

      can't stop him. Guthrie tells a returned Roger that Dr Landers says that

      Liz's motor responses have improved. Guthrie goes into details about what

      they have found with Roger, asking him first if he knows of the cemetery

      five miles north out of Collinwood. Roger knows it but not well. While

      Guthrie tries to convince Roger to keep David away from Laura, Vicki is

      doing the same to Burke, trying to convince him not to encourage David to

      leave with his mother and in fact, trying to dissuade him from seeing her

      or leaving with her. As they talk in Burke's hotel room, in the painting

      on the wall, the glass seems to be reflecting a camera or a light on one

      and moving. Vicki admits she trusts Burke and he knows it.

 

      Roger is nice to David now and seems to care about him, not wanting to get

      rid of him. David, on the other hand, seems to want Roger to keep his word

      about letting him leave with his mother. Roger is non committal, worried

      over the news he's heard from Guthrie and believing most of it now. David

      leaves the drawing room and Roger, reverting to form, goes for a drink. As

      he does, he sees the library record book open up to the page of the burned

      Laura Radcliff and the David Radcliff. The book opens by itself and Louis

      E plays the scene as if he smells jasmine, too. Later, Roger tells Vicki

      about the boy the burned: his name was David and the reports say that

      rescuers tried to save them both but both Laura and the boy DIDN'T want to

      be saved and were burned alive!

 

      A truly good ep, with Roger finally FINALLY being the father he should be

      and in fact, taking control of himself as he sees for himself the

      supernatural. It's sort of a turning point for him and for the show, in a

      way. I know Louis Edmunds thought Roger was more interesting as a villain

      but like him when he's stronger and for the family and loyalty and all the

      good stuff. More on this next episode as he finally FINALLY takes charge

      AGAINST Laura and it's great to behold! Add to that his growing

      relationship with David...and David relating to him nicely...and it's just

      awesome and positive for once. David even tells him the truth about the

      fireplace face being seen by him when he has always been reluctant to hear

      stuff like that from David. Roger is even nice when trying to be firm and

      it works.