BIG FINISH’s DARK SHADOWS-BLOODLINE Episode 8

 

BIG FINISH’s DARK SHADOWS-BLOODLINE

Episode 8

 

Barnabas is plagued by a dream of his one true love: Josette, Angelique, and other lovers, his other victims inside his mind.

 

Andrew Collins as Barnabas is fantastic, it must be noted. On the other hand, Julie Newmar—and I hate to keep reiterating this---as I love her as Catwoman in BATMAN (I haven’t really seen her in many other things)---is absolutely downright awful as Julia. I don’t know how anyone could play it this way and not realize how deadpan and flat she sounds. I don’t know how the director let this happen, let alone the producers, getting her to play Julia when there are so many fans out there that can do a great Julia. She grinds EVERY scene she’s in to a total halt and brings, no, drags the listener out of the drama, of the fantasy world of the horror of DS and into the notion that this is a badly directed actor doing a horrid job. She slows it down and again, grinds it all to a halt and what merit it may have had, is lessened by every scene she is in.

 

Angelique makes Barnabas remember how he once victimized Carolyn and took control of her and how he was once going to kill David. Their voices are always here in his mind. His hunger.

 

He calls them a waking dream. The bloodlust remains.

 

Narration theme. Viv narrates. The vampire yearns for blood.

 

Julia asks Quentin to send the guests home or to the Blue Whale. Barnabas says I just don’t know. No one knows what’s going on or remembers the groom. Again, Newmar is awful here. Barnabas rants that he is craving blood.

 

Viv Bell comes to Barnabas and she has champagne, asking him if he wants a drink. He laughs sardonically at that.

 

Theme. Narrator speaks over it to tell us what we’re listening to, DARK SHADOWS BLOODLINE Episode 8 by Will Howells!

 

Rain. Carolyn tells Pastor Grayson who says he rarely touches alcohol. After he leaves Carolyn realizes he was hitting brandy like it was the end of the world. “For all we know, it may be, Carolyn,” Julia deadpans. Carolyn hears Marina Lane being called out.

 

Julia says, “Good evening,” and then obnoxiously yells out, “Good evening!!”  Cringe.

 

Carolyn is concerned about who David Collins is. Harry is with Amy. Barnabas and Viv are in the ballroom. Sabrina and Cyrus are in the drawing room. Maggie’s mad and Burke took her to the car.

 

Maggie wonders why Amy had a fake wedding. Carolyn says goodbye to Burke and Maggie. Amy used to love playing hide and seek, pretending someone was on the telephone. Maggie doesn’t remember David either. Maggie gets an IDK. Carolyn considers that Andrew’s death hit Amy harder than they thought. Amy created this wedding as  a fantasy. WTF?

 

Carolyn tells Burke, “Lying’s a survival skill in Collinsport,” when Maggie is out of ear shot.

 

If Maggie discovers supernatural she will have a breakdown. Burke taking Maggie away from here is helping. Mother and Roger are not here so it is down to Carolyn  to figure it all out. Burke says, “You’ve grown into a wonderful human being, Carolyn.”

 

Carolyn tells him to never ever give up on his search for Vicki. “You were made for each other.”  He tells her there is someone out there for her, too.

 

 

Carolyn makes a stupid accent and voice and laughs. Their story about the fantasy is false and they know it.

 

Viv wonders if this David was a con man. “It wouldn’t be the first time a man tried to swindle money out of the family.”

 

They all collective amnesia. One of them (not sure who) thinks maybe it was John. Cyrus explains he used to be possessed by the son of the Dark Lord, named John, who then possessed this serial killer and he and Sabrina kind of looked after him, he guesses.

 

See FALL OF THE HOUSE OF TRASK and THE ENEMY WITHIN. Sigh.

 

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

 

“Silly question,” Viv says.

 

John is locked up in the basement or the serial killer is.

 

Julia thinks they have to perform a séance to find out if the spirit haunting Collinwood is involved. Harry brings up the photograph they took when Maggie left last year (1983). There are three people they do not recognize.

 

In 1820, Jackie sits in a cell waiting for her trial. meets with her lawyer, Vernon Monroe. She calls him Columbo. Vernon is played by Nico Diodoro who also plays Brian Monroe, the deputy in the present of 1984.

 

No witnesses have appeared to help verify her alibi or her history. She insists that she is innocent, and "he" is the killer.

 

Vernon questions her strange clothes and the fact that nobody remembers her from her hometown Corinth Bent. She counters that she is very quiet and very shy but Vernon tells her they both know that is not true.

 

He tells her the story of the trial of Victoria Winters, and how she claimed to be from the future. Brian asks her if she is also from the future.

 

Julia hypothesizes that daily life, routines, those closest to us can physically affect the way their brains are wired. Any change to that could cause a problem in the mind. Carolyn may have noticed this in Amy’s eyes before the change or after it. Carolyn studies a Master Degree at the University at Boston. She studies the supernatural. Viv wants to help herself to a drink. Carolyn thinks they need to find evidence that David, the teen boy and the teen girl existed. Julia thinks that more of them may disappear so they should stay in groups.

 

Julia thinks Cyrus should accompany her and Barnabas to search the first floor. Harry and Amy will search the library for more photographs. Amy, Carolyn, and Sabrina will search the bedrooms.

 

In the Blue Whale, it is tense between Jessica and Ed as she gossips and he needs more of her service for drinks. Quentin informs her of another round needed. Cody arrives. Jess thinks they should do more snooping. Quentin says he would know if there was a David Collins. Cody is mad that they are concerned about a man that never existed than about his father who just died. Ed tells Cody to get used to it. Jess tells Ed he disappoints her sometimes when Cody takes off, upset.

 

Sabrina: There are a lot of women's clothes in Quentin's closet. That could be the kind of thing we're looking for... but I'm not sure I want to ask.

 

The male ghost calls Marina Lane. When Carolyn asks if he knows David, he calls, “Remember.”

 

They find a room belonging to a teenage boy, the state of it showing that. They see the young man from Harry’s picture. Amy had her arm around him. Amy thinks she loses people she loves and that now includes people she cannot remember.

 

In 1767 (?), Sarah sings some song whose lyrics I can’t make out as she washes and is surprised by Tom. Tom is the new stable boy. Sarah worries they killed Fiona but he claims it was an accident. He likes her and she liked him. He’s gentle. They will find a way to get him back home and she wants to go with him.

 

Rosier bothers a sleepy Cody. Cody does not remember Jackie, Tom, and David. Rosier wonders who did this.

 

Cyrus asks about a portrait and Barnabas calls him a fool to Julia who thinks he is not a fool and is strongest man here, he can help stop a losing control Barnabas.

 

Harry is still upset with Viv. They find pictures of Andrew, Tom, Jackie, and David. They find drawings that Tom just have drawn. There is one of Jackie with Cody and they look close. There’s also one of Quentin and a woman…Sabrina says, “That’s a relief.” 

 

It sounds as if there’s a photograph Harry doesn’t want them to see, “Okay, you didn’t see that one.” Him kissing Cody? Or Cody shirtless.

 

They see a picture of Viv friendly with David Collins.

 

“We don’t know what it means,” Sabrina claims. “Any of it.”

 

Rosier wonders why Cody hasn’t asked him to bring his father back. Cody thinks that his father would not come back right. “Clever boy,” Rosier says but can show him how it would happen. (NOTE: BUFFY did this kind of thing after Mom died and Buffy’s sister Dawn brought her back…wrong).

 

Cody asks Rosier why he does this and what he wants. He feeds off Cody’s desires. His previous hosts burned and became obsessed.

 

As they all confer about a séance, Carolyn gets an IDK what else to do. Amy thinks it could be dangerous. Viv asks, “So Barnabas, do you know about this, all this spooky stuff?”

 

“More than you could ever know.”

 

Viv asks him for a drink: brandy.

 

He’s looking pale. He grows angry at her and almost seems to attack her in a rage. He can’t control it. Julia thinks he should go back to the Old House; Harry offers to help.

 

A storm has raged.

 

Jamie and Bonnie dance. Jess asks Quentin to ask her to dance. He claims he is a terrible dancer but she says she will lead. She’s seen worse once they start and he steps on Ed’s foot or someone else maybe. Quentin kisses Jessica and she claims he’s good at that.

 

1797: Reverend Orville Vilorus Trask is interrogating Lela Collins for the charge of witchcraft. She manages to escape. Lela doesn’t believe there are witches and witchcraft. She read about Houdini and escapes. She’s gone back in time, too and hopes Quentin is looking for her.

 

Julia has chains on Barnabas with Sabrina and Harry. Sedatives do not work on Barnabas. Harry wants to stay to watch over Barnabas. Sabrina suddenly feels something is missing.

 

Cyrus calls to something that seems to be chasing him and asks what it is and what it wants from him. He calls out for Sabrina to help him and he yells.

 

Amy can remember when the photos were taken but not the people in them. Carolyn has hope that they will get them back.

 

 

Amy wonders if taking away Maggie’s knowledge was the right choice. This has made her realize that because she feels like something’s been stolen from her.

 

Julia arrives and the séance starts. Barnabas asks Harry for water.

 

A spirit answers the women at the séance.

 

In the scariest scene, Barnabas asks Harry to come closer.

 

The spirit asks Carolyn and the women to help him, “I am dead.”  She wants him to use their energy. He’s coming and he is dead, calling Marina Lane. He claims he knows David Collins is at Collinwood with Anna Collins. The lights go out in a crash.

 

Barnabas tempts Harry to get closer with the water. Barnabas urges him to trust him even as his teeth grow. Barnabas must feed and turns totally evil as he breaks free of the chains.

 

Amy breaks the circle and stops it all. Cody arrives and tells Amy about Tom, the girl named Jackie Tate, Willie Loomis, and Quentin’s wife. Cody explains there is a demon that gave him his heart’s desire and that’s how he knows them. Amy knows the demon is Rosier. He wants to help Harry and Amy and the missing son, Tom. Vivian Bell is missing as well.

 

The new editor of the Collinsport Star arrives and wants to interview Amy. Her name is Marina Lane.

 

Barnabas thanks Harry (is he dead!?). Angelique and Josette know he knew he’d do it and that he’s not even sorry.

 

Theme. Narrator interference.

 

I was totally pissed that Harry might be dead or turned into a vampire when I first heard this. Truth be told, this is not the mess I first thought it was when I first heard it. It was just such a twist from where it was in both BLOOD LUST and the last episode of BLOOD LINE that it threw me and made me angry that they had gone this way.

 

Truth is: it’s not terrible. Of course, I’m not sure about having TWO accusations of witchcraft against two women and what interest that may hold (none really) as Jackie and Leila face similar fates and Tom’s part is rushed…what about the werewolf parts?

 

It's not terrible but it is a bit of a jumble. Yet, at this point, it might be interesting if all of these various sub plots converge or go on in some spectacular way. I’m not sure they do or did but I am sure I do like this more than the first time I heard this. The first time I was exasperated by all of it and from this point on, I hated it. Not so, right now. It’s fairly entertaining.