293

Victoria continues to swoon over a beautiful house by the sea.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: There is the feeling at Collinwood that time has been suspended, that the past and the present exist as one...for there is one who lived long ago, who has returned to live again. He is destined to live and sow the seeds of terror in the dark hours of the night.
Barnabas Collins wakes from his coffin, as Willie Loomis descends the stairs to inform him that Dr. Julia Hoffman visited the Old House earlier in the day. Barnabas has no intention of speaking with her tonight, and plans to visit Collinwood. When Willie questions Barnabas' reasons for going to the great house, Barnabas is forced to remind him who is the servant and who is the master.
Act I
Willie follows Barnabas upstairs, and attempts to persuade the vampire not to see Victoria Winters. He doesn't like the plans Barnabas has in store for the governess. But Barnabas claims he has no sinister agenda, and has no plans to harm her: Victoria will fall in love with him of her own free will. Willie disbelieves him; he is filled with worry over both Maggie Evans being alive and allowing Julia to conduct her experiments in the Old House. Although Barnabas admits he must cooperate with Julia, he orders Willie to watch her carefully. He finds it ironic that Willie is filled with concern for Victoria, yet is indifferent to the fate of Julia. After servant and master engage in a verbal sparring match, Barnabas departs for Collinwood.
Act II
Burke Devlin is having coffee with Victoria, who is daydreaming about Seaview, in the drawing room. They discuss her dream house, and Victoria teases Burke about having spotted a three-masted schooner carrying riches from the Orient approaching from the ocean. Burke offers to drive her out in order to have a look at the house himself. Victoria accepts, but wants to dress in something warmer first. The last time she was at the house, she felt cold.
Act III
Victoria changes her mind; she doesn't want to leave David Collins after he was upset about losing his friend. At that moment, Barnabas drops in for a visit. The moment Victoria greets Barnabas, Burke breaks his new-found rudeness record in two seconds flat. Barnabas learns of the house Victoria has fallen in love with, and expresses his interest in seeing it. Victoria invites Barnabas along, and Burke makes a snide remark. When Victoria suggests turning the trip into a picnic tomorrow afternoon, Barnabas points out it might not be a good idea to view the house in daylight. After all, the authorities would not look kindly on trespassers. Victoria agrees. When she starts to head upstairs to check on David, Barnabas hears of David's disappointment over his new friend.
Act IV
While waiting for Victoria to return, Barnabas expresses his interest in Seaview and an impatient Burke slips into chauvinistic rude mode over the governess' delay. It doesn't take long for the two men to engage in a verbal sparring match, and Burke questions Barnabas' background. Barnabas claims to have lived a solitary life on the outskirts of London with his cousin Niall Bradford. It is clear Burke doesn't believe him. At that moment, Victoria returns and Barnabas' compliment to her earns him an icy stare from Burke.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Barnabas: Miss Winters is an extraordinary young woman. She hears the voices of the past. She has a sensitivity which few others have.
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: Barnabas: I have no plans...at least, nothing sinister. In the manner of all men attracted to beautiful women, I shall try to make Miss Winters favor me with her attentions.
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: Barnabas: They say that a dead man's eyes see everything he's looked at in life. I'd like very much to see through your eyes, Mr. Devlin, and see what it is that you've looked at. I have a feeling that it would be very informative.
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: Barnabas: Willie, you have the most annoying way of getting things confused. I am not beholden to you. You are beholden to me...and don't forget that.
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: Barnabas: Willie, you do get to be a bore. No wonder I seek other company.
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: Barnabas (to Willie): The difference between you and Miss Winters is a gap as wide as the sky.
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: Barnabas: It's strange, isn't it? How people cling to life...how they seem to consider it so much better to grow old, ugly, and humiliated than to...
: Willie: To what?
: Barnabas: Than to remain young... and beautiful forever...untouched by time...untouched by anything.
: Willie: Except loneliness.
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: Barnabas: Be that as it may, I would like to see it [the house by the sea] very much.
: Victoria: Well, then, you're more than welcome to join us. Isn't he, Burke?
: Burke: Oh, yeah. Sure, there's nothing I'd like better than the three of us to look at the house...by moonlight.
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: Burke: Well, if you’ll pardon me for being revolutionary about it, I happen to like electricity...and heat.
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: Barnabas: Your impatience surprises me, Mr. Devlin. A man should be willing to wait for a beautiful woman through all eternity if necessary.
== Dramatis personae ==
* Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
* John Karlen as Willie Loomis
* Anthony George as Burke Devlin
* Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* Barnabas is wearing his ring on his right hand again.
=== Story ===
* The opening narration refers to the idea that time is suspended at Collinwood. From 366 to 460, time in the present will be held in suspension whilst Victoria is in the past.
* Barnabas tells Burke about Niall Bradford, a cousin in England, as part of his cover story. In 303, Burke will learn that Bradford died 130 years ago.
* TIMELINE: It was earlier today when David invited Sarah for dinner at Collinwood.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* When Willie tells Barnabas that he is not an ordinary man, Frid flubs, "True. I have certain distinct advantages, and... least of all, a less limited point of view."
*When speaking to Willie in Act I Jonathan Frid refers to Julia as "he": "All we can do is hope that he has the situation completely under control."
*At the start of Act III Alexandra Moltke fails to close the doors completely and someone walks by when she says "Oh, it's right on the ocean..."
* In Act III, when Barnabas arrives at Collinwood and talks with Burke and Victoria in the foyer, Frid flubs his lines significantly and often looks at the teleprompter. Example: "Old houses with, uh, people living in them, uh, lose a great deal of their charm, but people do so... many things that are wrong." Barnabas and Burke also trip over each other's lines, both saying the same "things like that" line at the same time.
*While Burke and Barnabas are waiting for Victoria to go to the house by the sea, Barnabas says, "I do love the old houses around here. You don't, do you?" Burke replies, "No, not usually." But earlier in this episode, Burke was telling Victoria how, since he was a kid, he's been very interested in old houses that were built to last, "the style, the width of the beams, the height of the ceilings."
*While Burke and Barnabas are verbally sparring in the last act, Burke wonders about the lack of information about Barnabas's past in England. Barnabas parries that "no one seems to know very much about you...no one at all." Although Barnabas's statement that few seem to know how Burke rose in life (how he got rich) is true, he goes too far to say "no one at all" knows very much about Burke. As Barnabas himself pointed out, Burke grew up in Collinsport, and we've heard a number of stories about Burke as a child and young man. Everyone in Collinsport seems to know about the car accident and manslaughter trial, and the Collins family (as well as the Evanses and Joe Haskell) now knows the truth about what happened that night. On top of that, Burke has not been publicly shy about his business dealings since he returned to Collinsport (aside from his motives to ruin the Collins family, though many outside the family assume or suspect them).
== End credits announcements ==
* Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.
==External links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 293 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 293 - Untouched
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 293: A better story next time
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 293: 8/9/67
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