492

Mrs. Johnson is the next to experience the terror of Angelique's dream curse.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: In the course of this night, inside the great house at Collinwood, a child has fallen victim to the powers of a witch. And in another house, with the coming of the dawn, a bizarre experiment has reached a terrifying climax.
Locked in the laboratory, Adam goes on a rampage as Barnabas goes downstairs to get Dr. Lang's gun.
Act I
Barnabas and Julia return and hear nothing through the door. They open the door to the lab and find it a mess. They find Adam asleep on the floor in a fetal position. Barnabas wants to kill him, but Julia won't let him. After bringing him to life, they have a responsibility to him, to teach him.
Act II
Julia gives Adam an increased dosage of the sedative, so he will sleep for at least 24 hours. She says they have to take him to the Old House and lock him in the cellar until they can teach him how to behave.
At Collinwood, Mrs. Johnson is watching David. Cassandra comes in and suggests to Mrs. Johnson that she get some sleep while she watches him. She refuses, so Cassandra decides to lift the curse from David so Mrs. Johnson won't have a reason to keep watch over him. Cassandra also tells David that he will not remember what he saw in the gazebo. David falls asleep.
Act III
When David wakes, he speaks Mrs. Johnson's name. Cassandra suggests to Mrs. Johnson that she can now get some sleep, but she says she is afraid to. Cassandra does her best to get Mrs. Johnson to relax, offering her some broth.
Act IV
Eventually Mrs. Johnson falls asleep and has the dream. This time the beckoner is David. The dream proceeds as it has four times before (though this time, the door with the headless body isn't there). The last door Mrs. Johnson opens is filled with giant bats.
== Memorable quotes ==
: David: Through sight and sound and faceless terror, through endless corridors by trial and error, ahead a blazing light does burn, and one door leads to the point of return.
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: Julia (to Barnabas, re: Adam): Whether he’s ordinary or not is not the point. He’s a living human being, and we are responsible for him.
== Dramatis personae ==
* Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
* Grayson Hall as Julia Hoffman
* Clarice Blackburn as Sarah Johnson
* Lara Parker as Cassandra Collins
* Robert Rodan as Adam
* David Henesy as David Collins
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* The camera lingers quite a while on the last door in the dream in order to give Clarice Blackburn enough time to return to her place in the drawing room.
* Sets used this episode: Dr. Lang's laboratory, Collinwood drawing room, and the dream room.
=== Story ===
* DREAM SEQUENCE: Mrs. Johnson experiences the dream curse. She is the fifth victim. She opens four doors, revealing a skull, a guillotine, a skeleton bride, and bats. The beckoner is David.
* SEDATIVE: Julia gives Adam another sedative, with an increased dosage so that it will last for at least 24 hours.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* In Act I, Jonathan Frid flubs a line: "Are you out of his--out of your mind?"
* It is stated to have been the day before yesterday when David lost his voice. However, the on-screen passage of time would suggest it was yesterday when it occurred. Also, Mrs. Johnson hasn't slept in two nights. Again, it was only yesterday when she began suffering the effects of the dream curse, meaning only one night has passed since Julia told Mrs. Johnson in 490.
*At the start of Mrs. Johnson's dream, when she wakes and raises her head, one of the pillows her head was resting on falls to the couch. If this was truly a dream, when she would wake from it, the pillow would still be under her head, but it is still on the seat of the couch. After she sees the bride behind the third door, someone can be heard snapping their fingers as if to signal a stage direction or special effect.
*The dream curse is supposed to go one step further for each person who has the dream, but when Mrs. Johnson has the dream, the headless creation is missing, the guillotine is in its place, and the bats are behind the door where the guillotine originally was. There are only ever four doors, and instead of going one step further with each person, some of the items are replaced by different ones.
* The rolling credits are uneven.
==External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 492 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 492 - The Terrible Twos
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 492: Think of a worse place
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 492: 5/14/68
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