161

The family struggles to move on after Elizabeth is moved to a hospital.
== Synopsis ==
: My name is Victoria Winters. The removal to a hospital of a woman with a mysterious ailment has caused a great deal of consternation to many people at Collinwood...especially one young woman, who feels the heavy weight of new responsibilities.
Carolyn regrets her decision to remove Elizabeth; Victoria defends her ideals and states that they should trust Dr. Guthrie. Carolyn wants to know what's going on. Victoria says Dr Guthrie will find out. Carolyn worries that the terror stalking Elizabeth won't 'stop at the front door.' She also has the dread sensation that she'll never see Elizabeth alive again.
Act I
Victoria thinks Carolyn's being gloomy after she worries that if Elizabeth dies, she'll never forgive herself. She wants the house torn down, she doesn't want Collinwood, which has been left to her. Guthrie enters and over some coffee speculates that a psychic force is attempting to harm Elizabeth.
Act II
Roger demands answers from a very busy Carolyn. He wants to know why she changed her mind about Elizabeth. Carolyn evades Roger's persistent questioning about Dr. Guthrie, what kind of doctor he is, etc. Roger wants Guthrie, who is at Collinwood at Carolyn's invitation, to leave. Battle lines are drawn between Roger and Carolyn.
Act III
Guthrie and Victoria talk about the effect Elizabeth's catatonia is having on Carolyn. Victoria suspects that Elizabeth's illness and insistence on staying at Collinwood has something to do with David and Laura and Roger. Victoria states that David is the heir to all of Collinwood. Victoria says that David isn't normal--extraordinary things happen around him. She tells him about the Old House, where she admits to seeing the ghost of family ancestor, Josette Collins (126), who seems to watch over David. Carolyn tells Roger that she has the legal power to run Collinwood and she only asks he respect her wishes; his position won't change. Roger believes Elizabeth was out of her mind putting Carolyn in charge and plans to talk to the attorneys. Roger refuses to promise Carolyn that he'll cooperate with Guthrie.
Act IV
Roger keeps his promise by refusing to talk with Guthrie when he asks. Guthrie plays the pathology game; Roger states it's psychosomatic. Guthrie states that psychosomatic injuries are neither plain nor simple as Roger thinks. Guthrie plays the custody card and Roger plays his snippy card. Guthrie wants to know why a reasonable woman like Elizabeth wouldn't want David to be in the custody of his mother, with whom he would surely be better off. Roger states that he gave up trying to figure out Elizabeth's actions before he gave up short pants. He begins to stonewall Guthrie. Roger tells Guthrie he doesn't believe him and wants him to leave. Roger suggests that Guthrie talk with Victoria. Guthrie plans to talk with David; he also wants to go to the Old House with the boy to see what happens.
== Memorable quotes ==
: 
: Roger: Let's go into the drawing room. It's too public here...everybody acting as though they have nothing better to do than to come and go.
:Carolyn: Uncle Roger, it is the front hall.
----
:Dr. Guthrie: Well, the physical part of your mother's examination has been completed. And now I'll examine the psychic part, the part that relates only to her mind. You see, in, uh, in parapsychology, we deal with extrasensory perception, the psychic contact between parties known and unknown. By testing, we found that extrasensory perception is actually a part of the human experience, the uncharted areas of the mind.
: Carolyn: Well, what does all this have to do with my mother?
: Dr. Guthrie: Well, I believe that your mother has had a psychic contact of some sort.
: Victoria: There's no doubt in your mind about this?
: Dr. Guthrie: Well, she's in a psychic trance. Why I don't know yet. But it seems to me that there's something in the atmosphere of this house that threatens to harm her. What it is, I don't know. But that's why it was necessary, for her own safety, to have her moved away from here.
: Carolyn: What could it be? What could want to harm my mother?
: Dr. Guthrie: That's just what I hope to find out.
----
: Carolyn: Sometimes I wish we'd just close up this house and get away from this town. I get so tired of being a Collins of Collinsport. Look at my mother. She married my father, a Stoddard, but she never stopped being a Collins. Now I can't either. She's left it all to me.
----
: Carolyn: Uncle Roger, I'm not bright enough for your riddles.
: Roger: Don't be modest, my dear.
----
: Roger: I've given up trying to predict Liz's responses before I gave up short pants.
----
: Roger: I like you Carolyn. I really do. Now that your mother's gone, you're the only opponent worthy of me.
: Carolyn: Flattery will get you nowhere. What do you want?
----
: Roger (to Dr. Guthrie): Nothing could help to understand about Liz. She's a law unto herself.
== Dramatis personae ==
* ← Louis Edmonds as Roger Collins →
* ← John Lasell as Peter Guthrie →
* ← Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Stoddard →
* ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters →
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 159.
=== Story ===
* TIMELINE: Day 36 takes place.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
== End credits announcement ==
* It takes an iron fist and a shrewd mind to outwit and outfight those who would stop the Iron Horse. Ben Calhoun has both. Share his adventures with the "Iron Horse" tonight at 7:30/6:30 Central Time, followed by "The Rat Patrol," both in color on ABC. 
* Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.0161
==External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 161 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 161: Something in the atmosphere
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 162: 2/6/67