484

Dr. Lang experiences the dream curse. At its climax he sees his headless creation laughing at him.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: From inside the great house at Collinwood, the curse of a witch reaches out into the night. At the Old House, Barnabas Collins knows that he is the intended victim, and unless his plans for escape are carried out soon, he will again be a member of the living dead.
Willie Loomis tries to sneak back inside the Old House, but is caught by Barnabas. Barnabas tells him he is going to send him back to Windcliff, where he will spend the rest of his life.
Act I
Willie begs not to be sent back, and Barnabas says he will give him one more chance. He explains to Willie that there is a doctor who needs an assistant for an operation. Julia Hoffman, who had just entered the house, overhears this, and realizes that is the real reason Barnabas wanted Willie released. Julia believes it is a bad idea for Willie to assist Dr. Eric Lang, as he is too uncontrollable, as evidenced by the fact he went to see Maggie Evans.
Act II
Eric stops by the Old House, and Julia tries to convince him not to use Willie as an assistant. Eric suggests instead that Julia could assist, but she refuses to have anything to do with the operation. Eric says he will try to find another assistant, but he tells Julia that assistant or no, he will go through with the experiment tomorrow.
Act III
At the Evans cottage, Jeff Clark can't stop thinking about the dream. Eric knocks at the door and tells Jeff he needs his help with the experiment. Jeff feels compelled to tell him about the dream. After telling Eric the dream, he feels a relief. He realizes that he was meant to tell Eric specifically about the dream, just as Maggie told him about her dream.
Act IV
That evening, Eric is reading in his study when he falls asleep. He starts to have the dream. Like the other dreams, it starts with three knocks. This time it is Julia who is the beckoner. Julia leads him to another door, which she opens, and Eric reluctantly enters, while Julia shuts and locks the door behind him. Eric then hears Julia's voice repeating the verse Maggie and Jeff heard. Through the smoke, Eric sees a line of doors. He opens the first, and sees the glowing skull. He opens the second door, and the guillotine blade falls. He then opens a third door, and is confronted by a headless body reaching its arms out to him. At this point, he awakens.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Julia: 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.
== Dramatis personae ==
* Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
* Grayson Hall as Julia Hoffman
* Addison Powell as Eric Lang
* John Karlen as Willie Loomis
* Roger Davis as Jeff Clark
* Duane Morris as Adam (uncredited)
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* The Collinsport Afghan makes an appearance in this episode on the couch in the Evans cottage while Jeff is reading.
=== Story ===
* DREAM SEQUENCE: Dr. Lang experiences the dream curse. He is the third victim. He opens three doors, revealing a skull, a guillotine, and his headless creation. The beckoner is Julia.
* TIMELINE: It was last night when Jeff experienced the dream curse.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* The camera is aimed too high and reveals a studio light.
* Offstage coughing can be heard in Act I after Barnabas says. "After almost two hundred years, I'm going to be free."
* A boom microphone and shadow appears as Julia enters the Old House parlor.
* Grayson Hall bobbles her line "Willie doesn’t know the first thing about a medal— medical laboratory.”
* It appears the smoke machines are putting out too much smoke during the dream sequence, at one point totally obscuring everything.
* The closing credits show only cast members.
==External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 484 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 484 - Chekhov's Gun
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 484: Not so much for you as for me
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 484: 5/2/68
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