163

Dr. Guthrie continues to investigate Laura, who conspires with Roger to take David away with her forever.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: My name is Victoria Winters. These are strange days at Collinwood, days in which wonder and terror lend in equal amounts to create something that does not seem to be of this world. And for a young boy, the barrier between what is real and what is not rapidly disappears.
Dr. Guthrie returns from upstairs, but the portrait of Laura and David in flames has changed back to Josette. David regrets that 'they're' always taking the painting away from him, the painting of his mother and now him too. Guthrie states there was no picture of David and his mother above the mantle.
Act I
David tells Guthrie about the portrait, which sometimes scared him. He relates how his mother's face came out of the picture at one point. He relays how the picture looked, unfinished, with his mother rising out of the flames. David relates how today, the space was filled by him, in the picture with his mother, like he'd always been in that space which was waiting for him. Laura and Roger conspire at the Cottage. He laments his status and likens it to being "a poor relation". They try to figure out a way to work around Elizabeth's wishes. Roger thinks that Carolyn has become a duplicate of Elizabeth, a little tycoon. Laura laments Vicki's intercession in her getting to spend more time with David. Laura wants him and Roger wants her to have him; Laura admits to her argument. Roger says she needs patience. Laura relates her failed sleepover, and creepily states that she only needs one night with him, that's all, and he'll never be bothered by the boy again... he'll belong to Laura... completely.
Act II
Roger thinks that would be a very good thing. Laura wonders what they should do about Victoria. Roger says Elizabeth isn't a problem, she had vowed that she'd accept it if David genuinely wanted to go with Laura, although there will be quite the homecoming when Elizabeth comes home. Laura thinks the only reason Roger wants Laura to have David is to irritate Elizabeth, although his motivations don't concern her in the least. Roger states that they know each other so well, it's a wonder they could never make a go of their marriage. Laura states that that's because they know each other too well. Roger states that it was because she 'encouraged' other men, it made him jealous. She says it didn't, it hurt his pride; he only wanted her because Burke wanted her. And winning Laura was the only thing in which Roger ever beat Burke. Roger asks Laura why she wanted him. Laura admits she thought she’d like the kind of life Roger could give her, being a "Collins of Collinsport." But of course, there was also the matter of their being accomplices at Burke's trial. As Roger puts it, "perjury makes strange bedfellows." Laura is laughing wryly when David runs in, telling his parents he's seen his painting again. Roger states that that's impossible. He says he saw it at the Old House, to which Roger has forbidden him 100 times from going alone. He says he wasn't alone; Roger is mad that Victoria took him there. David states he was with Dr. Guthrie, who wanted to see the Old House and Josette, who wouldn't appear. David relates the experience seeing the painting and tells Roger and Laura that Guthrie didn't see the painting. David admits he felt like crying when the painting was taken away again. Roger plans to have a talk with Guthrie. Laura asks if Roger meant what he said about David's spending the night. He says he'll arrange it. Laura tries to warm David by the fire; he remembers how different the painting was because he was in it. Laura wants him to forget the picture and claims not to know what the painting means, unless it means that David wants to be with him forever. Wouldn’t he like that?
Act III
David agrees to spend the night here and learns that Roger has already given his permission. Laura invites David to stay permanently. Laura tells David of the wonders she can show him; David is concerned about Elizabeth and Victoria's well-being and job, respectively. David doubts that Victoria will find another boy to love just as much as she loves David. Laura asserts that it's Victoria's job to love him; David doubts that's it. Laura asks about David's new friend, Dr. Guthrie, who David says is nice but isn't very smart. Turns out he asks too many questions about Collinwood, the Old House, their ancestors, etc. He wants to know everything. Laura worries about Guthrie's curiosity. Guthrie is admiring the portrait of Josette when Roger comes into the Old House. They discuss Roger's forebears until Roger forbids David from coming near Guthrie, who he feels is encouraging David's hallucinations. Guthrie believes the best way to get it out of the boy is to talk about it. Roger states that he is the legal guardian of David and as such, he alone can forbid Guthrie's seeing the lad. Guthrie asks about Laura and admits to having a great interest in her.
Act IV
Guthrie visits Laura, about whom she was just thinking. David's just left. Laura's not what Guthrie expected because kids rarely talk about how lovely their parents are. Laura says David's a very imaginative boy and that Collinwood has hampered his outlook. Laura doesn't believe in ghosts, but she does believe that the events of the past can haunt them. Laura states that Roger never was much of a father to David—-in fact, Roger's the bigger baby of the two. Laura states that although she and Roger are now separated, it's not much different than when they were married. She had a great rival for Roger's affections, Roger himself. He won out because she could never think as much of him as he thought of himself. Laura wants to be friends with Guthrie; Guthrie agrees, for David's sake. Laura admits she and Elizabeth don’t get along, although she tried in the beginning. Laura states Elizabeth never thought she was good enough for Roger—scratch that, good enough to be a Collins family member. Guthrie asks how sorry Laura will be if Elizabeth is gone for a long time; Guthrie wants to know what Laura makes of her illness. Laura says that's his field, and he admits he's never seen anything like it in this world. Laura asks if there are other worlds; he says there might be. Laura finds this an interesting observation which they must discuss at length further. Laura finds the infinite possibilities available on this world make it hard to conceive of another. Guthrie wants to discuss their different beliefs sometime; Laura asks how long he'll be around. Laura states she's strictly part of this world and hence won't be any help to Guthrie's investigations into Elizabeth's illness, which is the factor that determines his length of stay at Collinsport.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Roger: Nobody pays the slightest attention to my wishes. It's almost like being a poor relation.
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: Roger: Perjury does make strange bedfellows.
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: Laura: (speaking of Roger) Even when we were together we were separated. You see, I had a great rival for Roger's affections: Roger himself. He won out. I never could think as much of him as he thought of himself.
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: Roger: Liz has these girls bound to her by a series of revolting promises....Have you seen Carolyn? All of a sudden she's a tycoon. It's as though they'd made a duplicate copy of Liz.
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: Laura: That's all I need, Roger--one night...one night alone with him and you'll never be troubled by him again...because he'll belong to me...completely.
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: Laura: Why don't you tell me about your new friend Dr. Guthrie, hm?
: David: Well, he's very nice, but he's not so smart.
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:Laura: Well, Roger was never really a father to him [David]. In fact, he's the bigger baby of the two.
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: Dr. Guthrie: I've never seen anything like it [Liz's illness]...not in this world.
: Laura: Are there any other worlds?
: Dr. Guthrie: There might be.
== Dramatis personae ==
* ← Louis Edmonds as Roger Collins →
* ← Diana Millay as Laura Collins →
* ← John Lasell as Peter Guthrie →
* ← David Henesy as David Collins →
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 164.
* During the end credits, a voice over trailer mentions Jean Simmons as a star in the musical "." She would later go on to play Elizabeth Collins Stoddard in the 1991 Dark Shadows revival series.
=== Story ===
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* Despite Dr. Guthrie having left David alone for a minute or two at the end of the previous episode, he claims to have been "looking for" him at the beginning of this one. David has never left the room where Dr. Guthrie last saw him, so why didn't he look there first?
* While Laura and Roger are talking in the cottage, a boom microphone hovers into view.
* Diana Millay refers to Collinwood as Collinswood when talking to David in Act III.
*As she has done before, Laura mentions (here to Dr. Guthrie) that David has grown up at Collinwood, but that is not the case. He has lived at Collinwood for only a relatively short time, having come there shortly before the series began when Roger moved from Augusta back to Collinsport.
== End credits announcement ==
*Samuel Goldwyn presents "Guys and Dolls" starring Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, and Vivian Blaine tonight in color here on ABC.
*Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.
==External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 163 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 163: Poor relation
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 163: 2/8/67
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