581

Carolyn gives Adam a present. Under Angelique's influence, Jeff begins the experiment.
== Synopsis ==
:In the terrible darkness of this night while Collinwood sleeps, a frightening encounter will take place in the Old House on the Collins estate. There, in a cellar laboratory, a young man feels a sudden impulse to destroy a creature that has not yet been brought to life.
Angelique finishes feeding on Jeff but despite all her powers, she apparently can't suddenly make Jeff into a neurosurgeon, and he refuses to run the experiment. They argue, and Jeff ascertains that there is someone more powerful that Angelique is afraid of. After telling her that he guarantees she'll die of a botched experiment if he proceeds, she agrees to give him 24 hours to amass all the needed knowledge.
Back in Collinwood, Adam breaks into Carolyn's room and says he's decided to come back. Carolyn, by now used to having weird things wander into her room and wake her up, says she's happy to see him, but insists on having an understanding that they are just friends. Adam pretends to agree, under instructions from Nicholas. She gives him a green sweater that she must have picked up from Collinport's Big and Tall store, and he cries with happiness. He tells her that no one had ever given him anything before, which puzzles Carolyn who speculates that someone must have given him something when he was a child. He tells her no one is like her and he never wants to hurt her, and runs off.
Later, Jeff comes to the door and Carolyn answers. On finding that Vicki is out, he refuses Carolyn's attempts to get him to wait by saying that it will be night soon, and that his life is not his own at night. Carolyn is again puzzled, having evidently forgotten all the symptoms from a couple months ago when she was a blood slave to Barnabas.
Over at the lab, Adam wanders around looking at the body, when Angelique finds him and tells him to go. He initially refuses, not recognizing her authority, but she tells him she is there on Nicholas' behest and he leaves rather than risk having her tell Nicholas of his disobedience.
Ever more determined to hurry up the experiment, Angelique forces Jeff to start the process with her tied in as the life essence.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Angelique: The shadow of death is never as far away as we think. It's never seen until that split-second before it takes possession of us. It has possessed me more than once...so that I'm no longer afraid of it. Death and I are old friends...very old friends.
----
: Jeff: It'll be getting dark soon...and nothing will be the same.
: Carolyn: Jeff, what are you talking about?
: Jeff: My life won't be my own anymore...and I don't know why.
== Dramatis personae ==
* Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Stoddard
* Lara Parker as Angelique Bouchard Collins
* Roger Davis as Jeff Clark
* Robert Rodan as Adam
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 579.
* The character of Carolyn Stoddard last appeared in episode 578, portrayed by a different actress. Nancy Barrett was unable to appear. She still appears to be a little ill. Her opening scenes show blemishes on her left cheek, which disappear later in the scene.
* A dark vertical band can be seen on the left of the screen, affecting one camera.
* There are no cast or crew members credited.
=== Story ===
* INTERNAL MONOLOGUE: Adam: Just a creature? (This is a rare occasion where an internal monologue occurs whilst someone else is in the room and in midconversation; see also 607); Angelique: In a few hours I will be free.
* TIMELINE: Angelique plans to come back tomorrow night so that Jeff can perform the experiment. Day 236 takes place. 4:30pm: Jeff arrives at Collinwood. Victoria has taken David out for the day; she'll be back at dinnertime. 11pm: Adam in the Old House cellar. Day 237 begins, and will end in 584. 1am: Jeff begins the experiment with Angelique.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* The narration states that Jeff will attack the body, but that does not really match where the reprise starts.
* Angelique's reflection can be seen in the round mirror; however, it is established that vampires don't cast reflections, as demonstrated in 288, 704, 718, 915 and 1035.
* Roger Davis begins a line too early. When Angelique says they will have to do the experiment tomorrow night, Jeff starts to say "You're...," but Lara Parker is not finished with her lines. When she finishes, Jeff says, "You're crazy."
* In Act I, when Angelique speaks of "the shadow of death," there is a lot of off-stage noise.
* Near the beginning of the scene with Carolyn and Adam in Carolyn's bedroom, Nancy Barrett coughs.
* The glass over a picture on the wall of Carolyn's bedroom briefly reflects a camera.
* When Adam leaves Carolyn's bedroom, it appears that he turns to the right. However, the door to the west wing, which is where he is supposedly going back to, is on his left.
* The bite marks on the right side of Jeff's neck, which are considerably high over his collar in the reprise at the beginning of this episode, are completely gone when he goes to Collinwood and sees Carolyn at the front door. Since in previous episodes these bite marks take a while, usually days, to go away and Carolyn has a bird's-eye view on the area of his neck where he was bitten, they must have disappeared completely from the night before, or more than likely the continuity people missed this and didn't have Jeff wear a scarf or turtleneck.
==External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 581 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 581 - Light My Fire0581