306

Barnabas tells Victoria that Burke has been investigating him.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: It is the night that holds the innermost secrets of Collinwood. And now another night has fallen. And before it is over, we shall be one step closer to the dark secret behind an evil we have lived with.
Sarah Collins has led David Collins to the Mausoleum at Eagle Hill Cemetery, where she instructs him on how to open the secret room behind Naomi Collins' tomb. Once inside, the children find a coffin. Sarah urges David to open it. David reluctantly agrees.
Act I
The coffin is empty. Sarah explains that it hasn't always been that way: someone was inside it once. David, cold and anxious to return home, closes the coffin. Sarah protests; after all, she has shown David a "secret" and he promised to play with her. Insisting on going back to Collinwood, David promises not to tell anyone about the secret room. He and Sarah depart.
At the Old House, Barnabas Collins is preparing to go out when Dr. Julia Hoffman enters the parlor. He is planning on visiting Victoria Winters and quickly becomes fed up with Julia's questions. After putting Julia in her place, Barnabas reveals his plan to handle the crises the doctor has "mishandled". He cites Maggie Evans' escape from Windcliff Sanitarium as an example. Instead of relying on Julia, Barnabas will deal with Burke Devlin on his own. Julia worries Barnabas will harm Burke, but the vampire assures her there are other ways to deal with the situation.
Act II
As the grandfather clock in the foyer chimes 9:30 PM, David returns to Collinwood. Victoria catches him as he tries to sneak upstairs. Worried that something terrible might have happened to him, she demands to know where David has been, and he tells her he was playing with Sarah. They discuss David's "shy, strange little friend"; Victoria remains curious about how Sarah knew that Maggie was still alive. David refuses to tell Victoria about the secret place he and Sarah were playing at. He promises not to break his word about being out after dark. Victoria expresses interest in meeting Sarah. But David tells her Sarah is afraid of meeting other people. When he remarks upon the clothing Sarah always wears, Victoria remembers the costume party at the Old House and the little girl she saw at the top of the stairs.
Act III
Later, Barnabas arrives at Collinwood and speaks with Victoria in the drawing room. He apologizes for his behavior during the announcement of her engagement to Burke. He expresses concern for her happiness, which brings the topic of conversation to Burke. Victoria is shocked and appalled to learn her fiancé has hired a private investigator to pry into Barnabas' life. She asks Barnabas to let her handle the situation and promises to put an end to it.
Act IV
Barnabas thanks Victoria for her help. Julia comes in and asks about David; Victoria explains he returned "half an hour ago" after having been playing with Sarah. This disturbs Barnabas greatly, and he excuses himself. As Julia heads upstairs, David emerges onto the balcony proclaiming his hunger. While Victoria leaves to get him something from the kitchen, Julia takes the opportunity to question David about Sarah.
Meanwhile, Barnabas has gone to Eagle Hill Cemetery where he calls for Sarah. She is inside the Mausoleum playing her recorder but stops once she hears Barnabas' voice. He urges her not to stop and tells her he wants to take her home. Barnabas enters the Mausoleum only to find it empty. He continues to call for Sarah, begging her to come back.
== Memorable quotes ==
: David: Come on, Sarah. If somebody was buried in this coffin, he'd still be there. I mean, dead people don't just walk away.
: Sarah: Sometimes they do.
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: Barnabas: (to Julia) You are a meddlesome and domineering woman. If the modern man is willing to tolerate your kind of woman, that's his problem. But I will have none of it.
----
: Barnabas: Doctor, problems are not solved only through violence. Sometimes all that is required is a little finesse. 
== Dramatis personae ==
* Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
* Grayson Hall as Julia Hoffman
* David Henesy as David Collins
* Sharon Smyth as Sarah Collins
* 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 309.
* The bronze statue is absent from its usual place on the foyer central table. It was removed to allow an unobstructed camera shot of Victoria and David sitting on the black wooden chair; in fact, this is one of the few times in the series when someone actually sits on it.
* A dark vertical band can be seen on left of the screen, affecting the picture output of one camera.
=== Story ===
* GHOSTWATCH: Sarah's ghost appears to David (continued from previous episode). Later, Barnabas hears Sarah's flute playing "London Bridge."
* TIMELINE: 9:30pm: David returns to Collinwood. Victoria is going to meet Burke in one hour minutes.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* In the teaser, Alexandra Moltke uses the first person pronoun "we" as if she is Victoria Winters even though at this point in the series, the teasers are no longer being spoken by the narrator in character.
*At the end of the previous episode, when David said he would help Sarah open the coffin, he walks around her to the foot of the coffin (closest to the camera) and opens from there. In the teaser of this episode, he doesn't move to a different spot after agreeing to open the coffin and helps Sarah from the head.
*After the children close the coffin, as David is telling Sarah he should go and she tries to get him to stay, the two stumble over and hesitate between lines quite a bit, with Sharon Smyth often looking off stage.
*As the camera pulls back in the first Old House scene, Grayson Hall can be glimpsed beside the staircase awaiting her cue.
*When Barnabas is scolding Julia about her "failures," as he cites Maggie's escape from Windcliff, Jonathan Frid seems to forget his lines, hesitating and looking off stage at the teleprompter. He also has difficulty with his lines in Act III when apologizing to Victoria about his reaction to her engagement announcement.
*As Julia asks Barnabas where he is going as the puts on his cloak in the Old House drawing room, a loud noise can be heard off stage.
*During the scene in Act II when David returns to Collinwood and he and Victoria speak in the foyer, a boom microphone shadow appears and the shadow of the camera can be seen moving on the wall. There are off screen noises as they speak. 
* As Sarah "plays" her recorder, Sharon Smyth just does random finger movements that clearly has nothing to do with the music.
== End credits announcements ==
* Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.
==External links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 306 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 306 - Out of Order
The Dark Shadows Daybook - Episode 306
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 306: Private little investigations
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 306: 8/28/67
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