Todd Blake

Todd Blake was the fiancé of Carolyn Stoddard. Whenever he wasn't spending time with her at her home at Collinwood, he would take her down to either the Blue Whale or the lounge at the Collinsport Inn.
In June of 1970, tragedy struck when Carolyn Stoddard became the victim of a vampire. Her body had been drained of blood and left propped up in the foyer of Collinwood. Todd was devastated by her death and volunteered as a pallbearer at Carolyn's funeral.
After the funeral, friends and family members retired to Collinwood for a late meal. Young David Collins ran into the dining room in an excited state proclaiming that Carolyn was still alive. Family friend, Professor Timothy Eliot Stokes, announced that the boy might in fact be correct. He elaborated that Carolyn was now a vampire. Todd was deeply offended by the Professor's remarks and ridiculed him over his involvement in the history of supernatural phenomenon. However, there was something in the professor's words that stayed in the back of Todd's mind.
After dinner, Todd drove down to the cemetery and entered the Collins family mausoleum. Carolyn stepped out from the shadows and bit Todd upon the neck. He survived the attack however, but was delirious from the acute loss of blood. He managed to stumble back towards Collinwood where he collapsed. Todd was remanded to the care of Dr. Forbes, who took note of the fact that he suffered from the same symptoms as Carolyn Stoddard and two other attack victims. Todd remained bedridden for the next few days, and was moved to Collinwood to be protected from his undead fiance.
Several nights later, Carolyn used her vampiric powers to summon Todd to her. Todd rose from his bed at Collinwood, overpowered the deputy guarding him, and wandered down to the Collinwood stables where Carolyn had secreted her coffin, where she again bit him. Professor Stokes and Sheriff Patterson's deputies quickly tracked them down and sought to destroy Carolyn. Although weakened by both attacks Todd tried in vain to protect her, but Jeff Clark held him back while Professor Stokes drove a stake through her heart.
== Notes ==
*In the closing credits of House of Dark Shadows, Todd's name is erroneously listed as Todd Jennings. Within the context of the actual story however, his name is Todd Blake.
*Todd Blake is the only primary character from House of Dark Shadows that did not possess a direct counterpart in the original Dark Shadows television series. On the show, actor Don Briscoe played Tom and Chris Jennings in the present-day sequences. Todd has some similarities to both characters, being romantically involved with Carolyn Stoddard like Chris and being attacked by a vampire like Tom, though Todd survives.
*Todd's fate after Carolyn's destruction is not revealed.
*Todd and Carolyn's subplot was later used for Joe Haskell and Daphne Collins in the 1991 Dark Shadows series.
Category:House of Dark Shadows Characters