194

Elizabeth worries about her return to Collinwood, while Carolyn wonders why her mother was so desperate to return.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: My name is Victoria Winters. The afternoon sun is bright over Collinwood. A cold, fresh wind blows in from the sea. The great house is quiet and peaceful at last, and many fears that once existed have been laid to rest. But traces of fear do remain, especially in the mind of a small boy.
David, wearing his Sunday best, is trembling with anticipation to see Elizabeth, whom Roger left with from Boston very early this morning. David admits that he's a little afraid because he remembers how Elizabeth looked and that is what gives him his fear.
Act I
Victoria reassures David; the car pulls up. Elizabeth and Carolyn come up to the house, and Elizabeth hugs both Victoria and David, who are relieved to see her. Roger wants to put Elizabeth to bed, and Carolyn reminds her that those were the doctor's orders. Tomorrow Elizabeth can give the orders. Victoria takes Elizabeth upstairs; Carolyn asks Roger how the business is doing, concerned about Elizabeth's sudden panic. Roger assures her that Collins Enterprises is thriving, and speculates that David was the reason Elizabeth wanted to return. Carolyn negates this with evidence, and recalls the fervor with which Elizabeth wished to be kept at Collinwood prior to and during her attacks. Roger admits that though they are siblings, he lacks much in the understanding of Elizabeth's inner workings. Carolyn wonders why Elizabeth never left the house in 18 years.
Act II
Upstairs, David tells Elizabeth about how much he learned while Elizabeth was gone. Laura taught him a lot about ships; she learned it from her father, who captained a fishing ship. Laura was smarter than David thought she'd be. He admits to missing Laura; David is glad to be at Collinwood. Victoria knocks and tells David that dinner's ready; he wants to take it à la carte here at Elizabeth's room. Elizabeth bids him leave; she and Victoria speak privately. Elizabeth is glad David has only fond memories of his mother; Victoria recaps the scenario and they are both grateful. Victoria speaks of Dr. Guthrie's death; Elizabeth inquires about the investigation Guthrie conducted. She is upset that it happened at Collinwood, and learns that Guthrie's fingering Laura was the result of a deductive process. Elizabeth queries about Guthrie's time spent in the closed-off wing, the attic, and the basement, in each of which he spent considerable time per Victoria. Elizabeth looks pale to Victoria; Elizabeth claims she's tired and needs rest.
Act III
Later, Roger catches Elizabeth en route out of her room and scolds her. Elizabeth doesn't like being fussed over, preferring to be the fusser. Roger likes that Elizabeth is back and admits admiration for Carolyn's running of the house. Elizabeth asks how Roger feels about Laura. Roger finds it hard to believe that the woman who perished was Laura—he doesn't know what kind of a creature it was. Roger believes everything is fine now. Elizabeth asks about the things she was wearing before being taken to the hospital in Boston. A certain necklace with a key at the end of it was removed from around Elizabeth's neck and placed in her dresser drawer. Roger admits curiosity about the key and gets a cold icy stare. Roger laughs it off, but Elizabeth coolly states "I don't question you. I think it's a wise policy for both of us." Downstairs, Carolyn and Victoria discuss Elizabeth's reluctance to leave Collinwood; Victoria reminds Carolyn of what she told her in 5 about her waiting for her missing husband. Carolyn no longer believes this because of the look on Elizabeth's face when she woke up. Victoria points out that Elizabeth was out for five weeks (since Elizabeth was hospitalized in 161). Carolyn admits some validity in Victoria's statements but thinks Elizabeth carries a hidden burden that forced her back to Collinwood; she wants to know what it is so she can help her.
Act IV
The clock strikes 2:30AM. Elizabeth goes to the basement and spends about 10 minutes in a locked room down there. She is startled by Victoria, who came down to investigate noises which turned out to be Elizabeth. Elizabeth receives a scolding from Victoria for disobeying doctor's orders. Elizabeth claims to have been checking on the house. Victoria assures Elizabeth that no one was in the locked room; Elizabeth unintentionally snaps at her then immediately apologizes. Victoria has Elizabeth's confidence, enough to be trusted that she won't tell anyone about seeing Elizabeth in the basement this night. Elizabeth asserts that her reasons for keeping the basement visit a secret have nothing to do with Victoria. Victoria agrees; Elizabeth worries.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Elizabeth: Vicki, you know that I am fond of you, don't you? More than fond. . . . And I think I can trust you. I can trust you, can't I?
== Dramatis personae ==
* ← Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard →
* ← Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Stoddard →
* ← Louis Edmonds as Roger Collins →
* ← David Henesy as David Collins →
* ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters →
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* The original videotaped master of this episode has been lost; however, a filmed Kinescope copy does exist.
=== Story ===
* Laura's father was a captain of a fishing ship.
* TIMELINE: Day 50 takes place. It's been a "few weeks" since Elizabeth was last at Collinwood (as seen in 160). Elizabeth was unconscious for 5 weeks. Day 51 begins, and will end in 196. 2:30am: Elizabeth goes down to the basement. 2:40am: Elizabeth leaves the room in the basement as Victoria finds her.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* Ohrbach's is misspelled as Orhbach's in the credits.
* In Act I, after we hear the car with Elizabeth driving up to Collinwood and David closes the window, we hear someone clearing their throat--sounds like it may be Joan Bennett, though the camera isn't on her yet.
*Vicki tells Elizabeth that Dr. Guthrie searched the closed-off wing thoroughly and went into the basement "quite a few times," but in episode 192 in the hospital, Carolyn told Elizabeth that she wasn't aware if Guthrie went into the closed-off wing and said he didn't mention going into the basement at all. While it's true that Vicki and Carolyn would not have mutually complete knowledge of Guthrie's movements, both were heavily involved with Guthrie's investigation, and it seems unlikely they would have such a divergence of awareness.
*When Vicki and Carolyn come from the back of the foyer to the staircase, there is a large shadow of the boom mic moving on the staircase wall.
*During the scene in the basement with Liz and Vicki, Joan Bennett says the line "I want you to promise that you won't tell anyone that you saw me down here last night" when it should have been "tonight".
* Oddly, no reference is made to Vicki already having upset both Matthew and Liz by investigating that door in the basement on more than one occasion (going back to episode 6), and Vicki makes no mention of the sobbing sounds she had previously heard coming from there. 
== End credits announcement ==
* Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.
==External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 194 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 194: Traces of fear
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 194: 3/23/67
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