498

Barnabas hires Sam to age Angelique's portrait, instructing him to make her look about two hundred years old.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: Even in the brightness of the day, the atmosphere of Collinwood is poisoned by the evil which makes itself known at night. When the night returns, a dream will also come again, but this time it will seek out one who lives at the Old House on the Collins estate, one who has already been told the dream and knows he cannot escape the terror that awaits him with the coming of sleep.
Willie Loomis is cowering on the staircase of the Old House when Barnabas enters. Willie tells him he is scared. David had stopped by earlier and told him the dream. Now he knows he will have the dream. Barnabas adds, “And I will be one step closer to the dream.”
Act I
Barnabas tells Willie how he killed Angelique in 1795, but somehow, she has come back. He realizes the portrait must be the key. Barnabas tells Willie he must go to Collinwood after dark and steal the portrait. Barnabas will make sure the latch on the window is unlatched. He is to bring the portrait back to the Old House, and then he is to take a note to Cassandra telling her he wants her to come to the Old House at 10 o'clock tonight. If his plan fails, he has very little to lose. If it succeeds, Cassandra Collins will disappear from Collinwood and return to the 18th century where she belongs.
Act II
Adam is listening to the tape recorder again, and hears Lang's voice. By the time Barnabas is coming down the stairs with food for him, the tape is again playing music. Adam, imitating the tape, says “If both live.” Barnabas wonders who taught him those words. Willie appears with the portrait and tells Barnabas he had no trouble getting it. When Barnabas pats Willie on the shoulder to say good work, Adam gets a little upset. Willie shows Adam the portrait, and Adam becomes scared. Barnabas says Adam instinctively knows evil. Barnabas gives Willie the letter to give to Cassandra, and Barnabas says he will be back in about two hours. Willie taunts Adam, and Adam tries to strike out, but Willie remains just beyond Adam's reach.
Act III
Barnabas visits Sam Evans at his cottage and tells him he has a job for him. He is to ask no questions, but will give him $500 in cash if he does the job. It has to be completed tonight. Barnabas shows him the portrait of Angelique, and asks him to age the face, making it as old as he can. He is to do it gradually, in steps, using a brush with hard bristles. Sam agrees. Barnabas tells him he must not start until 10:15, and not a moment before.
Act IV
At 10:00, Cassandra leaves Collinwood to go to the Old House. She arrives at 10:10. Cassandra apologizes for being late, but she was helping Vicki; the portrait she bought is missing. Barnabas tells her she has made a mistake by waiting so long to either kill him or put the curse back on him, whatever it is she is trying to do. Cassandra says Barnabas is talking nonsense, that he is not in his right mind. At that moment, Sam starts working on the portrait, and Cassandra feels pain on her face. Barnabas calls her Angelique, but she says that's not her name. Barnabas says he has found a way to destroy her. He tells her how she will grow older and older, until she is nothing but dust. Barnabas tells her to look at her hands, and she sees them all wrinkled and bent out of shape.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Barnabas: (about Adam upon seeing Angelique's portrait) In his innocent way he knows evil when he sees it, and it frightens him.
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: Cassandra: Barnabas, I think the family should find you a good doctor...because I don't think that you're in your right mind.
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: Barnabas: (to Cassandra) You're going to get older and older and older until you shrivel up into nothing, nothing but the bones and dust of your old age.
== Dramatis personae ==
* Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
* John Karlen as Willie Loomis
* David Ford as Sam Evans
* Lara Parker as Cassandra Collins
* Robert Rodan as Adam
* Addison Powell as Eric Lang (voice only, uncredited)
* Judith Lowry as Cassandra's aged hands (uncredited)
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 500.
* David Ford returns to the cast after an absence of 103 episodes. (He was last seen in 394, as Andre DuPres.) He has had a haircut and is sporting a pasted-on mustache.
* Sets used this episode: Old House foyer and drawing room, Old House basement, Evans cottage living room, Collinwood foyer.
=== Story ===
* TIMELINE: Day 209 takes place. It was last night when David had the dream. Barnabas wants Cassandra to come to the Old House at 10pm tonight. 8:10pm: Barnabas asks Sam to start work on Angelique's portrait at 10:15pm. 10pm: Cassandra leaves Collinwood. 10:05pm: Sam prepares to start work. 10:10pm: Cassandra arrives at the Old House. 10:15pm: Sam begins work on the portrait.
* Accounting for inflation over time, Barnabas' $500 offer to Sam equals $4,411.29 in 2023 dollars.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* In the teaser, when Willie says he's afraid, there is a banging noise off-stage.
* At the beginning of the teaser, when the camera is on a close-up of Willie's face as he's sitting on the Old House stairs, we see a significant gouge in the banister.
* Jonathan Frid flubs when he refers to Professor Stokes as "Professor Strokes". He also stumbles when talking to Willie about stealing the portrait, "No, of course not. You . . . [garbled stumbling] . . . There will be time enough after it's dark." He again appears to flub as he begins to say, "How fortunate...unfortunate" to Cassandra. Also, "What you tried to do me all to me all along."
* Toward the end of the episode, when Barnabas backs Cassandra into one of the Old House parlor pillars, the pillar shakes.
==External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 498 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 498 - Diff'rent Strokes
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 498: One step closer to the dream
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 498: 5/22/68
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