535

The dream curse reaches its terrifying climax.
== Synopsis ==
: Another day will soon come to an end at Collinwood, and when night comes, a frightening moment from the past will come with it to be relived in all its horror. Inside the great house of Collinwood, Victoria Winters continues to suffer from the effects of a strange and terrible dream. She knows now that the fate of one man, Barnabas Collins, is in her hands. For this reason she lives in mortal fear that the next person who enters Collinwood may be Barnabas, and she knows if it is and she sees him, he may be doomed forever.
Julia tries to get Victoria away from Collinwood, but Barnabas arrives. Despite Julia's objections, he is resigned to accepting his curse. Victoria says she doesn’t want to see Barnabas die... and they can't let Cassandra win. Victoria remembers that Barnabas died in 1795, but doesn't seem to notice that that means Barnabas can't be his descendant. Barnabas tells Victoria he loves her, and would go to his grave before seeing her life destroyed. Victoria tells Barnabas the dream. Julia's lamentations cause Victoria to realize her fondness for Barnabas; strangely, they use the past tense. Cassandra comes in; Julia slaps her without a word. Cassandra vows revenge; Victoria says she deserves "a great deal more than just a slap on the face". Cassandra gloats.
Barnabas refuses Julia's offer of a stimulant, saying he’s already digested a sleeping pill. Barnabas tells Julia that he's ordered Willie to stake him after the end of the dream. Julia reluctantly agrees as Barnabas falls asleep. Barnabas has the dream, with Cassandra as his beckoner. He hears the tune and sees the Skull; hears the laugh and sees the Bride; sees the guillotine; then hears the "head of blazing light" while seeing a blazing light... he is taken, much like Victoria, to the Old House. He walks around, waiting for her... but only wakes up shouting "Cassandra!" to Julia. He feels he’s won, and sends Julia down to get Willie. He hears a knock on the door, opens it, and is attacked by a bat.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Barnabas: My fate was sealed the moment Angelique came back.
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: Barnabas: I have loved very few things in my lifetime, but, Vicki, I love you. I will go to my grave before I see your life destroyed!
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: Julia (re: Barnabas): There's so little time left now. It seems as though time has always been his greatest enemy. Whenever he's needed it most, it's always run out on him. It's been more cruel to him than any witch could ever be.
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: Cassandra: (after Julia slaps her) You'll be sorry that you did that. 
: Victoria: You deserve a great deal more than just a slap in the face!
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: Cassandra: Through sight and sound and faceless terror; Through endless corridors by trial and error; Ahead a blazing light does burn; And one door leads to the point of return.
== Dramatis personae ==
* Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
* Grayson Hall as Julia Hoffman
* Lara Parker as Cassandra 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 532.
* There are no cast and crew credits.
=== Story ===
* SEDATIVE: Barnabas takes a pill that will "put [him] to sleep and out of [his] misery". Julia offers him a sedative before she knows he already took one.
* DREAM SEQUENCE: Barnabas experiences the dream curse. He is the twelfth and final victim. He opens four doors revealing a skull, a skeleton bride, a guillotine, and a blazing light. When he awakes, there are three knocks on the door, and a bat attacks him so he will revert to a vampire. The beckoner is Cassandra.
* TIMELINE: It was this morning when Barnabas saw Victoria.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* Grayson Hall flubs a line in the teaser: "He can't...you, you can't tell him the dream..."
* At the beginning of Act I, Jonathan Frid bumps the Collinwood front door into something (likely his foot) as he closes it.
* A boom microphone can be seen above Barnabas and Julia in the foyer as Victoria tries to avoid telling her dream.
* In Act I, when Barnabas enters the drawing room, tape marks for blocking can be seen on the floor.
* In trying to explain why Cassandra is targeting him as the final victim of the dream curse, Barnabas tells Vicki that he is a direct descendant of the original Barnabas Collins and "can only guess that all those who bear his name are destined to bear the same fate." Vicki then says, "Yes, the history books say that Barnabas Collins went to England, but he didn’t. He stayed here, and he died soon after he married Angelique. He died in the Old House." But if Vicki knows that Barnabas died before having any children, how can she still believe that this Barnabas is a direct descendant of the original?
* When Barnabas takes the pill, there is a squeaking noise off-stage.
* When Barnabas opens the last door in the dream and as Cassandra repeats the end of the poem, shadows (perhaps boom mic) move across the door frame.
* During the dream, when the light is superimposed over the image of the Old House exterior, the image of the inside front doors appears too early and then disappears (to return in the shot from the inside).
* When Barnabas enters the Old House in the dream, there is squeaking and other noise off-stage.
* After Barnabas has entered the Old House in the dream, he stops to the entrance to the parlor and looks down at the floor, seeming to be looking for his mark to align himself with the next close-up shot.
* Just before Barnabas awakes, Grayson Hall is seen moving in the background as she returns to her seat.
* After Barnabas wakes up and Julia says there must be some reason this dream was different, there is squeaking noise off-stage (this may very well be a camera moving).
==External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 535 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 535 - The Point of Return
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 535: The dream begins
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 535: 7/12/68
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