299

Julia warns Barnabas to stay away from Victoria.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: It is nighttime at Collinwood, and a balmy breeze blows in from the sea. All seems peaceful and serene, as if a once turbulent world had reached some final peace, as if there is no terror in this night. But the seemingly serene darkness only serves to hide forces of terror and destruction.
Victoria Winters stands in the courtyard at Collinwood gazing up at the moon. She is unaware of Barnabas Collins' presence. He slowly moves up behind her and, when he reaches out to caress her neck, Victoria turns around in fright.
Act I
Barnabas apologizes for startling her. They both admire the peacefulness of the nocturnal darkness. Barnabas waxes lyrical, wondering if a lifetime of night would appeal to Victoria. He is pleased to hear that it would. Victoria admits their romanticized viewpoint is something they both share. Barnabas invites her to the Old House to look at some family history books he discovered in a trunk. She has to decline due to her date with Burke Devlin. At that moment, Julia Hoffman interrupts, claiming she needed a breath of fresh air. Victoria excuses herself, but not before thanking Barnabas for his invitation. Hearing this angers Julia, and she threatens not to proceed with the experiments if Barnabas persists in seeing Victoria. She points out that he and Victoria can never be anything more than friends - never. Barnabas becomes upset, denying Julia's insistence that Victoria is in love with Burke. Again, she warns him to keep his distance from the governess.
Act II
Upstairs in her bedroom, Victoria tries to decide on a dress to wear on her date. Julia pays her a visit, helping her pick one out. Speaking frankly, Julia tries to dissuade Victoria from spending time with Barnabas. Victoria - having only thought of Barnabas as a dear friend - learns he has romantic feelings for her. Julia reiterates her belief it would be best if the two of them remained apart.
Act III
Later that night, Burke and Victoria stroll out into the courtyard as the church bell tolls in the distance. They admire the stars (of which Burke knows all the names) and talk about his father, who walked out on the family when Burke was nine. Victoria speaks of her favorite nurse at the Hammond Foundling Home. The pair then talk of their feelings for one another, and kiss passionately. Burke notes how radically his plans have changed since he returned to Collinsport "just about a year ago." They both admit to falling for each other right from the start, although each one tried to ignore the attraction. Burke promises to never let Victoria go and kisses her again. Unbeknownst to the lovers, Barnabas watches from the shadows, clearly devastated.
Act IV
Victoria and Burke continue to kiss in the foyer and make plans to see each other tomorrow night. Julia, on her way to return some books to the library, interrupts. Victoria bids them both goodnight and heads up to her room. Burke speaks with Julia alone in the drawing room, angrily railing at her for involving Victoria in her research. He feels that it is causing Victoria's overstimulated imagination to run wild. Burke is surprised to find Julia in complete agreement with him. She promises to try her best to keep the governess away from the legends and stories of Collinwood, as well as from visiting the Old House. Later that night, Barnabas sneaks into Victoria's room while she is sleeping. He moves to bite her as he had tried before in his house, only to find himself unable to harm her. Instead, he plays Josette's music box and gazes longingly at Victoria before leaving the room.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Barnabas: Imagine what it would be like to exist only at night, only when the world is at peace. It would be a lifetime of moonlight.
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: Barnabas: A sensitive girl like Miss Winters could never fall in love with a man as crude as Burke Devlin.
== Dramatis personae ==
* Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
* Grayson Hall as Julia Hoffman
* Anthony George as Burke Devlin
* Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* First appearance of Collinwood's courtyard.
*There is an unusual occurrence with the teaser and the beginning of Act I in this episode. Usually, Act I picks up immediately from the end of the teaser. In this episode, however, the beginning of Act I repeats the end of the teaser. At the end of the teaser, Barnabas startles Victoria as he comes up behind her, and that action is repeated at the beginning of Act I.
*The Petofi box can be seen in the upstairs hallway as Julia walks toward Victoria's room.
*There are no cast or crew credits for this episode.
=== Story ===
* Burke's father taught him the names of all the constellations and how to chart a boat by them when Burke was seven years old. People didn't think Burke's father was worth very much, and he walked out on the family when Burke was nine years old.
* Victoria was given a doll, which she still owns, by an Irish nurse back at the foundling home named Ina O'Donnell, whom Victoria adored and who had an Irish brogue and laughed all the time. Nurse O'Donnell gave Victoria the doll one Christmas (this is one of the few times that Christmas is mentioned on the show).
* If this is before midnight in August 1967, the star cluster, which Burke points out to Victoria to show how smarts and romance go together, would not have been visible. The are in Taurus, which would dominate the early evening in March and April before disappearing behind the sun for several months and then reappearing in predawn skies.
* Barnabas is lucky the floorboards don't creak in the great house, the Old House, or the Evans cottage, and that Victoria and Maggie are deep sleepers.
* Barnabas enters Vicki's room whilst she is sleeping through the door; however, in 289 he entered through the window, suggesting his bat form.
* When Barnabas opens the music box in Victoria's room, his ring is on his left hand again. Apparently he can't decide which hand to wear it on.
* TIMELINE: Day 110 takes place. Day 111 begins, and will end in 301. 1am: Burke leaves Victoria. 3am: Barnabas enters Victoria’s room.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* Barnabas wears his ring on his left hand in this episode, whereas usually he wears it on his right.
*Burke states that it has been about a year since he returned to Collinsport (occurred in 1). However, the onscreen passage of time would suggest it's actually been closer to four months, five months at the most. This reference to a year having passed refers to how long the series has been broadcasting by this point.
*When Burke is talking to Julia in the drawing room, Anthony George seems to have forgotten his lines. At one point he says, "It seems to me," and he pauses and looks at the camera/teleprompter, and then picks up again with "It seems to me..."
== End credits announcements ==
* Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.
==External links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 299 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 299 - A Human Life
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 299: When darkness falls
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 299: 8/17/67
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