269

Saved from throwing herself over Widows' Hill, Elizabeth must now make some important decisions about her future.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: My name is Victoria Winters. Death walks among us, calling upon those he has chosen. And they follow him, for there is no alternative. He chooses his meeting places well and arranges the time with great care. But there are those who seek him out and ask for escape from the burdens life imposes.
Victoria goes to Elizabeth's bedroom and sees she is not there. When she goes to turn out the table light, she sees the family Bible, and realizes what is happening. At Widows' Hill, Elizabeth walks close to the edge of the cliffs and looks down, hearing the Widows again.
Act I
Victoria arrives just as Elizabeth is about to throw herself over the cliff and yells for her to step away. Elizabeth tells her to leave and she will come back to Collinwood later. Victoria grabs Elizabeth and tells her if she jumps she will take them both over the side, which stops Elizabeth. Victoria tells Elizabeth that for 18 years she has fought well and never shown weakness and there will always be hope as long as she is alive. Elizabeth says she killed her husband, and she has to pay for it. Victoria tells her she needs to tell everyone, and let others judge her, probably less harshly than she has judged herself. Elizabeth brings up Carolyn, who she has ruined, but Victoria counters that if she kills herself she will destroy Carolyn and set Jason free and unpunished. Elizabeth walks towards the cliff, then turns and grabs Victoria in an embrace.
Act II
Victoria and Elizabeth walk back into Collinwood and Victoria helps Liz take her coat off. Elizabeth walks around the foyer and drawing room in a daze, having thought she would never see it again. Victoria offers to tell Carolyn why her mother is marrying Jason, but Elizabeth says Carolyn would only hate her, and if she must know, she will tell her another time. Elizabeth asks Victoria to not talk about what nearly happened and Victoria says it is never a good idea to talk about things that nearly happened. Victoria tells her she saw a date that was erroneously put into the Collins Family Bible and offers to erase it for her. As she leaves, Jason walks in and says he thought Elizabeth was not home. Victoria tells him they decided to go for a walk. Jason tells her he would like to speak to Elizabeth alone, but Elizabeth says she wants Victoria to stay and for him to go. He produces a wedding ring and goes to put it on her hand when she pops up off the couch and says "I won't put that ring on!"
Act III
Elizabeth insists that she will not wear the ring and Jason tells Victoria he must insist she leave. Victoria tells him Elizabeth wants her to stay, but Elizabeth tells her she can go, that she can deal with Jason. Victoria leaves and Jason asks what she has told Victoria. Elizabeth gives a vague response. She tells Jason she will put the ring on at the ceremony and not before. Jason responds the marriage will be tempestuous, and Elizabeth tells him it will never be a real marriage. At The Blue Whale, Burke talks to someone on the telephone, saying the information he has on Jason is perfect and he should keep sending it. Victoria comes in and Burke apologizes for calling her here on such short notice, but out of concern for her, he has had Jason investigated and he believes he has information about him that will convince Elizabeth to call off the wedding. It seems Jason is wanted in several countries for smuggling, extortion, and other crimes but has always left the country before they could get sufficient evidence on him. There are several places that want to question him again because they think they could break through his alibis and bring him up on charges. Victoria tells him it is too late, but Burke convinces her to let him try to talk to Elizabeth.
Act IV
Back at Collinwood, Burke tries to give Elizabeth the report, but she refuses to look at it. Jason walks in and asks what is happening. Elizabeth lies and says Burke came to wish her well, but Burke tells Jason he tried to talk Elizabeth out of marrying. Burke gives Jason the report and Jason asks Elizabeth if any of it bothers her, to which she says "No." Jason returns the papers to Burke and invites him to the wedding before going to bed.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Elizabeth: There isn't any more time. Tomorrow I am marrying Jason McGuire. I've betrayed the Collins family, I've betrayed my daughter, and worse, I've betrayed myself.
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: Victoria:  Mrs. Stoddard, where there's life, there's always a hope.
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: Jason: You've become very good adept at giving very vague answers.
: Elizabeth: At last we finally have something in common.
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: Elizabeth: It's one thing to recognize hopelessness, but it's another to admit it. I've admitted it, and there's nothing left to do.
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: Jason: Forget about Jason McGuire? Impossible.
== Dramatis personae ==
* ← Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard →
* ← Anthony George as Burke Devlin →
* ← Dennis Patrick as Jason McGuire →
* ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters →
* ← Bob O'Connell as Bob Rooney → (uncredited)
* Tom Gorman as Blue Whale customer (uncredited)
* Marin Riley as Ghost (uncredited)
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 267.
*Title announcement: "The part of Burke Devlin is being played by Anthony George."
* When Jason gives Elizabeth the wedding ring, Dennis Patrick can be seen with an adhesive bandage on his index finger. Ironically, Joan Bennett has an adhesive bandage on her left thumb.
* This is the ninth episode since Barnabas' introduction in 210 not to contribute to the vampire storyline instead focusing solely on the blackmail storyline.
=== Story ===
* In the previous episode, it was the night before the wedding, and Carolyn was surprised that Elizabeth was still up and expected a lecture about being out so late. This episode takes place on the same night, but Victoria meets Burke at the Blue Whale, and Jason seems to be wide awake. [Addendum: There doesn't seem anything especially unusual in this episode. Burke has clearly called Victoria urgently, so it's not really a social call, and the Blue Whale, as a bar, is likely open quite late. It wouldn't be particularly surprising that Jason is up late either.]
* GHOSTWATCH: The ghosts of the widows call to Elizabeth.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* When Elizabeth and Victoria are struggling at the top of Widows' Hill, Joan Bennett flubs a line, saying, "Let me go of me!"
*Victoria and Elizabeth step on each other's lines in the drawing room after they return from Widows' Hill. After Victoria agrees not to tell anyone about Elizabeth's suicide attempt and Liz thanks her, there's a hesitation, and Liz starts to say something that sounds like it will be "Will you...", but Victoria jumps in and says, "There is another thing, though..." (the date of death Elizabeth wrote in the family Bible).
*Alexandra Moltke tells Burke she has to get back because of the marriage, then corrects herself and says wedding.
== End credits announcements ==
* Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.
==External links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 269 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 269 - Loving the Monster
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 269: To recognize hopelessness
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 269: 7/6/67
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