270

As the day of Elizabeth's wedding arrives, both she and Carolyn rethink their plans for the future.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: My name is Victoria Winters. Soon the sun will set on Collinwood, and the night, in its inexorable journey across the land, will plunge the ancient house into darkness...a darkness of the spirit, a darkness of the mind, a darkness of the will. And it will seem at times that light and truth have been banished forever, leaving behind the desperation and fear of people who do not know what the darkness holds.
Carolyn searches through Jason's belongings until she finally finds a locked diary. She uses a knife to open it, but as she is reading, Jason enters the room and she drops it. He warns her she will regret being there.
Act I
Jason orders Carolyn to pick up the book, but she tries to leave instead. He grabs her and forces her to pick up the book and hand it to him. He asks her what she expected to find in it and asks if she thinks he is stupid enough to write down anything incriminating. He asks if she is still planning to marry Buzz and she tells him it is none of his business. He says he expects her to not only get married today, but to leave Collinwood, which will be his house after the wedding. He warns her to get out of his house tonight! He tells her if she does not do it willingly, he will get Elizabeth to make the request personally. He asks her to leave his room, and bids her goodbye.
Act II
At the Blue Whale, Carolyn has a few drinks and goes to the jukebox, but there is no one there to dance. She tells her troubles to the bartender and he suggests she go home as she has had enough to drink. Just then Joe Haskell comes in and tries to get her to leave, but Carolyn says she is waiting for her "about-to-be-groom". Carolyn tells Joe that Elizabeth wants to get rid of her, but she is too drunk to think coherently. Carolyn tries to get another drink, but the bartender is gone. Joe tells her there is nothing she can do, but Carolyn says "Isn't there?" Joe points out that marrying Buzz will probably satisfy Jason more than anything else. Carolyn says maybe she won't marry Buzz, and maybe there is something else she can do. She goes to leave, but Joe insists on driving her, so she tells him to take her to Collinwood. Later, we see Carolyn, having changed clothes, removing a pistol from a desk drawer.
Act III
Victoria is helping Elizabeth get dressed for the wedding. Elizabeth asks for a handkerchief that her grandmother used at her wedding, then refuses it on the grounds that this is not a real wedding. She recalls having the handkerchief at her wedding to Paul Stoddard and how happy she was and the plans they had, and how it went so badly. She contemplates going mad and what a mercy that would be, to have no mind at all, but Victoria calms her down and reminds her it is not too late to call off the wedding. Elizabeth worries over Carolyn, whom she has not seen, worried that she will marry Buzz. She asks Victoria to leave her alone for a few minutes.
Act IV
Downstairs Roger and Burke talk in the drawing room before being joined by Jason who offers everyone drinks, but no one else is interested. Carolyn comes down the stairs with a clutch purse in hand and joins the party just before the judge arrives. Jason asks Carolyn if she has plans for later on and she tells him that yes, she has plans. The judge greets everyone followed by Victoria, who talks briefly to Carolyn. The judge begins telling everyone how beautiful Elizabeth was the day she married Paul Stoddard, how people gasped when she entered the room because she was so beautiful and Jason assures him she still is as beautiful. Elizabeth overhears all this as she heads to the drawing room. As Elizabeth greets the judge, Carolyn checks to make sure the gun is still there, but closes her clutch before Elizabeth comes over to greet her. They get ready to start, everyone lines up on Elizabeth's half of the room except Carolyn, who has a clear shot at Jason. The judge begins and Elizabeth becomes confused when it is her turn to answer, then pulls her hand out of Jason's and yells "I can't!" When the judge asks her what she wants to say she faces the wedding party and confesses to killing Paul Stoddard with Jason's help. Everyone is shocked, most of all Carolyn, who drops the clutch with the gun in it.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Jason: (upon discovering Carolyn going through his diary) Very soon you're going to regret being here. You're going to regret being here very much.
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: Jason: (to Carolyn) Well, now, I expected you to be married today to the worthy...Mr. Buzz.
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: Carolyn: Mad? Who gets mad? Unless you mean crazy mad. I think that's where I'll go for my honeymoon. I think I'll go crazy.
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: Joe: I don't know where you're going, but I'm taking you there.
: Carolyn: All right. If you please, to Collinwood! I hear they're having a wedding.
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: Judge Crathorne: I'll ask the usual questions. You'll give the usual answers. Then, Jason, you'll slip on the ring, and after a few minutes it'll all be over.
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: Elizabeth: I killed Paul Stoddard. And that man (pointing to Jason) was my accomplice!
== Dramatis personae ==
* ← Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard →
* ← Louis Edmonds as Roger Collins →
* ← Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Stoddard →
* ← Dennis Patrick as Jason McGuire →
* ← Joel Crothers as Joe Haskell →
* ← Anthony George as Burke Devlin →
* ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters →
* ← Bob O'Connell as Bob Rooney → (uncredited)
* House Jameson as Judge Crathorne → (uncredited)
* Katherine Quint as Carolyn's hand (uncredited)
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* At nine speaking parts and one extra, playing Carolyn's hand, this is one of the largest casts for a single episode.
*Title announcement: "The part of Burke Devlin is being played by Anthony George."
* The credits are shortened to just include the copyright tag.
* The adhesive bandage on Dennis Patrick's hand as seen in the previous episode is now gone.
* The tall armoire seen in Elizabeth's room was originally from Victoria's room (2).
* This is the tenth episode since Barnabas' introduction in 210 not to contribute to the vampire storyline instead focusing solely on the blackmail storyline.
=== Story ===
* First appearance of Jason's room in Collinwood.
* Judge Crathorne also conducted the ceremony when Elizabeth married Paul Stoddard.
* Where is David Collins at the wedding ceremony? I can't imagine that he would have stayed up in his room when his aunt was getting married downstairs. Even if they didn't want him there, he certainly would have snuck down and watched secretly.
* TIMELINE: Day 94 begins, and will end in 274. Carolyn's arm is still in bandages from when she crashed the car.
==== Home Media ====
* This episode was the last complete episode to be released on VHS by MPI Home Video on Collector's Series Volume 54 on June 13, 1995. This was the first episode on the tape. It was followed by a bonus feature of episodes 499, 873 and 915 complete with the production slates and the original commercials.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* During Act I after Jason asks Carolyn, "Now, just how long did you think you could push me around?" a member of the crew says something that may serve as a cue to start the music. Moments later, the TelePrompter can be seen moving, reflected in the glass over his right shoulder.
*Dennis Patrick flubs a line when Jason is talking to Carolyn in Act I: "And then you thought she'd never marry one...marry me."
*The hand shown removing the gun from a drawer is meant to be Carolyn's. But when she is shown a moment later she is still wearing the turtleneck she had on at the Blue Whale. She has not yet changed into the dress shown removing the gun.
==End credits announcements==
*Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.
==External links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 270 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 270 - Here Comes the Bride
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 270: That's where I'll go for my honeymoon
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 270: 7/7/67
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