344

Burke prepares to leave on a business trip to .
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: The nighttime mists that shrouded Collinwood have lifted in the morning sun. But no light of sun or stars can disperse the sadness that pervades the land around. A man beloved by all the town has been buried. But the grief over his death did not follow him into the grave. And on this day of death, a mysterious melancholy seems to have been borne in the heart of a young boy.
Sarah Collins plays London Bridge on her flute in an effort to cheer up David Collins, whom she has told about Dave Woodard's death. She has a feeling Woodard died terribly but refuses to tell David more. Sarah disappears, and David urgently begs her to return.
Act I
Later that morning, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard checks on her nephew and is astounded that he already knows of Woodard's death. David's attitude disturbs her greatly. He insists Woodard's death was terrible and never should have happened. As far as David is concerned, nothing matters anymore. He thinks Woodard died because he was the only person who believed him.
Act II
Downstairs in the drawing room, Elizabeth relates David's worrying behavior to Carolyn Stoddard and Victoria Winters. Carolyn offers to talk with her cousin. Victoria wonders if Dr. Fisher should be called again. Elizabeth considers it as she cannot understand how David could have fallen into such a deep state of despair.
In David's room, Carolyn brings him lunch and she, too, is taken aback by David's behavior. She confides that at age nine, a little boy called Randy was her friend. They played together every day until her tenth birthday. She never saw him again afterward, and, to this day, is unsure whether he really existed or was a figment of her imagination. David insists Sarah is real, and Carolyn believes him. At that moment, they both hear the mournful tune of London Bridge filling the room. David has a feeling an accident will occur very far away, very soon. Nothing can be done to prevent it.
Act III
Later, Elizabeth talks with Victoria and Burke Devlin about her offer of giving them the West Wing to live in. Again, Victoria pleads with her fiancé to accept. Elizabeth relates David's strange and frightening attitude toward Woodard's death. Burke agrees to mull over Elizabeth's offer while he's away in Brazil on a business trip. He and Victoria start to leave for a walk on the grounds. But David rushes downstairs to tell Burke goodbye. He thanks Burke for being his friend and expresses how much he will miss the older man. David behaves as if he's never going to see Burke again, which rattles Elizabeth and Victoria. Burke promises to take David on a fishing trip when he returns from Brazil. But David only despairs that events are already set in motion, and nothing can change it.
Act IV
Night is falling, and the fog rolls in from the sea. Victoria and Burke return from their walk and, having witnessed firsthand David's attitude, Burke agrees to living in the West Wing. Victoria's joy is short-lived, however, as she begins to worry over Burke's impending absence. She startles as she hears the Widows' wail, which reminds her of the legend of the women who lost loved ones on Widows' Hill. Burke tries to convince her it is only the wind, but the wailing sound persists as he takes her back inside Collinwood.
== Memorable quotes ==
: David: (to Elizabeth) I liked Dr. Woodard because he believed me, and maybe that's why he's dead.
== Dramatis personae ==
* Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
* Anthony George as Burke Devlin
* Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Stoddard
* David Henesy as David Collins
* Sharon Smyth as Sarah 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 342.
* The color videotape master of this episode is lost. However, a poor quality monochrome kinescope film copy does exist.
* Nancy Barrett returns to the cast after an absence of 30 episodes.
* Final appearance of Burke Devlin. (Quite the deadly week in Collinsport. Clearly, the death of Burke Devlin was in large part due to emphasis on the show changing from Burke's revenge to Barnabas, leaving Burke without a real motive. But the loss of Mitchell Ryan was huge as Ryan gave Burke that edge that could have continued as a foil for Barnabas as well as into other future characters. Anthony George did a capable job filling in but changed Burke into more of a supporting lead as the stoic boyfriend.)
* Sharon Smyth is credited simply as "Sarah" rather than as "Sarah Collins." This is the case for all but the earliest episodes with Sarah.
* During the scenes in David's room, the toy seen on his desk is a Mattel Major Matt Mason Space Crawler.
=== Story ===
*Carolyn had a best friend named Randy when she was nine years old. He had dark hair and brown eyes and always wore a red sweater, even in the summertime. They played practically every day, sometimes down on the beach. The last time Carolyn saw him was on her tenth birthday. Randy brought her a piece of sea glass like clear green water. She never saw him again. She isn't sure if he really existed or if she imagined him. Carolyn agrees with David that maybe he was a ghost. But he was real. Sometimes she misses him even now.
* GHOSTWATCH: Sarah's ghost appears to David. Later, Carolyn and David hear Sarah's flute playing "London Bridge."
* TIMELINE: Day 128 begins, and will end in 345. It was a "few days" ago when Dave Woodard died, (occurred in 341).
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* In the teaser, while the camera is focused on David, you can hear Sharon Smyth's footsteps as she leaves the set.
*In Act I as Elizabeth tells David that she wanted to tell him about Dr. Woodard's death herself, loud footsteps, coughing, and movement in the studio can be heard. Later, as David walks to the bedpost at the foot of his bed, the shadow of the boom microphone passes over his bed.
*The camera zooms out of focus on Elizabeth and back into focus on Victoria near the end of Act III.
* A boom microphone swings into view on the Collinwood terrace set during Act IV after Victoria asks to please go inside.
==External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 344 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 344 - Haunted0344
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 344: 10/19/67