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411 Gallery
411
Number

405

Timeline

1796

Narrator

Lara Parker

Writer

Gordon Russell

Director

Lela Swift

Broadcast

January 22, 1968
(Monday)

Recorded

January 16, 1968
(Tuesday)

Video

Complete: Disc 44
Collection 5: Disc 4

411 Gallery
We have 7 images of Dark Shadows 411

Barnabas finds that he requires blood to survive.

Synopsis[]

Teaser

A séance has been held in the great house at Collinwood, a séance which has suspended time and space and sent one woman on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past, back to the year 1795. There, each of the Collins ancestors resembles a present-day member of the Collins family, but the names and relationships have changed, and Victoria Winters finds herself a stranger in a sea of familiar faces. The Collins mausoleum at Eagle Hill Cemetery has been chosen as the final resting place of Barnabas Collins. On this night, two people have made a secret trip to the mausoleum. One has come merely as an unwilling servant; the other is there to ensure her own survival, for she alone knows that Barnabas will soon be one of the living dead.

Angelique, trapped in the secret room by Ben Stokes, opens Barnabas Collins' coffin, prepared to drive the stake through her husband's body. As she lifts the mallet, however, Barnabas awakens, bares his fangs, and grabs Angelique's throat.

Act I

Angelique is cowering by the door when Barnabas grabs her and asks their location. Ben waits outside, listening to every word. Angelique tells Barnabas they are in the mausoleum, and she wants to go back to the Old House. Barnabas wants to know why he was in a coffin. Barnabas then realizes he was in the coffin because he was dead. He wants to know why he has returned if he is dead. Barnabas asks why Angelique tried to prevent him from returning, but he thinks she is afraid of him, or rather, what he has become. Barnabas demands to know what has happened and what must be done. Angelique responds that Barnabas is one of the living dead, one who can live only at night. Barnabas remembers the other part of the curse, that anyone who loves him will die, and he thinks Angelique wanted to get rid of the curse because she knew she would be its first victim. Angelique tries to stop her husband, but Barnabas begins to choke her. With little struggle, Angelique's body goes limp. She is dead.

Act II

After kneeling over Angelique's body, Barnabas remembers how to exit the room and moves the portion of the step. He is surprised to find Ben in the mausoleum. Ben tells Barnabas that Angelique made him accompany her, and Barnabas lets the servant know Angelique can no longer hear him. Barnabas wishes to know what Angelique told Ben, who tells Barnabas the only way to make him stay dead is to drive a stake through his heart. Barnabas lets Ben know his presence causes a bit of a problem as he is no longer human. The rest of the world must continue to think Barnabas dead, and Barnabas needs to trust Ben. Ben offers to help Barnabas, and his new master accepts this. The first task is to get rid of Angelique's body, but they hear someone walking through the cemetery. A flash of lightning reveals Joshua Collins. Barnabas goes into the secret room to hide Angelique's body. Joshua Collins opens the gate and stares at Ben.

Act III

Joshua asks why Ben is in the mausoleum. Ben replies that he is paying his last respects to Barnabas, and tells Joshua that he followed the workmen from the Old House. Ben promises to tell no one else, but Joshua heard voices inside the mausoleum. Joshua accuses Ben of grave robbing, but Ben says he was just saying a prayer. Joshua opens the secret room door, where he finds a bat. The bat flies into the main room of the mausoleum. Ben tries to stop Joshua, but Joshua is satisfied that the room is empty, save the coffin. Joshua agrees to let Ben stay in the mausoleum as long as Ben reports to him first thing in the morning. After Joshua leaves, Ben returns to the secret room, where he is astonished to find Angelique's body alone in the coffin.

Act IV

Outside, Ben sees Barnabas materialize in front of him. Barnabas states that he has strange and remarkable powers. There is blood running from his mouth. Barnabas needs to return to his coffin by dawn. As the two enter the mausoleum, Barnabas now carrying his wolf-head cane, Ben notices the blood. Barnabas states that something has happened to some poor, unfortunate villager. Barnabas can no longer survive without other people's blood. Barnabas laments his decision to kill Angelique; he should have let her kill him instead. Barnabas would rather be dead than go through eternity as what he has become.

Memorable quotes[]

Barnabas: Why was I in that coffin? What have you done to me?

Barnabas: If anyone is to come into the mausoleum, tell them that I... that... no one is to come in here.

Ben: She said the only way to make you stay dead was to drive a stake through your heart.
Barnabas: She got here a little too late for that.

Barnabas: Ben, I would rather be dead than have to go through eternity as what I am...what I have become.

Dramatis personae[]

Background information and notes[]

Production[]

Story[]

  • Angelique alludes to the word vampire: "You have become one of the living dead, but one who can only live at night. Each dawn, you must come back to your coffin." The word was used for the first time in yesterday's episode.
  • TIMELINE: Day 164 begins, and will end in 412. It is dawn soon.

Bloopers and continuity errors[]

  • At the end of the previous episode, Angelique is wearing a cloak that slips off her shoulders when she raises the hammer to strike. In the reprise at the beginning of this episode, there is no cloak. Also, Barnabas's ring is on his left hand as he lies in the coffin at the end of the previous episode and is on his right hand in this episode.
  • As Angelique opens the coffin, the electric light on the floor that illuminates the coffin can be seen.
  • When Angelique attempts to use the stake on Barnabas, he grabs her throat with his left hand. On the cutaway, the left hand seems abruptly absent and a right hand grabs her from an odd angle. [It could be that he is grabbing her clothing first with his left hand and then grabs her throat with his right hand.]
  • Where did the lit candles in the secret room come from? They weren't there in the previous episode. Why are there candles in the secret room at all? Also, before the theme song, two of the candles are out. After the theme song, all the candles are lit.
  • Jonathan Frid flubs a line in Act I: "Doesn't tell you...Tell me where we are..."
  • As Barnabas and Angelique talk in Act I, a figure in a blue shirt at the lower right of the screen rises from a squatting position and steps out of the shot. This happens after Barnabas says, "Or rather, what I have become."
  • In Act II, Jonathan Frid comes in with a line too early. Ben says, "I wouldn't tell anyone," and Barnabas begins to say, "How..." on top of Ben finishing his line, "I swear it."
  • A boom microphone can be seen hovering at the top of the screen two separate times inside the Collins mausoleum.
  • Shortly after the Chromakey Barnabas appears to Ben in Act IV, there is a beeping sound.
  • The Chromakey Barnabas does not align correctly with Ben--Barnabas is too tall, and he looks over Ben's head when he is talking to him.
  • Before Barnabas and Ben enter the mausoleum in Act IV, there is faint audio of voices speaking. This is likely remnant audio from a previous recording that was taped over (a common practice).
  • Jonathan Frid flubs his lines as he enters the Collins mausoleum.

External Links []

Dark Shadows - Episode 411 on the IMDb

Dark Shadows Every Day - Episode 411 - Other People's Blood

The Dark Shadows Daybook - Episode 411

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 411: No longer really human

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 411: 1/22/68

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