419

← 419 →

Number	413
Timeline	1796
Narrator	Nancy Barrett
Writer	Gordon Russell
Director	Lela Swift
Broadcast	February 1, 1968 (Thursday)
Recorded	January 26, 1968 (Friday)
Video	Complete: Disc 45 Collection 6: Disc 1

We have 4 images of Dark Shadows 419

Nathan continues to romance Millicent; however, his wife shows up looking for money to keep quiet about their marriage.

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. It was here in this time that the darkest secret in the history of the Collins family was born. On this night, in the stark and forbidding confines of the old Eagle Hill Cemetery, one woman will begin to learn that terrible secret.

Barnabas Collins tries to get Josette du Prés Collins to leave, and tells her to forget all about him. She refuses, and the two embrace. He prepares to bite her neck.

Act I

Barnabas stops himself from biting Josette's neck at the last moment. He urges her to leave. Josette sees a change in Barnabas; he agrees that there has been a radical change. He continues to insist that she leave and she refuses, declaring her love for him. Barnabas has difficulty explaining to Josette how the curse prevents them from being together. Josette begs him not to send her away.

Act II

In the drawing room of Collinwood, Lieutenant Nathan Forbes is choosing a date for his wedding to Millicent Collins. He wants to be married in one month, but she says that's too soon. They are interrupted by Josette. The lieutenant lets it slip that he and Millicent are to be married; Josette has no reaction to the news. Nathan bids good night to the ladies and leaves. Josette seems to be in shock. She tells Millicent that she has seen Barnabas tonight. He has not traveled to England after all.

Act III

While drinking in the The Eagle, Nathan is joined by a woman, Suki Forbes, his estranged wife. Nathan abandoned her eight months ago with no money, so she came looking for him. She will leave town if he gives her the money that he has stashed away. While he goes to get it, Suki discovers from the bartender, Mr. Mooney, that Nathan is engaged to a local wealthy woman, Millicent Collins.

Act IV

Millicent questions how Josette could have seen Barnabas when he should be in England. She suggests it may have been a dream. Josette remembers her dream of looking for Barnabas in the cemetery. Millicent reminds her of her long journey in two days and suggests that she get some rest. She agrees and goes upstairs. Outside the mausoleum, Barnabas tells himself that he needs to stay away from Josette. He's afraid he can't resist her and he won't risk turning her into what he is. He loves her too much.

Memorable quotes[]

Suki: Well, I always know where to find you, don't I, Nathan? You're either in the arms of another woman or in the nearest tavern.

Millicent: I don't know what to think. I don't really like to think very much.

Barnabas: Some men live their lives terrified...terrified of the night and all that is dark. I will live my life eternally in fear of the light of day.

Millicent: What on earth would Barnabas be doing in a cemetery?

Suki: With you, Nathan, there is always a woman. Who is the poor soul?

Nathan: I tell you, there’s no one!

Suki: Nathan, if you weren’t feathering a nest with some local innocent, you wouldn’t be quite so anxious to get rid of me so quickly. So who is she?

Dramatis personae[]

Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
Joel Crothers as Nathan Forbes
Kathryn Leigh Scott as Josette du Prés Collins
Nancy Barrett as Millicent Collins
Jane Draper as Suki Forbes
Bob O'Connell as Mr. Mooney
George McCoy as The Eagle customer (uncredited)

Background information and notes[]

Production[]

First appearance of actress Jane Draper and the character Suki Forbes.
Bob O'Connell finally gets a credit for his work as the bartender because he has a significant amount of dialogue in this episode.

Story[]

The dress Millicent wears is the same one Carolyn Stoddard wore to the costume party in 280 when she dressed as Millicent.
First appearance of the tavern the Eagle (presumably which becomes the Blue Whale later in the 19th century).
A lady must be accompanied by a gentleman in order to enter the Eagle tavern.
Nathan abandoned Suki in Baltimore eight months ago. She has not heard from nor gotten any financial support from him since then. Nathan and Suki had an agreement that she would not follow him anywhere, and he would send her money once a month.
INTERNAL MONOLOGUE: Barnabas: Avoiding Josette.
TIMELINE: 10pm: Millicent and Nathan in the drawing room. March 2nd is only a month away. It was earlier when Josette had the dream. There are two more days until Josette leaves Collinsport. Barnabas "left for England" almost two weeks ago.

Bloopers and continuity errors[]

In Act I, Jonathan Frid and Kathryn Leigh Scott step on each other's lines when Josette pleads for Barnabas to let her help him and he tells her not to come near him (around 4:41).
Nathan is consulting a modern edition of The Old Farmer's Almanac. The design of the cover of the issue he's reading wasn't created until 1851.
According to the dialogue in Act II between Millicent and Nathan Forbes, it is February - still winter - yet there is no snow anywhere and the trees have leaves. Perhaps the winter of 1795 - 6 was unusually mild in Maine?
Millicent says that the 2nd of March is only a month away, which means it is February 2nd or thereabouts. The episode aired on February 1, 1968. So the writers may be saying that the past is relative to the real time the show aired. If it was 1795 the entire time Victoria was there, that would mean from 366 to 418 or thereabouts all happened in January of 1795. [This is incorrect. Victoria arrived in November 1795.] However, in 366, it was announced that the marriage of Barnabas and Josette would take place in a month's time on December 20, 1795. If it is now February, the year must be 1796.[ It's standard practice for soap operas to sync the in-narrative dates with the broadcast dates. They never match up naturally, for several reasons: First, a single day of story time often lasts for several broadcast episodes, and second, daytime soaps broadcast five days a week. It's very common for soap opera characters to celebrate Christmas morning, change their clothes during lunch, and celebrate New Year's Eve that same night. The viewers are not supposed to take these dates literally. Millicent says that the 2nd of March is a month away because this episode aired on February 1st.]
The door to the Eagle pops back open after Suki closes it upon entering.
At the end of Act III, Jane Draper tries to stifle a cough as the camera fades out.