459

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Number	453
Timeline	1796
Narrator	Thayer David
Writer	Ron Sproat
Director	Dan Curtis
Broadcast	March 28, 1968 (Thursday)
Recorded	March 22, 1968 (Friday)
Video	Complete: Disc 49 Collection 7: Disc 1

We have 13 images of Dark Shadows 459

After Naomi dies, Barnabas swears revenge against Nathan.

Synopsis[]

Teaser

A séance has been held in the great house of Collinwood, a séance which has suspended time and space, and sent one girl on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past, back to the year 1795. There, in the master bedroom of the Collins mansion, a woman hovers between life and death, the victim of a curse placed on her son. He waits below, hoping beyond hope that the curse will not becarried out.

Barnabas and Ben wait in the drawing room for word of the fate of Naomi. Barnabas vows that Lt. Forbes will pay for telling her about him. Joshua enters to announce that Naomi has died.

Act I

Joshua confesses to Barnabas that he thinks he is incapable of loving anyone. Barnabas says that may be his salvation since the curse only destroys those who love him. Joshua says he must end the curse once and for all. He has sent Riggs into town with a silver candelabra and instructions to have a silversmith melt it down and create six silver bullets. He learned in Boston that a silver bullet fired into the heart of a vampire will destroy him. Ben announces that Miss Winters is gone. Barnabas, realizing that Victoria Winters has a price on her head, knows that Forbes has taken her into the village. Joshua pleads with him not to cause any more deaths, but Barnabas must have his revenge. At the Eagle, Nathan is counting the money he has received from turning in Miss Winters. Suddenly, a bat appears outside the window.

Act II

Barnabas appears before Nathan and informs him that Naomi is dead because of him. Nathan says he never intended for anyone to die. Barnabas questions if he ever meant any harm to Daniel and Millicent. Nathan takes out his pistol saying he has captured the Collinsport Strangler. Barnabas taunts him to shoot. Nathan does, but the bullets have no effect. Barnabas tells him he can't die because he is already dead. He says he won't kill Nathan now; he wants Nathan to have some time to consider his fate. But when the clock strikes nine o'clock he will die. Barnabas vanishes, and Nathan runs out of the bar in fright.

Act III

Joshua tells Ben to get Riggs to help him move Barnabas' coffin back to the secret room of the mausoleum. At sunrise he will shoot his son. Nathan runs into the house in a panic and tells Joshua he shot Barnabas but the bullet had no effect. Joshua explains that Barnabas is a vampire. Nathan says Barnabas will kill him at nine o'clock. Joshua says he almost feels sorry for him but there is nothing he can do. Ben tells Nathan that there is a way he can save himself. He must drive a wooden stake through Barnabas' heart in the daytime as he sleeps in his coffin. Ben then laughs as he reminds Forbes that he won't live that long.

Act IV

Nathan looks at the grandfather clock in the foyer; it is four minutes until nine o'clock. Nathan goes to the study to be with Joshua thinking Barnabas won't kill him with his father present. Joshua tells him nothing will stop Barnabas. Nathan notices the crossbow and wooden arrow hanging on the wall and lets Joshua leave. Nathan loads the arrow in the crossbow and waits for Barnabas to appear. Nathan aims the crossbow at the door. At nine o'clock Barnabas opens the door, and Nathan fires the arrow. The arrow strikes Barnabas who screams out in pain.

Memorable quotes[]

Dramatis personae[]

Background information and notes[]

Production[]

This is the first time an episode is narrated by a male voice (Thayer David).

Story[]

Joshua reveals that he learned from an ancient book of witchcraft in Boston that a vampire can be destroyed by a silver bullet through the heart. This is the first time this method of destroying a vampire is mentioned in the series.
INTERNAL MONOLOGUE: Nathan: Destroying Barnabas.
TIMELINE: Barnabas is expecting Riggs back in several hours. At 9pm Nathan will die; 8:30pm: Nathan flees The Eagle; 8:45pm: Joshua and Ben in the drawing room. Joshua plans to destroy Barnabas tomorrow at sunrise. 8:56pm: Nathan panics.

Bloopers and continuity errors[]

Barnabas has his cane, although when it was last seen, Nathan had it.
Joshua tells Ben to get his revolver. In the real world, the first revolver wasn't invented until 1814.
At the end of the teaser, a boom mic shadow passes over Joshua.
In Act I, when Joshua says, "She said something to me before she died," Barnabas says, "You didn't know that." He then corrects himself and says, "What was that?"
In Act I, Jonathan Frid steps on Louis Edmonds' line. When Joshua says, "I wanted to love her," Barnabas starts to say, "But you..." at the same time Joshua finishes with "She was my wife."
When Nathan begs for help, Joshua isn't sure how he feels about it. Nathan says, "He threatened to kill me." Joshua answers, "I'm surprised." After a brief pause he says, "I'm surprised he didn't."
As Nathan opens the front doors of Collinwood to listen to the dogs howling, a boom mic is seen in the foyer.
Nathan says to himself that the arrow for the crossbow is made of wood, but its appearance and its glinting in the light make it clear it is made of metal.
In the last act, the clock in the study starts to chime nine o'clock even though the clock itself is showing a few minutes before nine.