When do you think Dark Shadows "jumped the shark" (i.e., was there a particular character, episode, or storyline when the quality of the show began to decline)?
When do you think Dark Shadows "jumped the shark" (i.e., was there a particular character, episode, or storyline when the quality of the show began to decline)?
It started to get cheesy when Nicholas Blair came on the show, but didn't actually jump the shark until the Levithons.
I think the beginning of the end came with the final 1841 story line. Through the entire series, until then, Lara Parker was always Angelique and Jonathan Frid was always Barnabas. These two characters provided a sense of continuity thru the various time travels and plot twists. Now, we are visiting the past, but no one from 1971 had traveled there. These actors are now completely different characters, and weak ones at that. This story was totally unecessary. The show should have ended when Barnabas and Julia returned to 1970. The final episode was completely lame. Of course, back in the day, TV shows were not usually given a good ending anyway. Things were usually left up in the air. You have to wonder though, if the writers did this turn for the worse on purpose, so it would get terrible ratings and get cancelled, since by this time, everyone connected the show was burned out.
Keith Prentice killed it, all by himself. He was unprepared and unconvincing, and a total distraction.
A total "WHAT?"
I know your comment is old, but I had to respond. I thought I was the only one who preferred the Leviathan storyline over the 1970 PT one! I wouldn't say that 1970 PT was a "jump the shark" storyline, I just couldn't get myself invested in it. I didn't like the characters I was used to being portrayed so differently, and the Quentin/Angelique/Maggie triangle grated on my nerves. I remember wanting it to hurry up and be over right after it had gotten started! It did grow on me a bit later, when it became a "who done it" mystery and felt almost like an Agatha Christie novel, but I still consider it the weakest plotline.
Parallel time was a good way according to Kathryn at least, for characters to explore "other sides of themselves". Many believe the series started going downhill with Leviathans, and tried to use 1840 to save it. Sadly it didn't help as good as it (and the following PT storyline) were in their own right.
The Leviathan sl went badly because the child was a supreme a-hole, then another a-hole, and finally Pennock, playing one of many holes on the show. It filled the Albert Hall. When he went awol, he was scared of a shadow, a bad shadow, and all he needed was to place paper on Nicholas' heart. How touching. Even Humbert didn't care to be faithful to the scene of his dead body and live ghost...a "so What?" moment.
And 1970pt was awful only when Quentin was talking.
Rebecca, as they say, well, eff you.
The beginning of Selby's end.
I wouldn't call it the beginning of Selby's end. Remember he played 4 different Quentins on the series plus the one he played on the big screen in Night and each one was a totally different person. He wasn't like Frid who basically had to play the same person in each timeline he was in (until 1841 PT when he played parallel Barnabas' son).
1897 Selby was IT. Fun.
What, they couldn't write some of that into other Quentins?
Although, I totally enjoyed 1995 Quentin. 1840 Q is okay. 1970pt Q sucked.
NODS was, well, different.
And I'm a fan.
They should have done a PT 1897 after 1840, to end the show.
Roger Davis's OTT acting
Killing off the Victoria Winters character
Roxanne
FYI, To the Fandom user of February 6, you miscounted, you only named 3. The one you named Quentin 1995 is the same as Quentin 1897 who comes to the present. You were right about 1840 and 1970 PT. The one you missed was 1841 PT.