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|
| Tom Jennings | |
|---|---|
| Production Information | |
| Portrayed by | |
| First appearance | |
| Last appearance | |
| Episode count |
11 |
| Audio appearances | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Name |
Thomas Jennings |
| Also known as |
Tom |
| Age |
24 (at time of death) |
| Date of birth |
1944 |
| Year of death |
1968 |
| Manner of death |
Attacked and turned into a vampire by Angelique Collins
|
| Origin |
Maine, New England, USA |
| Profession |
Handyman |
| Supernatural abilities |
(As a vampire):
|
| Family members |
Chris Jennings (Brother)
|
| We have 2 images of Dark Shadows Tom Jennings | |
Handyman and vampire, Tom was used by Nicholas Blair, and killed twice by Barnabas.
Life and first death
Thomas "Tom" Jennings (1944 - 1968) was a handyman who worked for Roger Collins. Tom was the legal guardian of his younger sister, Amy Jennings, whom he was very close to. He also had a twin brother named Chris Jennings. Tom was helping Roger make sure the House by the sea was in good shape for Nicholas Blair to move into, when he stumbled upon the coffin of Angelique (554). He was attacked by Angelique, and hospitalized, but as he began to awaken (562), Nicholas sent Angelique to finish him off (563). Barnabas, believing that Tom would rise as a vampire, tried to immediately stake him, but found only an empty coffin (564).
Life and death as a vampire
Tom attacked Julia Hoffman in her laboratory at The Old House (566). A few days later he nearly succeeded in killing Julia at an abandoned crypt on the Collinwood Estate. Elizabeth Collins Stoddard followed Julia (who was under Tom's power) to the crypt and saw Tom's empty coffin, believing it to be saved for her. This alerted Barnabas to Tom's daytime resting place (570). Barnabas had been greatly worried for several reasons that he admitted, but none of them were about Julia. However, when Willie helped him look for Tom and Julia, Willie confronted him about how he felt about Julia, Barnabas did admit that she had been a part of his life for a very long time and that he cared for her more than he let on. Not willing to let Julia die and become a vampire under Tom's control, Barnabas wrecked his brain in trying to figure-out Tom's hiding place. After finding-out Elizabeth's information Barnabas returned and battled Tom, finally managing to stake him after the vampire was forced into his coffin as dawn broke (571), but when Elizabeth insisted they return, Tom's body had disappeared.
Return to undeath
Tom resurfaced in the cellar of Nicholas Blair's house when Nicholas dug him up and removed the stake (630). Nicholas proclaimed himself to be Tom's new master, telling him if he staked him again, he would be forever destroyed. Nicholas sent Tom to kill Victoria Winters as she slept, but Barnabas arrived in time to save her. Tom then followed Barnabas to the House by the sea and while Nicholas was gone, attacked Barnabas. Barnabas managed to make a cross out of two candlesticks and then forced Tom to stay up past dawn. Tom was consumed by flames less than 24 hours after he was returned from the dead (631). Tom also appeared in the dream Joe Haskell had before he went insane (658).
The ghost of Tom still wandered the House by the sea, tidying up the place when visitors stayed. (THBTS)
Family
Tom was survived by his twin brother, Chris, and younger sister, Amy. His parents were previously deceased (630) before his first death. Although he was originally said to have no family, Joe Haskell revealed that he was in fact his cousin (563) at the time of his illness.
Tom was very close with Amy, and she was so distraught over his death that she was sent to Windcliff Sanitarium to recover. She was later cared for by the Collins family before Chris took her away.
It was later revealed that Tom was the grandson of Lenore Collins, as well as the great-grandson of Jenny Collins and Quentin Collins.
Notes
- It was explained why, as a descendant of Quentin Collins, Tom did not suffer the curse of the werewolf as his twin brother, Chris, did - it only passed down to the eldest son of each generation. Chris, being the older twin, inherited the curse, so Tom was never affected by it.
- Tom Jennings was the first of four characters played by Don Briscoe.