Dark Shadows - General Discussion

[azshadowwalker]

Yeah, Julia had quite the oddball specialization. Originally, she was a shrink. I can't remember if they mentioned the blood disorders thing immediately, or if that was introduced later.

[azshadowwalker]

I always thought Barnabas was a creep. He screws the maid while awaiting his acceptable "lady", then tosses the maid aside. Rich dude who used women even when he was human.

[azshadowwalker]

I used to have every episode recorded on VHS from it's run on the Sci-Fi Channel (pre-Syfy days). I lost them in a move several years ago. Someday, but will have the money to replace them.

[atomationage]

Julia was originally treating Maggie at Windcliffe for traumatic amnesia.  Then she discovered Barnabas

[atomationage]

Barnabas was quite the villain for a while, always threatening people.  He became more lovable later when he was more involved with his family.   Angelique was originally more sympathetic, until her witchy ways were revealed.

[azshadowwalker]

I will take the rest of my Barnabas thoughts to his thread. Suffice to say here that I always thought he was every bit as bad as Angelique, if not worse.

[azshadowwalker]

In the Angelique thread, I mentioned that I felt human Barnabas was a creep who used the maid, then tosses her aside for a "proper lady". I know the show eventually wanted me to see Barnabas as a hero, but I just couldn't. He was always about his rich family, and he did horrible things to people whom he considered lesser with the excuse that it was for the benefit of his family.

The storyline that made me hate him the most was the Jekyll and Hyde storyline, when he set Buffy Harrington (?) up to be repeatedly raped and beaten in order to get information. On top of the torture he forced her to endure at the Hyde character's hand, Barnabas himself terrorized her. But she was poor and her name wasn't Collins, so this was okay to him. He was never a hero to me. He was always a rich, spoiled predator.

Edited June 8, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[Kim0820]

16 hours ago, azshadowwalker said:

I always thought Barnabas was a creep. He screws the maid while awaiting his acceptable "lady", then tosses the maid aside. Rich dude who used women even when he was human.

I agree.  And he seemed to feel entitled to a younger woman.  Though I think he was supposed to be younger than JF looked.  His sister was only 10.   Though he did do right by Vicky in the end.  

[azshadowwalker]

That's the question, isn't it? I mean, Julia had a thing for him, and she was obviously older than the very young women he stalked. She seemed to be from Elizabeth and Roger's generation. Yet, he ran after the ingenue time and again. Angelique's true age was unknown, but even she looked too young for him. 

I seem to remember that Frid felt the same way. He mentioned that Julia was the proper love interest for Barnabas because of the age.  He didn't care for the pairings with very young women. So, he seemed to have played Barnabas as an older man. 

Edited June 8, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[azshadowwalker]

I have been watching the pre-Barnabas episodes again. I am always shocked at just how much I hate him, especially wrt the way he treats David. David shouldn't have bothered trying to sabotage his dad's car. He should have killed that dude in his sleep. I am sure Aunt Elizabeth would have understood. The only person who would have cared was Carolyn, because she was as nasty and self-involved as Uncle Roger. 

[Kim0820]

Julia had to have a thing for him for motive purposes.  During the period where she was trying her cure, it could have been a combination of that and medical/scientific curiosity that kept her from staking him in the day!! He was so mean and ungrateful during that time!  Her experiment failed because he made her do it before she was ready - what a terrible patient/client, lol!

Edited June 10, 2016 by Kim0820
vampires sleep in day not night

[Kim0820]

David holds his own in episode 10.  Not sure why Roger wants him institutionalized.  Just meanness or has David done something crazy?  David remembers fights ten years ago when he is 9, lol.  

[azshadowwalker]

I just watched an episode last night where Carolyn mentioned that David drowned his pet cat when they lived in Augusta. The kid wasn't stable, but I think his parents were to blame, especially his dad. I mean, Roger was killing people and framing others, running around partying, and generally acting like a spoiled brat when he and Laura were together. I think he was always mean. Edmonds did a fantastic job depicting a total creep.

Edited June 9, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[Kim0820]

Watching the beginning, I wish they'd followed through somehow on their purpose for starting?  Who sent the money from Bangor and who is Victoria?  Liz said she and Carolyn were about the same age, but was she lying?  Is she Carolyn's older half sister?  Clearly Liz knew who she was and offered her the job.  

[atomationage]

They ended up with too many threads of characters, but seldom had more than 5 of them on screen on any day.   Once Barnabas came on the scene, his story became dominant.   After Alexandra left, and two unsuccessful attempt to replace her, Victoria's storylines went to Maggie and Carolyn.  

[azshadowwalker]

Yeah, most of the storylines were disposable, but not getting an answer about Vicky bugs me. I wish Barnabas hadn't eaten that storyline. 

Edited June 11, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[atomationage]

There have been various resolutions to Victoria's story in other places than the original show, including a novel by Lara Parker, a video from Joan Bennett, and the audio plays.  

[atomationage]

Louis Edmonds was a terrific actor.  Roger was trying to get David away from all the supernatural happenings at Collinwood, which he refused to believe were real. 

[Kim0820]

Did Maggie ever go back to work as a waitress once barnabus had bitten her! 

[azshadowwalker]

I don't believe she did. The whole waitress thing was dropped. She went off to the sanitarium, then eventually took over as David's governess. Because waiting tables and being an educator require the exact same skill sets.

[atomationage]

Being able to put up with David would be a major qualification.   Kathryn Leigh Scott got to play Josette as well as Maggie,  and a couple of other characters in different time periods. 

[Ubiquitous]

Decades is going to be playing eps on Monday, June 27th, for the show's 50th anniversary.

[ByaNose]

16 hours ago, Ubiquitous said:

Decades is going to be playing eps on Monday, June 27th, for the show's 50th anniversary.

It's too bad they don't get past the episode where Barnabas & Dr. Hoffman are searching for the diary with the notes about Barnabas. Both times Decades stops at the same point and I'm dying to know what happens. LOL!!! I didn't watch DS in its original run and want the story to continue. 

[Ubiquitous]

I was hoping for a weekend binge, not six eps. :-(

[jnymph]

I always wanted to see Barnabas cut loose & boogie at the Blue Whale.

[ShadowHunter]

On ‎6‎/‎5‎/‎2016 at 10:59 AM, Kim0820 said:

Been watching up to Season 11 on Hulu - where do people get the rest? 

I watched this as a child in 3rd grade - fortunately that seems to have been Seasons 9 and 10 or so.  I saw the air dates and was surprised.  I remember watching it but thought I must have been about 10 or so.  Anyway as a 3rd grader, I watched the 1795 story.  I remember Victoria being accused of being a witch and being hanged.  I may have continued through the summer and Fall as I remember Adam, but must have stopped soon after, as I don't remember Eve or Nicholas really.  

Hulu added more seasons now. They do it so slowly. They have the rest of the Quentin/Beth ghost storyline and some of the 1897 story. 1897 was always my favorite.

[ShadowHunter]

On ‎7‎/‎22‎/‎2014 at 3:44 PM, Collinwood said:

I thought it was sad that Willie never got his own love interest.  At least not in "regular" time.  In Parallel Time William Loomis was married to Carolyn, but clearly that was not the same guy.  I suppose Willie had to remain unattached so he could be available whenever Barnabas or Dr. Hoffman needed him to kidnap someone or drive to Bangor and purchase medical supplies.

I agree 100%. I would have liked to see Maggie with Willie. He always cared for her.

[jnymph]

On 5/19/2014 at 9:51 PM, Willowy said:

THIS is awesome! The lighting, the makeup, the delivery, the interplay between the best two actors on the entire show? Awesome. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG4k8HmQv0Y

Aw damn.  It says video not available.

[atomationage]

James Hall was the original Willie Loomis, and he was very creepy, always bothering Caroline.  Maybe when they switched actors, they switched directions. 

[azshadowwalker]

There were still mentions of his threatening behavior towards Carolyn after the switch. It was one of the reasons Liz wanted him gone. Frankly, considering the risk he posed to her daughter, Liz allowing Jason to threaten her to keep him around was gross. She would rather her daughter be stalked, threatened and possibly raped than have her find out about her father. 

Edited June 28, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[atomationage]

Well, Barnabas inadvertently came to the rescue, eventually. 

[azshadowwalker]

Years ago, I happened across the movie Savages, which was made in 1972. Apparently, NODS was filmed in the same town. So, Thayer David and Chris Pennock ended up in it. It's a really strange movie, part of it being b/w and silent. I was watching the episodes where Thayer David plays Matthew, and started thinking of this movie. Would love to see it again.

IMDB entry

[Kim0820]

Watched the musical 1776 yesterday.  David Ford plays John Hancock.  I'd seen this movie a lot but never made the connection until this year since I had the chance to re-watch Dark Shadows.  And I did not pick up on it at all as Sam Evans being the same guy as John Hancock.  So it's a fun discovery!

[azshadowwalker]

I am watching the Phoenix storyline right now. The only reason I'm not totally on Laura's side is because I know what happens. On the other hand, I am really disgusted with Liz because I know what happens with her, too. If I had watched this as it aired, I would dislike Liz even more. I think she is a snob who never liked Laura. I also think Roger is right. She does want possession of David because she's hung up on having a male heir, and she wants to push his mother out of his life. Considering that she thinks she has a dead body in the basement, that she knows full well that Roger killed that man, that she hasn't left the estate in almost 20 years, and that she's made a mess with her own daughter, her self-righteous attitude towards Laura is laughable. If she actually knew what was up with Laura, it would be one thing. She doesn't, though, so it's very telling that she wants to dictate his relationship with his mother. She hardly gives the boy a safe or stable home, either.

Carolyn, who couldn't care less about David, trying to insert herself into the situation because she's so jealous of Laura. She doesn't care what she does to a small child because of her obsession with Burke. She is just an awful person.

Vicky is a failure as a governess, too. Who gives a disturbed little boy a creepy picture of his mother engulfed in flames? All of these people are awful. No wonder David is bordering on sociopathy.

Edited July 6, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[atomationage]

The Collinses of Collinsport definitely think they're better than everyone, and Carolyn is only a Stoddard anyway.   The beginning story was based on Jane Eyre.  I liked Mitchell Ryan as Burke Devlin. 

[azshadowwalker]

I think Mitch did a good acting job,  especially considering how out of it be was at the time with his drinking.   I don't like Burke, though. Using Carolyn to get at her uncle is despicable. 

Edited July 7, 2016 by azshadowwalker

[atomationage]

31 minutes ago, azshadowwalker said:

Using Carolyn to get at her uncle is despicable. 

Roger was pretty despicable, but it wasn't Carolyn's fault.  I didn't like Anthony George as Mitch, but I thought he was good as Jeremiah.  That was a very weird time in the show.  I don't want to spoil you if you haven't seen the episodes before. 

[WAnglais1]

On ‎6‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 3:11 AM, azshadowwalker said:

In the Angelique thread, I mentioned that I felt human Barnabas was a creep who used the maid, then tosses her aside for a "proper lady". I know the show eventually wanted me to see Barnabas as a hero, but I just couldn't. He was always about his rich family, and he did horrible things to people whom he considered lesser with the excuse that it was for the benefit of his family.

The storyline that made me hate him the most was the Jekyll and Hyde storyline, when he set Buffy Harrington (?) up to be repeatedly raped and beaten in order to get information. On top of the torture he forced her to endure at the Hyde character's hand, Barnabas himself terrorized her. But she was poor and her name wasn't Collins, so this was okay to him. He was never a hero to me. He was always a rich, spoiled predator.

Interesting. I always felt that was about Quentin. He was always yelling at the women of DS. On a recent re-watch, I had to walk away for a couple of weeks. It got to me that much.

[azshadowwalker]

I felt the same way about Quentin. I think Barnabas bothers me more because the torment he inflicted on others was depicted as heroic. Quentin was softened from his introduction as the manipulative drunk who locked his wife away, but I never felt that they made him the hero of the piece. But he was an evil bastard, too. 

[SweePea59]

For what it's worth, the DECADES binge next weekend is DS.

[atomationage]

I did the DECADES "Quiz, which Dark Shadows character are you?" and I'm Dr. Julia Hoffman, according to that.   I recently acquired the first 108 episodes.  I wonder if DECADES is starting from the actual beginning episodes, or the beginning of Barnabas.

[azshadowwalker]

On 7/6/2016 at 5:42 PM, atomationage said:

Roger was pretty despicable, but it wasn't Carolyn's fault.  I didn't like Anthony George as Mitch, but I thought he was good as Jeremiah.  That was a very weird time in the show.  I don't want to spoil you if you haven't seen the episodes before. 

I do not blame Carolyn for that, although I do blame her for being a general asshole. As for spoilage, I have seen every episode at least half a dozen times and used to have all of them recorded on VHS from the Sci-Fi run. I still weep that I lost those tapes when I couldn't afford storage fees anymore. 

[Gladrags]

On 10/23/2016 at 0:51 PM, atomationage said:

I did the DECADES "Quiz, which Dark Shadows character are you?" and I'm Dr. Julia Hoffman, according to that.   I recently acquired the first 108 episodes.  I wonder if DECADES is starting from the actual beginning episodes, or the beginning of Barnabas.

From what I've read - albeit on Facebook, which is not the most reliable of sources - they'll start this time with episode 251, when Maggie was kidnapped by Barnabas. 

I'd like to see the 1795 episodes on Decades sometime. I think giving new viewers a look at Barnabas' background would attract even more viewers and more interest in the show. 

[Ubiquitous]

According to Decades' website, they're playing the eps with Barnabus kidnapping and brainwashing Maggie and Sarah rescuing her.

[atomationage]

I turned on DECADES this morning, and they were showing a Meatloaf biographical movie starring W. Earl Brown. 

[katie9918]

I think the marathon starts later this afternoon.

[atomationage]

@katie9918, thanks, I'll check it out again later.   I use Zap2it and they show nothing for Dark Shadows.  I guess DECADES isn't one of the channels they list. 

[katie9918]

According to Xfinity, it starts at 1:00 Eastern time.

[atomationage]

I started watching at noon central time.  DECADES is channel 2.2 on the antenna tv in Chicagoland.  I'm having trouble with the reception, but they started out with Maggie Evans trying to stake Barnabas, then Willie is trying to save her, then Victoria comes over.  Then I lost reception.  It's like living with tv reception in 1967.

later

The first appearance of Sarah singing London Bridge is Falling Down to Maggie in her dungeon.  Then Sarah meeting David. 

Edited October 29, 2016 by atomationage
more later

[peacheslatour]

3 hours ago, katie9918 said:

According to Xfinity, it starts at 1:00 Eastern time.

It just started at 1:00 here and I'm in Seattle. I've got goose bumps, I'm so exited!