Dark Shadow Diary, Episode 43

Episode 43: "Sick at Heart"
Aug. 24, 1966

Well, Bill Malloy's not dead. Yet.

He stops by the diner to see if he's overreacting to Sam's bizarre behavior, or if it's genuinely related to Burke Devlin' return to town. Maggie (more or less) confirms her father's been acting like a nut in recent weeks, but doesn't seem to think there's much to worry about. Her reasoning goes something like this: There's no reason for Sam to know anything about Burke and Roger's feud, therefore no reason exists. While this outlook looks like the product of a naive, immature personality, it would still qualify her for a job with the Collinsport Sheriff's Office (zing!)

Malloy leaves to continue his hunt for Roger, who has managed to elude both him and Sam in recent episodes. Vicky arrives at the restaurant for a little chit chat that contributes nothing to the plot but reminds us she's a part of the cast, while Joe bumps into Malloy at the Blue Whale. Like Malloy, Joe is having no luck finding someone, in this case Carolyn (who is living it up in Bangor with Devlin.)

Malloy is trying "Sam Evans' personal remedy" by having a drink in the afternoon, and speaks cryptically to Joe about dealing with the Collins/Devlin conflict. Sam, he tells Joe, wasn't always a manic drunk, nor was Liz Stoddard always a creepy shut-in. We get a telling bit of dialogue from Malloy when he says he foolishly believed he'd left his problems in the past. "But I didn't. All I did was dig a hole and try to bury 'em." Is this an allusion to Paul Stoddard's alleged residence in the Collinwood basement?

Malloy also suggests he lost Liz to Paul Stoddard years earlier when he failed to act on his intentions, and warns Joe not to do the same with Carolyn. Malloy is watching history repeat itself (as it does frequently in Collinsport) and is doing what he can to alter its course. Barnabas Collins would have used the I Ching, traveled back in time and done irreparable harm to the time-space continuum. Malloy's means are much more modest.

Sam arrives at the Blue Whale for his regularly scheduled drunkening, while Joe journeys up to Collinwood. Carolyn calls while he's there and Joe learns his girlfriend was, in fact, having lunch with Devlin. Malloy spins his wheels chatting with Sam, who isn't any more helpful sober than drunk. Sam says he made an effort to spill his guts to Liz earlier in the day but couldn't bring himself to follow through. He wants to come clean, but just isn't ready to take that step.

Malloy vows to give him a push in the right direction.