The Dark Shadows Daybook: JUNE 1

By PATRICK McCRAY

June 1, 1967
Taped on this date: Episode 255

Willie brings Josette’s favorite flowers to her room for Barnabas. His ward advises that her sanity is on the brink, but he fixates on her rejection, and that he will have to kill her if she rejects him again. Sam is at the Blue Whale, drinking and planning to finish the painting of Barnabas “Conrad,” holding out hope that Maggie is alive. In her cell, Maggie greets Willie with gratitude. She’s being summoned upstairs. Willie advises her to play along with Barnabas’ fantasy, and that this is her last chance. Upstairs, she pleads with Barnabas, and he advises her to be sincere. She must accept her destiny willingly. She plays him like a forte piano, and he promises her happiness to the end of time, but she recoils when he kisses her hand. This wounds hm. She stands her ground as Maggie. Willie bursts in reporting Sam’s presence. Barnabas has Willie gag her and keep her at the end of the hall so she will overhear the conversation. If she screams, it will be death for both Sam and his daughter. Sam is delivering the portrait. In the sitting room, Sam reports that the authorities think she’s been taken out of the area. Joe enters the Old House, too. He speaks with Sam, alone. The sheriff has found a Jane Doe on a beach they think is Maggie, but the face is waterlogged and unrecognizable. Barnabas extends his condolences. Barnabas visits Maggie and explains that all in town will move on. He returns her to her cell to think. Maggie is on the brink of hopelessness when she hears a young girl singing London Bridge for the first of what will be many, many, many, many, many, many, many times. Outside, she sees an 18th century youth singing to her doll.

Enter the ghost of Sarah Collins and thus, Sharon Smyth. Although only nine, Smyth was a soap opera veteran from SEARCH FOR TOMORROW. Having shied away from fandom for many years, she is a firecracker at conventions. This cycle of episodes arguably reveals Barnabas at his most ruthless, but he is romantically so, and that odd balance is one perhaps unique to Jonathan Frid. It’s easy to see him as the most complex of Iagos.

June 1, 1968 
Taped on this date: Episode 515

Adam holds Willie and Maggie hostage when Sam comes home and tries to calm an enraged Adam. Maggie hides behind Sam, who plays the friendship card. It fails. Adam strikes Sam down and escapes, still in fear. In the woods, Adam experiences a terrible crisis of conscience, realizing that he has hurt his friend. Willie and Maggie return from taking Sam to the hospital. Maggie asks how Willie knows Adam. She doesn’t believe that he’s just “seen him around.” He knows his too intimately. Willie claims he came begging at the Old House several times.  Maggie expects better answers in the morning,  At the Old House, a worried Julia hears sobbing from the basement.  There, she sees a weeping bride in spectral form. She vanishes. Upstairs, Julia finds Willie reporting that Adam can speak and is on the rampage… and can answer questions. If only Barnabas were there. Willie hasn’t seen Barnabas, either. The weeping resumes. They return to the basement to find no one there. Julia identifies the sobbing as Josette, who was grieving by a specific wall.  Willie wants to leave, but can’t explain who bricked up the wall. It must be Trask’s revenge. Mr. Loomis, tear down that wall!

Poor Adam. Striking down his only friend, paving the way for David Ford to exit. Incidentally, he appeared on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, too. Adam’s attack on Sam increases the pain of both characters, and allows for the show to put a sobering twist on what would have been inevitable had the Creature stayed with the blind monk in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. The writers aren’t exactly sitting in butter, though. DARK SHADOWS can only exist because of the passionate dimwittedness of the characters, but, come on, Willie. We both that you didn’t put up the bricks to that wall!  Gee, I wonder who’s making the noise behind it….

June 1, 1970
Taped on this date: Episode 1030

1970PT. Yaeger deposits Maggie in her deserted farmhouse prison, while having a strange ping of conscience at seeing a woman cry. Later, Yaeger brings her champagne and curry, her favorite things. She may leave only when they leave as lovers. No one will look for her. She left Collinwood of her own accord after a fight with her husband. She will regret resisting Yaeger. At Collinwood, “Alexis” manipulates Liz into wondering if Quentin can love anyone. “Alexis” goes to find Maggie and Liz looks for Quentin. In the garden, Yaeger and Angelique bicker at how hard it is to convert Maggie. Maggie must be made to feel completely alone… all defenses must be robbed so she will have no choice but to turn to Yaeger. He returns to Maggie and instructs her to write -- at swordpoint -- a goodbye note to Quentin, or else he’ll kill her husband. She is to say she never wants to see Quentin again. Liz and Roger debate on her survival. All Roger says is that Quentin wants to forget her. On the stairs, Angelique feels the creeping cold and goes to the fire. Roger and “Alexis” embrace and Roger almost kisses her, under a spell. She’s so very cold. Liz interrupts, but not until Roger, too, feels cold. Later, with Stokes, Angelique complains about the curse of coldness. How did Stokes bring her back? He won’t tell. He used the black arts for science. Now, she the result of an old experiment he revived, and he could not do it alone. She needs to go to his partner, and revenge may result. The secret is behind a curtain, and she must look alone. She parts the curtain and enters a door.
Guys, holding Maggie hostage until she loves you just isn’t going to work.