The Dark Shadows Daybook: July 6

By PATRICK McCRAY

Taped on this date in 1967: Episode 281

As Vicki relives Josette’s death in her trance, Barnabas stops the seance at its climax. Later, Vicki has recovered and all are amazed that Josette spoke through her. Carolyn is convinced that Josette is trying to send them a message. Is one of them in danger? Later, Sarah appears and Barnabas finds evidence of her presence. Speaking to Josette’s portrait, he realizes that he must live in the present, and that to have her again, he must love someone from the present. He then calls on Vicki, stunned to see him. She feels that the past and the present can fuse together at moments. He agrees, and says that she seemed to be Josette at one point. He then presents her with the music box as a reward.

In the long running effort to involve the show’s ostensible lead in a storyline that’s evolved past her, the writers finally concede on having Barnabas be too stuck in the past. This all goes back, I think, to the cigarette they couldn’t unsmoke, meaning using Kathryn Leigh Scott as the ghost of Josette long before the character of Barnabas had been conceived. By that one action, Vicki would eventually be consigned to storyline irrelevance. It was fine when Jonathan Frid was a short timer. The kidnapping storyline gave Scott a chance to show off her acting chops. But at this point, trying to jimmy in Vicki as kinda-sorta Josette is an awkward choice. However, it also works in that Barnabas is on the rebound, and chooses the safest option possible.