PT3 - The 1790 Flashback: And So It Begins... (Febuary-March 1991)
Victoria Winters finds herself clutching the Collins Family History on the lawn of the Old House, which doesn't look so old. The people she meets look familiar, but they don't recognize her. Collinwood is under construction. Confused, Victoris discovers she is in 1790! Her dress and manner convince Abigail Collins that Vicki is insane. But with the help of lawyer Peter Bradford, she is able to persuade Joshua Collins, the head of the family, that she is the new governess for his younger children, Daniel and Sarah. Barnabas and his brother Jeremiah also stick up for her. Abigail is still suspicious. Taking Vicki's modern clothing to Reverend Trask, he reinforces her idea that Victoria is a witch. Joshua, however, refuses to take anything Trask says seriously.
Marriage is in the air on the Collins estate. Barnabas awaits the arrival of his intended, Josette duPres, and Jeremiah awaits his, Millicent Collins, though with much less enthuiasm. When Millicent arrives, with more luggage than a small army, and and ego to match, Jeremiah tells his father he would rather go to Hell than marry her (though it does him little good.)
Josette's maid, Angelique, has her sights set on Barnabas. Reminding him of their affair in Martinique, she is able to seduce him again. But determined to remain faithful to Josette, he later rejects her. Furious, she sets a plan in motion to get Barnabas for herself. Using witchcraft, she makes servant Ben Loomis her unwilling slave, and casts a spell to make Jeremiah fall in love with Josette, who has finally arrived. Unable to resist the spell, they elope. Barnabas, feeling betrayed by the two people he loves the most, chases after them, but too late to keep them from marrying. Becoming abusive, Barnabas makes Jeremiah challenge him to a duel. Barnabas, warned by Vicki that Jeremiah will die (she read it in the family history), doesn't load his gun. It is Angelique, using magic to fire a lead ball, who kills the unwitting Jeremiah. Josette denouces Barnabas for killing "the only man I will ever love". The mysterious death causes Abigail to accuse Vicki of witchcraft, and Trask arrests her.
In 1991, Barnabas reveals his knowledge of Phyllis Wicke, saying she died shortly after arriving at Collinwood. Julia struggles to keep her alive, but this modern time frightens her, and she runs off. The sheriff brings her back, but an examination proves she has contracted dipheria and is dying. Concerned that Vicki will be trapped in the past if Phyllis dies, the family holds another seance, asking Sarah to bring Vicki back to the present. But the spirit of the young girl tells them to stop as something tries to possess Julia. Maggie believes they fought off the evil spirit, but a mirror shows the truth: Julia is possessed by Angelique.
With Josette hating Barnabas, Angelique tries to get him to come to her; but he rejects her again, pining for his Josette. So she conjures up the zombie of Jeremiah to kill Josette. But the zombie breaks free of her control, releases Josette, and warns Barnabas of the witch's identity before throwing himself off Widow's Hill. Searching Angelique's room, Barnabas discovers proof of her witchcraft. She tries to kill him, but falls on her own knife. With her death, the spell on Josette is broken. She and Barnabas reunite, but Angelique's spirit gets her revenge by turning Barnabas into a vampire. Horrified by what he has become, he begs her to kill him instead, but she wants him to suffer.
Peter Bradford is working to defend vicki at her witch trial. Though most of the family supports her, the exposure of the Collins Family History from 1974 makes it difficult for the court to believe her. As the list of deaths from the History come true, Vicki feels helpless. Josette is forced from Widow's Hill by Angelique's visions. Millicent becomes on of Barnabas' victims. Naomi, lured by the witch, finds her son alive and goes insane. Abigail is killed when she follows Naomi and Barnabas loses his temper. Though Natalie and Ben testify that Angelique was the witch, the appearance of the supposedly dead woman negates their testimony. The court finds Vicki guilty of witchcraft, and sentences her to hang by the neck until dead.
In the present, Joe Haskell, discovering wounds on Carolyn's neck, follows her and uncovers Barnabas' secret. Going to the Old House, he finds Barnabas' coffin and prepares to stake him. But Julia (possessed by the witch) knifes him in the back before he can complete the job, apparently wanting Barnabas to continue suffering. Willie is able to knock her out, and Barnabas contacts Maggie to try to rid Julia of Angelique's spirit. But the exorcism, while freeing Julia, causes the spirit to move into Maggie herself.
Sarah and Daniel contract a fever after running through the woods from Barnabas. Victoria and Peter, comparing the attacks around town to the ones in 1991, realize Barnabas is a vampire. Sarah dies in Barnabas' arms, but Daniel is still holding on. Forcing Trask to write a confession, Barnabas walls him up in the cellar of the Old House. Peter takes the confession to the judge, who says he will be more than happy to act on it. But Angelique makes him forget the confession ever existed. Victoria, realizing that if Daniel dies, the Collins family will cease to exist, tells Peter to treat him with alcohol and ice. Joshua, unable to kill his own son, chains Barnabas into his coffin for eternity.
Victoria's execution goes on as planned because of Angelique's interference. Meanwhile, Maggie, under the influence of Angelique's spirit, turns off the life support keeping Phyllis Wicke alive. Peter is shot rushing the gallows to stop Vicki's hanging. Julia discovers that Phyllis is dying, and works to keep her alive. Vicki is hanged, but when the hood is removed, they find the body of Phyllis Wicke. Daniel's fever breaks thanks to Vicki's treatment. Vicki has returned to the present, though she is unable to remember her experiences in the past.
The 1790 flashback for the new series was an obvious move to bring back memories of the old series. But this time, it was Vicki who resembled Josette, and several times it was alluded that Vicki was Josette's reincarnation. Whether this wouls have been followed through with is a mystery, for while ratings did pick up, Dark Shadows' biggest supporter at NBC, Brandon Tartikoff, had left the network. His replacement didn't seem to be willing to give the show a second chance. Amidst rallies of support from fans and stars alike, Dark Shadows was cancelled for the second time in history.
But Dan Curtis had succeeded in bringing his dream back to life, if only for a short time. He introduced a new generation to the wonders of Collinwood and the mysterious Collins family. Today, DS conventions run to record crowds, video tapes of every episode of both the original and the new series are available, several books have been published about the show, and fanzines, newsletters, fan clubs and web sites abound. Whether he intended to or not, Dan Curtis succeded in bringing his dream to life for millions of people, and it is a dream that will never die.
Credits and Characters of Story 2a
Portrait Gallery for Story 2a
