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402 Gallery
402
Number

396

Timeline

1795

Narrator

Joan Bennett

Writer

Sam Hall

Director

John Sedwick

Broadcast

January 9, 1968
(Tuesday)

Recorded

January 3, 1968
(Wednesday)

Video

Complete: Disc 43
Collection 5: Disc 3

402 Gallery
We have 4 images of Dark Shadows 402

With Ben's confirmation that Angelique is the witch, Barnabas begins to take steps to eliminate her permanently.

Synopsis[]

Teaser

A séance has been held in the great house at Collinwood, a séance which has suspended time and space and sent one girl on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past, back to the year 1795. There, each of the Collins ancestors resembles present-day members of the Collins family, but the names and relationships have changed, and Victoria Winters finds herself a stranger in a sea of familiar faces, some of whom believe she is a witch, for witchcraft is certainly being practiced at Collinwood, and only one man knows who the witch is.

Ben Stokes and Barnabas Collins discuss the purely hypothetical possibility that Ben might know who the witch is and that she might have some kind of hold on him, a power which would prevent him from saying her name. How would he then be able to reveal her identity? Barnabas believes that if that was the case, Ben would find another way, and reminds Ben that he's been teaching him how to write. Could he write the witch's name? Ben finally writes an 'A' in the dust.

Act I

In Ben's hideout, Barnabas tells Ben of how he discovered his wife was a witch. Barnabas tries to get Ben to reveal what else he knows, but Ben says he can't say anything more, only that whatever Barnabas thinks Angelique did, she did. Barnabas then realizes that all the bad things that have been happening must have been her fault. Jeremiah and Josette falling in love, because of a love potion, leading Barnabas to kill Jeremiah, Barnabas being sick, then cured, and Sarah's mysterious illness and cure. He wonders why she did it, and Ben says it's because she loves him. Barnabas explodes; she's ruined his family, and torn it to shreds in the name of love. Barnabas promises to teach her the meaning of hate. Ben warns him to be careful, but Barnabas can no longer see a reason for living, let alone being careful. Ben then offers to kill Angelique for him, but Barnabas says he must do it himself.

Act II

Back at the Old House, Barnabas is looking at a vial of poison, so strong that just one drop will kill a human. Angelique comes down, and after a rather painful conversation where Angelique tries to be warm and loving, but receives nothing but ice cold resentment from Barnabas, he gets her to agree to have a glass of sherry with him. While she's looking out the window, he puts several drops of poison in her glass. The awkward conversation continues, but Angelique seems to sense something is not quite right with her drink. As she is about to take a sip, there's a knock on the door. Angelique doesn't want Barnabas to answer, but Barnabas says that she can't make whomever it is disappear. Naomi Collins enters, and Angelique quickly offers her glass of sherry to Naomi.

Act III

Barnabas, terrified at this development, claims to see a chip in the glass and pretends to clumsily knock the glass to the floor, making Angelique even more suspicious. Angelique goes to get something to clean up the mess, and Naomi tells Barnabas that a package from France has arrived - a wedding present for him and Josette. Naomi leaves, and Angelique leads her to her carriage. Meanwhile, Barnabas gets a knife from a hidden compartment in the desk.

Act IV

The wedding present from France turns out to be a big portrait of Josette, which doesn't make Angelique happy, especially when Barnabas keeps looking at it. The portrait came with a note from Josette, saying she had told her father Barnabas wouldn't need the portrait; he'd have Josette. This leaves Barnabas angry and sorrowful, and he throws the note into the fire. Another awkward conversation between Barnabas and Angelique follows, during which Barnabas has trouble controlling himself, struggling to not confront her with what he knows. Later that night, Barnabas enters the bedroom, his face full of hate. He takes out the knife and viciously stabs the body underneath the covers.

Memorable quotes[]

Barnabas: I killed Jeremiah, my friend. We grew up as brothers, and I killed him because of a love potion! I killed him and he never knew why! He never understood. And yet his ghost still haunts her. Then he does know now...but too late.

Barnabas: Love! She ruined a family! Tore it to shreds in the name of love? Hate! She did all of this out of hate! Well, I'll teach her the meaning of hate!

Barnabas: She has taken my reason for living! I must repay her myself...today!

Dramatis personae[]

Background information and notes[]

Production[]

Story[]

  • INTERNAL MONOLOGUE: Barnabas: Poisoning Angelique.
  • TIMELINE: Day 161 begins, and will end in 406. 2am: Barnabas attempts to stab Angelique.
  • A month ago, Barnabas called Josette "fickle & callous". If this occurred on 383, when Barnabas found out about Josette’s marriage to Jeremiah, then it has actually been a gap of fourteen days since Barnabas originally made this comment, making today's date December 22nd, 1795, if one follows on from the evidence that 392 takes place on the 20th of the same month.
  • The portrait of Josette is the same painting that has previously appeared in episodes set in the year 1967, even though the 1795 storyline has revealed that Josette looks like Maggie Evans and the woman in the painting looks nothing like Josette/Maggie (or Kathryn Leigh Scott, by extension).

Bloopers and continuity errors[]

  • When Barnabas steps out of the shack in Act I, Jonathan Frid has major trouble remembering and saying his lines. He seems to be looking at the teleprompter but nevertheless stumbles greatly.
  • When Barnabas enters the bedroom at the end of the episode, he closes the door behind him, but the door reopens and then begins closing again by itself.

External Links[]

Dark Shadows - Episode 402 on the IMDb

Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 402 - Plan A

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 402: Name the witch

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 402: 1/9/68

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