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438
Number

432

Timeline

1796

Narrator

Joan Bennett

Writer

Gordon Russell

Director

Lela Swift

Broadcast

February 28, 1968
(Wednesday)

Recorded

February 23, 1968
(Friday)

Video

Complete: Disc 47
Collection 6: Disc 3

438 Gallery
We have 8 images of Dark Shadows 438

Barnabas torments Reverend Trask for what he has done to Victoria.

Synopsis[]

Teaser

A séance has been held in the great house at Collinwood, a séance which has suspended time and space, and sent one woman on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past, back to the year 1795...back to a time when the powers of darkness and superstition prevailed over light and reason. In that perilous time, Victoria Winters has been accused and condemned as a witch.

It is 4am. Ben is waiting at the Old House for Barnabas to arrive. He tells him that Peter Bradford questioned him most of the night, and then he stayed in town until the trial was over. Ben tells Barnabas the verdict, and that they are going to hang Victoria Winters.

Act I

Ben tells Barnabas that he thinks the judges believed his testimony, until Angelique showed up. He says when he saw Angelique standing there, he blurted out that she was dead, and his entire testimony was considered worthless. Ben wonders why Angelique came back to spoil everything. Barnabas says that freeing Victoria is what he wants, so Angelique is making sure it won't happen. Barnabas plans to put fear into Reverend Trask, let him live through it, and then eliminate him. Ben tries to talk him out of this but Barnabas says Trask will die slowly and horribly.

Act II

Trask goes to Collinwood and demands from Naomi the keys to the Old House to cleanse Victoria’s room of all her belongings. Naomi tells him his presence disgusts her, making a point of calling him 'Mister' Trask. Trasks taunts Naomi, telling her that what disgusts her is that she aligned herself with the losing side in the fight of good vs. the Devil. She slaps him, refusing to give Trask the keys, but he reminds her that he can always get a search warrant in the village, and that Mr. Collins would not appreciate that. Naomi gives in and has Ben get the keys and take Trask to the Old House.

Act III

At the Old House, Trask goes upstairs and Ben goes down to the cellar to warn Barnabas. Trask hears Ben talking and when he confronts Ben a few moments later, Ben tells him he talks to himself. After Trask leaves with Victoria's belongings, Barnabas comes to Ben and promises that tonight is going to be a night Trask will never forget.

Act IV

Trask returns to his room with Victoria's belongings. Suddenly he hears chains rattling outside his room and calls out, "Who is it?" He opens the door, but no one is there. He hears a woman scream and runs back into his room and bolts the door, but he continues to hear the chains. Then Barnabas' voice calls out to him, and again he shouts, "Who is it?" The voice tells him that he is not going to hurt any more innocent victims. He will never live to see the hanging. Trask sees a skull instead of his face when he looks in the mirror and then blood drips down the mirror from behind the frame. The voice shouts that Victoria Winters will live and he will die. Next he sees a floating hand with Barnabas’ ring on it. The hand appears about to grab Trask around the throat, but then vanishes. The voice tells him he will not die tonight or the next but very soon, "You are going to die!"

Memorable quotes[]

Barnabas: (to Ben) Mr. Trask is going to become the victim of his own best weapon, fear.... I will let him live for a while with the kind of terror that he has inflicted on others.... Mr. Trask is slowly and horribly going to die.

Naomi: (to Reverend Trask) You may be petty, cruel, and bigoted, but you are not altogether stupid.

Barnabas (to Ben regarding Reverend Trask): You see, this is going to be a night he will never forget.

Rev. Trask: Mrs. Collins, I realize that my presence here upsets you.
Naomi: You're putting it charitably, Mr. Trask. Your presence here disgusts me.

Dramatis personae[]

Background information and notes[]

Production[]

  • This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 439.

Story[]

Bloopers and continuity errors[]

  • In Act I, when Barnabas says, "It will, Ben," a boom mic shadow moves on the Old House parlor pillar.
  • Barnabas is wearing his onyx ring, although it is never mentioned when and where he found it after Josette lost it. (Untrue. Back when Josette was still alive, Barnabas told her he'd found it. Addendum: Please provide an episode number. Not sure this is true. Addendum#2: in episode 425 it is Angelique, speaking as Barnabas, who claims to have found the ring in an attempt to reassure Josette and lure her to Widows' Hill).
  • Jerry Lacy is wearing a band-aid on the middle finger of his right hand in this episode.
  • As Trask enters the Collinwood mansion, the shadow of a boom microphone can be seen on the door and to the right of it.
  • Naomi tells Trask that the judges' decision is not irrevocable, that Peter Bradford still has time to find evidence that Victoria is innocent, which doesn't make any sense.
  • Jerry Lacy hesitates on a line: "All the...all the time in the world won't help him."
  • Joan Bennett flubs her line after slapping Reverend Trask: "Don't you ever talk to me a way... that way again." Shortly after, she flubs another line: "Isn't that what you're...you...your usual method?" Then, "It's one thing to strike Miss Winters. She can't find...fight back."
  • Ben Stokes calls Reverend Trask "Mr. Trask" many times. Usually the Reverend is very offended by being called "Mister" and corrects anyone who does not use his Reverend title.
  • After Trask walks upstairs at the Old House, Ben puts his hand on the staircase post to make sure Trask is gone, and the post wobbles.
  • After Trask has retrieved Victoria's belongings from upstairs at the Old House, he stands in the foyer questioning Ben about whom he was talking to. As Trask leaves, the camera pans too far to the left, and you can see the end of the fake banister that leads to the upstairs.
  • Some of the smoke from the fireplace in Reverend Trask's room can be seen billowing into the room.
  • Reverend Trask's mirror, which is obviously supposed to shatter after the blood streams from it, does not break when struck from behind.

External Links []

Dark Shadows - Episode 438 on the IMDb

Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 438 - Drag Me to Hell

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 438: A night he will never forget

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 438: 2/28/68

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