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648
Number

640

Timeline

1968

Narrator

Cavada Humphrey

Writer

Sam Hall

Director

Lela Swift

Broadcast

December 18, 1968
(Wednesday)

Recorded

December 11, 1968
(Wednesday)

Video

Complete: Disc 68
Collection 11: Disc 4

648 Gallery
We have 34 images of Dark Shadows 648

Janet continues her psychic investigation of Collinwood while David and Amy follow Quentin's instructions.

Synopsis[]

Teaser

A new day at Collinwood, a day with more questions than answers, for the night has been filled with mysterious happenings: sudden fall down the great stairs, an ancient tarot card found mysteriously, a card prophesying doom which so frightens one woman that she brings in a medium to discover the spirits who are haunting the house. But two children, possessed, not knowing what they do, may bring new tragedy to one who could save them.

David and Amy go into Quentin's room and tell the apparently empty room about Janet Findley's arrival, and plan to find him. They ask what they should do.

Act I

David asks Amy if perhaps Quentin will not mind if he is found, but Amy assures him he would have sent for her if he wanted to see her. The Gramophone begins playing Quentin's theme. Downstairs Elizabeth asks Mme. Findley what she has found. Mme. Findley tells her it is strongest downstairs and that there are two opposing forces at work. They go into the Drawing room and Mme. Findley asks if there is someone in the family or in the house's history whose name begins with the letter “M”. Elizabeth cannot think of anyone. She asks to be left alone, but before Elizabeth leaves she tells her that there is a curse on Collinwood. She calls out asking “M” for help and where to look, and gets an answer by knocks that tell her the spirits are confined to a single room, but not where the family lives. When Joe knocks on the door her concentration is broken. Joe has arrived and asks Elizabeth if he can see Amy. Mme. Findley asks if there are parts of the house not currently used and Elizabeth tells her about the East and West Wings. She decides to check out the East Wing first. Meanwhile, in the West Wing, David and Amy leave Quentin's room with instructions.

Act II

Joe tries to talk to Amy, but she seems distracted. He tells her Chris is not coming to see her today and that is what he is here to talk to her about. Joe asks Amy if she likes living at Collinwood and when she enthusiastically says “Yes” he tells her he doesn't like her staying there. She says she would prefer to live with Chris, but he has no place for her and she just hopes he doesn't leave town again. When Mme. Findley enters Amy introduces her to Cousin Joe. She goes to the table and gets the Tarot card and tells Amy she is going to use it as bait. When Amy turns around and looks at Joe, a Pentagram has appeared on his face. Mme. Findley hears this and turns around just in time to see it before it fades away. He asks Amy to leave and has a chat with Janet Findley who tells him she also saw the star. She tells him it is an ancient symbol and it was a bad omen, and when he asks, she tells him he should avoid an animal who walks like a man. Amy returns with Elizabeth who takes Joe up to see Roger, but first Mme. Findley asks if Amy can show her to the West Wing. Elizabeth says she would not know her way around there yet and offers to escort her when she returns. As Amy is leaving the drawing room, she runs into David, who asks how things are going. When Amy tells him Mme. Findley wants to go to the West Wing, he is intrigued, and tells her to go talk to Mme. Findley.

Act III

Amy tells Mme. Findley she would like to talk to her, but is thrown off course when Mme. Findley starts asking her questions about the star she saw on Joe's face, how often she sees odd things like that, and if she has noticed anything strange in the drawing room. They discuss what mediums are and if Amy believes in ghosts or not. Mme. Findley asks Amy if she has ever seen a ghost, and Amy almost deflects the question, which Mme. Findley notices. She implores Amy for help when David arrives from behind the secret panel to the West Wing. Fascinated, Mme. Findley asks the children about the panel and the West Wing and they ask her not to tell that she knows about it. David tells Mme. Findley she can't go up there, but she tells Amy that she intends to find out what Amy's secret is up there. They ask her not to go as she climbs the steps, but they are already closing the door behind her when they hear Elizabeth's footsteps. Amy pulls a game of jacks out of her pocket and she and David pretend they have been playing for a while. When Elizabeth enters and asks about Mme. Findley, they tell her Mme. Findley left already and didn't say where she was going. Baffled, Elizabeth goes to look for her in Roger's study. Mme. Findley find Quentin's room and immediately knows this is the right room. The door slams behind her as David and Amy eavesdrop outside. Mme. Findley tells Quentin she wants to help as the children block up the hole in the panel to Quentin's room.

Memorable quotes[]

Janet (to Joe): The sign of the pentagram. I wouldn't ignore it if I were you.

Amy: While you were waiting for me, Joe, did you see a tall lady who walks around looking in the air all the time?

Amy (to Madame Findley): You ask funny questions.

David: Go on, Amy. Play the game.

Madame Findley: There are signs of astral disturbances upstairs.

Madame Findley: There is a curse on this house. Knowing as little as I do, I am positive of that.

Dramatis personae[]

Background information and notes[]

Production[]

  • Joel Crothers returns to the cast after an absence of 17 episodes.

Story[]

  • The east wing of Collinwood is mentioned for only the third time in the series; it was previously mentioned in episodes 2 and 98.

Bloopers and continuity errors[]

  • Someone can be heard coughing off-stage when Janet is trying to talk to Magda's spirit.
  • It seems Joe's attempt to murder Barnabas has been forgotten (or at least is never mentioned again).
  • When Amy is talking to Joe about Madame Findley, she says her name is "Madame Something...at least that's what they call her." But when Madame Findley walks into the drawing room a few minutes later, Amy introduces her to Joe as "Madame Findley" without any trouble remembering her name.
  • When Elizabeth is telling Joe that Roger will see him and that she will take Madame Findley to the west wing, a camera shadow moves over Elizabeth and Amy.
  • At the beginning of Act III, when Amy is telling Madame Findley that she wants to talk to her, there is a lot of off-stage noise, and a shadow moves across Amy.
  • At the end of the scene with Amy and David playing jacks, after David says, "Play the game," a shadow can be seen moving across the floor behind Amy.
  • When Madame Findley is in the storage room next to Quentin's room, there are footsteps off-stage, and someone coughs.
  • While entering Quentin's secret room, Madame Findley trips on the wire used to pull the door shut.
  • The closing credits run over a shot of the jacks on the floor rather than a full set as is usually seen. A shadow crosses over the jacks as someone walks by.

External Links []

Dark Shadows - Episode 648 on the IMDb

Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 648 - Astral Disturbances

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