650

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Number	642
Timeline	1968
Narrator	Roger Davis
Writer	Ron Sproat
Director	Lela Swift
Broadcast	December 20, 1968 (Friday)
Recorded	December 13, 1968 (Friday)
Video	Complete: Disc 68 Collection 11: Disc 4

We have 24 images of Dark Shadows 650

Peter returns from the past and takes Victoria with him while Elizabeth and Barnabas watch.

Synopsis

Evening settles over Collinwood after a day of fear for the residents of the great house. For on the previous night a woman died mysteriously. And the mystery surrounding her death still troubles those who knew her. On this night another event will take place, an event just as mysterious, one which will change the destiny of Victoria Winters forever.

Elizabeth and Roger discuss Ms. Findley's death briefly before being interrupted by Victoria, who asks if someone else can sit with the children this night. After being asked why, she says Jeff is going to appear to her.

After they try to dissuade her from expecting her dead husband to come back to her, she says she couldn't go on living if she believed that, and runs off. After suggesting maybe Barnabas might help her, Roger leaves to fetch him.

In her room, Victoria sobs over Jeff's watch, yelling for it to tick, so she can know he's near. Finally it begins running again, and he appears as a rectangle of light.

Barnabas arrives and Elizabeth asks him to talk with Victoria. He reminds her that he loves Vicky, but she doesn't care about him, and then agrees to see her.

Meanwhile, Victoria is still yelling at the light rectangle, which tells her that he (Jeff) can never return. Victoria is hysterically distraught until Elizabeth breaks the encounter by knocking and entering. Victoria tells her what transpired, and says she needs to leave to get away from the memories. Elizabeth tells her to think about it, and lets Barnabas in.

Barnabas and Victoria discuss her unfortunate marriage and she tells him she plans on leaving. Barnabas takes this inopportune moment to ask her to marry him again, but is predictably shot down. He says that if she's leaving, this should be their last goodbye, and leaves. She sits down and sobs some more, interrupted by a hand on her shoulder... Jeff.

The couple embrace, and he tells her that her love brought him back for a few minutes, but that she has to forget him because they can never be together. He was allowed to exist for awhile in Jeff Clark's body but he was always Peter Bradford and has to go back. She begs to come with him.

Back in the study, Roger's waiting for a cab, and asks Barnabas to keep an eye on everything for him. After Roger leaves for his business meeting in London, Elizabeth comes down and wonders at Barnabas being downstairs, when she just heard Vicky talking with a man in her room. They rush upstairs.

In Victoria's room, Peter asks her if she's sure she wants to abandon her own time, and she says yes. They hold hands as Barnabas and Elizabeth burst into the room, and watch Peter and Victoria vanish...

Memorable quotes

Peter: I can never return.

Elizabeth: You're a part of the family. What would we do without you?

Victoria: Oh, I love you all. You're all the family I've ever had.

Victoria: Wherever I go, whatever happens to me, I'll never forget you.

Barnabas: I'll never forget you.

Dramatis personae

← Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard →
← Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins →
← Louis Edmonds as Roger Collins →
← Roger Davis as Peter Bradford →
← Betsy Durkin as ← Victoria Winters →

Background information and notes

Production

First episode narrated by Roger Davis.
Final appearance of actress Betsy Durkin. The character of Victoria Winters will be played for three episodes by Carolyn Groves from 662, the third and final actress in the role during the original series.

Story

Victoria is not sure when she is leaving, so why is Barnabas so hurt? Why do they think this is their final farewell? [Addendum: This is explained pretty explicitly in the episode. Victoria says she is going to leave as soon as possible, and Barnabas himself says that this then should perhaps be their final farewell, that it would be easier that way (since Vicki said no to his proposal.)]
Peter says that Victoria will seem lost in another century. He seems to forget that while she lived in 1795, she found her way just fine until Reverend Trask intervened.
TIMELINE: Day 256 begins, and will end in 654. The narration indicates that a full day has gone by since Janet Findley's death. Amy appears to verify this in the next episode that she first saw the pentagram on Joe's face "yesterday". 6:30pm at the start of this episode. 8pm: Victoria and Peter return to 1796. 8pm: Roger leaves on the trip as planned, (as mentioned in the previous episode).

Bloopers and continuity errors

A boom microphone shadow can be seen on the actor's faces as Victoria approaches Roger and Elizabeth in the opening sequence.
While Vicki is talking to the light apparition of Peter, you can hear someone turning pages.
When Roger picks up his suitcases, it's obvious that they are empty.
Jonathan Frid bobbles the line, "You know much — how much I care for you.”
There seems to be some confusion between Peter and Vicki at the end of the episode. We hear Peter say, "Take my hand" from inside the room while we see Barnabas and Elizabeth in the hallway. Then it cuts to the bedroom, and we see Peter and Vicki holding both hands together. But Vicki then says, "They'll try to stop me. What should I do, Peter?" Then Peter repeats, "Take my hand," even though they're already holding hands.
When Barnabas tries to force Vicki's bedroom door open at the end of the episode, the whole set shakes when he rams his shoulder onto the door. You can also see shadows at the top of the set moving.
Roger Davis doing the opening narration ruins the surprise that his character will appear. Everyone thought he was gone for good.