Jason McGuire

Jason McGuire
Production Information
Portrayed by	Dennis Patrick
First appearance	193
Last appearance	276
Episode count	46
Biographical Information
Name	Jason McGuire
Year of death	1967
Manner of death	Strangled by Barnabas Collins
Profession	Con Man
We have 2 images of Dark Shadows Jason McGuire

Jason McGuire was a seafaring man who came to Collinsport some time in the 1940s. In 1949, he became close friends with a man named Paul Stoddard. Stoddard had the fortune of being married into the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport. Through Paul, Jason was able to cultivate a relationship with his wife, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard.

The Scam

10 years ago Roger, Laura and Burke were in a car drunk one night. Roger was behind the wheel driving then the man appeared. Sam saw Roger kill that man. Roger saw Sam and Roger bribed Sam so that no would know that he committed man slaughter.

Return to Collinsport

Eighteen years later, in 1967, Jason McGuire returned to Collinsport (193). (According to Willie Loomis in the Big Finish audio drama Echoes of Insanity, he and Willie ran scams in every port they landed in, including Singapore and Jamaica, between voyages, but their luck began turning bad after Jamaica.) He arrived at Collinwood and blackmailed Elizabeth into letting him move into the great house. He told Liz that unless she agreed to allow him to stay, he would go to the authorities with the truth about Paul Stoddard’s death (196). He contacted an old sea buddy of his, Willie Loomis, and invited him to come to stay in Collinsport with him (199). Willie then invited himself to stay at Collinwood (202). Carolyn asked him about her father, who she couldn't remember, and Jason told her that he was very much like him (202).

Jason continued to blackmail Elizabeth and extorted vast sums of money from her. He also forced her into getting him into the family business (228), selling him Collins-owned property, and even a proposal of marriage (at the end of 243 with the marriage announced at the end of 249). By this point, the rest of the Collins family knew that Jason had some kind of hold over Elizabeth, but Liz refused to entertain the notion. She was willing to do whatever Jason wanted, so long as he never revealed her grave secret.

However, this changed on the day of their proposed wedding. Elizabeth, unable to continue with this lifestyle any longer, openly to protect Roger saying that Elizabeth killed Paul Stoddard not Roger (270). Jason then revealed that she never actually killed Paul. He showed them the trunk in the basement that allegedly contained Paul’s remains. It was empty.

Final Fate

Against the pleas of her brother Roger, Elizabeth contacted the authorities. Jason fled from Collinwood as the sheriff ordered him to leave the area within 24 hours—but he wasn’t going to leave empty-handed. As dusk began to fall, he broke into the Old House, hoping to find the same Collins family jewels that Willie Loomis had coveted so many months ago. He went into the Old House cellar and discovered the coffin of Barnabas Collins. Willie tried to give Jason more jewels, but it wasn't enough to satisfy him. He also told him that Barnabas was a vampire and that he would kill him for intruding, but again Jason didn't believe him. He opened the coffin—believing, like Willie, that the jewels were hidden there—but Barnabas woke and strangled Jason (275). Barnabas later had Willie transfer Jason’s remains to the secret room in the Collins family mausoleum (276). Jason McGuire's murder was never discovered—as far as everyone else was concerned, Jason had fled town to avoid charges over Paul Stoddard's "death" and the resulting blackmail attempt. Oddly—given the manner of his death—Jason's ghost does not seem to have manifested.

Memorable Quotes

Jason Micguire: now you made one beautiful blunder by getting involved in that fight.

Appearances

193, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 213, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 224, 228, 232, 233, 237, 242, 243, 244, 246, 249, 254, 257, 259, 264, 266, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276