I am new to the Dark Shadows fandom. I'm JC and I'm from Miami, Florida.
This is my friendly suggestion blog to other newbies out there...do yourself a huge favor and start your Dark Shadows journey with episode 1. I will tell you why.
I was lured to Dark Shadows, sadly, when Jonathan Frid passed away and this led me to check out the Dark Shadows episodes that Netflix had at the time, of course to see what the big deal was with this Barnabas vampire guy and what-not. I started with episode 206 , this may have been the earliest episode that Netflix offered but I could be wrong about this. Whatever the case was, Netflix decided to discontinue offering Dark Shadows and I had only made it to episode 215 or 216 by the time it was no longer available. I don't remember which but I do know I never made it to 217.
Ok so that's that, right? No, not really. Yes but no. Yes because I wouldn't see Dark Shadows until the tv network Decades did their Dark Shadows Weekend Binge in 2015 which made me quite happy. I banked on them probably starting at the time of Barnabas' introduction to the serial (oh yea, that guy Barnabas ..AGAIN.THIS "soap" must be really great because here is this Barnabas guy being mentioned everywhere it seems now) I figured what the heck, I'll play a connect-the-dots-thingie and make it work this time, at least as far as what this Weekend Binge Dark Shadows event was going to broadcast.
That weekend went so-so..I saw as many episodes as I could during the day and recorded the overnight episodes on my VCR and tried to make the proper necessary episode order. It maybe worked mediocre at best. I managed to create more chaos and confusion and don't get me started on how at this time in Dark Shadows broadcast history, the episodes went back and forth with color and black and white. I was lost.
Ok, no problem. I can still find my way, the RIGHT way and start at episode 1. I mean, it's when the whole thing/phenomenon began, right? NOT the way Netflix had it and NOT the way Decades did it in their Weekend Binge. Start at The Beginnings, of course. Thanks to YouTube, I did.
With this approach, Dark Shadows took on a much deeper and darker feel and a richer meaning with the characters and their day-to-day lives (what I consider "classic soap camp") leading up to the Barnabas the Vampire story line.
The ghost of Bill Malloy , Josette 's painting, the Widows and Laura the Phoenix were all amazing storylines, enough to keep me going. Enough to get to know the Collins family at Collinwood. Ghost stories, supernatural beings, murder, deception, vampires, spirits...oh I know I'm going to LOVE this now!
And I am.
Feel free to comment...I currently need 1000+ episodes until 1225. Get the drift? :)
I'm a newbie alright....