Dark Shadows (1991)

Dark Shadows was a 1991 American horror series that aired on the NBC television network. It was a remake/reboot of the popular 1966 ABC soap opera of the same name, and starred Ben Cross, Joanna Going, and Barbara Steele. The initial 12 episodes summarized the origin of Barnabas Collins (Cross), a man who becomes a vampire in the 1790s and is resurrected in the 1990s. The show was cancelled before the story line could be resolved or new episodes produced.

Pilot (Season 1, Episode 1)[edit | edit source]

Victoria Williams (Going) arrives in Collinsport to become a nanny for the wealthy and reclusive Collins family. Willie (Jim Fyfe) breaks into the Collins family crypt looking for treasure, but instead revives Barnabas Collins (Cross), a vampire who has been chained inside the crypt for 200 years. Banabas attacks and bites Daphne Collins (Rebecca Staab), putting her in the hospital. Later, he attacks and kills another woman. The police are baffled, and ask Dr. Julia Hoffman (Steele) to hypnotize Daphne in an attempt to recover her memories. Later, Daphne returns to the Collins house, where Barnabas is pretending to be a distant relative of himself while he romances Victoria. Barnabas summons Daphne to the top of the stairs and makes her faint- part of his plan to get her moved to more accessible accommodations on the first floor.

Willy frees Barnabas
Barnabas attacks Daphne
Barnabas seduces Gloria
Barnabas attacks and kills Gloria
Daphne is hypnotized
Daphne hazily recalls the vampire attack
Barnabas summons Daphne
The hypnotized Daphne obeys
Daphne appears at the top of the stairs
Barnabas controls her
Daphne faints

Episode 2 (Season 1, Episode 2)[edit | edit source]

As Barnabas suspected, Daphne is moved to a first-floor bedroom so that she won't fall down the stairs. The new bedroom has doors that open to the outside. In classic horror-movie fashion, Barnabas summons Daphne, who walks outside and is drained by Barnabas. Later, she becomes a vampire, using her new powers to hypnotize her boyfriend Joe Haskell (Michael T. Weiss).

Daphne is moved to the first floor
A doctor gives her a crucifix to wear around her neck
Barnabas summons Daphne
Daphne hears the summons
Barnabas gives a psychic command
Barnabas orders Daphne to remove the crucifix
Daphne is hypnotized
She slowly leaves the bedroom
The entranced Daphne approaches Barnabas
mesmerized, Daphne rips the bandage from her neck.
Barnabas bites Daphne...
...and feed on her.
Daphne becomes a vampire

Episode 5 (Season 1, Episode 5)[edit | edit source]

Julia achieves significant progress in her effort to cure Barnabas of his vampirism, but when it becomes clear that he prefers Victoria over her, she sabotages the treatments so that Barnabas reverts to his primal, 200-year-old vampiric self. Carolyn Stoddard (Barbara Blackburn) unwittingly comes across Barnabas in this state and he savagely attacks her, drinking her blood and placing her under his control.

Barnabas discovers that he is turning back into a vampire
Barnabas hides from Victoria in his mansion
Carolyn drops by, looking for Barnabas
Barnabas, aged 200 years, savagely attacks her
Carolyn's blood restores Barnabas
Barnabas uses his powers on Carolyn
Carolyn falls under his power
Carolyn approaches Barnabas
Carolyn is hypnotized
Barnabas makes Carolyn his servant
Sealed with a kiss

Episode 6 (Season 1, Episode 6)[edit | edit source]

Carolyn becomes the hypnotized servant of Barnabas as he plots to get his revenge on Julia. Later, the ghost of Sarah (Veronica Lauren) prompts the Collins family to hold a seance. Victoria goes into a trance and channels Sarah's spirit.

Willy escorts the mesmerized Carolyn back home
Carolyn remembers nothing of her ordeal
Barnabas summons Carolyn
Carolyn immediately obeys
Carolyn leaves her bedroom
Barnabas bites Carolyn
Carolyn brushes off the family's concerns for her
She buys an apothecary case from an antique store
And tries to poison Julia with it
Julia confronts Carolyn
Barnabas takes control of Carolyn
She takes a knife from the kitchen...
...and tries to kill Julia in her sleep (but fails)
An old-fashioned family seance
Carolyn is still under Barnabas's spell
Victoria goes into a trance and channels Sarah's spirit

Episode 7 (Season 1, Episode 7)[edit | edit source]

Victoria is sent back in time to 1790, where she finds a still-human Barnabas preparing for his wedding to Josette (who looks exactly like Victoria). Angelique (Lysette Anthony), a spurned former lover of Barnabas, uses her magic to enslave Ben Loomis (Fyfe), forcing him to help her in her quest for revenge.

Episode 8 (Season 1, Episode 8)[edit | edit source]

Angelique casts a spell to make Josette fall madly in love with Jeremiah Collins (Adrian Paul). Barnabas challenges him to a duel and kills him, but Jeremiah's death does not break Angelique's hold over Josette.

Episode 9 (Season 1, Episode 9)[edit | edit source]

In 1790, Angelique resurrects Jeremiah as a mindless zombie slave. In 1990, Carolyn continues to carry out her master's orders. At a seance intended to return Victoria to the present, Angelique's ghost appears and possesses Julia.

Episode 10 (Season 1, Episode 10)[edit | edit source]

Joe encounters the entranced Carolyn as she answers a summons from Barnabas. He discovers the bite marks on her neck and, suspicious, follows her to the cemetery where she offers herself to Barnabas.

Carolyn answers a summons from Barnabas
She snaps out of her dance when Joe confronts her
Joe is confused by her odd behavior
The compulsion is too strong to overcome
Joe follows Carolyn to a graveyard
Carolyn offers herself to Barnabas

Episode 11 (Season 1, Episode 11)[edit | edit source]

In 1790, Barnabas becomes a vampire, and begins hypnotizing Josette into becoming his vampire bride. In 1990, an Angelique-possessed Julia kills Joe before he can drive a stake through Barnabas's heart.

Episode 12 (Season 1, Episode 12)[edit | edit source]

In 1990, the Collins family tries to rescue Victoria before Phyllis, the girl Victoria displaced in time, dies. Maggie (Ely Pouget) performs a harrowing but successful exorcism to drive Angelique's spirit out of Julia, only to become possessed by the witch herself. In 1790, Victoria is about to be hanged as a witch when she finally swaps places with Phyllis again (who is hanged in her place!) Vampire Barnabas is chained up inside the Collins family crypt, bringing the story full-circle.