Dark Shadows - David Complains About Josette's Missing Painting

I admit, I was really just sleepwalking rather impatiently through Episode 223 as the next episode coming up is my all-time favorite episode of Dark Shadows. This felt very much like one of those going-through-the-motions episodes except for the conclusion which I liked a lot. Little David and Collins’ rival Burke Devlin return after some absence giving Barnabas the episode off. Vicki tells Elizabeth that Willie is Barnabas’ servant. This has Elizabeth bewildered at just why her cousin would hire the likes of Willie. Burke wants to know why Elizabeth sold some good property to a businessman seemingly notorious for ruining it instead of using it as he would…Elizabeth makes sure Burke understands perfectly that he would not be someone she’d ever do business with. All of this seems to be about furthering the subplot regarding Elizabeth’s ongoing troubles with blackmailing Jason, with Burke snooping into business he shouldn’t be. Vicki is but a side character in this entire episode, not central to anything, more or less giving information to Liz and Burke (Willie to Liz, a bit about Barnabas to Burke) and wondering what Burke wants to talk to Liz about. Burke being elusive as Liz continues to keep her family in the dark about Jason is basic soap opera formula…drag certain stories endlessly for a long period of time when they could be resolved much faster. Anyway, David goes on and on about how the Old House is different..realizing it is because Josette’s painting no longer hangs over the mantle and it seems her “presence” is gone. If anything, this episode does allow Liz to enter The Old House, removing her from Collinwood manor for a change. I wish they would allow her more chances to actually be elsewhere…she deserves to be let out of soap opera prison. Burke talking to David about The Old House is a bit awkward, but the former does inspire the latter to go to Barnabas’ abode to see if he can have Josette’s painting. That leads to the moment where the hounds howl, the doors to The Old House shut thanks to the rugged wind, as David’s terror magnifies. Good Gothic touch there. 2/5