Dark Shadows - In Dreams

Now the ending of Episode 225 brought serious Lugosi/Dracula 31 vibes. Great stuff. Barnabas’ visitation of a restlessly sleeping Maggie, while she tries to deal with a recurring nightmare involving herself (supposedly) in a coffin in a cavern in the woods, looked on by herself with a skeletal face screaming, is right out of Dracula, as he approaches her bed with his mouth opening with teeth clinched, as if he could take to her throat at any moment. That is quite the cliffhanger if you were a viewer following the soap each day. The rest of the episode is just okay, taking place almost entirely at the Blue Whale on a long night, as Maggie calls Joe after the nightmare with a need to see him and be with him. Joe and Maggie go to the Blue Whale for a “nightcap”, drinks to ease her tensions. Eventually Barnabas and Sam Evans arrive after the painting is complete to celebrate, stirring up Maggie’s nerves something fierce as Joe tries to keep her calm. Something about Barnabas’ presence just leaves Maggie a mess of anxiety. Joe can’t understand it, of course, but not even Maggie is sure what is causing her to be so out of sorts. She just can’t seem to be near that table as Barnabas and her father sit down, opting to sit at the bar with a confused Joe. Maggie even got away from the table to dance with Joe, just not comfortable around Barnabas. Barnabas continues to speak to her father about all the good qualities Maggie possesses as Sam agrees, in a good spirit considering the success of the portrait. Soon Burke Devlin arrives to meet Barnabas, eyeing with interest his wolf-head cane. I always dig the cane because of my love for The Wolf Man, so Barnabas, the vampire, toting it around (very much a key part of the character) is always cool. Sam eventually returns home to tuck a nervous Maggie in bed, but she just tosses and turns until Barnabas eventually arrives like a thief in the night. It is a good setup for the next episode, for sure, leaving us wondering what he might do next. 3/5