Dark Shadows - Interrupted Dinner

Barnabas will not lose his Josette again. Even though Maggie is not Josette, and the authorities are on the lookout for her, with even the threat of discovery always a possibility, Barnabas is obsessed with making sure she stays put and surrenders completely to this illusion. Helpless Willie goes about his orders, making sure food is prepared and the table is set, knowing that Maggie is held under Barnabas' control. When Sam and Joe decide to visit the Old House so Sam can inform Barnabas that work on the portrait painting is to be suspended until his daughter is found, Willie is told to get Maggie upstairs. So while upstairs, Maggie recognizes her father and boyfriend's voices, making a fuss, tipping over a vase. This sparks up curiosity in the visitors, but Barnabas is able to get them out the door, telling them that Willie was the cause.

This episode is a dangled carrot for those watching, a momentary glimmer of hope for Maggie since she was awakening from the hypnotic pull of Barnabas, as Willie was tasked with trying to keep her quiet and still. Since this is still early in the "kidnap Maggie" storyline, she's not escaping Barnabas so soon. But the viewers of the time had to be kept lured to the show so that little bit of hope only to be dashed by the vampire holding her is classic soap opera. Willie always at odds with Barnabas and obviously ashamed but just too weak to do anything about it is another glimmer of hope, with the viewer left wondering if he will eventually help her. And with Barnabas determined to keep Maggie as Josette and never leave him, as Josette left him in the past by jumping from Widow's Hill the final scene indicates he would use violence if necessary. Whatever it takes would seem to be Barnabas' desperation acting...Josette dying was even worse than Barnabas' vampire curse. And her committing suicide because of his curse just made matters worse. There is this whole back story yet to be told which gives viewers mystery and perhaps revelations yet to be revealed. 3/5