Dark Shadows - Blood Slide

A break from the blackmail wedding subplot featuring McGuire and Elizabeth and return to the Barnabas/Maggie main story arc has Dr. Woodward promised a drop of Willie's blood by Barnabas. Willie is reluctant but Barnabas insists. Willie is surprised of this but Barnabas has a plan...swap the blood slides when Woodward's back is turned after a friendly request to see Willie's blood sample. Meanwhile Burke tries to ease Victoria's tensions while on a date at the Blue Whale, the talk of the howling dogs disrupting what could have been a relaxed, romantic evening. I couldn't help but remember the very first episode with these two meeting on the train and how things were so different at this point. Woodward is confused and perplexed by Maggie's blood results and disappointed by the results of the switched slide pulled off by Barnabas. Talking to Burke and Victoria later, he just can't shake how something inhuman infected Maggie.

The episode will probably be best remembered for Woodward telling Barnabas about a beast ransacking his office. Woodward is surprised when Barnabas seems to feel sorry for such a desperate "more than but also less than" human responsible for the bent bars and whirling derbish of his office for Maggie's blood, with Barnabas quite forthright in how he "loathes" the beast. Frid really nails it...it reminded me of Lugosi in Dracula (1931) lamenting about death in the box at the Opera House. Frid also shows his more intense and dangerous side towards constantly-nervy Willie, Barnabas emphasizing his distrust in his servant, wanting absolute loyalty, pressing him on betrayal, the approach and shove to the floor serving as extra motivation not to cross him. 3.5/5

*Episode 245