Dark Shadows - Maggie Escapes

 This episode (#247) has Maggie's brain completely scrambled as Barnabas and Willie continue to tell her she's Josette, although she's just not convinced. Maggie is still in that brain trying to get out it seems. When Burke Devlin talks Sam Evans into finding his art to preoccupy his tormented psyche, as the sheriff informs him that Maggie's absence has even baffled the FBI and little evidence has been recovered of her whereabouts or disappearance, potentially considering her dead, Sam sees Burke's point, heading for the Old House to recover the portrait of Barnabas, with an apprehensive Willie leading him in reluctantly. While Willie hurries him out of the house by convincing him to take the portrait while he grabs the easel, Sam leaves behind his distinctive pipe (it has this weird misanthropic face on it, a feature that is quite detailed). That pipe is found by Maggie, sort of stirring up some confusion...and memory.

This was very clever. It is just a little carrot for the viewer. Just enough to tantalize that curiosity of "will Maggie get back to her dad and remember Sam by his pipe?" And when Josette leaves out the unlocked front door of the Old House while Willie is downstairs in the cellar as Barnabas rises from his coffin (this is a cool bit of Gothic vampire horror for us), the two discussing Sam's visit, that certainly provokes an excitement because for quite a bit Maggie's predicament seemed to be inescapable. And now she's out of the house, following memory. And when Sam is at his easel, discussing the eyes of Barnabas, how there is a cruelty he can't shake despite not seeing that side of him to Burke, Josette emerges at his window. Burke is just out of the room when Sam spots Maggie, but by the time they get around to where she was standing, of course, his daughter is gone. Just as that carrot is dangled, the writers pull it away. I applaud how soap operas tease viewers. Sam just misses his daughter...where did she go?

As Willie and Barnabas rush out of the Old House in a harried search, Maggie gets oh so close to Sam. Oh so close. 4/5