Dark Shadows - Back to the Beginning

 When I was watching Episode 262 and Mitchell Ryan had been replaced, I admittedly opined how disappointed I was. I had some time to kill on Saturday afternoon with a rather thunderstormy atmosphere outside, so I thought I'd go back to the Dark Shadows era so often (perhaps rightfully so) forgotten about, that whole period of the show before Barnabas was freed from his tomb to roam (and bite necks). Before Jason McGuire and Willie Loomis, Barnabas and Dr. Julia Hoffman, there was Victoria Winters arriving on a train from New York, hoping to learn more about her past by arriving at Collinsport, Maine, answering and accepting a letter of employment to teach Roger's son. Burke Devlin was the chief villain arriving on that same train to get him some good ole revenge. Roger and Sam Evans have some history to address that concerned Burke Devlin. So funny watching the Barnabas era right now and how Roger and Sam aren't even remotely attached in anything story-wise. But at this time, they were inexorably linked. And Burke arriving in town sure provokes anxiety and panic. It is fun to watch. Roger was much more important back at this time, for sure, and heavily involved in the A story of the show. Very important in the comings and goings of the head plot, definitely. Seeing Roger so bent out of shape, so out of sorts, Burke sure set him on edge. And Burke at the Blue Whale gathering up the works from a PI he assigned, bought and paid for, to dig up information, that vengeful mind plotting and scheming...this was certainly a Dark Shadows era that might pique the interest of those who solely know the show for Barnabas, the vampire, or time warps.