Burke and Roger search for Victoria while the ghosts of Josette, Bill, and the widows appear to Matthew.

Synopsis

Teaser

My name is Victoria Winters. Though it is now late at night, the lights of Collinwood are still burning. A man has arrived who could rescue me from the Old House where I am held prisoner, a prisoner of a crazed, desperate man who has just decided to kill me.

Matthew has decided to kill Victoria because he believes the Widows want blood. Victoria attempts to plead with him, but to no avail. As Matthew leaves the Old House, Victoria begins to cry, begging for someone to help her.

Act I

Burke tries to get answers from David while Roger continues to be wry. Burke orders Roger around concerning David, to whom he offers amnesty if he offers up his secret.

David finally tells him about seeing Bill's ghost and the ghost's warning. He tells Burke that Victoria is with Matthew, but he's sure Matthew won't hurt her.

Matthew eyes, then sharpens, an axe. Victoria sobs. Josette's portrait comes to life and her ghost speaks to Victoria, telling her not to be afraid before leaving.

David tries to explain before telling Burke where to find Victoria. He said he was trying to help Matthew because he was his friend and he thought he was innocent. David tells them about the secret room at the Old House.

Matthew, axe in hand, returns and Victoria tells Matthew she saw the ghost of Josette. Roger doesn't know of any secret rooms in the Old House. David tells Burke how to get into the Old House's secret panel. Burke orders Roger to get him a gun; after a talk, Roger decides to get two and go along with him.

Victoria tells Matthew about Josette's warning and how it means she should not die because of the Widows. She also threatens that the ghosts will haunt him if he kills her.

Act II

Matthew prepares to behead Victoria when he hears ghostly voices calling his name. He goes to investigate and kill whatever is making the noise.

Bill's ghost appears singing What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor? and Matthew attempts to ax-hack it. The ghosts of the Widows appear, converging on Matthew and telling the deranged fugitive they want his life. Victoria hears Matthew's screams and shouts to him when they abruptly stop.

Burke shouts back; he and Roger find and untie Victoria, who tells them to be careful--Matthew has an axe! Burke offers to carry Victoria; the trio exits the secret room and find Matthew, slumped in a chair. The two men order him to come quietly; he falls over dead.

Memorable quotes

Roger: (On being told by David that he'd seen the ghost of Bill Malloy) What did it say, "Boo"?

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Burke: I won't shoot you, Collins. However, I've thought about it quite a bit.

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Victoria: (to a menacing Matthew) "I'm not an animal. I'm a human being!" - Almost identical to the most famous line in the movie, "The Elephant Man" (1980)

Dramatis personae

• ← Mitchell Ryan as Burke Devlin →
• ← Louis Edmonds as Roger Collins →
• ← David Henesy as David Collins →
• ← Thayer David as Matthew Morgan →
• ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters →
• ← Kathryn Leigh Scott as Maggie Evans →
• Kathryn Leigh Scott as Ghost of Josette DuPres (uncredited)
• ← Frank Schofield as Bill Malloy
• Betty Beaird as Ghost (voice only, uncredited)
• Jacqueline Bertrand as Ghost (voice only, uncredited)
• Janet Burtis as Ghost (uncredited)
• Toni Darnay as Ghost (uncredited)
• Marin Riley as Ghost (uncredited)
• Elizabeth Swain as Ghost (uncredited)

Background information and notes

Production

• This is the first episode where the teaser is predominantly a recreation of the end of the previous episode. Up until now, the teaser has been a new scene. At the end of the previous episode, Matthew talked to Victoria about the widows wanting a third girl to die and how he would kill her so they would leave him alone and not reveal him. He then told Victoria he would kill her so she wouldn't know what hit her, and he left the secret room. While the script is somewhat different in this episode, the teaser returns to before Matthew leaves the secret room and reiterates his conversation with Victoria (though somewhat differently). The end of the teaser does extend the scene a bit with Matthew exiting the secret room and going into the drawing room and front hallway, screaming that he has to obey the widows. As well, at the beginning of the teaser, a brief glimpse of David running down the Collinwood foyer stairs to Burke recreates a scene from the previous episode.
• Final appearance of Frank Schofield and the character Bill Malloy.
• Final appearance of character Matthew Morgan. He appears only in recycled footage from the end of this episode in the teaser of 127. Actor Thayer David would play additional characters later in the series.
• At the end of the closing credits, the announcer says, "On behalf of our sponsors, we would like to wish you a very happy holiday season. Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis production."
• Kathryn Leigh Scott is credited as Maggie Evans, who in fact does not appear in this episode. Presumably this mistake came about from her appearing as the ghost of Josette Collins.

Story

• Bill Malloy's ghost sings What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor?, which was previously revealed to be a favorite of his in 85.
• GHOSTWATCH: Josette's ghost appears to Victoria. The voices of the widows call out to Matthew. The ghosts of Bill Malloy and the widows appear to Matthew.

Bloopers and continuity errors

• During the slate reading at the top of the show, someone talks and the announcer (who sounds annoyed) says, "He's talking! Can you hear me? Do you want me to slate it again or what!?"
• When David Henesy comes down stairs in the opening teaser, the boom microphone hovers into view.
• Thayer David has clearly never sharpened an axe in real life. The way he's holding it, the grindstone just barely contacts the cutting edge. Besides, he is sharpening the axe with the wheel turning into it --- a real NO NO!
• David tells Burke that the latch to open the secret room is to pull the lever "behind the books on the left" but when David (and the viewers) see Matthew access the room the lever is on the right. David watches Matthew access the room this way in 123
• In the scene loading the shotguns, Roger fumbles loading the second shell and discards it in his pocket.
• When Burke unties Vicki's hands, it becomes clear that Vicki was not actually tied to the chair. She could have easily stood up at any time.
• Burke asks Vicki where Matthew is. But it seems odd that Burke and Roger would have walked right by him even though they are so fearful of Matthew that they are armed with shotguns. They would have entered the house cautiously looking for Matthew everywhere as they approached the secret room.
• When the "dead" Matthew falls forward out of the chair, actor Thayer David can be seen breaking the fall with his hands as he hits the floor.
• Neither Roger nor Burke bends down to verify that Matthew is actually dead and not just unconscious.
• Ohrbach's is misspelled in the credits as Orhbach's.

End credits announcements

• "Peter Jennings With the News" expands to bring you a full half hour of global coverage, in color beginning Monday, January 9, here on ABC.

• On behalf of our sponsors, we would like to wish you a very happy holiday season.
• Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.

External Links 

Dark Shadows - Episode 126 on the IMDb

The Dark Shadows Daybook - Episode 126

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 126: Do not be afraid

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 126: 12/19/66