David has a horrific vision while Joe finds out that Laura Murdoch Radcliffe had a son named David whom she brought into the fire with her.

Synopsis

Teaser

My name is Victoria Winters. Night has come to Collinwood. A growing darkness has slowly crept in from the sea, bringing the day to an end. But it has brought with it no promise of rest nor of peace, no end of mystery nor of fear. Again throughout this night and the day to come, knowledge brings not light but a deeper darkness and a seemingly unending fear.

Carolyn is pacing the drawing room while Victoria reads; Roger has suddenly gone to Boston to see Elizabeth, and Carolyn is afraid of being alone in the house. Mrs. Johnson is spending the night with her sister, and she says Victoria and David can't give her a feeling of security like Roger does. As they speculatively fret, someone knocks at the door.

Act I

It is Dr. Guthrie and Joe, who inform the girls of the success/failure at the graveyard, and Guthrie implores them to keep Laura and David away from each other. Carolyn is confused by the connection between empty graves and her mother's condition. He wants Victoria and Carolyn to sway David to stay permanently at Collinwood despite the opposition they'll inevitably get from Roger.

Act II

Carolyn looks in on David, who is sleeping. He wakes up, upset that Carolyn's in his room because they agreed a long time ago to stay out of each other's personal space. He says he doesn't need Carolyn to take care of him because Victoria and his mother already do. Carolyn wonders if David believes if people can change; David doesn't think Carolyn's changed at all. She tries to convince him she really does care for him and kisses him goodnight. David, surprised by his cousin's kindness, worries that something bad has happened, but Carolyn allays his fears.

Act III

Next morning, Joe researches at the public library. David has written an imaginative, but slightly errored, essay about his imaginary sister. He wonders if he had an older sister if she would love him; Victoria thinks so. She says it's a terrible waste not to love the people who love him. He wonders if Carolyn would be different if she had a brother. At that moment, Joe calls and Victoria tells him that Dr. Guthrie is on his way to Collinwood. Joe has something important to show Guthrie. While not working on his arithmetic, David gazes into the fireplace and he is startled to find his own face in the fire. He runs from the room and into Guthrie's arms; Victoria rushes in and David clings to her, saying he was on fire.

Act IV

Some time later, Joe has arrived and has a photostatic copy of the paper they were looking for, confirming Guthrie's hypothesis. Joe sees a remarkable affinity between David's vision and the account of the October, 1867 newspaper clipping. In that year, a young boy named David died in fire in his mother Laura's arms.

Memorable quotes

Dramatis personae

• ← Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Stoddard →
• ← John Lasell as Peter Guthrie →
• ← Joel Crothers as Joe Haskell →
• ← David Henesy as David Collins →
• ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters →

Background information and notes

Production

• There is no title sequence for the DVD edition of this episode; the teaser fades right into the first act. [Addendum: The streaming episode does have the title sequence.]
• Exterior scene of a business district street in Collinsport to establish the scene with Joe in the public library.

Story

• TIMELINE: Day 45 takes place.

Bloopers and continuity errors

• In the opening scene Carolyn and Victoria discuss how quiet the house is with everyone gone. But at various points in the scene you can hear the crew rustling about, shifting things around, and making noise.
• Dr. Guthrie comments that the coffin of Laura Murdoch Radcliffe was opened by Josette when explaining to Victoria and Carolyn what happened upon arrival back to Collinwood. He meant to say Stockbridge.
• The street scene shown before we see Joe at the library is reversed compared to how it is normally shown. The buildings and church steeple are usually on the left side of the screen. (Also, the traffic is driving on the left, and an Rx sign is reversed.)
• When Joe calls Collinwood from the public library, he stammers when he tells Vicki she should tell Dr. Guthrie "I'm on my way." Also, he bumps the pay phone with his elbow, and the prop shakes back and forth.

End credits announcement

• Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.

External Links 

Dark Shadows - Episode 181 on the IMDb

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 181: People can change

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 181: 3/6/67