Matthew confesses to Elizabeth that he found the body of Bill Malloy on the shore and pushed it back out to sea.

Synopsis

My name is Victoria Winters. My home is now Collinwood. A strange brooding house where I tutor a small boy and try to teach him that ghosts are not perfectly natural visitors.

David interrogates Victoria about the events of the previous night. He asks if ghosts were chasing them and why she and Carolyn were screaming. Victoria tells him to look in his crystal ball; he already has and the answer would make her scream even louder. Then David tells her that someone in Collinsport wants to kill her, and when she's dead, he won't go to her funeral. David tells Victoria that his mother warned him about the spooky happenings at Collinwood. He suspects Roger stole his only picture of Laura. David accuses his father of lying, wanting to send him away, and wanting to beat him.

Elizabeth denies any activity the night before when David asks. David reports that Roger left very, very early in the morning.

Elizabeth takes a walk to Matthew's cottage. David vows to kill anyone who would hurt Elizabeth.

Joe comes to Collinwood looking for Elizabeth, and asks about David's crystal ball. David again reasserts that he will never marry Carolyn.

Victoria and Joe discuss the missing Malloy and the body and the watch. David eavesdrops and receives a scolding from Elizabeth. Victoria goes up for David's lesson. Joe last saw Bill on the day before yesterday (46), or so he tells Elizabeth. It's not like Malloy at all to be gone so long.

Elizabeth calls Sheriff George Patterson after Joe leaves with her concern about Bill Malloy.

David attempts to skirt his transportation lesson by asking about the body (although he actually gets a bit of his lesson in).

Elizabeth tells the sheriff she’s not really worried; Joe brings back Carolyn's watch. Elizabeth phones the office to ask about Roger and to order a cover story on Malloy.

David's still fixated on dead men, not transportation. He again asserts that the body was Malloy.

Matthew's worried about Carolyn's hanging out at Widows' Hill (and speculates that Josette may have been lured to Widows' Hill by unnatural forces!). Matthew and Roger took a walk together on the beach this morning. David thinks Roger wasted Malloy. Matthew used to work for her father on the boats before coming to work for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth orders Matthew to tell her the truth. He admits there was a body and that it was Bill Malloy, which he pushed back into the water.

Memorable quotes

Dramatis personae

• ← Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard →
• ← Thayer David as Matthew Morgan →
• ← Joel Crothers as Joe Haskell →
• ← David Henesy as David Collins →
• ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters →

Background information and notes

Production

Story

• Matthew speculates that Josette (whom he calls "the first Mrs. Collins") may have been compelled to jump from Widows' Hill by unnatural forces.
• Matthew has worked for Elizabeth for 18 years; before that he worked for her father on the boats.
• David talks about his mother; he believes his father stole a picture of her from him.
• Victoria's lessons have yielded the following: David is smart and has a good memory.
• David says he loves Elizabeth almost as much as his mother. If anyone tried to hurt Elizabeth, he'd kill them.
• Matthew tells Elizabeth to keep Carolyn away from Widows' Hill even though it was one of her favorite places to go as a child.
• Sheriff George is mentioned. He will make his first appearance in the next episode.
• TIMELINE: It was last night when Victoria and Carolyn found Bill Malloy's body. It was late last night when they went to bed.

Bloopers and continuity errors

• A boom microphone shadow appears on the kitchen wall when Vicki gets up and pours more coffee for herself.
• The Collinsport Fly buzzes David's right ear briefly in the breakfast nook when he is talking to Victoria.
• Off-stage noises can be heard as Elizabeth prepares to leave the breakfast nook.
• The shadow of a boom microphone is visible on the top right of the screen as Joe and David talk near the stairs (just before and as Victoria enters.)

End credit announcement

• Peyton Place now comes your way Mondays and Wednesdays. Be sure to watch tonight here on ABC.
• Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis production.

External Links 

Dark Shadows - Episode 53 on the IMDb

The Collinsport Historical Society - Dark Shadows Diary - Episode 53

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 53: You can move almost anything by water

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 53: 9/7/66