Elizabeth returns and continues to obsess over the idea that she will be buried alive.

Synopsis

On this night, fear pervades the great house at Collinwood, for Elizabeth Collins Stoddard has disappeared, and those who love her fear for her life. Others in the great house are in danger too, ever-increasing danger, for this will be a night of unknown terrors.

Mrs. Johnson gabs to Nicholas about Elizabeth thinking she's Naomi Collins and speculates that she was under a spell; Julia returns home, not having found Tom Jennings, and thinks of a cover story for her search for him.

Roger thinks Elizabeth is on the property, a nurse heard her saying she needed to die at Collinwood. Elizabeth is, in fact, at Collinwood, wondering if any of them was, or if she will be, buried alive. In the graveyard, Elizabeth sees Tom Jennings; he’s about to bite her, but she screams. Roger runs over and Tom vanishes.

Elizabeth recognizes Mrs. Johnson and Roger as themselves; she insists to Roger that she doesn't want to die at Windcliff Sanitarium. Because of Elizabeth's insistence that she will be buried alive, Roger wants to take her back to Windcliff. Elizabeth overhears it; she's cut the telephone wire so Mrs. Johnson can’t make the call.

Julia promises to help Elizabeth, who follows the doctor after she is summoned by Tom. Elizabeth thinks the coffin is for her; Julia goes berserk.

Memorable quotes

Mrs. Johnson: Too many things have happened in this house, too many things that you can’t explain. It’s as if there was some force, some evil force hovering over this house, some force that’s trying to destroy this family.

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Mrs. Johnson: Some nights I wake up trembling, Things that are happening around here frighten me so.

Dramatis personae

• Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
• Louis Edmonds as Roger Collins
• Grayson Hall as Julia Hoffman
• Clarice Blackburn as Sarah Johnson
• Humbert Allen Astredo as Nicholas Blair
• Don Briscoe as Tom Jennings

Background information and notes

Production

• Joan Bennett returns to the cast after an absence of 47 episodes.
• A dark vertical band can be seen on left of the screen, affecting one camera.
• Don Briscoe is credited as 'Donald Briscoe'.
• There is a tape edit as Julia and Mrs. Johnson leave the drawing room. Nicholas was standing several feet behind Roger but is suddenly at his side.

Story

• INTERNAL MONOLOGUE: Elizabeth: Buried Alive! / Roger lied.
• TIMELINE: Elizabeth has been missing for 24 hours. It was last week when Tom died (occurred in 564). Day 232 begins, and will end in 571. 12am: Elizabeth wanders the cemetery.

Bloopers and continuity errors

• Julia's scarf becomes loose, making the bite marks on her neck visible to Roger, but Grayson Hall manages to unobtrusively fix it as she continues with her lines.
• The camera bounces around several times as Elizabeth begins to talk with Mrs. Johnson.
• A boom microphone shadow can be seen as Mrs. Johnson is approaching the doors of the drawing room. It can also be seen as Roger closes the doors of the drawing room when he goes in to speak with Elizabeth.
• A camera can be seen in the foyer as Julia goes to the drawing room window after she hears the dogs howling. It is seen again shortly after when Elizabeth follows Julia out the front door.
• It seems odd that Roger would make a definitive decision to send Elizabeth back to Windcliff without consulting Julia, who is right there in the house.
• When Roger tells Mrs. Johnson to call Windcliff, he says "tell her" and then corrects himself and says "tell them".
• As Roger responds to Elizabeth's screams for help in the woods, Tom Jennings looks to Elizabeth's right before vanishing...but then Roger and Nicholas enter the shot from her left.
• The camera has trouble focusing on Julia as she looks out the drawing room window after hearing the dogs howl.
• When Mrs. Johnson returns to the drawing room after going to make a call from the study, she comes through the door to the kitchen. However, when she left to make the call, she exited the scene past the grandfather clock, where the study has been established to be at this point in the show.
• When Elizabeth enters the crypt toward the end of the episode, she places her hands on one of the pillars, which wobbles.
• As Julia calls for Tom in the crypt at the end of the episode, his arm can be seen in the shadows as Don Briscoe awaits his cue before he emerges.
• For reasons unknown, strips of decidedly un-spooky black gaff tape, a stagehand’s best friend, are seen lapping over the sides of Tom Jennings’ ornately carved coffin from the underside.

External Links 

Dark Shadows - Episode 569 on the IMDb

Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 569 - Liz Misérables

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 569: Call me a superstitious woman

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 569: 8/29/68