Edith's ghost appears to Quentin as he and Evan are determined to have a new will forged.

Synopsis

Teaser

Barnabas Collins remains in a deep trance. He has employed the mysterious powers of the I-Ching and gone through the door to the infinite, hoping to find and defeat the spirit that haunts Collinwood. But beyond the door, he has been transported back in time to the year 1897, a time of intrigue and terror for all who lived at Collinwood. On this night, one man searches the halls and corridors of Collinwood, haunted by one of his own evil deeds.

Quentin Collins searches for the sound of the heartbeat, following it to Edith Collins' casket, where he sees her with her eyes open, smiling at him.

Act I

Back in his room, Quentin falls asleep in his chair and dreams he sees Edith coming to his room. She confronts him about stealing her will and says she will not rest until he gives it back. He says he deserves more than she gave him and will not spend the rest of his life begging from the family. He then tries to choke her, but she shows up on his chair, looking dead, but with her eyes open and grinning. We see him bury her, but she begins to dig her way up from the grave, her hand reaching up for him. Quentin wakes, relieved it was just a dream. Evan Hanley knocks on his door and asks for the will, but Quentin is getting cold feet. Quentin tells Evan that Barnabas suspects them, having said that Edith would not rest until he gave the will back. He tells Evan about hearing Edith's heartbeat. Evan tries to calm Quentin, but Quentin says with all Evan's experience with "your Devil calling" should be the last one to doubt the possibility. Evan questions whether Barnabas has supernatural powers and decides to have a ceremony to "deal with Barnabas Collins". He plans to use Jamison Collins in the ceremony to help strengthen the plea. They agree to meet at 8pm at The Cottage. Quentin gives Evan the will so he can take it to Sandor and promises Quentin that in a few weeks, he will be the new Master of Collinwood.

Act II

At The Old House, Sandor looks at the will, but Evan wants him to settle on a price for forging a new will. Sandor decides $500 in gold is his price, which Quentin balks at, but Evan tells him is acceptable. Sandor takes the will, saying it will take some time to perfect Edith's handwriting, and he will let them know tonight. Evan and Quentin talk about the dream when Jamison arrives to tell Quentin about Edith's service. He asks Jamison to tell Judith he is too ill to come to the service and asks Jamison to come to him after it is over. Evan chides Quentin for being frightened of Edith's ghost. Quentin says he will feel better once Edith is buried and Evan leaves for the funeral. While working on the will in The Cottage, Jamison shows up and asks Sandor what he is doing. Sandor tells him not to ask questions, but Jamison is not getting the hint. Jamison starts looking through things and discovers a box with black candles. Sandor tells him he should run back home before it gets dark and frightens him off. Back in his room, Quentin is pacing when Jamison returns and tells him the services were nice and she is now buried. Quentin falls into his chair, relieved to hear of the burial.

Act III

Quentin invites Jamison to go on a walk with him and tells him after dinner, they are going to "take a look into the future". Jamison presses him for details, but Quentin puts him off, but says he has to promise not to be frightened. He tells him Evan Hanley knows words that make visions of the future appear, but it is a secret game and he must keep the secret. At the cottage, Sandor prepares an altar for Evan Hanley as Quentin and Jamison arrive. They start their ceremony with instructions to Jamison he is to stare into the flames and not take his eyes off the flames. Evan starts his incantation and thunder rolls as Jamison announces "She is going to be here soon". Quentin and Evan are concerned Jamison will break the spell, but Jamison runs out. Evan sends Sandor to get him back and Quentin tells Evan they have gone too far, that there is something in the fire. Evan looks into the fire and sees a skull wearing a blond wig.

Memorable quotes

Edith: (pointing at Quentin) You shouldn't have taken my will, Quentin.

Quentin: I didn't. I swear.

Edith: That's right; you had the child take it, didn't you?

---

Edith: Give back the will, Quentin. Give back the will.

Quentin: No! No, you can't have it. You can't leave me with nothing. Do you understand that? I deserve more than you gave me. I am not going to spend my life begging from the rest of the family. I'm going to get my fair share!

---

Evan: Perhaps we could summon a friend of ours to deal with Barnabas Collins.

Quentin: What...friend are you talking about?

Evan: From the flames...of the netherworld.

Quentin: Are you serious?

Evan: Of course! If our plea is strong enough, the powers of darkness will respond.

---

Quentin: Now you're dead, and you're going to stay dead.

---

Quentin: Last night, I swear I could hear her heartbeat pounding through the house.

Evan: That is impossible.

Quentin: Oh, is it? Well, you're the last person I'd expect to hear that from. You've had enough experience with your devil callings.

Evan: Will you be quiet?

Quentin: No one can hear us...but you know that the supernatural is possible.

---

Sandor: (to Jamison) It ain't a good idea to ask so many questions.

Dramatis personae

• ← Thayer David as Sandor →
• ← Humbert Allen Astredo as Evan Hanley →
• ← David Selby as Quentin Collins →
• ← Isabella Hoopes as Edith Collins →
• ← David Henesy as Jamison Collins →
• ← Natalie Norwick as Edith Collins (uncredited) →

Background information and notes

Production

• This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 711.
• This was the final time Edith Collins was played by Isabella Hoopes. A younger version of the character will next be seen in 1119, played by Terry Crawford.
• Edith is played by Natalie Norwick when she is lying in her coffin but by Isabella Hoopes when she is terrorizing Quentin in his dream. [Hoopes was 76 years old at the time and Norwick was only 46....I would guess that someone decided that it wasn't a good idea to have Hoopes climbing in and out of a coffin.]
• There is a tape edit as Quentin and Evan discuss Barnabas.
• Only cast members are credited in this episode.

Story

• The heartbeat that tortures Quentin is inspired from Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart."
• Jamison often goes to the cottage to play.
• Sandor Rakosi's price of five hundred dollars in 1897 would be equal to $18,122.89 in 2023 adjusted for inflation.
• Edith is Jamison's great-grandmother. [That was already established in episode 705, and it's a given anyway since he's Edward's son.]
• GHOSTWATCH: Edith's ghost appears to Quentin.
• DREAM SEQUENCE: Edith taunts Quentin; he buries her.
• TIMELINE: 1:10am at the start of this episode and at the end of the previous. 3:05am: Quentin sleeps. It was last night when Quentin's room was wrecked. Evan and Quentin agree to meet in the cottage at 8pm tonight. It's Edith's funeral today. It's going to be dark soon.

Bloopers and continuity errors

• Blue lights plague the cameras as Quentin is haunted by Edith. [Not sure what you're referring to. Everything looks normal to me.]
• At the end of Quentin's dream, Edith is sitting in his chair, either intended to be a dead corpse or a ghost (she's staring straight ahead, wide-eyed). You can see her breathing.
• David Selby calls Barnabas "Barnabas Cousin" instead of "Barnabas Collins."
• In Act I, after Evan says, "And bring the boy with you," someone coughs off-stage.
• Early in Act II, Humbert Allen Astredo flubs the word "finish" as "pinish" when talking to Sandor about his price for forging the will.

External Links 

Dark Shadows - Episode 710 on the IMDb

Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 710 - Been Caught Stealing

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 710: The raven and the viper and all the dark creatures

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 710: 3/14/69