Charles starts the portrait of Quentin using a photograph; Charity sees the portrait change from Quentin to a werewolf.

Synopsis

A few years before the turn of the century, the inhabitants of Collinwood lived through a series of nightmarish events. The most mysterious of all these was the appearance of the disembodied hand of Count Petofi. The terror it unleashed was compounded by the arrival of the legendary Count Petofi himself, who came in quest of the hand. Failing to get it, he imposed a harsh punishment on all who lived at Collinwood. He decreed that each of them must discover the horrible truth about themselves and suffer the terrible consequences.

The confession appears on the drawing room table. Charity finds it and confronts Trask. Trask rebukes Charity and says she should not believe it. He says she knows Tim killed her mother. Then claims Charity is under the devil's power. Trask claims to be the only one who can save them.

While Magda guards Jamison he tells her to beware of the truth as it can be very dangerous. Trask tears up the confession and it begins to storm. He calls to Minerva and tells her to stop haunting him; he tries to claim he was innocent. The storm stops as Charles Delaware Tate enters Collinwood. He says there is no storm. He also says that he was commissioned by Edith to do a portrait of Quentin but Quentin does not want him to do it. He wants a picture of Quentin to work with. Trask recalls a photograph Judith has in the desk, but as he finds the picture he also sees, to his horror, that the confession has reappeared in the drawer.

Charity enters Quentin's room, and she asks about his music. She is acting like Pansy and flirts with Quentin. Magda enters as Charity leaves. She tells him Jamison wants to see him. Jamison, as Count Petofi, offers to cure Quentin if he lets him leave the cell. Quentin says he can not cure him without the hand so it is no deal. Tate is almost through with his portrait of Quentin. As Charity watches in terror, the portrait suddenly begins to grow hair.

Memorable quotes

Jamison: (possessed by Count Petofi) The truth can be very destructive, Magda.

Dramatis personae

• Grayson Hall as Magda
• Nancy Barrett as Charity Trask / Pansy Faye
• David Selby as Quentin Collins
• Roger Davis as Charles Tate
• Jerry Lacy as Gregory Trask
• David Henesy as Jamison Collins / Andreas Petofi

Background information and notes

Production

• Series creator Dan Curtis returns to the director's chair, having last done so in 737.
• No cast or crew members are credited.

Story

• A friend of Charles' rented the cottage the previous summer and told him about it. This is the same cottage seen in the present day as owned by Sam Evans and is its first appearance during the year 1897.
• Charles' style of dress is reminiscent of Aristide Bruant.
• Gregory was once shown a picture of Quentin by Judith, kept in the desk drawer in the drawing room.
• TIMELINE: It was last night when Charity thought she was Pansy Faye. Charles plans to have finished Quentin's portrait in two weeks. Quentin was with Barnabas last night in Quentin's room. It's a full moon tonight.

Bloopers and continuity errors

• When the signed confession reappears on the desk, it is turned in a different direction than seen at the end of the previous episode.
• As Charity reads the confession in the teaser, someone sneezes off-stage.
• Why does Gregory admit he burned the letter if he is trying to convince Charity he is not guilty of what it claims? [Addendum: It makes perfect sense that he would burn the letter if he thought it was a false accusation.]
• When Magda looks into the cell at Jamison/Petofi, a boom mic shadow can be seen on the bars in the upper left-hand corner. Then, as the camera zooms in on Jamison, someone coughs off-stage. Then when Jamison wakes up, there is a loud squeaking noise from off-stage.
• As the scene begins right after the opening title, a boom mic shadow moves across Charity, and there is a knocking noise from off-stage.
• When the window in the drawing room blows open, you can see a cable on the floor between the desk and the rug. Also, the corner of the rug is folded underneath.
• After Trask protests his innocence to Minerva and is holding his head, a boom mic shadow passes over him.
• Roger Davis flubs, "I'm not staying in Collinsport" but at a studio in the village, when he should have said "Collinwood". He then corrects himself by saying he won't be staying in Collinwood either.
• Charity seems not to know why Quentin is so sad, although not too long ago, he told her about his son's death.
• Grayson Hall flubs a line: “Quentin, you ain’t thinking. You’re so desperate because you know that there will be a full moon tonight, that there — you’re — you’re not thinking of the foolish things!” Also, during this scene, the camera switch is much delayed. The camera remains on Jamison/Petofi for quite a long time while Quentin and Magda converse out of sight.

External Links 

Dark Shadows - Episode 806 on the IMDb

Dark Shadows Everyday - Episode 806 - FML

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 806: You're thinking of the foolish things

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 806: 7/28/69