Edward disrupts Barnabas' I-Ching trance, causing his body in 1969 to disappear; in 1969, Julia and Professor Stokes begin to lose hope.

Synopsis

On this night, the fate of Barnabas Collins' mission to the past hangs in the balance. He has found out when Quentin Collins will die but not who killed him. And so in the cellar of the Old House, he tries once again to try and transcend time and space and return briefly to the present in search of information. Barnabas relies on the mysterious powers of the I-Ching to guide him back to the year 1969, while in the house above, Edward enters to find him and kill him.

Barnabas enters a trance with the I-Ching wands before him, as Edward slowly approaches with a gun. At this same instant, the astral Barnabas is headed toward the future. In anger, Edward brushes the wands onto the floor, causing Barnabas's astral body to suspend its journey. We see the effects in 1969 as Barnabas begins to become agitated, and then disappear, while Professor Stokes and Dr. Hoffman look on, horrified. Stokes pronounces Barnabas's death.

Meanwhile, in 1897, Barnabas awakens to a gun-toting, irascible Edward. Barnabas attempts to reason with Edward, whose objection to killing a Collins prevents him from pulling the trigger. Edward instead locks Barnabas in the basement cell and awaits the vampiric transformation, which, Edward believes, will kill Barnabas, as he now has no coffin to which to escape.

Barnabas explains his current predicament in a letter to Julia, hoping that she will receive it in 1969. Amy does indeed find the note, but tries to conceal it, even knowing that Julia is its intended recipient. Despite this, Julia takes the letter and shares it with Timothy Stokes. From it, he deduces that Barnabas has a "secret," and when he inquires about its meaning, Julia feigns ignorance. Julia decides that she too must travel to the past in order to help Barnabas, despite Stokes' ambivalence about making such a journey.

Memorable quotes

Prof. Stokes (regarding Barnabas after he disappeared): Whatever happened to him, whatever time or world his astral being may have traversed, we shall never know. The one thing we can assume is that...Barnabas Collins is dead.

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Edward (to Barnabas): You forfeited your right to be a Collins or a human being when you made your pact with the devil!

Dramatis personae

• Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
• Louis Edmonds as Edward Collins
• Grayson Hall as Dr. Julia Hoffman
• Thayer David as Prof. Stokes
• Denise Nickerson as Amy Jennings

Background information and notes

Production

Story

• This episode features an interesting use of time travel, with Barnabas leaving a letter in 1897 for Julia to find in 1969.
• The Old House was restored in 1967.
• Amy's dolls are called 'Amanda' and 'Debbie'.
• Barnabas throws the I-Ching wands to show the 49th hexagram (white, black, black, black, white, black) (reprised from previous episode); however, Edward breaks the trance, causing Barnabas' body in 1969 to disappear.
• INTERNAL MONOLOGUE: Barnabas: When the house was restored...
• It would appear that the marks placed on Barnabas' hand by Count Petofi have done more than stifle Barnabas' ability to disappear and have seemingly blocked his other preternatural abilities as well. For instance, Barnabas does not make any attempt to turn into a bat, nor does he use supernatural strength to try and escape from the cell.
• TIMELINE: The sun will rise in eight hours (which would mean the time is currently about 10pm). Barnabas has learned in "the past 24 hours" that Quentin will die on September 10th. Edward learned that Barnabas is a vampire "some months ago" (occurred in 781). In 1969, it's the evening. Barnabas is in a past that runs parallel to the present.

Bloopers and continuity errors

• In the teaser, when the metal door slams on Barnabas in his I-Ching-induced time travel, the entire wall shakes.
• Jonathan Frid flubs a line: "If you intend to keep me here - whatever [rather than "however"] much you hate me - I am still a Collins."
• When Barnabas writes the letter in 1897 to be found in the future, it's put in a blank envelope and hidden in a desk. In the next scene, when Amy finds the aged envelope in the desk in 1969, the outside of the envelope now has "Dr. Julia Hoffman" written on the outside of it. (Maybe Barnabas got it back out again)
• Barnabas writes in the letter to Julia that today's date is September 5th, 1897. However, when it is read out in 837, it will have changed to the 10th.
• When Barnabas puts the note into the desk, the camera pulls back a little too far and shows the edge of the set on the left side of the screen.
• In Act II, when the scene shifts from the cellar to the Old House parlor, you can see Amy looking up for her cue.
• When speaking to Professor Stokes, Julia mentions that "all will be lost for David Collins, and for Chris" if Barnabas dies in the past. Presumably, however, Stokes was unaware that Chris Jennings also needed the help of Barnabas.
• After Professor Stokes tells Julia to go up to bed, there is knocking and squeaking sound from off-stage. There is then a lot of off-stage noise when Julia finds Amy with the envelope.
• Barnabas' letter is the first time Julia learns that Barnabas is once again a vampire. However, she never reacts to this news in any way during this or subsequent episodes.
• There is an extra-long pause as Amy waits for Julia to get into place before she delivers her first line. We also see Grayson Hall walk in front of Denise Nickerson to take her position. This leaves Denise Nickerson sitting with her mouth open until the sound of thunder gives her her cue.
• As Julia is standing in the Collinwood foyer waiting for Quentin to appear, you can see a shadow moving on the wall to the right.

External Links 

Dark Shadows - Episode 835 on the IMDb

Dark Shadows Every Day - Episode 835 - Meanwhile, in the Future

The Dark Shadows Daybook - Episode 835

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 835: A past that runs parallel to our present

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 835: 9/5/69