The essential episodes of Dark Shadows
Watch these 15 in order and you've got Dark Shadows — each pick states its reason.
- 01
Victoria Winters travels to Collinsport by train from New York to be the governess of 10 year old David Collins. Also on that train is Burke Devlin, who seems rather mysterious. We get to see Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and Roger Collins argue over if it was wise to hire Victoria. Victoria and Burke go to the hotel where she can wait for a cab. He seems rather disturbed about the place. He leaves and goes to a local hangout called the Blue Whale, where he meets an investigator he has hired. Victoria meets Maggie Evans, who tells her she is a jerk for accepting the job. Even after all the things that has been said to her, she goes to Collinwood and is invited in by Elizabeth.
- 02
Worried at the escalating feud with Roger, Sam entrusts Maggie with a sealed letter. Roger confides in Victoria that he too has heard the mysterious sobbing sounds coming from the basement.
- 03
Sam looks at a skech he drew of Burke Devlin at his home. The phone rings. Sam answers it and finds its Roger Collins. They talk. While they're talking, Sam Evans puts the phone down and gets a glass of alcohol. Roger can be heard demanding him to speak. Sam Evans hangs the phone up then rips up his skech of Burke Devlin. The phone rings, but he does not answer. At Collinwood, Roger hangs up. Elizabeth enters. They talk about how Roger sold his shares of Collins Enterprises to her. At the Evans Cottage, Sam sits down on the couch. Maggie comes in. She says she forgot her shopping list. Sam asks her why she didn't just let him run away. Maggie calls Collinwood. Victoria answers. Maggie asks for Roger; Victoria tells Maggie that she doesn't know where he is. Roger enters and hangs up the phone. Roger goes into the foyer as Elizabeth comes down from the landing. Elizabeth, seeing that Roger is leaving, asks if he can look for Carolyn. He says he is too busy and leaves. Victoria tells Eliz
- 04
Bill continues to believe that Sam is withholding vital information about the true events behind Burke's manslaughter change. Appealing to Sam, he admits he would do anything to protect Elizabeth.
- 05
Elizabeth learns from John Harris of Burke's plans to aggressively take over the Collins family businesses. Meanwhile, Malloy fears that Roger is in danger unless drastic steps are taken.
- 06
Roger reprimands Carolyn for associating with Burke. Bill Malloy arranges a meeting between Roger, Sam and Burke, intent on proving Roger's guilt and ending Burke's vendetta.
- 07
In spite of extreme reluctance on the part of Roger, Bill Malloy demands that the meeting will go ahead as planned, to take place at 11pm at Roger's office at the cannery.
- 08
Roger arrives for the meeting with Sam and Burke, and shares an uneasy hour waiting for Bill to arrive. However, after he fails to appear after an hour, the meeting is reluctantly abandoned.
- 09
David's attempts to scare Victoria continue with a message written on her mirror. Later, while walking along the cliffs, Carolyn and Victoria make a terrifying discovery.
- 10
Sam forces Maggie not to open his sealed letter. At Collinwood, Victoria and Carolyn are scared by mysterious sounds as an unseen force moves a book in the drawing room.
- 11
David tells Victoria about the Old House, an abandoned Collins' mansion built before Collinwood, and suggests that they pay a visit. When they later leave, they are followed by the ghostly form of Josette.
- 12
David attempts to scare Victoria by telling her stories about the ghosts that haunt Collinwood. Luring her to the closed-off wing of the mansion, David locks her in, leaving her trapped.
- 13
As a storm rages, Sam and Burke drink together and discuss the ghosts of Collinwood. In the closed-off wing, Victoria is visited by the ghost of Malloy, who warns her to leave Collinwood immediately.
- 14
Barnabas tells Elizabeth that he is from England, and is the only surviving member of the English branch. When asked, he tells her that he is thinking of possibly settling down in Collinsport. Barnabas visits the Old Hous and finds David Collins playing there. After David leaves the Old House, Barnabas begins to talk to the portrait of Josette Collins.
- 15
Catherine and Bramwell survive Brutus’ final attempts to destroy them. Brutus declares that they have won. Morgan shoots Bramwell, then takes Catherine hostage. Melanie’s sanity returns; She and Kendrick make plans to go away. Bramwell and Kendrick to go after Morgan, they fight and Morgan is pushed off the roof of Collinwood and dies. Melanie is found with mysterious bite marks on their neck, it is briefly implied that perhaps a vampire might be loose at Collinwood, however it is confirmed that this time the marks did come from an animal. Melanie and Kendrick move to Boston; Bramwell is invited to be the new master of Collinwood, he and Catherine are married.
