The essential episodes of Dark Shadows
Watch these 25 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
Elizabeth's brother, Roger Collins, desperately searches for local artist Sam Evans. Meanwhile, Victoria meets Elizabeth's teenage daughter Carolyn and begins to wonder if Collinwood is haunted.
- 03
Victoria is interrogated by Roger over her knowledge of Burke Devlin and their encounter at the train station. Later that night, Victoria has an unpleasant first meeting with David Collins
- 04
After her first night at Collinwood, Victoria has decided to go back to New York. Victoria explains to Carolyn that she is an orphan and came to Collinsport because she believed that somehow she would find out about her past. Near Widow’s Hill, Victoria meets Sam Evans who tells Victoria about Josette Collins. Victoria finds out from Sam that Elizabeth has not left Collinwood in eighteen years. Sam instructs Victoria to tell Roger that he wants to talk with him. Victoria returns to her room to find that David has helped her “pack” while she was out. Victoria changes her mind and decides to stay at Collinwood with renewed hopes that she will find out something about her past.
- 05
Victoria looks for David in the basement of Collinwood. While looking, a stranger enters the room and asks who she is. He accuses her of snooping around. Elizabeth comes down and says it's Matthew Morgan, the caretaker of Collinwood. She asks Victoria why she is in the basement, and when Victoria tells her that she is down there looking for David, Elizabeth tells her David would not come down there. Once she leaves, Elizabeth finds David hiding in the basement. Later, Victoria sees Matthew again, stoking the fireplace. She says she hopes they can one day be friends, and she starts asking him questions. She finds out that Elizabeth fired all of her servents 18 years ago and then hired Matthew, giving him a cottage on the edge of Collinwood grounds. In the basement, Elizabeth gets out a crate of adventure books that had belonged to Roger when he was a boy. David does not want anything associated with his father. Carolyn tells Victoria that she should ask Elizabeth about what happened 18
- 06
Sam Evans and Roger discuss Burke Devlin's return. Sam agrees with Roger's fear that Burke is planning revenge against the Collins family for his jail sentence, but refuses to offer any help.
- 07
Carolyn's flighty romance with Joe Haskell takes a new turn when she admits that she is in love with him, but refuses an offer of marriage. Victoria investigates Elizabeth's claims about her job offer.
- 08
Victoria learns of the tragic legend of Widows Hill, a cliff located close to Collinwood, where many suicides occurred. Meanwhile, Carolyn is intrigued by Burke and decides to learn more.
- 09
Roger puts pressure on Elizabeth to send David away to boarding school, a conversation the boy overhears. Burke gives Carolyn false information on the reason for his return.
- 10
Burke Devlin pays the residents of Collinwood a visit, apparently hoping to reassure Elizabeth that he has no vendetta to pursue against her family. He does, however, ask if Collinwood is for sale.
- 11
Roger encounter Victoria on Widows' Hill and tells her the story of its legend and history. Meanwhile, Maggie Evans tries to learn what is troubling her father, Sam.
- 12
Elizabeth and Roger continue to harbour suspicions about Burke, in spite of him offering the hand of friendship. As Victoria walks to Matthew's cottage, she notices Burke examining Roger's car.
- 13
David is now convinced that his father hates him. Roger leaves the estate in his car to meet with Burke. On the way, he loses control of the car and crashes.
- 14
Elizabeth comforts David after he has a nightmare about Roger's car accident. Collins family employee and retainer Bill Malloy begins to suspect that Roger was the victim of foul play.
- 15
Learning Victoria saw Burke by his car, Roger takes her to Burke's room at the hotel to make a confrontation. Meanwhile, David harbours the bleeder valve taken from Roger's car.
- 16
Elizabeth continues to insist that Carolyn should not visit Burke again, adamant that he is attempting to destroy the Collins family. Bill Malloy attempts to learn more about Burke's motives.
- 17
Constable Carter arrives at Collinwood to investigate Roger's car accident. In an attempt to prevent his sabotage being revealed, David tampers with the evidence.
- 18
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.
- 19
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.
- 20
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.
- 21
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.
- 22
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.
- 23
Barnabas visits the coffee shop and talks with Maggie. Barnabas leaves his cane behind. Joe arrives to pickup Maggie and she notices the cane, they decide to return it to Barnabas. Willie asks Barnabas what his plans are for Maggie, he knows that Barnabas has "plans" for her. Later Maggie feels as if someone is watching her.
- 24
Barnabas becomes a vampire's victim at Angelique's hands, returning to Julia with flimsy excuses about failing to kill Eve. Julia worries for her friend. Angelique continues to feed on Barnabas, angering Nicholas.
- 25
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.
