User Reviews

While Roger and Caroline remain absent from the show, this episode does "Dark Shadows" fans a great service by featuring Barnabas front and center. He tells Elizabeth that he is a cousin from England, a descendent of the man in the portrait. Of course, Elizabeth, Victoria, and David remain startled at just how alike/similar Barnabas is to that portrait, and there is a clever camera emphasis on the ring on both hands as he reaches towards it. I enjoy how Barnabas must use his wits to escape snafus like speaking of Collinwood and its environs when he was once walking their grounds/estate, having to work around it by telling Elizabeth that the stories and reports of it all were quite well taught to him and generations before him. Elizabeth is particularly excited about Barnabas declaring his desire to stay, no longer returning to England as he was "the sole remaining member" of his family line. All of this is a development of history (lies) so that Barnabas could escape/avoid constant questions about his ancestry, all the while, establishing new roots at "the Old House". Willie remains a topic of conversation, his absence a concern for Elizabeth *and* Victoria. Speaking of Victoria, she gets to meet Barnabas as well, taken aback by his courtesy and gentlemanly manners and speech. Barnabas is invited to dinner, but we know all too well that his particular meal isn't on the menu inside the Collins mansion! Heading to his "new" home, Barnabas meets David who was playing a hop game up and down the steps to the upstairs bedrooms and attic. Their conversation is even more intriguing than when with Elizabeth because David speaks about Josette's ghost as Barnabas recollects their history, as he approaches her portrait inside the Old House. David is thrilled that he has another cousin at Collinwood, returning home to talk to Elizabeth about it. As Mrs. Johnson spoke about actually liking to talk to Willie, David also wonders where he is as Victoria tries to get him to just forget about him and mention him...Willie has really got under Vicky and Elizabeth's skin, so repulsive to them that they want him gone, no longer a topic of any conversation. The shot of Barnabas and Josette alone is certainly memorable; his telling her that his dad failed to keep him away forever and that he would now be in charge of the house establishes to fans that Barnabas has arrived and is here to stay. The Old House is such a Gothic dandy, a cob-webbed ruins in such disrepair you wonder if David would fall through the floor doing his hop-scotch down the stairs. The dust kicks up, portraits are on the verge of falling to the floor from the walls, furnishings show the wear and tear of time and no attention; this abode for a centuries-old vampire seems quite appropriate. But Barnabas and Josette's portrait, the way he gazes up at her as if seeing her face afresh, that all stirred up after being held prisoner in his coffin; this is why "Dark Shadows" would be must-see for those looking for a different kind of soap opera.

Episode 212 is a "getting to know you" one centred around the newly-introduced Barnabas Collins; it's taken up of two conversations, firstly between him and Elizabeth, and later between him and David. Already Jonathan Frid is proving to be an interesting actor, full of depth and introspection, more than just a screen stereotype.

If they cast Jonathan Frid as Barnabas simply because of his hands, it's an interesting concept because they are as long and double jointed as Bela Lugosi's. Claiming to be a descendant of the Barnabas Collins in the portrait, he makes up a believable story for Elizabeth. Where he intends to stay is never brought up as Elizabeth mentions that they are unfortunately dealing with other guests at the moment. But it's very obvious as to where he is going, and it's also obvious who he will encounter when David says he is going to go outside for a while.

Victoria is the only other member of the family to meet him inside Collinswood, and Barnabas is enchanted and very formal with her. It's nice to see Elizabeth smile as actress Joan Bennett is still a striking beauty. Perhaps with Jason and Willie still about having someone a little more elegant has given her some encouragement.

There's a sound of a dooming drum beat as the camera focuses on the old house, rather beat up but containing its own ghosts. this is where the show begins to speed up even if it's moving at the same pace because now there are far more interesting elements going on, and when David sees Barnabas, he finds a new friend. Barnabas seems more than intrigued by the fact that David has encountered the ghost of Josette. Frid gives off the aura of the Shakespearean training that he had as a younger actor, and he's a more than welcome addition.