Last year, I was introduced to the world of 'Dark Shadows' by Tim Burton's movie. I loved it, so I wanted to buy the complete series. I started watching this series on July 20th, 2012 and I finally finished it tonight. It has been a great experience watching the whole series, but it has been stressful as well. I love how it changed direction once Barnabas Collins showed up. It's a shame that people diss the beginning episodes 1-210 because he hasn't shown up yet. Some of the stories were really good. This show is filled with ghosts, vampires, phoenixes time travel, witches, werewolves, monsters, warlocks, possession, crazy dream sequences and much more. It has a great classic look.
It was great in the beginning. Very mysterious with ominous characters who were always up to something. You have Victoria Winters, who has been asked by Elizabeth Collins Stoddard to come to Collinwood and be a Governess to Roger's son, David. Getting off the train with Vicky was Burke Devlin, one of my favorite characters. He has come back to seek revenge against Roger Collins for a crime he didn't commit. While Vicky is dealing with the ghosts of Collinwood, Roger, Sam Evans, and Burke must deal with the police and try to figure out who killed Bill Malloy.
Willie Loomis shows up to Collinwood, harassing them and looking for money. When he finds the Collins mausoleum, he finds something much worse. Barnabas Collins, a vampire from the 1790's is unchained on the present day family of Collinses. He meets the waitress, Maggie Evans and kidnaps her, forcing her to marry him and become his lost love, Josette. When she escapes, she is taken to Windcliff Asylum, under the care of Dr. Julia Hoffman, who hypnotizes her and makes her forget everything. Dr. Hoffman arrives at Collinwood to figure out what happened to Maggie. When she learns Barnabas's secret, she offers to help him and tries to cure his curse. When a seance is held to contact the ghost of Barnabas's sister, Sarah, Victoria Winters is transported back in time to Collinwood 1795.
Vicky meets Barnabas beforehe was a vampire. The family in that time slowly begin to think Vicky is a witch because of her 1960's clothing. We are introduced to Angelique, the real witch who was in love with Barnabas. When Barnabas refuses her and wants to marry Josette, she places a curse on the family, making Jeremiah Collins fall in love with Josette, Sarah Collins become sick, and eventually turns Barnabas into the vampire we know and love. Reverend Trask arrives and holds a trial for Vicky for witchcraft. When she is hung, she is transferred back to 1968.
When Vicky gets back to 1968, Barnabas is afraid that she may have learned his secret. While driving at night, Vicky and Barnabas have a car-crash. Dr. Lang cures Barnabas of his curse and reluctantly agrees to help Dr. Lang with his 'project' Dr. Lang is trying to create life out of dead human parts, like Frankenstein. The monster comes alive, and named Adam. Barnabas tries to teach him, but Adam is very slow and dim- witted. Angelique returns and puts a dream curse on the family.We are soon introduced to Warlock, Nicholas Blair, who is very interested in Adam and creating more monsters like him. Adam soon becomes violent and forces Barnabas and Dr. Hoffman to create a mate for him.
After Adam and Eve disappear, we are introduced to Chris Jennings, who becomes a Werewolf when the moon is full. Chris's sister, Amy begins a friendship with David and wonder off to a closed-off room in Collinwood. They find an antique telephone that holds the spirit of Quentin Collins. Quentin begins harassing the residents of Collinwood, so Barnabas uses the I-Ching wands to travel back in time to 1897 to stop him.
In 1897, Barnabas has become a vampire again and needs the help of gypsies, Magda and Sandor to protect him during the day. Magda has put the Werewolf curse on Quentin for killing her sister. Barnabas tries to help him fight it. Soon, they must deal with Count Petofi, an evil being with special powers in his hand.
When Barnabas returns to the present, he becomes the leader of a Leviathan cult, under their control. He recruits Megan and Philip Todd to help him. The Leviathans are after Paul Stoddard for a promise he made to them 20 years earlier. A Leviathan baby is born and grows rapidly into Jeb Hawkes. Jeb is infatuated by Carolyn, who he intends to marry.
Barnabas and Julia must once again travel back in time to 1840 to stop Gerard Stiles from taking over Collinwood. They learn that he became possessed by the head of Judah Zachery. Reverend Trask's son believes that Quentin is a Warlock and tries to convince the court to hang him. In the end, Barnabas succeeds and gets back to his own time. This seemingly would've been a great way to end the series because Barnabas was cured and everything was right with Collinwood, but it doesn't end there.
1840 parallel time, we are introduced to a new set of Collinses. Johnathan Frid is now playing Bramwell Collins, a human that is in love with Catherine. The Collins family must hold a lottery and force one member of the family to spend a night in a haunted room, possessed by Brutus Collins. Will the family finally be able to rid themselves of this curse? I highly recommend DARK SHADOWS: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES!!!
It was great in the beginning. Very mysterious with ominous characters who were always up to something. You have Victoria Winters, who has been asked by Elizabeth Collins Stoddard to come to Collinwood and be a Governess to Roger's son, David. Getting off the train with Vicky was Burke Devlin, one of my favorite characters. He has come back to seek revenge against Roger Collins for a crime he didn't commit. While Vicky is dealing with the ghosts of Collinwood, Roger, Sam Evans, and Burke must deal with the police and try to figure out who killed Bill Malloy.
Willie Loomis shows up to Collinwood, harassing them and looking for money. When he finds the Collins mausoleum, he finds something much worse. Barnabas Collins, a vampire from the 1790's is unchained on the present day family of Collinses. He meets the waitress, Maggie Evans and kidnaps her, forcing her to marry him and become his lost love, Josette. When she escapes, she is taken to Windcliff Asylum, under the care of Dr. Julia Hoffman, who hypnotizes her and makes her forget everything. Dr. Hoffman arrives at Collinwood to figure out what happened to Maggie. When she learns Barnabas's secret, she offers to help him and tries to cure his curse. When a seance is held to contact the ghost of Barnabas's sister, Sarah, Victoria Winters is transported back in time to Collinwood 1795.
Vicky meets Barnabas beforehe was a vampire. The family in that time slowly begin to think Vicky is a witch because of her 1960's clothing. We are introduced to Angelique, the real witch who was in love with Barnabas. When Barnabas refuses her and wants to marry Josette, she places a curse on the family, making Jeremiah Collins fall in love with Josette, Sarah Collins become sick, and eventually turns Barnabas into the vampire we know and love. Reverend Trask arrives and holds a trial for Vicky for witchcraft. When she is hung, she is transferred back to 1968.
When Vicky gets back to 1968, Barnabas is afraid that she may have learned his secret. While driving at night, Vicky and Barnabas have a car-crash. Dr. Lang cures Barnabas of his curse and reluctantly agrees to help Dr. Lang with his 'project' Dr. Lang is trying to create life out of dead human parts, like Frankenstein. The monster comes alive, and named Adam. Barnabas tries to teach him, but Adam is very slow and dim- witted. Angelique returns and puts a dream curse on the family.We are soon introduced to Warlock, Nicholas Blair, who is very interested in Adam and creating more monsters like him. Adam soon becomes violent and forces Barnabas and Dr. Hoffman to create a mate for him.
After Adam and Eve disappear, we are introduced to Chris Jennings, who becomes a Werewolf when the moon is full. Chris's sister, Amy begins a friendship with David and wonder off to a closed-off room in Collinwood. They find an antique telephone that holds the spirit of Quentin Collins. Quentin begins harassing the residents of Collinwood, so Barnabas uses the I-Ching wands to travel back in time to 1897 to stop him.
In 1897, Barnabas has become a vampire again and needs the help of gypsies, Magda and Sandor to protect him during the day. Magda has put the Werewolf curse on Quentin for killing her sister. Barnabas tries to help him fight it. Soon, they must deal with Count Petofi, an evil being with special powers in his hand.
When Barnabas returns to the present, he becomes the leader of a Leviathan cult, under their control. He recruits Megan and Philip Todd to help him. The Leviathans are after Paul Stoddard for a promise he made to them 20 years earlier. A Leviathan baby is born and grows rapidly into Jeb Hawkes. Jeb is infatuated by Carolyn, who he intends to marry.
Barnabas and Julia must once again travel back in time to 1840 to stop Gerard Stiles from taking over Collinwood. They learn that he became possessed by the head of Judah Zachery. Reverend Trask's son believes that Quentin is a Warlock and tries to convince the court to hang him. In the end, Barnabas succeeds and gets back to his own time. This seemingly would've been a great way to end the series because Barnabas was cured and everything was right with Collinwood, but it doesn't end there.
1840 parallel time, we are introduced to a new set of Collinses. Johnathan Frid is now playing Bramwell Collins, a human that is in love with Catherine. The Collins family must hold a lottery and force one member of the family to spend a night in a haunted room, possessed by Brutus Collins. Will the family finally be able to rid themselves of this curse? I highly recommend DARK SHADOWS: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES!!!