Dark Shadows (TV Series) Episode #1.185 (1967) User Reviews

Psychic battle

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 23 September 2018]

Episode 185 offers another psychic battle of wills between Laura and Guthrie, with the antagonism between the pair now right out in the open. It's great fun, full of spooky overlays of Laura's face, fiery effects, and Guthrie suffering an extreme mental disintegration. More like this, please!

Danger in a flash of light for Dr. Guthrie.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 18 October 2020]

And once again, it's all because of Laura, finding out from David how Dr. Guthrie managed to avoid being affected by the spell she was trying to put on him while he was working on his notes in the mansion. While driving to the seance to bring Josette back again, doctor Guthrie is affected by the spell Laura continues, seeing bright lights that eventually become a flame, causing his car to speed up to a ridiculously high number. Of course, the car crash creates a fire, fulfilling Laura's claim is that the power is in the blaze.

The first part of the episode is a lot of explanatory dialogue with various characters preparing for Dr Guthrie's arrival for the seance, but it is only until Dr. Guthrie is seen driving with Laura's Shadow over him that it becomes intense and menacing. The music swells, the camera moves in to a dramatic close-up, and it appears in the very conclusion that there is no way that Guthrie could survive this. But with good ghosts around, we know that anything is possible. Interesting for some ancient TV special effects, and a good segue into what will happen as the storyline wraps up.