The WORST episodes of Dark Shadows

Every episode of Dark Shadows ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Dark Shadows!

With vampires, witches, warlocks, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures, it became a surprising phenomenon. The show revolves around Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid), a guilt-ridden 175-year-old vampire who longs to be human again and returns to his estate after being chained inside a coffin for nearly 200 years.

Last Updated: 8/1/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
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#1 - DS-1245

Season 12 - Episode 46 - Aired 4/2/1971

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.

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#2 - DS-493

Season 6 - Episode 33 - Aired 5/15/1968

Barnabas, Julia, and Willie are in the cellar of the Old House, gathered around a sleeping Adam. Barnabas and Julia tell Willie that he must not frighten Adam because he would react the same way that everyone reacts when frightened-by striking out. Julia tells Willie that teaching Adam things calms him. Barnabas and Julia then leave the cellar, and Willie is now stuck with Adam. Willie lights a cigarette, which Adam grabs. The cigarette burns Adam's hand, and Adam lashes out by knocking Willie out. At Collinwood, Julia looks over Dr. Lang's old things. Mrs. Johnson enters. She is trying to avoid David, Julia asks why. It turns out Mrs. Johnson had the dream. Julia advises Mrs. Johnson to leave Collinwood for both the sakes of herself and David. As Mrs. Johnson is about to leave, Willie enters. He tells Julia that Adam has left. Julia has Willie go look for him. Adam finds his way to the terrace. Mrs. Johnson sees him and screams. She demands information from him as to who he is; but he

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#3 - DS-494

Season 6 - Episode 34 - Aired 5/16/1968

Willie brings Adam some food to eat. Julia tells Willie to expect this behavior from Adam, after all he feels dejected. Willie tells Julia that he would rather return to Wyndcliffe then continue to live like this, but Julia tells him if he returns to Wyndcliffe he won't ever get out. Willie reluctantly agrees to continue working with Adam. Willie goes back into the cellar to work with Adam. Willie finds out that he likes shiny things, so he opens a secret door and takes out some jewelry, formally owned by Josette Collins, out of the compartment. Willie tells Adam about the time Maggie was in the Old House and thought she was Josette Collins. He puts the jewlery back, and decides to leave to give Maggie a pair of earrings. Meanwhile, at the Evans Cottage, Maggie and Joe are getting ready to leave. Maggie and Joe leave the room to do other things in the cottage, and Willie sneaks in and puts the earrings in Maggie's purse. He the flees the cottage. Meanwhile, in the Old House cellar, Ju

Writer: Ron Sproat
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#4 - DS-495

Season 6 - Episode 35 - Aired 5/17/1968

Elizabeth is terrified after stumbling upon an escaped Adam. David makes contact with Adam in the woods. Barnabas rushes to the boy's aid, but Roger shoots Adam, attempting to defend his son.

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#5 - DS-721

Season 7 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/31/1969

Barnabas finds out from Dirk that Jenny is Quentin’s wife and that she has been locked in the tower room. Jenny tells Beth that she killed Quentin. Barnabas asks Angelique to save Quentin as he was not supposed to die this way. Angelique plans to raise Quentin, but will use him to make Barnabas suffer.

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#6 - DS-740

Season 7 - Episode 40 - Aired 4/25/1969

Barnabas sends Sandor to find Laura's grave. Edward tells Barnabas what he knows of Laura's history.

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#7 - DS-741

Season 7 - Episode 41 - Aired 4/28/1969

Laura confesses that she has returned to Collinwood to take custody of her children Jamison and Nora.

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#8 - DS-742

Season 7 - Episode 42 - Aired 4/29/1969

Barnabas uses an incantation from the Egyptian Book of the Dead to conjure up the spirit of Laura.

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#9 - DS-743

Season 7 - Episode 43 - Aired 4/30/1969

Quentin and Barnabas decide to try to destroy Laura. Jenny is ordered by Laura to kill Quentin.

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#10 - DS-744

Season 7 - Episode 44 - Aired 5/1/1969

Jenny meets Barnabas at the Old House and Quentin takes a pistol to search for her.

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#11 - DS-783

Season 7 - Episode 83 - Aired 6/25/1969

The hand of Count Petofi is used to perform the procedure on charity. Evan Hanley confronts Barnabas.

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#12 - DS-791

Season 7 - Episode 91 - Aired 7/7/1969

Evan and Trask try to convince Judith to sign a paper committing her to a sanitarium.

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#13 - DS-793

Season 7 - Episode 93 - Aired 7/9/1969

Victor Fenn-Gibbon observes as Angelique conducts a ceremony using the hand to help Quentin.

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#14 - DS-794

Season 7 - Episode 94 - Aired 7/10/1969

The gypsy named Julianka tells Barnabas she has come to end the curse in return for the hand.

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#15 - DS-795

Season 7 - Episode 95 - Aired 7/11/1969

Aristede sets in motion a curved blade which will kill Quentin unless Aristede can get Petofi's hand.

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#16 - DS-796

Season 7 - Episode 96 - Aired 7/14/1969

In the woods, Julianka the gypsy is found dead with a strange mark on her forehead.

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#17 - DS-801/802

Season 7 - Episode 101 - Aired 7/22/1969

After Petofi leaves Collinwood, it is discovered that Jamison Collins has been possessed by him.

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#18 - DS-926

Season 8 - Episode 38 - Aired 1/12/1970

Barnabas stops Megan from killing Philip. Barnabas and Philip plan to keep Michael locked up until he is ready to “emerge again.” Michael torments Maggie who is locked in a remote part of Collinwood. Philip searches for Maggie.

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#19 - DS-962

Season 8 - Episode 74 - Aired 3/3/1970

Jeb is able to subdue the werewolf with some silver. Bruno talks his way out of Jeb killing him, by casting suspicion on Megan whom is now under Barnabas’ control. Jeb raises four dead men to help him with his plans.

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#20 - DS-1079

Season 10 - Episode 19 - Aired 8/13/1970

Quentin’s concern for her appears to cause Daphne to change her mind about killing him. Daphne appears to David and Hallie. Quentin performs an exorcism but he is interrupted by Daphne’s spirit. Hallie falls and hurts her arm while Quentin performed the exorcism. David and Hallie hold a seance in the playroom and hear a voice stating “let us live.”

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#21 - DS-1095

Season 10 - Episode 35 - Aired 9/4/1970

Julia tells Barnabas that Carolyn sang a song. Barnabas questions Carolyn about the song and she is unable to tell him anything. David and Hallie put a doll of Barnabas in the dollhouse, hoping that it will allow him to help them. Later they find the Barnabas doll destroyed. Julia and Barnabas decide that they must take the children out of the house. David is summoned from the house.

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#22 - DS-1109

Season 10 - Episode 49 - Aired 9/24/1970

Julia and Barnabas find out where Quentin is buried from the children; they dig him up. Quentin tries to save children with a ceremony, however Gerard stops him and waves a green flag. The zombies come to back to life to destroy Collinwood. Gerard kills Daphne and the children. Julia and Barnabas run from the zombies. Julia is able to escape through the stairway in time, however, Barnabas is captured by the zombies.

Directors: Henry Kaplan
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#23 - DS-1110

Season 11 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/25/1970

Julia finds herself in 1840. Gabriel Collins (wheel chair bound) tries to force Ben Stokes to tell Daniel Collins that Quentin is dead (apparently Quentin and his son Tad have died at sea). Daniel (Quentin and Gabriel’s father) is apparent ill (mentally and physically). Julia tells Ben Stokes that she is a friend of Barnabas Collins; Ben agrees to help her. Later Daniel Collins escapes and everyone looks for him; someone attempts to strangle Julia.

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#24 - DS-1205

Season 12 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/5/1971

Morgan disposes of Stella’s body. Catherine resists Bramwell’s continued advances; she is attracted to him however she plans to marry Morgan. Morgan accuses Melanie of murdering Stella, she does not remember anything. Catherine asks Morgan to marry her immediately. Melanie and Kendrick start to fall in love, but she tells him to never come back to Collinwood. Bramwell interrupts Catherine and Morgan’s wedding.

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#25 - DS-1212

Season 12 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/16/1971

Gabriel draws the slip with the X, he runs off to avoid having to spend the night in the locked room. Quentin and Morgan catch Gabriel, they lock him in the tower room until it is time for him to go to the cursed room. Quentin comes down with the plague. Gabriel escapes from the tower room.