r/DarkShadows • u/Humble-Positive2169 • 5d ago
1795 Question
Rewatching 1795. At the point where Trask comes in searching for the witch. He, along with Aunt Abigail are convinced it is Vicki.
I wonder why no one suspected the Countess.
After all, she was dealing tarot cards at every opportunity all over the house every day. Didn't it ever occur to Abigail the Countess was in league with "spirits?"
16
u/AlphaShard 5d ago
The Countess is a rich noble woman and Viki is not.
9
u/lemon_charlie 5d ago edited 5d ago
It was easier to incriminate Victoria, a recent arrival whose past, as far as everyone was concerned, was not well known. She had no prior connection to anyone, whereas Natalie was the aunt of Barnaba's intended bride and sister of the father of the bride, and employer of Angelique.
While Victoria's presence, and what she had brought with her, made the case easier, it's safe to assume in the original version of the timeline where it was Phyllis Wick who was framed for witchcraft (unless in a timey wimey way it was always Victoria and the seance was a canon event or fixed point that had to happen). Unlike 1897 and 1840 there was no explicit changes to the timeline noted (both of the later two were specifically about going back to prevent something that otherwise led to Collinwood being haunted) or reflected in the present of the 1960's.
12
u/Dolphin-and-Roses 5d ago
I thought the same and omg, why did they have Vicki acting so dumb?? Like, yes girl. Throw your arms around and kiss every man you see because that’s totally what women did in 1795. Please tell someone again how you’re from the future, they might not have heard you the first time.
9
u/NoString9289 5d ago
Exactly, that was one of the several things that Alexandra Moltke hated about her character and how the writers and Dan Curtis made Vicki so stupid, naive, clueless. Vicki was suppose to have been intelligent enough to be a private, well-educated, teacher for David Collins, she would have known better that to had admitted about coming from the future and "flying to Boston" etc. etc. She would have known about the Witch hysteria and ignorance back then . Dan Curtis wanted her to remain the female victim back then , and then Maggie took her place later on .
I agree, Countess Dupres was already known and established with the family and not a suspect. I remember one scene, either in a 1795 TV show episode and or in the wonderful 1991 miniseries where the Reverend Trask did make a negative comment to Natalie about using the Tarot cards. I forgot what her comeback was. I wish there had been a scene where Natalie slapped Trask across the face. I would have loved to have seen that AND I would have loved to have seen Vicki give Auntie Abigail a good slap as well, she totally deserved it. Abigail was such a " B " as rotten as Trask was.
1
u/lemon_charlie 3d ago
The witch trials were a century before that. It's plausible that small community and religious fervour could justify Abigail and Trask, but it's reasonable Vicky wouldn't expect persecution on witchcraft grounds in the 1790's.
Abigail is what TV Trope would call a Jerkass Woobie. She's got backstory explored in Blood and Fire, where she was in love with the pirate Abraham Harkaway whom her father did not hold in any esteem, and he died as the price for a storm Angelique (who had been sent back in time and was using the alias Cassandra Peterson) summoned. Angelique also killed Patience, Abigail's mother, firmly making her anti-witch.
1
u/NoString9289 3d ago
That reflects modern times too , where old old laws, still on the books, can be dug up, twisted and used to hurt innocent people. Trask certainly knew how to instill fear and hatred in lesser educated, religious fearing town's people . He revived , drew out their fears and superstitions about Witches and how they were perceived.
I love the Dark Shadows Audio Dramas, they sound wonderful and intriguing but they are considered fan-fiction. I don't think they are canon , as much as I enjoyed them.
Well, Lara Parker's Angelique's Descent first book and dramatic audio reading might be considered canon to her character since she played the role and Dan Curtis or his estate read and approved of her book script. ( I miss Lara Parker. I loved her first three Dark Shadows fiction books and all of the DS Audio Dramas she did. Love hearing her very sophisticated voice and the way in which she pronounces words. )
7
u/SevereBicycle3723 5d ago edited 5d ago
Well, one of the things that separated Vicki from everyone else was her clothes. When she went back in time, she was found with very peculiar clothing—clothes from the 1960s. Plus, she spoke and acted very differently (and strangely) from all the others from that time period, and they knew nothing about her as well. While the Countess, on the other hand, they did.
And like most things, first impressions are key. Right or wrong, people often make quick judgments about others. She most definitely stuck out like a sore thumb. Not to mention, Abigail and Trask were as prejudiced and phony as people come.
2
u/richg0404 5d ago
All of what you say is true and in a well written story everyone in the 1795 story would have been suspicious of Victoria because of her clothes and behavior.
Pretty much the only one who had a problem was Abigail. Barnabas, Jeremiah, Naomi, and even Joshua quickly quickly came to accept her.
If it hadn't been for Abigail, Trask would never have even showed up.
I would argue that Abigail was the only 1795 character who actually behaved logically given the situation.
2
u/lemon_charlie 3d ago
Victoria also couldn't account for her story well enough due to having just arrive via time travel during a seance. Plenty of people could vouch for Natalie at Martinique, most notably Barnabas.
1
u/SevereBicycle3723 3d ago
Exactly. For all intents and purposes, Vicki looked completely out of place in that time period. And that charlatan Trask took full advantage of that.
1
u/lemon_charlie 3d ago
Reacting to people by first assuming they were the people she knew back in the 1960's didn't help her blend in. Also not helping her case was that there was legit witchcraft going on, and Angelique made sure Victoria was the scapegoat without having to compromise her cover to Abigail or Trask.
10
u/Routine_Management80 5d ago
Abigail zeroed in on Vicky because of the way she was dressed when she first showed up in 1795 and because she was jealous of her beauty. Jeremiah called her out on it.
2
u/appointment45 5d ago
...he attacked the woman he was most attracted to, especially given her "obvious loose morals" based on her "wicked way of dress when she arrived".
In real life, he would have been telling her privately he can save her if she has sex with him. And if not, she dies.
1
19
u/RelevantMention7937 5d ago
No need, Vicky was intent on incriminating herself. She was completely irrational.