#alexandra moltke isles

[whatithinkaboutdarkshadows]

Episode 618: Long goodbye

Well-meaning governess Vicki Winters came to the great house of Collinwood in #1, called to take charge of the education of strange and troubled boy David Collins. Vicki’s attempt to befriend David was the only theme that consistently generated interesting scenes in the first several months of Dark Shadows, largely because Alexandra Moltke Isles and David Henesy were able to overcome weak writing…

[sammysdewysensitiveeyes]

And, exit Victoria Winters. After being played by a different actress for awhile, she finally faded 200 years back into the past to be with Jeff Clark/Peter Bradford.

I know it happened because original actress Alexandra Moltke (now Isles) wanted to leave the show due to her reduced role and pregnancy, but it was a shame to lose Vicki, who was originally the main character of Dark Shadows. We never got a resolution to Vicki's search for her past. Apparently, the original plans for Vicki involved her being the illegitimate daughter of Paul Stoddard (Carolyn's shitty dad) and another woman, those plans were then changed to Vicki being Elizabeth's secret illegitimate child, given away for adoption. I understand that Barnabas the vampire produced far more interesting stories, but I wish we'd at least gotten a resolution or acknowledgement of Vicki being an actual Collins. The 91 revival was also planning to explore that plot line, but was cancelled after one season.

Having now watched all the Vicki episodes, I think she wound up being a stronger character than I remembered from watching bits and pieces of show via reruns on the Sci-fi channel as a kid. Vicki often had characters (men especially) pressuring Vicki to agree to things and generally be agreeable and pleasant in a way that seems related to her being a young woman in the 1960's. But she often pushes back. She remains polite, but she is firm, and is often (but not always) able to stand her ground. Vicki even manages to defy Nicholas Blair, a character who can hypnotize people and get them to do things with just a casual conversation. And in the early episodes she is very proactive in investigating the mystery of her past, and why Elizabeth chose to hire her (which Elizabeth is clearly lying about).

I wish the last real Vicki episode hadn't spent so much time on Barnabas and his feelings. I know Barnabas is our main character now, and he is really into his "noble (former) vampire" redemption arc, he seems to genuinely care about everyone at Collinwood now (remember when you had to be talked out of killing David, Barnabas? Willie and Julia remember). But I really don't care that Barnabas loves Vicki. It's character development for him - emphasis on for him. Vicki is so much more than a potential love interest or damsel in distress for Barnabas to protect/pine after. And she never loved him, not in a romantic sense. She considered him a friend and greatly respected him, she didn't love him. When given a choice to marry Barnabas and forget Peter, Vicki chose to fade 200 years into the past to be with Peter, completely separating herself from the life she knew forever. And after Vicki spent so much time with men (including Jeff/Peter) trying to rush her into marriage, at least Vicki's decision there was entirely her own - she had to convince Peter to take her along. But anyway, I wish we'd gotten a final goodbye with Vicki and David, or Vicki and Carolyn (who was both like a sister, and an actual sister to Vicki).

I have a soft spot for the 91 revival, and I actually liked how that show made Vicki the "reincarnated Josette" rather than Maggie, as it seemed like a way to keep Vicki as a main character alongside Barnabas. And Maggie got the affair with Roger (ugh, Maggie you can do better) and also psychic powers/knowledge of the occult. And I actually liked that as well, it gave Maggie something to do while Vicki was the new "Josette." I didn't care for the whole Roger affair thing, but it set Maggie up against Laura, whom the show was planning to bring on in the cancelled second season. I can imagine Vicki and Maggie joining forces to stand up against Laura, it would have been great. Oh well.

Anyway, bye Vicki, it was fun following you for several seasons. Sorry you didn't get a better send-off on the show. Also apparently Alexandra Isles is now a documentary filmmaker, good for her.

[stellabystarlight12]

Alexandra Moltke-Isles   Born February 11, 1947

[collinsportmaine]

[fitsofgloom]

"Who wants to eat the girl?"

[countesspetofi]

I’m struck during this viewing by the bittersweet sadness of Burke trying to get back with Laura at the same time he’s falling in love with Vicki.

It’s a thematic well the show will go back to again and again: living too much in the past can rob you of your present and future. If you could go back and change the past, you might solve some problems but you would create others.

On a personal note, it’s very satisfying to watch this knowing that Mitchell Ryan was able to overcome the problems that interfered with his work and go on to have a long career in the business. Maybe not the career he might have had, but certainly a body of work to be proud of.

[vintage1981]

Dark Shadows: A Christmas Carol Live |  The Collinsport Theatre Of The Airwaves

The Collinsport Theatre Of The Airwaves proudly presents a LIVE online virtual readers' theater production of the Charles Dickens classic: A Christmas Carol.

Sunday, December 19, 2021 4pm Pacific / 7pm East Coast

This production will be performed by members of the cast of the original Dark Shadows!

This is a virtual production done in the style of a Zoom meeting, with each actor reading in their own individual television screen. Todd Felderstein's Smartphone Theatre will host the broadcast.

Tune in to watch live:

DS Christmas Carol

There will be a short Q&A session with the cast immediately following the performance where questions will be taken from the audience and screened/moderated by Richard Halpern and Ansel Faraj.

This is a FREE production and all ages are welcome. No tickets or reservations of any kind are needed. (Viewers may pre-register if they wish to do so.)

The cast: Nancy Barrett | David Henesy | Jerry Lacy | Lara Parker | Mitchell Ryan | Kathryn Leigh Scott | Marie Wallace | James Storm | David Selby & Alexandra Moltke-Isles

Announcers: Ansel Faraj | Richard Halpern

Technical Director: Todd Felderstein | Graphics created by: Patrick McCray

Directed, Produced, and additional Adaptation by: Richard Halpern

[kimwexlers-brownhair]

Alexandra Moltke has the grayest eyes I’ve ever seen outside of a Victorian novel. Hypnotic.

[jackbertram]

Scenes From the Shadows

[whatithinkaboutdarkshadows]

Episode 610: You are the angel of death

A woman named Eve sees a man standing on the terrace of the great house of Collinwood. She addresses the man as “Peter Bradford.” Regular viewers know that this is indeed his name, but we also know that he prefers to be called “Jeff Clark.” Peter/ Jeff has died and came back to life since he was first known as “Peter Bradford,” so I suppose you could say that’s a case of deadnaming. But while…

[whatithinkaboutdarkshadows]

Episode 627: Her name is Victoria. I cannot take care of her.

Dan Curtis often said that the idea for Dark Shadows came to him in a dream about a girl with long black hair taking a journey by train. When he persuaded ABC-TV to let him make a pilot for a series, the most difficult part of the casting process was finding the actress who would embody that girl, whose name came to be Victoria Winters. Alexandra Isles, then still known as Alexandra Moltke,…

[whatithinkaboutdarkshadows]

Episode 626: The sad case of Victoria Winters and Peter Bradford

From November 1967 to March 1968, Dark Shadows was a costume drama set in the years 1795 and 1796. Well-meaning governess Vicki had come unstuck in time, found herself in that period, and failed utterly to adjust to her new surroundings. While she was in gaol charged with witchcraft, she befriended an unpleasant man named Peter, who served as her defense attorney. Peter handled the case so badly…

[whatithinkaboutdarkshadows]

Episode 625: Dead man's wedding

The first time we might have expected to see a wedding on Dark Shadows was in #270, when reclusive matriarch Liz was supposed to marry seagoing con man Jason in the drawing room of the great house of Collinwood. That wedding was called off when Liz, rather than saying “I do,” announced “I killed Paul Stoddard and that man was my accomplice!” It turned out that Liz didn’t actually kill Paul after…

[whatithinkaboutdarkshadows]

Episode 624: Difficult adjustment

Today, we open with well-meaning governess Vicki in her room in the great house of Collinwood, wearing her wedding dress. Matriarch Liz enters, gives her a peck on the cheek, and tells her what a lovely bride she will be. Everything in their words and actions suggests to first-time viewers that they are mother and daughter; the strong resemblance between Joan Bennett and Alexandra Moltke Isles…

[whatithinkaboutdarkshadows]

Episode 622: A position to help each other

Well-meaning governess Vicki is on the terrace of the great estate of Collinwood. A man known variously as Peter and Jeff keeps clutching at Vicki’s arms so sharply that her biceps pulse, then holds her with one hand and paws her with the other as she stands rigidly still. First time viewers, knowing only that Dark Shadows features stories of monsters and crime, would think that the man had some…

[whatithinkaboutdarkshadows]

Episode 620: The middle of the journey