Starring Kathryn Leigh Scott and Rebecca Staab
Written by D. Lynn Smith, Directed by Darren Gross
In which Josette (Scott), doomed to Hell for losing her case against Angelique (as chronicled in Final Judgement), gets a last-minute chance at redemption through an emissary of the Dark Lord’s (Staab) – provided she can pass a series of tests, that is…
Readers of this site will no doubt recall that Final Judgement was one of my least favourite Dark Shadows audios to date, and in my opinion wasn’t exactly crying out for a sequel, so I approached The Lost Girl with considerable trepidation.
While normally I’m open to “alternative takes” on characters in popular media – whether it be seeing them from another character’s viewpoint or a different interpretation of their actions – I just couldn’t swallow the notion that not only could Josette have had a happy life with Barnabas’s uncle Jeremiah, but that she should have done so, even though their “love” resulted from a spell Angelique cast on them!
Consequently, my trepidations about The Lost Girl seemed justified when the Dark Lord’s emissary suggested that, because Josette insisted that she and Jeremiah return to Collinwood to face the consequences of their actions, everything else that happened afterwards was ultimately her fault…
However, my concerns began to abate once Josette learns what happened to those she loved after she died – as well as what might have happened had she not thrown herself from Widow’s Hill – and she demonstrates more compassion, understanding and forgiveness than most in her situation would be willing (or able) to do.
As always, Kathryn Leigh Scott delivers a superb performance – even when her material is lacking, she never gives it less than her utmost. As for Rebecca Staab (who played Daphne Stoddard in the short-lived 1991 Dark Shadows revamp), she initially fails to impress, but this is a result of her character’s remoteness. As she thaws – both figuratively and literally – Staab’s performance improves considerably.
Verdict: Even though its basis premise is inherently flawed (and insulting to the characters of Josette and Jeremiah), The Lost Girl does its best to redress Final Judgement’s many flaws, and largely succeeds in the process. 7/10
John S. Hall
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Great review! I’m still waiting for an explanation for how Josette ended up haunting the Old House, and protecting Elizabeth’s great aunt, David and Vicki!