1199

Every generation a Collins family member is chosen by lottery to spend a night in the locked room; everyone who has ever entered has died or ended up mad like Justin Collins.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: A night of change on the great estate of Collinwood. Barnabas, followed by Julia and Stokes, has returned to the world of 1971 to find that their trip has changed history, for Collinwood is a serene place, untroubled, unhaunted by the ghosts of Gerard and Daphne. But Barnabas is filled with despair, for back in 1840 he left the body of his love, Angelique, murdered by Lamar Trask. Attempting to avenge her death, Barnabas wounded Trask seriously, but Trask escaped him by going into the strange world of Parallel Time. There he dies, and there two women find his body, and their fear is so great they bury it secretly, only to return to the upstairs parlor to face an even more terrifying threat.
Melanie runs into the room in a panic, calling for Flora, saying her father is dying. Julia looks somber, saying this means the lottery will happen again, before the week is out.
Act I
Julia's mention of the lottery so upsets Flora that she leaves the room, angering Melanie. Julia asks if they weren't both thinking of the lottery, but Melanie says she was thinking of her father not being alive, and not of the lottery at all. Melanie laments that her father was the only person at Collinwood who made her feel like she belongs there, which mystifies Julia. Julia asks Melanie if she (Julia) made Melanie feel that way, and when she gets a negative answer demands to know which of Melanie's brothers have and promises to speak to them. Morgan arrives, telling Melanie her father wants to see her. He then turns on Julia and asks where she was before and says Justin is dying this time. Julia speculates that the only reason Justin stayed alive so long was to spare the family he loves another lottery. Morgan tells Julia of one of his earliest memories being of his parents talking about "that room" and how someday he or Quentin would have to spend the night there. The next day he went to the room, but the feeling of evil from the doorway made him run away. Morgan is convinced he will be the one who has to spend the night in the room, even though Julia merely says it will be one of them. He says that if Justin were to live another week he would marry Catherine, but Julia tells him he cannot marry her because if they marry she will become part of the lottery. Morgan declares there will be no women involved. Julia says there always have been, but Morgan has spoken to Quentin and they agree: no women allowed. Julia asks if Gabriel agrees and Morgan says he will. Julia doubts this, plus she says they should not tamper with tradition. Morgan reminds Julia of the history of the lottery, which he describes as a curse. He swears that either he, Quentin or Gabriel will be the only ones who participate in the lottery, but Julia tells him that when Justin dies they will read "the letter" which will tell them who will participate and until the lottery is over he must not marry Catherine. She asks if Catherine has been told about the lottery, and when he says she hasn't she says he must not because once this lottery is over there will be a whole generation before there is another. Morgan laments that this means the next one will involve his children.
Catherine is sewing at her home when she hears a knock on the door. She surprised to see Bramwell, declaring he had to see her, but she tells him he needs to leave
Act II
Bramwell ignores Catherine and comes in anyway, insisting they need to talk. Catherine tells him they have already talked and his return to Collinwood has not changed what happened. Bramwell and Catherine were a couple, but Bramwell did not believe Catherine would marry a poor man like him (in parallel time, Barnabas died penniless, leaving Josette and Bramwell dependent on the main branch of the family) and left five years ago to make his fortune. During his absence, she was courted by Bramwell's cousin Morgan, to whom Catherine is now engaged, even though she has never quite gotten over Bramwell. He tells her they are just alike, and she retorts that is why they should never marry. He pulls her close and says she will never be happy in Collinwood or with Morgan. He says he wanted to stay away until he made his fortune, but he was forced to return because of dreams telling him she was in trouble. He pulls her close and they kiss. When Catherine finally pulls herself away she insists that she loves Morgan. She says she cannot live with his bitterness towards the wealthy branch of the family and she wants the life Morgan can give her. She admits that she has not enjoyed "making do" in the cottage and when Bramwell insists he can get money, she reminds him he has always said that and always fails. As she is telling him of her good memories, they are interrupted by Morgan.
Act III
The boys argue, trading barbs and insisting that Catherine decide whether or not she wants to see Bramwell. She tells Bramwell she doesn't want to see him and Bramwell sulks off, saying she will regret saying it. Morgan asks if she still loves Bramwell and she throws herself into his arms, saying she only loves him. He then says they must marry tonight, but he can't say why. She reminds him the invitations have been sent out to the wedding next month, but he says his father is dying and wants to get the minister right away. Catherine says Justin's impending death is a good reason they should not marry now, and asks again why he wants to marry tonight. She tells him he has a look on his face that always means he has retreated to a place she cannot reach him. She guesses that the reason has to do with his family and says in the village the townspeople whisper there are secrets in Collinwood. He tells her to never listen to the townspeople again, but she insists that unless he supplies a good reason for them to marry tonight, she will not do it.
At Collinwood, Flora cries in the upstairs parlor over the evening's events, and is consoled by Julia. She worries that someone saw them bury the stranger, but Julia tells her no one did. She then cries over Justin's impending death. She recalls how Justin was before he went into the locked room, how he loved life, and says the room is to blame, not them. Melanie comes in to report Justin seems better, and Flora and Julia ask her about his attack. She says she went to see him, but he wasn't there. When asked where he was, she says she found him downstairs all excited, like she had never seen him before. Julia realizes this must have been when Lamar was stabbed, and silently assumes Justin did it. Flora, seeing the look on Julia's face, sends Melanie away.
Flora wonders if Melanie or Justin saw them with Lamar's body, but Julia doesn't think so. Julia finds Lamar's wallet and tells Flora his last name was Trask. Flora recalls the family who owns the bakery in town are named Trask, but when she sees the name "Lamar Trask" she says she doesn't know of a Lamar. Julia points out his business card which identifies him as an undertaker with a chapel on Front Street, but neither know of such a chapel. Julia wonders if he recently moved to town and planned to open the chapel, then remarks on the irony of him being killed by Justin and buried in secret by two women. Flora makes her promise to burn the wallet. Julia regrets the things they have done because of the locked room and wishes someone would burn the house down, but Flora says it would follow them wherever they went. Flora cries over the fates of her sons, but Julia reminds her that Justin will not die until he sees "the Woman in White", a mysterious figure who always appears just before the death of a person who spent the night in the locked room.
Act IV
Morgan visits Bramwell at the Old House and orders him not to see Catherine again. Bramwell says Catherine was his once and will be again. The two trade insults again before Bramwell slams the doors on Morgan.
At Collinwood, Catherine tells Melanie that Morgan has asked her to marry him tonight and correctly surmises Melanie knows why, even though she won't say. She pleads with Melanie to tell her what is happening so she can understand Morgan and Melanie agrees. But just then Julia appears, sending a frightened Melanie away to read to Justin again. Catherine makes the excuse that she came to see if she could be of help, but Julia tells her it is only for the closest family members and escorts her to her carriage and off the property.
On his way back to Collinwood, Morgan is talking to himself, referring to Collinwood as "a house of death", but Catherine will make it live again. Just then he stops; in the distance he sees the Woman in White and knows tonight his father will die.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Morgan: I know that six Collins have gone into that room and spent the night. Three of them were found dead in the morning, and three of them were found like father, mad for the rest of their lives.
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: Morgan: One of the first things I remember, I must have been five or six, I remember hearing my parents talking about that room and what would happen when we grew up, and that one day Quentin and I would have to go into that room and spend the night. I couldn't understand why. Then the next day, I went to the west wing, down the corridor, and I stood in front of that door, and I began to tremble, as if I could feel the evil inside, and then I ran away. But I can't run anymore, can I?
: ______________________________________________________________________________
: Julia: You must not tamper with tradition, Morgan.
: Morgan: You sound as if it's an honor instead of a curse.
: ____________________________________________________________________________
: Catherine (to Bramwell): What would we live on? Your bitterness...towards the Collinses...towards the rich Collinses?
== Dramatis personae ==
* ← Joan Bennett as Flora Collins (PT) →
* ← Jonathan Frid as Bramwell Collins →
* ← Nancy Barrett as Melanie Collins →
* ← Grayson Hall as Julia Collins →
* ← Lara Parker as Catherine Harridge →
* ← Keith Prentice as Morgan Collins →
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* First episode to take place entirely in Parallel Time of 1840. Although this storyline is commonly referred to as '1841 Parallel Time', the opening narrations up to 1210 will give the year as '1840'. The year '1841' first appears on-screen on a gravestone in 1215, and is mentioned in the narration for the first time in 1234.
* During the opening monologue, Barnabas is mentioned while the audience sees Jonathan Frid, but he appears to the viewer as Bramwell.
* Closing credits scene: East wing parlor.
=== Story ===
* Six Collins family members have gone into the locked room; three died in there and three came out mad.
* The Trask family of Parallel Time own the local bakery. 
* Lamar Trask's Funeral Chapel is located on Front Street in the main time-band. In Parallel Time, there is no such place on Front Street. (Front Street was also mentioned in 1034, an episode also written by Sam Hall.)
* GHOSTWATCH: The Woman in White always appears before the death of someone who's been in the locked room. Morgan sees her.
* TIMELINE: Morgan wants to marry Catherine tonight. Justin is expected to die before the night is over. Lamar was found this evening.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* When Julia and Melanie are talking at the beginning of Act I, Keith Prentice/Morgan can be seen in the mirror behind them waiting for his cue to enter the room.
* Keith Prentice flubs a line: "He [the doctor] couldn't understand how he [Justin] stayed along...alive this long."
* In Act I as Morgan and Julia are talking, a close-up of Julia is obscured by what appears to be a door closing in front of the camera.
* A cough can be heard from off stage when Catherine is telling Bramwell that she loved him once.
* Jonathan Frid is not credited as "Also Starring" as he is by this point of the series when he and Joan Bennett are in the same episode.
==External Links==
Dark Shadows - Episode 1199 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Every Day - Episode 1199 - The Wuthering
1199