1201

Bramwell kidnaps Catherine, intent on stopping her from marrying Morgan.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: The great house at Collinwood in the intriguing world of Parallel Time, a world in which the Collins family is surrounded by mystery. For many years there has been talk among the townspeople of a strange room in the great house, a room which is always kept locked for reasons known to no one outside the family. According to the legend, six people have slept in the room and each of them has either died or come out stark raving mad. On this night, the master of the house has died, and Morgan Collins, the oldest son, has made preparations for a strange ritual which takes place once during each generation. A ritual which decides who will be the latest to enter the room.
After reading the letter, Morgan prepares the lottery slips.
Act I
Quentin is sitting in his room when Gabriel rushes in. Still drunk, Gabriel begs Quentin to stop Morgan from having the lottery. Quentin tries to calm him down and reminds Gabriel that it’s possible someone could survive a night in the room. He admits he wonders what actually goes on inside the room. Gabriel asks Quentin to kill him if he goes into the room and comes out insane, but Quentin refuses to entertain the idea.
Meanwhile, Morgan answers a knock at the front door: it’s Catherine, who offers her condolences about Justin. He invites her into the drawing room and says he has to explain something. Nervous with his words, Morgan tells Catherine that if he “acts any different tomorrow,” she must not marry him.
Act II
Catherine is stunned and wants a better explanation, but Morgan says asking questions is not a good idea. He eventually gives in and tells her everything about the locked room and the curse on the family, confirming that all the rumors she heard in the village about the Collins family are true. Morgan informs her that only the men of the family will participate in the lottery (while also taking a shot at Bramwell in the process, which only upsets Catherine). Quentin interrupts the two, with Gabriel stumbling in shortly after, and Quentin says they are waiting to start the lottery. Morgan picks up a vase with the slips inside, and asks who would like to draw first.
Act III
Flora walks in shortly before the lottery can begin, and orders Morgan to put two more slips into the vase: one for her and one for Julia. The group argues over whether or not women should be included. Morgan hears her out, but quickly rejects her offer. As the group debates, Catherine takes all of the slips out of the vase and throws them into the fireplace, believing the entire story of the room and the curse to be a myth. She is quickly shut down by Morgan and the others, sans Gabriel, and apologizes. Catherine suggests they postpone the lottery by one day so she and Morgan can be married tonight. Flora wonders why not wait until after the lottery is over, but Catherine feels that if Morgan is chosen, she wants to have at least one day alone with him as his wife. Flora agrees, and announces the wedding will take place at Collinwood that night.
Act IV
Quentin heads to the village to get a minister, and everyone else leaves to prepare for the wedding. Once alone, Catherine tells Morgan she needs to go to her house to get Daphne.
Meanwhile, a relieved Gabriel tells Quentin they should take Catherine’s advice and never have the lottery, but Quentin is only upset and feels they are delaying the inevitable.
As Catherine prepares to leave Collinwood, Bramwell shows up and offers Flora his condolences. Flora tells Catherine she had better be on her way to get Daphne, as the minister should be arriving shortly. Bramwell gets curious and Catherine confesses that she is going to marry Morgan that night. Stunned, Bramwell asks for one last favor from her, which is to join him at the Old House for a short while. She reluctantly agrees.
Once at the Old House, Bramwell locks Catherine in a room and plans to hold her hostage to prevent her from marrying Morgan.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Quentin (to Gabriel): You know something? If they ever give rewards for cowardice, I'm going to shudder to think how rich you are.
== Dramatis personae ==
* Joan Bennett as Flora Collins (PT)
* Jonathan Frid as Bramwell Collins
* Keith Prentice as Morgan Collins
* Lara Parker as Catherine Harridge
* Christopher Pennock as Gabriel Collins (PT)
* David Selby as Quentin Collins (1841 PT)
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 1199.
* Closing credits scene: Collinwood study.
=== Story ===
* Morgan is the eldest son.
* TIMELINE: 12:40am: Catherine arrives. The lottery is always held within one or two days after the death of the master of the house; it is postponed until tomorrow.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* At the end of the previous episode Morgan cut three long and wide strips using the full length of a yellow paper and at the beginning of this episode he cuts what appears to be three narrow strips across the width of a white paper laying down and leaving most of the paper uncut.
* At the end of Act I Keith Prentice needs the teleprompter during his long exposition to Catherine. 
* When Morgan is telling Catherine about the lottery in Act II, it sounds like there is a telephone ringing in the background (in 1840?) when he says "And once during each generation someone is chosen..."
*Lara Parker says "Joshua Collins" instead of "Justin" when speaking to Morgan in Act II.
* Also during Act II Lara Parker flubs a line: "Whatever his ruse...reason is for refusing, it's not cowardice."
* In Act III when Flora says, "You're young...you all have something to live for," there's an off-stage noise that sounds like a door closing.
* Christopher Pennock flubs, "I think... I don't think... I think we should ignore it." [considering the character is drunk, it works]
==External Links==
Dark Shadows - Episode 1201 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Every Day - Episode 1201 - Willie Loomis Must Die: The Movie
1201