1243

Catherine declares her love for Bramwell, who's locked in the cursed room.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: The great house at Collinwood in the year 1841. For over a century and a half the Collins family has been haunted by a curse set upon them by one of their own ancestors. On the night that is approaching, Kendrick Young, who has just married into the family, is waiting to enter the legendary locked room. He will never enter, for another member of the family, motivated by insane jealousy, has committed an act of violence which could lead to the final downfall of the Collins family.
As Catherine pounds on the doors outside, Bramwell realizes he is trapped in the locked room.
Act I
From the other side of the door, Bramwell reads Catherine the letter he received from Morgan. Catherine realizes he must know about the child. She wants to stay next to the door the entire night, but Bramwell feels that whatever is destined to happen in the locked room will take place regardless. He tells her to head back downstairs, while he will take care of himself the best way he can.
In the drawing room, Julia tries to reason with Morgan, but he has none of it and says he put Bramwell in the room for his own satisfaction. Kendrick is livid about what has transpired, and tells Morgan he will hold him responsible if Melanie’s sanity does not return. Julia separates the two before the situation escalates any further, and asks Morgan why he has suddenly taken action against Bramwell. Morgan advises Julia to ask “the little mother” as Catherine shows up.
Act II
Julia wonders what “the little mother” means; Catherine announces to everyone in the room that she is pregnant (but does not say that Bramwell is the father). Julia offers her congratulations to Morgan, but quickly realizes that something is not right. After Catherine and Morgan head upstairs, Julia thinks she has figured out the mystery, but decides not to tell Kendrick anything. Kendrick wonders what is happening to Bramwell in the locked room, when Julia remembers that things usually take a turn for the worse when whoever is in the room touches one of the corpses in the records room. She decides to rush upstairs to tell Bramwell, thinking it could save him.
In the locked room, Bramwell is sitting quietly when a gust of wind blows through the room, which reveals the door behind the bed. Bramwell enters the records room and finds the corpses of James and Amanda. Astonished, he reaches out to James’ body.
Act III
Right before Bramwell touches James’ body, he hears a knock on the door from upstairs. He returns to the main part of the locked room and talks to Julia, who is on the other side. She implores him not to touch either of the two corpses, or else he may become possessed or be killed. Julia gives him the backstory on James and Amanda, and tells Bramwell she is praying for him. Once she leaves, Bramwell returns to the records room.
Meanwhile, a furious Morgan and a tearful Catherine return to the master bedroom, where he berates himself for thinking Catherine actually loved him this whole time, and then blames her for playing a major part in Daphne’s death. He then tells he followed her to the gazebo the previous night and overheard everything about her pregnancy.
Act IV
Catherine admits to Morgan she is pregnant with Bramwell’s child, and didn’t know until after they were married. She begs him to take his anger out on her instead of Bramwell, and offers to disown Bramwell if Morgan lets him out of the locked room. After a few moments to think about it, Morgan agrees to release Bramwell from the locked room, and the two head to the West Wing.
Back in the drawing room, the clock strikes 8 p.m. as Kendrick, full of anxiety, wonders how the family has survived like this for so long. After he vents to Julia, he decides to visit Melanie in the tower room.
Morgan and Catherine arrive at the locked room. After Morgan retrieves the key, he opens the door and pushes Catherine inside, then quickly closes the door and locks her in. Catherine begs for help, but Morgan tells her he hopes she rots with Bramwell in the locked room like James and Amanda did.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Morgan: (to Bramwell and Catherine) I hope you rot together like James and Amanda!
:Morgan: (to Catherine) I don't believe you Catherine, and my guess is that God doesn't either.
== Dramatis personae ==
* ← Jonathan Frid as Bramwell Collins →
* ← Grayson Hall as Julia Collins →
* ← John Karlen as Kendrick Young →
* ← Lara Parker as Catherine Harridge Collins →
* ← Keith Prentice as Morgan Collins →
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* A dark vertical band can be seen on the left side of the screen, affecting one camera.
* Closing credits scene: Collinwood foyer.
=== Story ===
* Julia recalls when she and Morgan went into the secret file room leading from the locked room (as seen in 1235).
* TIMELINE: 8pm: Julia and Kendrick in the drawing room.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* Actor Keith Prentice tells Julia that she is "quite white"; he should have said "right".
*Offstage noise can be heard twice during Act II. After Morgan and Catherine depart the drawing room footsteps and whispering can be heard as Julia speaks with Kendrick. Later as Bramwell approaches the door to the records room some speaks and appears to say "watch it, watch it" before Bramwell grabs the candelabra. A quick finger snap can be heard as he disappears through the doorway.
*When Bramwell goes through the doorway that leads to the hallway to the secret room for the second time after talking to Julia, you can see the edge of the set because you can see the candlelight on the far right when Bramwell walks through the doorway.
== External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 1243 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Every Day - Episode 1243 - The Dark Shadows Parts
The Dark Shadows Daybook - Episode 1243
The Dark Shadows Daybook - Episode 1243
1243