1215

It is revealed that Gabriel paid a friend, Tim Braithwaite, to trade places with him in the locked room.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: Dawn comes to Collinwood in Parallel Time; a dawn the family in the great house has awaited anxiously, for at dusk the night before Gabriel walked down the dark corridor to the doors of the locked room. Chosen by lottery, he was locked in the mysterious room from which no Collins has emerged sane and alive. And now, with the dawn, the time has come for the doors to be unlocked, and Morgan goes to the room not knowing what he will find inside.
The next morning, Morgan enters the locked room and finds the dead body of a stranger.
Act I
Flora enters the room and recognizes the man as Tim Braithwaite, a local villager and one of Gabriel’s drinking companions. The two contemplate where Gabriel could actually be, and wonder if they will have to hold the lottery again. Morgan tells her to leave the room immediately, while he disposes of the body.
In the drawing room, Morgan informs Melanie of what happened in the locked room. Flora is also there, and Morgan tells her he wants to contact the police regarding Tim. Morgan shows Flora a check for $1,000 he found inside Tim’s jacket, implying that Gabriel paid Tim off to take his place in the room. Melanie starts laughing hysterically and thinks the spirits don’t care if a Collins goes into the room; they just want anyone who could be a “sacrifice.”
Act II
Melanie continues to laugh uncontrollably. Morgan slaps her to end her spell; she apologizes and goes to her room. Flora wonders if Melanie was right, and perhaps the curse is over for the current generation. There is a knock on the door, and a parallel Carrie Stokes walks in. She gives Flora a letter that was written by Gabriel. Carrie tells her that he gave it to her after dusk the previous night.
Act III
In Gabriel’s letter, he explains that he will never return to Collinwood. He mentions that he was in the room for 30 minutes before Tim arrived to take his place, which he describes as “a hell that I will never forget.” Morgan wants to find Gabriel in hopes of learning what happens in the room. He wants to enlist the help of Carrie, who learned psychic abilities from Gerard. Just then Carrie walks in, sensing that Morgan wants to talk to her.
Act IV
Morgan gives Carrie the letter from Gabriel and asks her to find him. Carrie gives some hints about his recent whereabouts, but says he is no longer there. When Morgan says he is going out to look for Gabriel, Carrie stops him, and says that eventually Gabriel will find Morgan.
That afternoon, Flora and Morgan go to the cemetery to visit Justin’s grave. Flora intends to tell Justin that the curse is over for the current generation. When Flora enters the mausoleum, she finds that Justin’s tombstone has been destroyed.
Back at Collinwood, Melanie walks through the foyer and mentions to herself that it’s oddly cold. She opens the doors to the drawing room and sees the ghost of Justin, who warns her that the spirits are not satisfied and the lottery must be held again.
== Memorable quotes ==
== Dramatis personae ==
* Joan Bennett as Flora Collins (PT)
* Nancy Barrett as Melanie Collins
* Keith Prentice as Morgan Collins
* Kathy Cody as Carrie Stokes (PT)
* David Hurst as Justin Collins
* John Kuhner as Tim Braithwaite (PT)
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* Kathy Cody returns to the cast after an absence of 28 episodes. First appearance of character Carrie Stokes (PT). This was the third and final character played by Cody in the original series.
* Final appearance of character Justin Collins.
* Final appearance of the Collins Mausoleum, which hasn't been seen since 1130 (interior) and 1163 (exterior).
* Closing credits scene: Graveyard.
=== Story ===
* The memorial plaque for Justin Collins reads: Born: 1778, Died: 1841. This makes him 63 years old at the time of death. The plaque, as seen here, is deliberately cracked across the birth year. This is the first time a year of 1841 is used in relation to this storyline. Justin's on-screen death is seen in 1200, suggesting it was 1841 then, but then memorial plaques have previously been seen to be inaccurate. So it probably should have read 1840 for the year of death as the narration for 1210 stated the year to be 1840. (The Opening Narration has also been inaccurate, such as when it said the curse had started in 1860.)
* Carrie and Gerard Stiles found the missing McManus girl using their psychic abilities.
* Carrie and her father live at the Gatehouse situated on Collinwood grounds.
* The landscape named The Bridge Over Biddleford Creek was painted sometime in the last century before Flora was born. It is a picture of a rope bridge. There is a stone bridge at the site now.
* GHOSTWATCH: Justin's ghost appears to Melanie.
* TIMELINE: Dawn at the start of the episode. Last night, Gabriel spent the night in the locked room. 6:30am: Melanie in the drawing room. 7am/pm?: Melanie sees Justin's ghost.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* How Gabriel managed to switch places with Tim Braithwaite in the locked room is never explained, as Morgan held the only known key to the room. (Maybe Gabriel made a copy of the key).
* Kathy Cody flubs a line: "He said to come as soon a...as in daybreak as I could."
* Carrie steps on Flora's line. Flora says, "What —" and Carrie says, "He said to bring you this, in the morning." Flora asks, "What did he tells you, what did he say?" and Carrie repeats, "He said to give you this in the morning."
==External Links==
Dark Shadows - Episode 1215 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Every Day - Episode 1215 - The Not Gabriel
1215