For over a century and a half a curse has stalked the Collins family. Since 1880 [sic], all who have entered the legendary locked room have met with either death or madness. Most recently it was Morgan Collins who entered the room. When he emerged, the family soon learned that Morgan had been possessed by the spirit of James Forsythe, who died in 1680. In his possessed state, Morgan has shown no signs of violence, but this night will see him change.
Morgan, still possessed by James, finds Julia in the drawing room. Thinking she is Constance, he begins to strangle her with a rope.
Act I
Quentin stops Morgan from killing Julia and holds him at gunpoint. Catherine rushes in and tends to Julia, while Quentin announces he is going to lock up Morgan. As Morgan is being escorted out of the room, he declares he will try to kill “Constance” again. Julia eventually revives.
At the cottage, Ben Stokes (Carrie’s father) returns home after some time away from Collinsport. Carrie explains to him all of her recent encounters with Morgan, and is worried he may become violent.
Quentin takes Morgan back to his bedroom and tells him that his room is now under armed surveillance. Should Morgan try to escape, he will be killed.
Act II
Morgan vows to escape and kill every member of the Collins family.
In the drawing room, Julia thanks Catherine for helping her in the aftermath of Morgan’s attack. Quentin returns and theorizes that James’ spirit now has Morgan thinking he is back in 1680, and not the present. He wants to try and exorcise James’ spirit from Morgan’s body. The three agree to hold a séance, and Quentin wants to use Carrie as a medium for contacting James’ spirit. As Quentin leaves to head to the cottage, Ben walks in and says he wants to kill Morgan.
Act III
After Ben explains that Morgan has been frightening Carrie, Quentin tells him that Morgan is possessed, and he wants to hold a séance to release the spirit from Morgan’s body. Quentin asks for permission to use Carrie in the séance, but Ben is initially against the idea. After some more reasoning, Ben agrees to let Quentin talk to Carrie about it.
Later, Quentin returns and finds Julia and Catherine in the drawing room. He explains to them that Morgan will need to be involved in the séance, but he has an idea.
After Quentin explains his plan, Catherine goes upstairs and enters Morgan’s room. She explains to him that they must work together because they both have one common goal: to kill Constance. Morgan is skeptical to believe her, but she is persuasive, and promises that once “Constance” is dead, he will be free to leave Collinwood. He agrees to her deal, and Catherine decides they should toast to their agreement. While Morgan looks away, Catherine slips a drug into his drink. Her plan proceeds without any trouble, and Morgan passes out moments after finishing his drink.
Act IV
Morgan’s unconscious body is taken downstairs, and the séance begins with Carrie’s help. The spirit of James speaks through Morgan, who says he has come back to right the wrongs that Brutus has done. As a storm begins to rage outside, he claims that Brutus is coming for him now. Morgan panics and leaves the room, ending the séance, and flees upstairs. Julia finds Morgan in his bedroom, who says he is starting to feel weak. Realizing that the possession is ending, Morgan agrees to tell Julia everything that happened in 1680.
This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 1227.
Final appearance of actor David Selby and the character Quentin Collins (1841 PT). Selby had to leave the series at this point due to appendicitis, and by the time he was well enough to return, production had concluded. Quentin's whereabouts will be mentioned in 1234 (in the village), 1235 (out searching for Gabirel), 1237 (in the study), and 1240 (gone to Boston).
Thayer David returns to the cast after an absence of 30 episodes. First appearance of character Ben Stokes (PT). This was the eighth and final character played by David in the original series. The parallel Ben was much younger than his regular time counterpart and is Carrie's father instead of her grandfather.
TIMELINE: It was last week the first time Morgan, as James, visited Carrie at the cottage (occurred in 1223). 11:15pm: Quentin returns to Collinwood.
Bloopers and continuity errors
In Act 1 Quentin pulls a flintlock pistol from a box and menaces Morgan with it. It's extremely unlikely that a loaded and primed flintlock would be stored and ready for immediate use under these circumstances. Quentin was able to "arrest" Morgan with an unloaded pistol.
Keith Prentice trips over the line: "I'm going to get out somehow, and when I do, I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill every Morga... Collins I can get my hands on! Do you hear me? Do you hear me!?"
The opening narration states the family curse started in 1880 when in fact it was 1680.
David Selby accidentally backs into the edge of the door when locking Morgan in a room.
When Julia and Angelique leave the drawing room to let Quentin and Ben talk, Julia says, "Good afternoon, Ben." Yet when Quentin returns from the cottage "shortly" after that, the grandfather clock reads 11:15 p.m.
When Ben is in the drawing room talking to Quentin, a camera can be seen on the right of the screen at one point.
After Catherine dopes Morgan's drink she turns and walks up to him with the vial of poison showing plainly in her hand.
When Morgan falls to and lies on the bedroom floor unconscious, marking tape can be seen on the rug.
As the seance begins, a crew member can be seen closing the doors to the drawing room.
This is another "green camera" episode, one camera has a green tint to it.
