Back There - Recap

At the Potomac Club in Washington D.C. in the present day, engineer Peter Corrigan is playing cards and enters into a discussion about time travel. One of the players contends that history can be changed but Corrigan insists that a time traveler could simply set off the very events he tried to change. Corrigan bows out of the game, noting there's little point in discussing the matter since no one can travel through time. As he leaves, Corrigan bumps into the club manservant, William. He notes that it's April 14, 1961 and bids William good night. Corrigan steps outside and then feels a brief wave of dizziness. He looks around... and finds himself in 1865, wearing clothing appropriate to the era. The club behind him is closed and still dizzy, Corrigan tries to go home and finds his apartment has been replaced with a boarding house. Corrigan asks for a room and the landlady Mrs. Landers allows him to stay. A couple are departing for a play as Corrigan goes upstairs, and mention that the President will be attending. They ask him which Army he was in and after saying that he was with the Union forces, determines that they are going to Ford's Theater to see Our American Cousin... on the day Lincoln was assassinated.



Corrigan goes to the theater and tries to get in, but is picked up by the police. He tries to explain that john Wilkes Booth is planning to assassinate Lincoln but they figure he's drunk and put him in a cell. Jonathan Wellington comes in and expresses concern about Corrigan's mental state, wondering if he's a war veteran. Wellington offers to take care of Corrigan. As they prepare to turn Corrigan over, a police officer wonders if they should put an extra guard on the President but his sergeant tells him that Lincoln has enough guards.



Corrigan goes back to Wellington's rented room and the man offers him a drink and identifies himself as a psychiatrist. There is still 45 minutes until the play begins and Wellington wants to know where Corrigan got his idea. Corrigan explains that John Wilkes Booth is going to assassinate Lincoln but Corrigan staggers, seemingly drunk. Wellington hands him a handkerchief for his head wound and Corrigan realizes something is wrong. He realizes Wellington has drugged him but the psychiatrist says he needs rest and will be back later to discuss the matter further. Corrigan manages to crawl across the room but collapses at the door. The landlady lets in the officer from the station, who has been trying to route the authorities demands to know what Corrigan knows about the assassination. Corrigan explains what happens and the officer wonders at how he's describing it as if it was in Corrigan's past. The landlady doesn't know of anyone named "Wellington," and Corrigan sees that the handkerchief has the monogram JWB on it: John Wilkes Booth. Outside a crowd moves into the streets to talk about the assassination of Lincoln. Corrigan wonders why no one listened and pounds on the window...



... and finds himself pounding on the door of Potomac Club. There's a new club manservant who Corrigan doesn't recognize, but who recognizes him and says he only left a few seconds ago. Corrigan goes back to the card table and finds a new man at the table: Williams, the former manservant. He explains that he inherited money: his great grandfather was on the police force in 1865 and tried to warn people about the President's assassination. He became chief of police, a councilman, and then finally a millionnaire. Corrigan is confused and wonders if William was the former manservant, but they have no idea what he's talking about. Corrigan realizes that some things can be changed, and others can't, then notices he still has John Wilkes Booth's handkerchief.



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