| This page is similar in name or subject to other pages.
See also Phyllis for a complete list of references to clarify differences between these closely named or closely related articles. |
| Phyllis Wick | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Phyllis Wick | |
| Continuity: | Dark Shadows |
| Type: | Minor character |
| Gender: | Female |
| Location: | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Died: | 1796; 1967/68 |
| 1st appearance: | Dark Shadows: 365 |
| Actor: | Dorrie Kavanaugh Margo Head Ellen Wheeler |
Phyllis Wick is a minor character featured in the Dark Shadows television franchise. She was introduced in the original 1960s gothic soap opera Dark Shadows in episode 365 where she was played by actress Dorrie Kavanaugh. The character made one subsequent appearance on the series in 1968 in episode 461, this time played by Margo Head. The character was also featured in the 1991 Dark Shadows revival series where she was played by Ellen Wheeler and appeared in five episodes. The original Phyllis Wick, though a minor character, was a key figure in framing the 1967-68 storyline known as the "1795 Flashback".
Biography
Original timeline
In the original timeline, Phyllis Wick was a governess from Boston, Massachusetts in the latter half of the 18th century. In 1795, her services had been solicited by Naomi Collins to work as a governess for her nine-year-old daughter Sarah Collins. En route to Collinwood, her carriage overturned and three people were killed. Phyllis survived, but there is very little known of her history following this event. What is known is that shortly thereafter, she was tried and convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to death in 1796. [1]
Altered timeline
In 1967 (retroactively attributed to 1968 in later episodes), members and friends of the Collins family conducted a séance in an effort to contact the spirit of Sarah Collins, whose ghost had been appearing in the present and whose continued presence represented a threat to young David Collins. During the séance, the group succeeded in contacting Sarah's spirit, who spoke to them through a woman named Victoria Winters. Without warning, the lights went out and when they came back on, they found Phyllis Wick sitting in Victoria's seat. Phyllis had been pulled from the year 1795 just moments after her carriage overturned on her way to Collinwood. Vicki however, was shunted into the past and took Phyllis' place, spending several months in that era. It was Victoria's actions during her trip in the past that ultimately led to a wrongful conviction of witchcraft. On the day that Victoria Winters was executed, Phyllis and she suddenly switched places again, returning to their proper timelines.
In both situations however, Phyllis Wick was convicted of witchcraft and hung at the gallows. [2][3]
Inconsistencies
Margo Head as Phyllis Wick.
The exact date of Phyllis Wick's death is a matter of interpretation. Some episodes state the entirety of the 1795 Flashback actually took place in the year 1795. However, events established during the storyline itself would indicate that at least 1/3rd of the story-arc spilled over into 1796. Information on this supplied throughout the series is often inconsistent. Even the timing of the séance is called into question. Modern-era episodes usually take place during the months/years that they are first broadcast. The entire 1795 Flashback aired between November, 1967 and April, 1968. However, no passage of time took place in the present between when the séance began and ended, though the episodes immediately following it occurred as if it were now 1968.
Another inconsistency between the two Phyllis Wick appearances (other than being played by different actresses) is her physical state. In episode 365, Wick is dishevelled, but otherwise unmarred. In episode 461, she has scratches and bruises across her face and neck as a result of the carriage accident.
Notes & Trivia
- The character of Phyllis Wick was created by series developer Dan Curtis, director John Sedwick and writer Sam Hall.
- Phyllis Wick is uncredited in episode 461.
- Despite the alterations to the timestream, Barnabas Collins still remembers Phyllis from the original history, not the altered one with Victoria Winters.