Victoria Winters (2012)

Victoria Winters, born Maggie Evans, is David Collins governess. She becomes romantically involved with Barnabas Collins. 
She is portrayed by Felicity Brangan as a child and Bella Heathcote as an adult. 
== Biography ==
As a little girl, Maggie Evans befriends Josette DuPres, the ghost of a young woman who died around two centuries earlier and looks strikingly similar to her. Unfortunately, her "imaginary friend" causes her somewhat dimwitted parents to be very concerned for her mental health, leading them to send their only child to Windcliff Sanitarium. Over the course of many years, Maggie suffers through electroshock therapy, straight-jackets, and solitary confinement, with no one but Josette for company.
Her parents' betrayal scars Maggie deeply. Ever after, she is frightened that people she cares about will abandon her as her parents did. Eventually, she is able to seize an opportunity to escape the sanitorium and soon looks for a job far away from her old home. The spirit of Josette points out an ad for a governess position at the Collinwood estate in Maine and Maggie applies, looking forward to a new life.
On the train ride to Collinsport, she decides that she needs a new name and chooses to call herself Victoria Winters after seeing a skiing advertisement. In no time, her disinterest in politics, her sense of humor, and support of feminism help her ace the interview with Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the matriarch of the Collins clan. Victoria is soon welcomed into the family as young David Collins's new governess.
David believes his deceased mother is still with him and frequently speaks to her. Victoria empathizes with his situation thanks to her own interactions with Josette, but Elizabeth disapproves of encouraging him. Even so, David is delighted that someone believes him- or at least, doesn't act like he's crazy.
Victoria enjoys her new home, but is concerned when Josette becomes restless. She leads a confused Victoria to the foyer and floats around the chandelier before stating "he's coming" and falling backwards off the fancy light fixture. A few days later, Victoria joins the family for breakfast and meets Barnabas Collins, a distant relative from England. He is a charming man and she feels mysteriously drawn to him through Josette; they seem to have an instant connection. 
Barnabas breathes new life into the Collins family and motivates them to restore Collinwood manor and the Collins Cannery Company back to their former glory. He also enjoys spending time with Victoria, such as walking along the edge of the ocean or reading the novel Love Story together.
When the family throws a "happening", Victoria attends the party in a pretty, pale-blue dress and curled bangs, but soon makes her way out to the peaceful balcony where she can be alone. Her absence does not go unnoticed by Barnabas, however, and he soon joins her. She tells him the story of her past and mentions that she's felt mysteriously drawn to both him and Collinwood, confessing that she's become attracted to him. He is overjoyed that his feelings have not gone unrequited as he had feared, and the two share a kiss. Unbeknownst to them both, they are seen by Angelique Bouchard. Angie is a perpetually-youthful witch who has been fiercely in love with Barnabas for centuries, and was so furious when he chose Josette over her, she placed Josette under a trance that compelled her to throw herself off Widows' Hill. She is not pleased that the centuries have not warmed Barnabas to her, furious that he again has chosen another woman to love.
Soon after the happening, David is almost crushed by the mirror ball when it suddenly falls. Luckily Barnabas is able to push him out of the way, but stands directly in the sunlight in the process. Barnabas bursts into flames in front of everyone, revealing him to be a vampire. Handyman Willie Loomis douses him before he's seriously injured, but the damage is nevertheless done. Victoria is stunned with horror and shrinks away from him, running to her room so she can think about this new development.
Unfortunately, soon Angelique vengefully places Victoria under the same trance that she cast on Josette years ago. However, when the trance lifts upon Angelique's death, Josette continues to walk towards the edge of Widows' Hill, much to Barnabas's horror. She explains that the revelation that Barnabas is a vampire frightens her because she will grow old and die, but he never will. They can't be together as long as she is human, but he refuses to curse her with the burden of vampirism. Unfortunately, Victoria can't bear the thought of another person she loves abandoning her and flings herself off the cliff, figuring that she may as well get the pain over with. However, Barnabas dives after her and manages to bite her, turning her into a vampire in midair. A few moments after they slam into the wave-beaten rocks, Victoria opens her eyes, reborn as a vampire.
Interestingly, when Barnabas embraces her on the rocks below and calls her Victoria, she replies "Josette". This may suggest that Josette's spirit somehow merged with Victoria's physical body, that Victoria's soul was displaced, or that Josette and Victoria were two separate parts of the same person, now reunited.
==Notes==
* On the original Dark Shadows television series, the characters of Maggie Evans and Victoria Winters were two different people, though both served as governess to David Collins at separate times. Maggie was also taken to Windcliff Sanitarium for treatment on more than one occasion.
* The original series spelled Victoria's nickname as "Vicki", while movie promotional materials spelled the name as "Vicky".
Category:Dark Shadows (2012) Characters
Category:Vampires
Category:Deceased