Alternate Patricia Winslow (Invitation to Hell)

**Alternate Patricia Winslow** (Joanna Cassidy) was a villainess from the 1984 TV film, *Invitation to Hell* (airdate May 24, 1984). She was the demonic doppelganger of Patricia Winslow, the wife of main protagonist Matt Winslow.

## Introduction

The film sees the Winslows run into Jessica Jones, who was the director of the Steaming Springs Country Club, though she was actually an evil and powerful demoness. Upon learning that Matt's close friend, Tom Peterson, and his entire family joined the club, which led to Tom being promoted, Patricia pleaded with Matt to join Jessica's club, though Matt was wary to do so before the couple actually visited the club. Matt ended up turning down the club after Jessica attempted to seduce him, but Patricia decided to join anyway, doing so alongside her and Matt's children, Robert and Chrissy.

## Heel Turn

Matt later learned about his family joining Jessica's club while they dined together, which was interrupted by the family's dog, Albert, barking at them, leading to the usually docile Patricia actually berating Albert and ejecting him. Patricia turned heel after Matt left for work, as she sent Albert to veterinarian Walt Henderson (the husband of Matt's former secretary, Grace Henderson) and ordered him to euthanize Albert under the claim that he had a brain tumor. which was followed by Walt contacting Matt and informing him about Patricia's heel turn. As Walt also revealed to Matt, the maniacal villainess wanted to watch Albert being killed, only for Walt to lie to Patricia and claim that he would perform the euthanization, using the ruse to return Albert to Matt.

A confrontation between Matt and Patricia saw the latter rant about wanting Matt to spend more time with his family, doing so while clutching a knife and claiming that Albert was rabid and would harm the entire family. Later on, Matt returned from work to find the house with more lavish furniture, as well as Patricia playing the piano, which was met with Matt voicing his heartbreak over Patricia's changing demeanor. In response, Patricia embraced her heel persona and voiced her desire for more power by joining Jessica's club, stating that she had nothing as the woman she used to be. Matt later discovered that the "spring" that his family and friends entered was actually a portal to Hell, and after returning home and being attacked by his children, the evil Patricia appeared with a golf club and attempted to kill Matt, who knocked out the villainess before escaping.

The climax saw Matt enter the spring and end up in what was revealed as an alternate version of the town, with his family being imprisoned by Jessica. The scene also revealed that the people posing as his family were actually evil demonic doppelgangers placed on the surface by Jessica, while the evil alternate Patricia's attempt to kill Albert was done due to Albert sensing her (and the children's) demonic presences. Matt rescued his family in the climax, resulting in Jessica's demise, as well as the demise of Patricia's evil doppelganger and the other clones.

## Trivia

* Joanna Cassidy later appeared on The Hunger as the maniacal Grace Wallace, and on *Motive* as the evil Natalie Rodman.