Roxanne Drew
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Roxanne Drew was a female vampire who lived in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and who victimized Maggie Evans, Lamar Trask, Sebastian Shaw and Julia Hoffman.
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[edit] Original Life History
Roxanne Drew was a native of Collinsport in the year 1840. Her sister Samantha was married to the original Quentin Collins and she, herself, was being courted by Lamar Trask, the son of Reverend Trask. Although Trask hoped to marry Roxanne, she did not return his affections (1114).
[edit] Vampirism
Roxanne became a vampire because of the 1840 timeline altered by Julia Hoffman's presence in the past. Julia released Barnabas Collins from his chained coffin and he, not yet knowing the doctor from the twentieth century, refused to work with her (1112). Hoping to make her his bride, Barnabas attacked Roxanne Drew (1114), and when she tried to prevent his actions, killed Julia Hoffman. Roxanne rose as a vampire, but apparently did not remain with Barnabas.
She returned to Collinsport in 1970 (1080) with her assistant and servant Sebastian Shaw, an astrologer and psychic. Barnabas Collins had recently returned from Parallel Time, where he'd loved the Roxanne Drew living in that time band. Trying to woo this version of her, Barnabas found the girl uninterested (1081). Roxanne later victimized Maggie Evans, forcing Julia , Barnabas and Willie Loomis to trap her inside a coffin in the secret room of the Old House (1106).
Later, Barnabas, inexplicably unaffected by the alterations to the 1840 timeline, saw Julia's grave from that year and used the I-Ching wands to send his astral body back in time and take control of his physical body in the past. Now under the control of his future mind, Barnabas did not kill Julia and did not allow Roxanne to die and rise as a vampire (1116, 1117). In theory, this prevented the existence of the 1970 Roxanne. This was all nearly in vain, however, when Angelique caused the vampire wounds on Roxanne's neck to reopen later in 1840 (1133). Roxanne did die (1139) and return as a vampire (1143), but the timeline was changed again when her brother Randall Drew forced Roxanne to remain in the sunlight, where she was destroyed (1150).
[edit] Paradox Ruminations
The Roxanne Drew of regular time has been labeled an inconsistency in the show's writing by the publication "The Dark Shadows Companion: 25th Anniversary Collection", however her existence can be clearly understood with the inconsistencies in the character of Barnabas Collins, instead. It appears that three versions of the 1840 timeline are referenced on the series: one described only in the aftermath of the 1970 disaster and seen by Barnabas and Julia in 1995. We can assume, since Julia Hoffman had not traveled to 1840 because she had not come back to 1970 from Parallel Time in this version of events, that Roxanne had died a normal death in the unaltered timeline. The second version of 1840 existed when Julia and Barnabas returned to 1970 after being in the future. That version of 1970 now existed in the aftermath of Julia's eventual solo journey to 1840, although Barnabas was paradoxically not changed by Julia's releasing him from his coffin early. Roxanne had become a vampire because of Barnabas in this version of 1840, and he had killed Julia in 1840. The third version of the 1840 events shown were those actually enacted during the full 1840 Flashback storyline. Barnabas and Julia prevented Roxanne's first death and rising as a vampire, but their presence alerted Angelique to begin posing as Valerie Collins. Roxanne died anyway, and was killed in 1840 because of her brother's unexpected arrival.
Barnabas' unchanged status in the 1970 storyline leading up to the 1840 Flashback is the true inconsistency and creates the perception that Roxanne should not exist in 1970.
[edit] References
The Dark Shadows Companion: 25th Anniversary Collection, edited by Kathryn Leigh Scott, foreword by Jonathan Frid, Pomegranate Press, 1990. ISBN 0-938817-25-6
