The Legacy was a secret society that had been formed in the 6th Century as humanity’s last line of defence against the evils of the supernatural world and “those creatures that inhabit the shadows and the night.”
Over the centuries, its members, who were selected by invitation, included Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson, John Milton, Sigmund Freud, Edgar Allan Poe, and HP Lovecraft.
The current members of the society waged their never-ending war against demons, evil spirits, possessions, and other manifestations of supernatural evil from a castle on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay.
Derek (Derek de Lint) was the preceptor of the San Francisco Legacy House. He had Ph.D.’s in both Anthropology and Theology and was the group’s psychic leader.
Other members of the group were Rachel (Helen Shaver), a brilliant psychiatrist; Alex (Robbi Chong), a gifted psychic and their principal researcher; and Nick (Martin Cummins), an impetuous young former Navy SEAL.
Seen occasionally were Father Philip Callaghan (Patrick Fitzgerald), their young spiritual guide, and Kat (Alexandra Purvis), Rachel’s young daughter.
Kat had emerging psychic powers, and encountered or was possessed by spirits with alarming regularity.
William Sloan (Daniel J. Travanti), the head of the ruling London House of the Legacy, worked with them in 1997, but in the next-to-last episode of the season, he was sucked into a gateway to hell, never to reappear.
Kristin (Kristin Lehman), a young anthropologist and member of the Legacy’s Boston House, moved to San Francisco and joined the local group in 1998.
In the series finale, Derek found out that the Apocalypse was about to happen and that the anti-Christ would arrive from hell using the portal that existed under the Legacy House. Anticipating that he wouldn’t survive the imminent battle with evil, Derek hinted to Alex that he loved her and they shared a passionate kiss.
Then Nick and Derek set C4 explosives under the house, and Derek gave Nick his precepts ring with instructions to take over the operation after his death.
Derek then detonated the explosives which destroyed the house, the portal, his evil father (who was about to open the portal), and himself. In the final scene, Rachel, Alex and Nick reflected on what Derek had meant to them.
After three seasons on Showtime, Poltergeist: The Legacy moved to the Sci-Fi Channel with new episodes. Despite sharing the same title, it otherwise has no connection to the film franchise whatsoever.
The castle used as the San Francisco base of the Legacy is Hatley Castle, in Colwood, British Columbia in Canada. It has appeared in many movies but is best known as the filming location for Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters in the X-Men films.
Dr Derek Rayne
Derek de Lint Dr Rachel Corrigan
Helen Shaver Alexandra “Alex” Moreau
Robbi Chong Nick Boyle
Martin Cummins Katherine “Kat” Corrigan
Alexandra Purvis Father Philip Callaghan
Patrick Fitzgerald William Sloan
Daniel J. Travanti Kristin Adams
Kristin Lehman
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Derek (Derek de Lint) was the preceptor of the San Francisco Legacy House. He had Ph.D.’s in both Anthropology and Theology and was the group’s psychic leader.
Then Nick and Derek set C4 explosives under the house, and Derek gave Nick his precepts ring with instructions to take over the operation after his death.
