Amanda Tapping stars as 157 year old Dr. Helen Magnus, one of the first female doctors in the Royal College during Victorian England. She was engaged to Jack the Ripper, and also has a daughter from him, Ashley. However, Ashley does not yet know that her father is Jack. Dr. Magnus' father started a sanctuary for supernatural creatures, collected from all over the world. In her work with these creatures, Dr. Magnus has recieved age longevity.