Ultimately, she feels she has no other choice but to attempt to turn Dylan herself and hope for the best, and at first it appears she is successful.ĭirector Michael Nankin employs a touching monochromatic scene to great effect as Vanessa, Dylan, and Julius (Aleks Paunovic) enjoy a much deserved moment of joy as they engage in a playful snowball fight, not unlike a family celebrating the onset of the holiday season. Though there is truth to her claim that Daniel’s death is an accident, her measured decision doesn’t work out the way she hoped. Julius tells Vanessa that as a “young elite” Dylan needs fresh human blood or she will die, presenting Vanessa with an unthinkable ultimatum. But is that true? Are there other options available to her? Like Axel, she refuses to kill to survive, but this is her child’s survival at stake, and there can be no greater anguish than she experiences making this decision with little time to consider the consequences. Feeling she has no other option, Vanessa risks everything to bring her daughter back. Regardless, Dylan’s death is on Dmitri’s hands alone, and whether or not Vanessa can learn to accept this will be the key to her own survival.Įven though it doesn’t take up that much screen time, Dylan’s distress sets Vanessa down a path we knew she’d have to travel sooner rather than later. Julius’ wish to now protect Vanessa rings true, but he’ll have a lot of explaining to do if and when Axel returns to her side. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that we know Julius’ relationship with his sire has been difficult at best, and it will be interesting to see whether Julius pursues revenge or redemption.ĭespite their history, Julius may be the only one able to prevent Vanessa from descending into a personal hell, though the possibility exists that his past with Dmitri might first fuel a desire in Vanessa to take down the man responsible for her daughter’s death. Adding insult to injury, the gambler who owes him for throwing the fight, stabs him in an alley setting the stage for Dmitri to step in and turn the man who will eventually lead his own vampire army. In fact, Mother Agatha tells him “there’s always something,” that can be done to obtain what you need or desire. Once we learn that small-time prize fighter Julius Romanski held off as long as humanly possible before agreeing throw a fight to fund his mother’s hospital stay, his progression to vampire becomes not only understandable but predictable. Can she find renewed motivation to lead those who look to her for direction and hope? More than likely it’s going to require those around her to pull her back from the abyss, and who better to do that than Julius. Whether Vanessa will be able to absolve herself in Dylan’s death, and then summon the strength and will to go on figures to play a prominent role moving forward. Do we condemn a man filled with despair for allowing Dmitri to turn him and then in turn using his newly acquired power to save his dying mother? Regardless, we see him in a new light and gain a better understanding of how he reached this point. Until now, even though Julius’ multi-layered role has been fairly straightforward, to learn the genesis of his present situation forces us to consider that each vampire has a story to tell. The importance of the poignant 1936 flashback cannot be overstated. How dark is too dark? How far down the black pit are we willing and able to go with Vanessa? There is no going back, and herein lies perhaps the writing team’s greatest challenge. After the jarring final scene in which Vanessa experiences a mother’s worst nightmare, her world and ours have been irrevocably changed. In an episode examining the depths to which desperation can push a human being, “Love Bites” takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster ride that could potentially send Vanessa down a dark path she’s thus far managed to avoid.įollowing last week’s tale of redemption, tonight Van Helsing considers the circumstances that drive an individual to commit those unspeakable acts that normal, well-adjusted people attempt to bury far below the surface.
It’s often said no greater love exists than a son’s for his mother, and for the third week in a row, Van Helsing catches viewers totally off guard drawing on a narrative device used only sparingly to this point. “Do not underestimate the cost of being a monster.” This Van Helsing review contains spoilers.
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