![]() “The B’ah is one of the great Elders you will face,” the sisters are told, and Vanessa is reminded that her anger nearly got her killed. Of course, we know that’s not going to happen, but the Elder recognizes blood stains from another Elder on the blade and introduces another obstacle to the Van Helsing narrative. Clearly, the Elder knows more than it reveals but seems spooked by the dagger and pleads with Vanessa to return it to its resting place. Though pledged to assist the Van Helsings, she doesn’t make things easy telling them simply “when you see it, you’ll know.” When they finally locate Lillian’s crypt and the totem, the Elder channels its best Gollum when faced with the reality of the prize slipping from its grasp.ĭo all of the Elders house their totems in exquisitely crafted jewelry boxes? For that matter, is each totem individually linked to its being, and if so, what’s the significance of the bracelet? However, it’s the sheathed dagger that Lillian holds underneath crossed arms that garners the most attention. Hilary Jardine as the Elder continues to make this character her own with subtle gestures and vocal patterns that rather than detract from the innate evil residing within, breathe new life into the being that holds the key to Vanessa’s success in obtaining the totems. “What are you?” she asks it, and like the twins, we learn that Lillian too kicks ass when necessary. We’re treated to a brief, tightly crafted fight scene as Lillian works her way towards a later encounter with the psychic vampire. The specifics of the couple’s plan remain a bit fuzzy, but we see her give Edward the vial in case she doesn’t return from this endeavor, not unlike Scarlett’s decision to entrust Doc with a few drops of the blood. With an amusing nod to Dracula’s lunatic minion, the totem’s trail leads the group to Renfield House, the asylum to which Edward Hawkins committed his wife Lillian Van Helsing in 1906. Writer/showrunner Neil LaBute takes advantage of the innate terror the late Victorian period exudes, skipping several generations to lay the groundwork for Vanessa’s recovery of Elder Susan’s totem. While “Super Unknown” examines the changes both sisters continue to undergo, the story also takes us deeper into the Van Helsing family mythos and provides further evidence of its involvement with the blood of The Dark One. Did the Elder’s bite push her further into herself, or is her present state of mind simply a product of the blows she’s absorbed the past four years? Regardless, it’s impossible to ignore the red eyes that seem to appear when she finds herself in demanding situations, a clear indication that this is a new Vanessa. He attempts to lighten the mood calling on the long standing epithet “Sleeping Beauty,” but this is a Vanessa that hasn’t existed for a very long time. Scarlett doesn’t understand why her sister suddenly erects a wall between them and wonders whether Vanessa is annoyed because of her developing relationship with Axel. It’s painful to observe Vanessa descend into a world in which she seems to have lost the ability and desire to connect with those around her. Putting some of the traditional doomsday trappings momentarily aside, Van Helsing skillfully employs classic horror tale elements to explore the darkness of the human psyche as it relates to physical and emotional survival. However, friction between the sisters bubbles to the surface, and even Vanessa finally admits that she has changed, and not necessarily for the better. “Super Unknown” finds Vanessa facing the opening leg of her most arduous ordeal yet as she prepares to knock out the Elders one by one, ridding the world, once and for all, of the vampire scourge. Tonight that changes a bit, and we experience much of what makes classic horror fiction so compelling. For much of its run, Van Helsing has operated as a traditional post-apocalyptic tale so prevalent in contemporary television and film.
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