Episode Title: “From Darkness to Light”
Writer: Tom Grieves
Director: Andy Goddard
Previously on “Dracula”:
Episode 1.03 “Goblin Merchant Men”
NBC’s “Dracula” asks questions of itself that it should never have to. Questions like, can a show be sustained on subplot alone? If you remove the character traits that make Dracula vital, can it be an interesting and worthwhile character? Can a show be literally drunk on absinthe? The answer is a resounding No! Well, except for that last question; you have to be drunk enough to title an episode of your show “Goblin Merchant Men” and not have any in it. As you can see, I’m still bitter about that.
The saddest thing about NBC’s “Dracula” is that it’s everything that “Sleepy Hollow” isn’t. The characters are as drab as the set pieces are meant to be. There is no life, or unlife, in this case to them. And if your show doesn’t have plot, well, then it better have some damn good characters to keep you coming back. As yet, Alexander Greyson/Dracula (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) remains a poorly executed concept that still has enormous potential. Let us not forget about the forgetful supporting cast as well.
Tonight’s episode begins strong with the first decent action sequence “Dracula” has ever had. Lady Jayne Wetherby (Victoria Smurfit) dispatches a couple of vamps on a subway, though reveals her talents to Dracula in the process. As Lady Jayne predicted, more vampires have started to emerge in London. She mentions killing six of them in this episode alone. Well, seven by the end of it.
Greyson’s new mission is to earn her trust. He’s also got a new/old lackey vampire named Josef Cervenka (Alec Newman), who immediately recognizes Mina Murray (Jessica De Gouw) as Dracula’s reborn bride Iiona. Josef’s character is played directly opposite to R.M. Renfield (Nonso Anozie), representing that devil on Greyson’s shoulder. His primal urge shows us the vampire in his true state, and even Greyson must step in at one point to protect Lady Jayne from him, resulting in Josef’s death. Though it’s Lady Jayne who lands the killing blow.
The other big event on this week’s “Dracula” is Mina Murray and Jonathan Harker’s (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) engagement party. Mina has become the center of this show’s universe. Everyone is pining after her in some way; Dracula for previously stated reasons, Lucy Westerna (Katie McGrath) also has a thing for her and she is obsessed with planing this engagement party. And of course Harker wants her. Lucy’s character feels the most detrimental to Mina’s development. Often, she comes across as trying to hold back Mina. In a scene where Mina has found a blood sample, Dracula’s nine year old still living blood, Lucy comes in and serves as the giant buzz kill, noting Mina’s current disinterest in her engagement party. Seriously Lucy! Living blood that is nine years old!
Mina starts to come full circle here. She beings questioning Greyson’s reasons for helping her and Harker’s cause so intimately. It’s hard to tell where her character is going at times, but she exhibits the most potential out of any of them. The only thing about this show that lingers with me is potential story lines for her. Week after week, they tease a love connection between her and Dracula as her defining direction, but could she be destined for another fate?
Abraham Van Helsing (Thomas Kretschmann) finally develops his serum to help Dracula walk in the daylight. It works… for about three seconds until his hand begins to burst into flame. Van Helsing realizes that there is no agent to help the serum spread throughout his entire body. The solution is simple; create an agent to do so. But that’s not good enough for our vamp. He wants his heart to beat again! Is he just a megalomaniac or does Occam’s Razor just not apply to this show at times?
Lady Jayne continues to play both sides, while not knowing it. Greyson’s big plan to earn her trust begins when Greyson takes her to a fighting arena where a lady fight club is going on. For whatever reason, this makes her so randy that we’re treated to intermittent, dull sex scenes between the two as the fight is going on. If that’s not enough, after she dispatches Josef there is a really awkward bathtub scene with her and Greyson. It becomes even more strange when Greyson explains that he has insomnia and is attracted to the street she lives on. Who the hell does this guy think he is?
Has he really earned her trust? Renfield seems to think so, but I’m not totally convinced.
For once, an episode of “Dracula” ends with something on the line. Renfield is kidnapped by the Order, searching for information about Greyson. The only thing that popped into my head was: “oh crap, this won’t end well.” How far will Greyson go to save his right hand man?
“From Darkness to Light” proves that this show might not be completely dead after all. It doesn’t have a full heartbeat, like our main man Drac, but the potential is certainly eminent. The story was much easier to follow than it has been in the last three episodes, and the character development actually looks like character development! Finally, it appears that “Dracula” has laid a solid foundation on which to build upon. Hopefully, that foundation doesn’t become quicksand in the near future.
The preview of next episode looks even better; Dracula has Mina under his spell, so much so, that it looks like Greyson will go so far as to slash Harker’s throat just to be with her. At least, that’s what it looks like. It’s most likely too good to be true, but maybe not. And Renfield, oh Renfield. What will become of him? Why do I care? What is happening to me? I feel like I’m starting to like this show! No! Alas, there is always the potential for failure here. I guess we’ll see.
