“Castlevania: Nocturne” is a good continuation of “Castlevania” though it never reaches the levels of great that the first “Castlevania” was. Part of it the villains and heroes just aren’t as interesting and also the story isn’t as focused. This is still a good show though that I would recommend to any fan of the first Netflix “Castlevania” as the soundtrack, animation and action are still just as good as that first outing.
The series was created by Clive Bradley.
In 1792 France during the Revolution, Richter Belmont (Edward Bluemel) and his allies must stop the rise of a Vampire Messiah.
SPOILERS ahead
The Pros:
The Animation – DR Movie’s animation is fantastic and it is easily one of the strongest parts of the show as it compliments the music and action and flows so well. The colors are also stark and how magic is captured brings light to the darker fight sequences.
The Soundtrack – Trevor Morris and Trey Toy’s soundtrack is beautiful and captures the gothic horror of the world of “Castlevania: Nocturne” so well. Like the soundtrack of the original “Castlevania” this is one that I’ll be coming back to.
The World – Setting the world with the backdrop of revolutions was perfect as the powerful were vampires showing what exactly is being fought against in regards to the inequality and corruption. You have Vampire nobility and slavers and it fits just how evil they are and why they have to be stopped. You also have magic continued forward as we see what happened to more Sypha’s people the Speakers and in the end an old character from the past returns.
The Characters – The characters aren’t as interesting as Simon, Alucard and Sypha but are still compelling and good in their own right. You have Annette, a woman who escaped slavery and a revolutionary who uses Earth magic, Richter Belmont whose mother was killed by the Vampire Olrox and Maria Renard, a revolutionary and magician who can summon animals. This new trio is good though in Season 1 they fail in stopping the Vampire Messiah from causing a permanent eclipse as she is set to build her army to conquer the World.
Olrox – Voiced by Zahn McClarnon, Olrox is a gay Aztec Vampire who killed Richter’s mother for killing his love. He is helping the heroes against the Vampire Messiah during all the time we see him and it makes him complex as he knows the heroes want to kill him. What he wants remains to be seen but he doesn’t believe in Gods or Empires as he has seen so many rise and fall. I’m curious where his story will go in Season 2 and can’t wait for him to talk to Alucard.
Okay:
The Vampire Messiah – The Vampire Messiah Ersebet / Sekhmet is pretty simple in wishes in that she just wants world domination and to create more Vampire followers. She’s okay as she’s powerful and wins at the end of the season but doesn’t have the complexity of Olrox. She does still make a good threat to be defeated though.
The Cons:
Deus Ex Alucard – Alucard saves Annette, Maria and Richter when the Vampire Messiah’s second-in-command is hunting them. He kills her when he wasn’t set up prior at all. I like Alucard, he is one of my favorite characters in this universe, but I would have liked prior episodes to establish he was still around.
Cliffhanger Ending – The Vampire Messiah has won for the moment and our heroes escape and are rescued by Alucard. We have a clear Cliffhanger ending with Maria’s mother turned into a Vampire to save Maria and Annette’s friend Edouard turned Night Creature seeking to save the souls of other Night Creatures. There are a lot of open plot points still that will need to be resolved going forward.
The main leads just don’t have the chemistry of Alucard, Sypha and Simon but they are still good for who they are and compelling in their own ways. This is a show with a lot of potential and I hope bringing in Alucard strengthens the story from here as they have quite a few plot points that need to be resolved to defeat the Vampire Messiah. This is a good show well worth your time if you were a fan of the original Netflix “Castlevania” and I look forward to seeing where the series goes next.
“The Legend of Vox Machina” is such a fun show. I have watched parts of the Dungeons and Dragons “Critical Roll” campaign that this series is adapted from and this was adapted so well. It helps that Matthew Mercer who ran the campaigns is the showrunner and that all the voice-actors voice their characters from the campaign. Suffice to say I’d recommend this show to any Dungeons and Dragons fans. It is great.
The show was created by Matthew Mercer and based off the web series “Critical Roll.”
Set in Exandria the story follows the mercenary band of Vox Machina as they take on a mission from the Tal’Dorei Kingdom to get out of debt.
SPOILERS ahead
The Pros:
The Action – The animation is good, better than “Invincible” but isn’t amazing. The action is great though as all the casters get to use their spells and we see strategy used based on the weapons and class each character has. It is consistently great too throughout the series.
The World – This is a great world created by Matthew Mercer. You have all the gnomes, orcs, elves, half-elves, half-orcs, goliaths, giants, vampires, humans, ashari, trolls, etc. from the world of Dungeons and Dragons but the councils and mercenary groups are diverse unlike the usual elf and human dominated groups of fantasy which many Dungeons and Dragons stories are guilty of. There are also ancient threats like dragons and “The Whispering One.”
Tal’Dorei – Tal’Dorie is the kingdom where the action begins. Ruled by Sovereign Uriel Tal’Dorei voiced by Khary Payton they are facing a threat from a Dragon who we learn is a member of his council and is his general voiced by David Tennant. Vox Machina defeats the dragon and becomes protectors of Tal’Dorei getting a keep. This goes south when vampires Lord and Lady Briarwood arrive and take control of the Sovereign as Percy tries to kill them. This leads to them being freed by a guard as they seek to stop the Briarwoods. Indira Virma and Stephanie Beatriz also voice Council members which is neat.
The Briarwoods and Whitestone – The Briarwoods are the main plot after. Lady Briarwood is voiced by Grey Griffin and Lord Briarwood by Matthew Mercer. Their goal we learn is to summon “The Whispering One” an ancient undead being. They are facing a resistance though that Vox Machina joins, with Gina Torres and Dominic Monaghan voicing resistance members and Stephen Root and Rory McCann voicing Briarwood minions. Eventually Whitestone is liberated as life returns to the kingdom. The Briarwoods are a fantastic threat with Lady and Lord Briarwood remaining consistent threats throughout the season and their minions are tough too. The personal connection to Percy’s motive for revenge empowers the narrative too.
Vox Machina – Vox Machina is the wonderful outcast band who has a bear named Trinket. The memberes are the goliath barbarian Grog, the gnome bard Scanlan, the air ashari druid Keyleth, half-elf siblings Vax and Vex, the gnome cleric Pike and the human noble Percy. They have a fantastic dynamic with one another that carries the story.
Grog – Travis Willingham’s Grog is a lovable oaf. He has moments of cleverness and deep emotional intelligence but mostly likes to fight and kill. Pike is his old friend and when she leaves he offers her guidance before her return. His story ends this season with him having a cursed sword.
Scanlan – Sam Riegel’s pansexual gnome bard is hilarious. The character sleeps around with anyone and has a deep caring even though he pretends not to. He gets Grog a sandwich at point when he doesn’t have to. He is fun and usually functions as the distraction. He was also one of my favorite characters besides Percy.
Keyleth – Marisha Ray is an air ashari on a quest to become a leader for her people. Her arc involves finding confidence in her own power and in the end she is easily one of the strongest members of he party. I also like that she has a crush on both Vax and Vex.
Vax – Liam O’Brien plays the half-elf rogue and Vex’s twin brother. He is flirty and bi like Scanlan but loves Keyleth, which doesn’t work this season. He gets possessed by the Briarwoods and used against the party so needs rescuing and also has problems with doors. He is also their main way of getting weapons and potions as the shopkeeper has a crush on him. He’s fun even though he doesn’t really have an arc.
Vex – Vex is Vax’s sister and the more distrustful of the two. She does care deeply for Vox Machina and is kind of the unspoken leader as she helps characters find confidence. She’s only really mean to Keyleth because of her brother’s feelings for Keyleth but comes around to liking her too. Laura Bailey does an amazing job and I can’t wait to see where Vex’s story goes.
Pike – Pike like Keyleth and Percy has an arc this season! After Lady Briarwood breaks her holy symbol she goes on a quest to find the Goddess of her faith and in the end does as she is empowered after facing her fears. Ashley Johnson does a wonderful job and she is probably the most powerful member of the team besides Keyleth. Her friendship with Grog is one of the best parts of the show as they love drinking and fighting. Pike is also one of the wholly good characters as most of the others tend to act more rogue-like.
Percy – Taliesin Jaffe’s Percy is the closest thing to a main character this season as the Briarwoods are his story. They are the reason a demon possessed and empowers him and feeds off his revenge of the killings of Briarwoods and their minions. His arc is freeing himself from the demon’s control and finding peace again after he frees his sister from Briarwood control and helps liberate Whitestone. By the end he is able to smile again as revenge is no longer what keeps him going and Vox Machina is his found family.
The Dungeons and Dragons jokes – Puzzle doors or locked doors suck in Dungeons and Dragons and this show embraces that with the running gag of doors that don’t open or open easily depending on the situation. There are other jokes too but the doors jokes were best.
The Wider World Still to Explore – The Whispering One is probably free, we see an undead figure leave and a strange orb that absorbs people left behind, other characters have back stories we don’t know about in the show and there are other kingdoms so I can’t wait to see where the show goes next.
The Cons:
Some Humor – Some humor doesn’t work, basically when it feels too much like improv or contradicts past scenes. For example Scanlan has shown he’s a good distraction twice in show and the party doesn’t believe he can be a distraction in Whitestone. He succeeds so it struck me as pointless joking. That happens a few times where it being based off a game seeps into the show rather than being wholly adapted.
Cliffhanger Ending – 4 dragons attack (Tennant’s Blue Dragon had a symbol with 4 others in his chamber) as the Sovereign gives his power to the Council to rule. I’m glad the show got renewed because I hate cliffhanger endings.
This is a show I’d recommend to any fantasy fan, especially if you play Dungeons and Dragons. So much passion was put into this adaptation of the original “Critical Roll” campaign and I can’t wait to see the characters and world explored further. This show is great and well worth your time.
“Midnight Mass” is one of the best series of television I have seen. This horror drama does so much and explores concepts that matter like mortality, forgiveness, faith and so much more. All this while giving us beautiful writing, music and cinematography with so many compelling characters. Suffice to say I highly recommend this show.
The series was created and directed by Mike Flanagan.
Mysterious events begin befalling the small community of Crockett Island around the time Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) returns home from prison after killing someone in a drunk-driving accident as a mysterious priest named Father Hill (Hamish Linklater) has also arrived on the Island.
SPOILERS ahead
The Pros:
The Premise and Mystery – The basic mystery is enough to drive the drama forward as this stall community all know one another so when the strange events such as healings begin happening the impact is immediate.
The Soundtrack – The Newton Brothers give an amazing soundtrack that captures both the haunting eerie events and also the sorrow and moments of joy that bring the story to life. I can’t wait to listen to more of their work and to this soundtrack again.
The Cinematography – Michael Fimognari has a powerful eyes for scenes. His use of dark and light to show the Head Vampire the priest sees as “The Angel” and the transforming nature of it’s blood is captured in the darkness of scenes with candles to light the rooms. You catch how isolated characters are too and the pasts that haunt them as even their colorful rooms are portrayed as bare and washed out.
The Characters – This is an ensemble show and there are no bad performances. I’ll get into some of my favorite characters and relationships below but a shout-out to Bev Keane who is the fundamentalist using religion for power and Joe Collie the town drunk who seeks redemption in the end.
Annie and Ed Flynn – Annie and Flynn are Riley and Warren’s parents. They are deeply devoted Catholics and Annie’s forgiving nature is Riley’s first good he experiences after prison. Ed is a fisherman racked with guilt who begins healing his relationship with Riley and opening up. In the end they resist the vampiric hunger and lead the town in a hymn before they and those infected by the vampire blood who have turned turn to dust. Kristin Lehman and Henry Thomas give such good performances.
Riley Flynn – Riley is our primary POV through most of the 7 chapter miniseries and his arc involves finding purpose after prison as he re-establishes his friendship with his friend Erin and joins Father Hill’s AA. You see him grow and be honest with Erin and Father Hill until he discovers “The Angel” who drinks from him and changes him. From here he continues to live honestly and not embrace the hunger as Father Hill did, as he learns Father Hill killed Joe and drank his blood. He shows Erin the truth as he lets the sun kills him and warns her to run away. Their friendship is one of the best parts of the show and it is what makes his inspiring her to fight work.
Sheriff Hassan – Rahul Kohli’s Sheriff Hassan is a man who has been through a lot. From racism when he joined the police force to the prejudice of the town of him being a Muslim. A belief he holds from his dead wife who believed for both of them in his eyes. You can see why he is so protective of his son and his kindness to Joe and others shows he is one of the few good people in the town. Sadly he is killed by Bev as he destroys the last areas of safety for the vampires. His last act is praying towards Mecca as he dies from the gunshot wounds to his legs. Besides Father Hill he’s my favorite character.
Erin Greene – Kate Siegel is fantastic as Erin. Set to be a single mother (she has a baby on the way) who found her faith when she returned home after her abusive mom’s death and became a teacher like her mom. She is the one who helps Riley heal and is his first friend when he returns. She also leads the attack to stop the vampires and their possible spread off the island. Her last act is mortally wounding “The Angel” by cutting it’s wings as she recounts her return to cosmic dust as her belief of the afterlife as she dies.
Mildred and Sarah Gunning – Sarah gunning is one of the few people not Catholic besides Riley and the Sheriff. She believes in science and we meet her girlfriend early on. Her mother suffers from dementia but is healed by the vampire’s blood as we see them have a mother and daughter relationship again. We learn Father Pruitt (who Father Hill really is de-aged) was Sarah’s father and that Mildred’s dementia was a motive to bring “The Angel” to the island. Sarah and Pruitt speak of the regret at not getting to know each other as she is about to destroy the church before one of Bev’s men shoots her. Her parents than take her to her favorite place on the island as they die with her.
Father Hill / Pruitt – Hamish Linklater gives us the most amazing performance in this as Father Pruitt an old priest losing his mind to dementia who is made young again by an “Angel” (A winged vampire) in some ancient ruins on the road to Damascus. He is reborn as Father Hill and becomes the vampire’s Renfield, bringing it to the island. From here he uses the blood to heal the people with the blood as the communion wine. He believes it fervently and wants to infect the world with the blood because of the “gift” of eternal life and health but changes his mind after Bev releases the horde on the island and after his former lover Mildred shoots him in the head. He rethinks everything and turns against the “Angel” and Bev who has formed her own cult to spread the plague. In the end he loses his daughter who rejects the vampire blood and he makes peace with Mildred as they die as a family as the sun rises and he takes off his priest collar.
The Power in Symbolism – This is a show full of symbolism. From the rebirth of the vampires during midnight Easter Mass to the chapter titles being books of The Bible from Genesis to Revelations as the names of the books are worked into the themes of each story. The symbolism gives layers to the already strong character drama that drives the story.
The Destruction of Crockett Island and Escape – The ending is powerful with Leeza, the formally paralyzed daughter of the mayor and Warren escaping as Leeza becomes paralyzed when the “Angel” fails to reach safety from the light and the people of the island who were turned stand in community or as couples and families as they turn to dust singing a hymn that is cut off as the sun rises. It is powerfully done as we see Leeza and Warren safe on the water as the island burns.
An Exploration of Prejudice and Hate – The exploration of prejudice and hate is a major theme. From Riley being an ex-con and how he is looked down upon, to Sheriff and his son being the only Muslims on the island to Erin being pregnant and ready to be a single mom. The town in many ways is conservative and is very Catholic and the show calls out those prejudices which we see Bev weaponize at different points in the story to gain power.
Forgiveness Explored – Forgiveness is a powerful theme of the show. Leeza forgives Joe who paralyzed her. Riley’s father forgives him. Mildred forgives Father Pruitt and we see characters seeking redemption and to forgive themselves as ongoing story arcs too, especially in regards to Riley, Joe and Father Pruitt. The show is built upon characters and their relationships and forgiveness, redemption and love are shown to be the most powerful and driving forces in those relationships.
The core mystery and character relationships is used to explore so much and what flaws there are such as some monologues maybe being shorter doesn’t matter as it simply enriches and gives character to the story being told. This is an amazing story and easily the best vampire story I have watched. This is a show I can’t wait to see again as there are so many layers in the story being told. If you have Netflix and are interested in a compelling horror mystery with a deeper point you should check this show out.
“Sirius the Jaeger” is a fun vampire anime that has a lot of ideas and characters that work but fails to give the time that is needed to explore them to be fully good or great. I really enjoyed it and I do recommend it if you are looking for a fun vampire show, just know those story problems going in.
The series is directed by Masahiro Andō and written by Keigo Koyanagi.
The story follows a group of vampire hunters called Jaegers in the 1930s as they seek to uncover and stop vampires who are seeking the mysterious Ark.
SPOILERS ahead
The Pros:
The Animation – The animation in this is good and it captures character expressions, especially in expression through eyes really well. The action is also solid too because of how detailed the animation is.
The Jaegers of V Shipping Company – Our team of heroes have the comedic Fallon who is the muscle of the group, Professor Willard the leader, Philip the scout whose parents were killed by a Sirius (werewolf), Dorothea, Willard second-in-command and Yuliy who is the last Sirius and whose backstory drives the story. They have a good dynamic with Fallon and Philip clashing the most and Dorothea being the calm in the group. Willard we learn is driven by atonement as he is the one who helped the vampires by accident find the Sirius homevillage of Dogville in the vampire quest for the Ark. I wish we could have got to know Fallon more as we get good backstory on everyone else and Dorothea and Willard are mentors multiple times for characters. I also wish we’d got more vampire hunting.
Yuliy and Mikhail – Yuliy is the younger brother of Mikhail and the vampire massacre of their people are their motivations as Mikhail is turned into a vampire but fights the blood pact every chance he gets and protects his brother as Yuliy tries to protect his brother and friends too. In the end Yuliy does get the Ark and Mikhail kills the vampire who turned him, freeing himself. Together they carry on their parent’s legacy as Yuliy seeks to use the Ark’s power to make peace between vampires, humans and other beings as the legacy and pride of the New Sirius.
The Factions – You have the Sirius, the vampires and Japanese and English governments vying for the Ark and the Jaegers. The vampires are the winning faction having nearly killed of the Sirius and exploiting governments. The Jaegers are the only ones beating them as the vampires have a blood disease that is killing them all off. In the end Yuliy and the Ark may be the only chance for peace and stopping vampires from going extinct.
The Dream of Peace and the Ark – I liked the idea of Yuliy’s focus on peace as it fit Yuliy’s character. There is also a lot for work to be done and the scene with Yuliy is him having a meeting setup with the vampire elders to see if peace can happen since he has the Ark.
Okay:
Major Iba – Major Iba is interesting as a human uncovering the supernatural who is dealing with government pressure and the bigger picture. I felt his motives at the end weren’t quite clear but I liked how he built trust with Willard.
The Cons:
Pacing and Length – This show needed 4 more episodes. The backstory of the vampire villains and their motives and the characters we meet briefly like Bishop don’t have enough time to be explored. Same applies to how Fallon was never developed. This show needed the length as 12 episodes made it feel rushed for how great the stakes are.
The Villains – You have Agatha, Kershner and their boss Yevgraf and we learn nothing about why they believe what they do. The vampires in this have a cool aesthetic of goth hats and long coats with Royals who keep their human appearance and the feral slaves who have bat-like beast forms. They are always on the run from the Jaegers too and seem to be losing which is a shame as with proper motivation beyond the blood disease for survival could have been a compelling threat. They are only compelling because of turning characters into them, on their own they all end up weak and one-dimensional, which was a shame given how cool they look and how much they were explored as a faction.
Greater length, character motivations being better explored would have boosted this show to good or great. I enjoyed this show for what it was because of the main characters and their backstories and the fascinating lore of this world. If there is ever a season 2 made, I’d watch it. There is still potential and stories to be told in this universe.
We continue Vampire Weekends with my retrospective on “Castlevania” one of the few great adaptations of a story from a videogame series and one that gives us an array of different vampires and motivations. This was a show that wasn’t afraid to go deep while still embracing the fun of the characters and premise. Before I get into my thoughts on the show as whole my season reviews of the show will be posted at the end and this review will contain SPOILERS, so be warned. Before that I do highly recommend this show as the animation, action, soundtrack, characters and themes are all fantastic and it is a favorite show I look forward to rewatching again.
The series was created by Warren Ellis.
The story follows Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage) as the last Belmont he finds allies in the fight against Vlad Dracula Tepes (Graham McTavish) who seeks to destroy humanity after the Church killed his wife Lisa (Emily Swallow) for witchcraft.
SPOILERS ahead
The Pros:
The Action – The action in this is amazing with the standout battles being Trevor, Sypha and Alucard facing off against Dracula’s generals and Dracula in Season 2, Isaac against Carmilla in Season 4 and Trevor, Sypha and Alucard fighting against Death and his generals when they attempt to bring back Dracula from Hell. There are also great battle sequences through all seasons but season 2 and 4 had the best battles.
The Soundtrack – Trevor Morris created a beautiful soundtrack that captures this gothic world so well with his rendition of “Bloody Tears” being a song I keep coming back to. He captures the hopelessness that humanity is facing with all the vampires and night creatures trying to kill them but also the hope in the heroes who rise up to fight. The fight song of Trevor against Death is also notably epic.
The World – The world of “Castlevania” was compelling in the games where Dracula has won and it is you trying to stop him and is given depth here in the Church killing his scientist wife and us seeing human cruelty being a motivator for not just Vlad Tepes but also his generals Isaac and Hector who only experienced human cruelty. This adds a dimension of redemption for humanity through it all as our characters go through arcs and find a reason to be beyond hate and revenge. Also the variety of night creatures, vampires, demons and human kingdoms keeps the world compelling as they are all distinct.
Dracula’s Generals – Dracula has generals from around the world and each have a different way of being vampiric be it turning into mist, speed, super strength, etc. They also have distinct looks and personalities with standouts being Godbrand, Carmilla and Varney who have motives beyond just following Dracula’s orders. Their defeats are earned and rewarding too and usually advance a character’s growth.
The Characters – The characters make this story work and how their relationships are explored keep the show interesting even when there isn’t a major arc to the season. The character work in season 1 setup Sypha, Trevor and Alucard and season 3 explores Isaac and Carmilla’s realm. Because of this character work even the slow or setup seasons were still good or great.
Striga and Morana – Striga and Morana are two of Carmilla’s generals and also lovers. They have a compelling relationship too with Striga being the military strategist and Morana knowing supplies and number. They have a great arc too as they realize that if they go through with Carmilla’s plan of trapping all the humans in their nation they will be fighting forever so after here death they go their own way. These two vampire women’s story is one I’d like see continue.
Carmilla – Jaime Murray does a wonderful job as the vampire lord consumed by rage. All she does is to hurt the vampire lords who ignored her nation like Dracula (her betrayal of him), revenge for abuse from the vampire lord who made her and rage at the world for their nation being left with little resources. She’s charismatic and deadly and we see why she rules too as her desires shapes the world around her. In the end she only falls because she betrayed Dracula and Isaac and his night creatures get revenge on her for it as well as stopping her dreams of conquest.
Vlad and Lisa Tepes – Lisa and Vlad have a sweet relationship with her teaching him science and showing him there is more to humans than fear and hate. Sadly she is killed by the Church while Vlad is exploring the wold leading to his goal to wipe out humanity. In the end they find each other in Hell though after their child Alucard kills Vlad when he regrets what he’s become and that he is killing Alucard. Eventually they are freed by Death’s ritual and we see that Vlad has changed and no longer has his rage though he still distrusts humanity. I didn’t mind them getting a second chance at life and I hope that they end there story there though.
Death – Malcolm McDowell’s Death is hilarious. He plays an arrogant English vampire as an act and as Death speaks the same way cussing up a storm. I loved how much he just didn’t care and wanted souls. This was how to do a one-dimensional villain right as he was powerful, knew it and had plans within plans as well as being hard to kill. His reveal design is great too puling from the “Castlevania” games design as a giant skeleton.
Isaac – Adetokumoh McCormack’s Isaac was my favorite character besides Alucard on the show. Freed from slavery by Dracula he hated humanity until Dracula saved him again giving him the chance to meet people like a merchant and ship’s captain who changed his perspective. He also made friends with his night creatures and changed their role from one of destruction to rebuilding as he became a redeemer to all the souls he was pulling from Hell to make his night creatures. His arc is amazing and he even forgives Hector showing that in his journey he grew beyond hate and found a reason to live that made life more.
Alucard, Sypha and Trevor – The trio of “Castlevania” is one of the best trios in any show or film. Sypha is the one with perspective while Alucard and Trevor are quick to fight and mope. All have dimension though and I loved the Sypha and Trevor romance that developed that Armitage and Reynoso gave so much weight too as well as humor in how they played off each other. James Callis’s Alucard is my favorite character on the show besides Isaac and I like how he finds a reason to live too beyond just guarding his father’s castle from threats. They all find community in one another and the world which is fitting given how much of the world was lost over the course of the show.
Redemption and Community as Motivation – Hector, Isaac, Dracula and Alucard all find redemption in different ways by connecting to people. Isaac sees not all humanity is evil, Hector forgives himself, Dracula stops destroying and finds his wife once more and Alucard leaves his castle and sees a world worth protecting. All of them find reason to be in their own redemption and in relationship with others.
The Dangers of Revenge and Hate – Revenge and hate are shown to be self-destructive through the series as Isaac if he’d stayed to fight Sypha, Trevor and Alucard would have died as he would have been living for Dracula’s mission of hate and revenge and not himself. Carmilla like Dracula is consumed by it and the rules even apply to side characters like Taka and Sumi who die and nearly kill Alucard who had only ever been kind to them. The Church that kills Lisa is also consumed by hate as well as we see it target anything it doesn’t understand with hate which leads to Dracula destroying it and the world. This theme is established from season 1 and never stops being relevant.
Okay:
Hector and Lenore – Hector and Lenore have a toxic relationship where Lenore enslaves him to be Carmilla’s forgemaster and make night creatures for their kingdom and this is after Carmilla abused him and he betrayed his only friend Dracula…but somehow they form a functioning relationship and he bests her in the end as after Isaac sees his regret for his betrayal he does not kill him and lets him know there is more to live for. Lenore was talking about that and starting to distrust Carmilla but after Carmilla’s defeat she just chooses to die. I wanted to see where their relationship would go as they were equals by the end of the show. Still their arc was okay.
Saint Germain – Saint Germain like Dracula is used by Death to bring back Dracula believing it will bring back his wife. We never see his relationship to his wife though so it is all tell. Bill Nighy does a good job as being the arrogant alchemist but I wanted more for him to be a pro to the show.
The Cons:
Taka and Sumi – Taka and Sumi are vampire hunters who befriend and try to kill Alucard. They exist purely to show that humans and vampires still have problems with each other (they were abused by one of Dracula’s generals) and so Alucard can feel hate and be alone. This plot should have been redone as it shows us nothing we don’t learn in the Hector plot. Also we don’t get enough of either of their backstories or the state of the world Dracula left behind.
Lack of Focus in Sypha and Trevor’s Journey After Defeating Dracula – The one issue I had with Sypha and Trevor was after Dracula they just went fighting monsters around the world but never to any point. It doesn’t lead anywhere until season 4 which is a shame as season 3 should have setup the truth big bad of Death. Their story needed focus even if it was just to develop their love further.
Lack of Setup for Death – Death was the one who set Dracula’s madness in motion as he feeds of dead souls and Dracula was going to give him the greatest feast. For this reason him trying to bring Dracula back made sense but his character Varney should have appeared in season 2. He only shows up in the last season and given how core he was to the plot he needed that character work or at least hints of who he was earlier.
This is a great animated show that is well worth your time if you are looking for great action, characters, world, soundtrack and animation. There isn’t much that didn’t work about this show and it is one of the more complex portrayals of vampires I’ve seen in fiction whether they are friendly like Alucard or villains like Dracula and Carmilla. This is a major reason I wanted to write about the show as a whole for Vampire Weekend on the blog and if you are interested I hope you check this amazing show out.
As I’ve been reviewing the different parts of horror cinema I have found the vampire lore the most fascinating. With vampires you get immortal politics, tackling mortality and the reason of life and often times good action as vampire make-up is easier than werewolf. You also have an intelligent foe unlike zombies. It was in this exploration I realized I hadn’t reviewed Season 2 of “Castlevania yet. I’ve reviewed Season 1 and Season 3 but I hadn’t done Season 2 yet. I’m glad I went back to watch it again as is the best of the show and they really could have ended it here. I’ll get into the why further below.
The show was created by Warren Ellis on Netflix that is produced by Frederator Studios.
The story picks up where we left off as Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage), Sypha and Alucard seek Dracula to end his reign as politics unfold in Dracula’s Castle.
The Pros:
The Soundtrack – Trevor Morris did an amazing job on this soundtrack. It truly captures the fun of the games and battle and emotional sequences feel epic.
The Action – The action is one thing this show has always done really well and we get that here. We have unique creatures and each of the members of the Vampire Court fight in unique ways too. There isn’t just a zombie army being taken on and it adds intrigue to the actions sequences.
The World – The world is apocalyptic as you have the corrupt church at play, vampire politics and Dracula lashing out at the world with his only aim to wipe any of humanity who aren’t his Forgemasters. Season 1 we only got a little of it but 2 develops it so much more.
Dracula’s Court – Dracula’s Court is full of vampires from around the world as well as his 2 human Forgemasters. Each member of the court has a unique way of power and you can see why they were chosen. The weakest of all of them is Hector who is easily used by a member of the court to betray Dracula.
The Vampire Generals – The generals each get a moment of awesome and like the Bloodpack in Season 2 have unique designs that set them apart. You have the viking vampire Godbrand, you have Raman and Sharma two Indian vampires, Dragoslav a slavic Vampire, Zufall a German vampire, Cho a Japanese vampire and Carmilla from Astyria. You get to witness their unique fighting styles against our Trio and when they attack a town. The two factions that form are those loyal to Carmilla and those loyal to Dracula and it is here we witness the fascinating politics unfold.
Carmilla – Carmilla is ruthless and driven by what she sees as the corruption of man and the partiarchy, and she’s right. Her own master went insane until she killed him and took control of Styria and Dracula has no strategy because he is mourning a person who she thinks he only saw as a pet, given she was never turned. This provides a fascinating dynamic that ends with her forces invading the Castle until Sypha pulls it away.
Isaac – Isaac was abused growing up and hates humanity because of how they manipulate, use and lie. His only friend is Dracula and we see how deep that friendship is when Dracula saves his life hoping he makes his own path. In the end Isaac was more of a son to Alucard than Alucard in his eyes.
Trevor and Sypha – I’m putting Trevor and Sypha as one because it is the romantic relationship and opening up to each other that really defines this season. We see how they are both broken and how tied they are to their families. This leads to them resolving to adventure together after Dracula is defeated.
Dracula – Dracula’s war came from rage and besides his rage all he has is his hate and sorrow. This leads to us seeing his fascinating conversations in the recruitment of his Forgemasters and defines his final choices. His last acts were to save Isaac and to let his son kill him as he realized what killing his son was doing to him. It is powerfully done and Episode 7 is easily one of the best episodes of the show. Graham McTavish does an amazing job inhabiting this character with threat and also empathy.
Alucard – Alucard finally completes his arc and defeats his father, he also finds friendship with Sypha and Trevor only to lose it again. In this way we see him back in the loneliness he’s always known as he safeguards the Belmont and Tepes legacy alone. Alucard is the tragic hero and James Callis captures it beautifully.
The Cons:
Early Episode Writing – Early episode was a bit to “tell” rather than “show” and had some jokes fall flat between Sypha and Trevor. When we weren’t in Dracula’s Castle it felt like the writers were trying too hard in the first 2 episodes. Luckily, it did get better.
The Danger of an Open Ended Story – Dracula’s arc feels complete as he found his soul again and Trevor, Sypha and Alucard all had arcs where they grew in finding a higher purpose or learning about themselves. The story could have ended and I really hope they don’t ruin this story by keeping it going too long as it could have ended here.
“Castlevania” is a show I’d recommend to any fan of the games, action anime, vampire dramas or fantasy shows. This show captures all of these things and does it so well. I’m glad it got continued after that first initial small season as it has only grown from the great start it already was.
Final Score: 9.5 / 10 This season was great and I really hope we can see this level of storytelling in future stories since the story continues.
Moffat and Gatiss have a pretty mixed record when it comes to ending shows. “Sherlock” went from one of my favorite shows to having one of the worst endings of any show I have watched. Moffat also was this way in how he handled Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor’s run and the show “Jekyll.” Thankfully this time though the show doesn’t stick to landing it is overall a stronger story than the ones I have mentioned above. It never reaches the greatest episodes of “Sherlock” or “Doctor Who” but it doesn’t have to and I’ll get into what works and doesn’t work within each individual episode. Overall I’d say if you are a fan of “Dracula” the first 2 episodes are at the very least worth checking out.
As stated above, this was a Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat project.
The premise is a modern adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic Novel told over the course of 3 episodes.
SPOILERS ahead
1 – The Rules of the Beast
“The Rules of the Beast” is easily the most straightforward adaptation of the Novel, with the biggest change being Van Helsing being a Nun, Sister Agatha Van Helsing. Her role is still the same though as the story starts with a undead looking Jonathan Harker who she is trying to learn about Dracula from in order to find his weaknesses. Things escalate when Dracula shows up and threatens the Nunnery and after the reveal of Jonathan’s fiancé Mina we see he has been made Dracula’s creature and tries to kill himself. He doesn’t succeed and it is the weakpoint in Van Helsing’s defenses as Harker invites Dracula in, in order to die. It is only through Van Helsing’s bravery that Mina is saved and the story ends with Dracula taking Van Helsing hostage.
There was a lot that worked about this episode as we Dracula become bats and wolves and seek a victory through fear. We also see when he was dying and how he twisted Jonathan into the near dead form he is as Jonathan’s strength is now his. This story overall worked and was nearly great, here is what didn’t work. The cinematography at Dracula’s castle and the Nunnery are also fantastic.
Jonathan had no free will in the end. In the end he stopped fighting and was willing to forsake all the innocents just so he could die. This didn’t fit the man we had met who was willing to die to protect Mina. The role of the brides didn’t make much sense either. We get hints at who they were before, but it is never explored which wasted a way the story could have gone in a different direction and added depth to characters who are usually just minions of Dracula.
Final Score: 8.5 / 10 Little more than solidly good. Enough of the story works, even with the cons.
2 – Blood Vessel
“Blood Vessel” involves Dracula traveling to England with Sister Agatha Van Helsing in tow. The story is framed as him telling her the setup of everyone on the vessel and their relationships. The mystery is good as the situation is almost like “Alien” as the crew must battle against this unknown supernatural terror, with the only one that can help them, locked up by the very thing they are fighting.
We meet a lot of fascinating characters on the ship and seeing how they deal with the terror as people end up dead and how prejudices interplay among them makes for some great drama. This was all largely solid as was the fear factor in regards to Dracula and how the ship is shot.
What doesn’t work is that it starts out really slow. This was an episode I had to go back to because many of the characters Dracula frames in the narrative initially just aren’t interesting. It is the already established members of the crew who really make the drama work and I wanted more of that. The fact that Sister Agatha isn’t an active factor for a while either also hurt the narrative as her interplay off Dracula in episode 1 was one of the strongest parts.
Final Score: 8 / 10 This was a solidly good horror story.
3 – The Dark Compass
In “The Dark Compass” we jump into the future where Dracula is captured by Dr. Zoe Van Helsing and her organization that was founded by Mina and Van Helsing’s relatives in honor of Jonathan Harker. Dracula soon gains his freedom though when his lawyer Renfield arrives on the scene.
Dracula in the modern day world is such a cool idea. He is seeing all this technology that is beyond his imagination and he has all the wealth that has been growing since he’s been gone. Fighting Dracula with science rather than religion is also a really cool idea too. Sadly these are the only compliments I can give it.
It is in modern day we meet our Lucy who is a party girl who Dracula decides to make his bride. They have a cool conversation about immortality but that is the only compliment I can give. Her ex Dr. Seward is a creep and stalker and is made out to be a hero and in the end Dracula decides he will die because it is the one thing he can’t defeat and I guess he loves Van Helsing? It is a mess and hurts the strong first 2 episodes.
Final Score: 6.5 / 10 The setup was great but Van Helsing and Dracula are the only real characters this episode and the premise of Dracula in modern day is completely wasted.
“Dracula” was an extremely flawed show and like Moffat and Gatiss’s other projects, it does not stick to landing. Overall it is stronger though because it never gets as bad as those, and since we only have one season they aren’t given the chance to make things worse. If you are a fan of “Dracula” I’d at least recommend the first 2 episodes but you can skip the third. I’d only recommend the third episode if you are completionist.
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