Dracula: Come to Die…Let Us Help You!

Hello my fellow vampire fans, I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did?

There was a lot going on in this exciting episode directed by the talented Brian Kelly!

Things in Dracula are getting closer to the edge, Lady Jayne is getting closer to finding out who she really seeks. The stakes (sorry for the pun) are high and if they are not careful things can unravel quickly.

The season finale looks amazing. I cannot wait for the final battle, it looks just epic. I have a feeling it will definitely be worth the wait. It almost seems like it would be a heavyweight bout, Grayson & Lady Jayne going head to head until only one of them is left standing. I for one am anxious to see the final crescendo.

Now…on to my review. I want to remind you, my dear readers, that I don’t review scene by scene, just the ones I feel are significant to the episode.

Come to Die:

I do like the opening scene, I like that it once again establishes why Grayson denounced God and turned against the Order of the Dragon. Why he chose that life of darkness and pain.

I recently read a small article on twitter where Dracula fans were confused about why he turned into a vampire. I had to scratch my head, because the folklore has been known for centuries. If they had read any accounts be it fiction or not they would know that. But I digress…

I do love very much that Renfield (Nonso Anozie) is always the voice of reason for Grayson, his Jiminy Cricket in a way. He tries to make sure that his master does not do anything that would jeopardize their mission.

Renfield’s loyalty runs deep, he is not treated shabbily by Grayson, on the contrary. This Renfield is a bit more included in the story than the book, he isn’t crazy or delusional, but just as cunning and smart (maybe smarter) than Grayson. Renfield gives Grayson an ultimatum, take her (Mina) or walk away. Grayson painfully points out that neither is a viable option, so he must wait…

Mina’s father (Anthony Calf) asks her a legit question about Grayson, why is he almost more important than everyone else? Why is he better than Jonathan? Mina’s answer reminds me of reincarnation and karma. The legend of Dracula (depending in which one you follow) says that Dracula is very charismatic and sensual, and irresistible to woman.

Now I can definitely see that with Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Gary Oldman and Frank Langella (in his day) but not with Max Schreck. He was one of the most hideous looking creatures, but it made sense. Mina’s efforts to thwart Grayson are almost futile, he does have a power over her and we will soon find out how much.

Lady Jayne (Victoria Smurfit) seems to be in quandary. She thought that she killed the elder vampire, but low and behold there is another. Another that stands in the way, another that is powerful beyond belief, another that will surely be her undoing, in more ways than one. It will be interesting to see her reaction when she finds out that she was sleeping with the very man she seeks. That must be more than she can bare.

It is almost like Japanese samurai who were disgraced, they have to perform Hari kiri. I have a feeling that Jayne will have her own version of that or Browning will exact his version. I love that Jayne goes on the hunt again, she is desperate to find the one, but I fear that she may get sloppy as a result.

When Jonathan (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) confronts Mina (Jessica DeGouw) about what Grayson did, he is ashamed. Ashamed that he was used and made to look like a fool. Mina, of course, doesn’t believe Jonathan and tries to dissuade him, but alas, the truth is on his side. Tells her to stay away from Grayson, which of course won’t be easy for Mina since she said herself that he has some sort of hold over her.

Lucy, Lucy, Lucy (Katie McGrath) you naughty girl. You are a walking cliché of hell hath no fury. Her seduction of Jonathan is well played albeit a bit diabolical because of the end result. It is unfortunate that she has to stoop to a level of pettiness when it comes to her feelings for Mina.

Does she really think that once Mina finds out that she will forgive you? Not a chance my dear, not a snowballs chance in heck. She asks Jonathan for a kiss to metaphorically bury the hatchet, “do not deny me this consolation, a small crumb to ease the pain…” I about lost my lunch, but that was the point, it was written beautifully by Harley Peyton to be just that, one of those scenes where you roll your eyes and just shake your head.

Cohen-Jackson is great in this scene. He is mortified when he finds out the “reason” for Lucy’s attentions, he feels nothing but friendship and brotherly love for her. His awkwardness is played very well, especially at the end when Lucy takes the kiss too far. He runs out of there, completely disgusted that he agreed to give her a parting kiss. He also feels like he has betrayed Mina, and that is a sin he cannot forgive himself. Of course as the episode progresses it seems that Jonathan has had a change of heart.

Renfield, you should know better than to question your boss, if he wants blood, give him blood. Again, this scene shows what a calming force Renfield is to Grayson and has been throughout this series. “She makes you hate the one thing you are” Renfield reminds Grayson, a brutal reminder nonetheless, but sometimes the truth hurts.

Again Renfield tells him he needs to make a decision regarding Mina, no doubt it will be a heavy choice that Grayson has to make. He cannot have his revenge on The Order and Mina, one has to be sacrificed.

When Jonathan confronts Mina about her relationship with Grayson, Lucy’s plan is coming to fruition. It is unfortunate that it has come to this, that the trust and loyalty has been destroyed. The sad thing is that as much as Jonathan is in love with Mina, his insecurities are becoming more and more apparent as Lucy manipulates the situation in her favor. Jonathan though is also not blind to the fact that he does see how Grayson is around Mina, how he looks at her and speaks to her.

Van Helsing’s vision isn’t blurred like Grayson’s, he still has his clear agenda and Browning (Ben Miles) is at the top of his list. I am going to be pleased when Browning finally meets his fate, I have a feeling it will be quite gruesome, after all karma can be a bitch. It is clever if a bit cruel what Van Helsing (Thomas Kretschmann) does, but then he took Van Helsing’s children from him, it would make sense (in his twisted mind) to do the same. It seems like Browning thinks of himself invincible, untouchable, cocky and very arrogant. We all know what happens to people like that…the word comeuppance comes to mind.

 
The next scene with Mina being attacked is brutal, but also what I have been waiting for. It shows the raw power, evil and strength Dracula has to inflict the kind of pain that only psychopaths enact. I know that we have seen Dracula kill before, but to this extent is unlike I have seen in a very long time.

It is the one thing that makes the story mesh with the legend. The lack of it in stories like Twilight and such make me very angry (among a slew of other things that I will not go into). It shows Dracula being Dracula, what he became, what he is fighting against and what will ultimately give him peace (a twisted, warped sense of peace) in his defeat of The Order.

I feel bad for Mina, poor thing was terrified, but luckily she was so out of it that she can just write off what she saw as a hallucination. The minions that Davenport (Robert Bathurst) employed sealed their fate the second they attacked Mina.

Silly boys, don’t you know if you mess with the vampire you will get the fangs? They don’t call him Vlad the Impaler for kicks, ya know!

When Jonathan finds out that Davenport is behind Mina’s attack his rage is evident and justified. Cohen-Jackson conveys this beautifully, his eyes being ever expressive of the pain he is feeling, the rage, the anger and the revenge.

Unfortunately he isn’t thinking straight, his emotions get the best of him and instead of staying with Mina, who clearly needs him, he goes on the attack, with dire consequences. The sad thing is that Jonathan is in such a state of confusion and distress that he is very susceptible to coercion and suggestive ideas that are not his. I know that Davenport is only trying to buy some time, but he is also right, to a degree.

What comes next for Jonathan will surely be his demise, at least it is meant to look like that. The pain that he is in unfortunately won’t be quelled by his one act of betrayal. Ironically, what he thinks and has been told about what is going on between Mina and Grayson has yet to happen. I feel bad for both Jonathan and Lucy, they are both victims of someone else’s agenda.

Well, well, well Browning, now you know what it feels like, eh? It is kind of nice to see him get a little of what he deserves, a taste of his own medicine I suppose. As I mentioned earlier, I have a feeling that he will soon be the victim of his own karma. I do feel bad for his wife, her only crime is being married to a man who I suspect she has no idea is secretly a monster.

What happens between Lucy and Jonathan is wrong, just plain wrong. I know that he is in pain, but this is no way to handle it. Lucy is at least enjoying herself, at least it looks like it. I feel bad because there is no going back, once the wheels are in motion…regret can be a powerful thing and I know these two will have a lot of that in the morning.

The last scene with Grayson and Mina is a good one. He has finally unburdened himself from his metaphoric shackles.

It is a little bit of a weight lifted off of him, finally.

It is nice to hear him confess how she makes him feel, how she has made him want to be a better man and live the life he longed to live. It was a very sweet scene, I enjoyed how Jonathan played it quietly in his actions.

With Davenport out of the picture, the Order is slowly dwindling down to the last remaining member. The ending scene of Grayson remembering what happened to his wife, just fuels his fire (sorry for the pun).

He will not stop until his bloodlust is complete and neither will Van Helsing. Especially with the shocking reveal that Jonathan was indeed a pawn this whole time.

Well, my friends, another great episode down. I hope you stay tuned for the penultimate episodes to come. I for one cannot wait.

Thank you for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. And thanks to Kenn for video embedding and additional images for my review. I will be back over the coming weeks with more on our series review sites for Dracula and next June for Defiance!

Please feel free to leave a comment here or If you prefer, you may also click the social media icons below to share this news article or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit the WHR on Facebook or me on Twitter by clicking the links or images avatars in this news story. See You on The Other Side“!

Until next time,

Sincere regards,

Lori