Season 1: No Cast Member Is Safe -- Except Maybe the Title Character

[Philbert]

This was really the first episode that actually impressed me. The show's been slow getting started but I think we might be getting some character and plot development during this phase of the show. The first four episodes? Meh.

[SimoneS]

I think that the deaf guy is the one who has been killing people and taking their fingers. I think he might have lied about reading their lips.

Axel was crazy butchery, but they had it coming.

I don't get Vanessa's power.

[AlliMo]

I don't have a single shred of sympathy for the Other Group. The Originals took them in and were willing to share what limited resources they had, and they immediately turned on them. They brought it on themselves, though I do feel for the little girl. The only mistake I think that they made was not booting John out with them. He had a lot of nerve even bucking Alex at all considering that he was the reason they were in the situation in the first place.

[CooperTV]

Quote

The hospital's residents, led by Vanessa and Axel, take one last stand against Julius and his vampire soldiers. Meanwhile, a civil war seems to be brewing between Dmitri's Death Squad and the other faction of bloodsuckers.

ETA. Promo:

 

Edited October 22, 2016 by CooperTV

[AnnaMayWong]

I agree with the sentiments expressed about the New Group getting the Axel Beat-Down Boot. They were thankless and exceedingly annoying so, "too bad [not]so sad".

I WANT to like the show --I just WANT the program to expand and deepen the characterizations and matters of plot.  

[wayne67]

I really want John to go off and die in a fire, he's been terrible ever since he showed up and has added nothing since, hopefully he's the killer and Axel will chop off his head and we can be done with his woe is me attitude.

Other Group was lame and deserved to be kicked out, they probably wasted about a years worth of food with their double bowls of soup. 

[ZoqFotPik]

On 10/21/2016 at 8:52 PM, SimoneS said:

I think that the deaf guy is the one who has been killing people and taking their fingers. I think he might have lied about reading their lips.

I totally thought it was Blonde Girl, but after this episode, I don't know. On one hand, Brendan seemed like he was telling the truth about not executing them. He was talking about separating Axel from the others, which seems to imply that he wasn't going to kill them. On the other, he may have been saying whatever he thought he needed to save the lives of his group. Also, in the previous episodes Deaf Guy said he couldn't read lips when they were whispering. I'm now 50/50 Blonde Girl/Deaf Guy.

I do have a modicum of sympathy for their group. They only really turned on the Hospital group after one of theirs was murdered. I thought Brendan did have a point about Axel hiding the fact that there is a murder in the hospital from them. While I thought Axel's attack was a well shot scene, I do agree with some of the hospital group that he may have gone a tad overboard. It looked like there were a few instances of him killing people who were not attacking or posing any kind of immediate threat to him. The Asian Guy With Glasses for example. Either way, I won't be surprised if they turn up again.

I really think that Mohamad's Sister's plot could have been held until later episodes. Other than learning the name of the, I assume, leader of the Human Resistance, it seems rather pointless.

Edited October 23, 2016 by ZoqFotPik

[SimoneS]

51 minutes ago, ZoqFotPik said:

I do have a modicum of sympathy for their group. They only really turned on the Hospital group after one of theirs was murdered. I thought Brendan did have a point about Axel hiding the fact that there is a murder in the hospital from them. While I thought Axel's attack was a well shot scene, I do agree with some of the hospital group that he may have gone a tad overboard. There looked like there were a few instances of him killing people who were not attacking or posing any kind of immediate threat to him. The Asian Guy With Glasses for example. Either way, I won't be surprised if they turn up again.

I do think that the new group was right to be furious, but they should have never locked up Axel's group. They should have been more vigilant and set up watches. There were more of them so it would have been easy to prevent future murders.

Axel was brutal. I think that he was angry and took it out on them. Now that I think about some more I don't think that they shouldn't have banished them. Surely, they could have cleared out another floor in the hospital and stay apart from each other until they caught the murderer. I don't think we are seeing them again. it feels like they are transitioning to the story with Mohammed's sister.

John really is a pain in the ass. Axel should have sent him off with them, but I guess the character is there to continually cause drama.

[Black Knight]

Like others, I also think the deaf guy deliberately lied about the other group planning to execute them all. I don't think he's the original murderer, though; I think this lie was because the other group sent Mohammad away.

I do have a lot of sympathy for the other group's actions. Just think about it from their POV: You enter this strange new place. Most people you meet seem nice at first, and helpful enough. But then you see one of your own people murdered, and the leader and doctor of the other group try to keep from you that your person was murdered, which is shady as hell. You only find out because one person from the other group sees fit to tell you, and you also learn that your person wasn't even the first victim. That person then approaches you later and tells you that his group can't be trusted, they're killers, etc. If this show had been shot from the other group's POV, and didn't show us anything of the original group's POV, I highly doubt there's a single viewer who would say that the other group was wrong to lock up the original group. Shady leader. Shady doctor. Serial killer running about.

That's actually what I found really well-done about this conflict: Neither group was wrong. Both groups' actions made sense on the information that they had. I don't fault Axel for killing as many people as he did, because of what the deaf man had told him. He was badly outnumbered and he simply couldn't risk sparing more lives. It wasn't his plan, either; it was Vanessa's plan, she described it as setting up a "rat trap," so she knew that a lot of people would die. But Vanessa had had the same lie passed on to her by the doctor, so I understand Vanessa's ruthlessness, especially since she's been gone and had very little idea of what was going on.

This wasn't nearly as simple as Good Guys vs. Bad Guys. Apart from the serial killer (who I hope is John, because I can't stand him), I just see a lot of decent people who acted justifiably based on the information they had, and unfortunately that put the two groups in opposing camps. I'm not even faulting the deaf man yet, even though I think he lied and got a lot of people killed through his lie, because we don't know exactly what his motive was yet. If it was straight vengeance for Mohammad's banishment, that's one thing - and yet I'm still hesitant to judge, as I would need to know more about his relationship with Mohammad first, because he was really emotionally dependent on Mohammad - but if he felt that they were all going to eventually end up banished like Mohammad was, he may simply have viewed his lie as a sped-up version of the truth.

I was convinced Susan would end up being killed in the tunnels, as she had told Vanessa what she knew about Dylan, thus seeming to fulfill her function. I'm glad she wasn't, and I hope the show keeps the character around. She's what the Vanessa character needs, someone right here she really cares about and has a relationship with, so that she's not just this show's version of Lost's Michael's "WAAAAAAAAAAALT!" Of course I get why parents on TV with missing children care about finding their missing children, but it does tend to reduce them to one-note characters, which doesn't make for interesting watching.

(Plus, I admit I'm always here for a little f/f slash, and the ways Vanessa touches Susan feeds that nicely - the hand on her chest in this episode in particular (which ended up dragged across her breast) raised my eyebrows because that's highly unusual for platonic female friends. Outside of performing CPR or looking at a necklace, that's just not an area where hands go. Assuming it's not deliberate in order to set up a romance - which I wouldn't hate because I'd rather see anything other than an oh-so-predictable Vanessa/Axel pairing - Kelly Overton is certainly comfortable with the actress playing Susan. As for Axel, if he has to be paired with someone I'd like to see him with the doctor.)

[bluvelvet]

This show seems to be all over the place, there is no clear cut direction and multiple stories at the same time. I still feel that they haven't really established this world and the layers to it. 6 episodes in and we haven't really gone anywhere.

As for the second group, I do believe they were going to kill all of group 1. The leader told Axel in that mini beat down that they had already taken over the place for "good", so I don't see how letting out group #1 fits in with that view. Also they sent Mohammed to his death knowing that he was lying, and if they really think he was the killer why did they keep group #2 still locked up when they already got the killer.  Killer may be Deaf guy but he confessed last week and no one believed him.  The obvious choice is blonde girl or John but maybe it's Axel or the doctor? However if I remember correctly the doctor was still a vampire when the first kill occurred.

I don't think Axel should have kept the truth to himself about the killer when group #2 arrived but that still doesn't excuse locking them up, not paying attention about rationing the food, sending an obviously innocent Mohammed to his death, beating up Axel to find out about the booby traps and that girl trying to stab Axel with the spear. 

Axel did go overboard with the killing but they had to send them away, the cannot co-exist in the same space and there was conflict from the beginning. It's a pity about the little girl though, but we will see them again. 

Edited October 24, 2016 by bluvelvet
Grammer

[AlliMo]

I feel like the Others intended on taking over from the very beginning. Axel and his group had clearly set up a system that had kept them safe and relatively healthy from the beginning. These idiots come in, complain about the rules, immediately plot to take over, and then set about wasting resources and heedlessly wandering paying no attention to their surroundings. It almost makes me suspect that they were possibly "pets" of the vampires who were purposely sent in as a Trojan horse, because they couldn't possibly have survived on their own out there for that long with such a profound lack of sense or survival skills.

[TimetoShine]

There's not much more that I can add but I agree with many of the sentiments in this thread. However, I do have to say that when what's his face asked for a 2nd bowl of soup, I was ready to kick his asp my self. Group 2 has to know what it's like to be without, to waste food in such a way really ticked me off. Who were they planning on sending out to get more food once they ran out within a week? 

[SimoneS]

On Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 0:38 PM, Black Knight said:

Assuming it's not deliberate in order to set up a romance - which I wouldn't hate because I'd rather see anything other than an oh-so-predictable Vanessa/Axel pairing - Kelly Overton is certainly comfortable with the actress playing Susan. As for Axel, if he has to be paired with someone I'd like to see him with the doctor.)

I didn't catch any attraction between Vanessa and Susan and I definitely think that an Axel/Vanessa pairing is In the works. Like you, I would prefer Axel with the doctor. They feel more real and seem to have na intense connection. Having Axel be attracted to her is a much better explanation for why he did not kill her and kept feeding her than the one the show has given. 

Edited October 26, 2016 by SimoneS

[CabotCove]

The other group was so boring and slowed down the show, glad they are gone.

Susan is a nice addition

Oh shit that ending, whats up with the Good Doctor.

 

Quote

As for Axel, if he has to be paired with someone I'd like to see him with the doctor.)

Yup they have a nice chemistry.

Edited October 25, 2016 by HeroLeague

[SimoneS]

I thought this was the best episode so far. The doctor and John saving Vanessa. Axel coming through with a back up plan. Too bad Mohammed got left behind. Hopefully, he catches up with them soon. I am looking forward to seeing them outside the city in the daylight.

I noticed that Axel put his hand on the doctor's shoulder twice and talked about the both of them making it. She definitely reacted to his touch. Maybe I was wrong about them not going there, then again maybe it is platonic.

Farewell, Julie. She was annoying, but less so than John. 

Does anyone have a clue why that female vampire is keeping that girl alive and safe? Is she toying with her or does she view her as a daughter?

Edited October 29, 2016 by SimoneS

[AlliMo]

There are a lot of things I like about this show, but it may be the first time I ever give up on a show solely because it's so damned poorly lit that I can't tell what's going on half the time.

Why, why is John of all people still alive. He's nothing but a drag. Once again, Axel shows us why he's HBIC.

Edited October 29, 2016 by AlliMo

[CooperTV]

Quote

Axel leads the surviving members of the group to his old military base, which he hopes to use for shelter, but arrives to find it abandoned and in disrepair. In need of a safe refuge with vampires closing in all around them, the decision is made to go underground. Meanwhile, Mohamad navigates hostile territory while trying to catch up to Vanessa.

 

[SimoneS]

6 hours ago, AlliMo said:

There are a lot of things I like about this show, but it may be the first time I ever give up on a show solely because it's so damned poorly lit that I can't tell what's going on half the time.

From the previews, it does seem like they were be outdoors for some of next week's episode. I don't know how long that will last though.

[SimoneS]

On 10/16/2016 at 5:51 AM, CooperTV said:

Van Helsing Renewed For Season 2

I am surprised. I didn't think that the ratings were that great.

[CooperTV]

Axel was the freaking best this episode. He also has the patient of the saint, especially with this little whiny jerk John, who should have been killed in the first episode. What a waste of space. Susan is better suited for the role of sassing Axel up (if the writers wanted for Axel to have someone to be at odds with) than John, because Susan is also a badass.

The Doc is so restraint that I can't quite figure out what she's feeling or why she feels uncomfortable about Axel being all hands-on with her. If they're aiming at subtle, they're missing the mark so far. They should have made some reveal of her inner life in her scenes with John when they were treating Vanessa. It'd be made more sense.

Edited October 29, 2016 by CooperTV

[SimoneS]

I remember last week that the doctor licked Vanessa's blood which made me think that she is afraid that she might be vampire-like. It could be the reason that she was apprehensive when Axel touching her. The show does needs to give more info about what is going on with her.

[kryss]

Axel keeps thanking the doctor for trying to save Smithy (?).  I'm pretty sure she tried to slam the door on that soldier despite him shouting to come in, she wasn't trying to save him at all.  I'm guessing that's why she's weird with Axel, out of guilt.

I think the doctor is still a wild card.  She had a lot of self pity when Fletch tried to connect with her a few episodes ago over both of them having been turned back.  When Fletch said she was lucky that she hadn't killed etc, she was angry and indignant because she had been caged up (though not executed, and was regularly supplied with fresh blood from Axel's arm, but moving right along....).  Fletch relayed his story of returning home and slaughtering his family to illustrate his point, and her response was disgust and still to hold human him responsible.  Maybe she is tasting blood because she is wondering what its truly like to be a vampire?  Or maybe I'm just reading too much into things :P .

[TimetoShine]

This was a great episode. Right before it started I was thinking that they really needed to do something because, while I've enjoyed the show enough to keep watching, it wasn't really entertaining me. Then we get this episode and I'm starting to feel like the story has a point to it. Yes, they took the majority of the season to get to the point but here we are.

I also think that Axel is the best part of the show. He is worth watching 100% of the time. Excited for #8.

[SimoneS]

4 hours ago, kryss said:

Axel keeps thanking the doctor for trying to save Smithy (?).  I'm pretty sure she tried to slam the door on that soldier despite him shouting to come in, she wasn't trying to save him at all.  I'm guessing that's why she's weird with Axel, out of guilt.

I can barely remember what happened in those scenes, but that guilt would explain the doctor's reaction to Axel.  

[ZoqFotPik]

So Brendan's group got attacked shortly after getting kicked out and the girl and at least one guy got separated from the rest. It might not this season, but I still think Brendan will show up again. We also saw what may have been the human resistance engaged in a firefight. They seem to be reasonably well equipped, they fired at least one rocket. Unless they drop that plot line, I guess Blonde Girl wasn't the murderer. While the show has some issues, I have been enjoying it. I do hope that now that we have left the hospital, we start getting more of a sense of what is going on elsewhere in the world.

[CabotCove]

Awesome episode, cant wait for next week.

John is the weakest link, they need to get Mohamed back.

[Philbert]

On 10/28/2016 at 11:24 PM, SimoneS said:

I thought this was the best episode so far. The doctor and John saving Vanessa. Axel coming through with a back up plan. Too bad Mohammed got left behind. Hopefully, he catches up with them soon. I am looking forward to seeing them outside the city in the daylight.

 I agree with this. The show's been slowly growing on me the last three episodes or so but this one was very engrossing. I do agree with some here though that Vanessa is the least interesting character on this show. Axel, on the other hand-two weeks in a row of total bad ass.

[SimoneS]

So John was not just an asshole, he was a rapist too. Good riddance. I am not convinced that he was the one killing people and cutting off their fingers. I remain suspicious of the deaf guy. He went to get John's bag, he could have planted the finger.

Vanessa was cold not even comforting her crying friend. How can Vanessa do all these things like throw the knife? Was she in the military or is it her special blood?

Mohammed was clever hiding in a tree. I hope that he reunites with the others soon.

[ZoqFotPik]

5 hours ago, SimoneS said:

So John was not just an asshole, he was a rapist too.

I thought this was the first episode that he wasn't a complete asshole and he had try and rape Nicole. I was actually expecting them to open the door they were leaning against and have something bad happen. The door was covered in warnings.

5 hours ago, SimoneS said:

I remain suspicious of the deaf guy. He went to get John's bag, he could have planted the finger.

Agreed. I'm now 100% he's the killer.

5 hours ago, SimoneS said:

Was she in the military or is it her special blood?

I doubt she was military. They didn't seem to know who she was before they arrived at the hospital. I'm guessing blood. It's pretty standard for these types of shows.

I kind of like the new guy. I was expecting him to die when he went off on his own while everyone in the exam room. I'm glad they didn't do the cliche every takes cover from the bomb, it doesn't go off, everybody comes out, then it goes off. Also, I find it very refreshing that apparently no one is safe on this show. Finally, I have to make the standard gasoline would have gone bad by now comment.

[CooperTV]

Quote

 

The group is trapped inside an underground lab for military experiments, and Vanessa discovers that Axel has been hiding a secret about her past; Mohamad befriends a girl who doesn't fear vampires; Rebecca makes a calculated play.

 

 

 

Promo pictures

[CooperTV]

John was killed two episodes too late. I don't even care he isn't a real killer or that in Random Characterization o'Random he's suddenly a wannabe rapist. Bye, John, you won't be missed because you were whiny useless idiot!

Doc continues to not make any sense, and I don't think the writers are all that interested in exploring her reluctance in any deapth. Until the next time they will want some Random Characterization o'Random to be brought into the light (like Susan being helpless rape victim this episode when in her first hospital episode she slammed a dude twice her size with a pan). I'm hoping Doc's so awkward with Axel because she's overcome with desire every time he's being nice to her but it's probably because she knows some dark secret about him and his mission or whatever. *bored*

The New Guy is crazy and likes to blow up stuff, he and Axel should be friends based on that. Also, Axel being snarky and put upon by everything is a thing of beauty.

[AnnaMayWong]

Thank ye, thank ye, John has been Van Helsing-ed.  Finally! I was sooo tired of his whining, backstabbing, and general dangerous douchery. Now, purty please, Show, some interesting backstory and character development.

[wayne67]

I'm so glad John is dead even though he's definitely not the killer. On the downside I'm finding the lack of progression with either interesting backstory or plot tiresome. 

Vanessa and her random super powers is random and generally unfulfilling.

[CabotCove]

[LocimusPrime]

Good lord this is the dumbest post apocalyptic survival team - only rivaling that family in aftermath in sheer dumbness 

 

• axel is is the only capable and sound character 
• they go into the base searching in groups of two. One is armed the other doesn't have anything. Not even a knife or hammer.  The doc and van helsing- doc was unarmed. The dude and the blonde girl - dude was unarmed. 
• Shortly after finding the survivor in the garage, helsing and the doc want to split up into little groups and go different ways! Huh? Omg huh X 10000000
• Axel makes a great point, they are on the ground floor with 4 entrances and 100 Windows - the place is u defendable. 
• With all the melee weapons and guns everywhere, why not grab a couple of extra? 

[CooperTV]

Quote

 

Vanessa and the group are left reeling from the dire events of "The Farm" when they come upon a band of humans who have brokered a peace with the vampires. But not all is well with their leader, who seems to be hiding a terrible secret; at the same time, the serial killer's identity is revealed

 

 

[CabotCove]

Oh shit, what an episode.

I cant believe no one has written here yet, where have all peeps gone

Axel, so painful, I guess it had to happen so Van could emerge as the leader and hero of show

Susan/Van, so did not think they were going there, they did?yay.

Mohamed and new girl were cute for a hot minute, then she became stupid

So long new bland guy, Doc did you do? Ship sank

GIVE ME MORE EPISODES!!!

Edited November 12, 2016 by HeroLeague

[diebartdie]

I dont think that's the last we'll see of dear Axel! Remember your tv trope, if you dont see the body being burned in a funeral pyre, the person will come back. Im getting quite sick of the Doc, she needs to quit being so squirrely. How does Mohammad not realize forest girl is a vampire quisling? I like this show.

[SimoneS]

Just as I got my hopes up about Axel and the Doctor, she helps do him in. Between the vampire bite and radiation, Axel would be a hot mess so I hope that he really is dead. 

@Black Knight nailed it about Vanessa and Susan. Although Vanessa seemed to shrugging off any romantic relationship with Susan.

So Vanessa is military test subject. She is probably part vampire which explains a lot.

I always thought that Mohammad smarter than that. He was probably distracted by his little head.

The resistance guy really is a dolt killing his comrade.

Edited November 13, 2016 by SimoneS

[ZoqFotPik]

4 hours ago, diebartdie said:

I dont think that's the last we'll see of dear Axel! Remember your tv trope, if you dont see the body being burned in a funeral pyre, the person will come back

Yeah, since everything about Vanessa seems to have started at the farm I doubt this is the last we've seen of it or Axel.

3 hours ago, SimoneS said:

The resistance guy really is a dolt killing his comrade.

Agreed. Two prisoners return at the same time, one the bad guys make a big show about and the other just appears. That totally doesn't scream setup. I was hoping he would look like he was about to kill the one tied to the chair, but at the last second shoot the other one. Of course since she is Mohammad's sister, she has to live at least until they are reunited.

I kind of liked the new guy. I was hoping he would become their connection to the resistance. 

[bluvelvet]

I still feel like we haven't gotten to the meat of this story and we are almost 10 episodes in. I assume Vanessa has some relation to the original Van Helsing, so can we please at least get to some of that story.

All that being said, NOOOOOO  Axel.....!!!!!. , Doc what did you do??

If he is really dead then they just killed half of my reason to watch this show because it sure ain't Vanessa. I do agree that I don't think its the last we have seen of him. 

I hope resistance leader realizes that Sheema is the rat and killed his comrade as a cover up to let Sheema feel safe 

[wayne67]

Honestly I've spent 9 episodes waiting for this show to go somewhere but I'm done. Axel has been the only consistently useful member of the group. Vanessa seems to forget her super power all the time. Instead of slaughtering the vamps she could have been converting them. *sigh*

On a side note has Mohammed always been this pretty or is just a case of the daylight is his friend ? 

UGH Doc, way to drop the ball AGAIN. 

[CabotCove]

Quote

I dont think that's the last we'll see of dear Axel! Remember your tv trope, if you dont see the body being burned in a funeral pyre, the person will come back.

Sure, but that would be stretching the suspension of belief. The place was radioactive, it didnt take long for the new guy to turn into an infected zombie. 

Quote

 

So Vanessa is military test subject. She is probably part vampire which explains a lot.

 

By that do you mean she was made by the military? She seem to have been living a normal life in the 3 years ago flashback.

[CabotCove]

Quote

Honestly I've spent 9 episodes waiting for this show to go somewhere but I'm done.

Dont understand that, to me this show has been moving in almost every episode. So much faster than many shows I watch.

Quote

On a side note has Mohammed always been this pretty or is just a case of the daylight is his friend ? 

He has always been pretty, lol.

[wayne67]

2 hours ago, HeroLeague said:

Dont understand that, to me this show has been moving in almost every episode. So much faster than many shows I watch.

He has always been pretty, lol.

Okay then. What has the show been moving towards?

Finding a cure for vampires? Defeating the top vampires? Joining the human rebellion? Finding Vanessa's absent daughter? Discovering the source of Vanessa's super powers? Finding a safe haven? 

Because honestly I have no idea which one is supposed to be the focus of the show or if this show has a focus or whether it's just a bunch of bottle episodes where people argue with each other and or kill vampires/humans from time to time. 

[Black Knight]

On 11/12/2016 at 6:20 AM, SimoneS said:

Just as I got my hopes up about Axel and the Doctor, she helps do him in. Between the vampire bite and radiation, Axel would be a hot mess so I hope that he really is dead. 

@Black Knight nailed about Vanessa and Susan. Although Vanessa seemed to shrugging off any romantic relationship with Susan.

True, but the things I noticed leading up to what happened in this episode were coming mostly from Vanessa - the places Vanessa would touch Susan, kiss her, and so forth, which just wasn't keeping with the way entirely platonic female friends interact with each other. (That's why I'd commented earlier that if it actually wasn't supposed to be intentional f/f slash, then Kelly Overton is really, really comfortable with the actress playing Susan.) If nothing else, Susan has been getting some very mixed messages from Vanessa - and she got yet another in that while Vanessa did gently end the kissing (although not immediately, and not without returning it), she then promptly put her arm around Susan and held her close and ducked her head into Susan's neck. Which, if you're trying to draw a clear line about just being friends immediately after having kissed, you don't do. So I don't think Vanessa's yet truly ruling out the idea of their friendship becoming more; it's probably more about not being in the right headspace seeing as how they're in the middle of a VA, her daughter is missing, Susan's all she really has so if things went bad between them she has nothing, etc.

I too was getting so hopeful for Axel and Doc! Actually, I'll admit it, I still haven't given up hope. Getting bit by Gorman was actually the best thing that could have happened to him, because it seems to me that vampires can survive radiation, and so he can survive that way until he encounters the group again and Vanessa can then turn him back. I just don't really see the show eliminating Axel permanently. Granted I think the writers will be predictable and still shove him together with Vanessa instead of Doc, which tempers my enthusiasm for Axel's return.

So I finally understand why Vanessa has never been like, "Well, my last name is Van Helsing, maybe that has something to do with my powers re: vampires?" She had foster parents! She doesn't know she's a Van Helsing!

I really like this show overall, but I do wish they would give a little more time each episode to the subplot with Sheema/Rebecca/resistance subplot. One or two short scenes per episode is just not enough for developing those characters or fleshing out the story.

By the way, I feel I should mention that an episode description just went up for the episode two weeks from now (that is, not the next episode, but the one after) and it has a HUGE FREAKING SPOILER in it. Anyone who cares about spoilers should avoid reading the episode description. (It's the one Tivo has; I don't know if other DVR services etc. will have the same description, but in any case, best to avoid reading any description.)

[ZoqFotPik]

1 hour ago, Black Knight said:

So I finally understand why Vanessa has never been like, "Well, my last name is Van Helsing, maybe that has something to do with my powers re: vampires?" She had foster parents! She doesn't know she's a Van Helsing!

We also don't know if name "Van Helsing" has any meaning in their world. Kind of like how zombie fiction never existed in 'The Walking Dead' world.

[SimoneS]

8 hours ago, HeroLeague said:

By that do you mean she was made by the military? She seem to have been living a normal life in the 3 years ago flashback.

Vanessa said that the file stated that she was a subject at the Farm who escaped and they went to the hospital to retrieve her. Maybe she escaped years ago? Maybe they will explain more next episode.

[Black Knight]

1 hour ago, ZoqFotPik said:

We also don't know if name "Van Helsing" has any meaning in their world. Kind of like how zombie fiction never existed in 'The Walking Dead' world.

I think that would have been established, though, in that the characters wouldn't be using the term "vampire" but instead their own terms. If they know "vampire," they know Dracula and that means they know Van Helsing. Plus, if Van Helsing wouldn't mean anything to these people, then the show would've just had everyone know from early on. There would be no point in hiding it if the characters would have no reaction to it anyway, unless it were supposed to be a surprise to the audience, which obviously not since it's the very title of the show.

As far as I can make out the revealed backstory, so Vanessa is born to a Van Helsing, who gives her up (Vanessa believes her mother died during childbirth, but Axel's reaction indicated that wasn't true, but he realized it would upset her to hear otherwise so he didn't harp on it) and she ends up in foster care. Now, Vanessa has a temper, and her superstrength seems largely tied to her temper, so I can easily see her having a violent incident that brings her superstrength to the attention of the military and Grace, and they end up kidnapping/experimenting on her to expand her powers and give her healing, etc. to make her a super soldier against vampires. She escapes, but apparently somehow has amnesia about her time at the Farm. Marries, has Dylan, divorces the hubby, moves into a shitty complex where Susan also lives, gets attacked, dies. Doc is puzzled by her bloodwork and sends it off to her sister, who immediately realizes this is her missing experiment subject, finally surfacing at the most critical time possible, and sends the military to retrieve her.

[CabotCove]

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Okay then. What has the show been moving towards?

Finding a cure for vampires? Defeating the top vampires? Joining the human rebellion? Finding Vanessa's absent daughter? Discovering the source of Vanessa's super powers? Finding a safe haven? 

 

Well thats why Van was kept alive, as hope to cure the vampire infection or maybe offer immunity to those still human.  Van's kid is long gone, I think that plot was dropped long time ago. The hospital was a safe haven, then they found the secret underground base, which turned out not to be so safe, next episode looks like the crew finds another new safe haven. Well I admit the whole human resistance plot is kind of confusing and moving slower than I would like.

As for Vannessa's powers, I think we have seen an evolution. She went from being oblivious, then denial to accepting the powers. She has so far cured 2 vampires by her own will, we have seen her being captured by Julius then escaping. These last 2 episodes, she seems like she is getting more fearless and really embracing the great power she has. I think we are going to see her step up as a leader and hero, now that Axel is gone. Well just my 2 cents on this, I love the show but I understand its not every show for everyone. Hope you can see it through first season at least, we are almost at the end. 

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Vanessa said that the file stated that she was a subject at the Farm who escaped and they went to the hospital to retrieve her. Maybe she escaped years ago? Maybe they will explain more next episode.

Yeah I hope there is more info on that soon.

Edited November 14, 2016 by HeroLeague