[Review] Van Helsing – E Pluribus Unum

Axel (Jonathan Scarfe) and Violet (Keeya King) continue to make their way to Washington DC. Axel is and will always be a soldier with his eyes on the mission, things get complicated when Violet gets involved with a young man on the run. The question of whether to ignore the little things in pursuit of the greater good is a difficult one.

This episode of Van Helsing feels like a distraction, maybe even filler but by the end of the episode we know that it is just clever writing. A young man (Jeffrey Ballard) gets dragged off by bikers with Violet unable to stop them. Axel doesn’t want to get involved only wanting to get DC to face the Dark One.

Violet argues they can do both and that this boy might have access to a way through the wall. I don’t remember it being specifically mentioned recently but there is apparently a barrier blocking off Washington DC from the vampires outside the capital. The two track the boy down to a compound and find out the whole truth.

The bikers are keeping the boy safe and his father, now a vampire captive in a cage. The boy, Aaron recognized Violet from her video turning a vampire back into a human. He wants her to turn back his dad Davis Park (Stephen Lobo), the previous President of the United States. President Park was turned when he was evacuated during the Rising, his wife and daughter were elsewhere.

A Deal’s A Deal

Violet agrees to turn Davis back but while working out the details the bikers arrive and shoot Violet. She manages to bite him and all the misunderstandings are set aside. Then we find out that Aaron intends to use the President’s football to help them get through the Wall.

We found out the bikers found the motorcade after the Rising and have taken care of the President and his son ever since, their way of hanging onto the idea of America. The former President himself is still reeling from catching up on how things have changed and what has been lost, it must be quite something for someone who was the most powerful person in the world to feel so powerless.

Hot Headed Youth

Even after Davis is brought up to speed on the death of the current President and the Dark One masquerading as him he is still reluctant to use the football. Aaron wants the football to track down his mother and sister but has difficulty convincing his dad.

He decides to head off by himself to find them but Violet notices and accompanies him. They have the coordinates of where his family’s convoy went. When they arrive they’re attacked by vampires hiding in the dirt. Meanwhile the rest of the compound has noticed their absence and have gone to track them down.

They find where Aaron and Violet where attacked and are themselves attacked with Hopper (Darcy Laurie) sacrificing himself for the former President. Axel, Davis and Biggs (Tim Perez) track them down as they find the missing convoy. The dead bodies of Aaron’s mother and sister are still there crushing his hopes.

Davis is just overjoyed to have his son back and safe and snaps out of his funk. He uses the football to contact a General Lannister (Reese Alexander) and presumably fills him in on what has been happening.

Three episodes left in the season and it looks like things are coming together for an impressive final battle.

So, what do you think of Van Helsing so far?