Van Helsing usually excels at the long game with little plot points that later turn into something big. Now we have this trio of episodes that keep things tight while reminding us about what the characters have been through.

Van Helsing The Voices
The Band is getting back together

At first glance things are going well, Bathory is lost to the Dark One (Tricia Helfer) and Vanessa’s (Kelly Overton) bite has a noticeable effect. We see glimpses of the original Dracula the innocent and pure mother we met at the beginning of the season. While the initial part of the plan worked the good guys quickly hit a snag.

Friend Turned Enemy & Back Again

Jesse Stanley as Bathory Van Helsing
Jesse Stanley might be the series MVP

Bathory (Jesse Stanley) is human now but she is lost to the darkness as well as the Dark One’s curse. They have to keep her sedated as she is in a near psychotic state. So Jack’s plan partially worked but we see her in this episode consumed with guilt over Bathory.

Meanwhile Ivory goes out to check out the dead drop for messages and instead finds Axel (Jonathan Scarfe) and Violet (Keeya King). The reunions aren’t finished though with Vanessa revealing herself and her shape shifting abilities to the gathered group.

Bathory is front and center this episode, diving into her origins in the final season revealed a whole different side of the character. The disconnect for Jack between the vampire hunter who sacrificed her soul and the evil Oracle. The rest of the team can’t get past what the Oracle has done but Jack believes in second chances.

Daughters of the Hunter

Vanessa helps by linking to Bathory, restoring the former hunter’s sight and some of her sanity. While this is going on Axel and their new allies manage to kidnap (liberate?) the Vice President (Peter Bryant). Favorite scene of this episode is Violet convincing the VP that they were the good guys by biting him.

Now the team has everyone they need on their side and The Dark One on the ropes but still fighting as she manages to get in Bathory’s head and get her to attempt suicide. Of course that shouldn’t really work as she should still have the healing abilities of a turned human but never mind. They manage to narrowly save Bathory but is she really about to be the core of their plan?

We get that answer after Vanessa attempts to reach out to her other ‘daughter’ Violet who is reluctant to open up. It is easy to forget how much time Jack and Vanessa spent together before the two sisters reunited. Jack is with Bathory explaining the plan when Bathory stabs her and escapes. She lodges the knife in deep leaving the near immortal suspended while she runs off with the amulet.

All Is Not Lost, Maybe

All Axel’s warnings seem to be confirmed when the rest of the group finds Jack and no Bathory. They track her down to the roof and try to talk her down. Before Jack can get through the Dark One attacks possessing Bathory and releases the last of her essence. When Bathory is released she is horrified by what happened and hurls herself off the roof as a way to escape the Dark One.

As the Dark One is whole again her power is full revealed and our heroes are fresh out of plans.

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