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'Van Helsing' Episode 10 Review: 'Together Forever' is a filler with magnificent sets that slips in major developments

The episode contains uninspiring villains but does see the return of several fan-favorite characters
PUBLISHED NOV 30, 2019

After a long flashback to the past, 'Van Helsing' returns to the present and makes up for lost time, as Violet [Keeya King] has been captured between episodes. She's presented to Darius, who has established himself as a theatrical ringleader of a televised fighting ring that serves as the focus for most of the episode.

'Van Helsing' has a penchant for villains who ham up every scene they're in — it's not a show that invites its actors to hold back and take the more quiet approach.

For the most part, this works — Max Borman (Richard Harmon) had a standout performance this season, and who can forget the stellar work done throughout the series by Christopher Heyerdahl (RIP, Sam) or Rowland Pidlubny as Scab.

Its latest villain follows this tradition, but Darius doesn't quite hit the mark. He has a high bar to meet, yes, but somehow every scene with him comes off as more annoying than it does entertaining, and thankfully, he doesn't appear to be someone who will be making much of an appearance in future episodes. 

Even the episode's other ostensible villain fails to make much of a mark — Carnage (Paul Wight) might look intimidating, but his performance is unconvincing, and not even a last-minute reveal that he only fights for his freedom to go find his family, as he bleeds to death, can garner much sympathy for the character. 

What really stands out this episode is not the new villains so much as the sets. Darius has taken over an abandoned hotel, and it must have been quite the lap of luxury in its day.

While Darius may not be much of a live performer, the sets he designs for his televised show are magnificent, and the excessive use of blood, worn weaponry, and bright lighting works wonders.

The night-time fight scenes in the arena are a beautiful sight, the hotel’s luxurious sets made all the rarer for its appearance on a post-apocalyptic show. 

It is good to see Julius (Aleks Paunovic) and Violet together again, as it is seeing Axel (Jonathan Scarfe) meeting with Jack (Nicole Munoz) for the first time. The larger cast finally catching up on the complicatedness that is the Van Helsing-lings is long overdue, and now that it’s happened, it really cements the new status quo.

'Van Helsing' has almost begun to feel like the first few episodes of a fresh new spinoff, that takes the best of the old forward with its all-new leads. 

Julius finally gets his revenge, beheading Scab, and it's a quick but brutal farewell to another of the series' enduring villains. Ivory (Jennifer Cheon Garcia) is gone, as well, but as she's turned back human instead of killed, it looks like she will be staying for a while.

It's a testament to both the makeup teams and Garcia's own performance as Ivory that when she returns to being human, she looks so dramatically different one could be forgiven for thinking they switched actors around. 

Despite major changes to two long-running characters and the introduction of another game-changer in the reveal of 'President Archer' (Jill Teed), this episode feels more like filler than anything else.

A few meta jokes that don't land are made about the nature of those who watch violent shows like this, but if feels like there's not much point to the events of the episode. With the sisters reunited, however, and nigh-immortal allies on their side, team Van Helsing is now quite a force to be reckoned with.

The next episode of 'Van Helsing' airs December 6 on Syfy.

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