'Van Helsing' Season 4 Episode 6 Review: 'Miles and Miles' gives Phil's arc a fitting end while Jennifer proves to be an unrepentant badass
Spoiler alert for Season 4 Episode 6 'Miles and Miles' of 'Van Helsing'
It has been a long road for ex-vampire Phil (Vincent Gale) — formerly known as Flesh — and as the episode title implies, there are at least a few more miles to go before he finds what he’s been looking for.
He's joined by Axel (Jonathan Scarfe), on his own redemptive path and ready to do whatever it takes to reunite Phil with his wife Jennifer (Holly Elissa) and possible son, Owen (Alexander Brophy), who were both kidnapped by Max (Richard Harmon) last episode. Road trip!
This episode is quite a detour from the main plot but is entertaining enough to make for a standalone story. Add an hour to the episode to cover backstory and a few more action scenes and the episode could be a pretty great post-apocalyptic buddy cop movie.
Axel and Phil's story this episode alternates between tense action scenes and quieter moments focusing on just where these characters are, emotionally, and how far they've come along.
There is a lot of talk about "making things right" between the two characters — it's obvious that they're carrying a lot of guilt on their shoulders.
The pair make a pretty great team, with Phil's insider knowledge of vampire culture and Axel's military background as they track down Max, fight vampires, make plans and ultimately pull off a successful rescue.
They take complete advantage of their potent healing abilities, using it as an asset in several instances with a matter-of-factness that would put Wolverine to shame.
The episode also puts the spotlight on Jennifer, as she does everything in her power to frustrate Max's plans. She makes ruthless but practical decisions with an admirable lack of hesitation.
She's obviously raised her little boy the same way, as the first words out of Owen's mouth this episode are to tell his mother that they need to kill their captor.
The faith she places in Phil to rescue them doesn't dim her efforts to rescue herself, but they are an important first step on the way to her and Phil finding some sort of reconciliation.
Fans of the show who love to hate Max Borman are in for a real treat this episode. The hedonistic, scenery-chewing villain's performative range are on full display this episode, as he oscillates between drug-fueled highs and a dangerous intelligence.
There's also something delightful about the way Richard Harmon yells, whether it's from being high, being shot in the neck by Owen, or stabbed with a shiv by Owen (on ANY other show, Owen would be labeled a sociopathic horror immediately) — his dedication to the feelings he's yelling out is complete.
It turns out he needs Jennifer and Owen alive for a reason — to trade them for safe passage to a rumored vampire-free paradise. Knowing that Max needs them alive gives Jennifer enough leverage to prove a difficult hostage for Max, but Max is a character who has his bases well covered.
Where he has no outright control, he convinces Jennifer that listening to him is the only choice she has — even when he's trading her to a blood harvesting farm that somehow manages to achieve a new level of horror on an already ultra-violent show.
Phil and Axel manage to rescue Jennifer, and later, Owen, in a moment that truly highlights Jennifer’s ability to leverage the most out of her situation.
She chooses the moment when Owen's life is in the most danger to tell Phil that Owen is Phil's son. The Axel-Phil team-up manages to save Owen, and subdue Max.
A defeated Max answers any questions about his healing abilities that the audience might have as he quickly recounts his entire backstory as a former vampire. None of this ends up mattering, as Phil hacks Max's head off the second Max is done talking.
Phil is given a touching reunion with his family. Jennifer decides to accept Phil back into her life, and after a farewell to Axel, Phil and his family walk off into the distance, hopefully towards greener pastures.
It’s unclear if we're going to be seeing Phil again, but if we're not, this episode is the most satisfying ending the character could have gotten.
The next episode should return focus to the larger plot, as Vanessa and the two newly-revealed Van Helsings work to prevent the Dark One's rise.
Episode 7 of Season 4 of 'Van Helsing' will air on November 8 on Syfy.