Bitten - Prisoner - Review: "What We Do For Love"

    Bitten, “Prisoner,” was written by Wil Zmak and directed by Grant Harvey. Zmak has also written for Being Erica, The Listener, and Motive all of which series creator Daegan Fryklind also worked on. Among Harvey’s other credits are Haven, Heartland, Orphan Black, and Whistler. The prisoner of the title refers to Cain (Noah Danby), but also to those trapped in the lives circumstances have delineated for them.

    The episode examines what it means to be a wolf in love. We see Nick (Steve Lund) have sex with his assistant on the floor of his club. It’s a meaningless physical release, and there’s no intimation that Nick has ever sought anything else. As werewolves they are destined not to share their lives with anyone outside of the pack, and as Elena (Laura Vandervoort) is the only female, that would seem to exclude the viability of any long term relationships. Those who do try to have a relationship seem doomed to losing it.

    The parallels between Elena and Clay (Greyston Holt) and Amber (Eve Harlow) and Cain are obvious even while their dynamics couldn’t be more different. However, both relationships seem doomed. Amber knows about Cain being a werewolf and wants him to bite her. She’s sure that she can withstand the change and she embraces the lifestyle – she’s already proven herself to be both bloodthirsty and ruthless. Cain, however, loves her too much to risk losing her by biting her. And of course, that’s what Elena throws in Clay’s face. For his own part, Clay knew that if he didn’t bite Elena he would never be allowed to be with her and he couldn’t be with her without telling her everything about himself. Like Amber, had Elena known about them being werewolves, she would have had to die. It doesn’t excuse what he did. He took away Elena’s autonomy to decide whether she wanted to be turned or not, but I don’t agree with Elena that he loved her any less than Cain loves Amber. In the end, Cain signed Amber’s death warrant by telling her – or allowing her to see – what he really is.

    Meanwhile, Philip (Paul Greene) is dangerously close to dealing with the same issue. He knows that Elena is hiding something from him. He’s seen and recognized her running shoes – nice placement of them in the last episode so we’d recognize them – and her pendant in the wolf video. He doesn’t realize what her real secret is though even though the video gives him all the clues. There’s no reason for him to believe that she’s the wolf in the video, but there is reason for him to believe that she and Logan have been meeting and having sex rather than running in the park as she’s claimed. I’m beginning to wonder if Philip’s mother and sister have been being successful in whittling down Philip’s loyalty to Elena. Why did he call his old girlfriend, Sylvie (Natalie Lisinska) for help? He seems shocked when she leans in to kiss him, but she’s right in suggesting that he had ulterior motives, even if they were subconscious ones.

    The dynamic between Clay and Cain is an interesting one. I’m very disappointed that they killed off Noah Danby as he delivered a fantastic performance in this episode, moving from posturing bravado to sincere confession. Clay and Cain have much in common – they are the brawn of their group and they both have tender hearts hidden behind their gruff exteriors. I thought it was interesting that Clay even suggested to Jeremy that Cain could make a good addition to the pack.

    Ultimately, Clay kills Cain by castrating him. It’s a nice symbolic gesture. Cain has betrayed his own kind by allowing Amber to know their secret. But even more so, on some level at least, Clay has to be jealous that Cain’s lover has stood by him even after he revealed his true nature to her.

    We get to see the pack members really performing their roles in this episode. Nick takes over from Antonio. He denies being a natural at it and immediately reverts to his own behavior by having sex with his assistant, seemingly trying to recapture the innocence of his youth. He also resists Jeremy (Greg Bryk) relying on him for advice the way Jeremy did with Antonio. Clay, of course, must be pack protector, and he does this by not only getting the information about Koenig coming after the pack, but also keeping the Sheriff (Fiona Highet) away from the house. Elena is the tracker and manages to track down Amber.

    I loved the scene in the diner as Elena confronts Amber. I was concerned that Elena was out matched when LeBlanc (Curtis Caravaggio) and Marsten (Pascal Langdale) showed up. It was great to see her easily best them and get the information she needed to save Jeremy. Great performance by Vandervoort in this scene.

    One small nitpick. One of the other roles they have clearly carved out for Elena within the pack is as nurturer. She finds out that Jeremy has been poisoned with ricine and rushes home to save him single-handedly. What are the chances they have the same blood type? Jeremy seems to know they are compatible, however. Is that because all werewolves have the same blood once they’ve turned? I would have liked a fuller explanation of that.

    What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!