Bitten - Ready - Review: Ready For Season 2!

    The season finale of Bitten, “Ready,” was written by showrunner Daegan Fryklind and directed by T.J. Scott. Fryklind’s story provides a very satisfying end to this first season, providing closure for many storylines while opening up numerous possibilities for a second season. This is the first episode from Scott, and he does a wonderful job with the drama and the action, delivering a number of truly beautiful shots throughout the episode. Among his many credits, Scott includes Orphan Black, Spartacus: War of the Damned, and La Femme Nikita.

    The episode opens with a beautiful shot of Elena (Laura Vandervoort) bathing Clay (Greyston Holt). It’s wonderfully tender moment between them as they symbolically wash away their problems, and Elena soothes all of Clay’s injuries – both physical and spiritual. Clay is fretting that he failed Elena by not protecting Philip (Paul Greene), but she absolves him of that, saying that Philip wouldn’t have been involved if not for her. She also tells him that he saved her – by biting her and by sacrificing their love for her life by lying about Jeremy (Greg Bryk). She tells him that he knew that she had to trust Jeremy in order to survive. I believe that knowing what she does now, Elena will be able to forgive Jeremy because she has the perspective to understand what he did – in much the same way she now has the perspective to understand Clay. She ends the scene by putting Clay’s ring back on his finger. This scene is mirrored by the final scene at the end of the episode when Elena puts her own ring back on and discovers exactly what her involvement with Philip has cost him.

    Some will, no doubt, be disappointed to learn that this scene was cut short. While live tweeting the show Vandervoort revealed that the scene actually ended with Elena joining Clay in the tub. I think that symbolically, it works better for Elena not to be washed clean just yet. She has “come clean” with Clay, but she still has blood on her hands by the end of the episode.

    Just a quick shout out to Todor Kobakov for the music in this episode in particular. The music in the bath scene is a great example of the great work he’s been doing on the series. In addition, the music throughout the episode really resonated for me. I loved the music during the preparation for the fight. My favorite piece of music in the episode begins when Marston (Pascal Langdale) and LeBlanc (Curtis Caravaggio) enter the fight.

    We transition from the bath scene to Nick (Steve Lund) and Jeremy working to prepare for the eventuality that they may lose. They are planning on burning down Stonehaven – or at least all the secrets and lists of names hidden in the war room. Jeremy reveals one of the secrets of the room to Nick, further making me wonder if he is grooming Nick to succeed him. It’s also an important plot point later in the episode.

    The big reveal of the episode is, of course, that Williams (James McGowan) is actually Malcolm, Jeremy’s father. Santos (Michael Luckett) and Malcolm sneak in via the secret tunnel. Does Malcolm remove anything from the room? He certainly throws down the gauntlet by the end of the episode. He reveals that he’s not interested in taking Stonehaven or even being Alpha. All he wants is Elena. His final words to Jeremy are that his best is yet to come – nicely setting him up as the big bad for next season. Jeremy tells Malcolm that he will have to go through him to get to Elena – which Malcolm is happy to do.

    This conversation has an interesting parallel with Elena’s confrontation with Jeremy when she tell him he’ll have to go through her before he can hurt Clay again. Both Bryk and Vandervoort are excellent in this scene as he sees that she’s agitated, having overheard her conversation with Nick. He tells her to say what she needs to say. He sees the importance of not letting these feelings fester and act as a distraction with the coming battle. Elena concedes they can’t change the past, and Jeremy explains that he did it to protect them. Elena clarifies that is was to protect them from each other. Elena’s concern is all for Clay, however, as she points out that the only one he didn’t protect was himself. She tells Jeremy that she’s never going to let that happen again and that she will stand between Clay and anyone, including Jeremy.

    Jeremy tells Nick that they survive because of their secrets when he tells him about the secret passage. Jeremy tells Nick the story of meeting Nick’s mother and how much Antonio loved her. He also reveals that he knows where she is and will tell Nick. Jeremy still believes secrets keep them safe, but it’s also clear that he’s willing to look at traditions and perhaps bend them. On the other hand, we’ve also seen that the pack always comes first for him. He cares for his pack too much to see his charges hurt in any way. Malcolm identifies Jeremy’s greatest weakness as the fact that he cares. At its heart, the pack is a family – Logan (Michael Xavier) tells Jeremy that’s why he came back – for his family.

    If there was one element of the episode that fell flat for me, it was Rachel (Genelle Williams). How is it possible for one person to be so stupid? She doesn’t stay put in the hotel room, she doesn’t stay unseen while hidden, and then she doesn’t stay hidden. Really? I can’t see any way that she will ever be able to accept Logan for what he is. Getting kidnapped by Malcolm at the end is really just the last straw for me for this character. By all means save the baby, but Rachel needs to go...

    The battle scene, which took some three days to shoot according to Vandervoort’s tweets, is simply beautifully shot. Much of it incorporates the slow motion shots that I’ve commented on before. In addition there are beautiful silhouette shots of the action. Finally, the think I love best about the fights on this show is that Elena gives as good as she gets. She doesn’t fight “like a girl” and she takes her licks just like the other members of the pack. Two of my favorite shots from this sequence? One is of Elena in silhouette as she essentially climbs the wall of the hallway to gain the advantage over her assailant. The second is her assailant running on all fours down the hallway at her – both gorgeous shots! Thank you TJ Scott.

    This episode really changes up our cast of characters leading into next season. Williams tells Jeremy that Santos was a better heir apparent than he was, yet Santos completely reveals himself in this episode. His best asset is that he follows orders and is easy to manipulate. I loved him trying to use the Italian leather line on Marsten and Marsten calling him on it. We learn a little more of Marsten’s history – he started out essentially as a hobo, changing to sleep in fields just to be safe. Yet, Marsten has clearly pulled himself up out of the gutter to become more educated than Santos. Marsten is also a better judge of character. It is a little curious that a successful conman could have so completely chosen the wrong side. Both Langdale and Luckett are both outstanding in this episode.

    Langdale is fantastic as we’ve seen him really question who he’s thrown his lot in with, in the last few episodes. He knows he’s made a mistake, and he tries to correct it. I loved him asking Santos why Santos was leading the attack. Santos is clearly a coward and only interested in getting Elena – he cares nothing about the people he is sending in – the “meat.” Of course, this is one of the biggest contrasts between Santos and Jeremy, and the reason Santos could never be an alpha – other than the fact that he’d never actually fight for it.

    It’s pretty clear when Marsten shakes Santos’ hand and tells him “you’re going to get everything that’s coming to you.” Clearly, Marsten means this ironically. What Santos deserves, is to lose and to die. I love the smile on Marsten’s face. I also loved the scene in which Marsten saves Elena from LaBlanc. He’s mostly made up his mind to change sides when he shakes hands with Santos, but his final decision comes with the added bonus of helping to kill LeBlanc. Caravaggio will be missed just because of how utterly creepy he made LeBlanc! I loved Marsten telling LeBlanc that Elena wasn’t a prize, she was a lady – once again proving that he had more class than the rest of the mutts. Another great element of this scene is when Marsten tells Elena she has no reason to trust him except his word. When she asks what his word is, he replies “Mutiny!” And this is the confirmation of his decision.

    Elena saves Marsten from Clay who wants to kill him first and ask questions later. Another indication that Elena is actually a better leader – with a cooler head – than Clay. Because she does question, without blind obedience, she is able to make clearer or at least more analytical decisions. She says they’ll leave the decision up to Jeremy. That will always be acceptable to Clay, but it’s also an indication that Elena does still trust Jeremy.

    Langdale’s best scene is saved for his confrontation with Bryk. There’s a nice contrast between Santos and Marsten as they both meet their fates at the hands of the Alpha – though literally, Santos’ is at Elena’s hand. Santos reveals he has no loyalty when he tries to throw Marsten under the proverbial bus by laying out all of his sins. Marsten surprises everyone when he answers Jeremy’s question of how does he know that Marsten’s sudden awakening of conscience isn’t a temporary thing. Marsten replies that Jeremy doesn’t know. However, he also says that up until now he’s never taken sides. But what shocks them all is that he doesn’t ask for forgiveness or trust – he asks only for a swift death. He understands pack law, and he has the courage and honor to face his fate. It’s the one answer that truly gets the respect of the other pack members.

    Marsten is not a good enough con artist to fake the reaction to Jeremy’s assertion that Marsten can better serve the pack by living. Langdale is fantastic in showing Marsten’s surprise, relief, and determination to serve the pack from then on. After his declaration of loyalty, Langdale once again demonstrates the casts' attention to detail when it comes to playing wolves as he then drops his eyes in a show of obedience. Clay and Santos are not quite as pleased. Santos then proves how unworthy he is by essentially having a tantrum.

    Luckett has been terrific as Santos and will be missed for all his obsequious and slimy creepiness, but the final moments with Elena were brilliant. Even as she’s killing him, breaking his heart, you can see a certain satisfaction on his face that for that one moment, he has her full attention.

    Elena’s killing Santos is really her final act of re-integration or really her full integration into the pack. She meets Jeremy’s eyes as she kills Santos, while Clay holds him – she is demonstrating both her commitment to the pack and her commitment to the pledge she made Jeremy earlier in the episode – she will allow nothing else to ever hurt Clay again. She then looks at Clay with a small smile on her face – she accepts what they must do, and she accepts him. She’s finally found acceptance within herself for the role she must play. Vandervoort has been brilliant in bringing her full circle. And Holt has also been terrific in playing Clay as both tender and violent – and often mostly naked!

    Elena's acceptance of her role is underscored in the final scene. She tells Clay that everything happened because she stopped hunting, she took herself off the grid and the mutts took advantage. She tells Clay that they are going to start tracking together again. She then goes to put her own ring back on and finds Philip’s head in her bed – the thing that Malcolm was carrying around in that bag! I firmly believe that that tactic is going to backfire on Malcolm quite spectacularly. Elena’s resolve to track him will simply be re-doubled. I don’t think that she will be so blinded by revenge, however, that it will make her easy prey – which Malcolm is no doubt counting on. In fact, everything Malcolm has done has simply sent her back to the pack and entrenched her within it.

    Next season may see the pack’s numbers swell. Hopefully we will see Joey (Elias Toufexis) back along with Jorge (Benjamin Ayres), Nick’s cousin. Marsten will also, hopefully, be part of the pack.

    A final shout out to Greg Bryk who has that fantastic ax throw in addition to the fantastic fight scene in the bathtub – symbolically adding to the blood Elena has just washed off Clay. In addition, his portrayal of Jeremy all season has been fantastic. This episode finally gives us the backstory on Malcolm and his hatred for his own son, giving an indication of what Jeremy had to overcome. It makes me want to know much more about the grandfather behind whom Jeremy hid from Malcolm. Clearly, this is the person who taught Jeremy about caring for his pack and family. Bryk portrays Jeremy as both loving of his family and fiercely protective, and I’ve enjoyed watching those elements come into conflict – I suspect that conflict to continue.

    This was a terrific finale for me. It tied up enough of the plot for the season to make it a satisfying conclusion but left me wanting to know the next part of the story. The season has done a fantastic job of creating and fleshing out these characters and kudos to both the writers and the actors for bringing them to life. I can't wait for the second season! What did you think of the episode? Are you hungry for more Bitten? Were you surprised by any of the twists and turns? What are you most excited to see next season? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!