Last week was the worst time for this reviewer to take a hiatus as 'Help Out' was quite the game changer.
The episode started off with Axle acting extra jerky, followed by some tender moments where Vanessa thanks him for his support. It all seemed off, like they were building him up to die, and not surprisingly, that was the direction they went. Though his death is left ambiguous.
I would not mind if Axle stayed dead as his character was not entirely important. Especially after the events of this past episode, 'Stay Away.' Theo, from the village, is already a lot more likeable male lead than Axle. It'll be interesting to see if Theo returns in some capacity and what direction they take Axle, if he comes back at all.
Overall, 'Help Out' continued to move Van Helsing along at a steady pace. The show has definetly been a slow burn, but its interesting cast of characters has kept each episode engaging.
Also, in 'Help Out' we began to see some subtle nuances showing through the cracks for each character - Doc is very unstable and something is up with Sam following his display of extra aggression on that vamp.
We saw even more hints of a darker side of Sam in 'Stay Away' after he goes all murderer 101 on that poor villager. Is Sam the serial killer? The synopsis for this episode says the serial killer will be revealed, but that was not the case. We got hints it could be Sam, but we also got hints it could be Flesh too after Tom Cavanagh's character reveals the former vamp fantasized about killing his family in his pre-apocalypse days.
Unfortunately, the synopsis for next week spoils everything, but I'll leave that for you all to read for youselves.
Speaking of Tom Cavanagh, I love the actor. He really puts on the HAM with this whole whispery, creepy and mysterious villain type of character that we've seen in both The Flash and now this episode. It's too bad he only lasted one week.
Overall, I actually thought 'Stay Away' was way too slow and this is from a reviewer that has not minded the slow burn of previous episodes. Part of that had to do with the unnecessary romance between Vanessa and Theo, before even building any chemistry between the two characters. This scene alone really made the episode feel like a drag.
One positive of 'Stay Away,' however, was the progression made with Flesh, Sam, and Doc. Darker sides of each character was revealed, which will make future episodes very interesting as they are explored deeper.
Stay Away: 8/10
Last Time: 6/10
Notes
*Anyone notice Susan at the very beginning of 'Last Time' when the team was surrounded by vamps? Why was she screaming like a helpless, little girl? I remember her kicking a dude's butt with a pan a few weeks ago and, next episode, shooting an AK-47 like a boss to help Axle and Sam fend off Julius' army. That was some strange character incontinuity in that sequence.
*'Last Time' was full of a lot of HAM. We had the aforementioned Tom Cavanagh laying the whispery, creepy dialogue on thick, but we also saw Rukiya Bernard overacting as the anxious and distraught Doc begging Magdalene to turn her back into a vamp. That scene made me uncomfortable.
