One of our most favorite things in life are the musical genius composers who bring life to movie, television and theater programs that virtually everyone I know enjoys. The melodies are so hypnotic and enjoyable to our entertainment experiences that most people simply forget that they are there.
In fact, that is exactly the intent of the composers we all enjoy; To make the music they compose so seamless to the programs that we are often unaware they are even there.
Each of these talented individuals were delightful to interview with each sharing their exciting experiences in composing the music for the iconic entertainment programs mentioned above as well as many other series and films we have all enjoyed over the years!
Emmy Award-winning composer Brandon Roberts’ music can be heard all over the scoring world today. From the Academy Award-winning documentary Free Solo, co-composed with Marco Beltrami, to the pulsing action of World War Z and Logan, to the surreal reimagining of Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone and the horror of Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving. Upon graduating from the USC Scoring for Motion Pictures & Television program, Brandon Roberts began working under Oscar®-nominated and Emmy®-winning composer Marco Beltrami. They later went on to co-compose a wide range of films and television. Projects include such large-scale feature films as A Quiet Place (I and II), Logan, Chaos Walking, and World War Z. Roberts’ other recent scores include Paramount Pictures’ Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, and Eli Craig’s summer slasher Clown in a Cornfield. Roberts was most recently Emmy-nominated for his original score for Andor Season 2.
About Simon Franglen:
Image by Kenn of WormholeRiders TeamWHR
Simon Franglen is a multi-award-winning composer and producer of film, classical, and contemporary music. Well-known for his long-time collaboration with his friend, James Horner, he was the lead arranger and producer on films including The Amazing Spider-Man, Titanic, and Avatar. For his critically acclaimed score for Avatar: The Way of Water, he was awarded the World Soundtrack Awards’ ‘Discovery of the Year,’ the Hollywood Music in Media Award, the ASCAP Award winner for the top score, and was nominated for the Ivor Novello award. This year, Franglen follows up his 3-hour epic score from Avatar: The Way of Water with Avatar: Fire and Ash, which releases in December 2025. Franglen’s credits also include three of the four top-grossing films of all time and six of the top-selling albums. His accolades include a Golden Globe nomination for his work on ‘Avatar’ and a Grammy as a producer for ‘My Heart Will Go On’ for ‘Record of the Year’. He has collaborated with singers and musicians from across the world, including the South Pacific Islands, Mongolia, Maori, Tunisian Malouf, Rajasthan, and Eritrea. His music credits range from The Weeknd, Celine Dion, and Toni Braxton to producing UK grime acts. Franglen is also known for his cutting-edge work in immersive audio, and is a consultant to several multi-national companies on the intersection of music and immersive audio. He has major art and commercial installations running around the world.
About Mick Giacchino:
Image by Kenn of WormholeRiders TeamWHR
Mick Giacchino is a composer for film and television in both live-action and animated mediums. His recent work includes the HBO/DC original series The Penguin, Skeleton Crew from Lucasfilm, Disney’s The Muppets Mayhem and AMC+’s That Dirty Black Bag. Since his debut with Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow in 2015,
Mick has contributed to projects such as Disney’s Zootopia+, Netflix’s animated feature Extinct, The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, and additional music for Matt Reeves’ The Batman. In 2021, he released his first instrumental EP, “Perseverance.”
About Alex Seaver:
Image by Kenn of WormholeRiders TeamWHR
Singer, songwriter, composer and Executive Music Producer Alex Seaver represents a strikingly new phenomenon in today’s music world. Whether he’s releasing studio albums for his own artist outfit Mako, collaborating with Riot Games, or writing and producing music for some of today’s biggest artists, Juilliard-trained Seaver has made a unique impact across the intersection of music, film, television and video games. Most recently, Seaver served as the Executive Music Producer and composer for the second season of Riot Games’ Emmy-winning Netflix animated series Arcane. Across both seasons, Arcane spent 15 weeks in Netflix’s global top 10 list, where Seaver earned an Emmy nomination for his work on the first season. He took on an expanded role for the second season, which features a 22-song soundtrack including tracks by global artists such as Twenty One Pilots, Linkin Park, Stromae, Stray Kids, Young Miko, Ashnikko and more. In addition to writing and producing songs across the album, he oversaw the creative guidance of its artists through the musical world of Arcane, composed the musical score with Alex Temple, and performed the song “What Have They Done To Us” under his artist moniker, Mako. Since its release, the soundtrack has garnered over 1.6 billion global streams.!
We look forward to sharing more about the Press Rooms and Panels we covered during our time at San Diego Comic-Con this year. In the meantime, please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or your family!
We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WormholeRiders on X, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!
As we enter our seventeenth year of operations, we here at Team WHR have been most fortunate over the past years to have been graced with your presence. Thank you.
To express our gratitude, we include one of our most popular, traditional holiday music videos to share some of life’s simple pleasures with you during the special festive season.
Be honest with others, and critically, be honest with yourself. Do not lie, cheat or steal in an effort to obfuscate what you have done or seek unfair advantage over others. Instead, seek enlightenment, freely sharing your knowledge with all worthy souls on our fair planet. Lastly, express gratitude to those upon whom you have trespassed, yet forgave you despite your having been less than forthright in life. Thank you.
The WormholeRiders Team will return after the Christmas Holiday. We wish all a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year with safe travels to and from for those visiting family!
Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family by clicking one of the icons below. We thank you for visiting and express our sincere gratitude.
Welcome admirers of Bear McCreary and Music World Building!
Image courtesy Amazon MGM Studios via Bear McCreary website
As we bring our coverage to a conclusion with only two more scheduled interviews remaining (including this one), we bring you Bear McCreary, the legendary composer in the Music World Building Press Room at San Diego Comic-Con!
(L-R) Kyle D. Higgins, Matias Bergara, Raya Yarbrough. Bear McCreary. Image by Kenn of WormholeRiders #TeamWHR
Our time with these extremely talented individuals was outstanding as we learned about The Singularity and the aforementioned entertainment projects that encompass the magical Music World Building that accentuates everyone’s experience and enjoyment for movies, scripted science fiction television, streaming series as well as stage plays that they watch and listen to.
Importantly, without music composing in movies, television series and theater stage plays, entertainment would be far less exciting. Music is something that viewers often, but shouldn’t take for granted. We express our genuine thanks to Gary Miereanu for making this fabulous Press Room happen and hope that you enjoyed the Music World Building interviews included above and The Singularity trailer below.
We will be back soon to conclude reporting on our adventures this year at San Diego for Comic-Con 2024 with an interview with a famous Graphic Novelist, including more exclusive interviews featuring details dished to fans during Press Rooms that we covered! In the meantime, please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or your family!
We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit TeamWHR on X, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“
Images and videos courtesy SYFY, Nomadic Pictures and Dynamic Television
The sixth episode of season five, “Carpe Noctis” takes us on a wild ride with Julius (Aleks Paunovic) and Axel (Jonathan Scarfe) as they encounter a gorgeous young woman named Nina Morgan (Ali Liebert). Nina knows Julius knows from 1984 well before The Rising occurred.
This all happens after Julius and Axel spent some time with Doc (Rukiya Bernard) who went on to find Jolene (Caroline Cave) and retire from vampire hunting. Doc healed Julius and created an elixir that can temporarily restore his healing powers. However, if too much of the healing elixir is taken, it can kill Julius.
Doc also delivered a hefty batch of “vampire bullets” to Julius and Axel. These cartridges are bullets that are infused with the chemicals from the toxic orange cloud that took away Julius’ power to heal in season four.
Julius and Axel will face a test. Image courtesy SYFY
The “vampire bullets” given to Axel and Julius are expressly designed to kill Dracula’s (Tricia Helfer) minions and perhaps Bathory The Oracle (Jesse Stanley). We cannot be certain, but they are unlikely to be effective on The Dark One herself.
The episode also takes places subsequent to Jack (Nicole Muñoz) being sent on a mission into the past by her mother Vanessa (Kelly Overton). Jack’s mission was to kill Dracula. Unfortunately, The Dark One instead escaped to the present.
Currently posing as the President in the White House, and after Violet and Ivory successfully escaped the military facilities located near Fort Collins, defeating the Vanator in “Sisterhunt”, Julius and Axel are planning on linking up with Violet (Keeya King) and Ivory (Jennifer Cheon Garcia) using the magic compass page from the Van Helsing book of secrets.
Julius and Axel are searching for Violet and Ivory. Image courtesy SYFY
Before beginning our analysis of “Carpe Noctis”, we would like to pay homage to one of the wonderful things about the fifth and final season of Van Helsing; that the creators at Echo Lake Entertainment,Dynamic Television and Nomadic Pictures have taken great efforts to nice wrap the story arc of characters that the fans of the series have come to love and admire along the perfect path of adventure, science fiction and fantasy. In this way, special thanks from Team WHR goes out to all the writers, creators, cast and crews of the Van Helsing series who are professionally tying the story arc together very neatly for the fandom.
“Carpe Noctis” was written by Gorman Lee and directed by Jonathan Scarfe in an episode that takes us back to a time before the ‘Rising” to 1984 Chicago when Julius and Nina shared something together that no one has ever known about until now. Add all of this to the fact that Nina knows secrets about Julius’ past, his family, and that she has some secrets of her own, this makes “Seize The Night” (Carpe Noctis) an absolutely awesome episode that will end up testing Axel and Julius to the core of their relationship!
Axel’s enchanted compass from Vanessa. Image courtesy SYFY
The episode opens with Axel and Julius in a black SUV stolen from load knows where. They are consulting the enchanted magic Van Helsing compass that Axel got from Vanessa in season four which indicates the direction to Violet’s location. While doing inventory and getting their bearings, Julius and Axel spot a group of President Dracula’s henchmen who have roped a what appears to be a victim who is fighting off the men!
Julius and Axel decide to help out, running over one of the masked menaces with their SUV while sharp shooter Axel kills the other. A nice visual effect sequence occurs as we witness the bullet in slow motion killing the troublemaker with healthy splashes of blood spurting when the last malcontents are dispatched by Axel, but not before Julius is stabbed and injured during the incident. Julius and takes a sip of the healing elixir glad they sent both of Dracula’s evil minions to hell to wait for The Dark One who will also (hopefully) arrive in hell later in season five.
Ali Liebert as Nina Morgan. Image courtesy SYFY
The scene switches focus to the person they saved. It is here that we meet Nina Morgan and learn that Julius knows Nina from a past life as a vampire! Axel wants to kill Nina, but Julius, happy to see Nina again, convinces Axel that Nina will not harm them.
Julius believes that Violet can convert Nina back to human form when they find her. Nina does not attack, instead she tells them she was being hunted because she had disrespected Dracula, The Dark One.
Nina also figures out that Vanessa must have converted Julius and Axel back to human form and promises Axel that she will not kill him so long as Axel is with “her baby” (Julius). Axel says “you had better know what you are doing” and the three head to a place that Nina says is safe.
Julius in 1984 Chicago. Image courtesy SYFY
In a nice touch to set the tone of the episode, we segue in a fantastic flashback scene to Chicago in the past, 1984 to be specific, where we find Julius sporting an 80’s hair cut (or lack of one). We learn that Nina was a movie star many decades before in the 1920’s.
Julius and Nina obviously became lovers in 1984 and we also learn how Julius met Nina, that Nina refers to Julius as a “Bottom Feeder”. Nina shares her latest prey with Julius and takes a liking to the handsome fellow, recruiting him for her plan to setup a vampire empire.
Like many vampires before The Rising, Julius had been were merely surviving in the shadows and selectively feeding on humans when he could. Nina on the other hand is an apex predator who specializes in hunting human beings.
Julius and Nina in 1984 movie theater. Image courtesy Ryan Curtis VFX Guru at SigilDigital
Julius and Nina are observed in a nearly empty movie theater watching her in a silent movie she is starring in while they feast on a the few patrons inside watching the silent film. Julius shares that his own pack of vampires turned against him.
Nina promises to return Julius to power as her king, with her as queen of the vampires to “Seize The Night” (Carpe Noctis). Of interest to trivia fans, there actually was a silent film star named Nina Morgan who appeared as herself in an episode of Groucho Marx’ “You Bet Your Life” television series in 1957.
To further set the tone of the time period, we are treated to a song contemporary to 1984, the top ten single “The Killing Moon” by Echo and the Bunnymen from their album “Ocean Rain” released in January of that year. “The Killing Moon” is also featured as background music in other parts of the episode and at the end of the episode just before the episode end credits and is included below for your enjoyment.
Julius must make a decision. Image courtesy SYFY
We also learn that Julius is living with his mother (Christina Jastrzembska) who we have seen before in Van Helsing as Mama dating back to 2016 when the series premiered. Mama does not trust Nina. Nina is trying to get Julius to leave his Mama and setup their vampire empire in Chicago.
All in all, the flashbacks fill in much of Julius’s back story and are beautifully accomplished. As we know, Nina’s and Julius’ vampire empire never happened, but something else did that we will discuss shortly about what did that ultimately separated Nina and Julius in 1984 and forces Julius to make a decision about Nina in the present.
We move back to the present with Nina asking a lot of questions and Axel does not like it. Julius intervenes giving Axel an ultimatum stating “she stays, end of discussion”. Nina reveals that she knows of a safe house shelter and that staying where they are is suicide since The Dark One and Bathory will figure out her troops have been killed. Nina provides some tactical information and Axel relents for the time being.
Nina disappears on Julius. Image courtesy SYFY
When they arrive at the so called safe house, Axel warns Julius “watch your back”. Over confident of Nina’s loyalty to him, Julius is stunned when Nina disappears to go feed on some people she has stashed at the location. Nina taunts Julius about his “Mama” in another flashback sequence when Nina claimed that Julius was merely a lapdog to a dying vampire.
It turns out the safe house location is a trap since The Dark One’s troops with Bathroy’s help find them there. Axel has had enough of this giving his friend Julius an ultimatum to get rid of Nina unless she provides some meaningful information about Dracula. Sensing that Axel is serious, Nina reveals what happened to her, and that The Dark One had been planning a large operation, When Nina refused to comply, Dracula had her and her clan of vampires hunted down and killed with Nina on the run ever since.
What is interesting about this revelation (that Nina refused an order) is that it reveals that Dracula does not have absolute power over her malcontent minions. Could this be as a result of Jack draining power from The Dark One in the past during the dark ages?
Nina uses herself as bait. Image courtesy SYFY
Nina, after providing some useful information to Julius and Axel, allows herself to be used as bait to draw Dracula’s troops into a killing zone. Axel kills The Dark One’s troops. Unfortunately, Bathory The Oracle locks in on the last trooper at the last second in time to identify their location.
In another excellent flashback just before the exciting episode concludes, we meet a young vampire hunter named Abby Van Helsing (Jen Araki) in 1984. This is Vanessa’s biological mother. Abby had hunted down Nina, Julius and Mama to kill them in 1984. This is what caused Julius and Nina to lose track of each other until the present time since Nina fled for her own life to avoid Abby.
As the episode winds down, Nina tries to convert Julius back to being a vampire, but ends up barfing up the blood since Vanessa had made him immune to vampire bites. Julius realizes that Nina is beyond hope and leaves her to Axel to deal with.
Julius is sad about Nina. Image courtesy SYFY
Axel catches Nina trying to steal the enchanted magic Van Helsing compass and pulling out his knife, uses force to get the magic compass back. It is assumed that Nina was killed, but we do not actually witness Axel doing the deed so he may have let her live.
In the final sequence, Julius with a sad look on his face, and Axel with a determined look on his face, are observed driving away from the mess to link up with Violet and Ivory who are seeking clues about Jack. The tune of “The Killing Moon” is heard playing in the background.
As we proceed to episode seven of the fifth and final season, make sure to tune in to watch the entire series on SYFY or watch on Netflix. In the meantime, we also suggest that you tune to SYFY at 10p/9c each week to watch the exciting season five concluding episodes. You will not be disappointed and will hopefully enjoy Van Helsing as much as we do!
The Killing Moon – Copyright courtesy Echo and the Bunnymen:
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Killjoys images and video clip courtesy of SYFY, CTVSciFi, and Killjoys on Twitter
In the superb series finale of Killjoys, written by Michelle Lovretta and Directed by Stefan Pleszczynski, viewers were in for a somewhat rare treat, the orderly wrap of a science fiction series story arc after five years of bringing sheer joy to their fans.
The advance planning of the series creators, producers and hosting networks ended the series on an upbeat note.
This careful preparation was not lost on the fans. In fact an orderly end to Killjoys was highly appreciated by everyone including all here at Team WHR.
Killjoys S5x10 A Prayer at the beginning of the end
The exciting tenth episode of season five starts with an enchanting monologue featuring epic haunting music echoing the Killjoys theme and adventures over the past five seasons that I loved!
We include a looping audio video clip below the quotation for your enjoyment (volume is muted on the first loop one. Per the new HTML5 specification it is required you to select volume to enjoy the loop while reading our analysis):
Every story begins with a lie
“Every story begins with a lie, that’s the job of beginnings, to tell you you’re safe, that all of this lasts and nothing will change. But underneath there are signs, of your true story, who made you, who harmed you, and what battles you were born to fight. You won’t want to hear it yet, so you’ll run, live, collect the things that matter along the way, an oath, your team, a home! Only then will you see the real enemy… HER! Last of a dying race come to destroy ours! She has her ships and her slaves, but you have them, the strange messy impossible family, full of enemies and siblings, lovers, and hope! It doesn’t matter how your story begins, it’s about who’s with you at the end!”
In the considered opinion of this editor, Killjoys has turned out to be more than a lovely story about our heroes in The Quad, bounty hunters somewhere in endlessness of outer space. Our beloved series filled our lives with action, adventure and mystery never to be forgotten!
Ultimately, Killjoys is science fiction romance Space Opera, in essence a love story, created by the marvelous Michelle Lovretta and her tremendous team including fourth and fifth season Show Runner Adam Barken, Andrea Boyd, Julian Doucet and so many more that brought absolute joy to our lives during late spring and summer Friday evenings on SYFY and CTVSciFi!
Lucy forever in our Family
Prior to the series ending episode “Last Dance”, fans were thrilled once again with an almost “in the flesh” appearance of Lucy (Tamsen McDonough) near the middle of season five.
Embodied as a holograph, the android space ship guest star was featured in an earlier episode with season five after sacrificing herself to save our heroes. Killjoys admirers always loved Lucy as a character beyond her ever present lovely voice of the ship.
Our Killjoys Team will live forever in our hearts and minds
Additionally, many of favorite Killjoys characters turned out to be heroes in the end, specifically, Khlyen (Rob Stewart), Pree (Thom Allison), Zeph (Kelly McCormack) and Fancy Lee (Sean Baek), each facing dark and evil challenges along the way to the “Last Dance”.
Khylen kidnapped Dutch to save her in the very ship where it began
Khlyen in the end was shown to truly love his girls and tricked The Lady at nearly every turn. Fancy, long suspected over the seasons as a “bad guy” ultimately helped save Dutch, Johnny, Pree and D’avin!
I cannot adequately express how so many have had so much fun live tweeting Killjoys, a very well done creative campy Space Opera.
Some reviewers said Killjoys would never make it past the first season. Team WHR was more than pleased that these so called critics were incorrect.
Last Dance:
Our Killjoys Team
Normally, we would include the one of great songs that are featured in our Killjoys episodic series analysis in what we refer to as our “Music News Series”. Each week over the past five seasons, fabulous songs and music themes have been utilized by the Killjoys composers.
However, the “Last Dance” introduction was so poignant, a story of life that all can relate to in this episode and the entire series, we decided to include the looping video clip above.
New Lord Governor Pree and Gared
As we begin our “Last Dance” analysis, let us reflect on the romantic pairings that were well set by the fifth season of Killjoys. As of “I Love Lucy” in season two, there were only three couples. The lovers then were confirmed as Johnny (Aaron Ashmore) and Pawter (Sarah Power), Dutch (Hannah John-Kamen) and D’avin (Luke Macfarlane). By the end of the series Gared (Gavin Fox) was reunited with Pree (Thom Allison) content in their love and relationship.
Killjoys S2 Bellus provides intel on how to control the shield
Three characters we had hoped would somehow return were Pippin (Atticus Mitchell) to Zeph, Bellus Haardy (Nora McLellan) and Pawter (Sarah Power). Pippin will be restored to The Quad to love Zeph.
But alas, as in life, Bellus and Pawter were casualties whose fate could not be altered by the end of the “Last Dance”, and perhaps can never be changed.
The best news in the “Last Dance”? Zeph will be reunited with Pippin, and Pree is to be promoted by episode end to the Governor General, the de-facto leader of Westerly by Delle Seyah Kendry (Mayko Nguyen)!
The Lady asks Jaq do you know who I am
To the sheer delight of Killjoys everywhere, we hear Lucy near the beginning and in group of a fun sequences near the end of the episode when she helps save our heroes from the clutches of The Lady (Alanna Bale).
The Lady is really a human being who has been enslaved by the vile alien out to conquer human kind. Thankfully, she is ultimately saved by the Killjoys from the hideous creatures aboard the mother ship who is planning to enslave humanity for all time!
On that note (pun intended), I am proud to confess that the opening sequence of the episode is so well done, that I listened to that 102 second portion of the “Last Dance” dozens of times on my DVR after the episode airing. I also listened on continuous loop while writing this analysis as inspiration.
A hug at the beginning of the end
After the epic flashback introduction segment of 102 seconds, our “Last Dance” episode opens with our Killjoys hero team giving each other a huge huge hug for good luck on a mountain top.
This after after Westerly has been decimated during the conflict creating many refugees in dire need of help which will be addressed if Pree survives to return to help the poor, helpless survivors.
As our heroes prepare their final mission, the assault on The Lady to free humanity from extinction and slavery, we all hope that everything goes well!
The Lady says time to rise little man to Jaq
Things appear to not be going well for Jaq (Jaeden Noel), The Lady has abducted him from the cube. In reality, Jaq is planning on using himself as bait and is preparing his mind for when she steals his body because it has special survivability powers.
Segue to Delle Seyah Kendry who has brought Aneela for an unexpected visit with the wealthy Kin Rits. Aneela and Delle Seyah demand weapons and ordnance for the coming war.
At first they suggest bringing it up at the next council meeting. However, there is simply no time for that, but they don’t care. When the Kin Rits learn Aneela is Hullen, they quickly change their minds and cooperate.
Khlyen and Dutch captured
Dutch is doing her part in the plan to trap The Lady away from her slavish guards on the mother ship, bringing a chained Khlyen to the Cube. Dutch’s plan is to use Khlyen as bait for The Lady allowing themselves to be captured.
Dutch utilizes a hologram transmitted to The Lady’s mother ship after letting The Lady know Khlyen will die from a time release poison she injected into his neck. The Lady comes to the Cube so she can say goodbye to Khlyen, but she has no intention of losing her chance to get Khlyen back!
Jaq has escaped from his cell on the mother ship and arrives to help save his father. Instead Jaq is shot by a guard. When he comes to, Jaq tells D’avin how he how he planned it after experiencing nightmarish visions of the future. The set up was deliberate to save his father and the Killjoys from The Lady.
The Lady makes them dance
The Lady infiltrates the cube, but what The Lady doesn’t know is that Lucy has activated a shield around the planet trapping The Lady. Next we see that The Lady has other powers to control Dutch and Khlyen.
She gives the antidote to the poison running through Khlyen’s system. Although distracted, The Lady tells Dutch she will be killed by Khlyen, first making then dance and point weapons at each other after placing mind control devices around their necks!
Zeph finds Pippin on The Ladys mother ship
Back on The Lady’s mother ship, Lucy has informed Zeph of an alert from one of the patients down in the ship’s laboratory. Zeph is perplexed since she had no patients in the laboratory.
When she goes exploring, she finds her lost love Pippin! Ripping Pippin out of a cocoon, it becomes apparent that The Lady has been keeping him, and other bodies imprisoned, no doubt for some evil experiments on human beings!
The Lady makes them point guns at each other
Inside the cube, The Lady is forcing Khlyen and Dutch to fight kill Dutch so she can save Khlyen. Dutch plunges a knife deep into his belly. After that, Dutch goes to town on the mind control collar The Lady placed on her neck.
Back on The Lady’s mother ship, D’avin, Johnny, and Jaq have placed a bomb inside an atmospheric control conduit that is connected to The Lady’s nursery of evil little aliens. The bomb is immediately sucked up and sent into the cell holding one of The Lady’s most developed evil baby aliens which is killed immediately paralyzing The Lady in the process. Dutch quickly shoots The Lady ending the stand off in the Cube.
Johnny’s beloved adopted sister Zeph
Meanwhile back in her own laboratory, Zeph remains a bit suspicious of Pippin’s health. Zeph is worrying that Pippin may still be infested with some sort of implanted organism from The Lady.
However, Pippin ready for some loving after being caccooned urges her to quit her scrutinizing his vitals and instead join him to celebrate his return at her side!
Dutch says I am going to miss this
The Killjoys and their reformulated cadre of bounty hunters are celebrating as well after defeating The Lady. Suddenly Turin (Patrick Garrow) arrives with some very bad news. The Lady had launched a fleet of baby alien ships to destinations outside The Quad prior to visiting the Cube!
The Lady and the Doll from the Box
We learn that that this is why Dutch did not kill The Lady since the Killjoys might need additional information from her in the future.
Dutch gives The Lady a clear cut choice. Tell them where the evil baby aliens are, or Dutch will kill her. The Lady is left in a room with a box that we learn contains a baby doll to let her think about things.
A kiss in the green too
As the episode winds down to a happy ending, we witness Aneela and Delle Seyah loving each other back in the green, safely sharing an infusion of the remaining green.
Finally Johnny is set on taking a vacation from his Killjoys duties as soon as he, D’avin and Dutch set out on one last mission together. They’re about to blast some some evil baby alien ass out of existence forever, or will they?!
Killjoys Dutch says she was dibs on the big alien one
Of interest to this editor and millions of fans the world over who cannot help but wonder if series creator Michele Lovretta will bring all of us more adventures in The Quad inspired by the “Last Dance” cliff hanger conclusion? With The Lady and her evil little alien monsters loose outside The Quad it would make for a great mini-series or a series of movies!
We certainly hope movies, spin-offs, or mini series become manifest in the future, because as Dutch said at the end of “Last Dance”… I am going to miss this!
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To the joy of science fiction time traveler fans the world over, Syfy executives announced earlier this year (in mid March), that the beloved 12 Monkeys has been renewed setting up the popular time travel science fiction series for a tumultuous ten episode fourth and final season.
Set to air in 2018, fans were absolutely astounded when they discovered a real treat, that the third season of 12 Monkeys would be a binge watch festival in the United States, with the entire third season to air this weekend beginning tonight on Syfy!
Mother Amanda Schull as Cassandra Railly
Season three of 12 Monkeys will air over three consecutive nights beginning today Friday, May 19 with four episodes, three episodes tomorrow and the final three episodes of season three concluding this Sunday, May 21, 2017.
In Canada, 12 Monkeys fans and admirers will enjoy the science fictions series which will be aired on Showcase beginning on May 24, 2017 with a regular weekly schedule.
Aaron Stanford as James Cole
Like many viewers in the current United States television environment, binge watching, pioneered by Netflix, is how television series are often watched. As Terry Matalas stated in an interview with TV Line; “this is how people like to consume this show. More and more, people just want to get it all at once, and this is a story [where] it’s great to have all the puzzle pieces fresh in your mind as you move on to the next episode.”
In the “end of time”, 12 Monkeys now graced with a fourth season, many admirers are sad that the series will end after the fourth season.
All of these outstanding actors are joined by new a new third season regular, Faran Tahir as Mallick.
AND as a superb special surprise, 12 Monkeys will feature a special guest star, none other than Christopher Lloyd of Back to the Future fame in “Nature”, the sixth episode of season three airing this Saturday May 20, 2017!
Emily Hampshire as Jennifer Goines
The third season will answer many questions left unanswered at the end of season two cliff hanger “Memory of Tomorrow”, ultimately setting up viewers for the culmination of terrific time travel events in season four. Specifically, this editor and many 12 Monkeys admirers will want to know more details on the following aspects of the story arc;
Will Cole find his lover in time Cassie, experience connubial bliss and raise a family?
Can Ramse’s son be saved?
Where is Jennifer in time, is she trapped forever, or can she be saved?
Just who is “The Witness” and why is he important to Cole and Cassie?
And, critically, what the heck is the ultimate plan of the Army of 12 Monkey’s to alter the timeline to fit their perverted plans to destroy humankind?
These and other exciting 12 Monkeys developments are coming to our screens tonight. With limited commercial interruptions, 12 Monkeys binge watch of season three is what can only be described as a true mini-series style event not witnessed (pun intended) in a very long time thanks to the great team at Syfy!
Sit back and enjoy the 12 Monkeys adventure this weekend time travelers.
I know that I will!
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If you thought the first two episodes of Incorporated were shockingly good, hang on to your hat, it gets better, or worse depending on where you live, Green Zone, Red Zone, FEMA Relocation Camps, or what appear to be third world cities of 2016, it gets worse, much worse!
In the third installment of an outstanding new series, we are witness to one of the most severe crimes imaginable, bacon theft! In a scene that is played a bit for humor, there is a more sinister aspect that those who serve others as house maids, are forced to commit theft to survive. And speaking of crimes, we will learn that governments sell portions of their citizens property to remain viable.
Viewers should consider the following question: Are these issues actually a reflection of reality many have experienced in 2016, and do they make you “Scream and Shout”?
Incorporated S1x03 The love between Ben and Elena blossoms
We will also learn more about the back story of Elena (Denyse Tontz) and Ben (Sean Teale) in scenes that reveal how their early relationship as children blossomed into love in the Dystopian world of Incorporated.
Another superb set of scenes witnessed are to what levels those we are led to believe are in power at SPIGA will stoop to in order to maintain their positions.
Would you believe that rats are served for lunch? No we are not talking about the corporate level type of rats, real rodents will be consumed in a series of scenes that are both disgusting, revealing and revolting at the same time!
Ben in the Red Zone, a third world type of hell hole
Such reflections are complete inside the world of Incorporated with third world cities that resemble many of the blighted areas within United States cities today that include Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Oakland, Detroit, Chicago, and the San Francisco Bay Area (among many others) where people live like animals on the streets.
This after 100 years of infiltration of Bloviating Bureaucrats within governments by misguided Marxist’s who have literally sucked the cities dry financially paying bloated salaries and pensions to themselves, literally leaving nearly 100 million poverty stricken in their wake of waste, fraud, and abuse!
Click to learn about John Dalberg-Acton aka 1st_Baron_Acton
In an irony that should not escape the general public, governments themselves are in fact corporate structures created by laws the people (via their representatives) either voted for, or where imposed on the citizens via the tyranny of dictators.
Within corporations, by-laws, a government structure of a sort, is what “governs” the activities of the people who run and work for them.
In either case, the results are often the same; creation of power structures over others by humans tends to lead to human abuse, mostly by governments.
An old adage “Power Tends to Corrupt, and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely” attributed to John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, (10 January 1834 – 19 June 1902) in a letter dated April 5, 1887, should be remembered in such regard.
Power via control
In the Incorporated episode “Human Resources”, we learn that things appear to have gotten much worse under corporate control, eclipsing governments as we know them in 2016.
People, the ultimate “Human Resources”, are simply objects to be manipulated to achieve corporate goals and objectives including sex slaves, brainwashing, and as we will learn, even murder of those furthest down the ladder of survival.
Sean Teale as Ben Larson, Denyse Tontz as Elena
Apparently, those closer to the top have NDA’s that do not allow the corporate structure to murder them, only erase their minds and throw them away like garbage.
Sex slaves like Elena on the other hand have less control over their NDA’s contents, and therefore can be murdered when they know too much from having slept with SPIGA executives while learning their secrets of power in the bedroom.
Laura helps Rachel
To be fair to humankind, governments and even corporations, there are many good people on Earth of all faiths, types, heritages, and lineages who have performed selfless tasks to aid others.
In “Human Resources” we will witness Laura (Allison Miller) being an extraordinary human being during her kindness to the Larson housekeeper Rachel (Stephanie Belding).
This editor sincerely believes that there must be at least a few more good people on Earth to compensate for the evil humans, or our race would have perished long ago.
Human Resources:
Officer Bucky of Inazagi
We begin the third episode of Incorporated in a nightmarish cartoon world at what appears to be an Inazagi Corporation children’s brainwashing academy.
The room is filled with young children who are being instructed to turn their parents into the Inazagi authorities for doing something, apparently virtually anything, that may bring harm to the “sacredness” of the corporation.
Krista Bridges as Diana Walters
It is here that we meet Inazagi Senior Vice President Diana Walters (Krista Bridges) who is observing the children being brainwashed to be obedient to the Inazagi corporate doctrine.
One is reminded of such efforts in our own time; misguided Marxists whom have invaded our education institutions with the malevolent mission to subvert the free will of students via their nefarious schemes of enslavement.
Similarly, the Nazi Germans of the 1930’s and Joseph Stalin in the 1920’s instituted such programs to keep their respective populations in line. In 2016, indoctrination occurs among many western civilizations using the vile practice of hiding the truth via so called “Political Correctness” (PC) brainwashing in our schools in specific, and in society in general.
Click to learn about thought police brainwashing
PC uses or I should say, has created, brainwash shaming. Such detestable activities have produced similar unfortunate results in 2016, with innocent people harmed or even killed because of the failure to recognize the truth about truly evil people masquerading under the guise of governments, charity, religion, or even corporations.
We all know that most children love cartoons, and are therefore relatively easy to indoctrinate using said medium.
Inazagi brainwashing academy
Watching the Inazagi kids being subjected to brainwashing made this sequence all the more disturbing and quite frightening. Sadly, many parents, even today, have little influence over their child’s development. Whether it is in 2074, or in 2016 for that matter, children come home with perverted ideas of others jammed into their brains for what are often evil Marxist social programming purposes.
This factor is evidenced in 2016 as witnessed by the university school age youth crying over the recent Presidential election in the United States. What were the results of such indoctrination gone amok?
So called safe spaces, Play-Doh palaver, safe coloring books with crayons, and pet therapy sessions, with classes cancelled on many universities, all to help the poor melting little “Snow Flakes” cope with reality. Sheez!
Seemingly harmless, the cartoon uses an Inazagi police officer dog named Bucky, a caricature of McGruff the Crime Dog.
We are sickened to hear the little waifs chanting in unison “If you hear something yucky, tell Officer Bucky!”.
The effect of kids being programmed to be stool pigeons for their corporate “benefactors” is also quite disgusting, well presented for maximum effect within the story arc of “Human Resources”!
We will learn a bit later that Inazagi executive Diana Walters is pregnant, horrified that such tactics will ultimately be used on her own child.
Demore Barnes as Inazagi EVP Richard Mason
Diana is planning to defect to SPIGA to ensure that her own child does not become a brainwashed “Snow Flake” under the iron fisted power of Inazagi corporation, which as we will learn, appears to have an edge over SPIGA in certain areas of technology.
During an introductory meeting led by Inazagi Executive Vice President Richard Mason (Demore Barnes), Diana whispers to Elizabeth “I have many miles to go before I sleep”, a quote from a Robert Frost poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” that began “But I have promises to keep…”
Julian calls a meeting of SPIGA Techs
Ben is among the top computer programmers within SPIGA’s Counter Intelligence Tech Division. These technical wizards have been called to a meeting with Julian (Dennis Haysbert) and Elizabeth (Julia Ormond).
This scene is subsequent to a video link with a SPIGA International executive portrayed by Rob Stewart of Killjoys fame.
Rob Stewart as SPIGA International
Elizabeth is warned sternly to “keep your house in order” after the Chad (David Hewlett) disaster revealed in the first and second episodes of Incorporated.
Plans are being made to recruit the Inazagi defector Diana Walters during an upcoming meeting between the two corporations with what Roger (Douglas Nyback) refers to as a “velvet curtain” to allow the transfer inside SPIGA during the meeting with Inazagi.
Ben finds Elena in a Red Zone restaurant
While the SPIGA executives plan the method, including the use of a murdered Arcadia sex slave that Ben fears is Elena, the action then takes us to the past via flashback to some six years earlier in a Red Zone city hellhole.
Elena is observed as a server at a restaurant where a glass of brackish water costs nearly six dollars! Ben, living up to his pledge to find Elena enters the restaurant, buys the water and exposes the wedding ring Elena gave to him when they were children. The scene is joyful and poignant as the two are reunited, but a bit disturbing as we see Elena’s hands trembling from her own education in 2074.
Elena at school
Elena is attending “school” in the Red Zone, a facility which is actually a recruiting instrument to prepare suitable candidates for a better life outside the Red Zone via fast paced drug induced computerized learning. Elena dons head phones and inserts a needle in her arm in what we learn later is an amphetamine drip bag.
During the scene, Elena passes out from convulsions as a panicked Ben watches from outside. Ben rushes to her rescue and takes her to his own “safe space”, a screaming place where he has learned to purge his own feelings of helplessness.
Back to the SPIGA and Inazagi gathering, first we are shown water served in the meeting. It is crystal clear and tasty looking. Diana drinks a lot of water to cover her trip to the ladies room to meet with Elizabeth. Diana is escorted by Inazagi security, only allowed privacy once she is inside the restroom.
Elizabeth meets with Diana
During the secret restroom meeting, Diana reveals what she will offer SPIGA to aid in her defection plans; Inazagi’s has created a super seed technology that allow crops to grow in deserts.
Diana states her defection requirements which Elizabeth accepts. We also learn that Inazagi has programmed their employees to be killed via a wireless computerized blood destruction chemical, which makes the successful defection of Diana a very difficult challenge.
Ben and Julian prepare the dead Arcadia sex slave
Ben has obtained permission to be present when the murdered Acardia sex slave is setup for the body double transfer arranged by Jonathan Hendrick (Damon Herriman). Ben is worried that the dead girl is Elena and makes sure he is part of the transfer by stating as SPIGA’s top programmer, only he can perform the switch quickly enough. Julian and Elizabeth agree.
During the pre swap attempt, Ben and Roger discuss with Julian that the murderous biological chemical “kill switch” inside Diana must be turned off by Inazagi for the defection to be accomplished seamlessly.
Sara Botsford as Ramona the hacker
Before all this comes to fruition, Roger has slipped out of SPIGA headquarters to find a way to deactivate the “Keyhole” hacker device that he obtained when Ben was forced to leave it in Julians office. During this trip to the Red Zone, we meet an unnamed Red Zone hacker named Ramona portrayed by veteran character actor Sara Botsford.
What is most intriguing about this meeting is that we had been led to believe that corporations such as SPIGA and Inazagi had a lock on high technology. Not so. This factor was suspected when we learned that Ben had the “Keyhole” in the first place.
Rachel explains why she stole the bacon
We move to Laura who is heading home. Earlier, her housekeeper Rachel was observed by viewers stealing a hunk of bacon worth $600! Rachel is being handled roughly by SPIGA security as Laura asks what is going on. Laura covers for Rachel telling the security team she gave the bacon to Rachel. Laura uses the bacon as a bargaining chip, letting the two company cops take it with them as a bribe.
Back in the Larson household, Rachel confesses to Laura that she only stole the to help pay for surgery for an ill young child living in her building. Laura suspects the child has a ruptured appendix and goes even further to help Rachel by instructing her to bring the child to her Green Zone home under a pretense.
Incorporated S1x04 Ben is called in as a doctor
Diana is setup to be poisoned in the meeting where Inazagi Executive Mason is conducting a hideous murder of a fat person referred to as a sacrifice while all the attendees wear brain scanners to partake in the “event” as the hapless victim is killed. Inducing a scratch, Diana falls to the ground.
Diana appears to be near death with the poison used known to kill within minutes convincing Inazagi executives she is dying.
Ben is called in as the SPIGA doctor to all involved the during the session between SPIGA and Inazagi. Inazagi executive Mason is tricked by Ben who states she has cardiac arrest to deactivate the blood tech that will kill Diana.
Next, Ben takes Diana to an elevator alone where she is revived and swapped for the murdered Arcadia sex slave who has been altered to look like Diana and programmed with her bio technology markers to complete the process of tricking Inazagi’s Richard Mason that the dead person is Diana.
Roger gets his hacker tool after a rodent luncheon
Back to the Red Zone. Ramona confirms that much is available in the Red Zone when Roger is reduced to begging for the technology to crack Ben’s “Keyhole”. The price he must pay? Chasing rats in the filthy sewer streets and eating the disgusting creature for lunch! Roger, obsessed with obtaining the SPIGA promotion and therefore have the power to blackmail Ben, agrees. Roger eats the rat raw in a truly horrendous scene that may come back to haunt him later.
Riot at the gates
In a quick scene switch, we are with Laura and SPIGA security who are dealing with a near riot at the compounds gates because Rachel’s entire apartment overheard that she is getting access to medical attention to save the child with the ruptured appendix. Laura is hit in the head as the guards implement anti-riot techniques to quell the unruly mob.
Elena’s ring
As the episode winds down to an intriguing conclusion, we are with Ben who is examining the Arcadia sex slaves belongings who was sacrificed to swap for Diana.
Inside the box of personal effects, Ben finds the wedding ring that Elena gave to him during their time in the relocation camp, that Ben had returned to Elena six years in the Red Zone years later.
Elena and Ben at the screaming place
This invokes a flashback in Ben’s mind when he and Elena had escape the computerized education center that nearly killed her. We find the two lovers on a roof top that Ben refers to as his “screaming place”.
Elena and Ben scream to relieve their tension while a nearby neighbor tells them to “shut the f_ck up!”. The scene ends with Ben and Elena kissing to seal their love vows made years earlier.
In a brief set of quick scenes, Elizabeth, Ben and Julian are with Diana and her baby who have survived to defect to SPIGA. Roger is witnessed barfing up the rat he just ate to obtain the “Keyhole” technology that Ramona has embedded in bio tech leaf. Ramona has video recorded Roger and cracked his contacts list on his “Apple” like watch threatening him that if he ever returns to harm her, she will send the video to everyone he knows!
Ben and Laura back at home
Ben returns home to a different reality away from SPIGA and to commiserate with Laura about their “boring days at work” that were in fact nightmares.
Why these two lie to one another is beyond me!
Ben fibs further, knowing he has the promotion nearly locked down, promising to accompany Laura to her doctor’s appointment planning for their pregnancy.
Julian tells the parents their daughter is dead
Julian, in a moment that demonstrates he is not all corporate monster, goes to visit the parents of dead Arcardia sex slave. At this point, we are still led to believe it is Elena.
The parents are surprised to see Julian, the mother is furious, slapping and threatening Julian who admits their daughters body cannot be returned for burial. The father intervenes stating “this man can have us all killed!”. Julian, appearing to be sincere leaves their apartment “I’m sorry, I cannot imagine anything worse than losing a child”.
Elena appears before Ben and Theo
The last two scenes are good news. Ben, with Elena’s ring, is visiting Theo (Eddie Ramos) to give him the news Elena is dead. As the two begin to deal with the apparent death of Elena, Ben passes the ring to Theo.
We learn that Elena has programmed the ring to scan the DNA of whoever is holding it. Elena, we learn is alive. The video message warns Theo that she is worried that her own NDA will result in having her memories erased. And that she will always love her little brother.
Roger coughs up a rat fur ball
The very last scene finds us with rat eater Roger and the ‘Keyhole” hacking device that previously belonged to Ben which, thanks to Ramona, he has cracked. Scanning the contents, Roger stumbles upon Ben’s secret surveillance of Elena. Human rat Roger is certain he can now blackmail Ben, but is interrupted by a coughing spasm producing a bunch of rat hair from his less than tasty lunch earlier in the Red Zone.
Personally, I hope that Roger the rat gets what he deserves, choking to death on a rat fur ball and a pine box in 2074!
Join #TeamWHR each Wednesday at 10pm on Syfy in the United States and Showcase in Canada when the enjoyable, exciting and intriguing story of Incorporated continues!
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The second episode of Incorporated is a whirlwind of activity that happens so quickly, it is difficult to keep pace with the revelations about the absolute Power of an Incorporated #SPIGA!
Are you “Ready To Go” to the crazed corrupt corporate world of 2074 which makes government and corporate corruption we are aware of in 2016 appear to be a blithe walk in the park!?
Incorporated Season 1 – Julia Ormond as Elizabeth Krauss, Dennis Haysbert as Julian — (Photo by: Gavin Bond/Syfy)
The Gestapo like tactics implemented by Julian Morse (Dennis Haysbert) under orders from SPIGA United States executive Elizabeth Krauss (Julia Ormond) against their employees rises to new heights in “Downsizing”, or should we say sinks to new lows of inhumanity in an episode that is riveting.
The results of such activities are striking; Innocent children are ripped from their parents arms, innocent families are thrown out their homes and arrested for questioning in detention having done absolutely nothing wrong.
A SPIGA NDA ends by being thrown on the street in the Red Zone
We learn that former SPIGA executives accused of wrongdoing have their minds erased, completely wiped clean, giving Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA’s) an entirely new meaning!
The “reward”? Hapless victims are thrown from SPIGA security vehicles into the streets of the Red Zone to complete their “contract” with the company that they worked their butts off for!
FEMA relocation camp
We also learned that the United States government has not been completely eradicated playing a useful role to the least fortunate in the world of 2074.
In a flashback sequence we find out that there is a place worse than the Red Zone, United States FEMA Relocation camps where “citizens” are housed until they can escape to a better life in the Red Zone, or by the grace of God, obtain access to the much coveted luxuries of life in the SPIGA dominated Green Zone.
Eddie Ramos as Theo (Photo by: Ben Mark Holzberg/Syfy)
One of the “tickets” to the Green Zone is via entertainment, in specific, cage matches arranged by folks like Terrence (Ian Tracey) who is a ruthless former fighter, and his henchman Semo (Pedro Miguel Arce) seeking to take their top fighter to the private fighting matches that are sought after by Green Zone inhabitants.
Speaking of governments, Incorporated appears to heap disdain on the governments of the world. Yet SPIGA is a multinational corporation apparently with branches worldwide in many if not all countries. Compared to the behavior of SPIGA, republic style governments, such as the United States are absolute angels.
Dennis Haysbert as Julian, Sean Teale as Ben Larson
Does proof of such government beneficence versus the complete ruthlessness of SPIGA exist in 2016 for and by citizens? Yes it does. Citizens have rejected governments who have resorted to Marxism.
In the United States, recent losses (since 2010) of misguided Marxists prove beyond doubt that this former ruling party has been disgraced with over 1,000 defeats in national and state political contests.
Worse yet for the misguided Marxists in the United States; they have lost control of a majority of state legislatures and Governorships despite decades of failed attempts to bribe voters with freebies.
With the exception of a few areas on the coasts, power has been taken away from these thieves by citizen voters who reject their taxes being squandered on illegal aliens, terrorist refugees and waste fraud abused by so called welfare, instead of taking care of our veterans and helping corporations create good paying jobs for citizens.
Incorporated road to the future today
In Incorporated, corporate citizens have no such vote.
Even at the lofty heights of the fortieth floor, any and all who work there can be dismissed upon a whim, a mere suspicion, quickly subjected to torture, dismissal and loss of everything they had worked for.
Kind of makes a person look fondly at life in 2016 does it not?
Downsizing:
Young Ben aka Aaron in the FEMA camp
Subsequent to the previously on Incorporated segment, we witness Ben (Sean Teale) as a young man portrayed by Tomaso Sanelli in a FEMA Climate Change Relocation camp. This long before the beginning of Ben’s climb to power inside SPIGA corporation.
Aaron (young Ben) has hacked a FEMA set of goggles that allow him to scan things and break into FEMA food rationing dispensing machines. During his opening scene, Aaron is caught feigning blindness while begging for money.
Young Ben aka Aaron in the with Elena in the FEMA camp
Aaron is saved by a young Elena (Lescia Andrews). The two feast on the foodstuffs Aaron retrieved from the FEMA rationing machine
Prior to seeing young Aaron with young Elena, we are shocked to witness young Aaron’s father commit suicide by falling backwards from the top of a building.
Subsequent to his father’s self inflicted death, Aaron meets Reed (Damon Herriman), who Aaron ran from to be saved by Elena.
Reed later known as Jonathan
Reed will later become known as Jonathan Hendrick, a Human Resources specialist at SPIGA. Before Aaron becomes Ben, during their time at the FEMA camp at the Milwaukee airport, Aaron and Ben become inseparable as they use Ben’s computer hacking skills to survive their harsh existence.
The two enter a partnership of survival fleshing out the back story of how Ben and Jonathan Hendrick (Reed) who were ultimately able to forge credentials to infiltrate SPIGA.
Details on how this was accomplished have yet to be revealed. What we do learn is that outside of Theo (Eddie Ramos), Jonathan Hendrick is the only other individual who knows Ben’s true identity.
The wedding ring Elena will give Ben
Ben/Aaron falls in love with young Elena during their time together in the hideous FEMA camp. Fate is ultimately kind to Elena whose aunt has arranged for their family to find full time employment in a Red Zone area outside the filthy Milwaukee airport.
Ben/Aaron is heartbroken but happy for Elena that she is escaping the drudgery of the camp. Aaron vows to Elena “I’ll find you,” who says “Out there?” Elena gives Aaron a necklace that contains her late mother’s wedding ring in case he needs it to trade for food or survival.
Incorporated S1x02 Ben back at SPIGA USA (Photo by: Ben Mark Holzberg/Syfy)
The flashback ends returning the viewer to SPIGA in the series timeline. We know that Ben is seeking to be accepted by SPIGA for the position formerly held by “Quiet Room” inhabitant Chad Peterson (David Hewlett).
Ben is obviously a very smart character having survived the corrupt FEMA relocation camps.
Ben knows that getting Chad’s position will provide him access to Elena by being able to arrange a visit to Arcadia sex club where Elena (Denyse Tontz) currently works.
Chad is tortured by Julian
Meanwhile, poor Chad Peterson has become a “guest” of Julian Morse (Dennis Haysbert) in the SPIGA “Quiet Room” where Chad is being tortured without mercy for his crimes against the corporation by Julian.
Despite his denials to Julian, he does admit that he visited the Red Zone and was in a club with SPIGA’s competitor “Inazagi”. Chad blames Ben for the outing, a detail Julian will certainly follow up on.
Ben is ordered to stay in his office until summoned by Julian
Ben is ordered to remain in his office by SPIGA security. Things appear to be going south for Ben when he is summoned for questioning by Julian about the drunken adventure in the Red Zone with Chad.
Unfortunately for Ben, he has his computer hacking disc on his person that he has used to track Elena and view the torture of Chad.
Ben is saved by a call to his mother in laws office, Elizabeth Krauss, head of SPIGA United States division. Ben hastily stashes the disc under Julian’s desk, a mistake that will haunt him later in the episode.
Ben is saved when Julian has The Whistler not his hacking disc
Things go from bad to worse for Ben when Julian demands that he explain why he had forbidden SPIGA tech.
Ben looks worried that Julian found his hacking disc, only to find out Julian has found “The Whistler”. Ben blames Chad for this oversight and that it was Chad’s idea to go to the Red Zone.
Julian is suspicious and plans to extract the truth from Chad. This plan goes awry when Elizabeth has ordered that Chad’s NDA be executed.
In the world of 2074, corporate NDA’s are enforced by erasing the memories of traitorous executives!
Laura witnesses Chad’s wife Fiona hauled away by SPIGA’s wife Fiona hauled away by SPIGA
In one of the saddest scenes of the episode, Laura (Allison Miller) witnesses Chad’s wife Fiona (Elizabeth Whitmere) and their young children being hauled off by SPIGA security for no good reason other than they are Chad’s family.
Laura has witnessed this type of SPIGA activity previously and feels sorry for Fiona and the kids.
After visiting with the now detained Fiona inside the SPIGA security facility, Laura reluctantly agrees to speak with her mother at SPIGA headquarters to see what, if anything can be done to save them from being simply disposed of by the company.
Allison Miller as Laura Larson, Sean Teale as Ben Larson
Bumping into Ben on the way to see dear Mom, Laura shares with Ben that she must do something to help Chad’s family. Tragically, Laura goes nowhere with her mother Elizabeth using her own pending approval as a bargaining chip.
Elizabeth accuses Laura of black mail, but does agree to help. Later we learn when Laura visits Fiona again that her two children will remain in the Green Zone, but as foster children for a childless couple.
Fiona knows this is the only hope for her kids who would otherwise, like herself be thrown like garbage into the Red Zone.
Terrence and Semo recruit Theo
Speaking of the Red Zone, in the pilot episode we found out that Theo had become a good street fighter during his fight for survival.
In “Downsizing” Theo has been recruited by Terrence and his right hand man Semo (Pedro Miguel Arce) to become a fall guy in an upcoming cage match.
Terrence promises Theo that is he cooperates, it could be his ticket to a life of luxury in cage matches conducted in the Executive Club in the Green Zone.
Theo, seeking a way to somehow save his sister Elena, agrees to join Terrence ans Semo’s fight club to earn a chance at a better life in the Green Zone.
Sayeed offers Theo his T-Bone steak
In the “Green Room” waiting for the cage match, Theo meets his cage match opponent named Sayeed (Rob Archer).
Sayeed shares that everything will be okay, that Theo is there is make a good fight, take a fall and proceed up the ladder in Terrence and Semo’s fight club.
Sayeed even offers Theo a T-Bone steak which Theo will later use to stab his opponent and turn the tables on Sayeed against Terrence’s wishes.
A literally brainwashed Chad on the street in the Red Zone
We then find out that the execution of the NDA Chad agreed to is in progress. Julian is furious that Elizabeth ordered his mind erased before he could confirm all the details of Ben’s story. Nevertheless, we witness a mind erased Chad thrown into the streets of the Red Zone completely unaware of his past life.
It is of some interest to this reviewer that SPIGA does not simply kill former executives like Chad as part of their NDA. After all, dead people leave no “loose ends”. One would think with all the other criminal activity SPIGA regularly undertakes, that murder would not be frowned on at the corporate level of corruption inherent in Incorporated.
However, by leaving Chad alive, and with Fiona certain to be ejected into the Red Zone by SPIGA, this editor hopes that the Incorporated writers will allow Chad and Fiona to somehow be reunited later in the story arc. It would be nice if they can rescue their kids, and ultimately seek revenge on Julian, Elizabeth and all those at SPIGA who have wronged them!
Sayeed is murdered by Terrence
Conversely, murder is apparently a regular activity in the lawless Red Zone. Subsequent to Theo’s victory, in a visit with an enraged Terrence, whose “ticket” (Sayeed) to the Green Zone has been lost.
Terrence goes postal and kills Sayeed by smashing his head with one of his old “number two” trophies that never allowed him to gain access to the Green Zone.
Theo is shocked by the penalty Sayeed pays as a blood spattered Terrence states; “Guess your my ticket now, kid” (to the Green Zone).
Elizabeth acts to save Laura and Ben
In the final sequences, we suspect that Ben has escaped detection for the time being, however, only with Elizabeth’s help.
Elizabeth obviously had Chad’s mind erased in order to also help her daughter maintain her status in the Green Zone.
One can only wonder if Julian Morse will seek a higher corporate power level, say at SPIGA International, in order to hold Elizabeth accountable for her actions in this dog eat dog corporate world of 2074 that seems a lot like corporate life in the present reality of 2016?
Roger examines Ben’s hacker disc
In a final flashback sequence, we learn that Roger (Douglas Nyback), Ben’s corporate adversary in competition for Chad’s job, had spied on Ben leaving the hacker disc under Julian’s table.
One can only wonder if Ben is really safe?
Will Elizabeth see that Ben is promoted?
Will Roger now be in a position to blackmail Ben?
Laura and Roger have sex in the driveway
Last but not least, after a harrowing day for both of our Green Zone citizens, Ben and Laura have sex in their car driveway, thankful that they have survived the tribulations they encountered… for now!
All in all, “Downsizing” is a delightful second episode setting up the remaining eight episodes of Incorporated season one earning the series to date an A Plus!
Going a bit out on a limb, with the quality of the acting, writing, directly, special effects, and a story arc that dovetails the general public’s disdain for corporations and the wealthy, typified by the recent elections in the United States, can there be any doubt Incorporated will be renewed?
As Republica would say, #TeamWHR is “Ready To Go” each Wednesday at 10pm on Syfy in the United States and Showcase in Canada when the enjoyable, exciting and entrancing story of Incorporated continues!
Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family by clicking one of the icons below. We thank you for visiting and express our sincere gratitude.
One of the most imaginative, daring and impressive new series, Incorporated, brings tomorrow to our television screens today!
The exciting new science fiction series Incorporated, based on the perceived power of corporations in the present day, begins in the year 2074.
However, the world of Incorporated 2074 could well be mistaken for 2016! We had the honor of viewing the pilot episode of Incorporated at San Diego Comic-Con 2016 where we were ecstatic to witness firsthand the brilliance of this new series making corporations the villains, a superb subject always of interest to citizens across the globe!
Writing credits include talented Molly Nussbaum and Aiyana White, as well as David and Frank Pastor who created the incredible Incorporated series. The Pastor’s also direct episodes in season one, including the intriguing pilot episode “Vertical Mobility”.
Incorporated Season 1 Julia Ormond as Elizabeth Krauss
Incorporated S1x01 in the Red Zone Sean Teale as Ben, Saad Siddiqui as Marcus, Alex Castillo as Susan, David Hewlett as Chad
Main leading characters are rounded out by Ben Larson who is portrayed by English actor Sean Teale and his confederate Theo, portrayed by Eddie Ramos. Both are relative newcomers who do superb work in the series. Well known supporting actors include Ian Tracey as Terrence, Elizabeth Whitmere as Fiona, and Demore Barnes as Mason, as well as an outstanding ensemble cast.
The incredible world of Incorporated will righteously reveal the secrets of corporate life in a Utopian existence versus the Dystopian reality faced by the less fortunate in an entertainment masterpiece where several of the characters have penetrated the gated communities for their own plan to make things better for everyone!
San Diego Comic-Con Incorporated Cafe:
TeamWHR also made sure to make time during our fun filled six day stay in San Diego to visit the incomparable Incorporated Cafe at Mary Jane’s in San Diego under the Hard Rock Hotel.
Despite a very busy schedule, I looked forward to having had breakfast with a Syfy Executive (no name dropping here, so do not ask), when we spent about an hour discussing the past and future WormholeRiders News Agency adventures that began over eight years ago.
More importantly, we had a chance to revel in what was happening at SDCC 2016 with many exciting panels and screenings being conducted by one of our most favorite networks ever, the one and only Syfy!
During our time in San Diego for Comic-Con 2016, TeamWHR attending staff also ran into several other media friends at the Incorporated Cafe in San Diego who talked about the exciting (and at that time) the upcoming Incorporated Blog at Syfy.
Everyone was astounded at the cool cafe all decked out to usher in a top notch new science fiction series.
It was evident that no expense was spared by Syfy in turning the cafe into an immersive experience, making the breakfast I enjoyed there there a delightful memorable experience!
Corporations as Villains:
True to the facts manifest on Earth in the present time in 2016, corporations have indeed become the power from which many governments either cower in terror, attempt to manipulate, and/or demand bribes from.
INCORPORATED Season:1 Julia Ormond as Elizabeth Krauss, Dennis Haysbert as Julian Morse (Photo by: Gavin Bond/Syfy)
With their ability to move across national boundary lines and set up production away from the meddling influence of western governments, Corporations like those envisioned in Incorporated often favor countries where bribery and slavery are sadly a way of life.
This is exactly what SPIGA leader Elizabeth Krauss (Julia Ormond) and her head of security Julian Morse (Dennis Haysbert) in the United States appear to rely on in their ongoing quest for money, power and influence over their workers at SPIGA.
INCORPORATED Season:1 Sean Teale as Ben Larson, Allison Miller as Laura Larson (Photo by: Gavin Bond/Syfy)
In this corrupt Dystopian vision of the future, imagined Climate Change has long since decimated the planet Earth. Poverty, disease, famine are rampant, and the waning power of governments has been replaced by corporations such as the series focus firm, SPIGA.
Governments, long known for overspending, overtaxing taxing their citizens, engaging in what is in effect looting society, producing poverty and no real jobs, have, in the Incorporated world of 2074, become bankrupt entities.
Now in Incorporated, governments are mere vestiges of their former selves, with little power when compared to multinational corporations whom have taken control of Earth, in effect controlling some 90% of our fair planet in 2074, governments like the United States are toast!
Is this vision of corporations being evil not much different from what many think is happening today, and what has been happening for as long as recorded history can recall? Not really. Such has been a favorite topic of writers and entertainment producers for ages!
Historical Perspective:
INCORPORATED Season:1 Eddie Ramos as Theo, Sean Teale as Ben Larson (Photo by: Gavin Bond/Syfy)
Before proceeding with our analysis of Incorporated, let us take a brief look back in history to when the United States government went to war with the so called “Robber Barons” of the late nineteenth and into the twentieth century with some specific examples; Standard Oil, AT&T, Western Electric, GTE, and Verizon.
If one looks closely to what was considered a “victory” at the time, companies such as Standard Oil merely bypassed the anti-trust acts of those times, setting up individual energy corporations within each state to blunt the actions of the United States government.
In reality, each of these individual energy companies became all powerful themselves. So what did the government actually accomplish?
INCORPORATED Season:1 Sean Teale as Ben Larson — (Photo by: Gavin Bond/Syfy)
Little, if anything, was accomplished. Governments who step outside of their traditional roles of protecting their citizens from real enemy powers (seeking conquest) are too often motivated by theft in their own right to maintain their own power and lavish lifestyle at their expense of the country and citizens they pledge to serve.
A similar anti-trust move against AT&T that began in 1974 was a failure. Completed in 1982, AT&T was mandated by anti-trust statute’s to break up what was known as “Ma Bell” which provided outstanding, high quality telephone service to virtually all of Canada and the United States.
Ultimately producing similar results to the so called break up of Standard Oil, AT&T retained long distance telephone services, breaking up the giant communications corporation into regional operating subsidiaries known as Regional Bell Operating Companies, which would be freed from purchasing all telephone equipment from Western Electric, considered part of the AT&T monopoly.
ATT Verizon Market Share 2016. Image courtesy Statista
However, the effect in these and other cases was both temporary and largely transitory.
If one looks closely at Verizon Communications, made up of an AT&T “break up” marriage between Bell Atlantic and General Telephone & Electric Corporation (GTE), the largest independent competitor of AT&T prior to the anti-trust action, Verizon and AT&T now have a near complete monopoly with sixty-eight percent of the United States market place with the other thirty-two percent split up between smaller communications firms; Sprint, Metro PCS, US Cellular and T-Mobile.
Incorporated S1x02 “Downsizing” Eddie Ramos as Theo (Photo by: Ben Mark Holzberg/Syfy)
Many consider the fight to breakup large corporations such as AT&T and Standard Oil to be a huge mistake, allowing corrupt Communist Nations such as China and Russia, working like thieves over many decades, to steal patents, equipment designs, and manipulate their currency to dominate markets across the globe.
When coupled with use of slave labor to undercut product pricing, a disaster ensues for citizens who lose their jobs to the hapless Communist Chinese slaves and Chinese Tibetan slaves, in addition to Russian slaves and North Korean slaves, who like any other peoples of Earth are good human beings now held in bondage. The actual problem of course is the corrupt Communist governments themselves, not the corporations who provide good paying jobs.
INCORPORATED “Pilot” Vertical Mobility. Dennis Haysbert as Julian — (Photo by: Ben Mark Holzberg/Syfy)
What is the worst aspect of the allowing Communist governments to grow their monopolies instead of working constructively with Corporations in the western world?
Many of the same corporate characters, and dozens of other international multinational corporations, have moved their production facilities inside Communist China where torture, as depicted in the pilot episode, is the norm. In effect these corporations are completely insulated from western government control in Canada, the United States and Europe.
These corrupt Communist governments, often demanding bribes from the corporations, then dump products inside other countries to build their own monopolies at the expense of the citizens of the Canada, Europe and United States who they claim (the western governments) were attempting to protect citizens from in the first place. What sheer hypocrisy!
INCORPORATED S1x01 Sean Teale as Ben Larson inside the SPIGA beast (Photo by: Ben Mark Holzberg/Syfy)
Making corporations the villain in Incorporated is an age old favorite of Socialists, Marxists and Communists whom have often infiltrated western society for their nefarious schemes including outright stealing from citizens to fund their never ending claim that Utopia is just around the corner if only citizens would give them more power and money. Naturally, such bunk is sheer propaganda.
In Incorporated, the SPIGA Corporation is portrayed as such, a governmental replacement, a power mad Utopian construct, offering luxury to those who follow the rules. If you are “in the club” and follow the rules, life is good, replete with good food (Bacon!), good clothing, a great social life, good pay, and good housing.
INCORPORATED Dennis Haysbert as Julian in the Quiet Room (Photo by: Gavin Bond/Syfy)
If you cross The Powers That Be (TPTB), “in the Incorporated club”, you will get to visit “The Quiet Room”, a place of torture used by SPIGA to maintain absolute control over their executives and workforce! Therefore, life may become an evil place for anyone who is not following the rules of the “Incorporated club” as viewers witnessed in the pilot episode “Vertical Mobility”.
If a person is not fortunate enough to be “in the Incorporated club”, citizens are doomed to a Dystopian existence, an underprivileged life, filthy living conditions, bad food, and in a poke at criminal illegal immigrants, Incorporated makes good use of political satire when it is revealed that a new wall will be built (perhaps by Donald Trump’s young son?) in 2074 to try and control the flow of United States citizens illegally entering Canada!
Vertical Mobility:
In the elevator on way to work
The pilot episode opens with the following montage lines: “Corporations fight a covert war for market share and dwindling natural resources.
Those who work for them live protected behind the walls of the Green Zones. Those who don’t are left to fend for themselves in the slums of the Red Zones”.
As the black screen text fades, we are in an elevator with two of the SPIGA Green Zone young executives, friends of Ben Larson (Sean Teale).
On the way to the Quiet Room
All appears to be normal as Marcus (Saad Siddiqui) takes his ride on the elevator to work until they reach the floor where their office is located.
We are suddenly shocked when the elevator opens to see two armed guards escorting someone with a black hood over their head. We will learn quickly that any such recalcitrant employees are rounded up, headed to the “Quiet Room” to be interrogated by Julian Morse for violating any of the SPIGA Incorporated employment policy guidelines.
Ben with Laura at their luxurious home
Viewers will also learn as we proceed with Incorporated, that Ben is a computer hacker who has forged his own employment credentials to become part of SPIGA. This becomes apparent when he slips with his wife about the requirements to have a child when we see the two at their fine home before Ben heads off to work.
It will become obvious that Ben is seeking advancement by rigging the SPIGA ruling class system to achieve his own plans and goals. The exciting aspect of Incorporated is the adventure viewers will embark on to learn what Ben is actually up to!
Ben and Laura learn about a terrorist bombing
We learn that some sort of terrorist group has bombed a SPIGA Research and Development lab. Ben seems to take an interest in this story for reasons we will learn about as the episode progresses.
As Ben prepares at home to arrive at SPIGA, tongue in cheek news is observed that Rhode Island is about to be destroyed by a 2074 Hurricane named.
As mentioned above, our neighbor to the north, Canada, has implemented a Donald Trump of 2016 style “Build The Wall” strategy to combat illegal immigration from the United States!
Ben and Laura eat bacon for breakfast
We find out that Ben lives in a luxury home in the gated community known as Stanford Mills with his gorgeous wife Laura (Allison Miller).
Ben and Laura regularly get to eat real bacon for a wholesome nourishing breakfast while Red Zone denizens are likely starving to death!
This before Ben climbs into his self-driving luxury car for the journey through the blighted Red Zone area to get to work at the SPIGA corporation high rise tower.
Incorporated Pilot David Hewlett as Chad, Sean Teale as Ben
Back at SPIGA headquarters, Chad Peterson (David Hewlett) and Ben are working on “Everclear” (no not the 100 proof grain alcohol). Everclear is a computer program designed reveal what a suspect individual is thinking and dreaming.
The “Everclear” program is of special interest to Julian Morse, SPIGA’s Gestapo like head of security.
Unfortunately, “Everclear” is not yet entirely accurate, so Julian will have to continue to rely on a more tried and true technique to obtain information to enforce obedience at SPIGA, torture!
Laura making new faces for boyfriends of wealthy women
We segue to Laura who is employed by a company named Renascienta Cosmetic Design.
Renascienta is a cosmetic surgery company that operates on men to make them look like what their wealthy women lovers desire them to be.
This editor is certain that the Renascienta face changing technology will become an important part of the Incorporated story arc as episodic time progresses.
Incorporated S1x01 Sean Teale as Ben, Allison Miller as Laura
After work during dinner at an opulent restaurant, Ben learns that Laura has been approved to have a baby, no doubt receiving the nod from his mother-in-law Elizabeth Strauss, the leader of the United States branch of SPIGA corporation.
Ben appears to be unfamiliar with the facts that corporations work with each other to institute effective population control. Population control helps make certain there is sufficient amounts of bacon for their loyal employees.
Ben uses SPIGA computers to locate Elena
As the episode progress, It becomes apparent that Ben does have an ulterior motive, and does not really love Laura. Ben has been using SPIGA to locate his true love, a young woman named Elena (Denyse Tontz) who had vanished. We also learn when Ben meets with Theo (Eddie Ramos) that Ben has obtained a hacked identity many years earlier. Ben’s actual name is Aaron.
Ben has been using SPIGA’s vast computer network for years and has finally found Elena. That is the good news.
Ben gets Chad drunk to obtain a blood sample
Unfortunately, Elena has been transferred by her corporation to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she is working in a posh sex resort named Arcadia.
After a day of work at SPIGA, during a night out with the gang, Ben hatches his plot to setup his boss, the despicable Chad, whose job he covets, by taking him out on an illegal adventure in the Red Zone.
Ben is successful in getting Chad drunk enough to obtain a genetic blood sample to be able access Chad’s computer system to complete his scheme to overthrow Chad.
Incorporated S1x01 Eddie Ramos as Theo
As the episode winds down after Ben has obtained a genetic blood sample from Chad, we meet Theo (Eddie Ramos). We find out Theo is Elena’s brother, Ben’s lost love.
Theo is Ben’s former Red Zone best friend before he infiltrated SPIGA via his hacked identity, Ben expresses sincere concern for Theo’s harsh life in the Red Zone.
Likewise, Theo expresses genuine concern about Ben. Theo is very worried that Ben is becoming too enamored, in fact addicted to his luxurious SPIGA lifestyle.
Ben uses The Whistler to make Chad ill
In the morning, back at work, Ben obtains access to a SPIGA anti-riot device known as The Whistler. The Whistler produces vomiting in the intended target. Chad quickly flees to the restroom.
Ben hacks into Chad’s office computer using the stolen blood sample he obtained the evening before downloading some SPIGA company secrets. Ben’s ruthless deviousness will pay off when he plants the computer disk on Chad to get him removed from his position via an unscheduled visit with Julian in the “Quiet Room”.
Chad is arrested after Ben set him up
As the episode ends, Ben’s plan comes to fruition as Chad is arrested by Julian’s henchmen in the SPIGA lobby.
Chad being arrested will provide Ben with the inside track to a promotion in order to be able to reunite with his life long love Elena.
The final sequence finds Chad’s with the traditional hood over his head removed.
Chad is inside the “Quiet Room” where Julian tells him that everything Chad heard about the “Quiet Room” is true!
Julian prepares to torture Chad
Poor Chad will no doubt be subjected to torture by Julian to reveal why he stole SPIGA secrets? The real question we must consider is whether or not Julian learns about what Ben is really up to in his quest to find Elena?
The incredible story of Incorporated continues each Wednesday at 10pm on Syfy. This editor for one will be watching with baited breath for this long anticipated series about life in the future of tomorrow, grounded in the perception of corporations today. We suggest all viewers who love a great story, imaginative science fiction, action, romance, intrigue and adventure to do so as well!
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Van Helsing is a superbly produced series, with an intriguing story, fine actors, great writers, believable sets and costumes. Therefore, subsequent to a bit of time to review the episodes aired to date, members of TeamWHR including Senior Producer Lori Glumac and Editor Holly Wilson and I have decided to provide complete coverage and analysis of this outstanding new series in the near future!
The pilot version of “Help Me” shown at San Diego Comic-Con 2016 was in itself outstanding with an exciting opening episode when we were introduced to main series characters Vanessa Van Helsing (Kelly Overton), Axel Miller (Jonathan Scarfe), and as we found out to our joy, a baseball bat wielding hero named Sam (Christopher Heyerdahl).
A pleasant, but not unexpected surprise was that the broadcast version contained several enhancements, including an opening montage, slicker VFX, and a back story reference about the beginning of “The Rising” of vampires that began three years earlier in 2016.
The new Syfy series Van Helsing brings us to the present time where we meet Vanessa Van Helsing. Vanessa is to become the resurrected daughter of the famous vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, an avowed enemy of Dracula and all vampires.
Van Helsing S1x01 Vanessa unconscious in the hospital
Originally introduced as a vampire and monster hunter character in the famous Bram Stoker Gothic Horror novel Dracula published in 1897, the character of Abraham Van Helsing, is described in chapter nine of the novel:
“He is a seemingly arbitrary man, this is because he knows what he is talking about better than any one else. He is a philosopher and a metaphysician, and one of the most advanced scientists of his day, and he has, I believe, an absolutely open mind. This, with an iron nerve, a temper of the ice-brook, and indomitable resolution, self-command, and toleration exalted from virtues to blessings, and the kindliest and truest heart that beats, these form his equipment for the noble work that he is doing for mankind, work both in theory and practice, for his views are as wide as his all-embracing sympathy” .
As we meet Vanessa in the new Van Helsing series, we have been excited to witness that our savior apparently shares many of the family characteristics of her famous fictional relative.
We are unsure if Vanessa’s relationship to Abraham Van Helsing is a direct line since his son was reputed to have died in the original story line.
This brings us to the critical question: Could Abraham Van Helsing have sired other children?
According to the new series, this must have happened! This is the wonderful nature of science fiction , anything is possible!
A question therefore, since Dracula was written nearly 120 years ago, we must ask; just how long has Vanessa Van Helsing been “sleeping”?
NBC Dracula Thomas Kretschmann as Abraham van Helsing choked by Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Alexander Grayson (Dracula)
Following a large number of successful Dracula movies and television series that deal with vampires, as well as spin off stories such as The Vampire Diaries, the promise of Van Helsing is too bring a fresh look at the legendary story that has entranced millions for over ten decades.
A scant few years ago, a superb Dracula series that we covered with glee here at #TeamWHR, whetted our whistles for more details of the legendary Van Helsing adventures to fight monsters and vampires.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Dracula in Let There Be Light
Dracula, the most recent series on NBC (2013-2014), received rave reviews and good ratings, but was cancelled after the first season due to reported health issues of the series star, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who was combating a reported narcotic addiction at the time in question.
Rhys Meyers career has recovered since those darker days, with this Irish actor appearing in the television mini-series Roots (2016), and a load of new roles coming in 2017. This includes a role in the new History Channel hit series The Vikings.
A guest starring role as Dracula in Van Helsing would be nice icing on the cake in this Editor’s opinion!
Van Helsing character named Flesh attempts to feed on Vanessa
In the re-imagined Syfy series Van Helsing, Vanessa Van Helsing has acquired an immunity to the vampires. This factor is important to the story arc, which in of itself may be a death sentence to any of the current reality vampires should they attempt to feed upon her.
This immunity factor is certain to protect our new savior and perhaps cure others who have become infected by vampires as we will learn in the pilot episode “Help Me”.
Vanessa has an immunity to vampires and heals quickly
From the first moment Vanessa awakens, after being resurrected to a nightmarish reality where vampires have taken over the world as we know it.
We here at #TeamWHR are more than pleased to know that Vanessa Van Helsing, once she remembers her lineage, will protect us from the horror that has overrun the Earth!.
Vampires roam the streets looking for victims
The certain element of harm represented by the vampires roaming the streets in search of victims, will undoubtedly become a focal point in the fight to overcome the vampires that have become manifest on our fair planet after a volcanic eruption that has unleashed the blood sucking devils on Earth in an action science fiction based story of the rise of vampires in modern times!
With these thoughts in mind, we here at #TeamWHR are hopeful that this outstanding new series will receive similar acclaim as is deserved befitting the legend and legacy of the Abraham Van Helsing lineage and be on our screens for many years to come!
Help Me:
Opening scene with Vanessa Van Helsing
The pilot episode begins in 2019, three years after “The Rising” with Vanessa Van Helsing (Kelly Overton) observed on an operating table, unconscious, in a locked down hospital facility that we will learn later is located in the Pacific Northwest, likely Washington State, an area known for beautiful geography that appears to have suffered when the vampires were unleashed as a result of a genetic mutation from some sort of volcanic activity.
As the camera pans over an unconscious and scantily clad Vanessa Van Helsing, outside a battle of some sort is taking place. Sounds of gunfire, replete with yelling and screaming can be heard, doubtless proving the area is under attack by vampires. Those attempting to survive the onslaught by vampires are unaffected humans in fear for their very lives.
The Vampires breach the hospital
Unfortunately for Vanessa, a group of three hungry vampires have breached the facility. We witness the hungry monsters entering the operating room where Vanessa is located. One of the vampires attempts to feed on Vanessa.
This is the first hint we have that her blood is poisonous to the hideous creature. The vampire immediately begins convulsing and drops to his knees as we observe Vanessa clenching her fists.
Van Helsing new title screen banner
Two other vampires realize something is amiss and begin to attack Vanessa. Bad move for these two malcontents as Vanessa makes short work of them, dispatching both to their deaths. T
he seemingly poisoned vampire, whom we will see again at episodes end is seen writhing and gurgling blood as the new Van Helsing logo appears on our screens!
Axel is observed 36 hours earlier feeding Doc
We are then treated to a flashback sequence thirty-six hours earlier where we meet the survivors holed up in the hospital protecting Vanessa for reasons that have yet to be revealed.
The camera pans back from Vanessa where we meet Axel Miller (Jonathan Scarfe) who is feeding blood to whom we will learn is former colleague named Doc (Rukiya Bernard), who has become a vampire.
Rukiya Bernard as vampire infected Doc
Doc, sucking up the blood food, is witnessed snarling at Axel when he removes the tube feeding her. Doc appears to be not fully vampire, seemingly recognizing Axel. Could there be a human being inside this snarling vampire? Will the answer to this question will be revealed as the series progresses?
We will learn that Axel is a former military officer, who for some as yet unknown reason, has been assigned to protect, at any costs, our unconscious savor of humanity, Vanessa Van Helsing.
Jonathan Scarfe as Axel Miller
At this juncture within the story arc, we do not know how long Axel has been protecting Vanessa. We can only assume that the back story via a series of flashback episodes will follow the pilot to delineate the horrible fate that has befallen humankind. This editor is excited to learn what will be revealed in future episodes!
During the course of protecting Vanessa, and subsequent to feeding Doc, who is yelling “They’re coming”, Axel hears a proximity alarm going off. With Doc continuing to gleefully hop around her cage, Axel saddles up and heads to the barricaded entrance.
Avery Konrad as Cynthia, Jennifer Spence as Karen, Alison Wandzura as Nicole, Christopher Heyerdahl as Sam, and David Cubitt as John
Axel is reluctant to let the survivors into the sanctuary of the hospital until he realizes John, a fellow soldier, is one of the those attempting to gain access. Subsequent to opening the security door, the vampires attack. A desperate battle scene takes place with many vampires dispatched, including by baseball bat wielding Sam, who finishes off a few of the hungry monsters with what appears to be an aluminum Louisville Slugger!
A Dracula story arc question immediately comes to mind; How are the vampires able to roam the streets in packs during daylight hours? The answer to this question is revealed during the exciting episodes of season one.
Van Helsing Vampires Aleks Paunovic as Julius, Paul Johansson as Dmitri, and Laura Mennell as Rebecca
Van Helsing features several additional fine main stars including Aleks Paunovic as Julius, Laura Mennell as Rebecca, and Paul Johansson as Dmitri. These outstanding actors are the titular leaders of the vampire faction whom will be seeking to capture Vanessa for their nefarious purposes.
Guest stars include several famous character actors Terry Chen as Brendan, Sarah Desjardins as Catherine, real life television celebrity host Dawn Chubai, and gifted Jennifer Spence as Karen who is among the survivors allowed inside the fortified hospital. Unfortunately, Karen will not survive the first episode when the vampires overrun the hospital facility.
The pilot episode explores some details about John (David Cubitt) who reported to Axel during their time in the military. We learn that his wife Wendy (Fiona Vroom), whom we will meet later during episode three, is still “out there” on the street with the blood thirsty vampires.
Alison Wazendura as Nicole, Christopher Heyerdahl as Sam, David Cubitt as John
Axel forbids John from trying to save his wife, knocking John out with the butt of his weapon stating “discussion over”. This factor sets up a tension between the two primary characters that will likely explode later in the series.
The tension is accentuated when Axel takes the survivors on a tour of the floor when Vanessa and Doc are located. Axel informs the survivors that Vanessa is not to be touched. John, recovered from being knocked out, Nicole and Karen do not like the fact that Axel keeps Doc, who has gone vampire, in a cage thinking she represents a threat to all of them. Sam and Mohamed are simply happy to be off the street, exhibiting loyalty to Axel and his mission, whatever that may be.
Axel fights after John attacks, telling him his wife is likely dead
While Axel is taking inventory near the kitchen, the others are not so sanguine, hatching a plot to kill Doc. John confronts Axel in the kitchen, apologizes, stating “He’s trying” for his earlier behavior, begging to be allowed to save his wife Wendy still trapped outside. Axel, being pragmatic, simply replies “she (Wendy) was” alive, trying to convince John to face the fact she has been captured by the vampire gangs.
While we see Vanessa in her underwear, still unconscious on a hospital operating table, Axel shares with Ted why he is loyal to Doc, how she saved many, but was bitten by the vampires trying to save others.
Baseball fan Christopher Heyerdahl as Sam, Alison Wazendura as Nicole, David Cubitt as John, and Trezzo Mahoro as Mohamad
Segue to the lady survivors and John, who are not privy to the details, as they prepare to execute their planned insurrection to kill vampire infected Doc. Sam with his baseball bat and an armed Mohamad comes to the Doc’s rescue helping them reluctantly gain a bit of understanding about our hero Doc!
As the episode winds around to the beginning, somehow the vampires have breached the facility, beginning the vicious attack on the survivors we observed in the opening scenes of the episode. Karen is killed almost immediately, as she gets feasted upon by one of the vampires.
Cynthia uses a fire extinguisher to dispatch Karen
Cynthia is forced to smash her skull with a fire extinguisher before she turns vamp. Baseball bat Sam and his side kick Mohamad remain focused, sending several of the vampires to their distant relative, Dracula, long ago placed in a pine box with a silver stake through his heart!
This brings us back to Vanessa and the three who have gotten past everyone to attempt to feed upon her. We return to present time as the bite awakens Vanessa from her coma.
As the one vampire apparently dies from biting Vanessa, our savior demonstrates her ass kicking skills on the other two vampires who had made it to her room.
Confused Vanessa chats with John on how she got here
Vanessa is confused by the events, asking Axel who he is and how she got there? Apparently, Vanessa has no idea how she could be of such importance as to have a military bodyguard. When Nicole confronts Vanessa about how she survived being bitten, for the first time, we also learn that Vanessa has a daughter named Dylan portray by Hannah Cheramy, a gifted young actress from Vancouver whom we will see at least two more times in episode two and thirteen.
Vampire spy Ted offers to help Vanessa escape
As the episode winds down to an exciting conclusion, Ted offers his help to Vanessa. Based on his behavior, we suspect that Ted is a spy for the vampires who allowed the monsters to entire the hospital in the first place.
Vanessa demands that Axel allow her to find her daughter Dylan during a mutual shower scene where Axel reveals that he has been bathing and caring for her and Doc for the past three years as he was ordered to do.
Vanessa and Axel shower to save water
Naturally, Axel, still naked from the shower scene, covered by only a towel, will not allow that, at least for the time being. Vanessa, grabs his assault rifle holding Axel at gunpoint. Ted arrives, convinces Axel to go get dressed, but instead helps Vanessa.
Axel arrives in the kitchen, informing Ted that only he (Ted) knew where the access codes were kept. A fight breaks out between the two as Vanessa escapes to the roof, where she witnesses the results of the vampire apocalypse that ravaged the Earth in 2016. Ted whacks Axel with a stainless steel chamber pot, then follows Vanessa, with Axel, Mohamed and baseball bat Sam in close pursuit!
Vanessa kills Ted with his own military knife buried in her hand
Ted, now armed only with his military knife, orders Vanessa that she is coming with him to the vampire leaders who promised to leave the survivors alone if she cooperates. This sequence proves Ted was a spy after all bringing another question to mind; could there be more vampire spies looming in the future?
Vanessa promptly proceeds to kick Ted’s ass, finally skewering Ted’s skull with his own knife who tried to capture Vanessa by stabbing her hand! As Ted crumples, with an amazed Axel, Mohamed and Sam watching, Vanessa’s hand wound heals miraculously before their very eyes.
Vanessa wonders if her daughter is alive in the ruined city landscape
As the episode ends, a Vanessa looks over the ruined city landscape and agrees to return to the hospital to have a chat with Axel about what in the hell is going on. Vanessa blithely informs Axel that “I don’t need protecting” and “go f_ck yourself”, vowing to escape from the hospital to find her daughter!
To the sounds of “You Are My Sunshine” (recorded in 1939 by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell), a tearful Vanessa is locked in her room by Axel. The episode ends with one of the vampires who had fed off of Vanessa during the attack crawling out of the hospital garbage disposal chute where he had been placed earlier.
Vincent Gale as Flesh
This recurring character is named Flesh (Vincent Gale). Surrounded by Axel, Vanessa and the survivor gang, Flesh begging “Help Me”, he informs the survivors that by feeding on Vanessa’s blood, he felt human again the moment he drank it!
In a final enigma, we must assume that Vanessa’s blood will also make Doc a human being again in future episodes that #TeamWHR will cover in the future!
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