Dracula Episode 2

A Whiff Of Sulfur

 

 

We go back a few years to Romania, 1881, when Van Helsing slit that guy's throat and re-animated Dracula. Drac doesn't wake up in too good of a mood so Van Helsing has to use his crucifix switchblade to keep the vampire under control until they make their deal to destroy the Order of the Dragon. (Why does a 15th century Transylvanian have a British accent?)

 

Back to London where Van Helsing rebukes Dracula for killing Kruger and alerting the Order to the fact there's a vampire in town. At the same time Van Helsing is wielding big ass hypodermic needles and taking large samples of Dracula's blood. The professor is experimenting to find a way for Dracula to be able to walk in sunlight without sizzling.

 

Elsewhere in London our other main characters are having a nice luncheon while watching a fencing tournament. Lucy (the actress looks like a poor man's Keira Knightly) is wearing horribly clashing colours as she chooses her champion/lover. Up in the balcony, Jayne Wetherby and that mysterious man whose name I still don't know are talking about replacing the dead Kruger. Jayne volunteers to handle it herself. Mystery Man isn't too happy with Jayne's use of dementors seers.

 

Lucy's choice is beaten by Daniel Davenport. He's the son of Lord Davenport, a member of the Order. Later out in the hall Daniel is greeted by Lord Laurent, another Order member. They secretly make plans to meet later. Um, am I supposed to think what I'm thinking?

 

Lord Laurent is asked to stop by and meet with "Alexander Grayson". Grayson wants to buy Laurent's shares of the British Imperial Coolant. Or something like that. Laurent is frightfully insulted at the offer as only a British lord can be.

 

Later that night Dracula and Renfield take the horseless carriage out for a spin (all of 5 mph!) to the offices of The Inquisitor, the newspaper Jonathan Harker works for. Renfield dares to ask his boss why Dracula doesn't simply turn Mina into a vampire. Dracula tries to explain how morally wrong that would be although he can't bear the thought of losing her twice.

 

After picking up Harker, Dracula takes them all out townhouse shopping. Dracula makes a job offer to the ambitious (and poor) reporter to come work for him. As an extra perk, the townhouse would be at Harker's disposal. Nevermind that it's Dead Clive's old place. They've cleaned his blood up off the front stoop.

 

Somewhere in an opium den Jayne Wetherby (wearing a long leather coat so you know she means business) has come to yell at her junkie seers and warn them to start seering or they'll answer to Mr. Browning. Is that the name of Mystery Man?

 

Harker tells Mina about the job offer. Mina is thrilled and pushes her boyfriend to accept it. Harker, perhaps due to his reporter instincts, has his reservations about it.

 

Jayne is having dinner with Dracula. Once again her breasts are about to pop out of her dress. Not that she's going to be in that dress for long as she and "Alexander Grayson" get all slobbery on each other. Parental discretion is advised.

 

Mina is walking to her school when Grayson stops his carriage and offers her a ride before it starts to rain. She's confides in him her worries about an upcoming exam. He gives her a little pep talk. Mina proceeds with her examination by dissecting a man and not getting a drop of blood on her.

 

The junkie seers are looking into their giant mirror and can see the back of Dracula. He can sense them and turns around. Baring his fangs he lunges. The mirror cracks with blood seeping through.

 

Jayne reports the incident to Mystery Man/Mr. Browning? Only a very old vampire, at least a couple of centuries old, would have had the power to sense the seers and strike back. There hasn't been anything like this since Lucrezia Borgia, who apparently was also a vampire.

 

Against his better judgment, and because he's tired of not being able to pick up the check, Harker takes up Grayson's offer. As his first assignment, Harker tells Grayson of a certain club Lord Laurent likes to hang out at. While it's no Turkish bath, those Hooter girls aren't girls, if you know what I mean.

 

Ah, young Daniel Davenport is there with Laurent so I was supposed to be think what I was thinking. NBC, you're showing two men kissing!? I'm shocked! But then, you are the Peacock Network. Laurent isn't pleased to see Grayson in this private club. He's even less pleased when Grayson leans in and gives young Davenport a sweet little kiss on the lips. Parental discretion is still advised.

 

Grayson gets right to the blackmailing. What would Laurent's wife or Davenport's father think of their inclinations? What would it do to the reputation of their families?

 

Over at the newspaper, Harker is showing off the teeny tiny engagement ring he plans to present to Mina tonight. One of the extras asks some silly question about how can a wife be a physician as well? Harker, who's had a few too many already, is confident that once he puts the ring on Mina's finger she'll forget all this silly nonsense about going to college and having a career.

 

And of course Mina just came into the room in time to hear all this.

 

Dracula is out at a restaurant and has chosen the hatcheck girl as his main course. He's ripping out her throat in a back alley when he hears footsteps approaching. He slips away just as Jayne and her kukri come around the corner. Since he wasn't able to finish the job, Jayne cuts the girl's head off. I guess so she won't become a vampire.