You know what, Sam Witwer‘s performance as Aidan gets better and better with every episode. The pure, painful emotion coming out of his character this week was so moving. First, dealing with the guilt of not helping Bernie when he could have prevented this. Having him run straight to the Bishop’s den like an addict to a crack house seemed so natural considering the weight of his guilt and his mourning of a pseudo-son.
Shocker: this was actually the first episode where I actually liked and understood Rebecca … for one scene. When she pulls Aidan off the terrified bloodhookers and listened as he opened up to her, I really felt like we could trust her and she was even likable. Then she had to turn Bernie into a vampire. Hasn’t she seen Interview with a Vampire? Hell, I haven’t seen it, but even I know you don’t turn kids into vampires or you get a miniature, bitter Kirsten Dunst in a hoop skirt. It’s bad enough that you’re damning a person to a life of bloodlusting undead, but to have a person live forever as a little kid? That’s just awful. Even Bishop knows not to turn children. Sure, it’s mostly because they’re hard to control and they’d be far too conspicuous, but maybe there’s just a hint of compassion there. Rebecca said she was doing it for Aidan, but Aidan actually said turning Bernie was the wrong choice. And then by the end of the episode she’s acting like a drugged-out mother who’s one step away from throwing her child into the wall. After the course of a couple days. Be honest, does ANYONE like Rebecca?
As soon as it was confirmed that Bernie was turned into a vampire, I knew how it was all going to go down. When long-time vampire Aidan falters in his restraint, you know this little kid won’t be able to handle it. The fact that he thinks he’s a superhero now just broke my heart. Aidan taking him “hiking” was a clear sign that my suspicions were correct. Again, Sam Witwer was amazing in this episode. Seeing him behind the poor kid had me holding my breath, even though I saw it coming. And his weeping at the table after coming back … there are no words. Whatever happened to his real family, you know Aidan was reliving it in that moment. Just … bravo.
To be fair, Josh (Sam Huntington) confronting Aidan was great, too. Josh finally comes out and says the only time Aidan confides in Josh is when he has no other choice. Aidan’s reply — that he cares about his best friend too much to let him get hurt — is interesting because it’s the exact same reasoning for Josh pushing Nora away this week. I know it’s natural for Josh to step back from their relationship to protect her, but it’s such a sci-fi trope. It’s Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. What I wasn’t expecting is Nora revealing … something. We know she has intense scars on her torso, and she mentions a very nasty ex-boyfriend. But that’s really, really vague. I’m going to go out on a limb and say there’s a chance she got attacked by a werewolf … which would make her a werewolf … which means things just got very interesting. Of course, even if she isn’t a werewolf, I bet Josh is still worried that he could do the same kind of damage to her.
Sally still had the weaker storyline, but probably the strongest of her individual storylines. We’ve heard so much about Sally’s plans before dying, but they’ve always been very vague. We finally found out a little bit more about her before psycho killer fiance snuffed her fire out, and she seems more interesting now. And I liked Nic the handsome ghost. He uses his ghostly powers to enjoy the world in a way he never did in life; who doesn’t love that? What I don’t get is why Sally broke up with him. The reasoning of her fading away into their relationship like she did with Danny might have worked if this plotline went over more than one episode, but it felt like they had two dates. Plus, why was she fading away … because Nic decided to accept his creepy, but involuntary “death echo”? That doesn’t make sense.
So, the preview for next week involved Josh getting captured by the vamps and being put into a dogfight to the death. That means Aidan is going to have to confront his former family. Game on.
Clacked by Katie Schenkel 
on Mar 15, 2011 @ 10:30 EST5EDT
Oh yes, definitely a great episode. This is my favorite scifi show on tv right now!
This show is quite quickly becoming one of my favorites on TV. Honestly after his stints on BSG and Smallville if you had told me that Sam Witwer was going to draw me in like he manages to do every week, I would have thought you were lying to me. But he is bringing his A-Game in every episode.
Separate thought, I like Rebeca for two reasons. 1 I know girls like her. They capture the pure Addiction of Blood very well through her character. 2 She is supposed to be unlikable just so we can watch her grow. Aiden’s influence is supposed to change her that is the point of her entire arc. Its not something that is just gonna happen with a wave of the hand (Very unlike this show), so they have to show all of her annoying habits on the way to her redemption.
Lastly I don’t think Nora is a Werewolf, she may have been attacked by one but I don’t think that is where the writers are going. Seems too cliched. It would make it to easy for her to get a Handwave at Josh being a Werewolf. No its something else, something that they are molding Josh to confront. Possibly he stands up to her “Serial killer Ex” or something along those lines.
Yeah, it was a great episode — super dark, but well done. I can’t believe they killed Dino Dan!
Also, I loved the use of the awesome Gary Jules version of Mad World. TPTB do a real nice job picking music for this show.
*POST AUTHOR*
You know, the song was something I noticed immediately, but forgot to add to the review. I thought it was a cool choice, but why did it seem to play through so many scenes? If you’re going to use a song like that, choose one scene to put it in so it’s highlights that particular scene.
Also, I kept thinking of the rabbit from Donnie Darko which is far creepier than any monster on the show so far.
I <3 Donnie Darko.
They've done that with songs in every episode. Using one to run through the whole ep, I remember a few weeks ago it was a Pyschedelic Furs song that worked really well. Same thing — played through a number of scenes and then really kicked in at the climax. I think TPTB try to create a theme/mood for the ep with the song choice. I think it works well.
*POST AUTHOR*
Maybe because I know the song so well, it was just a little distracting for me when I heard it so much.
That being said, I have loved the music on this show so far. I think there was a song from a couple weeks ago that really caught my attention, too.