Simply breathtaking. This first episode was exciting, yet informative and carefully guided to make sure the viewers understood everything, while also keeping it well-paced and action-packed.
The first scene was very well shot, and that transformation was amazing. The special effects crew deserves a round of applause for the seamless transition the rock hard corpse makes to Dracula (or Alexander Grayson, rather).
The whole scene with the illuminating light bulbs was great – the entire ballroom being awestruck, and seeing those men become unsettled was incredibly satisfying.
I’m also interested in seeing how Dracula’s plan – destroying the Order of the Dragon’s power through the use of modern science – plays out. Though of course Drac is the villain, you can’t help but feel sympathy for him as he recalls how the Order murdered his wife.
Speaking of his wife, we have Mina Murray, her reincarnation, who has an inexplicable attraction to and chemistry with Drac. This was the one part I disliked, as it is far too similar to Dark Shadows, among other cliches of villains finding the reincarnation of their true love. I would have much preferred if they had left out the “reborn” part, and just let the chemistry speak for itself. That said, I do hope they end up together (I find Jonathan just plain boring). I also look forward to seeing more of the Lucy character; she seems very likable.
Renfield was marvelous. I quite enjoyed his simple, deadpan way of speaking, and his unwavering faithfulness in Dracula. I hope we get to see more of how their dynamic works. What we saw of Van Helsing was also very intriguing.
In all, I’m very much anticipating the next episode, and this seems as if it will be a great (if very reimagined) series.
The Professional Fanwarrior 