Men Can Be Monsters Too. Review: Dracula – “Of Monsters and Men”

Season 1, Episode 6

Air Date: Friday, December 6, 2013, 10PM E/P on NBC.

Rating: ★★★★★

“Perhaps you should leave the vampire hunting to me.” — Lady Jayne

To walk in the sunlight is the dream of a man. A man who has been thrust into shadow without his acquiescence. The feeling of the sun’s rays can be taken for granted by those who move about their daily activities in the daytime, but for one who yearns to feel the warmth of those golden rays, it can become an obsession. Almost as much of an obsession as love. Dracula takes a turn away from matters of the heart to the physical. What extent will a vampire go to in order to become a day walker?

Observations and thoughts:

Win Some, Lose Some

Cringe-inducing scene. I love Renfield’s devotion to Alexander.

Alexander (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) presents an interesting character study. You have a vampire with fortune, charm, and sophistication enough to get him whatever he wants. Except what he wants is unavailable to him. A walk in the sun, a woman to love, to live as a normal man. I still have chills after watching him endure immense pain for the sake of seeing the sun. Meyers has tremendous acting skills and doesn’t skimp when portraying Alexander at his worst. The facial expressions he uses to display his internal turmoil are done to perfection. He doesn’t hesitate to use every avenue possible to showcase his feelings. No one storms out of a room like Alexander Grayson.

Sleight of Hand

Jonathan (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and Mina’s (Jessica De Gouw) relationship quickly escalates. I wonder if the writers introduce this new aspect to shake things up a bit. Or because Mina can’t get Alexander out of her mind and her knickers have caught on fire. She can’t have the man she craves, yet the man she has isn’t who she truly wants. She’s scratching an itch that won’t be satisfied until she gets the real thing. I almost feel sorry for Jonathan in this case. He has no idea of his inadequacies because of Mina’s infatuation with Alexander. I don’t think Mina understands why she’s so drawn to him either, but using Jonathan to remove all thoughts of Alexander won’t work. The two have a connection and denying it will only make it worse. I only hope Mina doesn’t slip up and reveal her true desires to Jonathan. It would crush him. Kudos to the writers for exploring the relationship of two young lovebirds up against an invisible foe. True love can’t be denied and it’ll be interesting to see whose love is destined to be.

Familiar

Much more sensual than the love scenes we see between Alexander and Lady Jayne. Nice juxtaposition.

Lady Jayne (Victoria Smurfit) is so certain she knows all. I enjoyed watching her flounder through conversations as she finds what tidbits she can grab onto for manipulating those she deems fit. “See I, I also know what it’s like to be denied one’s heart’s desire.” Now, while Lady Jayne can’t convince Browning (Ben Miles) he’s barking up the wrong tree, she can use her wiles to sway poor Lucy (Katie McGrath). The problem here is Lucy shows her cards like a novice poker player. She can’t deny the truth as it’s written on her face. No wonder it’s easy for Lady Jayne to devise a plan to rattle the lovesick girl. Using Lucy to push Mina closer to Jonathan could work if Lady Jayne were hip to Alexander’s emotional attachments. She thinks she knows something important but she really has no clue.

Random Thoughts:

“I’m sorry, darling but um, I don’t know how someone so bright can endure something as simpleminded as parlor magic.” Is Jonathan jealous he can’t make Mina giggle with glee? Did you see the look on his face when Alexander does the same card trick? Jonathan could take a few lessons from Alexander on how to woo a woman.

The Order of the Dragon doesn’t appear to be as well put together as they claim. There is dissension among the ranks; Lady Jayne is pushing against Browning to prove her worth but she’s walking a tight line.

Van Helsing (Thomas Kretschmann) almost makes a colossal mistake. How do you think Alexander would have reacted to Van Helsing’s rush to judgment?

Browning is a frightening man but how has he gotten to be so? I’m interested to see if his past will be explored more as the season goes on.

McGrath reminds me of Kiera Knightly. It freaks me out a little because I can’t help imagining the Pirates of the Caribbean star in the role. How different would Knightly play Lucy? That’s not to say I don’t love McGrath, because I do, but the resemblance between the two is shocking.

Memorable lines:

Lady Jayne to Mr. Browning, regarding Alexander’s humanity (or lack thereof): “I have spent a great deal of time with Mr. Grayson and I can assure you, as your head Huntsman, I would have noticed if the man were Nosferatu.”

Van Helsing: “You wish to cure cancer?”

Mina: “No. I wish to cure … death.”

Lucy gets my sympathy. Mina crushes her without a care for her best friend’s feelings.

Dracula has me freaking out during the final 15 minutes of the episode. I can’t explain how fast my heart beat as I watch what would be deemed impossible for an ancient vampire become possible. Tense doesn’t even begin to describe many of the scenes featured in “Of Monsters and Men.” It just gets better and better. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below or drop me a line on Twitter @ellemoe. I’d love to hear from you.

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Elle

Writer, mother, realist, cloud lover, daydreamer, dessert enthusiast, sweet tea addict, perfectionist, and lover of life and Christ, but not in that order. http://www.fanfiction.net/~vikingloverelle