The second episode of 'Helstrom' is less intent on being enigmatic, as second episodes usually are after the premiere usually try to be enigmatic enough to be attractive, and elementary enough to lay out the basic plots.
So we already know Daimon is a sarcastic asshole, Ana is an embittered woman, Victoria is possessed, and Hastings is a caring caregiver. Now that the production staff has introduced all that, they settle down to telling a story and it's a bit of a mess.
The man at the beginning who is possessed by Magoth is revealed to be an Alex Tilden. Daimon and Gabriella and Daimon are called in to do... something, after Alex/Magoth causes a car crash. Why it does it, I have no idea. Why D&G are there and what they're supposed to do, I have no idea. I guess Gabriella is supposed to perform the last rites, although why Father Okamoto can't do that, I have no idea. Damion exorcises Magoth from Alex's body so that Alex can say goodbye to his family. But he never does that, that we see, which kind of lessens the impact.
Daimon and Ana have a brief reunion at the beginning of the episode. But it doesn't accomplish anything either, except to show that they're both sarcastic assholes.
And Ana goes to see Victoria, but ends up talking to the demon possessing Victoria instead. As a reviewer noted for episode 1, they revert to the name game. Victoria/demon says that "he" would be proud of Ana, and we get a few flashbacks that suggests that the young Ana was a willing participant in her father's serial killings.
Chris does some mumbo-jumbo with the Keeper's skull, and meets with the brother of the demon-possessed Edward that Ana killed in episode 1. He and Caretaker have a conversation about Ana, and Caretaker has a talk with a mystery woman (Deborah Van Valkenberg) about how Damion and Ana are dangerous, and Caretaker has been protecting the siblings from the mystery woman's organization. What Caretaker's connection is to the Helstrom's isn't explained.
And that's the tone for most of the episode. Nothing is explained. Who do Ana and Chris work for? No idea. What are the Helstrom's powers? No idea. Who does Daimon work for? The Vatican, I guess. Why are the demons so interested in the Helstroms? No idea, although Magoth does call Daimon "traitor" a couple of time.
Maybe this is what you get on one-and-drop "binge" series. But 'Swamp Thing' was like that last year, and I don't remember them taking so long to provide basic answers and get things rolling. Alec became Swamp Thing by the end of the first episode. Daimon and Ana... just are, with bits of their back story and abilities dribbled out in bits and pieces. I don't expect everything to be answered in the first episode, or even the second. But sheesh, production staff, give us _something_.
Also, the filming is so dark and gloomy. I get that for a show like 'Swamp Thing', that takes place mostly at night in a dark swamp. But the doom-and-gloom darkish tone on 'Helstrom" just makes things hard to see. What's the point of having talented actors who can emote at least some of the time with their faces, if you can't see their faces?
There's enough here to pique my interest and continue watching. But it's a bit of a slog. Daimon (is it just me, or does he look a lot like Tom Mison on 'Sleepy Hollow'?) isn't that interesting a character. Nobody but Ana (and Chris and Caretaker, by association and because Robert Wisdom is playing the latter) is that interesting. So if you can't pay attention to the characters, you spend your time trying to decipher the story. And... it doesn't make much sense so far.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
So we already know Daimon is a sarcastic asshole, Ana is an embittered woman, Victoria is possessed, and Hastings is a caring caregiver. Now that the production staff has introduced all that, they settle down to telling a story and it's a bit of a mess.
The man at the beginning who is possessed by Magoth is revealed to be an Alex Tilden. Daimon and Gabriella and Daimon are called in to do... something, after Alex/Magoth causes a car crash. Why it does it, I have no idea. Why D&G are there and what they're supposed to do, I have no idea. I guess Gabriella is supposed to perform the last rites, although why Father Okamoto can't do that, I have no idea. Damion exorcises Magoth from Alex's body so that Alex can say goodbye to his family. But he never does that, that we see, which kind of lessens the impact.
Daimon and Ana have a brief reunion at the beginning of the episode. But it doesn't accomplish anything either, except to show that they're both sarcastic assholes.
And Ana goes to see Victoria, but ends up talking to the demon possessing Victoria instead. As a reviewer noted for episode 1, they revert to the name game. Victoria/demon says that "he" would be proud of Ana, and we get a few flashbacks that suggests that the young Ana was a willing participant in her father's serial killings.
Chris does some mumbo-jumbo with the Keeper's skull, and meets with the brother of the demon-possessed Edward that Ana killed in episode 1. He and Caretaker have a conversation about Ana, and Caretaker has a talk with a mystery woman (Deborah Van Valkenberg) about how Damion and Ana are dangerous, and Caretaker has been protecting the siblings from the mystery woman's organization. What Caretaker's connection is to the Helstrom's isn't explained.
And that's the tone for most of the episode. Nothing is explained. Who do Ana and Chris work for? No idea. What are the Helstrom's powers? No idea. Who does Daimon work for? The Vatican, I guess. Why are the demons so interested in the Helstroms? No idea, although Magoth does call Daimon "traitor" a couple of time.
Maybe this is what you get on one-and-drop "binge" series. But 'Swamp Thing' was like that last year, and I don't remember them taking so long to provide basic answers and get things rolling. Alec became Swamp Thing by the end of the first episode. Daimon and Ana... just are, with bits of their back story and abilities dribbled out in bits and pieces. I don't expect everything to be answered in the first episode, or even the second. But sheesh, production staff, give us _something_.
Also, the filming is so dark and gloomy. I get that for a show like 'Swamp Thing', that takes place mostly at night in a dark swamp. But the doom-and-gloom darkish tone on 'Helstrom" just makes things hard to see. What's the point of having talented actors who can emote at least some of the time with their faces, if you can't see their faces?
There's enough here to pique my interest and continue watching. But it's a bit of a slog. Daimon (is it just me, or does he look a lot like Tom Mison on 'Sleepy Hollow'?) isn't that interesting a character. Nobody but Ana (and Chris and Caretaker, by association and because Robert Wisdom is playing the latter) is that interesting. So if you can't pay attention to the characters, you spend your time trying to decipher the story. And... it doesn't make much sense so far.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
