Narcisco’s head is delivered to Malvado who promptly puns
over it. It was delivered from Freddie who is now working with Scott, Aiden,
Kate and Carlos.
They’re performing a ritual based on the bonds now they
have the full set which Aiden can now translate. The first step to setting it
up is having innocent blood sacrifice innocent blood – or getting Kate to kill
someone. She naturally protests but is rather quickly talked into it even if
she does cry and need Scott’s nudge
The daylight sky turns to night – but only through the
vampires’ eyes. Aiden just tells a crying Kate to see the bigger picture.
Over to Richie and Seth with Richie expositioning about
his “extra power” – apparently every Culebros has a bonus power and he doesn’t
know what his is yet. They’re still working on their plan to get to Malvado and
getting into the organisation by trying to work with one of Malvado’s minions –
a Culebros called Greely. They seem to convince him and he agrees to join their
revolution (largely because Malvado is taking took great a percentage of his
profits)
Despite the plan and them now being surrounded by
Culebras, Seth makes it clear he’s still no pro-snakey-vampire (though he now
seems to be making an exception for Richie).
Part of the plan also involves putting Santanico in
suspended animation so Malvado can’t sense her (since he made her). Before
going under she warns Richie not to let Malvado in her head and share a last
kiss as she’s loaded up.
So to the Jackknife where Greely makes his “tribute” to
Malvado. Which involves a fun game of find-the-lady with coloured stones and a
four armed vampire before they can make their delivery. Part of this delivery
is Freddie
Yes we need a flashback to explain this – he found them
and they talk with guns pointed everywhere (and mocking Freddie’s dead mentor),
Freddie wants to get something from Malvado (presumably the key thing they need
for the prophecy) and offers the map that Malvado’s brother had of Malvado’s
operation without which they’ll be hopelessly lost
They agree and he joins team let’s-all-pretend-we-don’t-hate-each-other.
After some more close calls they manage to get in to the big stash of Malvado
loot – Seth is happy.
Carlos, Kate and Scott go to see Malvado fully admitting
to killing Narcisco and destroying the Twister – and sassing Malvado with
internet memes on top of that. He demands they key in exchange for the doorway
to the well that his brother Celestino
had (the big exposition of the pit of blood he made) – which Malvado apparently
wants to go to “El Rey”. Another realm (yes, vampire are aliens are something
as was touched upon in a massive “whut?!” and then not really investigated).
He also thinks that Malvado is looking for an heir since the other Lords won’t let him go without leaving a new leader (well, Celestino didn’t seem to care over much). Malvado wants more –he wants Kate as well (whyyyy? Why would he exchange everything for Kate?) Carlos agrees.
So does Kate – realising he wants Santanico really and
Scott really really needs the prophesised blood. She convinces him to leave.
Things start going south upstairs as well Sonja has let
Malvado into her head – and gives up Santanico. She quickly blames Greely’s
minions for her sabotage and kills one, forcing Seth to fight and kill the
other. Seth realises that Sonja has been playing him - though she thinks they
all win this way with all the money since Malvado agreed to pay them
33,000,000. Nice but there’s the pesky reality of Eddie’s death. Seth shoots
her.
He then frees Santanic and tries to revive her though he
has to have a nifty firefight, first.
Greely and Richie are led into a trap, captured and
Greely is tortured though Richie escapes (albeit largely because his captor
doesn’t seem to be that bothered) running to help the mind-speaking Santanico.
Or Malvado – because he’s good at mind tricks. He temps Richie with his throne –
offering to give it all up to Richie because of the whole prophecy about him
going to El Rey and getting him out from under his brother’s shadow (apparently
Richie’s heart’s desire based on what Malvado reads in his head) and more hints
that he wants Richie to sacrifice Seth.
Richie sits in the throne. Santanico sees it in her
vision.
Freddie gets the key, Celestino’s nifty obsidian club but
is injured in the process – which means it’s gone when Carlos arrives (though
he tastes Feddie’s blood and realises who has taken it).
Freddie takes the key outside – and is ambushed by Aiden
and then buried alive in a pit buy Carlos and Scott. Nasty.
Before we go anywhere, can we address the fact that
Santanico, ancient, powerful, goddess-Santanico – has the “extra power” of “wings”.
Really? This is her power? It’s not like she even makes a habit of flying! What
desperate retconned insertion was this?
I kind of feel like I’ve missed something with Freddie’s
sudden involvement. I mean, he didn’t seem that convinced by the idea of the
prophecy meaning Culebros won’t need to feed on people any more – he was
definitely sceptical. But now he’s watching Kate be pushed into murder and
joining with the Geckos – who killed Early? I just… don’t see his motivation,
not in his character, to allow this much to go. Seth and Richie I can see, they
have compelling motives to take down Malvado – but is Freddie really that
invested?
I also feel there was a similar lack in the world
building with Malvado wanting to go back to El Rey, what exactly this Well is,
some more details on what the prophecy is and something on the other Lords and
their relationship to Malvado (especially after he killed Celestino – did this
not create any repercussions at all? Especially if they’re meant to want him
around). This screams for less Gecko drama and more world building which looks
to be epic
While I liked a lot of the epic feel and plotting of this
episode – the fact that there are so many episodes to go means that we already
knew all this plotting was going to go south from the very beginning.
Other things I’m not happy about – Sonja is the traitor
and dies. Kate is the sacrificial victim for the sake of her brother and a
cause she doesn’t even follow. Santanico spends the whole time in a damn box.
That’s three female characters – the only three female characters – reduced to
extras.
