The season 1 finale of Syfy’s Van Helsing does not disappoint! The story picks up with Vanessa (Kelly Overton) in Dmitri’s (Paul Johansson) clutches, Mohamad (Oliver Mahoro Smith) being reunited with his sister, and The Resistance preparing to make their move. This is OMFGTV’s recap of Van Helsing’s exciting finale, “It Begins.”
“And so it begins.” | The episode kicks off with Vanessa waking up strapped to a table, with a cage over her face. Dmitri is there, droning on and on about how she won’t be able to save the world. He reveals that that don’t know what her blood can do, but they will be running several experiments to find out. Then he reveals to her who she really is, Vanessa Van Helsing.
Later, the creepy doctor comes to Vanessa to draw blood. Vanessa pleads for him to release her, he tells her no, and continues talking to her about how her blood can help the vampires. He also reveals a bit of startling news, vampires do age and die, it’s just over many centuries. Vanessa’s blood may be the key to eternal life for the creatures. Suddenly, the doctor becomes very serious. He loosens one of her wrist restraints and tells her to be patient, then he leaves her.
Vanessa tricks the vampire guarding her into getting close enough for her to kill and escape. She runs down the hallway and right into Dmitri and Rebecca (Laura Mennell). This was a set up, Dmitri wants to break Vanessa’s spirit, and this was the first step.
“They don’t give you something for nothing, obviously.” | Mohamad and his sister Sheema (Naika Toussaint) are reunited! Unfortunately it’s not the happy reunion Mohamad was hoping for. He is crushed when he discovers Sheema has been working with Rebecca, and likes it there. Mohamad wants to leave, but Sheema wants to stay, she feels safe in The Citadel.
Vanessa is standing in the center of a room with chains around her neck and shackles on her wrists. The doctor is there, trying to get her to feed on blood, but she refuses. Dmitri is also there, he begins to tell Vanessa about her mother, but decides she needs to feed before he will reveal more about her.
“I trusted you, Mohamad.” | Later, Mohamad finds Vanessa and tries to explain himself. He tells her he did it for Sheema, but she “turned herself” by working with them and enjoying it. Vanessa wants nothing to do with the man who betrayed her, but before he leaves he gives her a small knife to use if she gets a chance at escape. But what Vanessa ends up doing with the knife may not be what Mohamad had in mind for it. She plunges the small knife into her heart, “killing” herself for a short time.
While the doctor is treating an unconscious Vanessa, Dmitri enters. He begins telling her about her family, even her great-great-great grandfather Abraham Van Helsing. Then he shifts the topic to Vanessa’s mother, he tells her that her mother hid Vanessa right before she died to try to keep her safe. He tells Vanessa that her mother loved her, and that now that they have her everything is possible.
“Forward is the only way to go now.” | Taka (Ryan Robbins) returns to The Citadel, and we find out who the vampire helping him is: Rebecca. She reveals that her and Dmitri are not on the same page, and that The Resistance must attack the next day. She reminds Taka what he is getting in return for helping her; Fox Island, an island off limits to vampires where they can start over. The pair agree they need to get rid of Dmitri, so Taka leaves to alert everyone of the attack.
When he tells the people of The Resistance of the plan they are all excited to join in. Taka instructs them to kill everything within The Citadel’s walls, including Vanessa. Flesh (Vincent Gale) steps up and tells them all he’s planning on saving her.
Vanessa wakes up in a cell and sees a bowl of blood on the floor. Weak and hungry, she gets the bowl and decides to drink its contents. She enjoys it and ravenously devours the whole bowl, but immediately something begins to happen to her. She has inhuman strength.
Sheema. In the bedroom. With the candlestick. | Mohamad tries one last time to convince his sister to leave with him, but she’s not interested. She doesn’t want him to leave either. Their fight turns physical when Sheema knocks her brother out with a candlestick.
“I’m Vanessa Van Helsing.” | The creepy doctor has Vanessa back in his operating room, and it is revealed they will use Dmitri’s sperm to impregnate Vanessa (Ew!). Rebecca is furious, she thinks Vanessa will be the end of them. Vanessa springs to life, shoving her hand inside Dmitri’s chest. He gets away, but has to hide and heal. Now Vanessa and Rebecca can finally face off. The two take turns trading blows for several minutes when The Resistance begin their attack, allowing Rebecca to get away.
“Beauty. Mysterious and terrible.” | Now inside with reinforcements, Taka finds Dmitri and is prepared to finish him off, but he makes the mistake of letting the vampire speak. He reveals to the injured vampire ruler that Rebecca is the one who betrayed him, in exchange for Fox Island. Dmitri laughs and tells him Fox Island was overrun by vampires years ago, and he promises he can make Taka a better offer. Brendan (Terry Chen) interrupts and Taka kills him. I guess this means he’s going to hear Dmitri out instead of ending him.
“Hello mother.” | Vanessa is not done with Rebecca yet, she follows the vampire into a room. Behind the door she finds not only Rebecca, but also her daughter, Dylan (Hannah Cheramy). But Dylan has changed, she’s now a vampire.
The final scene occurs back at the bunker Vanessa and the others fled. Axel (Jonathan Scarfe) isn’t dead! He’s just a vampire.
What an incredible end to an amazing season! Vanessa finally found Dylan, but she’s been turned and is being protected by Rebecca. Dmitri was on the brink of death, but Taka has decided to hear him out, which will only allow him to heal! And Mohamad is knocked out in his sister’s room while Sheema is off trying to help the vampires in the attack. We don’t know what Sam (Christopher Heyerdahl), Julius (Aleks Paunovic), and Doc (Rukiya Bernard) are up to, but we can only hope to see more of them in season 2.
What were your favorite parts of the finale? Was it the battle between Vanessa and Rebecca, or was it the reveal that Axel isn’t dead? Let us know in the comments below what you hope to see in season 2 of Van Helsing!