Van Helsing S03E10: “Outside World” Overview

Van Helsing S03E10: “Outside World” — Vanessa wanders in the woods alone. She could not stop her guilt and the flashing images of the innocent man she killed in cold blood just to feed. The Oracle appears before her. “I come to those who show promise,” the Oracle says. Vanessa asks her who she is. The Oracle answers, “I’m a seer. A messenger. A caller to the Chosen.”  The Oracle points out that Vanessa has a seed of thirst, anger, and rage. That the seed has taken root and fed by the blood of a sacrifice. She reminds Vanessa of the murder she has committed. “Nurture the darkness, and you will find yourself. Be who you really are — spawn of the darkness, holder of its blood,” she says. The oracle adds that she sees Vanessa’s path. It’s not straight, nor clear, and it hangs in the balance.

Vanessa stumbles upon Mohamad feeding on a wolf. She offers to return him to a human state, but Mohammad chooses to run from her.  Vanessa chases after him, but she ends up falling through a ceiling and getting impaled on a steel hook. Vanessa writhes in agony as the metal rip the flesh from her bones. Unable to free herself, she hangs helplessly.

Vanessa’s injury and her inability to extricate herself from the hook brings out the guilt and shame that she has buried deep inside her. Her hallucinations make her confront the ghosts from her past and question the path she’s chosen. John appears and reminds her of her role in the death of his wife and in killing him. Vanessa argues it was not her fault his wife dies and that she was right to kill him as she thought he was the killer. She claims she did it to protect the rest of the group.

John is convinced that his appearance in her hallucinations is a manifestation of her guilt. “I don’t really feel guilty, John.” Vanessa answers. “I wanted to do it. In fact, I enjoyed it, and I’d do it again,” she adds. John tells her that deep down in her is just black right at the core, and she knows it.

Julius appears and reminds her of the good she has done to him and the people she has helped. He says he knows in his heart that she’s going to get out of this and save everyone. “Believe in your heart, Vanessa,” he says before he disappears.

The vampire version of Julius appears carrying a severed head from which he drinks blood and says deep inside her are hunger, more craving, and more lust. “You and I are the same. We are both killers by nature,” Julius adds. He brings up the idea that her most recent killing put her on the right track.

Julius points out that she loves only to suffer. That she could have saved her daughter, but she loves the pain too much. “I did everything I could,” Vanessa justifies herself. The vampire Dylan appears and disagrees with her. Dylan blames her mother for her death then runs away. “The darkness is calling,” Julius tells her before he disappears.

Susan appears next and tells Vanessa that she should not let her guilt get in the way of who she really is. “You are stronger than that,” Susan adds. She tells Vanessa that “love always wins.”

Sam appears and holds Susan hostage. He says he killed Susan before because she was weak and was suffering. Sam confronts Vanessa about her decision to cripple rather than kill him when she had the opportunity. “Because I wanted you to suffer for killing all those people. For killing Susan,” Vanessa confesses. Sam talks about the man Vanessa has killed. “I was weak, I gave in. I own that,” Vanessa answers him. Sam disagrees and says that she did not succumb, she emerged, and that she saw the truth inside her.

Just as when Sam breaks Vanessa, Dylan appears. She looks healthy and beautiful. “You need to save yourself for the real fight,” Dylan tells her mother. She assures Vanessa that she is always with her and that her death was not Vanessa’s fault. “Use want you have left of me. The light you have inside. You’ll find a way,” Dylan encourages her mother before she disappears.

Mohamad appears and climbs down the chain to feed on Vanessa. He turns back into a human and frees Vanessa from the hook.  He offers himself up for her to feed, but she refuses.

Vanessa and Mohamad talk about what happened since they parted ways. Vanessa suggests he join a nearby group and help take care of them because it is too dangerous where she’s going. They say their goodbyes. Mohamad goes off on his own but changes his mind and says “as if I’d leave you on your own,” as he traces his steps back to follow Vanessa.