Carmilla – Act I: Episodes 6-10

By starrymag | September 18, 2016

By: Kathryn Trammell

 

In the last episode of Carmilla, we saw a conversation that established both Laura (Elise Bauman) and Carmilla (Natasha Negovanlis) as having done complete role reversals got interrupted. The Dean (Annie Briggs), whose soul now possesses Perry’s body, sent out a live feed across Silas University that it was time she discussed the “consequences” for those who oppose or work against her. . .

 

Episode 6

 

The Dean makes good on discussing those consequences by making a Charity Burbage-style example of Laura’s favorite journalism professor. Carmilla hides Laura’s face from the image of the professor’s lifeless zombie body, but it doesn’t stop her from hearing the Dean’s warning: “Disloyalty will not be tolerated. Whatever plans you’re currently hatching, they’re already doomed.”

 

Carmilla takes this to mean that the Dean is definitely aware that they found the Book of Lives, but just as before, she is also takes her mother’s aggressive rhetoric to mean that they are close to finding the one thing that can defeat her. That “thing” might be the Book so she and LaFontaine (Kaitlyn Alexander) begin to pour through its text, which is riddled with rhyming prose and extended metaphors like “Four to make a circle, four to make a cage. The word, the blood, the chalice, and the liar’s heart presaged.”

 

Frustrated and confused, LaF goes to bed hoping her insomnia might be able to tease apart the riddles, thus leaving Laura and Carmilla downstairs to have a small heart-to-heart. Laura, with her new veil of cynicism, expresses how ironic it is that the moment she decided to stop caring was the exact same moment Carmilla decided to start caring. Carmilla says “I’m not doing this punish you.” It’s a sweet and very necessary moment. Laura knows that Carmilla would never think to be so cruel – to act just to spite her. Afterall, Laura says if she knew defeating the Dean would be as simple as “get all four talismans, stop the Dean,” then—

 

But we never know how Laura intended to finish that sentence because Carmilla cuts her off asking how she knew there were four talismans. Laura refers back to the riddle that seemed to only confuse LaF and Carmilla explaining that “the word” is the book and that they need to find the other three talismans – the blood, the chalice and the heart – in order to “cage” the Dean. All Carmilla can do is stare at her in wonder. This is the girl she fell in love with in Season One. This is the girl who is so “amazing.”

 

Amazing, because if Laura is right, Carmilla would be free for the first time in 335 years. Laura begins to wax poetic about all the things they could finally do together, like go to Paris and get a crappy apartment and eat chocolate croissants while reading Simone de Beauvoir. But somewhere between grabbing onto Carmilla’s vest and staring at the ceiling in a daydream, Laura realizes that she’s been talking about herself and Carmilla as if they are still a couple and ceases her pretty narrative.

 

Carmilla takes this opportunity to excuse herself from the conversation. Once she is gone, Laura picks up Mattie’s locket, which Carmilla removed from her neck during their heart-to-heart. She determines that while Carmilla is deserving of freedom, she (Laura) deserves instead to be haunted by her mistakes forever. Laura may be less naïve this season, but she is no less melodramatic.

 

After everyone has gone to bed, we see the screen of the camera glitch in the darkness. In what the particularly cheeky subtitles describe as a “dramatic poof” of black smoke, Matska Belmonde (Sophia Walker) appears in the center of the room dressed as if she’s just come from her own funeral. She walks closer to the camera to find her locket sitting atop the desk and picks it up. Before anyone can notice the locket is missing, Mattie vanishes in another dramatic poof of black smoke.

 

Episode 7

 

This episode opens with a quick review of all the research achievements LaF has made in their 78-day stay inside the library to break through the Dean’s heavily encrypted firewall and to also exercise the Dean’s soul from Perry’s body. This; however, has not been easy given the recent developments in Laura and Carmilla’s increased sexual tension and ever-evolving “repressed squishy feelings.” The evidence of which is as follows:

 

Exhibit A

Carmilla “brushing cobwebs” from Laura’s hair as she completely ignores her research to instead moon over her sleeping ex-girlfriend.

 

Exhibit B

Laura innocuously telling Carmilla she can “get soapy and naked later” in an attempt to defer shower time to Carmilla before realizing her words might have been completely loaded.

 

Exhibit C

LaF: *talks research to Carmilla while both stare at the evidence board*

Laura: *walks into room and begins to do yoga*

LaF: You know what? Gimme the glasses.

Laura: *moves into Upside Down Spread Eagle pose*

Carmilla: *sees Laura’s incredible flexibility*

Carmilla: *drops glasses and jaw onto the ground*

Carmilla: *steps on magical glasses*

LaF: Seriously?!

 

Understandingly enough, LaF has had it and they tell the both girls to figure out their relationship drama before it wrecks any chances of their future success. They storm out of room only to have Laura and Carmilla determine that their relationship is best defined and kept as “friendship.”

 

It’s at this moment that a video feed of the Dean pops up on the screen asking Carmilla if she received her earlier message about consequences. Carmilla says she did and remains defiant as she speaks to her mother, perhaps the thought of freedom and a way to achieve it emboldening her more than ever. Her hopefulness diminishes though when her mother tells her that it was a mistake to open the Book the Lives because when opened it acts as a honing beacon. While the library might have enough enchantments in place to keep the Dean out, the Book has nonetheless shown her its location and before she ends her video call, the door above the stairs opens up. We hear Danny’s voice say, “Hey, we need to borrow a book.”

 

Episode 8

 

Laura, shocked that Danny (Sharon Belle) is still alive, gets up from her chair to give her a hug. Carmilla pulls her back saying “That’s not a good idea. Xena doesn’t have a heartbeat.” That’s right! Danny is a vampire and as a vampire, Sharon Belle feeds her character’s new persona with an impenetrable layer of darkness that suits the actress astonishingly well. Fueled by the rage that Laura was “too busy surrendering the campus I died for” in order to save Carmilla before her body was even cold, Danny has come back at the behest of the Dean. She was resurected to take the Book of Lives and to make her anger known.

 

At her side, Theo (Shannon Kook) tries to explain in very civil terms that the Book is the property of Corvae and therefore belongs to the Dean. Carmilla refuses to turn over the Book and approaches Theo in a show of dominance and warning. Unfortunately, Danny makes her own show of dominance when she grabs Carmilla by the throat the way Carmilla did to her in Season One and lifts her off the ground.

 

When it becomes clear the Carmilla either can’t or won’t fight back, Laura tries to convince Danny that Dean has mislead her and that she did care about Danny’s death after Theo stabbed her. She also tries to convince Danny that she and Carmilla are not in a relationship anymore by giving Danny the perfect amount of fodder to pull Laura close to her mouth and say into her ear, “I’m finally your type.” Sharon Belle is dangerous in this role and when Danny looks up at Carmilla to taunt the possibility of a taste, it is a powerful moment for sure.

 

Still, with her “friend’s” neck on the line, Carmilla refuses to hand over the Book. Just as Danny leans down for a bite, the door of the library flies open in swirl of Uberwald snow to reveal Mr. Hollis (Enrico Colantoni) who is armed with bear spray and a distinct fatherly desire to protect his daughter.

 

Episode 9

 

Mr. Hollis flies at both Danny and Theo nearly emptying his entire can of bear spray into their faces while Carmilla kicks them out of the door and into Snowy Uberwald. Laura asks him how he was able to find her and he relays to her the story of how he has spent the last couple months traipsing over hill and creepy dale to find her after a friend showed him the videos she’d been making during her first year at Silas.

 

As Papa Hollis speaks, he keeps one cautious eye on Carmilla, who he prefers to think of as Murderess Vampire instead of the Savior of Silas. He says his journey ended when he saw a door in the middle of the snow that, when he pressed his ear against its surface, revealed the sounds of his daughter getting attacked by yet another vampire. At his request, he and Laura are given some privacy to continue their conversation and he uses the moment to remind Laura about his reaction to her eventual coming out . . .

 

Mr. Hollis: Do you remember what I said to you when you told me you were a lesbian?

Laura: “Thank G-d you finally said it.”

Mr. Hollis: After that.

Laura: “You better find a girl who deserves you.”

 

This scene is so special and so important because since it was first released, Carmilla’s queer representation (which fans have lauded as progressive due to the show’s decision to not overtly label, discuss, or regard queerness as outside of the norm) has never actually used the word “lesbian” to describe one of its protagonists before – until now.

 

Anyways, Papa Hollis is happy to hear that his daughter isn’t exactly in relationship with a vampire anymore and says Carmilla does at least get some brownie points for saving Laura’s life. For this reason, Mr. Hollis reassures Laura that when he takes her back home to safety, he will offer to take Carmilla with them as well.

 

Episode 10

 

Later that night, Laura reveals to LaF that her father wants to take her home. While that doesn’t exactly shock LaF, it does shock them when Laura says she is actually considering accepting her father’s paranoid demand. She doesn’t give LaF time to oppose explaining with resolve that every time she tried to help a dire situation in the past she has only ever made it worse.

 

LaF doesn’t agree. They know Laura is afraid, that she has the right to be afraid, but no one is going to save them now except for themselves. If they leave, LaF says, “It’s over.” It’s a bitter pill to swallow, which is why Laura can’t face LaF before they go back upstairs. Laura looks at her audience with shame and shuts off the camera.

 

In the dark, the camera begins to record again as the screen glitches and Mattie materializes inside a poof of black smoke. She takes a jar of blood off Laura’s desk and smiles as she dips her finger inside it. She walks over to the evidence board and begins to Iris Scott her way across some of the board’s attached documents before BAMFing back out of the Library.

 

In the morning, LaF and Laura consider the symbols Mattie left behind while Carmilla argues with Mr. Hollis about his trying to give her advice on life. In the midst of the argument he reveals his plan to take Laura home and Carmilla reacts appropriately, which is to say she is not pleased.

 

It’s Laura’s turn to request some privacy, which her father and LaF grant her and Carmilla. Carmilla eventually tells Laura that she believes its in her best interest to go home with her dad, but Laura isn’t certain it’s the right choice. While the appeal of getting to sleep carefree in her own bed is rather appealing, she isn’t sure is she could forgive herself for abandoning her friends in their time of need.

 

All of sudden the Dean’s voice cuts through the air and Carmilla and Laura look around the room in search of its source while wondering if the Dean is aware they can hear her. The source of her voice just so happens to be JP (Aaron Chartrand) whose head appears like Max Headroom 2.0 onto Laura’s computer screen before saying to her, “Unless I’ve made a dreadful mistake, Miss Hollis, the answer to that should be no.’”