Web Series Wednesday – Carmilla

By: Michelle Rose Micor

What? Carmilla

Who? Created by Ellen Simpson and Jordan Hall. Produced by Smokebomb Entertainment. Starring Elise Bauman, Natasha Negovanlis, Kaitlyn Alexander, Annie Briggs, Sharon Belle, Matt O’Connor, Aaron Chartrand, Shannon Kook, Sophia Walker, Nicole Stamp and Ian Clark.

Why Should I Watch? For some book nerds like me, Carmilla may sound familiar. The series that has been taking the Internet by storm these last few months is loosely based on Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s novella, Carmilla.

Elise Bauman and Natasha Negovanlis

In season one, we meet the young and naïve, Laura Hollis (Elise Bauman), newest resident to Silas University who is quick to jump into things after a series of disappearances occur on campus. Most notable of the disappearances is Laura’s roommate, Betty. The MIA roommate is quick to be replaced by leading lady killer (in our hearts and yours), Carmilla (Natasha Negovanlis). Joining the roommates in their adventures are Perry (Annie Briggs) AKA Mother Hen, LaFontaine (Kaitlyn Alexander) or the Mad Scientist as I like to call them, Kirsch (Matt O’Connor) the not so bright but still lovable puppy dog, Danny (Sharon Belle) the fierce Summer Society amazon, and Will (Aaron Chartrand) another resident Silas vampire.

Annie Briggs, Kaitlyn Alexander, and Elise Bauman

To say that things hit the ground running is an understatement. Each episode is filled with quick banter and new surprises as more of the story unfolds (spoiler alert: we even get a cute puppet reenactment). At the end of season one, good triumphs evil and all is well…at least for a little while.

Cut to season two where we find our favorite Silas residents and their gang of friends finding refuge in a pretty swanky apartment. Not only does season two bring us new stories, it brings us new characters as well. The amazing Shannon Kook joins the cast as Theo, another Zeta brother, while Nicole Stamp joins the Summers as Mel. We even get a new ally that turns dark with Ian Clark as Vordenberg and the incomparable Sophia Walker plays the vampire we all wish we could be, Matska Belmonde.

Nicole Stamp, Sharon Belle, Matt O’Connor, Shannon Kook, and Elise Bauman

I don’t want to give it all away, but season two definitely takes the cake in terms of drama and plot. How the creators of this show can manage to fit more tear-jerking moments in a 5-minute (or less) episode than an hour of Grey’s Anatomy can, I will never know, but for that I am eternally grateful.

There are many things I can say about this show. From the expertly placed pop culture references, to the amazing chemistry that transcends on and off screen between the cast, or the wonderful transmedia storyline that allows fans to interact with their favorites; Carmilla has sunk its fangs into mainstream entertainment and has no intention of backing down.

Natasha Negovanlis and Elise Bauman

After their first season, the series was nominated for a Shorty Award for best Web Show, along with star Negovanlis who was nominated for Best Actress, and Soles, who created the show’s theme song, for Best Musician. And if that didn’t knock your socks off, the show and Negovanlis were both recently nominated for Best Actress and Best Drama Series at this year’s Streamy Awards.

I really can go on and on about why you should watch this series, but if I had to narrow it down to a few words, here’s what you’d get: Lesbian vampire, wears leather.

Where Can I Watch? Season one is available for immediate binging right now at Vervegirl TV’s channel. For those of you who are just joining the “Creampuff” fandom, season two’s finale airs tomorrow at 5:30PM ESTand you can catch up on all the pop culture references, witty, vampiric humor below. For more updates and behind-the-scenes content, be sure to subscribe to Vervegirl TV and follow @CarmillaSeries on Twitter!

Photos courtesy of YouTube