The following review contains spoilers!
“Who’s The Daddy?” marks the second episode of the new season of Young Dracula. It continues on what seems like a low boil in terms of plot–and as per usual it manages to surprise.
Consider–last week we learned an important secret. Vlad, our title character, the son and heir of Count Dracula himself, in many ways the most reluctant of all vampires and yet according to prophecy The Chosen One who will change the destiny of all vampires forever–he’s half breather. In the world of the series, leadership of the world’s blood drinkers (or “biters”) remains extremely old fashioned. Given so many of them predate the Reformation, no surprise there. More to the point, they regard the mixed breeding of vampire and human as an abomination. The High Council would put the Count to death for allowing such a thing to happen in his clan!
One expects such a secret to be kept from Vlad for at least several episodes. In fact he finds out this very week, which heralds a fit of genuine (and laser-like intense) rage. No wonder he’s felt an outcast all his life!
But, if Vlad is half human, who is his human parent? For that matter, which parent is it? Naturally, the Count is less than forthcoming. The man lies as naturally as you and I breathe, given the slightest motivation. And of course he has plenty of motivation in this case.
Meanwhile, Ingrid proves to us all why she deserves to be her father’s heir. When last we saw her, she chaffed under her appointment as Minister of Catering. The other members of the High Council treat her with rarely-concealed contempt, with one possible exception–Warnock, the new Minister of Education. Here is a younger vampire like herself. He’s linked the High Council onto the internet. Might these two become natural allies? Of course not! Ingrid continues to grow as a conspirator, and she realizes Warnock is barely more powerful than herself! No, her path to power lies in the elderly but powerful Morgan who rules the Council.
For now. Honestly, I don’t think he has any idea how much danger he’s in. Then again, perhaps he does! Keep one’s friend close and one’s enemy closer, after all. Allowing Ingrid to slowly become his protoge could be the safest thing in the world Morgan might do–how better to keep an eye on the ambitious young lady?
We’ll see. No sign of the young breather who blackmailed Ingrid into going out on a date with him this week. Has the date yet happened? We don’t know. Either way, he has a fail-safe set up to keep Ingrid from killing him. Ingrid fell in love once before, with a breather. She ended up biting him, turning him into a vampire. His destruction set her on a very dark path at the end of season two. What might this bode for her future, especially since it turns out this kind of romance is forbidden? How might this shape events when she finds out about Vlad (and do any of us doubt she will find out?).
A few favorite moments:
- The weirdly consistent story we eventually learn about Vlad’s conception.
- Ingrid’s machinations, always fun! Especially when some old geezer comes up to ask what she and Warnock are talking about!
Overall, this week’s episode (like last week’s) feels a lot like set-up. Two threads–Ingrid’s politics and Vlad’s real parentage–proceed. How soon before they clash head-on?
Like many British series these days, Young Dracula has its own minisodes. Until next week here is one:
Next Week’s Episode “Flesh and Blood”
ive Never Seen Young Dracula