Griffin Gillen

This is a worthy successor to the original series. I found all of the characters quite engaging, and I'm stoked to see where the story goes from here. Seeing multiple different magic users with distinct abilities that stood out from one another was a delight, and I adore the historical setting of the French Revolution. It grounds the show in a time frame someone with a passing knowledge of history can grasp more firmly than "generic pre-Enlightenment Eastern Europe timeframe." And I love the themes of revolution at the forefront of the show. I found the core cast all likable– particularly Richter and Annette. Everyone had a backstory, something in their past they were struggling with or running from. From Tera's past in Russia to Annette's life as a slave, everyone feels like they come from a real place, with real goals and aims. The plot around the Vampire Messiah was intriguing, and I was always eager to see what our villains were up to here. (Maybe even a little more so than in the original series!) And the wrinkle of Orlox aiding the heroes against Erzsebet's plot (for whatever his own aims are) was such a fun little twist. Sadly, people seem to be getting up in arms about the show being 'woke' and having an agenda? I certainly didn't come away thinking that. The writers certainly had a fair bit to say about revolution and religion (and perhaps a couple of the jabs at the Church felt out of place in the context of the 1790s), but this show *does* have a story; it's not just a vessel for a political message, good grief! Some people seem to have Richter not being an instant badass compared to everyone around him. I don't see that. It's clear he's barely an adult. Expecting him to be as competent as middle-aged Trevor was in the original series is rather silly. And if he had been perfectly competent and flawless right out the gate, there would've been much less catharsis in him re-unlocking his powers in episode 6. By the end of episode 8, he's literally going toe-to-toe with Drolta, and it feels so good to see that after having watched him struggle with his demons. Furthermore, the other characters around him *do* struggle; they don't flawlessly achieve everything like some of these reviews would imply. They get injured, they fail at key tasks. They may not be as brash or as cocky as Richter, but they aren't these infallible paragons meant to make him look weak by comparison. If there is one legitimate complaint about the show I can lodge, it's pacing. The show could've desperately done with more episodes, and longer ones. I wanted more time to really get to know our characters, see how they interacted with one another. And some of the character development for a couple of the central cast felt a bit rushed– which would've been alleviated with more time spent developing things. 8 blocks of 25 minutes was not enough. Perhaps some of the complaints about the political theming being 'too ham-fisted' would also have been somewhat negated with more time. (Though all things considered, I think this is far a textbook case of poorly executed themes and messaging ruining a story, contrary to some opinions.) I sincerely hope subsequent seasons will be longer!