Original Airdate: December 6, 2013
Grayson steps out into his garden. Sunlight is pouring through the trees. He looks around in confused wonder before playing with the water in the fountain. He smiles and looks up, raising his arms in triumph that the sun can’t harm him.
In his study, Grayson reflects on his daydream.
Jayne and Browning discuss whether or not Grayson could be a vampire. Jayne thinks it’s unlikely. Why would a vampire be involved in business? And besides, Grayson hasn’t been seen in daylight since arriving in London. Davenport shares Browning’s suspicions, but Jayne is protective of her lover.
Grayson and Jayne go to dinner. He leaves her momentarily. Mina and Lucy are enjoying a magic trick, but Jonathan is not impressed. He’s even less impressed when Grayson shows up to explain how the trick is done. Lady Jayne watches him with frustration, and when Lucy walks by she catches her and invites her to tea. Grayson apologizes for leaving Mina and Jonathan’s engagement party so abruptly. He plays with the King and Queen of Hearts, performing a little magic trick that makes Jonathan crack a smile. When Grayson offers to foot the bill, Mina asks Jonathan if they can see how much of his fortune they can drink away in a night.
When the happy couple returns to Jonathan’s new house, Mina is quick to shed her wet clothing. She knows that Jonathan is watching and she purposefully removes her frock to catch his attention. He kisses her and they move to the bed. He asks if she’s sure, and she says yes. Their passion builds quickly as he makes love with his fiancée.
The next morning, Jonathan says that “he’s been thinking” about eloping. It makes sense to avoid all the trouble of the wedding and focus instead on each other. Mina wonders if he feels that what they did “makes their vows any less sacred,” and when he says no, then she says they should marry in the church. He suggests they set a date. Mina has to work later on, and Jonathan teases that he will “play second fiddle to her work.
Grayson chides Jonathan for being late. He tosses a vial of nickel-steel alloy to him and asks for a rundown of where he can find some. Apparently, the man who has the largest share is a Wild West type guy who happens to have a poker game later in the evening. Renfield appears and Jonathan is happy to see him. Renfield has a story about gang attacks at the ready, but when he hands a newspaper to Grayson, Grayson quickly dismisses Jonathan from the lighthearted moment. The Dresden Triptych is up for auction.
Davenport’s agents have intercepted a telegram between Renfield and his men. Apparently Grayson has people all over the world looking for the Dresden Triptych and it’s up for auction the following week. Davenport decides that if Grayson wants it, so does he.
At the poker game, Grayson holds four kings. He folds, pretending not to understand the game. The host asks if he’s ever played the game before, given that he’s almost out of money and he’s folded nine times in a row. They deal the cards and Grayson uses his powers to see what the other man’s cards are.
Back home, Grayson tells Renfield that Mr. Telford will have to explain how he lost his company in a card game. Renfield shares a telegram that the coolant company’s shareholder’s meeting has been moved to noon, in the solarium. Grayson can’t afford not to go lest he lose his company. His options are to burn or lose his company.
Mina is working late with some of the mysterious slides she found. She gives some of the serum to a dead rat, and when nothing happens, she gives up. Little does she know, when she tosses the rat away, its hand starts to move.
Lady Jayne and Lucy have tea. Jayne noticed how Lucy regarded Mina at lunch. Lucy is so caught off guard that she spills tea on herself. Jayne reveals that finding women attractive is a normal part of growing up, and Lucy’s face lights up. Lady Jayne plays the role of teacher, and as her hand travels across Lucy’s chest, she explains that she should tell Mina how she feels.
Van Helsing has a new serum that he’s preparing. When he says that it will be ready in a few days, Grayson sees an article about General Shaw’s war profiteering and declares that they will try the new serum the following day. Ready or not.
Grayson is furious that Jonathan published the article about General Shaw. Jonathan insists that he was very careful about his sources and there’s no way to trace it back to Grayson.
Davenport reaches out to one of his contacts who says that Renfield was seen paying off Vera Martin, the woman that Jonathan met with about General Shaw.
Van Helsing catches Mina working on an experiment in the lab and he dismisses her. She says that she used the serum on dead cheek cells and she was able to reanimate. She did it twice to ensure that it was accurate. He brings her back into his office and tells her that the serum contains tiny parasites that make the reanimation possible. He’s about to club her over the head when she reveals that her mother died when she was young, and she now wishes to find a way to “cure” death. Mina apologizes for wasting his time and leaves.
Browning meets with Jayne and they exchange information. He says that Davenport is flushing out a lead, and she reveals that Grayson will be attending the shareholders meeting. He threatens her, saying that if she continues her affair with Grayson and he turns out to be a vampire, she will earn the wrath of the Brotherhood.
Lord Davenport steals Jonathan away while he and Mina are having fun on a carousel. Davenport can’t understand why Grayson hired Jonathan to do his dirty work, and he says that there’s no reason Jonathan can’t find himself in the crosshairs if he makes the wrong move. He gives Jonathan a ticket to see “A Doll’s House.”
Jonathan goes to the play. The audience is full. As he watches the play, he sees that the lead actress is none other than Vera Martin. She’s an actress. He jumps up and leaves in a hurry.
Lucy is at Mina’s house, helping her friend with wedding preparations. Mina is more focused on what happened with Van Helsing. As she talks, she strokes Lucy’s hair. “It’s not kindness,” Lucy says, leaning in for a kiss. She explains to the shocked Mina that their affection is a natural part of their development. Lucy tearfully explains that she broke up with Alistair earlier so that they can be together. Mina starts to wonder if their entire friendship has been a pretense for this moment. Mina sends Lucy away. Jonathan arrives as Lucy is leaving.
The next day Van Helsing explains the procedure as Grayson lies on the table. Renfield asks if he’s ready to try the experiment, and Grayson says that if he doesn’t, all of their efforts will be for nothing. Van Helsing shocks him over and over again, and then they pierce his chest with several needles full of the serum. Grayson screams in agony as the serum moves through his body.
The shareholders gather in the solarium. He’s late. Browning tells Jayne that it’s unfortunate that he’s not there. However, Grayson is outside. Renfield advises him to keep it short. “I’ve never been so motivated to be concise in my life,” Grayson replies, looking up to the sky. When he walks in, Browning frowns. Grayson wants to make the meeting quick so as to not waste a beautiful day. One shareholder wants to know why they haven’t seen a profit. When Renfield sees that Grayson is getting uncomfortable, he interrupts the meeting and Grayson prepares to leave. But before he goes, he gives his people a rousing speech that assures them that they are the future of the energy business. He receives a rousing round of applause. Davenport isn’t satisfied with Grayson’s answers as he leaves, but Grayson is burning up. He gives a succinct answer, and by the time he makes it back to the carriage his skin is erupting in blisters.
Van Helsing is being tormented by visions from his past. He sees his son being dragged away and left to die as he watches helplessly.
Grayson pays a visit to the theater. Vera tells him that she won’t reveal his secrets to anyone, but when Grayson steps into the light and she sees his burned face. He lunges at her. As he drinks his skins heals itself. He leaves her on the stage with her neck torn out.
We won’t see Alexander Grayson again until January 3rd. At this point we have seen a lot that has built up to this moment. Despite the agonizing treatments, Grayson can only walk in the sun for a short time. Lucy and Mina have parted ways. Browning has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to Jayne’s involvement with Grayson; if he’s a vampire, then she’s facing punishment from the Order.
Monster or Man? Leave your thoughts below!
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