Blood Vessel

As Dracula makes his way to England, he has set things up on the Demeter, so he will have his earthen boxes and enough people to eat. But on board is our Sister and she is in his way. The claustrophobic nature of a packet like this makes him very visible. There is a good deal of tongue in cheek for such a violent piece. Unfortunately, going into episode three, I've just figured that the third episode will not end this but push into another entire season sometime in the future. Am I right?

Wasn't sure about what they were doing with drac but its just a fun take on the story, yes there are dramatic ans serious tones and yes its a costume drama but as you see in the end of this episode what it really is at its core is a fun Dracula fan take on an old story... I've bought into it hook line and sinker because despite some cringe moments, dubious choices and general WTF moments I'm really enjoying it on a pure popcorny movie type of way

With the almost claustrophobic setting of a creaking Russian ship, the cheekily titled "Blood Vessel" harks back to the classic BBC horror stories of days gone by.

Strong on intelligent dialogue and rich characterisation from an excellent cast, this episode is gripping, suspenseful and, like the first episode, inventive and unpredictable.

Claes Bang is a mesmerising Count. He's absolutely believable as the smooth talking vampire, bringing fresh life to a familiar character.

10 out of 10. Unmissable.

Dracula plays chess with Sister Agatha and has a conversation about his travel to England on board of the Russian vessel Demeter with the crew, six other passengers and a mysterious sick passenger in cabin 9. Along the journey, Dracula drinks the blood and acquires the knowledge of the crew and passenger when finally the identity of the unknown passenger in cabin 9 is disclosed.

"Blood Vessel" is a good episode of "Dracula", better than the first one. There is mystery, suspense and dark humor in a great screenplay that entertains the viewer. The conclusion with Dracula in the present days is highly intriguing. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Blood Vessel"

This episode is the highlight of the series. It is completely original, it is clever and it is well executed. The first episode was a classical horror story with a twist, the third is more Black-mirror-ish. This one is its own unique thing, it is part murder mystery part adventure story.

The reason I liked this episode is because in the original novel Dracula there is a part explaining how Dracula came from Transylvania to London. It is short, it is creepy but there is no plot development nor character growth, it is purely to get the character from A to B and to build up the lore, explain how he got Romanian soil in England. Be it the books or the movies, everyone always discarded this chapter, it is short, it is technical, there is nothing of importance happening.

This episode is a prime example of why TV is in a golden age right now. It is so good because this format allows precisely for these kinds of episodes. Modern TV has the luxury of focusing on a speck of dust on a characters shoulder and pull out and episode, even an entire arc around it. It can either crush your show or elevate it to high art. When it is successful, it stops the main action; yet it allows us, the audience, to get to know characters a bit better. You get the characters in vacation so to speak, outside of their natural surroundings. You get to see qualities and traits that you wouldn't have had time to see in the regular narrative.

Obviously, the main character is Dracula and we know everything there is to know already. In that regard the episode is kind off making fun of the tropes. Yet, if you consider that Sister Agatha is the main hero, this episode is helpful in fleshing her out as a unique and original character.

The episode's premise is simple yet perfectly executed; it stretches out that boring Dracula boat chapter into a detective murder mystery of sorts. It is Dracula meets Death on the Nile. It is the Count Vampire in an Agatha Christie story. It is at the same time ridiculous yet genius. Firstly, because it plays it straight and explores the adventures of the Count on an actual sea voyage. Secondly, because the episode wears it's self-awareness on its sleeve. You end up with a crime-mystery plot, filled with gothic-horror characters with just enough humour to blend it together seamlessly. It is funny, is it scary, it is intriguing, but most of all it is fresh and original.

In terms of a part of a larger series, the effect of the episode is harder to jauge. It is so disconnected from the main narrative that the next episode is struggling to be as interesting, while introducing new characters and motives. Similarly, because the first episode was more of a classical horror story this episode feels jarring at first. Fortunately, the tone is consistent, and Dracula and Sister Agatha have enough charisma to carry whatever the plot throws at them. Which in turn, shows how well these characters are written.