Van Helsing: Last Time – Sam (Recap/Review) [Update]

[Update] Susan, Vanessa’s friend and neighbor was erroneously identified as “Karen.” This has now been corrected, Mike’s Film Talk apologizes for any confusion.

Just when it seems like Van Helsing cannot get any darker, “Last Time” goes jet black with an ending sequence that raises goosebumps and may give the more faint-hearted nightmares. Sam is indeed the murderer whose actions tore apart the two groups in the hospital.

In this episode, Vanessa takes her tiny group to Susan’s house in the country.  When they arrive the house is deserted; the occupants dead or missing. As they search the house for a safe place to sleep, Mohamad finds a ham radio.

There is a moment of hope.  The man on the other end of the radio relays to the group that Denver is supposed to be a safe haven. Salt Lake City, the man says, has been destroyed.  Mohamad answers to the caller with clicks of the microphone as it is broken.

Later, Susan’s abusive father attacks a horse she learned to ride on, the man has been turned into a feral vampire.  The group capture the creature and there is no mercy shown by Susan who tells of what her father did to her as a human.  The feral is killed.

Sam shaves his beard with a straight razor he found in the house.  It drops years off his face but when he smiles there is nothing youthful at all in his countenance. It is the same cheerful grin Sam had while killing the man who locked him up in last week’s episode.

Susan is nowhere to be found and Vanessa stops Sam and Mohamad from burying her father in case she wants to say something. The three separate to find the missing woman.  Sam is told to search the woods for Susan.

Rebecca and Dimitri skulk and argue after learning that they will no longer get newborn babies from the cult. Dimitri is especially angry. His sister asks for permission to clean out the rest of the human resistance. Dimitri wants her to prove that Vanessa Van Helsing’s blood will allow them to walk in the daylight.

This is rather important as the ash filled skies are slowly clearing. When the ash settles the vampires will be forced back into the shadows.  The sun is already breaking through, each time the two walk near a window their skin burns.

Sam kills Susan.  She dies after hugging him. He wraps his hands around her throat and strangles her. After the act he cuts off an index finger. He then meets up with Mohamad and Vanessa. Sam tell them Susan was not in the woods.

Mohamad looks at his friend and goes back into the house, saying he will check for Susan one more time. He goes upstairs to Sam’s backpack and finds the fingers.  He realizes that John was not the killer; it was Sam all along.

Vanessa learns that Sam has the fingers and Mohamad tells her that they killed the wrong man earlier.  Sam admits he killed Susan. Van Helsing is outraged. “Why,” she shouts.

“It’s who I am, says Sam, It’s who I’ve always been. Since I was a little boy.”

Vanessa has the shotgun and plans to shoot Sam with it. Mohamad insists upon going along. As they reach their destination, Sam furiously signals to his friend. Van Helsing demands to know what the killer is saying but Mohamad is too upset to translate.

He tells Sam to shut up and his friend tells Mohamad to tell Vanessa the truth or he will.  Mohamad jumps Sam and beats him. Van Helsing pulls him off and says they will leave the wounded man for the feral’s to kill.

She takes the machete that Mohamad brought to the woods and cripples Sam. They leave him to die.

As the two discuss where they should go next, Sam is attacked by a feral. He manages to stab the creature in the head with a piece of wood. As he tries to grab the feral by the throat it bites his hand. Sam’s scream of pain can be heard at the farmhouse.

Vanessa and Mohamad bury Susan next to her mother and father. Out in the darkening woods, Sam can be heard, He is breathily shouting “Mohamad, I can hear you.”  The final shot is of the freshly turned Sam running through the woods toward Mohamad and Vanessa.

Cue goosebumps.

This episode was brilliantly dark and unsettling.  Last week’s episode made it fairly clear that the finger taking murderer was Sam. This episode cemented it.  The tall deaf man was, as Vanessa tells Mohamad,   a psychopath and she is right.

There are a few things still outstanding however.  What “truth” was Sam speaking of. What secrets are being carried around by Mohamad. It may all lead back to the sister he is searching so hard for; Sheema.

He may have been doing something similar to Sheema before turning up at the hospital. However, the lack of information and the lack of interest by Vanessa is worrying.

Axel is still missing and while it may be wishful thinking, it would be nice if the Marine turned back up. It seems pretty certain that we have not seen the last of Doc or Axel, although she may not have anything to fear from the military man, Van Helsing will certainly kill the medico if she returns.

Van Helsing airs Fridays on SyFy. Tune is and see if Mohamad’s secret is revealed.

Cast:

• Kelly Overton  –  Vanessa Van Helsing
• Jonathan Scarfe  –  Axel Miller
• Rukiya Bernard  –  Doc
• Christopher Heyerdahl  –  Sam
• Trezzo Mahoro  –  Mohamad
• Paul Johansson  –  Dimitri
• Vincent Gale  –  Flesh
• Aleks Paunovic  –  Julius
• Naika Toussaint  –  Sheema
• Hannah Cherry  –  Dylan
• Hilary Jardine  –  Susan
• Laura Mennell  –  Rebecca

Guest starring Tom Cavanagh as Micah, Christopher Russell as Theo and Gwynyth Walsh as Magdelene.