A Morality Lesson
Episode 3 of Castlevania sees Sypha and Belmont contemplate what to do next following their skirmish over the creatures during the opening chapter. They bond over the fun they’ve had but now that they’ve slowed down, contemplate whether to get back on the road and back to something less boring. Something in Lindenfeld is not quite right though and as the Judge arrives, he escorts them to his house where they find out the truth on the matter. As they sit and reveal to the Judge who they are, we jump back in time and see Lindenfeld attacked by undead beasts. With the Judge leading the army back then, he watched in horror as one of the creatures slammed into the church and spoke to the men and women inside in a strange alien language. This was the beginning of the end, with Sala forever changed and frightening, damaged people arriving every few days and being escorted up to the Priory with him. The Judge warns them that the Monks are armed and after a little teasing persuasion from Sypha, Belmont heads up with her to investigate the Priory. Out at sea, Isaac tells the story of him being on Dracula’s court to the Captain. As they drink, he tells him about Dracula throwing him through the mirror to save his life. It’s here we’re caught up on the situation from last season, involving Carmilla conspiring and Dracula being betrayed. When he finishes, the Captain asks him why he doesn’t have his own story and talks to him about the good of humanity. Maybe humanity should die but perhaps in ending cruelty, he’ll also wipe out human kindness. The Captain goes on to ask whether Isaac should use his brilliance and abilities for good rather than evil. In the castle, Lenore begins her scheme and visits Hector in his cell, sitting in a seat outside and berating the guard for leaving him so poorly treated. She feeds Hector but it’s enough for him to grab her round the neck and threaten to kill her. Only, she’s too strong and quickly appears inside the cell and knocks him down, leaving the Forgemaster a bloody mess. She warns him not to mistake her peaceful nature for being weak and after throwing him a berry, leaves him on the ground where the episode ends. Alongside the banter between Sypha and Belmont, the real take-away this episode comes from the interesting grey area between right and wrong. The Captain and Isaac’s conversation on the boat is a fascinating morality lesson and something that’s particularly thought provoking when used in the context of Isaac’s mission and moral compass. It’s a really interesting conversation and one that subtly adds more character and depth to him, allowing this to really stand out as one of the better episodes this season.
