Murder Wakes It Up
Episode 1 of Castlevania season 4 begins with a slick montage through time as dark forces stir. Belmont and Sypha are on the move, and through 8 weeks of fighting necromancers and Dracula worshippers, come to the horrific realization of what’s happening. Forces are converging to try and bring Dracula back from the dead. Sypha confirms it won’t work upon closer inspection, but it’s clear people are going out of their minds. All of this leads to where our tale begins, in Targovista. This is the spot everything began and the pair continue to fight. The nights grow longer and the fights grow tougher. And in the shadows, Dracula’s most loyal followers grow impatient. Among those in attendance is Varney, the night Mayor of London and self-professed terror. Meanwhile, Alucard receives an unexpected visitor at the castle. A dead rider on horseback carries a note requesting aid. As he wonders whether to answer it, Alucard realizes to his horror that he’s turning into Belmont.
The Episode Review
Castlevania is back and the long awaited fourth season wastes absolutely no time getting right to the heart of the drama. Specifically, we see Alucard turning into Belmont, showing a more compassionate side despite his best intentions. There’s a poetic irony to this too, especially given Alucard’s Father is Dracula. This leads nicely into Belmont and Sypha’s journey which is full of tough monsters to try and beat. Dracula’s forces grow restless and it seems we’ve got some new enemies this episode to deal with in Varney and his vampire cronies. For now, the episode bows out with a promising taste of what’s to come.
