As the Staff Editor for AfterEllen, I get to do a lot of fun things, but I have to say that hosting the Carmilla finale party in Toronto takes the maple-frosted cake. I had the pleasure of meeting so many awesome Carmilla and AfterEllen fans, and as I told the audience, “my surly New Yorker heart grew three sizes” that night.
The event, put on by U By Kotex and Smokebomb Entertainment, was a definitely love letter to fans, with fan art hanging from the walls and propped up on easels, to treats and swag galore for attendees. Fans sipped on hot chocolate and grape soda, ate creampuffs (natch) and worked themselves into a sugar and fandom filled frenzy. When I took the stage, I wanted to capture that moment in a bottle. The excitement, the screams, the community. I talked a little bit about the show and we settled in to watch the last five episodes of the show. Unfortunately, there was a little bit of a technical glitch, so instead of a re-watch, I hopped into the audience to ask them what Carmilla meant to them. The answers were amazing and heartfelt. There were fans who came out after being inspired to be their true selves. Fans who saw LaFontaine and were able to embrace themselves as non-binary. Fans who met their best friends through Carmilla, or introduced lifelong ones to the Creampuff Universe. It was all so wonderfully positive! A mass selfie was taken, more sugar consumed, and the finale aired without a hitch.
The cast joined the audience for the finale and there were screams and gasps a plenty.
After everyone caught their breath from the finale, I was thrilled to be able to announce Carmilla Season Zero, which premieres on October 22nd at 5:30pm EST on the VerveGirl Channel, with subsequent episodes airing on U By Kotex’s Channel. For those who don’t know yet, it will take place prior to the events of the last two seasons and feature Natasha Negovanlis, Elise Bauman, Annie Briggs, Matt O’Connor and Nicole Stamp. It will give us some great backstories for these actors’ characters, and be lighter in tone than the last season. Check out the trailer.
The cast came up on stage to answer questions submitted by the fans, and were their typical charming and hilarious selves. Even though the Periscope has expired, you can check the whole thing out here!
The crowd was then treated to a killer performance by Soles, who composed the theme song for Carmilla.
That pretty much wrapped things up and the fans I spoke to told me they had a terrific time, and I sure as hell did too. Thank you to everyone who came by to say hello and take a picture. It was so wonderful hearing how much you love Carmilla and how much AfterEllen means to you too. It made me infinitely proud to be a part of the AE team.
After the show, I was able to chat with the cast for a few moments about the big finale and, of course, Season Zero.
