Previously on Carmilla, Danny snapped into the Slim Jim of Mattie’s jerky heart necklace, killing her in self-defense and making us all very sad. Carmilla realized that Laura had betrayed her and went full-HAM, running off into the night. We open this week with Laura realizing the full weight of what’s she’s done. Before she can marinate too long in those self-loathing juices, Perry struts in like she hasn’t been missing and the world isn’t coming to an end.
When the Scoobies ask Perry where she’s been, she’s all like, “Dunno, jeez, can’t a girl disappear for a day and not have to explain herself?” All Perry knows (lies!) is that she woke up on the other side of campus (more lies!). She sees Mattie lying dead on the floor and it snaps her back to reality somewhat. Kirsch bursts in, excited thinking he’s seen Will, but before LaFontaine can explain the whole J.P./Will body switcheroo, Vordernberg interrupts using his big brother announcement system. He basically brags about killing Lophi and promises to kill all the Scoobies.
Perry comes around and orders the gang to start nailing the doors and windows shut. Apparently no one had a mo to ask her about that whole “being possessed by the Dean” thing. Oh well-another time then. Laura and Danny sit down together (closely) to talk (closely) about who’s not to blame (closely). Danny points out that Mattie was about to make her two Danny’s for the price of one, and she kind of had to kill her. She points out that Laura is trying to fix things, and she’s not to blame for all the crazy raining down on them right now.
Perry interrupts like, “Enough lesbianing-get to hammering these planks.” Danny leaves and Laura is left to confess her thoughts to the camera. She takes responsibility for how things ended up and she’s beginning to see the folly in only seeing things as wrong or right. She also sees the fault in asking Carmilla to change her ways, but then betraying her in the end. I love how Elise Bauman handles this scene, trying to hold it all in while the dam inside her is breaking. It’s these moments, when it’s just her and the camera, that show how well she understands and relays this character.
The Scoobies survive the siege and Laura even has time to change into a sensible blazer. If you are going to go out, let it be in business casual. The door opens, awakening a sleeping Laura. She thinks it’s Carmilla, but it’s Perry holding a bunch of ancient books. Perry gets real with Laura. They kind of suck right now and they need a plan that actually works. What better way to fight fire with fire, than using the Dean’s vast collection of scary books. They are stopped by a bunch a screams coming from outside, where Carmilla’s animal form, the black cat, is rampaging through campus on her way to the fish pit.
Laura and Perry are joined by the rest of the Ginger Squad as they watch Carm tearing through students. Perry asks the logical questions, who will Carmilla come after once she’s drunk on god-blood? LaF, who is much more bluntly honest even that usual, points out that Carmilla is a wild card right now and could come after Laura, and all the while, Laura’s just been missing her ex. Love is complicated, OK! This sends a jolt through Laura and snaps her back to her senses. She jumps on SNN to deliver some words of revolution to Silas, including the fact that Vordenberg is a big fat liar.
After getting her groove back, Laura, along with the help of Perry and LaF, gets to work on finding out a way to stop Vordernberg. So far, they are coming up empty handed-until LaF finds a log from the board meeting back in 1904. Remember, that was the year that the lights went out in Silas. Fire. There was a big fire. Back then, the Dean wanted to kill the fish god but was overruled by the board. It’s all starting to make sense now: why Lophi is dead, why the students rioted over a hundred years ago, and why Mattie had files on how to kill the board. Laura gives LaF props for their genuis-y-ness, and realizes now they have a way to stop Vordernberg. Boom!
LaF is killing me with their tweets.
And man, Perry is really getting into the Dean’s library.
– S. LaFontaine (@LaFilphormes) September 18, 2015
I mean, I know she was pretty into this stuff during that whole “Wicca” phase. But I thought that was mostly about the floral print dresses.
– S. LaFontaine (@LaFilphormes) September 18, 2015
P.S. Carmilla has been radio silent since last Thursday. Gulp.
