The TV show Dracula

Hello everyone. Since there seemed to be a fair amount of interest in the Dracula show I decided to write the second post. There are a few thing I want to say about the show. 

           First there is the fact that they actually incorporate historical facts into the show. Certainly, it is mainly about the myth, but they have brought facts about the man into the show as well. Then there is the fact that they are using other supernatural or mythical beings other than Dracula. The third fact is that Mina's character  is a smart woman; they kept her as a doctor even though this version of the story is set in Victorian England.

            I really love that the writers did their research for this show. They held true to the fact that Dracula was a Prince of Wallachia, and that Vlad Tepes and his father before him were a part of the Order of the Dragon. Actually, for those who have not yet seen the show, the existence of the Order of the Dragon is a plot driver for the show. The Order of the Dragon is tasked with hunting Dracula and all vampires. I like that  they portray Dracula as being a man out for vengeance. I enjoyed when they were naming off the titles and names of Dracula, calling him Vlad Tepes IV. They name him as being the Prince of Wallachia but also being the second born. Another historically-based plot driver is the fact that Vlad had a wife that he loved before Mina Murray. In order to make Dracula seem like the completely devoted man, they seem to have made Mina the reincarnation of Dracula’s previous wife.

            I really like the fact that they have maintained Mina being a smart woman. Her character has always been a doctor of some kind, and this fact is maintained in the show. In this show, Mina is attending medical school, studying to be a surgeon under the teachings of Professor Van Helsing. They have maintained the character's intelligence even thought the story is set in Victorian England when it was widely accepted for a woman to be brainy. I appreciate this because it is good for the audience, especially girls and young women, to see that there have always been women who were intelligent and well-educatved, even when it was not really socially accepted.

            Dracula is not the only mythical being that is used within the show. They include the existence of other vampires. The writers of the show make the distinction that Dracula is much older than the garden variety vampire and is therefore more powerful. They show this when the Order of the Dragon uses the seers to locate Dracula. Also, Abraham Van Helsing may be human but he is still legendary. I quite like how the writers have twisted this part of the story and have Van Helsing working with Dracula against the Order of the Dragon.

                                --S. Bennett