Tesla in Sanctuary

Another excellent episode of Sanctuary. I am continually impressed by the rich mythology of this show. After the exploration of the Ancients and their history in the Stargate franchise, I really began to appreciate how well those shows weaved their mythology together. However, I have been even more impressed with Sanctuary and Nikola Tesla in particular. His character always walks the line between good and bad - on the one hand he is the greatest mind alive and was vital in stopping the Kabal. On the other, he tends to wreak havoc from time to time as he seeks to restore the vampire race to greatness. Even this cannot truly be considered bad, since he simply seeks to preserve his race from extinction (again). Spoilers ahead.

This week's episode, Sleepers, revisits Tesla and his efforts to create a new race of vampires. This time, he succeeds but is perhaps too successful. These new vampires cannot see the bigger picture and only thirst for power. They kidnap Tesla and he must rely on Magnus to free him and bring the failsafe device. This was another highlight of the episode - seeing the relationship between Magnus and Tesla and how they know each other so well after all these years: Magnus knowing he would have a failsafe and where to look, Tesla knowing she would bring it, and the two of them coordinating almost without words to knock down the remaining vampires.

Tesla losing his powers was a shock and an interesting twist on the story. No longer can he simply do as he pleases. It will be interesting to see what his new powers entail. I hope they still include immortality because the trio of Magnus, Tesla, and Druitt make for some fantastic story arcs. I also enjoyed Magus's reaction to his loss - her concern for Tesla (because he is one of the remaining five) really weaves the rich mythology together with the personal character narratives of the show. Herein lies the strength of this series - not only does it have a rich mythology, but it blends the myth personally with the characters. I am very much looking forward to its return in 2010 and (from the preview) the return of Druitt.

Thanks to Sanctuary Caps for the screenshot.


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