Quick Take review – Bitten 1×06: ‘Committed’

Elena (Laura Vandervoort) tries putting aside Pack stuff and focus on doing normal human stuff like attend a wedding. Guess how that goes?

Let’s bitch it out…

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Elena is back at Stonehaven by the end of the hour (though perhaps we should appreciate that she managed to last nearly a whole day in Toronto). All joking aside, this is an important episode for the series as it may well mark a turning point as Elena has seemingly made up her mind about what her priorities are: for the first time she’s come “home” not at Jeremy’s (Greg Bryd) behest, but at Clay’s (Greyston Holt).

In some ways ‘Committed’ is the most personal episode of the series yet. Yes, there is a body (RIP pack guy we didn’t know), but on the whole we’re heavy into relationship territory here as both Elena and Logan (Michael Xavier) hit romantic milestones with their significant others. The fact that their wolf lives are falling spectacularly apart as they move in and get pregnant – respectively – is just par for the sci-fi course. Isn’t it some kind of genre rule that when things are good in one part of your life, the supernatural side is bound to fall spectacularly apart?

The best scenes are definitely those featuring Santos (Michael Luckett) at the wedding as Elena shifts quickly from blushing bridesmaid to steely-eyed killer. Santos works as a villain because he’s dashing and normal enough to be a legitimate threat. The pedophile and rapist mutts we’ve seen thus far barely seem capable of functioning in society – they’re not scary because all of their menace is right out in the open. What you see with those guys is what you get and what we’ve seen is a bunch of idiots who run around committing a bit of the old ultraviolence. Santos and Marsten (an unseen Pascal Langdale), on the other hand, are the brains of the operation and their propensity for turning up for a thinly veiled chat verges on charismatic.

I only wish that Elena’s scenes with Santos had played out longer. I appreciate that the series is trying to show Elena’s efforts to balance her wolf and human responsibilities, but watching her make nice with Philip’s (Paul Greene) mother isn’t exactly scintillating TV. Not that it matters now; jutting off to rescue her hunky ex from his personal demons is going to lose her any goodwill she just earned with Philip’s family! Ah well…we know she won’t end up with hunky Vodka BF in the long run.

 

Other Observations:

• Jeremy proves why he’s the Alpha when he gives Clay permission to send the mutts the message that he’s not weak. That was a lot of teeth and claws, y’all. Ouch.
• It’s pretty manipulative staging, but I really like how Clay switches the phone from a clean hand to a bloodied one as he begs Elena to come home. It’s a simple, but effective visual – one hand symbolizes what he needs from her and the other showcases what happens without her.
• Finally, the pack dynamics still need some fleshing out. Clay mentions he’ll have to hunt Elena if she turns her back on the Pack, but wouldn’t she still be a member (perhaps in absentia – like she has been for the last year)? And can just how many Packs are there? Do their rules differ? Can any mutt “join” a Pack if he agrees to their rules? The basic rules separating Pack members and mutts is fairly clear, but there’s still some background on how this society works that’s missing. Book readers: any insight you have to share?

Your turn: what did you think of this relationship-centric episode? Was Clay’s heartbreaking phone call swoon-worthy? Is Jeremy more badass than you expected? And is pink a good colour for Laura Vandervoort? Sound off below.

Bitten airs Saturdays at 9pm EST on SPACE (in Canada) and Mondays at 8pm EST on Syfy (in the US)