Blood and Bone China Review
Stories involving supernatural creatures of the night sucking the blood of innocent victims have existed as part of our cultural yore long before Bram Stoker recreated the historical legend of Vlad the Impaler in the genre-defining Dracula. The word “vampire” itself derives from the early Eighteenth Century when the preternatural myths of Eastern European reached the edges of the western region of the continent. Fascination with vampires experienced a surge in the 1970s with the release of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, while Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer added to the popularity of the mystical beings as the Twentieth Century drew to a close. Later television series like HBO’s True Blood, meanwhile, expanded upon the growing mythology of modern day vampires even more.
The webseries Blood and Bone China is not a contemporary tale, however, but one that instead takes place in Nineteenth Century England. The vampires of Blood and Bone China likewise do not share such evolving attributes as tormented souls in need of redemption, existential identity crises or even a taste for synthetic blood as is the case with more modern vampires. “I am the daughter of Lilith, a demonic remnant, a creature of the night,” the sexually alluring Lady Victoria (Lara De-Leuw) explains to her latest victim during the first installment of the webseries. “I am demise and decay. I am the infinite darkness. I am the reaper incarnate. Goddess and monster, oblivion and paradise. Silence and rebirth. I have forsaken all humanity to feast on the blood of mortal vessels and revel in eternal youth.”
Furthermore Blood and Bone China is not a straightforward horror narrative either, as the initial storyline centers on mystery more than the monsters themselves. When the estranged brother of an inexperienced veterinarian disappears, Newlyn Howell (Anthony Miles) is summoned to the quiet enclave of Stoke-On-Trent with the intentions of discovering what exactly happened. The cryptic stranger Alexander Pyre (John James Woodward)—who believes that the sibling is dead and that the body will never be found—is more determined to have Howell continue his brother’s work, although the only clue regarding the matter is a box of finely crafted China teacups. The pair quickly team up with a female journalist named Anna Fitzgerald (Rachel Shenton) who is also investigating the recent disappearances of a surprisingly large portion of Stoke-On-Trent’s population.
The trio of Newlyn Howell, Anna Fitzgerald and Alexander Pyre serves as the main backbone of Blood and Bone China, and are by far the greatest assets of the webseries production. The actors not only breathe believability into their roles but subtly highlight the intricately crafted characters and display a natural chemistry when brought together to solve the mystery of the town’s disappearing populace. Howell’s trembling ineptitude, Fitzgerald’s determination to succeed as a woman in a male-dominated profession and Pyre’s calm demeanor in the face of danger likewise compliment the proceedings as the newly formed band of investigators make their way through the empty streets of Stoke-On-Trent.
The clues the trio uncover inevitably lead to the domain of rich recluse Linus Hemlock (David Lemberg), the manufacturer of the China teacups discovered amongst the possessions of Newlyn Howell’s dead brother. From there Blood and Bone China brings out the demons full force, but instead of subscribing to the established modus operandi of previous vampire tales, the webseries adds new twists to the tried-and-true of old instead. Some events within the webseries do indeed fall into the realm of predictability, while others add to the intrigue and originality of Blood and Bone China. In the end, there is something both familiar and different in regards to Blood and Bone China, giving the webseries a fresh spin on the classic vampire tales of yore.
The concept of fate and destiny determining a person’s path in life also plays a key role within the storyline of Blood and Bone China. While redemption and vindication are achieved by the end of the webseries, however, it is not necessarily through the gallant efforts of a heroic protagonist—although such an element does indeed exist. Instead Blood and Bone China humanizes the conclusion of its events rather than merely raising them to epic levels. In doing so, the webseries elicits a more emotionally-charged response than the heightened effect of mere physical triumph, as well as a more satisfactory ending in the process.
Although the works of Anne Rice, Joss Whedon and Charlaine Harris are modern day classics when it comes to the vampire genre, Blood and Bone China draws inspiration from the past rather than the present for its own vampire narrative. In fact, it was a vampire-related death in the actual Stoke-On-Trent in 1972 that directly led to director Chris Stone creating Blood and Bone China. The events of the bizarre incident read like something Bram Stoker would have written, with a man locking himself away in a Gothic mansion while fearing that his life was in danger from vampires. Although the numerous tokens and talisman spread around his room apparently did their part to keep the supernatural at bay, the man ended up choking on a clove of garlic nonetheless. The scene itself has even been woven into the narrative of Blood and Bone China, adding to the horror and suspense of this old-school vampire tale.
And “old school” is indeed a fitting epitaph for the webseries, for if modern vampires Lestat, Angel and Bill Compton ever visited Stoke-On-Trent, they would more than likely themselves out of place in the world of Blood and Bone China. Fans of mystery, horror and supernatural storytelling, however, will no doubt discover their own sense of enjoyment from this webseries addition to the vampire genre.
Anthony Letizia (July 6, 2012)
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