Of Monsters and Men

Grayson and Jayne go to the Savoy for dinner, but he doesn’t even sit when he sees Mina, Jonathan, and Lucy at a nearby table. Jayne is embarrassed at being left alone; Lucy and Jonathan are both annoyed that Grayson is flirting with their girl. On the way to the bathroom, Jayne stops Lucy and invites her to tea the next day. Grayson senses Jonathan’s none-too-subtle annoyance and takes his leave, requesting the sommelier “take care” of them. Jonathan and Mina leave the Savoy drunk and giggly, and end up having sex (for the first time) when they get home.

The next day, there is work for both of them: Mina with Van Helsing; Jonathan with Grayson. Grayson has discovered a nickel steel alloy that will solve all the casing issues with his light machine. The only metallurgy who can create it is the one Renfield discovered, quite by accident. It is owned by a Boston “blue blood” (whose name I didn’t catch) who is taken with all things dealing with “the wild west” - including poker. Grayson hustles his game that night, and walks away owning the metallurgy.

Mina is in Van Helsing’s laboratory, studying dead cells under the microscope. For whatever reason, she adds a drop of one of the doctor’s mystery samples (Grayson’s blood) and is amazed when she sees the cells seemingly come back to life. She repeats the test with the same result, then moves onto a dead rat. Nothing happens when it is injected with the serum, and she tosses him back with the other dead rats. Of course, this one’s little paw begins to twitch... Van Helsing nearly catches Mina trying to sneak back into his secret lab to put the sample away. Since she can’t put it away, she takes it with her. She also tells Van Helsing about the tests she conducted. Van Helsing insists she was mistaken; Mina insists she wasn’t. He invites her into his office and tries telling her it is some sort of microscopic parasite that cannot be seen with the microscope that makes it look like the dead cells were reanimating. Mina doesn’t buy this, but she does finally admit that she might be projecting. Her mother died of cancer when she was very young, so she has always wanted to cure death. She admits she is being silly which is good - Van Helsing was about to bash her head in with a huge silver mallet.

Lucy goes for tea at Jayne’s house. Jayne knows that Lucy has feelings for Mina. She is embarrassed and spills her tea on her dress. Jayne tells her there is no reason to be embarrassed; it is perfectly natural to have these feelings, etc. She says this while cleaning the tea off Lucy’s breast and staring deep into her eyes. Jayne had many female lovers before she first consummated with a man, and convinces her that Mina probably feels the same way, but suggests Lucy make the first move. Lucy is very excited.

Mina and Jonathan are enjoying a day on a carousel, when Davenport pulls him aside. Jonathan leaked details of Shaw’s bribery to the paper, and while he promised Grayson that no one would be able to link it to either of them, Davenport figured it out. He slips Jonathan a theater ticket - just one. So Jonathan goes, alone, and sees that Vera, the bookkeeper who slipped Jonathan Shaw’s financial records, is actually an actress, starring in the play. Jonathan is pretty pissed. While Jonathan is at the play, Lucy and Mina are making wedding plans, but Mina’s mind wanders to her time at Van Helsing’s lab. She thanks Lucy for listening to her prattle on, and Lucy takes this time to make her move. They are snuggled up on the sofa together, and Lucy tells Mina she loves her. Mina returns the sentiment, thinking she means a platonic love. Lucy leans in and kisses Mina’s cheek... then goes for the lips. Mina pulls away, horrified and crying. She accuses Lucy for using her, for only being her BFF so she could get into her knickers, and throws Lucy out.

Browning still hasn’t let go of the idea that Grayson is the vampire they seek, though I’m not sure if his insistence is a true belief, or if he wants it to be true so he can punish Jayne for sleeping with the “monster.” A little of both, I think. Anyway, he changes the Imperial Coolant stockholders meeting from an evening affair to one set at noon. In a solarium. Grayson throws a fit when he receives the invite. If he goes, he burns; if he doesn’t, he will be replaced and lose leadership of the company. He goes to Van Helsing and tells him no more tests - they do the procedure on Grayson, tomorrow.

Tomorrow rolls around, and Grayson is strapped up on a huge metal wheel. He is electrocuted until his heart starts pumping, then an enormous machine with lots of needles impales him and forces serum through him very quickly, to make sure his blood pressure is strong enough for the serum to travel through his viscous blood. It works, at least temporarily, and he shows up at the stockholders meeting. He is late, leading Browning to suspect that he won, but then Grayson appears, takes a breath, and marches right into the sunny room. Browning and Davenport are shocked, and he promises to keep his remarks short. Sure enough, Renfield retrieves him shortly after the meeting begins, and Grayson leaves with flowery comments that bring applause. As he leaves, Davenport stops him to ask a silly question. Grayson gives a quick answer, keeping his face turned away - his right cheek is bright red and getting blistery. He makes it to his carriage with no one any the wiser, and scream in pain the whole way home.

Vera is the last person in the theater after her show. She hears someone, and insists she did “everything you asked.” We see that Grayson is with her, his face still charred from earlier. She promises not to tell anyone, and Grayson ensures that by drinking her dry. He heals instantly.

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