From Dusk Till Dawn - S01E07 Pandemonium (2014)

Review

Santánico Pandemonium (Panda for the rest of these reviews) unleashes the exotic dance to end all television exotic dances. Richie can't believe he can finally see the girl who led him to the Twitty Twister; he can also hardly believe Seth can also see her. Jacob Fuller doesn't know where to look, Scott Fuller is all eyes, and Kate Fuller can't believe what she is seeing. It all descends into total chaos when Ranger Freddie dials into the action via trying to take Richie Gecko. Suddenly the Twister is wall to wall Los Culebras battling bikies and rednecks. With fountains of gore gushing the Fullers, Geckos, Ranger Freddie, and Sex Machine are battling a pre-Mayan devil cult of vampire snakes.

After a lull in battle, not sure why, Carlos and Panda hatch their plan to get out from under the yoke of the Nine Lords of the Night, which involves slaughtering the Envoys of the Lords. Seems the temple is a "human juicer" designed to supply nutritious meals to the Lords. Anyways as battle resumes Ranger Freddie manages to gun down Richie, Panda drags him off into the temple the club is built on top of, for nefarious purposes no doubt, Scott goes through a coloured window to who knows where and the surviving Geckos, Fullers, Freddie, and Sex Machine seem to have withstood the second onslaught. Buckle up Amigos this is one hell of an action packed episode to sink your fangs into.

Wow what an episode, Robert Rodriguez went total Tarantino on us with kinetic action, wise cracks, and pretty strange characters. In between two major battle scenes we also get some advancement of the season plot arc, Richie has been called to the Titty Twister for reasons beyond his comprehension, and we get the final few episodes of the season set up. There's not much more you can ask of a television episode to be honest, assuming you aren't after yet another in the seemingly never ending BBC Jane Austin production line releases.

Loving the whole Los Culebras, vampires with snake characteristics rather than bat

Things start off in sterling fashion with Panda doing her sensual exotic dance, complete with two snakes, one of which goes places it really shouldn't. I was grooving to the reactions amongst our major characters during the "girl gone wild" pole dancing fandango. Richie was just amazed that he finally got to catch up with the girl of his dreams. He's even more impressed when Seth informs him that he can also see Panda. Scott is simply wide eyed and taking in every moment. Jacob doesn't know where to look, great shot of the dude simply looking away as Panda serves Richie tequila in one hell of unique way. And Kate goes from whatever to total shock as things heat up, clearly church romance doesn't prepare you for exotic dancers at a club called the Titty Twister. About the only person in the bar not focused on Panda is Ranger Freddie who has locked onto Richie like a heat seeking missile. All hell breaks loose when Freddie, Richie, and Seth tee off against each other, clearly Panda has her own agenda and goes all vampy, which was a signal to unleash all hell.

We next get the first battle scene, as bar patrons take on Panda and her Los Culebras cohorts, Director Rodriguez isn't sparing the coloured corn syrup or prosthetics as limbs fly, blood geysers, and heads are ripped apart. Vampers biting dudes is the least of the damage being inflicted as the bar descends into a melee from Bosch's third circle. All the while the Consoles of the Nine Lords are having a high old time cheering on the floor show. It gradually becomes apparent to various Geckos and Fullers that they are battling the "Mexican Dracula" and the battle enters a see saw phrase till Panda retires from the affray with multiple gunshot wounds which heralds a break in hostilities.

During the break in hostilities I was grooving to a number of aspects the episode presented that really had me getting down with the general mayhem. Panda does a whole Countess Elizabeth Báthory thing with a bath of blood to freshen up and litres of the red stuff to fix her battle injuries. Scott decides he has had enough of Kate praying and Jacob freezing, lock and loading with a shotgun. Seth and Richie argue over their situation and who exactly decided on their destination when they were escaping Texas. And Sex Machine turns out to be Professor Aiden Tanner, who follow Ranger Freddie and then went underground as he checked out the Twister. Amusing moment when Kate mentions that Tanner hit on her at the Rattler Tavern during the Mistress episode, though Tanner with Scott's dubious help proves to be something of an expert on what they are facing. Blood sucking snakes, flying snakes - Mayan I think, and the whole "vision serpent" thing.

One of the intriguing aspects to the episode was Panda and Carlos being in full revolt against their masters, seems the Nine Lords aren't held in universal respect by what amounts to their slaves. The Consoles, thought they were the Lords previously, are pretty much cut to pieces by Panda's crew. Seems that myth we heard about previously, the brothers will descend into the Underworld where they best the Lords, is what has sparked Panda's interest in the Gecko bros and in particular Richie. She might be in for a shock there as Richie isn't the full quid at the best of times.

The second battle scene sees the Geckos and Fullers taking on more vampires and realising that folk who are bitten by Los Culebras join the undead legions, two thumbs up for getting the correct usage of the term happening. During the battle Richie goes down when Ranger Freddie joins festivities, Panda drags Ritchie off, and Scott after displaying all the kung fu moves goes arse over tit through a coloured window. Now that's pretty cool as everyone now has a reason for staying in Dodge, well except for Sex Machine who seems simply unhinged. Highlight of the second battle for mine was Kate going all Ash with a chainsaw, you go girl!

Excellent episode full of vampire action, bloodshed galore, and Panda's exotic dance. The Director goes kinetic with about the entire episode but still takes time out to continue the season plot arcs and to setup the next few episodes. I'm starting to see where future seasons might head, though to be honest things need to get a bit less Tarantino. We're still pretty much in the first movie grounds but am enjoying the scenery never the less, best episode of the season for mine so far. If you haven't caught this excellent show yet then get yourself organised, we are talking some pretty cool stuff. Fingers crossed the team can at least rescue Scott, have a feeling Richie is about to enter a whole new lifestyle.