From Dusk till Dawn: The Series finally kicked off its third season last night on the El Rey Network with a two-hour season premiere that decided to kick the dust off the series in a huge way. Let’s take a look at the two-hour premiere, titled “Head Games” and “La Reina.”
The season opens with a flashback to the destruction of the Titty Twister six months earlier, ridding the Culebras of their stronghold. In the aftermath, some new evil rises from the ashes, finally free from its entrapment at the bar. Later, somewhere in Mexico, the Gecko Brothers meet with the Lords in a different temple, and they (and the audience) learn a little bit of the history of the Culebras before being named the official “collectors” for the nine Lords (or, at least, the ones that remain). Only a few minutes into the season, the show has set up its basic premise, and it’s clear that this year is going to be structured in a very different way
Six months later, the Geckos are well into their new career. Seth is clearly getting tired of the arrangement, but Richie is still more or less enamored by his position with the cult. Their latest conquest ends in a brief fight, and it’s really fun to see the two brothers in their new dynamic, because this is one of the few times that we’ve gotten to see Culebra-Richie and Human-Seth working together after they spent most of the previous season apart. It’s a fun little exploration of just how much this show has evolved since its by-the-books (literally, being an adaptation of the first film in the franchise) first season.
Speaking of the show’s evolution, the biggest change in a character from the beginning until now is essentially a three-way tie between Freddie, Scott, and Kate. Freddie is settling into his own position as the “peacekeeper,” and he’s called into a meeting between the Geckos, the counselor, and the mid-boss that Seth and Richie came across earlier. Freddie ends up accompanying a Lord, something that wouldn’t even be slightly imaginable when we were first introduced to the character. His sequence as he fights the Skullkeeper is pretty fun, continuing to show how strong this show can be with its action sequences.
Things take a pretty violent turn when a sinister (sinisterer?) force takes control of the mid-boss, and we find out that a demon has begun transforming Culebras, leading to the possibility that anyone involved in the operation can potentially be a puppet. The Gecko Brothers are ordered to find the demon and destroy it, but Seth refuses to get involved with a creature that is literally from Hell. He acquiesces in a way, though, when he starts finding out that the demon has penetrated his own organization, and we’re treated to an incredibly fun set of sequences as he administers a “field test” of sorts to find out who has and hasn’t been taken, and it reminds the audience in a big way that From Dusk till Dawn loves to blend superior action with its horror and supernatural elements. In the end, Seth finally comes around to the fight after the Lords begin falling, and the Brothers prepare for war as an old comrade emerges from the shadows.
The second hour of the premiere, “La Reina,” opens with another flashback to five months earlier in which Kate Fuller, after her experience at the end of last season, is spending her days in a psychiatric ward. While in the hospital, the new powers inside 0f the young woman begin to emerge, and she escapes into the wild to begin her new adventure. It’s incredibly fun to see Madison Davenport, one of the best parts of the first two seasons, get to completely let loose and show an entirely different side of herself, and I’m so excited to explore Kate’s journey this season.
As Freddie deals with another attack, Seth and Richie attempt to recruit Culebras to their cause. Nobody seems willing to follow the remaining Lord (or them, for that matter), though, instead wishing that they could serve under Santanico. As Richie tells them, Santanico is long gone, but Seth seems determined to go and bring her back. Kate (via her demon surrogate) overhears the brothers talking about Santanico, and she decides that there can only be one queen.
The Gecko Brothers track down their former associate, finding her at a fight club that seems to serve as another Culebra variation of the Titty Twister. Things aren’t exactly the same, it turns out, as Santanico seems to be instead training her brethren to function outside the confines of their culture. Seth and Richie talk to Santanico to try and get her to help them, but she doesn’t want to be involved anymore with the former Lords or their ways. The only way that Seth can think of to get her involved is by taking a fight and making a bet with her, but the club ends up getting attacked mid-way through. The gang tries to figure out how to get out of the situation, but Seth is distracted after thinking that he’s seen Kate in the crowd. After splitting up, Richie and Santanico’s lover/meal (it’s complicated) come across Kate in the basement of the building, and Richie realizes that it’s not entirely Kate anymore as something is dwelling inside of her. Richie is easily overpowered by the girl/being, and Santanico is forced to watch the ruination of her girl at the hands of Kate Fuller. The encounter finally brings Santanico over to the Geckos’ side, and they head out to send the creatures back to Hell.
The two-house premiere of From Dusk till Dawn did a spectacular job of bringing us back into the show’s world while introducing the new story in a huge way. The first hour of the premiere was definitely stronger than the second, but the overall premiere was still a great experience that leaves you wanting much, much more.
What did you think of the two-hour season premiere of From Dusk till Dawn: The Series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
[Photo Credit: El Rey Network]
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