#verusa bloodstone

[deathisreborn]

"Werewolf by Night" (2022). Dir. Michael Giacchino.

[bluemoonperegrine]

Did you expect Verusa's eye makeup was red? I think it adds a lot knowing it is now. Like she's crying blood, presenting her own sorrow and pain as the most excruciating despite being the cause of a lot of Elsa's

I hadn't really thought about it tbh. Verussa's eye makeup being red was a bit jarring but made a lot of sense, I think. Like you said, it's as if she's crying blood. Verussa is nothing if not dramatic.

You wrote, "presenting her own sorrow and pain as the most excruciating despite being the cause of a lot of Elsa's"

Great observation! I headcanon Ulysses as a supernaturally old malignant narcissist, so it's logical that his wife would be just as disordered.

Although I haven't spent much time pondering it, it's possible that Ulysses wasn't always cruel and sadistic. It may have happened over time, and possibly due to prolonged contact with the Bloodstone.

IDK. Just spitballing.

[honourablejester]

Okay so just … watching Werewolf by Night again, and I’m just looking at bodycounts between our three main characters.

Of the two elite hunters who die in the maze, Elsa gets one and Ted gets one. Of the two who die in the house, Elsa kills both. Ted kills Verusa. And Jack kills absolutely nobody until he’s wolfed, and even then, while he slaughters quite a few goons, of the skilled hunters in the room, he only maims one, and Elsa’s the one who finishes that one off. And I’m just …

Can Jack actually fight? When he’s not a wolf. Is this an aversion to violence, given his fear of his other self, or does he actually not know how to fight?

Like, he clearly has an excellent grasp of first aid, so he’s clearly seen and/or experienced the aftermath of violence, and there’s a lot of evidence of tactical thinking on his part, but his instant response to any prospective violence is to just run from it. Every single time. He just legs it.

And the reason I’m asking is just … what was his plan? Coming to rescue Ted. The literal extent of his plan appears to be show up, bluff your way in, find Ted, find a wall, blow up the wall, run away. But this is a house full of hunters. This is the stronghold of the enemy, the people who want to see people like him and Ted very dead. And if he can’t actually fight, and any of them at any point take objection to him during the free for all fight to the death, he’s boned. Absolutely boned.

Was his entire plan just … bluff it and run? He didn’t even know how to use the explosives (yes, I’m still stuck on that). Like, was this purely a bullet-point plan: talk your way in, find Ted, find an exit, run away? If anything looks at you funny while you’re in there, talk them down if that’s an option, and run away if it’s not?

His wolf was never an option for this mission. The moon’s five days away. If the Bloodstone hadn’t been a factor, this would all have been him. Just him. If Elsa hadn’t been willing to roll with him …

Like, I was talking about Elsa’s raw courage in being willing to put away her weapon when faced with a rampaging werewolf, who might, maybe, remember not to murder her, but you’ve also got to credit the raw nerve on this idiot werewolf man. I’ve got a medallion, and I’ve got a bomb, and I’m a very personable man, and I can just talk my way into this. No problem. The second I’m discovered, I’m dead, or worse, but it’s not going to be an issue. Just stay alive, find Ted, find a wall, run away. Easy peasy. Okay, so it’s actually a free for all fight to the death where the hunters are hunting each other, so my cover won’t actually prevent anyone trying to kill me, but it’s still fine. I’ve got legs. This is a maze. I’m sure I can just dodge people until it’s time to bail.

If anyone so much as looks at him funny in here, he’s dead. But he rocks up anyway, casual as you please.

“Well of course I was going to come find you. Of course. Are you okay?”

Like. Get you a buddy who will walk into certain death with nothing but a smile and a snazzy suit and a bomb he doesn’t know how to use just to keep you safe.

This is why Ted does things like make him coffee, and save his new friend, and rob an enemy’s cloak to keep him warm after he wolfs out. He is an idiot werewolf man, with all the loyalty and optimism and blind idiot courage that apparently entails.

And if anyone so much as looks at him funny, Ted and/or Elsa can smear their charred ashes and/or arterial spray across the landscape. Because somebody has to, and it’s clearly not going to be him!

[eva-ace]

Of Monsters and Men

Pairing: Elsa Bloodstone/Jack Russell 

Words: 2,499. 

Tags: Dubcon, NSFW

We all saw that scene where he smelled her and thought “damn thats hot”.

Enjoy! Cross posted on Ao3 as well.

Returning to Bloodstone Temple was the last thing Elsa wanted. She despised this place and the people who occupied it. Her father, her stepmother, and the hunters. She had one goal. Get the bloodstone and disappear again. 

Elsa entered the room, doing a quick scan of the hunters. They all stared at her. They were probably wondering why she returned, some were probably sizing her up, and others may have thought she didn’t deserve to be here. Her eyes continued to scan before pausing on one of the hunters. He wasn’t quite remarkable save for the white lines and dots drawn across his face. He was of average height, and average if not a little slender of a build. He made eye contact with her and gave her a small smile. She frowned and looked away. She had met many hunters in her lifetime but none like him. There was something mysterious there that she was curious about. 

The curiosity was only emboldened upon hearing his kill count, 100+. The faces of the other hunters were that of jealousy. Her face stayed neutral but something deep in her belly stirred, fear. For someone to have such a large kill count there had to be more monster than man in him. 

Unfortunately, Elsa would find herself to be right on that assumption. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elsa and Jack found themselves trapped in a cage. Jack touched the Bloodstone and had been discovered to be a creature of darkness. Elsa leaned against the cage at the furthest point away from him. 

 “ Elsa, I.. “ 

“ I trusted you. Why the fuck did I? “ Elsa sat, knees pulled to her chest. She shouldn’t have trusted him. She made the mistake of trusting anyone but herself a long time ago. Now she was stuck in a cage and he was going to kill her. 

“ I shouldn’t have asked for your help. “ Jack paced the cage. 

“ Well, I shouldn’t have needed yours. “ Elsa choked out the words. Though she had no intention of crying in front of her Stepmother and the other hunters. 

“ This is gonna be really bad. “ Jack scanned the room, looking for anything to help him out of this situation. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt, Elsa. She had helped Ted. Even though they had only conversed for a few minutes in that mausoleum, he felt some sort of fondness for her.

“ Bloody Stupid. “ She wiped away a tear. They both paused and looked toward the doors. Footsteps were slowly approaching.

“ Okay.. Okay.“ Jack crouched down next to her. 

“ I need you to look at me. Okay? Do not break eye contact, no matter what. “ 

“ What are you talking about.. “ She was confused as hell. 

She was cut short as Jack began sniffing her and rubbing his face in her hair, against her face. She hadn’t been this close or intimate with someone in a long time. Something ignited deep inside her. Something different to fear. Something she hadn’t felt in ages. Jack continued, he moved her hair out of the way and pressed his nose against her neck breathing in her scent. She smelled a bit like blood and sweat from the fighting outside but there was also something else a hint of something sweet, like berries. It stirred something in him. He sniffed down her arm to her wrist. He tried to focus on her scent, registering it in his mind as something positive something to protect. 

“ Uh, And this is what? “ Elsa questioned but didn’t stop him.

“ I need to remember you. “ Jack said straining. Elsa noticed the change in his voice. It shot right to her core. Jack’s movement stuttered for a moment. 

“ Well does it work? “ 

“ Once. “ Shocked out of his stupor, Jack finished his exploration of her. It took him a moment to pull away and steady himself. 

As the doors finally opened, Elsa pushed away from him. They both stood up to face their fates. 

Elsa walked forward. She had stopped her stepmother Verusa from harming Jack further. She stepped forward till she stood next to the bloodstone. She could hear Jack’s groans of pain. She leaned down slowly picking up the bloodstone and putting it in her back pocket. 

Here she paused for a moment, she could leave, just turn around and go or she could help him. She wanted to help him more than anything. She took a tentative step forward. 

“ Jack, Are you still in there? “ Elsa continued to walk forward. She eyed Jack carefully, he looked in pain but hell she didn't know anything about this monstrous form of him. He was strange, something between a wolf and a man. He had claws where nails should be, and hair covering him completely. He had grown in size and had nearly taken out everyone on his own, she had no doubt he could've. Lost in her thoughts she wasn’t ready when he pounced, going from all fours to towering over her in a few seconds. 

She didn’t scream, she couldn’t. Jack had knocked the wind out of her. She just stared. She stared at him not breaking eye contact. Her body shuddered with fear, but he didn’t attack her. She slowly raised her hand, bringing it to touch his face. He needed to know it was her, that she wasn’t afraid, that she trusted him. She stared into his eyes trying to spot any recognition or human in them. 

Jack leaned downwards, bringing himself closer to her. He brought his nose towards her hair and breathed in her scent. In this state, his every sense was heightened. He could identify every scent on her, fear, sweat, blood, and desire. 

Elsa shuddered, his nose rubbing the sensitive parts of her neck. His body lay heavily on top of hers. Despite her best efforts to shove the feelings away, she could feel desire stirring in her core. 

“ I’m insane. “ She let out a huff of breath. This was a dangerous situation and but her body couldn’t help but betray her. He continued smelling her hair, her arms, her neck, her chest, everything. As he started inching lower, she started to panic. 

“ Jack? “ She attempted to sit up but was stopped halfway as he snarled at her. He continued his inspection between her legs and took the time to really study the way she smelled. 

Elsa's feelings bounced back and forth from panicked to aroused. She couldn’t believe the situation she was in. A monster between her thighs smelling her arousal. Her ancestors would be rolling in their graves. She should be stopping him, she should be running away screaming, or fighting back. 

Jack took one of his claws and ripped the crotch of Elsa’s pants open. Elsa let out a whimper but did nothing. He pressed his nose against her. Her underwear was wet and soaked through. Using his claws he opened the crotch wider and wider. 

Elsa sat up a little further, looking at Jack. She watched as he tore her pants to shreds. As he pressed his nose against her, she let out a moan. She mentally cursed as she did so. She didn’t want this regardless of what her body said. 

Jack looked up making eye contact with her. “ Jack, Stop, Please. “ Elsa made a half-hearted plea and attempted to pull away. With another loud snarl, jack gripped her thigh with one of his hands. The claws dug in but not enough to draw blood. “ Jack.. “ Elsa begged but didn’t know if she was begging him to stop or continue. Jack continued, moving his free hand up to rip her panties off.

She shivered being exposed but soon that feeling was replaced. Jack leaned down taking his tongue and lapped at the juice flowing from Elsa’s pussy. Elsa let out a strained moan. In this form, Jack’s tongue was larger and wider. The texture was much rougher. He continued to lap at the juice flowing from her. Elsa’s legs shook, she watched as he devoured her. 

“ Fuck. “ Elsa cried out as his tongue moved languidly over her clit. The pace slowly picked up as Jack become more and more insatiable. He wanted every drop of her, the scent, the taste. With his senses heightened like this, it was intoxicating. Somewhere deep in the back of his mind, he registered that this was wrong, but he couldn’t stop. He wanted her, she was his and he would take her. 

“ Jack, I’m close. Please. “ Elsa moaned out. The sounds coming from her pussy were downright sinful. Every wet, squelching sound only bringing her closer and closer. Jack’s senses and thoughts were slowly becoming overwhelmed, using his other hand he gripped Elsa’s other thigh. The rational part of him didn't want to hurt her, but the animalistic side did. He spread her open as far as possible and lifted her butt and hips off the ground. One of his hands gripped the wound Elsa sustained in the maze from the other hunters. Elsa screamed out in pain. Jack pulled away and howled, her scream only fueling him further. He lowered his head back to her pussy and dragged his tongue against her clit. Elsa let out another scream, the feelings of pain and pleasure mixing. She could feel the pleasure building. “ Jack!! “ She finally let her orgasm hit her. Her thighs immediately attempted to clench only to be stopped by Jack’s strength. As her orgasm rolled through her, she went slack and shuddered. Jack snarled and drank her in, not stopping or even pausing.  

“ Stop. Stop. Jack! “ As he continued devouring her, she began to feel overstimulated. She fought him a bit, kicking her legs. He dropped her to the ground and growled. They both made eye contact. Despite the twitching in her legs, Elsa began to move backward. She watched his eyes, trying to identify any recognition. But the Jack she knew was gone, and in his place was a monster, a werewolf. One that wanted her above all else. 

Her eyes dipped down to his crotch. He was still wearing the same pants as earlier but they were ripped in places and tight around his thighs. The most prominent thing at the moment was the large bulge.

“ Bloody Hell. “ Jack stalked towards her, tearing his pants off. Elsa attempted to stand and run but to no avail. Jack reached her, pinned her down, and made quick work of the rest of her clothes tearing them off till she was stark naked. At this point, he was just pure animalistic instinct. Elsa looked at his cock. The most notable difference between it and other humans was the size and thickness. Jack’s cock in this form was huge and would tear her apart. She felt a spark of fear in her chest. She wasn’t given much time to prepare as jack grabbed her hips positioning her in front of him. She kicked and fought but she knew it was a losing battle. He lined himself with her entrance and without care slid his cock in her till he was fully inside. 

Elsa cried out in pain. It hurt like hell despite all the saliva and fluid from him eating her out. Jack only took a moment's pause before leaning over her and rutting inside her at a quickly increasing pace. Elsa focused on breathing. The pain slowly began subsiding into pleasure. He filled her completely. She knew she wouldn't be able to walk afterward. Her legs were in the air wrapped along Jack’s side. He lay on top of her. He was much bigger and wider than her but he looked down to make eye contact. Mere centimeters from her face. She returned the eye contact. His eyes were full-blown and his breath was hot on her face. 

Elsa’s cries of pain slowly turned to moans. His pace was insane and he didn’t slow. She could hear absolutely foul sounds of wet slapping and squelching. Her thighs and stomach were already slick with fluids. It only made her more aroused. Elsa reached out wrapping her arms around his neck to steady herself. She buried her fingers deep in his fur anchoring herself. Jack growled and began licking her face and neck. 

“ Jack. God. “ Elsa muttered words of nothing as he continued to pump into her. She had no idea how long he would go for but she wanted to get something out of it. She removed one of her hands from his fur and reached down to rub her own clit in time with his thrusts. “ Fuck. “ This was an absolutely maddening situation. If she made it out alive she’d never be able to look Jack in the eye again. 

Jack began to growl louder and louder. His pumps becoming more erratic. His grip on her thighs getting tighter. Elsa continued to rub her clit, the pressure building. Her pussy clenched against his cock and he snarled. They both made eye contact with each other. 

“ I’m almost there. “ Elsa whispered. Jack’s pumps became slow and steady. He stared at her before fully hilting himself in her throwing his head back and howling as he filled her with his seed. Elsa did the same throwing her head back and letting out a loud moan as her orgasm shook her body. 

The moment he finished. Jack pulled out of her and doubled over to the side in pain. His body twitched unnaturally. 

“ Jack? “ Elsa twitched at the feeling of being empty. Almost sad. 

She sat up and looked over at him. His body writhed in pain. There were sounds of crunching bones, and tearing skin. After a few seconds what lay in the place of the wolf was Jack in his human form. 

“ Elsa? “ Jack looked at her. His eyes gazed over her skin, the sweat, the blood and cum between her thighs. He looked down at himself. He was fully nude and his lower half was covered in the same. Slowly flashes of what happened appeared in his mine. 

“ Elsa… I… “ Jack face turned to a look of terror and guilt. 

Before Jack could finish, standing behind the both of them was Verusa Bloodstone, still alive, holding the gun.  

“ Abomination. Heathens. This beast took advantage of you! “ Verusa loaded her rifle pointing it at Jack. 

“ No. “ Elsa crawled in front of Jack defending him. Before Verusa got a chance to pull the trigger crashing through the roof came Ted. Verusa swung around to defend herself but it was too late. Ted grabbed her and the fear coursing through her only fueled the acid that would burn her alive. He tossed her body into the coffin of Ulysses. 

“ Thank you, Ted. “ Elsa turned back to Jack. He looked downright distraught. This lines on his forehead were deeply set. Elsa brought him into her arms and looked into his eyes. At first, he couldn’t match her gaze but she cupped his face and forced him to.

“ Jack. Don’t worry. “ She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. 

[talkintomytv]

I like to imagine Verusas mastery over the Bloodstone wasn't the greatest and that she was only able to trigger a partial transformation within Jack. That his werewolf mechanic behaves more like a slider between the traits of a man and the traits of a wolf depending on the power behind the trigger.

This way we can have different iterations of the werewolf design that can cater to all the different ways he's been drawn in the comics!...Sort of like how each new appearance of Tony Stark in the MCU came with a new Iron-man suit.

I like to imagine Jack and Elsa reuniting someday only this time she has to witness him transform by the force of a full moon and is horrified to learn it's way worse than anything Verusa was able to drag outta him. And as their allyship grows there may even come a time when they must aim Jack's inner wolf at some larger threat and Elsa's gotta be the one to change him. I imagine the Bloodstone likes Elsa way more than it did Verusa. So much so that she probably doesn't even need to chant any random incantations to get the bloodstone to work the way she wants it to. What sort of sway could her mastery of the Bloodstone hold over Jack I wonder? Ahh! I cannot wait to see more of them.

[aj-allen97]

How much do y’all wanna bet that Jack wasn’t 100% certain on what event he’s been invited to just that it’s the same event that’s holding Ted hostage as a party game.

Like when Jovian mentioned how honored he was to be invited to this event to honor ol Ulysses one last time is when I think it finally clicked that this was a funeral.

And not just any funeral but Ulysses funeral - which prompted the whole “Ulysses, of course” response.

Poor man didn’t read the invitation correctly - unless it was vague invitation that just said to come to Bloodstone Manor at this Moon Phase. I can Verusa going the vague and cryptic route knowing any hunter worth their salt would have heard about Ulysses dying.

For that matter how do we know that Jack didn’t kill a hunter for his invitation medallion and is pretending to be him? They don’t seem to be sort of folks that carry ID cards or hold monthly meetings? so while they may have vaguely heard of one another they wouldn’t have a face to put to a name. Or even a name to put to a face?

[ghhvast]

[Werewolf by Night]IGN exclusive behind-the-scenes clip revealed

Verusa, believed to be the main villain, is finally seen using the power of Bloodstone :)

It will be released exclusively for streaming on 10.7.22.

[sareideas]

Werewolf by Night movie review (2022)

Werewolf by Night movie review (2022)

The infamous monster killer Ulysses Bloodstone has died. His widow Verusa (Harriet Sansom Harris) has gathered some of the world’s most infamous hunters to basically take his throne, arriving on a stormy, black-and-white night. Most of the hunters lack in definition or personality—which is a problem—but the mysterious Jack (Gael García Bernal) clearly hides a secret while Elsa Bloodstone (Laura…

[mundo-misterio]

Crítica de la película Hombre lobo de noche (2022)

Crítica de la película Hombre lobo de noche (2022)

El infame asesino de monstruos Ulysses Bloodstone ha muerto. Su viuda Verusa (Harriet Sansom Harris) ha reunido a algunos de los cazadores más infames del mundo para básicamente tomar su trono, llegando en una noche tormentosa en blanco y negro. La mayoría de los cazadores carecen de definición o personalidad, lo cual es un problema, pero el misterioso Jack (Gael García Bernal) claramente esconde…

[deathisreborn]

"Werewolf by Night" (2022). Dir. Michael Giacchino.

[thegeekx]

Werewolf by Night movie review (2022)

Werewolf by Night movie review (2022)

The infamous monster killer Ulysses Bloodstone has died. His widow Verusa (Harriet Sansom Harris) has gathered some of the world’s most infamous hunters to basically take his throne, arriving on a stormy, black-and-white night. Most of the hunters lack in definition or personality—which is a problem—but the mysterious Jack (Gael García Bernal) clearly hides a secret while Elsa Bloodstone (Laura…

[honourablejester]

Okay. So I saw a giftset of Werewolf by Night, and it’s the first thing Marvel has done in a decade that actually interested me. I’ve never read any of the associated comics, but it looked really fun. So I borrowed my sister’s Disney+ account and watched it. I’m a sucker for a good Universal-style horror.

And it was a good Universal-style horror. I actually enjoyed that. A lot!

Spoilers and more detailed (long) reaction under the cut:

I can see the Wolfman and King Kong influences, definitely. There’s also a distinct House on Haunted Hill/Clue vibe as well, and a bit of Tales from the Crypt/The Abominable Dr Phibes for Ulysses Bloodstone. And a fair bit of Young Frankenstein for the ‘will reading’ and the choice of black-and-white. I also got a bit of The Breed from the cage scene, but I doubt that one was intentional, just where my brain went. All round, a fabulous selection of classic screen horror influences.

Also. Jack Russell. Is adorable. I have so many questions. How did this idiot manage to infiltrate a secret organisation designed to kill him while apparently fucking YOLOing it the entire fucking time. He somehow got a medallion for entry (off a hunter?), he got explosives, he got explosives he doesn’t know how to use, and just … strolled up and figured he’d come up with a plan as he went? Ted! Ted, you can’t let him out alone like this!

(Apparently Ted is exactly as bad, Ted is a danger magnet, Jack YOLOs shit all the time because Ted is always getting captured, I cannot with these two. They’re idiots. And adorable)

Like, Elsa lands in the middle of this idiot convention, and hats off to her for rolling with it spectacularly.

Of course, from Jack’s perspective, he’s landing in the middle of her idiot convention. I fucking love his expression during the ‘will reading’, like trying not to glance around during the animatronic corpse recital all ‘what. the fuck. is this normal for you? do you people live like this?’. I love when you hit the first reveal of Ted, and you realise that this is not Jack’s scene, and from Jack’s POV he’s infiltrated the weirdest collection of psychos on the planet. Like he rocked up without a plan, to a society dedicated to killing people like him, and now there’s a wind-up clockwork corpse and a flaming tuba and five psychos trying to kill each other (and him, and Ted) over a rock. He’s so hilariously awkward trying to fit in, but like … how do you roll with that sight unseen? He did pretty good for a guy with zero preparation who walked into that.

(To be fair, the other hunters were also perturbed by the whole animatronic corpse thing)

Sidenote: Harriet Sansom Harris is having a ball as Verusa, and more power to her. If you’re going to be the vindictive, crackpot widow of the Abominable Dr Phibes, you might as well go all out.

And Elsa? You turned out surprisingly well, considering. Well done girl.

Also? Further question on Jack, with his cover story of a 100 kills. Did he … pick that number? Was he just brainstorming ‘what’s a good, round number of monsters for a hunter to have killed’? Did he mean to be the most apparently prolific killer there? Was that a real number? I have so many questions on how the hell he figured out where to rock up, how he got access to this event, did he kill a hunter to get here, did he just make a cover story up off the top of his head, did they verify his story at all? Like, how did he get here? What was the time frame from Ted being taken to Jack rocking up with his snazzy suit and his medallion and his explosives to get him out?

This werewolf boy is amazingly competent for such an absolute idiot.

On the flipside, mind you, this collection of psycho hunters are amazingly incompetent for a group of elite hunters dedicated to slaying monsters.

Poor Elsa. She’s pretty much the only relatively sane and competent person there. Which is amazing, given that that’s her dad’s talking corpse up there making death puns.

That being said, she does fully roll with the ‘fight each other to the death’ part of this ceremony as completely normal, while poor Jack is over here going, again, do you people live like this?

I adore Jack’s reunion with Ted in the maze. Like, the pair of them chiding each other for getting into trouble, and comforting each other, and being completely blasé like, this is fine, no problem, we’ll get out of this no trouble. Absolute idiots. I cannot. Who let them out alone?

This is followed immediately by a hunter overhearing them and Jack getting chased into and locked into a crypt. Because, again. Who let them out alone?

Whereupon he finds Elsa injured, and immediately offers to help, because she’s the only one who didn’t attack him on sight, and he’s just soft that way. He’s adorable. And more than Elsa can deal with, because who let this puppy into this death match? He takes off his snazzy tie to bind her wounds, and she already cannot with this man. He’s supposed to kill her, that is the entire point of this whole ritual bullshit, but he doesn’t know that, because he’s only here to rescue his friend (family) and these people are actually insane, and Elsa is just … okay. We’re doing this. I will help you save your friend. The monster. Named Ted. Because you are actually insane, but why not. Sure.

I love how she rolls with it. How despite being raised as a hunter by actual psychos, she immediately is onboard with nonlethal negotiation and taking the monsters at their word and putting her weapons away to deal with them. (I love this so much later, when she gets the Bloodstone before werewolf!Jack can get up, and then she puts it away, even though he’s just messily slaughtered an entire room, because him remembering her might work, and she’s willing to risk her life on that rather than hurt him unnecessarily. She’s visibly shit-scared during the entire cage scene and battle scene, but she takes her life and her nerve in her hands for his sake, despite having only just met him and the fact that he’s been secretly a monster. And her, a hunter and a hunter’s daughter)

They’re amazing, that conversation they have in the tomb, finding common ground, taking chances, thinking each other absolutely insane but in, like, a good way. She hands him down bits of her aunt’s corpse while she looks for keys, and he’s just … righto. He tells her to call Ted by his name and she’s all … the monster is named Ted, okay then. Family, right? Families are just like that.

Ted? You have a lovely name. Elsa! Because she’s also a bit of an awkward idiot at times.

Also. I absolutely cannot get over that Jack didn’t know how to use the explosives. He turns it on by accident. He’s running around with a hot grenade because he’s a fucking idiot who brought explosives that he didn’t know how to use. And the wall. Getting the sticky bomb in the crack in the wall. I cried. Buddy! Buddy! Just put it in the crack. Holy God. How? How is he alive? How is Ted alive? What is keeping this pair of morons in one piece? Aside from divine fucking providence.

I love Elsa’s giddy smile at seeing Ted run to freedom as well. Like, being polite to him worked, and he treated her right and sanely as soon as she did the same to him, and she’s legit happy that he’s free, monster or no monster.

And then Jack tries to return the favour, tries to pick up and give her the Bloodstone, and he’s a werewolf, and the mystic hunter artefact immediately lays him flat and exposes him for a secret monster too, and her whole face just falls. Not so much at the monster part, I think, and more because he fooled her, and now she doesn’t know how much of what went previously was real. Is he a lovable idiot who’s casually gentle with her, or did she get suckered by something more sinister yet again?

Also they’re both about to die, so there’s that. And he’s going to kill her.

The whole cage scene, her being locked in to be killed as a traitor by the monster she aided, really did jump my brain back to The Breed, just for the scene of Steven Grant being locked in with his vampiric and starving partner who he’s only shakily beginning to trust. I like what I like, okay? This is a good trope, I like it a lot.

And he’s still calm as anything, I’ve got 5 days until the full moon, we’ve got plenty of time to figure shit out! Honey. You’re in a cage, in a society of monster hunters, and they know you’re a werewolf. Could you maybe be a little bit worried? Does this man have any survival instincts?

And his first question is if Elsa is okay. And she still cannot with him. He is a monster, and he’s going to kill her, can he not with the sweet idiot thing? And he’s trying, because he knows he’s a monster, and he’s trying to control the harm he does, and he is essentially a sweet idiot. Who happens to turn into a ravenous monster once a month.

But he’s in the hands of different monsters now. And Elsa knows how they work. And she knows he’s going to be forced to kill her no matter what controls and systems he has.

And there he turns serious. There he turns afraid. Not that he might be hurt, but that he might actually be forced to hurt her. She’s taking it with desperate sarcasm and equanimity, but he’s suddenly deadly serious. Willing to beg. Willing to plead. And desperate to try and protect her from himself.

A tiny thing about the sniffing scene? Where a werewolf lunges across the cage, a strange man, and starts wrapping himself around her and smelling her? She’s a hunter. She’s a training fucking hunter who disliked the ritual on moral grounds but still saw nothing particularly weird about a ritualised fight to the death for a rock, and who has brutally killed one person and thrown down with several more so far. He lunges over and starts sniffing her, and she doesn’t kill him. Or even flinch, really, just asks what the fuck. She … very clearly, already, instinctively, wants to trust him. Even when he’s being really fucking weird and possibly deadly. You’re a woman in a cage with a strange man who you’ve only known for like two hours, and he jumps into your space and starts smelling your hair and skin, and you just … you roll with it? You let him? You immediately grok what he’s trying, and you just ask him if maybe it’ll work?

She’s trying to trust him. Despite him really not earning it yet. She’s trying to hope, not in her family, who she knows will betray her, but in a strange kind monster that she’s known for twenty minutes. She asks him if it will work. Does it work.

And he says … Once. One time. One time this saved a life, my wolf knowing someone’s scent. Once.

And then he stands up and begs not to be used against her, to be killed as he is, the only casualty of his idiocy.

I love when werewolves get the proper Universal Wolf Man treatment, the proper tragedy and desperate fear and hope for your loved one’s safety from your own monstrosity. Of all the classic horror tropes y’all could have picked, you picked a good ‘un.

But he’s also, the second he knows this is for real, immediately planning to fuck shit up for the assholes who’ve put him there. He’s looking around the room and planning. If they going to turn him against his will, he’s going to try to keep Elsa safe, and he’s going to fuck them up. He tells them to kill him as a man, or there will be no mercy, and he means it. As a man, not just as a wolf. If they want to open that box, okay. He’ll open it with them. He was planning. Where he’d hide. Where he’d strike. Before ever they turned him, he was planning how he’d kill them for it.

They are incompetent. I know they didn’t expect a werewolf to crash the party, but this hunter society are absolute morons who apparently have no idea what a werewolf can actually handle and do. They put him in a cage that can’t hold him and deliberately wake the monster. And then stand close enough to be mauled for it. Like. That is 100% on you, babes.

I love that Elsa is visibly terrified the entire time in this scene. She’s covering it with brittle sardonic asides, as best she can, but it’s clearly a faltering cover. And I don’t … I don’t love that she’s terrified because it’s a throwback to the damsels of classic horror, I love it because it isn’t. She’s terrified because she’s trapped helpless with a creature who will tear her limb from limb, and it’s her family that have put her here, and there’s no way not to be afraid of that. She’s terrified because she’s going to die, at the hands of a monster.

And despite that terror, despite that clear, scene-long agony of fear, she still makes the decision to trust him. She takes the risk of putting the stone away. When she gets it. With a rampaging werewolf on the loose, she takes the lessons he gave her with Ted, how terrifying things will treat you with respect and dignity if you only do the same for them, she takes this thing that goes against everything she’s lived and been taught and learned, and she risks her life on it. To avoid hurting a man who was only there to save his friend. He said he might remember her, even as a werewolf, a one in however many hundred chance of him not killing her, and that and how he’s treated her are enough for her to risk everything she’s terrified of.

I love the terror because it’s so clearly the groundwork for her absolute courage later. Her attempt to repay dignity with dignity, even at the risk of death.

Courage is not necessarily taking a weapon and facing a monster. Sometimes courage is dropping the weapon, despite everything you’ve ever learned, and trying to reach the monster instead. Not blindly, but because he did his best to reach and protect you as well, and because he and his friend have consistently showed what kindness and dignity are worth in the little time you’ve known them.

She’s a fucking good one, Elsa Bloodstone. No better black sheep to be caged with.

Also? Congratulations to this show on a good old fashioned monster scene. An excellent shadowy transformation and then a bloody, brutal fight scene. In which the two most brutal kills are Elsa’s, if only because we actually saw them, while Jack’s are mostly covered by blood splatter on the camera. She can fight. She could have fought him. She could have hidden behind the Bloodstone and just put him on the ground as Verusa did. But she didn’t. She saved him and put her weapon away to speak with him instead. Even with a werewolf straddling her, claws at the ready while she shakes with terror, she just holds his eyes and gently touches his face. Dignity for dignity, gentleness for gentleness.

And because of that, he recognised and spared her, even as a maddened, injured wolf among enemies, and Ted fucking swoops back in to save her life from her step-mother. Ted the tree monster, who can incinerate a person with a touch, crashes back through the glass fucking ceiling and saves her life. Because she helped out him and his bro.

They are morons, and I love them.

And then we finish to ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ as the scene shifts back from the black-and-white of Ulysses Bloodstone and his ritual deathmatch, to the warm colours of Elsa picking up the pieces, and Ted and a werewolf-hungover Jack continuing their exhausted bromance-slash-marriage in the woods.

I wanna say congrats to the boys for surviving the Bloodstone family madness. And I wanna say congrats to Elsa, for surviving their idiocy.

I enjoyed this. Deeply. Like I said, it’s the first thing Marvel has done that I’ve enjoyed in a solid decade. Granted, a good riff on classic horror movies, while avoiding most of the MCU continuity, is likely cheating, but still. This, and only this, I would like to save and have on DVD. It was good.

And, to reiterate, who is letting Jack and Ted out alone? They’re idiots.

For the love of god, learn how to use your explosives. Before you accidentally set them off. Mother of the good god.