Broken Promises

**Broken Promises** is the fourth episode of fourth season of Syfy's *Van Helsing* and the forty-third episode of the series overall.

## Synopsis

After an epic battle, Axel reconciles with Vanessa and comes to terms with the death of Scarlett.

## Plot

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Vanessa hunts down a pack of daywalkers, either biting them or allowing them to bite her and forcing them to become human once more. She’s decided that this is how she will combat the darkness. The daywalkers surround Vanessa and drain her of her blood, leaving her unconscious on the ground.

Vanessa awakens in the tomb beneath Renfield House. She sees Violet standing near the gate marked with the Van Helsing initials. Violet then disappears and beneath Vanessa’s feet is a pentagram. Vanessa then awakens to find the former daywalkers surrounding her. They thank her for saving them. She explains that they’re now immune to vampirism, but they’re not unable to die. She tells them to find other survivors as they can’t follow her.

Julius trains Violet. She’s becoming faster. She even manages to take Julius down. Moving forward in their training, Julius puts on night vision goggles and shuts off the lights. Julius tells her to focus through the dark. After taking several hits from Julius, Violet gains control. Suddenly, she can see, allowing her to defeat Julius. He explains that the bite changed Violet. He’s only ever known two people who can do what she can do, both of whom were Van Helsings. Julius inquires about Violet’s mother, who died. While he can’t prove that Violet’s a Van Helsing, Doc can. However, Julius can’t get to her so long as Hansen has her locked up.

Lee approaches Axel and asks him to stop carving into his table with a knife. Axel responds by pulling out a bigger knife and continuing. However, the table is destroyed immediately after when two guys get into a fight. Supposedly, one of them was turned back human after being a vampire. Axel approaches the man and demands to know where Vanessa is.

Sam and Oracle find Michaela’s tomb. She is being guarded by Ivory, Scab, and the rest of the Sisterhood. They’re in the tomb to awaken Michaela, the great mother of the Sisterhood. Oracle orders them to prepare the ritual. Oracle warns Sam that Michaela is powerful and can’t be trusted. The ritual to awaken Michaela begins as the Sisters cut their hands and bleed around her tomb while chanting in Latin. Oracle and Ivory lead the chant while Sam watches. The coffin begins to shake and Michaela breaks free. She looks to Oracle, referring to her as Bathory.

Violet and Julius bribe the prison guard with tube socks and underwear in order to see Doc. However, they find her cell empty. Hansen arrives soon thereafter. He orders that Violet be taken to her room and tells Julius that Doc was taken away. He knows Julius won’t do anything as he’s taken a liking to Violet and vice versa. Julius alludes to Hansen hiding from Violet that she’s a Van Helsing. When Hansen asks what happened to Violet, Julius claims they were attacked by vampires, but they handled it. Hansen asks Julius to clarify his previous statement of Violet being a Van Helsing. When he doesn’t, Hansen shows an alarming amount of strength, over powering Julius, choking him unconscious and locking him in a cell.

Hansen enters Violet’s room and questions what she and Julius were doing in the detention area. She says that he wanted to see his friend. Hansen believes that pairing Julius with Violet was a mistake. Ever since the Rising, Hansen’s primary goal has been to protect Violet. He keeps her locked in a compound because he can’t bear what happened to Violet’s sister happening to her. Admittedly, he’s been overprotective, which is why he’s been training Violet, so that she’s ready for anything and everything. He then notices the Van Helsing gate that Violet sketched. Violet asks that he tell her about her parents. Hansen reveals they both had brilliant minds with a desire to make the world a better place. They became so close as friends that they made Hansen Violet’s guardian in case anything bad ever happened and it did. After the accident, doctors tried to save them, but they couldn’t. So, Hansen made them a promise that he would take care of Violet. He failed with her sister, but he won’t with her. He then asks if there’s anything she wants to tell him, but she says no.

Vanessa senses that Axel is close. She tells him that it doesn’t have to be this way. However, Axel shoots her with a rifle several times. She falls to the ground. He stands over top of her with his rifle aimed at her head. She breaks Axel’s gun and kicks him back several feet before disappearing into the woods. Vanessa explains that she’s changed and no longer has the bloodlust. Axel is determined to make Vanessa pay for killing Scarlett even as she tries to reason with him. Once he’s out of bullets, Vanessa offers him a chance to talk it out. Instead, he pulls out a knife and attacks her. Vanessa disarms Axel, who blames Vanessa for killing Scarlett even though Vanessa initially tried to protect her by leaving her on the island. Still, Axel wants to kill Vanessa. He finds his knife and lunges at her. Vanessa dodges the attack, and Axel ends up stabbing himself, but he pulls out the blade and heals in front of Vanessa, which she was unaware of. He takes the knife, stabs her in the chest, and pins her to the tree. However, he can’t go through with killing Vanessa.

Vanessa and Axel have come to terms as they sit around a fire peacefully. While Axel can’t ever truly forgive Vanessa for Scarlett’s death, he no longer wishes to kill her. From here, Vanessa intends to keep moving forward. Axel has no intentions of joining her, not that she wanted him to, as it’s her path to take alone. She didn’t used to believe in her family’s destiny, but it’s all she has now. Axel on the other hand will choose his own path. Before parting way, Vanessa hands him a special compass that’ll lead him to her should he ever need to find her.

Violet sneaks out to the bar in Low Town, where she shares with Lee that she wants to get out of Fort Collins. They always talked about finding that coyote that supposedly gets people to Hawaii. Violet doesn’t wish to wait any longer. She wants to leave tonight. Lee questions what brought this on. She explains that she’s changed and tells him about her dreams about the maze and Vanessa. She feels drawn to her. Violet needs to find her, and she wants Lee to join her, but he can’t, so she says goodbye.

After feeding, Michaela orders Ivory to rise. She asks about the other Sisters, but they’re dead. Only a few remain. Michaela slaps Ivory having found out her army is no more. Apparently, there’s a long standing rivalry between Oracle and Michaela, based on the fact that Oracle’s lies and deception are the reasons she was locked away for over two centuries. She asks about the Dark One, who is still exiled by the Van Helsings. Oracle then introduces Sam to Michaela as the fourth elder. She doesn't believe he's worthy to meet the Dark One. He grabs Michaela and tells her that she will learn to love him. Michaela dives through the depths of Sam’s mind, seeing everything he’s ever done, such as killing innocents. Sam killed love to embrace the darkness, which Michaela explains that he doesn’t yet understand the full extent of. She then kisses him.

Julius paces back and forth in his cell. He is approached by two guards who’ve come to transport him. He gets on his knees and as the guards approach, he attacks and makes his escape.

Hansen gets word from one of his men that he’s been requested. Initially reluctant, he agrees to meet them.

Sam, Oracle, and Michaela arrive at Fort Collins.

Jack has managed to track down Vanessa in the woods. She cuts her hand and shows Vanessa how she heals. She goes on to tell Vanessa that she was bitten by a daywalker and healed, and the daywalker that bit her is now human. Ever since that happened, she’s had a feeling of something pulling her. She thought she was being pulled towards Vanessa, but she still feels it.

Violet sketches a photo of Vanessa. On her nightstand sits a photo of her and Jack.

## Cast

* Jonathan Scarfe as Axel Miller
* Christopher Heyerdahl as Sam
* Aleks Paunovic as Julius
* Keeya King as Violet Van Helsing
* Nicole Muñoz as Jack Van Helsing
* Neal McDonough as Hansen
* Jennifer Cheon Garcia as Ivory
* Rowland Pidlubny as Scab
* Ryan Jinn as Lee
* Adrian Petriw as Colin / Daywalker #1
* Heather Doerksen as Michaela
* Joshua Hinkson as Sid
* Sean Millington as Large Man
* Karina Frislev as Sister
* Marc Anthony Williams as Security Official

## Gallery

### Videos

VAN HELSING Season 4, Episode 4 Sneak Peek SYFYVan Helsing Season 4 Episode 4 Axel Tracks Down Vanessa on SYFYVan Helsing Season 4 Episode 4 The Dark Ones’ Mother Rises SYFY

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Van Helsing - Episode 4.04 - Broken Promises - Promo + Synopsis - SpoilerTV