Liberty or Death

**Liberty or Death** is the fifth episode of fourth season of Syfy's *Van Helsing* and the forty-fourth episode of the series overall.

## Synopsis

Sam and the Brides arrive at Fort Collins, where Hansen reveals a secret for raising the Dark One.

## Plot

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Many years ago, Hansen asks Abigail when did she hear about the fire. She tells him word came yesterday morning of the house fire involving Scarlet Harker. As for Vanessa, they’re still looking for her. Hansen blames Abigail for allowing the Van Helsing twins to escape and failing for years to capture them. They need a Van Helsing to raise the Dark One, and Abigail has lost them all. However, she claims there can be more Van Helsings. She harvested everything she needs years ago. She took the eggs from the twins. No matter the age, the ova are fully formed. Hansen orders Abigail to line up some male military volunteers as he wants a variety of seed. And what’s left of the Dark One’s blood. He then combines the eggs and the Dark One’s blood.

Flesh awakens to the sight of a little kid standing in front of him. The kid offers him food. Jennifer snatches the kid away. His name is Owen. She warns him against ever going near Flesh again. Flesh tries to explain to Jennifer that it was the virus that made him kill the kids, however, she knows the truth. He was unhappy long before that. He hated being a husband and father. He blamed Jen and the kids for wrecking his life everyday. He came home and killed them because he wanted to. Flesh asks Jennifer if Owen is there kid, but she doesn’t respond.

Violet is refused access to the detention center. The guard doesn’t know what happened to Doc. She was just gone one day when he clocked in. Julius on the other hand broke out.

Hansen meets with Michaela, Oracle, and Sam. They lost the amulet and the Van Helsings. To make matters worse, Hansen’s daywalkers are abominations who have polluted the food source. Hansen explains that he’s created a more stable food source in humans who are resistant to death and injury, who heal from wounds and can be fed on repeatedly. However, the taste of their blood is unbearable. Raising the Dark One will be the answer to all their troubles. They must first hunt down Vanessa and the amulet. Sam wishes to hunt her himself, but Oracle tells him to stay in place. Michaela suspects that Hansen is hiding something.

Hansen takes Michaela, Oracle, and Sam to see Violet in action during one of her training sessions. He explains that she’s a Van Helsing who he helped create and kept her secret in order to protect her. They intend to use Violet as a sacrifice to the Dark One. Hansen claims that none of the others he made survived and that Violet has no idea of her lineage or Vanessa. After taking out her trainer in a one sided combat, she tells Hansen that she wants Julius back. Sam seems to take interest in her.

Violet enters the lab. Avery asks if she knows where her dad took Doc, but she doesn’t. Avery gives Violet a heads up. She’s leaving in the morning and taking the evidence she’s gathered with her. She’d been looking into Hansen’s past projects, elements of which have been hidden from them. Avery warns Violet that her father isn’t the man she thinks he is. Avery intends to call for an inquiry into all of Hansen’s work, going back decades.

Max tortures Flesh, describing him as the best kind of prisoner given that he heals. He kicks Flesh in the face and beats him with a lead pipe. Max questions why Flesh is in Loveland. When he doesn’t answer, he crushes Flesh’s head with an aluminum baseball bat.

Jennifer comes over long after Max leaves and asks how is it that Flesh isn’t a vampire anymore. He tries to explain that he was turned back by a Van Helsing, but the reason he heals is because he was bitten by a daywalker and turned back. Flesh offers to help Jennifer and Owen escape, but she doesn’t trust him, especially not around another child. In that case, Flesh will stay and he will arrange to have Jolene help Jennifer escape. Flesh admits that he was unhappy and depressed in his past life. He apologizes, but Jennifer walks away and tells Jolene that Flesh said to leave him behind, but she refuses to do so. Jeremy then grabs Jolene and tells her that the rumors about Denver falling seem to be true. Everyone is dead and gone. However, Jolene still believes there’s a chance Doc made it out alive. In order for Jolene to escape, she’s going to need Jeremy help, who is as good as dead anyways if he stays as the Warden no longer trusts him.

Violet sneaks into the lab in search of Doc’s research.

Axel meets with Lee to make an exchange to swap out Max’s liquor. However, it’s not an easy trade. Max is the only one Lee knows that’ll fork out for the real alcohol, and in his bar, he doesn’t get too much high-end clientele. Axel tries to sweeten the deal, but Lee declines. He only agrees to the deal after throwing in the boombox and cassettes in Axel’s truck.

Violet reads through the evidence collected against her father. One of the files depicts implantation of fertilized embryo. The experiment summary details two females with military donors. Violet quickly realizes she was one of her father’s experiments.

Violet spies on her father as he has dinner with Michaela, Oracle, and Sam. Oracle, referred to as Bathory, calls Hansen Willem, his real name, and asks that he show his true form. He’s been in disguise as a human for centuries. Hansen assures them that he remains true to their cause and then the four of them honor the Dark One. The meal of the night is Avery. They have her tied up on the table in preparation for a feast. Hansen, Michaela, Oracle, and Sam then feed upon Avery as Violet tearfully watches from the doorway. Sam then heads out into the hallway and sings the "Itsy Bitsy Spider". Just on the other side of the wall, Violet struggles to hold back her tears.

High off drugs, Max asks Jolene how her time has been in the mines. She asks him if he’s heard from Denver, which he hasn’t. He asks what it is that Jolene did before the Rising. She responds international shipping; drugs and counterfeit goods. She’s sticking with her story of having been sent by Blak-Tek to keep an eye on Max. She claims that so long as he keeps her alive, she’ll continue to cover for him. However, Max questions if he should just kill them all and cut ties. Head east where he’s been sending all the shipments. Max claims he has spies in Blak-Tek that’ll tell him that Jolene’s story is bullshit. However, he can’t make contact with them. When the prisoner he brought in to fix the radio fails to do so, Max shoots him in the head. Jolene offers to fix the radio herself, but Max only gives her an hour to do so. As they’re getting rid of the body, Jolene tells Jeremy that she needs him to save Phil and his family. As Jeremy gets rid of the body, Max confronts Jolene for lying to him about knowing how to fix the Radio. He knows she just wanted to save Jeremy. Max no longer cares if Jolene is telling the truth or not because she lies like a motherfucker and he enjoys that. Axel interrupts with Max’s liquor. He seems to have a plan in motion to free Jolene.

Meanwhile, Jeremy unlocks Flesh from his chains and helps him escape. He explains that he’s doing this because he promised Jolene he would, and he could use a guy like Flesh on his side. Together, the two of them plan to get Jennifer and Owen out.

Axel, Max, and Jolene have a drink. Max reveals that he plans to kill Jolene. He just hasn’t figured out how yet. All the while, a bomb ticks in the bottom of the liquor.

Jeremy and Flesh retrieve Jennifer and Owen, though she is reluctant to let Flesh anywhere near her son. Nonetheless, the four of them run to Axel’s truck.

Axel prepares to leave. He asks if Jolene can come with him, claiming that he wants to have sex with her. As they’re leaving, Max asks Axel about Denver, and he tells Max that Blak-Tek wiped it out. Max starts to suspect that Axel and Jolene know each other. He then hears the bomb ticking. Upon discovering the bomb, he turns to Axel, but before he can react, Jolene shoots him in the head.

As they reach Axel’s truck, Jeremy goes to look for help. He claims some of the guards and all of the prisoners want out. Max’s office then blows up As Axel and Jolene come running out. Axel and Flesh get in the front of the truck and Jeremy, Jolene, Jennifer, and Owen get in the back. However, Max, who has healed almost completely of his wounds, grabs Owen before they can. Max takes Owen and Jennifer hostage, and warns Flesh that they will both die if he follows them. Before leaving, Max asks if Jolene’s story about Blak-Tek was fake, which she admits it was. He then shoots at Jolene and drives off with Jennifer and Owen. Jolene however remains unharmed.

Violet packs her bag and sneaks out her room. Sam enters and finds the picture she drew of Vanessa.

Jolene informs Axel, Flesh, and Jeremy that Max is headed east. That’s where all his trucks with prisoners and supplies went. As for Denver, Axel tells Jolene that 90% of that city was wiped out. Any survivors are long gone. With that said, Jolene decides to stay behind at Loveland. If Doc survived, she’ll come looking for Jolene at the prison. Axel and Flesh head east to find Max while Jolene and Jeremy stay behind.

Oracle takes on the form of Avery and calls in to Blak-Tek to report that Hansen is doing a wonderful job. Hansen will write Avery’s official report to make sure there’s no more interruptions from the council. As for Violet, they need to find a more appropriate way of storing her. Concerning the amulet, the Sisterhood is tracking it down and will dispose of Vanessa. However, Oracle believes that the Sisterhood isn’t capable of such a feat alone and thinks she and Michalea should join them.

Violet knocks out the guard guarding the front entrance and runs off into the darkness. Unbeknownst to her, Sam isn’t far behind.

## Cast

* Jonathan Scarfe as Axel Miller
* Christopher Heyerdahl as Sam
* Vincent Gale as Flesh
* Keeya King as Violet Van Helsing
* Caroline Cave as Jolene
* Neal McDonough as Hansen

Supporting* Jesse Stanley as Oracle
* Ryan Jinn as Lee
* Anna Galvin as Avery
* Heather Doerksen as Michaela
* Joshua Hinkson as Sid
* Donald Sales as Jeremy
* Holly Elissa as Jennifer
* Alexander Brophy as Owen
* Colleen Winton as Abigail
* Shawn Stewart as Loveland Guard
* Xander Hall as Fort Collins Guard
* Dave Jacox Sr. as Loveland Prisoner

## Gallery

### Videos

Van Helsing Season 4, Episode 5 Sneak Peek SYFYVAN HELSING - Season 4, Episode 5- Violet Discovers Hansen’s True Vampire Identity - SYFYVAN HELSING - Season 4, Episode 5- Violet Fights In Front Of The Elders - SYFY

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Van Helsing - Episode 4.05 - Liberty or Death - Promo + Synopsis - SpoilerTV