The action-packed third season of Syfy’s Van Helsing ended with Scarlett’s death and with Sam transitioning into the Fourth Elder. It was a wild and crazy season, and season four promises to be even more twisted with the introduction of Tricia Helfer into the mix as Dracula.
Van Helsing cast members including Helfer, Christopher Heyerdahl, Jennifer Cheon Garcia, Keeya King, Nicole Munoz, Richard Harmon, and Aleks Paunovic participated in a panel at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con in support of the upcoming season. They also sat down for roundtable interviews to delve into the vampire series which returns with its fourth season on September 27, 2019.
Christopher Heyerdahl (“Sam”) confirmed season four will pick up literally right where season three ended. “The two generations of Van Helsings, they’re there in the crypt saying, ‘We can do it together,’” explained Heyerdahl. “They together try and take down Sam.”
Of course, that’s not going to be easy – even for two Van Helsing women. Sam’s now an extremely powerful vampire, complete with horns and a braid. “I think we started off with five hours the first day, but we halved it in two days,” said Heyerdahl about the makeup process. “That really informs the character when you have that level of transformation.”
Asked what his reaction was when he learned he was going to become an Elder, Heyerdahl replied, “It was fantastic. It was a good moment because that’s the progression. Sam wanted to be recognized for who he is. The Oracle is the one person who does that for him. It’s a wonderful reflection of someone who he’s known his whole life and has been there influencing his development as a serial killer. For him, it’s a good reflection of where he’s at.”
And speaking of Sam’s life as a serial killer, Heyerdahl said that was an aspect of the character he knew about from the start.
“I was the only person who knew because we didn’t want anyone to know, none of the actors to know, because everyone would have played toward it,” explained Heyerdahl. “I said, ‘Let’s just have a little thing where everyone thinks it’s the other person.’ People would say, ‘Oh, yeah, it’s me.’ And then I would say it’s me and someone else would say, ‘It’s me.’ Everyone just started playing a game which I was trying to feed. Like, ‘No, I think it’s so-and-so.’ That was fun because then nobody knew in real life except me, as it should it be, and nobody knew on set.”
Jennifer Cheon Garcia (“Ivory”) calls season four a very emotional ride. “There’s so much going on. I mean in a post-apocalyptic world it’s kind of in the title there. There’s so much hurt and sadness. But that’s the kind of fun thing about a vampire show is that you still have a helluva lot of fun. You’re blowing stuff up. You’re swinging swords and axes. It’s the best!”
Cheon Garcia admits that she’s just as excited now about getting scripts and learning what’s happening with Ivory as she was when she first sunk her teeth into the role. “Oh my gosh, every single time my phone pings I’m just like, ‘Is that the script?!’ You’re making plans or something to go out and all of a sudden it pings up and you’re like, ‘Sorry, I’m going to be really late.’ You’ve got to see what’s going on with every word that comes out.
I just remember when I first started the show, she was only supposed to be two episodes and here I am now season four. Every line you just learn so much more about who she is and what she’s about and where she’s going to go. And then you can put your interpretations on that and your meaning and your truth within that. It’s really been such an incredible and, in some weird way, healing experience.”
Keeya King joins the series in season four playing a character named Violet. “She’s this young, agile fighter. When you first meet her, she’s beating up a bunch of guys. She’s spent all her life living in this military compound, so she doesn’t really know about the outside world and vampires,” said King. “She’s never really seen one. Her journey through this season is going outside into the world and saving her family but also saving humanity at the same time.”
“It’s going to be a crazy season,” said King. “There’s going to be a lot of things audience members won’t expect. I was reading scripts like, ‘Holy crap, I can’t believe I’m actually doing that. I can’t believe that’s actually going to happen!’”
- Tricia Helfer Interview on Van Helsing Season 4 and Playing Dracula
- Van Helsing Season 4 Newcomer Nicole Munoz Interview
