TV REVIEW: Helstrom, S1E1: “Mother’s Little Helpersâ€
Helstrom was a show that honestly had snuck up on me, despite enjoying several comic book runs featuring the Son of Satan and the Devil“s Daughter over the years. Some of that comes down to the format, because this show was brought direct to streaming on Hulu. More than that, Helstrom is the product of the outgoing production team at Marvel, including Jeph Loeb and Joe Quesada. This show in some ways arrived as something of an afterthought, but it“s still interesting if only because of the content and the character that it“s adapting.
Unfortunately, while some of the tools are there to build a good show from, Helstrom noticeably suffers from a lack of confidence in its own material. There“s an antiseptic fear of controversy that permeates this show, and that is a detriment to what is supposed to be a MA-17 rated series. A large part of that is that it won“t embrace the source material fully. This is a show that is even afraid to refer to the main character“s last name as Hellstrom (or Hellstorm, as is sometimes used in the comics), and that“s where its troubles begin. The portrayal of Satana Hellstrom is even more noticeable, whether it“s referring to her as the family-friendly “Ana”“ or being surprisingly tame in the use of her succubus abilities. The episode dances around the character“s origins, never referring to Daimon and Satana“s demonic father openly, implying either conventional evil or at worst, possession. Virtually anything that ties to hell or the Hellstroms to being the children of a demon lord has been scrubbed from this story and sanitized, possibly to avoid the same kind of controversy that Lucifer received. If so, this is truly unfortunate, because it waters down an otherwise promising story. Moreover, it glosses over the main conflict of the Hellstroms, which is the conflict between their humanity and their demonic natures.
In fairness, there are some things that Helstorm definitely does well as a Marvel show, primarily in the casting. Daimon and Satana are reasonably well cast, and their actors play their roles effectively. Connecting an obscure Marvel character like Louise Hastings (who was one of the Darkhold Redeemers in the books) to Daimon works quite well, and she fills the role of a mentor character nicely. The tragedy of Daimon“s mother Victoria Hellstrom is likewise handled well, being both consistent with the comics and well executed in the show. Other characters like The Caretaker (a recurring Ghost Rider supporting cast member) are used well and offer some nice callbacks without being too distracting. Unfortunately, the worst stumble this show makes with the characters is with the change to Gabriel the Devil-Hunter, who now is completely unrecognizable from the comics. The comics portrayed Gabriel as a tragedy-stricken and skilled former priest who was conflicted and sometimes an enemy of Daimon’s. In this show, the role is filled by Gabriella Rosetti, a Catholic nun who plays the “Dana Scully”“ of the series””a skeptic and an everywoman who is unaware of the bizarre mystic phenomena surrounding them. For this series, that kind of character works, as she does here, but she should have been a new invented character for the show. For the most part, the canon changes are acceptable, though noticeably different from the comics.
That having been said, this episode is generally solid If you don“t regard it so much as a Marvel Comics adaptation. As a horror show, separate from the comics, Helstrom becomes far more enjoyable, and it“s quite possible you may like it if you“re not familiar with the books at all. The horror elements are quite well directed and shot. The lighting and sound effects provide good atmosphere, and there aren“t any jump scares here. Moreover, much of the horror lies in the psychological, and the show does periodically make the viewer question the events of the story. The possession aspect is handled well, and Elizabeth Marvel does a wonderful job of portraying the demon-possessed Victoria Hellstrom. In fact, her portrayal is so convincing that it sells the backstory. Daimon and Satana are presented as complex characters who are struggling with their abusive past, but when Daimon is directly confronted with his possessed mother, the pain and conflict are enjoyable to watch. The heart of the show is the family conflict, and that drives the episode. Whether it“s Daimon“s tormented feelings for his mother or the tension between Daimon and his estranged sister, the cast and writing establishes the strained family dynamic believably throughout the episode.
I find no fault with any of the casting in this show, and there are no characters I actively dislike aside from the canon changes. Tom Austen is an excellent Daimon, and he“s a charismatic and entertaining lead actor on this show. Austen grasps the important points of the character, whether it“s his darker side or the human feelings he“s trying to control. Sydney Lemmon puts in some solid work as Satana, showing the temptress as well as the demon who feeds on human souls. The best cast of the group is June Carryl as Louise Hastings””Carryl looks like she could be the character, and she brings strength and wisdom to the performance. While I dislike the change of Devil-Hunter to the Gabriella character, this is not the fault of Ariana Guerra, who does an excellent job in the “Scully”“ role she“s been given. The cast is quite good, and at times even overcomes the faults of the script and the overall narrative, and that is the best you could ask for here.
While Helstrom is a flawed adaptation of an obscure Marvel series, the show does offer some promise if you“re looking for a good horror show. Anyone looking for a fully comics-accurate portrayal of the Son of Satan likely will end up disappointed. Likewise, the show“s reluctance to truly embrace its content results in an episode that pulls its punches when it could do so much more. At the same time, there is charm beneath the gloss, and Helstrom does manage the horror with good scares and real pathos. If you can overlook the show“s problems or aren“t familiar with the comic, it may be worth a look, but hardcore Helstrom fans who want comics accuracy may want to look elsewhere.
Score: 3.5/5
Cast: Tom Austen, Sydney Lemmon, June Carryl, Elizabeth Marvel, Ariana Guerra, Robert Wisdom
Director: Daina Reed
Creator: Paul Zbyszewski
Author Profile
- Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).
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