My Babysitter's a Vampire "Welcome Back Dusker" Recap & Review

It’s been a year (for fans in the United States) so regardless, the second season premiere of My Babysitter’s a Vampire has been much awaited, and the aura of change is definitely in the air. It’s not hard to notice the change to the naked eye. But I must say the word “fangtastic” doesn’t even begin to describe “Welcome Back Dusker”, which I thought was an excellent way to kick off the season.

The episode storyline wise basically picks up where “Re-Vamped” left off at. Now that Sarah’s a full vampire, the council has some expectations from her, such as orientation and initiation. I liked the scenes between Sarah and Ethan, especially the scenes with the vampire council involved, I feel like we haven’t seen the last of them, I certainly hope not anyway. Addison Holley was perfect as the head of the vampire council, so funny, so devious; little girls are sometimes, guess that includes those that are vampires.

With Sarah a full vampire now, her character has changed a little bit, last season Sarah just seemed irate at times and stressed if you ask me, I’m attributing that to worrying that she would be stuck a fledgling forever. Now that she’s a vampire she seems a bit more relaxed if you ask me, even though now Ethan has become a little more serious, not giving up on trying to turn Sarah human again. However I’m glad Benny, Rory, and Erica are still their same laid-back and comical selves, especially Rory, I swear everything Rory says makes me laugh. And Erica is surprisingly closer to the geeky trio and one in particular, Benny; notice in one of the images below how her arm stays in his. Could this be a step closer to "Bennica" (Benny/Erica)? Hope so!

This was one episode where I felt there was really more than one “villain”, the ominous mist being one of them, and the strict vampire council and its various hired goons who are after Sarah, Ethan, and later Erica. And then the head of the council herself, but in the end after they save her life, she comes around. Also Mr. Stern, the new vice principal, I guess Principal Hicks needs a little help around WCHS, with all that goes on around there. But I’m curious as to know who now has a vendetta against vampires, this could get messy.

Something to note: the opening sequence. I thought it was said that Vanessa Morgan would be singing the opening theme; turns out she will be singing it with Kate Todd for the two part season finale (check MBAV’s Official Facebook Fan Group). They are both two wonderful singers, so this should be good! Also, Ari Cohen who portrays Ross Morgan (Ethan’s father), his name has been removed from the opening sequence, so long as he makes the occasional appearance, you won’t hear me complain. With this bump from the credits, my guess is at the time Cohen had another role coming up or he’s freeing himself up for one. I find myself liking Ethan’s dad over his overprotective mother, portrayed by Laura DeCarteret.

Another note was how this episode just seemed to rush to commercials and the end credits even, like commercials came out of nowhere! I don’t know what to chalk that up to, bad editing on Disney’s part maybe, a time issue, or a sign Disney should leave the episodes alone maybe?! I don’t know, however I feel this episode had overcrowding in all aspects, a two-part episode or one hour episode could have worked. Because I would like to know what happened to Sarah at a point between “Re-Vamped” and her return in “Welcome Back Dusker,” where did she go, what has she been doing?

This episode in my opinion is an awesome start to the new season; it kind of took me back to the movie, although something felt “lacking” from season 1, but maybe nothing, I could be reading into this one episode too much. And I hope that the MBAV fan base continues to grow! A lot of people love this show, but you have some out there who stick their tongues out at it and are displeased by it (for whatever reasons, not good ones in my opinion).

I find My Babysitter’s a Vampire to be one of the better quality show’s airing on Disney as of now, and I feel that it fits perfectly with their lineup. It’s not too gory/scary, the dialogue isn’t overly descriptive, it’s not too comedic and it’s not too dramatic either, it’s the perfect mix, and it’s got the perfect cast and crew of writers!

Here is the recap:

Cast:
Matthew Knight – Ethan Morgan
Vanessa Morgan – Sarah
Atticus Mitchell – Benny Weir
Cameron Kennedy – Rory
Kate Todd – Erica
Also: Ella Jonas Farlinger – Jane Morgan

Guest stars:
Ari Cohen – Ross Morgan
Addison Holley – Head of Vampire Council
Richard Waugh – Mr. Stern
Jamie Johnston – Dirk Baddison
Dylan George – Angry Vampire
Adam Bradley – Council Foreman
Kris Siddioi – Surly Vampire #1
Tye Evans – Surly Vampire #2
Ish Morris – Vampire Thug #1
Byron Mumford – Vampire Thug #2

Written by: Tim Burns
Directed by: Tibor Tackas

It’s a clear night in Whitechapel and you can see an eerie green mist flowing in the sky and heading towards the ground. Two vampires are outside Ethan’s home, one of them hungry and impatient, they are waiting for Sarah to eventually show up. Meanwhile Mr. Morgan comes in Ethan’s room, asking if Ethan has heard anything from Sarah about babysitting. Ethan tells him not yet, but notices how late it is. Mr. Morgan then recalls a previous babysitter of Ethan’s, Mrs. Pruitt. Ethan asked his father didn’t she have an eye patch, and said that her parrot kept attacking him, Mr. Morgan then tells him to keep trying to get Sarah.

Outside the Morgan’s home the vampires were still waiting and one of them is being surrounded by the green mist, suddenly he begins to attack his friend. Ethan inside heard the noise and checked outside his window before getting a phone call from Erica (yeah, I was surprised too) who was squealing in the phone. Ethan asks if it meant Sarah’s back or some vampire and bad had happened. Erica ecstatically tells him she read that “Dusk” star Dirk Baddison was coming to Whitechapel.

Ethan admits to starting the rumor in order to get Sarah to come back, explaining he was worried about her and that it was his fault she drank human blood, he tells Erica not to be mad. She tells him she doesn’t get mad, but hungry, and hangs up. Ethan walks back over to the window, thinking about what happened to him and Sarah, he was taken from his thoughts when Sarah came up to his window in a flash, fangs showing. Ethan jumped back to see Sarah smiling normally and asking was he going to invite her in, he laughs awkwardly.

Sarah is very excited to see Ethan again, the two sharing a hug, Ethan asking her afterwards did she find Jesse and make him pay for turning her into a vampire. She sternly tells him she’s fine, and that she’s ready to move on and that she accepts it. Sarah tries to change the subject, happy about returning to school, but Ethan tells her that she doesn’t have to accept it and that he’s looking for a cure to change her back to normal. Sarah, happy, tells him that it’s Whitechapel, vampires are normal. Ethan just says fine and what matters is she’s back, he asks if they are good, Sarah doesn’t answer but tells him she should let him get some sleep. Before exiting out the window, she says to him that it is good to be back. Ethan smiles as he sees her flash away.

At school the next day, Ethan tells Benny, that he’s glad Sarah’s back but said she seemed different, as Ethan turns his back for a book, Benny performs magic, which slightly irritates Ethan, Benny citing that he was trying to summon “chicks”, but literally got baby chicks. Ethan tells him to focus, but adds he’s worried about Sarah. While playing with the baby chick, Benny tells Ethan that she’s probably just traumatized and is trying to adjust. Then Sarah and Erica walk up, Sarah telling a vampire dentist joke, Benny says adjustment complete, trauma all gone, vampires “happy happy”.

Erica smiling notes how she bumped into Sarah, Benny offers her the baby chick as a welcome back gift. Sarah thinks it’s cute and tells him it’ll be a yummy snack for later, Ethan shocked. She stressed, it was a joke and said she didn’t remember Ethan being so serious, he responded he didn’t remember her being so funny, and quickly added but good one, he and Benny awkwardly laughing. The bell rings and Sarah notes even immortals have to go to class. Benny jokes, he’s not a fan of full undead bloodsuckers but, she makes it look good.

As they walked to class, Erica hands her a letter from the Vampire Council, she tells Sarah that after Jesse left the vampires are less wild, more structured, kind of lame, but she praises the parties and the “snacks”. Sarah’s peeved when she reads that the Council wants an initiation and orientation, she crumbles up the letter and says she’s not going to join any “fang club”. She tosses the paper on the floor just as a man approaches her and says he’s the new vice principal, Mr. Stern. He tells her to call him sir and tells her the perils of littering in the school hallways and tells her to think twice. She smartly says she’s thought about it again and tries to walk off but he tells her she can’t until she makes a deposit to the nearest trash can.

Sarah puts Mr. Stern in the trash instead, Stern yelling angrily for someone to get him out of the trashcan. Sarah explained to Erica that she didn’t know what happened, she was angry and then she just dumped him. Erica told her that vampire urges are stronger than fledgling urges, Erica then rushes off to get Benny. Stern manages to jump out of the trash can and he threatens that not only should Sarah be expelled, she should be arrested. Erica nervously tells Benny to do a brainwave trick. Benny performs it and Stern forgets what had just happened, he angrily asks the three what they are staring at and tells them to go back to class.

Sarah goes to class and she see’s two vampire goons, one of them asking was she going somewhere. Sarah crossly tells them now wasn't a good time unless they wanted to watch their arms grow back. He says to his buddy that this was the problem, vampire-on-vampire attacks; he notes that there were two more last night, this not occurring until the time Sarah came back to town. He says to her that her brothers and sisters on the council are concerned, Sarah asks irritated, that just because they had the same teeth it meant they are family; Sarah attempts to walk off, saying no thanks.

The goon then says maybe it’s her vampire hunter boyfriend that they want. She demands that they leave Ethan alone and to leave her alone unless they wanted to see some vampire-on-vampire attacking right then. She walks off and adds that Ethan’s not her boyfriend. The other goon was about to go after Sarah, but his buddy said to forget her and go after the geek, adding; the brainy one, not the magic one. The other goon says that the magic one creeps him out as the bell rings.

Rory tells Ethan that he knows how Sarah feels, he says he got so mad once that he wanted to bite the moon, he quickly says he didn’t, that the moon was safe, for now. Ethan asks can the subject be changed, enough of the all the “vampire drama” for one day. They walk into another part of the school where they see other students, mostly girls, crowding around Dirk Baddison, begging for his autograph. Rory was shocked the rumor was true, Ethan couldn’t believe Dirk was actually there, Benny couldn't believe people really cared. He said mockingly, “Ooh, I heart blood, sparkle and feel sad a lot,” saying flatly, lame.

Ethan rushes over and introduces himself, says he’s on the school’s newspaper, and is surprised that Dirk was there. Dirk was surprised too, he says he didn’t know about it until he saw it on the internet, he says his agent stopped calling after “Dusk 4: The 3D Musical”, that bombed. Ethan tells him that this was Whitechapel and vampires will always be big here.

Erica then storms over pulling Ethan away from Dirk noting that he told her it was a hoax, although it was a ploy to keep her and Dirk apart. Erica tells Dirk in a flirty tone that he was going to spend time with his number one fan. Dirk agrees, but after the signing, saying he had a duty to his fans. Erica quoted a line from “Dusk 2”, scene 28, “We’re vampires, we take what we want.” Erica then pulls Dirk away from the crowd of fans, telling them to back off that he was hers. Benny then auctioned Dirk’s coffee starting the bidding at $100; the students started frantically screaming around him.

In the parking lot Erica asked Dirk where his limo was, Dirk answered that he was in his mom’s hatchback parked across the street. Erica told him his “Dusk” adventure was about to be real. Dirk said – thinking she was another obsessed fan – that he couldn’t bite her, he once was sued for that and then got gum disease. Erica then she flew off with him.

Ethan’s gets alone in the hallway to call Sarah to tell her that Erica abducted Dirk, Sarah warns Ethan telling him to watch his back, that vampires are looking for him, Ethan told her the “Duskers” were mad at Erica for stealing Dirk. He told Sarah he was surprised Dirk even showed up. Ethan saw the two vampire goons come around the corner out of nowhere and they snatched his phone from him. Ethan assumed they were Dusk fans until one of the goons told him things were about to get rougher, and they showed their fangs, causing Ethan to jump back.

He explains that he knows he’s a hunter but says some of his best friends are vampires, he named Erica and Rory. The goon was stunned Ethan was admitting Rory was a friend, laughing soon after and saying it was messed up. The goons then abruptly stop laughing and he tells Ethan that the council knows that Ethan is behind the recent vampire attacks and the council wants to see him suffer in person. Ethan immediately takes out a number two pencil waving it in their direction, taunting them with it.

But while Ethan was taunting them with it, the eerie green mist comes around a corner behind Ethan and he notices the vampires aren’t paying him any attention, asking was something behind him. The mist jumps into one of the goons and takes him over, killing his friend, and then the mist killed him before flying in the air. Sarah pops up around the corner commenting that she wasn’t the only one with anger issues. Ethan said defensively that he didn’t do anything.

Sarah explains to Benny why the council is after Ethan, two vampires were killed at his home and two vampires sent after Ethan were just killed as well. Benny tells Sarah that he told the vampires he’d hand Ethan over so they wouldn’t end him; Sarah yelled at him that Ethan didn’t do anything; she calmed herself and told him that Ethan said they were attacked by a smelly green mist. Rory comes up the hall hearing what Sarah said, Rory asked joking, was Ethan’s mother making tacos again. Rory then asked where he was because the council wants vampires to “bring Ethan to justice.” Rory confused of where that was.

Ethan somewhere said that it was true. They couldn’t see Ethan, but they heard him. Benny initially though her perfected the invisibility spell without even trying, then Benny suggested he might be in a locker. Benny banged the locker, Ethan irately confirming he was in the locker, saying if the vamps come for him at school, he had backup. Rory said he could count of him before hitting on the locker, Ethan giving a pained response, Rory adding after he brought him to justice and asking if it were around here. Ethan tells him he can’t help him because he has to prove his innocent, but Ethan says he can’t because the hallways are full of fangs. Sarah tells him they’re fake, because it’s “Dusk day” at WC High, in honor of Erica’s new pet movie star, Dirk.

Sarah tells him to sit tight and don’t let the vampires bite, he replied to her with “remember, bite your tongue, not their face.” Sarah leaves and Benny calls him “locker boy” before saying he gets beat up all day and they blame Ethan, who is blaming a green mist, which Benny says might be blaming unicorns. Ethan told him sternly that the mist was real, almost alive, and it smelled, like evil. After Benny heard Ethan say that he said he was intrigued.

In an empty classroom, Benny had three jars for Ethan to smell. Ethan opened one which he said smelled like bacon and gym socks, he opened another that smelled close. Benny tells him the one he opened was sulfur, brimstone and where there was brimstone there was black magic, or rotten eggs. Ethan told him there were no eggs, Benny saying black magic it is. Ethan said the mist was about to be “demistified”, Benny asking for a high five. After that Ethan smelled his hand, asking did Benny spill something, he says he scratched his butt, Ethan repulsed by that.

After school, Benny rode his bike by Ethan’s house screaming his name. Then Benny dials his phone asking Ethan where he was, he then said loudly that he wouldn’t tell any vampires that he was at the library. Two vampires in black leather jackets were across the street but immediately took off in a flash when they thought Benny was about to look, when he noticed they were gone he said “Fang code zero”. Actually Rory had snuck Ethan home in a blanket.

Benny comes into the room saying all clear and that he doubled back and snuck in, and that he marked every spell that involved evil smoke, sulfur, and violence. Rory commented astonished that that was a lot of “smokey violence”. Benny retorted that it was black magic and not “nice smiley face sunny magic.” Ethan sees on the internet where a lot of people have gone missing recently and there were no recent pictures included. Rory saying the mist was attacking people who don’t own a camera. Ethan suggested that it is more like people who don’t show up on camera. Rory then saying it was shy people, Ethan just telling him vampires.

Benny read a spell in his book which translates to “the breath of death”, Benny read on where it said whoever uses that, transforms their anger or dark energy into a physical vapor that seeks out and destroys its intended target. Ethan figures out that that’s why the vapor ignored him, it’s after vampires, Ethan then calls Sarah to warn her, but she doesn’t answer. Sarah was going to warn the Vampire Council about the attacks, but as she went, another vampire tried to stop her.

Benny thinks he’s found away to fight “the breath of death”, Rory raises his hand and Ethan tells him not to suggest holding their noses. Benny read that ancient tribes use witch bottles to lure evil spirits away from people and then trap them. Ethan thinks it’s cool, last time he checked, they were out of witch bottles. Benny tells him any container will work, before taking what had Ethan’s pen and pencil holder and dumping them on the floor. Benny added as long as the right symbols are on it and he says the right spell over it.

Benny told him the hard part would be bait, items from the spirit’s target. Ethan noted it was targeting vampires, so to put vampire stuff in it. Rory immediately got up and nervously said not his internal organs, he needed them. Benny then asked him if he’d gone number 1 recently, both Rory and Ethan “ewwing” in disgust. Ethan called Sarah again only to get her voicemail as Rory took the “jar” from Benny and went to the bathroom. A second later, Rory came back out and grabbed a magazine.

Ethan’s phone rang, expecting Sarah to be on the other end, but it was Erica. Erica tells him she knows where she is, that the council put her on trial and that two goons had showed up to drag her to the hearing, Dirk still with her. Ethan knows this was bad news and that everyone was in danger, Erica told him the council is at the Old Mason Lodge and that he should hurry. Dirk however didn't want to go and said to Erica it was more to him than just vampires, Dirk still thinking it was a fan thing, he also tells her he played Hamlet in “Shakespeare for Dogs”. Erica was repulsed by that and told him he might want to take that off of his resume. The goons from the council were getting impatient and Erica told them not to get their fangs in a twist. Erica flew off with Dirk and the council goons behind, the green mist coming up behind.

One of the council members told Sarah that she showed no allegiance to her kind, that she forfeited her rights and protection by willfully conspiring but Sarah cut him off saying who cares who she conspires with and that her friends weren’t the problem. She went on to say they are the ones who need their protection. Erica comes in with Dirk and stands up for Sarah telling them to give her a break, that she never comes to meetings because she was never a joiner, adding that Sarah even quit the “Dusk” fan club and she was president, something Dirk objected to. Erica told him it was true and to pipe down before he got eaten.

Erica continued that Sarah does her own thing and that she isn’t any fun, but Erica says Sarah’s her friend, she’s one of them now, and that she wasn’t a threat to vampires. The head of the vampire council says that they might be a threat, but their stake wielding friends are. She says for them to deliver them to the council as a sign of loyalty, or to side with them and Sarah can expect their punishment on their behalf, but she says the council will have blood, Sarah’s or her friends’.

Sarah shows her fangs and tells her to come and get it because she’s been itching for a fight all day. Out of nowhere Ethan tells them to let Sarah go, that he’s the one they want. Sarah upset he’s come said she’s got it and questions why he came. Ethan answers he had to protect her, Sarah saying she had to protect him. Benny says awkwardly that they – he and Rory – were protecting her too. Ethan explains to the head of the council he didn’t attack her friends, that they were attacked by the breath of death. Benny asks her pretty scary right, but adds that they can stop it. Rory adds that they made him go on a jog.

The head of the council allows them to prove their innocence, Ethan tells her that it was very reasonable and thanked her. After he said that, she moved to have the mortals devoured, they all objecting to that, Ethan asking her how do they prove their innocence like that? She says if the attacks continue after they are gone, they were innocent, it seemed fair enough. Sarah said she got her orientation after all, controlling when to get angry and when not to, Sarah was about to attack but Ethan stopped her, asking the head of council do they call themselves a council, asking them to take a vote.

She asked them, all in favor? The other two older members of the council raised their hands, the other it was clear he had been taken over by the breath of death; he began trying to attack the head of the council, she asking for help. Ethan then asked for the witch bottle and began taunting the breath of death with it, calling it “din dins” until Ethan tripped, dropping the bottle and its contents in the process. The breath of death getting out of the vampire council member and surrounding Ethan. Benny noting it was bad, and gross.

Sarah immediately jumped to Ethan’s side as the breath of death began to take over Ethan, and then began to attack Sarah. The head of the council demanding that it be destroyed, Benny asking for the witch bottle, he saw it on the floor and quickly began putting the contents back in, and then taking a sample of Rory’s hair. Benny then began performing the incantation and then the breath of death was being pulled out of Ethan and into the witch bottle, when it was done, Benny shook the can and asked if anyone wanted the anti-vampire mist.

Sarah then asked the council head, was she still mad at her for defending the mortals who just saved her life. The head of the council agreed with Erica about Sarah not being fun, but she says they are free to go, after she gets an autograph from Dirk, she said for a friend. Benny sing-songy said “vampire awkward”.

Mr. Morgan tells Sarah, Ethan, and Jane that he and Mrs. Morgan would be back from “gourmet disco” at 11, telling them no staying up late or scary movies, or that “laser saber thing”. Sarah promises him it’s all good, Ethan awkwardly agrees. Mr. Morgan simply “alrighted” before leaving. Later Jane was fast asleep on a chair as Ethan and Sarah are watching a scary movie. Ethan tells her that he knows things are different now and if she feels like she needs to move on, it’s okay with him. Sarah says thanks, but she likes it here, with her friends because she’s fun, she then asked him, her fangs showing.

Ethan said awkwardly and nervously that she was so fun, then a news report about Dirk Baddison came on, and he was freaking out about vampire being weird, and that they can fly, and that he had pictures of his vampire girlfriend, the pictures were of him along, Erica could not be seen. The news reporter continued that Dirk was currently receiving treatment. Sarah turned off the TV and said poor guy, and that they really freaked him out. Ethan said to her what really freaked him out was if the mist was out of Benny’s league, who was powerful enough to conjure it up?

Sarah commented however it was, really didn't like vampires, Ethan suggested maybe they hadn’t met the right ones yet. Sarah laughs as the episode jumps to black.

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