The first couple episodes of Superstition provided some solid entertainment, but it lacked bite. A large part of that had to do with main protagonist Calvin Hastings, who is a passable lead, but more Sam Winchester than Dean Winchester, if you will.
In order to elevate the series, there needed to be someone more charismatic for Calvin to play off of during his inferno hunting. Well, thankfully, 'Half Truths & Half Breeds' introduced us to that character in James portrayed by Joaquin Montes.
The third episode explored the aftermath of Papa Hastings departure from La Rochelle. With his son still quite green in term of fighting the Inferno, Isaac naturally sends along his longtime companion in the early days, James, a half human, half inferno.
James' charisma was felt right off the bat as he fought off the two Infernos. And holy DDP! I thought he would've been the friend that Isaac tasks to working with his family, considering he is in the cast and not Montes. Regardless, it was cool to see him in this show, albeit in a limited role.
We find out that these two Infernos James fought are two of many that have come to town due to the wail of a Siren. The show continued to expand its very intriguing mythology by offering a fresh take on the Greek mythological creature known for luring fisherman to their doom with its enchanting song. In Superstition, this Siren is recruited by the Dredge to lure Infernos to La Rochelle wreaking more havoc than one would like on the town.
Much of the fight scenes were well choreographed and staged, especially the one in the diner with James. Though the scuffles would not have to be if Calvin learned to use the ring Papa Hastings gave him against the Infernos, which we see him use accidentally on James and then on the Siren to defeat it.
Calvin is also as inept with his social skills as much as he is with this ring. Tensions continued in 'Half Breeds' with both his ex and his daughter. I do not understand why he cannot just show May the bodies of the Infernos that James killed to prove his innocence, but whatever.
On a side note, it was revealed that Calvin is one of many children of Isaac born through the generations. Him discovering the hidden skeletons and the aisles of tombstones was pretty neat.
We also find out that The Dredge was the first of his kind stretching back to the days of ancient Egypt. I love how they are giving us new creatures in the Infernos rather than just the tired demons and monsters schtick. They also used the Siren really well in this episode to fit with their unique mythology.
It is the mythology that makes Superstition, and 'Half Breeds' in particular, so intriguing. This was all elevated last episode by the dynamism that Montes brought as James. The actor is not listed as part of the regular cast, and he'll probably only appear sporadically throughout Season 1, though I hope we do see more of him as he played really well off Calvin in this highly entertaining episode.
8/10
