Van Helsing Avoids The Stake As Syfy Greenlights A Third Season

The fictional Van Helsing family has been finding and exterminating vampires since Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and their legacy will continue on the Syfy Network for at least one more season. This modern reimagining of what it means to be a vampire hunter stars Kelly Overton as Vanessa Van Helsing.

Set in the near future, Van Helsing imagines a world overrun by vampires. Much like Rick Grimes in the phenomenally successful genre show The Walking Dead, Vanessa Van Helsing wakes up from a long coma to discover that everything has changed. Even worse, she is humanity’s last hope, meaning she must spend the rest of her days fighting an immortal enemy.

Low Ratings Almost Staked ‘Van Helsing’

The show’s dwindling fanbase is undoubtedly pleased that Syfy ordered 13 more episodes. Without a significant viewership boost in season three, though, it’s unlikely that Van Helsing will avoid the destructive light of day long enough to secure a fourth season.

When the show first premiered in 2016, it scared up an impressive audience of 1.2 million, along with a 0.35 share of the vital 18 to 49-year-old demographic. By the time that season ended, ratings had plummeted to 561,000 and 0.12, respectively.

Season two hasn’t fared any better. In fact, Van Helsing has maxed out at 488,000 viewers this season, with an average of only 405,000 and a 0.12 share. To put this into perspective, industry experts have been bemoaning The Walking Dead’s declining ratings, but it’s still averaging 8.6 million and a 3.79 share.

Fortunately for Van Helsing, Syfy shows tend to fare much worse than AMC programs, meaning there’s a lot less pressure to deliver huge numbers. Despite this, Van Helsing fans should be concerned about the show’s long-term future if ratings don’t improve in season three.

What to Expect from Season Three

Season three starts filming in February and is expected to debut in late 2018. Showrunner Neil LaBute released a statement that teases blood will be spilled and characters will die screaming. All of which is par for the course for a horror series, but the true story in these shows is always the interpersonal relationships and characters arcs, not the gore. To that end, LaBute promises season three of Van Helsing will depict humanity’s continual slide into darkness and chaos.