‘Firebite’ Recap: ‘Pest Control’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘Firebite’.
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It really is quite the amazing time to be a horror fan. Because not only is the genre at an all-time high popularity wise and beloved by the masses, but its monsters are also undergoing great change. So that they can become relevant to the times and forge a path ahead for the next century of storytelling and that is leading to some incredible storytelling for certain. The kind that is experimental and bold in nature as these creatures work to find their footing and it just so happens, that AMC+ is now host to a vampire series, that qualifies as a bold attempt to reinvent the vampire, and that makes Firebite quite the fascinating ride for several reasons.
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First and foremost, because it plunges us into a part of world that one wouldn’t think would be host to a vampire stronghold/nest… Australia. Yes, that’s right, the series premiere of this brave story, ‘Pest Control’, takes us down under to tell its tale, to the Opal Fields/Mines of Australia to be specific and it makes use of this somewhat desolate place… to give vampires a new place to live. For Opal City is home to a bevy of abandoned mines. The kind that vampires can use to hide from the sun safely, or easily escape to when they are spotted and/or have a fresh meal, and this is… a supremely refreshing idea. Since vampires living underground and using the vast network of tunnels surrounding to them function, really isn’t something we’ve seen in the genre before and the reinvention of this type of story, doesn’t end there.

For the heroes of this story, a man named Tyson and his adopted daughter, Shanika… fight these creatures in quite the unique manner. Because while they do indeed know of the vampires that live in this part of the world and do their best to combat them by laying traps and hunting them at night when they’re active… they do so of their own accord. Which means there is no Catholic church funding to back them, nor is there someone they report to. They’re just everyday people that have taken it upon themselves to be decent and fight a genuine threat to the good people of this land, that haven’t a clue of the true evil that lives in the mines and that too… is quite inventive. Since it adds depth and humanity to this story, the kind that we really haven’t seen in the genre all that often and it doesn’t hurt either that Tyson and Shanika are as normal as they come, making them supremely relatable. 

But where this story truly shines, is in its commentary regarding the modern world. Because for the most part, vampire stories stick to explorations regarding love, and they are eager to invoke the power of mysticism and history in telling their tales. But this story takes a page from the George Romero playbook and uses the vampire to represent and examine some of the societal woes of our current world. Since in many ways here the blood-suckers invading Opal-City remind us of the gentrification that is running rampant in our world right now and of course… they also speak to the class divide that is growing every single day and the racial strife and struggles that continue to plague the world in 2021, and all of that commentary and the plucky characters and overall setting, really do make this quite the brilliant premiere when all is said and done.

Simply because there is no other vampire series like this one on the air right now, and it really is quite wonderful to be plunged into a place where they thrive that is free of castles or bustling cities and the other trappings of the vampire story. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that this series knows when to inject comedy into the mix to keep it lighthearted and that there is a greater story brewing here as well. Since a great deal of this episode is also dedicated to setting the stage for the rest of the season, courtesy of the arrival of a blood hunter in Opal City for reasons that are likely related to something big and the only way to know what that is… is to continue this fascinating and unique journey. One that is likely going to continue to surprise us in just about every way imaginable. Until next time.  

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