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Ugh I Can’t Believe I Want to Watch Steven Moffat’s Dracula

By Oct 28th, 2019, 12:27 pm

Screengrab from Moffat's Dracula

It’s 2019, and here I am, excited to watch a Steven Moffat show. Have I learned nothing? Apparently not, because Dracula actually looks really good. That being said, I know what to expect out of a Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat production. The two that gave us two good seasons of Sherlock, and then whatever the rest of the show was, are adapting another iconic piece of literature.

What I find the most interesting about the first teaser trailer for Dracula is that, apart from a gaggle of nuns, there is one,—maybe two—woman present. Why is this interesting? Well, my sweet chili babies, let me point out one simple fact to you: Mina is one of the main characters in the novel. More than that, there is a female perspective within the novel that is, seemingly, missing from this trailer, which, I guess, isn’t surprising because Moffat and company haven’t been great with comprehension of the female psyche in the past—or just seeing women as fully formed characters, but you know, whatever, I guess.

Now, before I hear the outcry of “women don’t have to be involved in everything,” I’d like to drive home the importance of women to the canon of Dracula. There are three notably important women within the novel that are, seemingly, just left out of this teaser trailer. Do I need to see Dracula with his creepy nails? No, give me Mina!

While it’s not even a minute, the teaser trailer does give us a look at the show and gives me a new Dracula to find attractive, so can’t wait for that development.

As you can see, it’s a very male-heavy take on the iconic story, which is almost the opposite of every other interpretation to ever have existed. Still, I find myself being drawn to it as if it were Dracula himself using his vampire ways to lure me in. Am I setting myself up for disappointment? Of course, I am.

Twitter, like myself, is a bit divided, but not because of the trailer itself…

I have to say, I have to fight the idea that Moffat and Gatiss don’t get much wrong. May I direct your attention to Irene Adler? As much as I loved Lara Pulver’s intrepretation of the character, it continues to further the idea that Irene Adler’s placement in Sherlock Holmes’ life is no more than just a level of fascination.

The point is that Moffat and Gatiss haven’t had the best track record with adapting literature in the past, and now, seeing the lack of women in Dracula, it does frighten me, but then, again, I’ll probably watch this just as I did every episode of Sherlock.

(image: BBC)

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Rachel Leishman - Assistant Editor

Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. A writer her whole life but professionally starting back in 2016 who loves all things movies, TV, and classic rock. Resident Spider-Man expert, official Leslie Knope, actually Yelena Belova. Wanda Maximoff has never done anything wrong in her life. Star Wars makes her very happy. New York writer with a passion for all things nerdy. Yes, she has a Pedro Pascal podcast. And also a Harrison Ford one.