Blood Drive
Season 1 Episode 5: “The F…ing Dead”
Directed by Roel Reiné
Written by Harrison Weinfeld, Daniel Zucker
Created by James Roland
Starring Alan Ritchson, Christina Ochoa, Thomas Dominique, Marama Corlett, Colin Cunningham, Andrew Hall, Darren Kent, Renee Castle
Syfy
Air Date: Wednesday, July 12th, 2017, 10pm

Just look at the title for this episode and you’ll know why I love Syfy’s latest original show, Blood Drive. This team of writers assembled by show creator James Roland are clearly making entertaining television they want to see, and they know their target audience. Last week, Grace (Christina Ochoa) and Arthur (Alan Ritchson) barely escaped Kane Hill, an asylum overrun by sugar crazed inmates. Grace’s sister wasn’t there, but they did find out that Slink (Colin Cunningham) is much more than just the psychotic connoisseur of the Blood Drive. Meanwhile, Christopher (Thomas Dominique) was tortured by Heart cyborg Aki (Marama Corlett), in scenes that felt like the mutated offspring of 50 Shades of Grey and Caligula.

Check out my review of Blood Drive Episode 5 below.

Blood Drive
Season 1 Episode 4: “In The Crimson Halls Of Kane Hill”
Directed by James Roday
Written by Nina Fiore, John Herrera
Created by James Roland
Starring Alan Ritchson, Christina Ochoa, Thomas Dominique, Marama Corlett, Colin Cunningham, Andrew Hall, Darren Kent, Renee Castle
Syfy
Air Date: Wednesday, July 5th, 2017, 10pm

Blood Drive is as in your face a show as you will get on television. Benefitting from its late night slot on Syfy channel, the show gets away with pay cable levels of blood and gore, and is already starting to rival Ash vs. Evil Dead for bloodiest good time you can have without actually killing anyone. Last time, we saw Arthur (Alan Ritchson) and Grace (Christina Ochoa) escape from Steel City, a post-apocalyptic industrial wasteland inhabited by a few scared human survivors and plenty of monstrous CHUD-like things called “Glimmers.” They managed to escape, and pulled off yet another miracle at the Blood Drive finish line (sorry Clown Dick). Meanwhile, Julian Slink (Colin Cunningham) was having some hilarious troubles with the network executives who want to take his death race to a larger audience. Cunningham chews the scenery as much as the engines in the cars chew human flesh. And Arthur’s partner, Christopher (Thomas Dominique), was being held captive by Aki (Marama Corlett). I’m not sure if he was being tortured or seduced in some 50 Shades of Grey sorta way. This week, Arthur and Grace attempt to rescue her sister from Kane Hill, but it looks like the inmates are running the asylum…

Check out my review for Blood Drive Episode 4 below.

Blood Drive
Season 1 Episode 3: “Steel City Nightfall”
Directed by James Roday
Written by James Roland
Created by James Roland
Starring Alan Ritchson, Christina Ochoa, Thomas Dominique, Marama Corlett, Colin Cunningham, Andrew Hall, Darren Kent, Renee Castle
Syfy
Air Date: Wednesday, June 28th, 2017, 10pm

Last week, on Syfy’s newest guilty pleasure Blood Drive, the drivers were forced into an uneasy alliance to escape a diner/motel serving as a cannibal chopshop. Cop Arthur (Alan Ritchson) and beautiful Grace Argento (Christina Ochoa) who were forced to get really close just to survive day 1, managed to make it out of day 2, and use the “cook” from the diner as fuel to keep on racing. We also learned more about Heart Enterprise, the global conglomerate that took over after “The Scar” tore the US apart. Arthur’s partner, Christopher (Thomas Dominique), is kidnapped by Heart cyborg Aki (Marama Corlett), while Blood Drive creator Julian Slink (Colin Cunningham) is given ultimatums by the mysterious Heart executives.

Spoilers below.

Blood Drive
Season 1 Episode 2: “Welcome to Pixie Swallow”
Directed by David Straiton
Written by Marc Halsey
Created by James Roland
Starring Alan Ritchson, Christina Ochoa, Thomas Dominique, Marama Corlett, Colin Cunningham, Andrew Hall, Darren Kent
Syfy
Air Date: Wednesday, June 21st, 2017, 10pm

SyFy’s latest series Blood Drive is the lovechild of James Roland, a tearful ode to grindhouse exploitation cinema of the 70s and 80s. Last week on the series premiere, we were dropped head first into the rotating gears of a dystopian future after a huge fracking earthquake rips the US apart, resulting in a world where gas is obscenely expensive, and cars run on blood. There is an evil all-powerful corporation, Heart Enterprises, and when two cops stumble onto Julian Slink (Colin Cunningham) and his Blood Drive death race, things do not end up well for them. Arthur is thrown into the race, while Christopher ends up knee deep in robot clones.

Spoilers below.

Blood Drive
Season 1 Episode 1: “The F…ing Cop”
Directed by David Straiton
Written by James Roland
Created by James Roland
Starring Alan Ritchson, Christina Ochoa, Thomas Dominique, Marama Corlett, Colin Cunningham, Andrew Hall, Darren Kent
Syfy
Air Date: Wednesday, June 14th, 2017, 10pm

Midnight Grindhouse debuted Blood Drive Wednesday night on Syfy. With a story straight out of a cheap schlocky drive thru double feature, and promising splatter effects akin to Peter Jackson’s early filmography, James Roland’s Blood Drive offered something wholly different from what you’re used to in mid-week cable dramas. Cars with engines that devour human beings, heroes that curse, and all sorts of horror-themed “grindhouse” characters… Blood Drive has it all. The previews promised all sorts of “grindhouse” inspired baddies like cults, cannibals, monsters, and all the raunch you can throw in. Plot and acting are not what is important here. This show proudly attempts to be as in your face and graphically visceral as possible. I’m genuinely excited to see not if the show crosses the line, but how far past the line the show can go.

Spoilers below.