No Heroics

No Heroics
Season Two, Episode 14
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Air date	July 21st, 2015
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"No Heroics" is the fifteenth episode of Carmilla's second season. It aired on July 21st, 2015.

Logline

Laura and Carmilla grapple with the different - and perhaps unsurmountable - expectations they have of each other.

Synopsis

Why do we like to hurt so much?

Laura is shocked that Carmilla refuses to aid her. Carmilla states that Laura continually asks her to be a "heroic vampire", which is not her true personality. While everyone else in the room swiftly leaves, Carmilla and Laura get into a fierce argument regarding their views, eventually coming up to the part where Laura's beliefs include Carmilla changing who she is.

All we know is falling.

With the realization that Laura hasn't listened to anything she said dawning upon her, Carmilla decides that their relationship is over and leaves the room. Laura calls out to her, to no avail as the vampire simply leaves. Danny steps inside and offers to be the student representative, and consoles Laura while she contends with a broken heart.

I wonder, how am I supposed to feel, now that you're not here?

During this time, Laura deals with her breakup by consuming copious amounts of ice cream, reading romance novels and holding Carmilla's leather pants close to her. Over the course of her grieving she wonders if she was wrong in wanting Carmilla to change for the better, believing that if someone fell in love with a monster, they should change.

I still try holding on to silly things. I never learned.

I know somewhere, deep in my soul, that love never lasts.

The following day, Laura, in a better mood, returns to her task of saving Silas. While Danny analyzes several files recovered from the various board meetings, discovering to her general frustration that Mattie's actions and the sheer amount of paperwork render it difficult to discover her agenda. She also points out that politics prevents them from making much headway, as Mattie has the support of the board.

'Cause I've seen love die, way too many times, when it deserved to be alive.

If you thought I'd leave, then you were wrong. 'Cause I won't stop holding on.

Laura thanks Danny for being there for her in light of recent events, and for taking up the role of Student Representative. Carmilla makes a surprise appearance, causing Danny to depart as a result. Laura expresses her surprise that Carmilla came back, only for her to state that as the room belonged to The Dean, and that she won't be leaving, so if Laura wants to leave, she is welcome to do so. Laura refuses to move, pointing out that all her broadcasting equipment is there. They settle into an uneasy truce, once more in the same situation they were when they first met.

How did we get here? I used to know you so well.

Cast

• Elise Bauman as Laura Hollis
• Natasha Negovanlis as Carmilla Karnstein
• Sharon Belle as Danny Lawrence
• K Alexander as S. LaFontaine
• Aaron Chartrand as J.P. Armitage

Cultural References

• The board member described as a "guy in yellow robes who's there to represent the 'Hasturmenchen'" is a reference to the 1895 Robert W. Chambers book The King in Yellow. The book contains references to a fictional play in which the mysterious figure of the titular King wears tattered yellow robes. This character was later incorporated into the greater Cthulhu Mythos and became associated with the name Hastur. "Hasturmenchen" is likely a misspelling of the German "Hasturmenschen," which translates to "People of Hastur."
• The books Laura reads in her super-sad break up montage are Breaking Dawn, Gone with the Wind, Wuthering Heights. Breaking Dawn is the final installment of the Twilight Saga, known for it's romantic (and strongly heterosexual) depiction of vampires. Both Gone with the Wind and Wuthering Heights fall under the aesthetic of gothic literature, the latter more so. (Gothic literature being the genre the Carmilla novella originates from and was highly instrumental in crafting.) Wuthering Heights is a "dark romantic" story detailing the unhealthy relationship of Heathcliff and Cathy, where both give in to their darker shades of personality.

Episode

Carmilla Season 2 Episode 15 "No Heroics"