'Bitten' Season 2: Laura Vandervoort Gives You Everything You Need To Know

'Bitten' Season 2: Laura Vandervoort Gives You Everything You Need To Know

Things are getting downright freaky in Season 2 of "Bitten."

HuffPost Canada visited the Toronto set in October 2014, and the day's shoot takes place in a fortified compound, complete with ominous control and examination rooms. There's rust on the wood and blood stains on the floor. Elena Michaels (Laura Vandervoort), the only known existing female werewolf, scrambles to put her boots on when she hears someone in excruciating pain nearby. She cautiously rounds a corner to find her former fiancé's sister, Diane (Natalie Brown) bruised, battered, broken-boned and lying motionless on the ground.

 As Elena inches towards her, Diane snaps her head up and sneers, "They found me, Elena. My brother is dead because of you. And now, so am I." Diane suddenly collapses before reviving and resuming her verbal and psychological assault. She claws at the floor and drags her limp body along. "I am coming for you," she screams. A horrified Elena slowly retreats into a back room, locks the door and huddles in a corner with her arms and hands draped over her head. Diane might not be done tormenting her, but that's when the director shouts, "Cut!"

"This is Elena's mind palace," explains Vandervoort during a break. "She's seeing all the things her conscience is withholding from her. Her guilt, her anger, her sadness. And right now, she's seeing Diane, who is laying it on thick about losing Philip. Elena is feeling responsible for it. This is a nightmare come true for her. Elena is running from herself. It's been a lot of fun. It's sort of like an acid trip for Elena."

In between takes, HuffPost Canada sat down with Vandervoort to discuss more about Elena's killer instinct, witches, gore and action sequences.

HuffPost Canada: In Season 1, Elena was trying to lead a normal life, but was still pulled into her pack's business. Has she embraced her werewolf heritage now?   

Laura Vandervoort: This season, she's accepted who she is. Elena is on a mission. She's bloodthirsty. She wants revenge. Elena is able to kill without too much concern afterwards. She still doesn't want to and doesn't think it's necessary. But, Elena knows that she has to do what she has to do, and that involves ending lives and taking numbers.

Witches are stirring up trouble this year. How has it been incorporating them into this season?
It's been great for me, because I'm a horror movie fanatic and we've been able to do a lot of that this season. It's been a joy for me, more so than usual, because I get to do all these things I've always wanted to do. It's a more-challenging character. Last year, Elena was emotionally torn between two men and being a werewolf. This year, Elena knows exactly who she is, but now she has to establish herself in the pack. Physically, as well, we have more fight scenes this year. It's more of a bloodbath and I'm pushing myself harder.

Speaking of blood, you literally found yourself submerged in a bath of it. Did that appeal to your inner horror fan?
I love stunts and it doesn't really faze me, but I'm a little claustrophobic and the bloodbath was a little box. It was scary for me, but it went well. I had a couple of panic attacks, but I'm really happy.

Elena and Clayton's (Greyston Holt) relationship has been complicated. Where do the former lovers stand now?
Last year, they rekindled their love for one another. She realized he had never done anything wrong and was protecting her. Elena had held a grudge for so long, that realization got to her. She felt she really had to make up for it and show how much she loved him.

Off the top of this season, she's out for blood and revenge for Philip. She's trying not to connect with Clay. She's disconnected emotionally, but not physically. Elena is using her anger physically with him. As the episodes progress, they get into a nice groove with one another and are back to where they were when they first fell in love. They are great. Not to say things won't get in their way this year, but they are in a place where they don't need to be together all the time. Their love is strong and they are just trying to smooth out all the ripples made last year.

Elena discovered the devastating secret that pack leader Jeremy (Greg Bryk) would have had her killed if Clayton hadn't turned her. Is that still a sore spot or is it water under the bridge?
That's definitely still a huge sore spot. He was basically my father, my mentor, and to find out the man I was looking up to the whole time was the one who made this happen, it hurts. There's so much going on this season that she really doesn't have a moment to deal with that.

In a series where werewolves and witches are running rampant, how has it been combining science and the supernatural this season?
It's interesting. One female scientist is obsessed with combining animals and dissecting them. She's sort of cuckoo and off her rocker. It's interesting looking at DNA and splitting cells. There's a "CSI" aspect to it in a way. But, it's not so much about the science this year. It's still very much the gore, cult, witchcraft and mythical stuff. And there's this power the werewolves can't fight. There is no way their physical strength can stop a hand gesture from blowing them away. They are up against a new challenge, which they have never dealt with, and didn't even know existed.

In what ways have the writers really pushed the envelope in terms of gore and violence?
I'm a huge horror fan and my favourite movie is "The Shining." For me, more blood is better. They really allowed us to go further with it this season, to the point where I'm covered in it. It's like "Carrie." They're always like, "Sorry, we've covered you in blood." And I'm like, "No, no. I love it." I can't wait. It's exciting for me.

Can you talk about how they've amped up the action?
We really didn't have as many fight sequences last year. The finale was the cherry on top for everybody and it was an amazing shoot. This year, I feel every episode there's a big to medium-sized battle that Elena has. Our great stunt coordinator, John Stead, comes up with creative fights based on the props that are around us. I grew up doing martial arts, so as much as I can do, and as much as they will let me, I am going to do it.

What fight has wowed you so far?
There is one particular scene where I kill someone. It was a pretty epic fight. It had harness work. It had blood. This one today is a good, quick, snappy fight. Elena is using all the things around her.

"Bitten" Season 2 premieres on Saturday, February 7 on Space at 9 p.m. ET.

Source: Huffingtonpost.ca.