Netflix Dracula Episode 1

Dracula: Netflix VS. Bram Stoker 

By: Rachael Brown 

This 3 episode miniseries based off of Bram Stoker's Dracula follows some of the key characters such as Jonathan Harker, Mina Murry, Van Helsing, and obviously Dracula as they share and explain their experiences that they have had. This Netflix series follows Bram stoker's storyline but not without throwing in some of its own twists and turns along the way to keep us on edge. This Dracula interpretation switches up some of the gender ideas from the book that makes lots of room for conversation.



One of the first gender-related differences I took notice of is that Dracula seems to be going after Jonathan Harker as a potential bride. In Bram Stoker's version, it seems to be that Dracula only drinks from women and that he would never even consider going after a man as a bride, fearing that Dracula would too easily be portrayed as gay. Now that it is more acceptable in today's society to be a part of the LGBTQ community Netflix took it's opportunity to have Dracula go after Jonathan in this series instead of a woman character. At one point Agatha specifically asks Jonathan if he has ever sexual relations with Dracula, this is something that would have never been said in the novel, or even in earlier versions of the Dracula story. It is suggested to believe that Dracula has bitten Jonathan several times throughout the first episode as we see that he seems to have a large scar on his neck in one of the scenes, and also that Dracula appears to keep getting stronger and younger, which Dracula himself even says is "thanks to you [Jonathan]", while Jonathan is getting weaker and beginning to look older throughout his time at the counts castle. In this version, Dracula seems to make it clear to Jonathan that he is his and that he will not be leaving. Jonathan says that he will be leaving the castle the next day and Dracula simply tells him "NO!" and that he will be staying longer. From the first episode of this miniseries, it is clear that Dracula wants more to do with Jonathan and is more interested in going after him than any woman in the show, making lots of room for gender conversation.

Another big change found in this series is that they cast a woman as the role of Van Helsing.  This came as a shock to me because Van Helsing is normally portrayed as a man. In the book, Van Helsing is a man who is very educated in vampires and helps to fight and bring an end to Dracula. In this series for the majority of the episode, we are seeing the nun named Agatha who is later revealed to also go by Van Helsing! Netflix has taken a character from the book who writes a letter to Mina, and the character of Van Helsing and combined them into one. It is great to see that such a strong and educated man in Bram Stoker's book is now being played by a woman to show that women can do everything men can do. In the episode, Van Helsing even says to the count "your every nightmare at once, an educated woman in a crucifix". It is amazing that in today's society we are finally able to switch characters to be played by women so that women are also able to stand and portray everything a man can. This really shows how far women have come to be treated as equals to men after all of the fights to have equal rights throughout most of history.