Laura Vandervoort refuses to concede this is the final goodbye for Elena Michaels and Bitten. Yes, Season 3—returning Friday—is the last run of 10 episodes on Space. But whether it’s because she senses an impending announcement on the horizon (perhaps playing a werewolf for three seasons has heightened her sense of smell) or is encouraged by the continuing wave of #howl4more on Twitter, the Toronto native refuses to throw in the towel.
“Anything can happen,” Vandervoort says over the phone. “We never want to say goodbye. I still want to leave the door open, because you never know.”
If this truly is the end, Bitten is going out on a high note. Right from the get-go with Episode 1, “Family, Of Sorts,” the werewolf pack is off and running with blood, action and one heck of a mind-eff by the storyline’s closing moments. New character Sasha Antonov (John Ralston) and his children Alexei (Alex Ozerov) and Katia (Sofia Banzhaf) have a lot to do with that, a trio of human and wolves who deliver an emotional curveball that leaves Elena stunned.
Equally stunning? Jeremy Danvers’ (Greg Bryk) plan to hunt down all mutts and present them with a choice: join his growing super-pack or be killed. That, Vandervoort explains, rubs everyone in her group the wrong way, especially Elena. The former Smallville and V actress—who will recur on CBS’ Supergirl—says this season is all about family both in front of and behind the cameras. The cast has never been stronger as a group, while their small-screen alter egos are struggling to remain united under Jeremy’s rule.
“Elena hates this new Jeremy,” she says. “She sees that he is becoming more like his father and, because of that, it causes tension between Elena and Clay [Greyston Holt] because Jeremy is very much Clay’s father and to go to Clay and complain about how Jeremy is handling the pack mentality causes trouble for everyone.”
This season represents a major departure from the book series created by Kelley Armstrong. Showrunner/executive producer Daegan Fryklind and her writing team have built a dramatic, visually stunning world for these humans, witches and werewolves to frolic in, a melding of what Armstrong conceived and what the actors bring to the table. Vandervoort teases fans may think they know what’s coming, but not this time around.
Yes, she refuses to say an all-out goodbye to Elena and Bitten, but Vandervoort does have a message for the loyal fans who have tuned in for the weekly adventures.
“Thank you so much for your loyalty and continued encouragement every season,” she says. “Thanks for staying in contact with us at conventions and set visits and on social media. We wouldn’t be able to do what we love without you guys watching, and you know the hard work that we put into it.”
Bitten airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on Space.
