So many spoilers ahead for Season 3 of Castlevania.

Castlevania has delivered Hell on Earth with Season 3, a 10-episode epic that continues the stories of our favorite heroes (and villains) in a late 15th century alt-history world. You can check out my review of the season overall here--and keep an eye out for our podcast review that's chock full of spoilers--and learn more about the series from writer/EP Warren Ellis and EP Kevin Kolde from my interview here. All caught up? Good, because we're about to take a deep dive into all things Season 3.

Here's a catch-up from the end of Season 2 and how it led to the events of Season 3: In the aftermath of Dracula's death, Trevor and Sypha are traveling, Alucard remains at the castle in misery, and Isaac is returning to Europe for his revenge. But Carmilla, reunited with her vampire sisters of the Styrian ruling court, sees a way to take advantage of Dracula's demise and build a new future - and she needs imprisoned Hector to achieve it. Got all that? I sure hope so, because if not, it means you probably haven't watched Season 3 yet. So this is your final spoiler warning. Now, let's get into those final episodes--and their final moments--to explain just what happened and see what it means for Season 4 and beyond.

Trevor, Sypha, Saint Germain, and Judge

After getting rather close to each other on the road, Trevor and Sypha's monster-fighting adventures took a pit stop in the crossroads town of Lindenfeld. There, they take the opportunity to get some rest, earn some coin, and enjoy a beer or two. The problem is that a local religious sect of devil-worshippers and their leader Sala are hellbent on bringing their lord Dracula back from Hell itself. Town leader Judge recruits Trevor and Sypha to look into the Priory and their machinations; the duo is aided, in a roundabout way, by newcomer Saint Germain, a next-level con artist who might just have some time-traveling abilities up his sleeve.

This arc, one of the four, is the most traditional: Trevor, Sypha, and Saint Germain go about their business in Lindenfeld while gathering information on Sala's plan and the secrets lurking beneath the Priory. Turns out that one of the powerful demons took shelter in the religious building and convinced the parishioners to crucify it, all part of an insane plan to hold a mass sacrifice (caused by the cultists setting magical fire to the town and its inhabitants) and open a portal to Hell. Turns out, that plan worked!

But not for long. Dracula and his dearly departed wife Lisa still wait in Hell, likely for future cultists and future seasons. However, quite a few Night Creatures and classic Casltevania beasties made their way out of the open portal. Sypha used her ice, fire, and newly acquired electricity "bending" skills to take them down, while Trevor employed not one but two whips to do the same. Saint Germain, however, stepped into the portal--something he's familiar with, having spent time in the psychedelic Infinite Corridor looking for his lost love--and closed it with him inside. The rest is just clean-up.

However, while Trevor and Sypha did their normal hero duties, they also discovered that the lawful Judge was not all he pretended to be. Judge may have tricked the traitorous Sala into falling to his death in a trapping pit ... but Sala was not his only victim. Judge sent rambunctious children to their deaths in the same manner, lying to them about a wonderful apple tree out on the edge of the woods. Trevor and Sypha discover the Judge's dark secret: a shrine of sorts to the dead children, with only their tiny shoes up on pedestals in a secret room. Yikes. They burn the building down, giving the Judge his dying wish.

While this is likely a stark reminder that humans are still capable of grave evil in this world, there are more supernatural evils that are more pertinent at the time.

Carmilla, Striga, Morana, Lenore, and Hector

While this arc has the least action of the bunch, it does play out like a cat-and-mouse game, a sort of mystery novel full of psychological tension and mental manipulations. It also introduces some of the best characters in the series so far thanks to the vampire empresses. We've already met Carmilla, the scheming vampire lady who betrayed Dracula and attempted a coup, only to be turned aside and sent packing back to Styria with her army (and forgemaster Hector) at her side. But in the refuge of Styria, she was able to reunite with the warlord Striga, the organizer Morana, and the diplomatic Lenore.

It's this last, most diminutive of the vampire empresses who gets the lion's share of this story. She spends her time getting to know Hector through the cold iron bars of his prison cell. While her fellow vampire ladies develop their plans to cordon off a vast swath of land and keep their human livestock contained within it, Lenore is tasked with gaining Hector's loyalty, and by extension, the loyalty of the army he raises through his forgemaster powers. And while this burgeoning romance between the powerful but deceitful Lenore and the vulnerable (and rather dumb) Hector is lovely to watch, the ultimate consummation of their bond is a real heartbreaker.

Sex is rarely used in Castlevania, so its use as a method of power and manipulation in Season 3 was an important one. Lenore uses sex to catch Hector in a moment of mental weakness, getting him to submit to her completely. This vow, along with a magical ring, makes Hector 100% loyal to Lenore, for better or worse. Further complicating matters, Lenore shares copies of the ring with her three sisters. Now, Hector is 100% loyal to them as well, and so are whatever abominations he creates at his forge.

This arc was more about setup, so expect the execution of all that preparation to play into Season 4.

Isaac, The Captain, Miranda, and the Magician

Easily the most philosophical of the four journeys this season is Isaac's quest to hunt down Hector and punish him for his betrayal of Dracula. When last we saw Isaac, Dracula had flung him through a teleportation mirror to protect the human forgemaster and keep him safe (and very far) from harm. But for Isaac, this journey back is fraught with hardship and heartache.

Isaac is a devout Muslim who also practices flagellation; that factor will come into play by the season's end. But he's also a forgemaster, meaning he can drag a soul from Hell and give it new life in a recently deceased body here on Earth. That's a great way for Isaac to raise a group of companions at first, then a traveling guard, and then ultimately an army. And with so many human bandits, guards, and soldiers seemingly very eager to submit themselves to his blades (and his ranks), Isaac is becoming a conqueror, even if he doesn't realize it.

So while Isaac's arc is action-packed, the philosophical interactions are more interesting. He's given a kindness by a blind merchant in a bazaar (who gifts him a transportation mirror in exchange for a future "get out of Hell free" card), takes passage with an unnamed Captain who delights him with a revelatory conversation, and comes across a powerful hermit magician known simply as Miranda, who gives him a bit of important intel and a word of warning.

All of that leads to Isaac taking his army through a town whose citizens are controlled by a mad old wizard of sorts. This sequence, which sees the magician throwing giant balls comprised of human bodies at Isaac's own giant night creatures, is incredible, but it's the final showdown between Isaac and the wizard that seals the deal. It's a test of will, a clash of ideologies without words, and one that Isaac ultimately wins. That victory finds him somewhat closer to reaching Hector, but now he has an army, a city, and a bit of momentum on his side.

Alucard, Taka, and Sumi

Easily the most heartbreaking arc of the bunch is Alucard's story. It's where we start Season 3 and where we end it. Alucard has been living in isolation in his family's ramshackle castle, which now lies over the Belmont Family vault; and neither we nor he knows just how long he's been there. (We do know, however, that he makes a mean fish fry with locally sourced organic garlic and vegetables.) Alucard is so bored and lonely that he's resorted to making Alucard and Sypha dolls (and does his best impression of both, just to have some semblance of conversation). So imagine his surprise and delight when a pair of human vampire-hunting siblings arrive to seek his companionship.

Taka and Sumi have traveled all the way from Japan to hunt down Cho, their vampire empress who made their lives a living Hell. Unbeknownst to them, Cho died in the ill-advised betrayal of Dracula, falling to Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard's attack. But once Taka and Sumi learn this, they devote themselves to vampire-hunting training under the dhampir himself ... at least for a while.

When the siblings feel that they've learned all Alucard is going to teach them, and that the son of Dracula is holding back information that would otherwise help them to exterminate other vampires around the world, they turn on him. They seduce Alucard, together, giving Game of Thrones a run for its money with incestuous sexual relationships used as a power play. And it looks like Taka and Sumi are about to put an end to Alucard, having bound him in silver (and likely blessed) chains, binding him and preventing him from teleporting away. But before they can stab him to death, Alucard calls upon his telepathically controlled sword, killing them both.

That betrayal was difficult enough to watch, as was the resulting scene in which Alucard curled up on his childhood bedroom floor (where the scorch marks of his father's death throes had yet to be cleaned up) in the fetal position, but we also get a hint of the madness to come. Alucard opted to put Taka and Sumi's bodies on spikes outside of his castle. Sure, that's a not-so-subtle warning to fellow visitors to stay away from the castle, but it's also a nod to the familial madness that his father Dracula struggled with and ultimately succumbed to ... will Alucard follow the same path? That's certainly a question that Season 4 will have the opportunity to answer.

In Season 4, we hope to see Trevor and Sypha reunite with Alucard in some way, shape, or form, hopefully in a spirit of cooperation and not combat. They'll need to prepare if they hope to stop the vampire empresses from carrying out their plans, so we imagine they'll reconvene at the castle/vault to upgrade their knowledge, skills, and weapons. (I can't wait to see how Trevor and Sypha react to the bodies on spikes on the front steps...) Meanwhile, Isaac will have to make a decision as to whether he is comfortable leading a city of the dead or whether he will continue on in his quest for vengeance upon Hector. But Hector and his vampire masters won't be wasting any time in raising an army of their own, be it Night Creatures created by the Devil Forgemaster, or mercenaries purchased outright. Either way, a big, big clash is on the horizon. And we can't wait to see it!