Are You Finally Done With 'The Walking Dead' After Last Night? Check Out 'Van Helsing' Instead

Warning: This post contains spoilers from the first season of Van Helsing on Syfy as well as scenes and images that might be offensive to some readers.

You hear the name Van Helsing, and you automatically think of the 2004 movie with Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. But there is a different Helsing on the small screen: her name is Vanessa, and she's not quite the vampire hunter you met in the movie. In fact, she's nothing like Abraham Van Helsing, which is exactly why you should watch the show even if you hated the movie.

Fans of The Walking Dead will find much to like in this TV adaptation of Dracula's worst enemy — and after last night's season premiere bloodbath, there may be some TWD fans looking for a new show to watch.

You won't see typical vampires that are resistant to garlic or sunlight. But you will find a hunter who isn't quite sure why she's been chosen to help save the world from an apocalypse born of bloodlust. Here are a few more things you'll find that might make you see why Van Helsing is reminiscent of The Walking Dead.

The Vampires Are Walkers With Minds Intact

Though they feed off human blood, the vampires, actually called "feeders" most of the time, don't have to drain a human to transform them. All it takes is one bite, much like the bite of a walker/zombie. The humans do not need to die to be resurrected as vampires; they simply change into the creatures who need blood to survive. And once a human is bitten, there is no stopping the change.

The vampires differ from the walkers in that they still have the ability to think and reason; however, their sense of morality is gone. They are all about the hunt and kill and making sure their legions don't disintegrate.

Vanessa Doesn't Need To Hunt The Vampires

Though a direct descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, Vanessa doesn't need the tools of her ancestor's trade to reach vampires. They come to her because they know she has the ability to eradicate their kind, and some are quite happy being at the top of the food chain. Though Vanessa's blood can change a vampire into a human again, unfortunately, she can't take away the vampire's memories of the people they've changed.

This is a different take on redemption. Imagine knowing you've killed hundreds of people and having to live with that once mortality has been returned to you. Unlike The Walking Dead, Van Helsing shows us the pain of individuals who know they've torn apart families and have ripped children out of their mothers' arms. It's intense to watch, and you find yourself rooting for the vampire-turned-human because they had no choice in the choices they made.

If you're looking for a television series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, keep looking. This show is as dark and gory as it gets. Whether it's Vanessa stabbing a human through the eye with his own knife or the scene with a man who is chained up with only one arm remaining and his guts falling out, you're going to see stomach-churning stuff. It's bloody, messy and violent. But if you're a fan of The Walking Dead, the graphic scenes on Van Helsing won't surprise you.

So if you've considered watching Van Helsing but aren't sure you'd like it because of the vampires, rest assured, you won't see fangs, capes and pale skin. What you will see are feeders who resemble zombies except for their ability to talk. That adds a nice touch.

By the way, Van Helsing was just renewed for Season 2 only five episodes into the first season. So the series is catching on. If you haven't seen it yet, give it a shot. You never know if you'll end up fearing the feeder as much as you do the walkers.