Episode Recap: The Rise of Primo

Let’s be super clear. There are two more episodes of Blood Drive to come. But for the show within the show that is Blood Drive – this is it. The big finale, where everyone drives into a mayhem party, gets all bloody and the last one standing is crowned The Primo. Our money is on Grace and Arthur, who seem super happy and like a couple as they bond and drive into Louisville, Kentucky. Grace tells Arthur about the time she killed a dog that bit her sister, Karma. The first time, says she, that she had to kill for her. Pulling into the big show, they’re reminded that Slink is riding along. They’re okay with it because this is, it turns out, the last time they ever have to deal with him. Right?

The final test for the Blood Drive contestants is a fight to the death in a cage match called The Battle Dome. The head of Heart Industries (who is named Old Man Heart, btw) shows up to say the finale will not be broadcast live, as per Slink’s original plan. Instead, it will be shown in the closed circuit cameras at Heart Industries. The Blood Drive is being shut down. Again. The gang’s all here! (Unless they died along the way, which…let’s be honest, a lot of them did). Domi and Cliff, now that they've worked out their issues on the road, really do wonder if they'll ever be satisfied after the Blood Drive is over. And can you blame them?

Arthur is called into the Battle Dome and tells Grace that no matter what happens next, he doesn't care what Heart has in store for him, he won't ever kill again. And he keeps that promise as best he can, which infuriates Old Man Heart. Arthur gives an impassioned speech about how depraved this all is and finally tells the assembled crowd that they're all under arrest. That’s when Old Man Heart reveals his big surprise - he’s holding Grace hostage in a cage of fire! Finally, Grace challenges him – why has he been so obsessed with her and Karma?

That’s when the twist we DID NOT see coming happens: Old Man Heart peels off all of his skin and reveals that he’s really Karma. It turns out that Karma snapped pretty hard when Grace left her for dead at that insane asylum. Since then, she’s been involved in this revenge plot. This is a surprise to Slink as well, and he’s so angry that he frees Grace and kicks Karma into the Battle Dome. 

Meanwhile, having left Aki on the side of the road, Christopher blasts toward the Battle Dome, but realizes he can't do it without her. He turns around and heads back to get her. They're going to get rid of her proximity censor so they can run off together. Their robot humanity is really something, isn’t it? Anyway, they end up back at Heart Industries, and while trying to disable her tracking chip, they find another terrifying Heart Industries project. Something called the Soul Reclamator. What does that do?

Back in the Battle Dome, Domi and Cliff realize that they can never win the Blood Drive, so they kill each other. End of the road for them; but this is sort of how it had to end, no? And all the while, Karma is kicking some serious ass herself. As Grace realizes her sister has snapped permanently and must be dealt with - the two fight hard. The result is Grace FALLING INTO THE CAR’S GRINDER! Is she dead!? No! She actually escaped, but Arthur THINKS he's just witnessed Grace's death! And goes NUTS.

Thinking he has nothing left to live for, Arthur snaps into crazy murdering killer mode and kills all of the Battle Dome peeps that come his way. And then, after some monologuing and sadness, Grace and Karma have one last epic battle. Grace gets the advantage, and pushes her entire reason for being here into the car. Make no mistake, this time, gang. Karma. Is. Dead. Except. No. She’s. Not. Turns out, that's what the Soul Reclamator does: brings you back to life in the basement of Heart Industries. So, Karma lives to fight another day.

Finally, as Arthur realizes Grace is still alive, it’s too late. Arthur has snapped. Bad. Knowing they won't be able to kill each other, and that there can be only one Primo, Grace forfeits the game. Arthur has won the Blood Drive! He's the new Primo!