Pavor Nocturnus

"Pavor Nocturnus" is the fifth episode of the second season of Canadian television series Sanctuary, and is the 18th episode overall. The episode first aired on Syfy in the United States on November 6, 2009. It was written by Damian Kindler and James Thorpe, and was directed by Brenton Spencer. In the episode, Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) awakens in a future where Earth is devastated by a plague that turned all but a handful of the human population into savage zombie-like creatures. The idea behind "Pavor Nocturnus" came after Damian Kindler saw the film I Am Legend, and wanted to show a "what if" scenario, showing Magnus' work going "horribly wrong". To give the practical sets a more post-apocalyptic feel, the production crew added several wrecked cars and several bags full of dead leaves. The episode was viewed by 1.4 million Americans after its original broadcast, a drop from the previous episode, and received generally mixed reviews, though one reviewer believed this to be a standout episode of the second season. It was nominated for a total of six awards; one Constellation Award and five Leo Awards, winning three. Plot Helen Magnus awakens in a dilapidated corridor in the Sanctuary and finds that both the building, and the surrounding city skyline lie in ruins; Magnus has no memory on how the devastation occurred. While venturing the streets, Magnus finds herself under attack by a savage humanoid creature, but is saved by two men in Hazmat suits, who proceed to capture and decontaminate her. Magnus is later shocked to discover that her protégé, Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), is the leader of the survivalist group. Unlike his original personality, Zimmerman is acting far more violent and aggressive, and believes Magnus to be an imposter, citing she died three years ago. As more creatures attack the base, Magnus escapes and returns to the Sanctuary, where on the way she is joined by a young girl, Jessica Mitchell (Nicole Muñoz). Zimmerman returns to the Sanctuary also after his unit are killed by the attacks. Now believing Magnus is who she says she is, Zimmerman recounts the events of the plague to her; ten years ago, a contagion was released in Old City, transforming humans to cannibalistic creatures. When containing the city failed, the disease spread throughout the globe and despite her best efforts, Magnus could not find a cure and was eventually killed in Buenos Aires.