With the show's premise laid out, the second half of this story is ready to roll, and it's an exciting ride.
Instead of waiting until the end to do all the cool stuff, this episode kicks off with Nick being confronted by his old master, La Croix, in a pig rendering factory or something. I don't know. There's a dead pig hanging from a bunch of sharp metal hooks and La Croix is drinking the blood. It's creepy as all get out.
Nick wins the fight, shoving La Croix into one of the hooks and hanging him up like one of the dead pigs (this episode is hardcore), but it's a minor victory, only giving him enough time to escape.
Meanwhile, Schanke manages to wreck Nick's gorgeous car. Turns out, 'ol Don Schanke is a pretty good detective. The homeless were being killed by a doctor whose mother died when she received a bad transfusion from a homeless donor. When Schanke (tooling around in Nick's caddy) got too close, the killer cut his brake lines. Schanke survived a spectacular crash. None of them knew Nick was in the trunk the whole time, hiding from the sunlight.
But that one murder in the museum from the start of the show was from a different killer. That one was La Croix. Clever bastard, hiding his murder alongside a serial killer's bodies.
The real meat of the episode is the jade cup. The whole plot kicks off when this artifact is taken from a museum, and Nick is one of the only people in the world who knows it's rumored to have the power to cure vampirism.
The other person who knows this is La Croix, and he quickly sets up a Gwen Stacy situation, forcing Nick to choose between the cup and saving a woman's life. Nick is a hero; he picks the girl. The cup is smashed to bits and La Croix revels in his ability to steal Nick's hope, as he always does. Did I mention this guy's a jerk?
The episode concludes in Nick's spacious loft, where the murderer is chasing another homeless, a young girl who disappeared in the last episode and is hiding in Nick's place. It's a party, so La Croix shows up too, and we are treated to a second epic duel between vampires. This time, Nick has the chance to bite someone and use their blood to become strong enough to fight La Croix. But, like I said, Nick's a hero. He doesn't do it.
It's a bloodbath, but Nick manages to shove a burning stake into La Croix, turning him into dust. (You know, I think this episode has more action scenes than the recent Dune movie.)
While the first episode explored Nick's humanity, part two shows us why being a vampire is also appealing, and how impossible the road to humanity is. We've seen both sides of his struggle, and there's nothing good in sight. Poor Nick.
And there you have it. With the pilot episode(s) out of the way, Forever Knight is primed and ready for launch. Will Nick find a way to become human? Or will the thrill of being a vampire lure him further into darkness?
Quotes:
"You look pale. You sure you're not hungry?"
"All I want is the cup."
"I don't think you know what you want."
"Taste the blood on your face. Taste it. You can't deny what you are."
Flashback:
Back to the catacombs. Nick's taken his first life as a vampire and isn't sure this is the life for him.
Little Bites:
-Vampire Lore: Nick can't stand sunlight, but sometimes needs to travel during the day, or just hide when he's caught outdoors. Solution? Hide in the trunk! He told Schanke his car had the most trunk space of any car made (at the time) and now we know why that's so important.
-Fashion Police: Nick tucks his sweater into his jeans and then puts on a gigantic leather duster. It's hysterical.
-A woman gets turned into a vampire and it's implied we'll see her again. We don't.
Final Analysis: Nick's wardrobe aside, this is a pretty satisfying hour of television, and the acting between Davies and Bennett stands the test of time. Four out of four leather dusters.
Adam D. Jones is a writer, musician, and medievalist who feels a kinship for vampires because his sensitive eyes that make it difficult to go outside during the day.
Inspired by your reviews to rewatch after many years, and enjoying it very much.
ReplyDeleteThe vampire woman at the end is I think Dr Alyce from the museum? She seemed enthusiastic about becoming a vampire earlier.
As well as Davies and Bennett playing off each other, Davies and Jon Kapelos have great character moments too. That scene where Schanke has to explain to Nick what happened to his car is still great.
Davies and Kapelos are a fantastic team. You're right. They have some of the best scenes.
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