The modern world takes a swipe at the vampire community when a TV crew assigned to Nick's beat records something unbelievable.
The most interesting aspect of Forever Knight might be watching the vampires try to hide along the edges of society in a world where it's no longer easy to stay out of sight. They live just under the surface of our civilized world, thirsting for blood but unable to feed freely.
And with the advent of video cameras, things have gotten worse.
Of course, this aired in 1992. People talk nowadays about how the tide of phone cameras has changed society, but it's an older conversation than that. The idea of video cameras everywhere first exploded in the early 90s, and life hasn't been the same ever since. And if you're a fan of supernatural stories, you just have to wonder how any magical creatures could evade detection.
Turns out, the vampire community hasn't solved this dilemma, but it gets worse. If someone has tangible evidence of a vampire it's impossible to hypnotize them out of their belief. (Not that it should matter on this show since Nick seems to only encounter people who are immune to his hypnosis.)
An episode like this really keeps your eyes peeled, and just when you think Nick might have a handle on things the video editor turns out to be a narc vampire who brings the spooky (and strangely feral) Enforcers. They don't seem to talk, and it's not clear who they answer to or how they're organized, but they're a very fun threat. They come off like an absolute, unstoppable force. Once they're involved, kiss your mortal friends goodbye. It's shame we don't see more of them.
Flashback
This is a pretty cool flashback. For a show with a limited budget, they did a great job of convincing us that we're in the civil war, even though it was just one little set in a tent.
This isn't the last time La Croix shows up during a famous war so he can eat free food, or the last time Nick is hanging around as a medic. It's a neat idea, but I can't stop wondering how it works. Nick must have a really good hiding place during the day, and a really good explanation for why he keeps disappearing. But that's something he's good at.
Rest in peace, Sullivan. You were on to something. And those pictures of La Croix gorging on a battlefield corpse, right in the middle of a war, are downright chilling.
Little Bites:
-Vampire Lore: Tangible proof makes hypnosis even harder. And there's a shadowy group of enforcers who violently maintain something called "The Code."
-Wasting Time: Nick cruises around in his hot rod while rock music plays. This happened a lot in 90s shows (Google "eurominutes") and driving a car was a pretty common trick for these necessary moments of padding.
-Fashion Police: Tawny isn't dressed like someone who's gonna follow a cop beat.
-For once, a television show demonstrates a good understanding of gun safety. Anyone near a gun when it goes off is in the line of fire, due to shrapnel. Love them or hate them, guns are a lot more dangerous than they look on TV.
Final Analysis: Great episode. The tension is ratcheted up masterfully throughout, and it's always fun to take a look at the vampire subculture and to watch Nick squirm as he fails to find his place between the undead and the living. Five out of five odd suspender outfits.
Adam D. Jones is a writer, historian, and undefeated cat wrestler. He is also something of a war medic himself, having recently bandaged his own finger after cutting himself on a D&D figurine.
Adam, your pull quote made me laugh out loud.
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