A monster from the pages of history brings us what might be the best episode of the season. It's nonstop terror when even our favorite vampires are afraid of this week's killer.
Even though there's a new killer just about every episode, this one is outstanding from the start. Sure, it seems like a vampire is responsible for the crazy, bloody murder we see at the beginning, but the feral noises and brutal method tells us this is not your usual Forever Knight villain. Even Natalie is a little shaken up by the mess that's spread out across her operating table.
Our guest star, Inspector Liam O'Neil from Ireland, is just as fascinating. Not only because of the actor's powerful screen presence, but because of his unique background with vampires and the fact that he's instantly aware that Nick is hiding something.
I think this episode is incredibly well crafted. Every scene continues the momentum from the previous one, carrying us through a fun mystery that builds to an exciting conclusion. And we even get a character from history who adds to the episode; usually when real life historical figures show up in vampire shows it's just corny, but Jack the Ripper is a perfect guest. "Bad Blood" is about as good as TV gets.
Flashbacks:
Season two remains creative with flashbacks. Liam has one, flashing back to his infancy, when he was attacked by a vampire but saved by quick application of holy water. (Also, was some vampire trying to turn a baby? This situation is odd.)
Most memorable is Nick's flashback to Jack the Ripper's conversion. It's entirely off screen, but it's still very chilling. It's La Croix's fear that makes this scene unforgettable. He's finally met someone as depraved as him, and it frightens him.
Nick was so angry with La Croix, so eager to leave, that he didn't bother to notice how bad something must be to scare La Croix. Should have been a major red flag, but Nick ignored it and headed for America to start a new life.
La Croix tells Janette to "let him go," but we know La Croix is obsessed with Nick and won't be letting him go anytime soon.
Little Bites:
-Familiar
-Vampire Lore: If you get holy water on a bite soon enough, you won't turn into a vampire. Good luck with that. Also, you'll be able to sense vampires.
-The scene where a young vamp rises from the grave is pretty cool, but that's unusual for this show. Normally the person is tended to by the vampire who turned them. How exactly vampires are made is not always consistent, but it doesn't take away from the fun of this episode.
-Notice the lock and chains in the soybean factory. It's on the outside of the door. When Jack gets out, those chains are unlocked. How is he locking and unlocking them from the inside?
-Until this episode, I would have bet real money that Miklos (Janette's long-haired barkeep) was a vampire.
-Schanke's iron stomach is back. He's trying to help the rookie deal with the crazy gore she's seeing, but his story about a dude crushed by a combine isn't helping.
-Nick accuses La Croix of "hiding" in the back room of The Raven. La Croix gets pretty pissed, which tells me he really is hiding. He's barely talked to Nick since his return from the dead, so I guess things are still awkward there.
-"Spare me the Irish charm," Natalie says, with a big smile on her face, "I'm immune." This is funny since the actor was Natalie's boyfriend in real life. They even had a kid together.
Final Analysis: This is satisfying, fun to watch, and dives into vampire lore while stretching Nick between his human and vampire lives like a cursed wishbone. These are the ingredients of a good episode, so I'll give it five out of five sprinkles of soybean dust.
Adam D. Jones is a writer, historian, and undefeated cat wrestler. He's also something of a vampire hunter himself, having recently survived getting a splinter.
I truly enjoyed this episode. The vampiric menace was different, feral, and unpredictable. And I would've loved to have seen more of Liam, even a spin off. I look at him as an Irish Blade. Thank you for the great review. It's prompted me to go back and watch it again.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a good episode right up to the point where Schanke in the old factory says "Let's split up".
ReplyDeleteYeah, the show is trying to say this is "routine", but it's two police searching the possible hideout of a brutal, incredibly vicious serial killer. And Schanke, of all people, is the one who makes this dumb decision that gets Hellman killed.
Really good otherwise, but I wouldn't say it's one of the best.
I agree. As much as I like this episode, that was very out of character for Detective Schenke.
DeleteAnother good Janette line, "Maybe he's a Jehovah's Witness."
ReplyDeleteMy impression is that the writers have given Janette a sense of humour in season 2, but maybe I am misremembering?