After a year off the air, Forever Knight soared back into our lives! The fans couldn't get enough and rallied for more of Nick Knight and his vampire adventures in Toronto, which led to probably the best season of the show.
But it's not all fun and games.
There's a new vampire in town. Nick and Janette can somehow sense the mysterious interloper, but they have no idea who it could be. Of course, we know, because we saw La Croix pop up at the end of season one and bite a guy while staring at Nick's window, but Toronto's vampire community hasn't yet learned of his return.
That's the kind of drama I like in a TV story. It's fun knowing La Croix is hiding around the corner and that Nick's going to crash into him at any moment, which is bound to be awkward since Nick sort of killed him.
In many ways, we pick up where we left off, with a weird murder to kick off the new season. Nick and Schanke investigate while Nick tries to hide his supernatural side. Natalie and Janette flirt with Nick, continuing his Archie-like romantic tangle. And Toronto's vampires hide at the dark edges of society, always ready to break through and feed. Everything is just where we left it.
Well, I take it back. If you remember season one, Schanke and Nick didn't get off on the right foot, but they've come a long way. After the rough spots they've been through, it's heart-warming to see how crushed Schanke is when the clues point to Nick as the killer. The way he stands up for his friend puts a smile on your face.
Also, the new season (for some reason) means there's a new precinct, but unless you're the sort of person who memorizes the paint job on a TV set it's not very noticeable. But the new leader is very noticeable: Captain Coen. She's not a loveable teddy bear like Stonetree; she's got thorns. Stonetree is my favorite of the three captains, but Coen is exactly the sort of character to shake things up and keep Nick from being the golden boy who gets away with everything.
If you're bingeing the series, the plot is going to seem familiar. Early on, Nick wakes up in confusion and then listens to a flirty voicemail from Natalie about his treatments. Later, the lab needs a sample to test against their evidence and grabs DNA from a rando who just happens to complicate the case. And La Croix is hiding his murder alongside another killer's work.
Why are you having déjà vu? Because this is what happened in the very first episode. Lots of recycling here.
Flashback
Back in 1228, Nick has just been turned into a vampire, and he's got this strange spidey sense he doesn't understand. Apparently it's the way vampires can sense one another. This plays into the episode when he and Janette sense La Croix hanging around, but it doesn't really affect the show after this.
Little Bites
-Vampire Lore: Apparently vampires can sense each other, and it gets weaker when you aren't being a very good vampire. Also, Nick's resistance to the sun is pretty good. They mention from time to time that vampires can build up this ability. Nick breaks out of the paddy wagon and hangs around in direct sunlight for a good while before finding cover.
-It's not entirely clear why La Croix is alive. He was staked through the heart and disappeared. We're never told how this works.
-Fashion Police: There are differing opinions on Nick's facial hair. My wife likes it, which means it's good.
-Schanke is Always Right: Once again, Detective Don is the best cop in Toronto. He may be goofy sidekick, but he's got instincts like Charles Bronson.
-In real life, more than a year passed between season one and two. Audiences had to be patient back in the old days.
-Also, for some reason, the show aired out of order in the random places where it was in syndication, making fans confused about plots and character development. Mind you, back in the early 90s we didn't have a lot of shows where it mattered to watch it in order. Forever Knight was doing some neat stuff story-wise, breaking the ordinary TV formulas, which mean syndication didn't always know what to do with it.
-The best part of the episode is Janette making fun of Nick, wondering if they'll meet a vamp with a soul who feels bad about the people he killed and wants Nick as a mentor. "Don't mock me," he says. "Someone has to," she quips, because Janette is the best.
-Nick's painting hobby is back. Apparently he uses blood to thicken or thin his paints, and in a later episode we'll find out which historical figure taught him that.
-I love Nick's outlook. La Croix offers him a second chance, and Nick says, "The only second chance I want is the one I made for myself." That's not bad.
Final Analysis: It's fun to be back, but the story was derivative enough to be forgettable. Still, the pieces are in place for a great season, so I'll give it four out of five moose shirts.
Adam D. Jones is a writer, historian, and undefeated cat wrestler. He's also something of a facial hair expert himself, realizing it was the best way to hide his underwhelming face.
How can there be a "Fashion Police" section an no mention of Nick's vests?
ReplyDelete100% agree that Schanke is the best cop. No special powers required to get the job done.
*sigh* Somehow, Palpa- I mean LaCroix returned.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think he's an excellent character (I love his ruminations as the Night Crawler on the radio) he's always triggered that child-like sense of judgment in me that hates seeing him mess with Nick like he does, and his sense of entitlement. I could tolerate it when it was all done in flashbacks but now this is going to be a bit of an adjustment. Not as big as adjusting to a season WITHOUT STONETREE THOUGH ToT Even though a part of me is glad because he has the sort of voice where the "s" sounds are really sharp on my ears and it was unpleasant.