This one is unforgettable. "Curiouser and Curiouser" aired at an amazing (and short-lived) moment in history when magic realism stories were actually beamed into our living rooms at prime time, and this episode took us to a place as bizarre and gripping as any episode of Twin Peaks or Northern Exposure.
Guys, in case you didn't know, being a vampire can be really weird.
Guilt. It drives Nick, and today it drives him mad. La Croix has tried to warn him, but how could Nick understand? How can anyone understand how the weight of guilt affects a vampire?
When Nick (unfairly) blames himself for a bystander's death, he is thrown into a bizarro world where nothing is the same. And, just for fun, it's filled with Alice in Wonderland references, from the walrus-faced shooter to the playboy bunny girls.
It begins when Nick takes a drink of red wine... but when he puts down the glass it's suddenly turned white. From here on out, Nick is lost without a map.
The world is upside down. For starters, someone stabbed La Croix... and it killed him. Like he's a normal person and not a vampire. Nick is pretty confused.
Making things more baffling, Nick is, apparently, married to Janette in a very domestic situation with a baby, and he's having an affair with Natalie, who is the police captain. It's an odd symbol of the way his friendship with Natalie is like cheating on his vampire life.
There's actually a case to solve, and as Nick gets closer and closer to the truth he realizes that he is the killer. Nick killed his master, reminding us of the only guilt La Croix wants Nick to have: guilt over ignoring his relationship with his master.
Throughout the series, we see magical things happen from time to time. Being a vampire means more than growing fangs. Vamps are trapped in a magical world they barely understand, and sometimes that magic turns into something dangerous and unexplainable.
Ah, but La Croix knows what to do. Snapping Nick out of his fantasy (which is all very real) requires kicking the ever-loving crap out of him. Nick finally wakes up, back in the real world, finally realizing why La Croix told him not to allow guilt into his life
Flashbacks:
In the dark ages, Nick kills a woman and feels bad about it. La Croix, with the voice of a concerned father, warns him about what will happen if he doesn't push that feeling away.
Little Bites:
-Vampire Lore: There are consequences when a vampire carries a conscience. La Croix is clearly uncomfortable even talking about the dangers, probably because it involves being hurled into a psychedelic nightmare.
-Fashion Police: Natalie is wearing enough buttons to be a train conductor.
-La Croix shows up to Nick in fun ways. In a mirror. On TV. Standing on a chessboard holding the world's tiniest cup. It's a lot of fun. The director certainly knew what they were doing, and they went on to direct episodes of 24.
-It's hilarious that Nick kisses Captain Cohen out of habit, like he does with Janette, and then gets really weirded out.
-Deborah Duchene, Nigel Bennett, and Geraint Wyn Davies won acting awards for their work in this episode.
-The way La Croix stabs Nick is exactly how Nick stabbed him in the first episode. You can tell La Croix has waited a long time to do that.
-The Forever Knight Wiki has an excellent rundown of the oddities in this episode and another about its connection to Lewis Carroll.
Final Analysis: This fascinating exploration of vampire lore is equally unique and captivating, and you'll notice something new every time. Five out of five caterpillar toys.
Adam D. Jones is a writer, historian, and undefeated cat wrestler. He is also something of a psychedelic wanderer himself, having recently eaten too many ghost peppers at lunch.
Agree, an amazing episode and well worth watching more than once. (In my case, successive days.)
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