As the bodies pile up, our heroes struggle to find clues, only seeing a helpless celebrity at the center of the violence.
This week on Forever Knight we'll battle the evil of brainwashing, which people were genuinely afraid of at the time. In the 90s, we were certain that hypnosis and subliminal messages could control us and make us do bad things, like with Zach on Saved by the Bell.
The plot of "Strings" attempts to stoke our collective fears of being brainwashed, but it takes quite a while for the show to tell us what's going on, which leaves us with a lot of conversations and not a lot of vampire stuff.
Flashbacks:
Aaaaaand now Rasputin was a vampire (who is only filmed through bizarre camera angles).
You've heard of Rasputin as a mythical, dark figure who manipulated the royal family and couldn't be killed. Trust me, everything you've heard about him is false. Imagine getting your news about Biden or Trump from their most extreme enemies. That's what happens with certain historical figures. We only get the negative propaganda about Rasputin, so please do yourself a favor and try to forget everything you know about him. It's all lies.
Anyway, now that my historian's public service announcement is over, I'll go back to complaining about Nick meeting every famous historical figure. These flashbacks do not explore the reality of being a vampire, they just place our characters in familiar stories.
Little Bites:
-The therapist doesn't seem too bright. I mean, sure, it's probably difficult to manipulate people through hypnosis and technology, but once he inherits the estate he's going to look really guilty.
-Tracy's been a little wet behind the ears a few times this season as she learns how to be a detective, but watching her take the bull by the horns and solve this case while her new boss gripes at her shows us that homicide is where she belongs. Her instincts and problem-solving skills make her a formidable investigator.
-While this brainwashing plot might seem like a stretch, MK Ultra was a very real CIA project that mind-controlled its subjects and may have led them to commit murder.
Final Analysis: The police procedural has little to do with vampires, and I'm not a fan of Nick being in every important historical moment and being friends with every king and queen ever. But I do enjoy watching Tracy grow, so it's two out of five dutch camera angles.
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.
A very forgettable episode, other than a well dressed Tracy realising she should be back in Homicide. Very nice touch to end with the other homicide staff welcoming her back.
ReplyDeleteThe main plot requires us to believe that Christie can commit two of her three murders competently and without anyone noticing her, despite her first actual scene being nearly run down walking along a road and having to be rescued by Nick.
And even for someone like me who knows Rasputin only by popular reputation, the flashback connects to the present day case because, uh, Rasputin controlled people? And LaCroix, of all people, wants to start a revolution? Doesn't work.
i never noticed that, but you're right about the killer. It's hard to imagine she can do so much since we only see her looking confused and helpless.
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