The trilogy is complete, well actually it’s the third season of Forever Knight. The detective that only works nights returns for the last time, but this go around the special features are rather….anemic.
Nick Night (Geraint Wyn Davies) is a detective with a secret. He only works nights and drives a car from the 1950s for the trunk space. You see, Nick is a vampire and occasionally has to duck in the trunk to avoid the rays of the sun. However, he’s a vampire with a problem – he doesn’t want to be a vampire anymore. He’s enlisted the local coroner Natalie Lambert (Catherine Disher) to research the matter and find a way to reverse the process.
This season finds Nick with a new partner named Tracey Vetter (Lisa Ryder) and several new vampires, including Vachon (Ben Bass). The funny thing is that Tracey knows Vachon is a vampire and is hiding it from Nick, who unbeknownst to her is also a vampire. However, he’s always getting words of wisdom from the person who turned him into a vampire, LaCroix (Nigel Bennett), who suggests that he embrace his evil nature and turn to killing humans again.
Disc One episode 1: “Black Buddha, Part 1” - When an airplane transporting a bombing suspect explodes, the victims include officers from Nick’s department. Racked with guilt with letting his partner accompany the prisoner instead of going himself, Nick turns in his badge. After bombs explode at police stations in town and a device mysteriously turns up on his captain’s desk, Nick returns to catch the killer. Meanwhile, Tracey Vetter, the department’s newest detective, encounters Vachon, the only survivor of the plane crash even though his body was tagged as “dead.” Eager to solve the bombing she seeks out Vachon, discovering his secret to survival – he’s a vampire. Episode 2: “Black Buddha, Part 2” - Vachon, like Nick, has tired of his centuries of killing and chooses to spare Tracey’s life, confident that she will keep his dark secret. In another chance meeting with an odd character, Tracey has a brief date with the bomber. Unaware of his real “profession” she tries to return a bag that he left behind discovering too late that it contains another bomb. Nick enlists still another vampire, Screed (Greg Kramer), to help him rid the city’s underground of explosives while Nick and Vachon try to rescue Tracey.
Episode 3: “Outside the Lines” - When a young woman is murdered at a nightclub known to cater to drug users and dealers, the crime complicates an ongoing narcotics investigation. Detective Bruce Spencer (Callum Keith Rennie), having worked the drug case for some time undercover, is certain he knows the killer. But forensic evidence proves he has accused the wrong man and Spencer becomes the prime suspect, exposing his long record of using excessive force on the job. Episode 4: “Blackwing” - A court battle over Native American land leads to betrayal and murder, as the loss of an ancient document naming the rightful owner threatens to derail the case. Nick gets directly involved when his powers converge with those of the Native American culture. As he embraces this new spiritual world in his continuing quest to cure his “darkness,” Nick soon realizes he has transferred his evil curse and desire to kill to an innocent member of the tribe. Episode 5: “Blind Faith” - A serial rapist’s reign of terror is ended when a vicious dog literally tears him to shreds. Nick suspects a carouche, a lower form of vampire who typically feeds on animals. The investigation focuses on a blind police dispatcher’s guide dog and Nick must protect her from her most devoted friend.
LaCroix is a constant reminder of Nick's bloody past
Disc Two episode 6: “My Boyfriend is a Vampire” - Ratings at any cost is the agenda for the producer of a popular TV talk show. When the cost becomes murder, Tracey unwittingly goes undercover, unaware that she has been chosen as the next victim of a televised murder designed to boost the program’s ratings. Episode 7: “Hearts of Darkness” - When a stripper wakes to discover that the man she picked up at the Raven has been stabbed to death she is shocked but can’t remember how the crime happened. The lack of blood at the crime scene hints at a vampire, but Nick and Tracey must investigate the crime without revealing to each other their knowledge of vampires.
Episode 8: “Trophy Girl” - Tracey shoots a perp and has to take time off, but goes undercover at an escort service to investigate the murder of an employee. She ends up being captured by the killer. Meanwhile, Nick enlists the help of an infamous psychotic killer (Alan C. Peterson – shades of Hannibal Lector) for clues to the personality of the murderer. Episode 9: “Let No Man Tear Asunder” - An autopsy reveals a murdered woman’s heart has been surgically removed, prompting Nick and Tracey to investigate the black market for human organs. Tracey’s investigation leads her to a local hospital where Natalie is scheduled for a routine knee operation and is the next victim. Episode 10: “Night in Question” - Nick is shot in the head and declared dead. LaCroix uses his powers to revive Nick and Natalie covers for his “resurrection.” Nick seems to be healing, but has amnesia – he doesn’t even realize that he’s a vampire.
Disc Three episode 11: “Sons of Belial” - When an investigation puts Nick in the midst of an exorcism ritual, he is overtaken by an evil so powerful that even LaCroix is powerless against the demon. Only a new exorcism, replete with religious symbols, can save Nick. Episode 12: “Strings” - Popular singer Christine Black (Joy Tanner) is under the care of controversial psychotherapist Dr. McGee (Peter Hutt) for her drug addiction. However, the people closest to her soon start dying and Christine is the prime suspect.
Nick and Natalie investigate the death of a friend
Episode 13: “Fever” A rat infected with an experimental HIV virus cure escapes from the lab of a murdered scientist. Screed chomps down on the rat and becomes infected with the virus and soon the diseases is spreading and not all will survive. Episode 14: “Dead of Night” - While investigating a seemingly accidental death in a house rumored to be haunted, Nick, Tracey, and Natalie each encounter a ghost of a loved one. The apparitions cloud their search for the truth as they try to come to grips with events from their pasts. Episode 15: “The Games Vampires Play” - Nick is investigating the murder of a virtual reality software designer and in doing so plays the game he was designing which is about vampires. He finds that his virtual feedings are rekindling his urge for the real thing.
Disc Four episode 16: “The Human Factor” - Nick and Janette (Deborah Duchene) are reunited when a police sketch artist produces Janette’s image as the main suspect in a murder. He tracks down Janette and finds out that she’s changed – most literally. Episode 17: “Avenging Angel” - When a battered woman is brutally murdered inside her daughter’s room at a shelter, Nick searches for her husband as the prime suspect. Despite an eyewitness account from the daughter, Nick and Tracey cannot find enough evidence to convict him.
Episode 18: “Fallen Idol” - The murder of a popular wrestler leads Nick and Tracey to a rival competitor whose secret steroid use had been discovered. After arresting him they discover that he has a mentally challenged teenage nephew and Nick and Natalie volunteer to care for him. Episode 19: “Jane Doe” - Nick and Chief Reese (Blu Mankuma) investigate a series of murders but the lead suspect is a racist from Reese’s past. Reese is suspected of being on a personal vendetta against the suspect.
Disc Five episode 20: “Francesca” - Nick and Tracey find themselves on the path of a brutal murderer who is the reincarnation of a vampire seductress from Nick’s past. They team up with the murderer’s psychotherapist to track him down. Episode 21: “Ashes to Ashes” - Vampires are being murdered and the investigation leads straight to LaCroix’s door. However, he’s not responsible for the murders but his vampire daughter is and she’s intent on murdering everyone close to LaCroix – including Nick. Episode 22: “Last Knight” - In this tragic final episode, Natalie loses a close friend. In working through her grief, Natalie recognizes the magnitude of her love for Nick and Nick finally realizes that he must finally choose between eternal life and eternal love.
I can see why Forever Knight has such a cult following. I mean who doesn’t want to live forever. And speaking of that, I’ll have to court controversy and say that the show reminds me very much of the Highlander show.
With both shows you can always count on a flashback and both shows stars have a fervent following. The two stars of the show are Geraint Wyn Davies as Nick and Nigel Bennett as LaCroix. Both stars infuse their roles with so much charisma that it’s not too hard to see why they’re worshipped by the fans.
Nick has a new partner named Tracey Vetter
Catherine Disher also has a fervent following as well. However, I’ll have to admit that this season, though interesting, did have a couple of dogs in it. The first one was the one about a vampire dog (Holy Zoltan Hound of Dracula Batman!) and let’s not forget the groan-inducing Hound of the Baskervilles reference.
I was equally disappointed with the one about the wrestlers, the virtual reality game (complete with bad special effects), and the one where a vampire turns into a human by having sex with a fireman (come on Nick, why didn’t you think of that one! Get down to the firehouse right now!). I don’t want to come across as one who hated the show (the opposite is true), but it’s just that several of the episodes seemed silly.
Maybe it was that this third, and final, season got off to a bad start with the death of a major character from the other seasons – offscreen! They could’ve at least paid the poor actor for one show and had them on tricked us into thinking that they would survive – thereby creating some suspense. Sadly, some of the better ideas appear at the end of the series (LaCroix’s daughter) that could’ve been better 2 part episodes than the Black Buddha.
Forever Knight is presented in fullscreen as it was originally shown on television. Special features are rather disappointing. I was hopeful that their might be commentary or an interview with Davies or Bennet. However, the only thing that is on the disc are three music videos, Black Rose (3 minutes), The Hunger (3 minutes), and Touch the Night (4 minutes). There are also some previews for other Sony DVDs.
Vachon is the new vampire on the block
Fans of Forever Knight will be glad to get the episodes, but they’ll be extremely disappointed in the lack of special features. Especially since this is the last chance that there will be – there are no more seasons.
Forever Knight - The Trilogy, Part Three is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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