Dark Knight I/II

[ithildin]

Welcome to Forever Knight Episode discussion. We're starting at the beginning, and depending how it goes, we'll do one to two eps a week. Please feel free to pass the link on to any fellow FK fans!

Dark Knight, Air Date: May. 1992

Someone is killing a number of homeless people and draining their blood. Then a museum guard is killed the same way and a special artifact is stolen, a Mayan cup that Nick believes can help him become mortal again. Nick suspects that his old mentor Lacroix is in town and behind the murders. Forced into a partnership with the unbearable Detective Schanke, Nick has to face both Lacroix and the Homeless Killer while trying to protect his friends.. ~ via tv.com

FYI: for those just joining us, I do have the LJ set to accept anon, comments, so you don't have to have an LJ account to paticipate. Just remember to sign your comment so we have some reference point!

'For I Have Sinned' will be up on Tuesday.

Comments

[sharpiesgal.livejournal.com]

oh goodie...

bounce, bounce...

i loves nick...sigh

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Bleah, Nick [g]

This is probably a good time to mention it, but there's quite a bit of (usually) good natured ribbing between character factions. LillieW, who you've seen commenting, for example, is a Nick and Natpacker, and I'm a Cousin and a Ravenette (LaCroix and Janette are my favourite characters). And we've spent about ten years picking on each other over that :) So no one take anything I say too seriously, k? I'll try and remember to use emoticons when I'm just kidding around.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I just got the first two DVD sets, so I could refresh my memories. I loved this show. Is the third part of the DVD trilogy available, or is there any guesstimate as to when it might be?

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

No, there's no word on when, or even if, season 3 will become available. [keeping fingers crossed]

[lilliew.livejournal.com]

What always got me about this episode versus the rest is that they make LaCroix out to be evil, meddling and annoying, especially in first season, then seem to change gears in 2nd and then 3rd season and he mellows out. And the whole coming back after being staked in this episode.

It was a good introduction to the series, however. I still remember the look on Nick's face when Nat told him he had gotten blood from Schanke for his transfusion.

They sorta dropped the whole theme of Nick helping the homeless out, however. Convenient plot device.

Flashback Perspective

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Brings up the whole issue of Nick's FBs in season one. The LaCroix we see in those is much different than the one we see in RL in S2/3 and in S2/3 FBs. Not just the Billy Idol hair. I've always rather liked the rationalization that Nick felt guilty about killing LaCroix and so remembered him during that period in the worst light.

[havocthecat]

In my eyes, the A-plot was always a CPD to move the B-plot characterization along. Because I've got to say, I never watched it for the cop aspect.

Hm. I don't know if LC mellowed 2nd season. I feel like he *did* mellow during s3, but maybe it's because the series was always filmed through a prism of Nick's POV (imo, and did that even make sense?), and Nick had mellowed toward LC by the end of s3.

Beer Fridges!

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

The first time I saw Dark Knight was at Syndicon West 1996 at my room party. It was memorable not just for that reason alone, it was also memorable because Nigel Bennett was in attendance and gave a blow by blow narration of the entire thing. And because of that, the thing I will always remember about the episode? The beer fridges! Nigel kept commenting on how the Raven set was in a real bar for the pilot, and those were actual beer fridges! Whenever I see it now, I point to the screen and announce, 'those are real beer fridges!'

One of the things that will be interesting is my perspective of these first season eps from those of you who saw the series from the beginning. (something we've discussed during the Methos discussions) I didn't see FK till mid second season, so by the time I finally got to see first season, my POV had been coloured by what happened after. Probably my take on LaCroix is quite different due to that.

Re: Beer Fridges!

[havocthecat]

So...elaborate? On the take on LaCroix differing from those of us who started watching in s1, that is.

*started watching with the Rick Springfield movie but doesn't want to admit it*

[havocthecat]

Ah, Dark Knight. Nick, back before I wanted to smack him senseless. *has whole big long disseration on this topic* LaCroix gets seriously burninated dead. Natalie's at her most optimistic and adorable in first season. Janette never fails to both amuse me and delight me. And I really ought to go back and watch "For I Have Sinned" now that I have s2 on DVD.

For those that don't know me, I'm a NatPacker. Which basically means that I adore Natalie, occasionally like Nick, and not so occasionally have seething issues with the emotional morass that those two get put in.

But! I do bounce. ;)

(Ith, will you be linking the FK discussions in a sidebar like you are with your Methos discussions? Which I haven't had time to participate in, sadly.)

[(Anonymous)]

I'm a NatPacker. Which basically means that I adore Natalie,

I liked the Natalie character (loved her hair) but sometimes found the romance thing with Nick a little contrived. Always wanted Nick with Janette. They made a better couple.

I wished instead of Tracy they had introduced a young "mortal" male cop to be Nick's partner and he would fall for Nat to add some tension to the interplay between them.

Roberta

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

(Ith, will you be linking the FK discussions in a sidebar like you are with your Methos discussions? Which I haven't had time to participate in, sadly.)

If I get oganized enough, probably.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

For those that don't know me, I'm a NatPacker. Which basically means that I adore Natalie, occasionally like Nick, and not so occasionally have seething issues with the emotional morass that those two get put in.

But! I do bounce. ;)

[whispers] you were always the Natpacker with the sense of humour! [weg]

Were you there at that brunch with Natsuko at BtK when I said something about Natpackers, bright shiny objects and ravens? You must have been because I remember you thought it was hilarious, but I was in the factional crosshairs after that [g]

OT: Hi.......

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

I just friended you after finding your LJ through one of the flist communities that I belong to. I'm a huge FK fan, having watched the series since it was originally entitled "Crimetime after Primetime" in '92 on CBS. My fav characters are Lacroix and Vachon.

Other fandoms that I enjoy are Dracula/vampires (fan way over 20 years, I'm 36), Phantom of the Opera (since '89) and the anime/manga Hellsing.

Feel free to read my LJ, my Phantom-Dracula stories (been writing on and off since '92 in print zines) and friend me. I enjoy making new LJ buddies who share my interests:)

Take care,
Chris

Re: OT: Hi.......

[sharpiesgal.livejournal.com]

Another Chris is here could get dangerous, but Hi to ya...

the other Chris

Re: OT: Hi.......

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Hey! Just wanted to say hi - it's good to see you here. :)

Re: OT: Hi.......

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Nice to 'meet' you :)

[alabastardragon.livejournal.com]

I'll play.. I'm a Nick/LaCroix shipper.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

One thing rewatching the eps on DVD has reminded me is how easily LaCroix could make everything he said or did into porn. :)

Checking In

[vaqshaman.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Ith - this should be fun! Just checking in.

Re: Checking In

[meredevachon]

Hi, Sweetie!

I didn't know you were on LJ. *rushes off to friend you*

[enchantersnight.livejournal.com]

hmm a fandom that completely passed me by, odd in that I love vampire stories!

OK Ith try and get me hooked on this one as well :)

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

LOL! Well, other than the Grey's fic, the only other fic I write started set solely in the FK universe. We added Highlander about a year in, if I remember. I adore FK! My whole current life is based on it. I met Nin through the FK IRC channel, the friends that convinced me to join the PWFC back in the day were from FK fandom. I started writing fanfic due to FK.

[unovis-lj.livejournal.com]

I loved this show when it was on the air (same night as Highlander, for most years) with a few other friends -- taped every episode, saw every one including the pilot movie with different actors for Nick and the male counterpart of Natalie. It was right up there with Robin of Sherwood as an obsession. Never had any contact with the fic or fandom, though. Maybe just as well.

Liked the jade cup a lot, loved Schanke, loved Nick as the squeezable blond squirrel that he was. I'm a sucker for heroic journeys.


(sorry, forgot I was logged in under another name)

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I was aware of it, but I didn't come across it till I was bedridden with pneumonia during second season. 2am, switching channels, waiting for the meds to kick in. And there it was! I didn't see it during first season because I worked graveyard, and it was on at 1230am. What's funny is that a friend gave me some VHS tapes of HL eps I'd missed, and on those tapes were FK eps, which she tried to get me to watch. But at that point , it was supposed to have been canceled after S1, and I didn't want to get hooked on a show that I only had access to a few eps of.

[elycia.livejournal.com]

This isn't one of my favorite eps; it has a bit of that awkward, experimental feel, as though they were still trying to get the character dynamics set, and the melodrama level is pretty high (especially when Nick is melting down in his apartment: "I kissed her. And then I nearly killed her.") Plus, I *loathe* this versison of Alyce (the TV movie version was soooo much more palatable to me). But the jade-cup plot is pretty cool, and the interaction between Nick and LaCroix is awesome (especially in the slaughterhouse). Ger and Nigel always played off one another brilliantly.

Also, the introduction of the flashbacks (remember, they didn't have those in the Springfield version) was SO crucial. I think those were one of the things that made this show so unusual, and therefore so special.

And Ith, I cannot believe you had NB in your room contributing running commentary! I am jealous to death!!!!!

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I was also on a SciFi cruise he was a guest on. There were maybe 15 people total, and only 3 of us FK fans. There's some pics here (http://www.ondragonswing.com/dragonstone/holiday.htm).