FK Season 2, Episode 10 "Father's Day"
Feb. 9th, 2024 08:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
switchbladeeyesThis one's for the fans of the fucked up love/hate relationship between Nick and LaCroix.
Through the course of the series, the two manage to do a total 180 from murderous animosity in season 1’s “Dark Knight” to genuine devotion by season 3’s “Ashes to Ashes.”
But in season 2, they’re mired in the tense, uncomfortable middle. Things could go either way. And I am HERE for it.
The episode starts off with elderly mobster DonCorleone Constantine waxing poetic to, IDK, his board of criminal trustees? His speech is about the proud moment when a father can pass on his legacy to his son, or in this instance, his great-grandson, David. But David literally runs away from this obligation. At the meeting, Constantine is filled in on the situation and his tone changes dramatically. Time to do some kidnapping and/or murder 'cause David skipping town? That's not going to fly.
At the police station, Schanke's trying to get someone to cover a shift for him, hitting up other officers in the locker room. He wants time off to spend Father's Day with his daughter. Nick offers to cover the shift for him, no strings attached. Nice to see Nick being a good partner.
Also, why are Nick and Schanke getting dressed in the locker room? They don't wear uniforms and come to work in plainclothes. Maybe they were at a ceremonial or other formal function and had been wearing uniforms? I'm sticking with that because otherwise, it doesn't make sense.
When Nick and Schanke enter the bullpen, Cohen tells them some guy named Johnny Lamar called and said David Constantine wants to come to the police. Cohen's ecstatic (in a totally buttoned up Cohen way) because David's testimony can bring down the entire Constantine crime organization. Nick and Schanke head out to meet up with Johnny and David.
In the car, Schanke's filling out a questionnaire for his daughter's school project. The topic is "What is a father?" Schanke asks Nick for help for a word like "generous" but that starts with an "A." Nick says, "Altruistic."
When they arrive at the meet up location, Nick and Schanke discover Johnny Lamar has been muuuurdered and David is nowhere to be found. The hunt is on for David because the police want to get to him before the mob can. Schanke comments that he doesn't think the odds are good because "The Constantines aren't exactly the type of family you just leave." And Nat's like, "Not alive, anyway."
This triggers Nick to journey to flashback land where a large steamer trunk is being moved at a port. Some port authority officer is all, heeeeeey, that needs to be inspected. But then a very young Don Constantine steps into view and the officer's all, ohhhhh, it's you, sir, then it's no problem. Constantine has government officials on the take. It's not 100% clear when this is, but FK wiki estimates this is 1925, so we'll go with that.
In his office, Constantine opens the trunk and out emerges Nick. That must have been a crappy way to travel! Constantine welcomes Nick to "the New World," which means Nick has traveled very far to get to this moment. Constantine gives Nick a bottle of blood because apparently Constantine has "an arrangement at the hospital." So Constantine knows about vampires and supplies them with blood. Enterprising.
Nick offers payment to Constantine in the form of a gold pocket watch and jewelry. Constantine accepts the watch saying that it will be enough. Constantine asks if Nick is going to be followed, but Nick doesn't answer that question. Constantine says he will make arrangements for Nick to travel to Los Angeles.
In the present, Nick and Schanke question David's wife, who isn't being exactly forthcoming. I mean, she's a mob wife, she knows what's what. Snitches get stitches and all. The detectives try to impress upon her the danger David is in if Constantine gets to him before the cops, but she's not having it. She's like, GTFO of my house. Nick and Schanke leave, but Nick's standing there looking distracted, like he's sensing something.
They head back to the station, but Nick says Schanke should go in alone because Nick has something he wants to check out on his own. Schanke's like, oh hell no. But Nick reminds Schanke that he owes Nick for agreeing to cover his upcoming shift on Father's Day. (So much for no strings attached! Not cool, Nick.) Schanke's caves and gets out of the car.
We zip over to LaCroix, who is broadcasting his radio show. He asks, "What is a father?" and acts out a scenario in which a caller has answered, "Altruistic." This is pretty much confirmation that LaCroix can read Nick's mind, right? At least some of the time? As I recall, this came up in one of the season 1 flashbacks when LaCroix said something along the lines of Nick not being able to shield his thoughts from him. At that time, it was kind of questionable because you cannot believe anything that comes out of LaCroix's mouth. But here, this is independent confirmation. He is dead on repeating the earlier conversation between Nick and Schanke. Creepy.
Anyway, as he broadcasts, LaCroix's like, altruistism ain't it. Because parents aren't altruistic, they want something in return: love and loyalty. He looks kind of ticked off. He's got a bee in his bonnet because Nick, in his view, hasn't been giving LaCroix his due as Nick's vampire "father."
Nick returns to Constantine's house and gets out of his car, but we, the audience, continue to hear the broadcast. I don't know if this means Nick isn't listening at this point, or if it means that Nick is still hearing it in his head. Can he read LaCroix's mind too? We know they have a psychic connection, but the full parameters of it aren't really explored on the show.
Nick finds David skulking about his house, trying to make sure his wife and kid are okay. David tells Nick he didn't kill Johnny. Nick wants to take him downtown for a statement, but David doesn't want to go. He says if "the family" thinks he's betrayed them, then he's dead, cops can't protect him. David's torn up inside. He fears his great-grandfather, but there's more to it than that. He doesn't want to testify and take him down. That was never what he wanted. What he wants is a fresh start for himself and his young son so that they don't have to be murderous criminals. He says, "I grew up with killing, but I don't want to be a killer."
Whew, all of this hits super close to home for Nick. Being in a vampire family is like being in a crime family. Once you're in a crime family, you can't just walk away from it. You can be killed for trying. Same for a vampire family. I LOVE this conceit. It explains some of the fucked up vampire family dynamics in an interesting way.
Nick journeys to a flashback, which is set earlier in time than the prior one. He's walking down a street in Paris when he's confronted by LaCroix. LaCroix wants to know where Nick has been and what he's been up to. Nick's all, "just walking," and LaCroix's like, yeah no, you're lying, tell me what's going on. Nick's got something hidden in his jacket, which LaCroix makes him turn over. It's a bunch of herbs and such from a Chinese apothecary. LaCroix's like, ugh, still searching for a cure? He's kind of quiet pissed at this moment, but quiet pissed quickly turns to full on rage.
LaCroix takes both Nick's secretiveness and his search for a cure extremely personally. He backhands Nick, forces him up against a wall, and lifts him off the ground, all while excoriating him for his behavior. During this encounter, LaCroix's eyes turn orange. Whoa, Big Feelings, buddy! This is some of the most intense anger we've seen from him. Any more and he'd be Hulking out. To thwart or teach a lesson to Nick, LaCroix usually relies on tricks, emotional manipulation, and hurting people in Nick's orbit. But this time, he's taking his fury directly out on Nick's person. Nick isn't even fighting back as he tells LaCroix, this isn't even about you. But that is not how LaCroix sees it at all.
Whatever has been going on between them lately has pushed LaCroix to his breaking point. His well of patience with Nick's mortality shenanigans has run dry. Soooooo much of LaCroix's identity seems to be wrapped up with being Nick's vampire creator. Nick's repeated rejections of vampirism and everything LaCroix thinks he has to offer Nick seem to feel to LaCroix like an ever worsening betrayal and escalating personal rejection of and an attack on LaCroix's self.
LaCroix regains some semblance of control over his fury and, as he backs off, he asks Nick, "Why are you doing this to me?" But Nick's like, I haven't done anything to you, what's happening is something you've done. Which... yeah. If LaCroix would just let Nick do his thing, their relationship wouldn't be like this. (On the flip side, from LaCroix's perspective, if Nick would just stop with the nonsense, it wouldn't be like this either.) Nick's also all, I am fucking leaving you, one way or another. If that means it's because you kill me, fine. Whoa, that would be the ultimate escalation, but Nick believes that's a possibility. LaCroix doesn't correct that belief so it certainly seems it could be true. LaCroix lets him walk, but this isn’t over.
The parallels between Nick and David, and LaCroix and Constantine in this episode line right up. 1925 LaCroix is just like 1990s Don Constantine. 1925 LaCroix cannot get where Nick is coming from any more than 1990s Don Constantine can get where David is coming from. For Constantine and LaCroix, it's all about legacy and being part of "the family,” which they think are supposed to be good things for David and Nick. As such, David and Nick are each, respectively, treated like extensions of Constantine and LaCroix themselves rather than separate individuals with their own unique hopes. But for Nick and David, it's only about improving themselves; they're not trying to hurt their paternal figures by forging their own paths in life. They're not doing what they're doing at LaCroix and Constantine. But the patriarchs do not Get It. No wonder 1990s Nick is getting his memories triggered by the Constantine family drama.
Anyway, back in the present, Nick doesn't take David to the police station because (1) David doesn't want to go, (2) the police have no cause to arrest David (though, couldn't they detain him as a material witness to Johnny Lamar's murder?), and (3) the police can't protect David from Constantine. Nick spills the beans to Captain Cohen that he found David and he let him go. It pisses her off, but there's not much she can do about it. I don't even know why Nick told her he found David, to be honest. This is the end of the police storyline.
Nick goes to see Nat and confesses he didn't exactly set David loose. Instead, he's hiding David at the loft. Nat's like, omg wtf are you thinking, you're a cop! But she calms down so that Nick can explain why he's being so unprofessional. Nick's like, David is not only in danger, but, as a practical and emotional matter, it's just not easy to leave. And he delivers the Quote of the Episode: "Even when they're trying to kill you, they're still your family." Not sure anything more succinctly captures the story of Nick and LaCroix than this line.
Nat grasps that this isn't entirely about David and the Constantine family, this is about Nick and his vampire family. She's a little more understanding of him going rogue as she asks if it was really that hard to leave them. Nick's like, yeah, yeah it was.
And we head back to the flashback shortly after the confrontation between Nick and LaCroix. Nick goes to a worried Janette, who was aware that LaCroix was angry at Nick. Nick insists that he needs to leave. He thinks LaCroix is going to kill him because of his search for a cure. Janette's like, ugh, let this stupid cure thing go and stay with us. Nick refuses and says he's going to leave Paris immediately. He wants Janette to go with him, but she doesn't want to. Even though she thinks Nick should stay, she agrees to help him flee by using connections she has to get him to Don Constantine. She also gives him the jewelry we saw in the first flashback so that he can pay Constantine.
In the present, Nick goes to talk to Constantine's wife again. She argues with him that David would never leave the family, but Nick impresses upon her that David's motivation is to remove her and their son from the violent and corrupt mob lifestyle. "Take a look at the old man. Take a look at the world he lives in. That's not the kind of life David wants for you."
Nick goes home at daybreak, not having convinced David's wife to come. David's upset about this, but Nick's a bit more understanding. Upending her life is a lot to process. There's a noise in the stairwell and David thinks it's his wife. But it's mob goons! With automatic weapons! Holy crap! (Wait... didn't this also happen in "Father Figure"? I digress.) David hits the floor and the goons pump Nick full of hot lead! Of course, gun fire doesn't hurt Nick. He chases them off and his eyes glow orange/red. David's like, whhhhhhat are you? Nick says he's "the only thing that can protect you." Nick and David have a l'il heart to heart. Nick admits he knew Constatine in the past, and that he understands what it's like to be in David's situation.
The goons go back to Constantine. Can I just take a moment to say, fuck Constantine? Because fuck him. He sent these guys to kill his own great-grandson and a cop in a hail of bullets. Ballsy. Because he knows he can get away with it. This is the kind of person he is! He's a complete ruthless and violent menace. Constantine realizes that the cop protecting David must be a vampire when his thugs explain what happened.
The next night, Nick takes David to the Raven because he wants Janette to shelter David there. Janette's like, nooooo way, you can't expect me to keep babysitting people you don't know what to do with. Also, she needs to stay on Constantine's good side "to do business in this town." Doing business with Constantine means Janette has no problems with her liquor license and health inspections. Kinda makes you wonder why she can't legitimately obtain a liquor license or pass health inspections (I mean... ew.) Sure, blood is stored and served at the Raven, but it's all done on the down low. But maybe it's too great a risk to have officials sniffing about the place. So she doesn't want to run afoul of Constantine. She describes him as someone who would "kill anyone, betray anyone to protect his family." Nick responds, "Wouldn't we all?"
This sends Janette into a flashback. (You know, I didn't really pay attention with prior viewings, but all of our vampires have flashbacks to the events of 1925 in this episode.) She's at her home in Paris. It's a cool set with a super awesome frieze of a huntress in the background.
LaCroix has come around looking for Nick. Janette and LaCroix are both wearing different clothes than the night Nick fled so it must be the next night or a few nights later. Janette's like, he's gone, forget about him, "we can get a new one." LaCroix is upset by that suggestion. "I don't want a new one, I like that one!" Kind of a weird objectification of Nick, but we know LaCroix's unhinged so it's fine. It is, of course, true that Nick isn't interchangeable with some other vampire. This isn't like when the grocery store is out of Fuji apples so you get Honeycrisps instead. And LaCroix really likes Nick, even loves him, but, simultaneously, at this moment, he seems to hate him. He is unwilling to tolerate Nick's behavior, including him splitting town. Janette's got to be sick of all this interpersonal strife between them, which constantly puts her in the middle. Like if LaCroix could just let this go, that would be great, they'd probably all be happier for it. We know him though. There's no way on God's green earth that he is going to let this go.
LaCroix tries to persuade Janette that Nick needs them. Nick's a part of them and he always will be. This scene then gets really interesting and uncomfortable. Throughout the scene, Janette has had her back to LaCroix. He comes up behind her and says Nick needs them to survive. He then puts a hand on her neck, not like he's choking her, it's just resting there, but I think it's meant to intimidate her. He's still very angry at this moment. I definitely get the sense that he is ready to break her neck if she doesn't tell him where Nick has gone. Anyone else get this vibe?? I don't think we've ever seen him try to coercively intimidate her before (nor do I think we ever see it again). It's unsettling. She tells him that she sent Nick to Constantine.
When Janette comes out of the flashback, she says to Nick regarding the past, "You were confused and you needed us." He protests that he needed to get away from LaCroix and Janette betrayed him.
It's interesting that we ultimately don't know WHY Janette gave Nick up in 1925. She remains rather enigmatic here. There's what we saw in the past with LaCroix being scary, and then there's how Janette phrased things in the present, echoing what LaCroix said about Nick needing them. I think there are a couple of ways to take this: (1) she agreed with LaCroix, or (2) she was afraid of LaCroix. Perhaps a little of both. Either scenario is plausible to me given what we know about her, what we saw in her flashback, and what she said to Nick in the present.
Nick always seems to think Janette is going to choose loyalty to him over loyalty to LaCroix, but I don't know why. We've seen that not be the case (remember when she lured him to the Raven at LaCroix's behest in "Bad Blood"?) And she's in a no-win scenario in 1925. It would be great if she could maintain loyalty to them both, which would work only if she could convince LaCroix to let Nick go. But she was unable to do that. The reality is that she didn't want Nick to leave and she thinks his quest for a cure is pointless, and so, well, why shouldn't she side with LaCroix? Hasn't he always looked out for them? (That parallels David's wife's attitude about Constantine and how she gave David's location up.) Janette may completely agree with LaCroix. Also, even if she felt bad about giving up Nick, she would probably have felt just as bad not giving him up. Someone was going to be hurt and angry no matter what. It could be Nick or it could be LaCroix. And, let's be honest here, do we really think LaCroix couldn't track Nick down without Janette's help? It would probably just take him longer and all the while, he'd resent Janette. Janette can't win here.
Alternatively, Janette might have given up Nick because she was afraid of LaCroix. Interesting that she didn't tell Nick about it, if that was the case. If fear was her motivation, I presume she kept it to herself because that would just stir up more shit between those two, which she doesn't want, even if it means Nick resents her. I lean more toward theory #1 since it syncs up better with the modern day story and how Constantine's wife behaves, but I find either option, or a combo, believable.
Annnnnyway, Nick goes to see Constantine, who recognizes him and makes an interesting remark: "Last I heard, you were in Chicago." Who told him that? Constantine is really well informed about the vampire world. But this apparently does not run afoul of the Enforcers. I'm guessing because Constantine keeps the vampires' existence secret, and his power and connections in the mortal world are extremely useful for the vampire community. He may even be protected by the Community if they need him. They operate in the shadows just as much as the mob.
Constantine says he remembers Nick as "the man who ran out on his family." He tells Nick, you best not mess with my family though. Nick tries to reason with him, to get him to back off David, but Constantine is like, absolutely fucking not. They have totally different concepts of what should happen here. For Nick, Constantine should be a "good father" and let David go, but for Constantine, David should be a "good son" and take his proper place at the head of the criminal organization.
We leave that scene and are back with LaCroix on the radio. Constantine comes to the radio station, wheeled in by a nurse. He enters the soundbooth as LaCroix wraps up the broadcast, encouraging listeners to turn off their radios and enjoy a night on the town. (Someone at CERK is not going to be happy about that, but I have a feeling LaCroix generally has free rein to broadcast whatever he wants.) He turns off the broadcast and makes fun of Constantine for being old and in poor health. Classy, LaCroix, real classy. Constantine tells LaCroix he's there to collect a favor that LaCroix owes him.
And now we go into LaCroix's 1925 flashback. We're again in young Constantine's office, which we saw in the first flashback when Nick emerged from the steamer trunk. LaCroix and Janette are there, having traveled from Paris. They're trailing some time behind Nick, having left on a different night. And they certainly did not go via steamer trunk as cargo. I mean, can you imagine?? Me neither. It probably took them a little time to arrange passage on a suitable passenger ship.
Why do you suppose Janette is there? We know she didn't want to leave Paris and yet, there she is by LaCroix's side. Did LaCroix make her come? Did he assume she would come and she didn't protest? Did she choose to come, resigned to her role as a mediating influence? (She seems to understand each of them better than they understand each other.) We know within the context of this episode and the mob family parallels that there is a real risk that LaCroix might hurt or kill Nick, just like Constantine had his goons take shots at David. Makes me wonder what Janette and LaCroix talked about during the whole journey, from the transatlantic crossing to finally tracking down Nick in California. Because, as we'll see, LaCroix no longer seems angry once they find Nick.
Young Constantine is uncooperative at first, saying he hasn't seen Nick. But LaCroix spies the gold pocket watch that Nick used for payment sitting on Constantine's desk and knows Nick was there. Constantine must have either helped him or killed him. LaCroix says, "I would be most unhappy if it were the latter." So perhaps, by this point, he has decided not to kill Nick. Or maybe he was never going to kill Nick. Or maybe he's still thinking about it, but certainly doesn't want some random human to do it.
We learn there's a story behind the watch as LaCroix says, "I gave this to him. He was to keep it until the day he died." I kind of wish we could have seen the circumstances of the gift. We know Nick's cure efforts really ramped up in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with LaCroix always intervening and using various tactics to dissuade him: murdering Nick's helpers, humiliating Nick, stealing from Nick. In this episode's flashbacks, he's also violent and threatening toward Nick. Was the pocket watch a peace offering of some kind in the midst of all the hostility? Maybe. I like this theory because of how the watch is deployed later in the episode so I'm going to stick with it.
Young Constantine seems wise to the fact that LaCroix's not fucking around. He admits that he did see Nick and that Nick is fine, but he doesn't say where Nick is. LaCroix presses the issue and offers his "eternal gratitude" if Constantine will provide more information. Well, that's worth a lot more than a nice pocket watch, so we can see on Constantine's face that he's going to give Nick up.
Back in the present at the radio station, LaCroix agrees that he owes Constantine. Constantine says David cannot be allowed to leave the family. But what does Constantine want LaCroix to do about it? Serve up David's head on a platter? "Be careful, I do tend to take things literally." LOL, I live for LaCroix lines like this.
Nick once again goes to see David's wife. He accuses her of telling Constantine that David could be found at Nick's place, which is obviously true. He then asks her if she knows that Constantine sent goons to try and kill David. She's like, no, no, they were supposed to bring him back, not kill him. She just wants life to go back to how it was. And Nick's like, do you really want David to be like Constantine? Do you want that for your son? She wants David back and she's pretty ticked because she sees him as having run out on them. Nick's like, he's not coming back, so you can choose David or you can choose Constantine, you can't live in both worlds. She still looks undecided.
Nick heads to work after that. It's Father's Day and he's covering Schanke's shift. When he enters the bullpen, LaCroix is there just chilling out at Schanke's desk. No one questions this even though some random guy has no business hanging out at a detective's desk. I'm assuming with his hypnotic powers, he can probably pretty much come and go where and when he pleases in most places.
When he sees LaCroix, Nick heads back into the final flashback. Nick's looking super happy! Awwww, La La Land agrees with him. Perfect place for a dreamer. But the happiness train comes to a screeching halt when LaCroix and Janette appear. Someone walks by and it looks like maybe a police officer? For a moment, it appears like Nick is going to signal the officer for help when LaCroix subtly holds him back, saying, "Let us not make a scene, shall we?"
Nick wants to know how LaCroix found him. LaCroix doesn't point to Janette, but it's super obvious it was her when she can't meet Nick's eyes. LaCroix's quite calm here, he doesn't even seem "quiet pissed," which is a little surprising given how angry he was in Paris. He says he wants to put the whole thing behind them and not hold it against Nick. LaCroix returns the pocket watch to him. A peace offering? Possibly a power move? Maybe both.
As is often the case, I wonder about the "what was next" once a flashback series ends. Poor Nick. So he is forced to take up with LaCroix and Janette in Los Angeles. Don't you wonder how that all went down?? Like WTF is the plan here? I don't know how Nick can stand to be around either of them at this point, not that he has a choice in the matter. LaCroix's controlling and possessive nature is crushing him. Janette's betrayal must have cut him to the core. How can he not hate them for this? I can't see anything other than Nick going into a depressive episode after this and pushing them away as much as LaCroix will tolerate. Is Nick just supposed to live a life of quiet despair? Which, in their way, is NOT what LaCroix and Janette want for him. It's a quandary. But in this show, they can really fuck with each other one moment, and the next moment, pretend like nothing happened. Typing that out... yeah, this isn't necessarily that weird in dysfunctional relationships. Still, everything that went down in 1925 was so messed up. I find myself picturing Nick being absolutely miserable for a time. The others may act like nothing happened, but how does he recover?
Back in the present at the police station, Nick and LaCroix have one of their tense little chats, this time about fathers and children and what they owe each other. As usual, these two are not on the same page. LaCroix wants Nick to butt out of Constantine's family drama and is like, look, I'm going to hunt David down and kill him if he doesn't return to his family, and "you're not strong enough to stop me." LaCroix asks why Nick even cares about any of this, to which Nick responds, "I think you understand." And given their history, LaCroix actually does. 1925 has been on his mind too. Nick asks LaCroix, "Then why don't you do for David what you would never do for me? Let him go." This seems to give LaCroix a slight pause. Could there be a teeny tiny little shred of empathy for Nick here?
LaCroix zooms off to see Constantine. He points out that David is going to leave and if Constantine holds to his position, "there's only one way this can end." He's like, you and I are on the same page here, children are just so selfish and ungrateful, but does that mean they should die? Does Constantine really want David dead? What does Constantine, in his heart of hearts, want? Constantine hashes out the detailed, tragic history of the deaths of his sons and grandsons, leaving David as his next in line. If David doesn't take over the organization, everything Constantine has and is will die with him. He says to LaCroix, "That doesn't mean anything to you, does it? But it means everything to me. You owe me." Does this mean Constantine still wants David dead if he doesn't return to fulfill his role? We don't have any answers.
We go to Nick and David. Nick has somehow arranged for David to disappear, but David won't go because his wife and son have not joined him. Everything he has been risking has been to give them a better life. But, yay, they show up! But yikes, a big flashy car pulls up and Constantine and LaCroix get out. And I'm like, God dammit LaCroix and Constantine, you absolute sons of a bitches. Nick says he'll "try and hold them off." David's all, but you're stronger than... oh. He realizes that the man with his great-grandfather is another vampire. David has finally had it with the conflict and steps forward to say, he will give in and stay—run the family, let Constantine kill him, whatever—so long as his wife and son are allowed to leave.
But Constantine has had a sudden and dramatic change of heart! He doesn't want to bury yet another child. It's his turn to sacrifice for David rather than expect David to sacrifice for him. What is happening!? He tells David that Los Angeles is a good place to start over. The city needs people like David "to help them rebuild." (I'm assuming this is a reference to the '94 Northridge Earthquake). David and Constantine embrace and reconcile despite Constantine's prior efforts to murder David. Remember, "even when they're trying to kill you, they're still your family."
Nick is as surprised as we are at this unexpected turn of events. He asks LaCroix what he said to Constantine. Well, it's not so much what LaCroix said, but what he did. Constantine was upset there would be no one to take over the business after he died. But isn't he looking well? He could live another 100 years. 'Cause now he's a vampire. That's how LaCroix repaid his debt to Constantine.
So it's great news for David and his wife and kid, who don't have to remain enmeshed with criminality; great news for Constantine, who can keep what he has built going; and great news Nick and LaCroix, who don't need to have a violent altercation (and maybe even great news for the audience since we don't have to put up with snarly, hissy vampire fisticuffs). Great news for EVERYONE!
Except for, you know, the police, the general public, and victims of mob intimidation and violence (like... there's still a murder to solve, remember Johnny Lamar?) But, whatever, let's not worry about little things like a perpetual violent criminal enterprise headed by an absolutely brutal man turned vampire. Fuggetaboutit.
It does raise some practical questions for me though. Constantine is OLD. He was 19 or 20 years old in 1925 (very early in the episode, we learned he took the reins of the organization at 19 years old, and in one of the flashbacks, he mentions his father died the year before). So let's say he was born in 1905. By the year of the episode (1994? 1995? It's not clear since it aired in October '94 but is supposed to be set in June). He's 89 or 90 years old! How much longer can he really be seen to be the figurehead of the organization? It's going to raise questions! How will this be addressed? Perhaps a more distant relation like a cousin or grand nephew will be appointed as head in name only with Constantine operating as the man behind the curtain.
Also, this seems super awkward for Nick. We all know he does what he wants police-wise, but is he going to be expected to look the other way, or even participate in cover ups, when there are mob-related murders? Will he? He and Constantine are now vampire relatives. How many more obsessive relatives demanding loyalty can Nick take? One is enough!
None of this will be a problem though because like most interesting characters and concepts introduced in an FK episode, we will never hear about Don Constantine or his organization ever again.
To wrap up the episode, the next night, Nick makes an unexpected visit to the radio station during LaCroix's broadcast. LaCroix for his part, looks quite pleased to see Nick. We've never seen Nick drop in on LaCroix like this. It has always been LaCroix going to Nick (or, in the case of "Bad Blood," having Nick brought to him). So this is a change that LaCroix is not failing to notice.
Nick gives LaCroix the gold pocket watch and wishes him a happy Father's Day. Again, I think the watch may be a peacemaking symbol between them. I certainly get that vibe from this scene. Nick kept the watch all these decades despite all the crap that has gone down between them. This fact cannot be lost on LaCroix.
LaCroix stops the broadcast. (The listeners are probably like, WTF is going on?) Nick then says he is not coming back to LaCoix, but he "just wanted to say thank you." The "thank you" is quite surprising to hear from Nick given how much he disagrees with and resents LaCroix. LaCroix is usually such a thorn in Nick's side. However, in this episode, by turning Don Constantine into a vampire, LaCroix devised a solution in which (1) no one had to die, and (2) he and Nick didn't have to be at odds. The "thank you" could be for that specifically, or it may be broader. There hasn't always been strife between them. At any rate, Nick is grateful for the peaceful solution and seems to want the peace to continue. Even if he's not going to go back to LaCroix, by visiting him and giving him the watch, he's also perhaps signaling that he's not going to keep pushing him away either.
As Nick leaves, the episode concludes with LaCroix resuming the broadcast with, "They say if you love someone, let them go. If they're really yours, they'll learn their lessons and return. You will come back, Nicholas. I can wait. I've all the time in the world." (Again, radio listeners have got to be like, WTF is happening?) As the scene closes, we see for the first time that the watch is engraved with the word “Forever.”
It seems LaCroix is willing to give an inch as well. He presumes Nick is going to come back to him, but unlike in 1925, he's willing to give Nick some space and exercise patience for as long as it takes.
So they both cede a little ground to one another. The episode feels like a turning point for them. Things will still be tense and they will still have disagreements in season 2, but they will largely deal with one another peacefully. The aberration is "Be My Valentine," which I think is the last time we see them in violent disagreement in the 1990s. Am I wrong? (I could be wrong. There were a few season 2 episodes that I straight up don't remember and missed during last summer's rewatch. I also skipped some season 3 episodes that I likewise did not recall well.)
You know, it is too bad LaCroix donks up the peace in "Be My Valentine." Though, we can fix that, since this episode could be June 1995 and not June 1994. Other than "Killer Instinct," the episodes can really go in any order. If you want an order that perhaps makes Nick and LaCroix's 1990s behavior toward one another/relationship arc make a little more sense, it seems "Be My Valentine" should come chronologically before "Father's Day," which would be true if both occurred in 1995.
Whew, this was an absurdly long one. I hope a few of you FK friends bore with me. "Father's Day" is one of my faves of season 2 and I doubt I'm alone in that. As always, I enjoy other people's theories and perspectives if anyone cares to chat.
Through the course of the series, the two manage to do a total 180 from murderous animosity in season 1’s “Dark Knight” to genuine devotion by season 3’s “Ashes to Ashes.”
But in season 2, they’re mired in the tense, uncomfortable middle. Things could go either way. And I am HERE for it.
The episode starts off with elderly mobster Don
At the police station, Schanke's trying to get someone to cover a shift for him, hitting up other officers in the locker room. He wants time off to spend Father's Day with his daughter. Nick offers to cover the shift for him, no strings attached. Nice to see Nick being a good partner.
Also, why are Nick and Schanke getting dressed in the locker room? They don't wear uniforms and come to work in plainclothes. Maybe they were at a ceremonial or other formal function and had been wearing uniforms? I'm sticking with that because otherwise, it doesn't make sense.
When Nick and Schanke enter the bullpen, Cohen tells them some guy named Johnny Lamar called and said David Constantine wants to come to the police. Cohen's ecstatic (in a totally buttoned up Cohen way) because David's testimony can bring down the entire Constantine crime organization. Nick and Schanke head out to meet up with Johnny and David.
In the car, Schanke's filling out a questionnaire for his daughter's school project. The topic is "What is a father?" Schanke asks Nick for help for a word like "generous" but that starts with an "A." Nick says, "Altruistic."
When they arrive at the meet up location, Nick and Schanke discover Johnny Lamar has been muuuurdered and David is nowhere to be found. The hunt is on for David because the police want to get to him before the mob can. Schanke comments that he doesn't think the odds are good because "The Constantines aren't exactly the type of family you just leave." And Nat's like, "Not alive, anyway."
This triggers Nick to journey to flashback land where a large steamer trunk is being moved at a port. Some port authority officer is all, heeeeeey, that needs to be inspected. But then a very young Don Constantine steps into view and the officer's all, ohhhhh, it's you, sir, then it's no problem. Constantine has government officials on the take. It's not 100% clear when this is, but FK wiki estimates this is 1925, so we'll go with that.
In his office, Constantine opens the trunk and out emerges Nick. That must have been a crappy way to travel! Constantine welcomes Nick to "the New World," which means Nick has traveled very far to get to this moment. Constantine gives Nick a bottle of blood because apparently Constantine has "an arrangement at the hospital." So Constantine knows about vampires and supplies them with blood. Enterprising.
Nick offers payment to Constantine in the form of a gold pocket watch and jewelry. Constantine accepts the watch saying that it will be enough. Constantine asks if Nick is going to be followed, but Nick doesn't answer that question. Constantine says he will make arrangements for Nick to travel to Los Angeles.
In the present, Nick and Schanke question David's wife, who isn't being exactly forthcoming. I mean, she's a mob wife, she knows what's what. Snitches get stitches and all. The detectives try to impress upon her the danger David is in if Constantine gets to him before the cops, but she's not having it. She's like, GTFO of my house. Nick and Schanke leave, but Nick's standing there looking distracted, like he's sensing something.
They head back to the station, but Nick says Schanke should go in alone because Nick has something he wants to check out on his own. Schanke's like, oh hell no. But Nick reminds Schanke that he owes Nick for agreeing to cover his upcoming shift on Father's Day. (So much for no strings attached! Not cool, Nick.) Schanke's caves and gets out of the car.
We zip over to LaCroix, who is broadcasting his radio show. He asks, "What is a father?" and acts out a scenario in which a caller has answered, "Altruistic." This is pretty much confirmation that LaCroix can read Nick's mind, right? At least some of the time? As I recall, this came up in one of the season 1 flashbacks when LaCroix said something along the lines of Nick not being able to shield his thoughts from him. At that time, it was kind of questionable because you cannot believe anything that comes out of LaCroix's mouth. But here, this is independent confirmation. He is dead on repeating the earlier conversation between Nick and Schanke. Creepy.
Anyway, as he broadcasts, LaCroix's like, altruistism ain't it. Because parents aren't altruistic, they want something in return: love and loyalty. He looks kind of ticked off. He's got a bee in his bonnet because Nick, in his view, hasn't been giving LaCroix his due as Nick's vampire "father."
Nick returns to Constantine's house and gets out of his car, but we, the audience, continue to hear the broadcast. I don't know if this means Nick isn't listening at this point, or if it means that Nick is still hearing it in his head. Can he read LaCroix's mind too? We know they have a psychic connection, but the full parameters of it aren't really explored on the show.
Nick finds David skulking about his house, trying to make sure his wife and kid are okay. David tells Nick he didn't kill Johnny. Nick wants to take him downtown for a statement, but David doesn't want to go. He says if "the family" thinks he's betrayed them, then he's dead, cops can't protect him. David's torn up inside. He fears his great-grandfather, but there's more to it than that. He doesn't want to testify and take him down. That was never what he wanted. What he wants is a fresh start for himself and his young son so that they don't have to be murderous criminals. He says, "I grew up with killing, but I don't want to be a killer."
Whew, all of this hits super close to home for Nick. Being in a vampire family is like being in a crime family. Once you're in a crime family, you can't just walk away from it. You can be killed for trying. Same for a vampire family. I LOVE this conceit. It explains some of the fucked up vampire family dynamics in an interesting way.
Nick journeys to a flashback, which is set earlier in time than the prior one. He's walking down a street in Paris when he's confronted by LaCroix. LaCroix wants to know where Nick has been and what he's been up to. Nick's all, "just walking," and LaCroix's like, yeah no, you're lying, tell me what's going on. Nick's got something hidden in his jacket, which LaCroix makes him turn over. It's a bunch of herbs and such from a Chinese apothecary. LaCroix's like, ugh, still searching for a cure? He's kind of quiet pissed at this moment, but quiet pissed quickly turns to full on rage.
LaCroix takes both Nick's secretiveness and his search for a cure extremely personally. He backhands Nick, forces him up against a wall, and lifts him off the ground, all while excoriating him for his behavior. During this encounter, LaCroix's eyes turn orange. Whoa, Big Feelings, buddy! This is some of the most intense anger we've seen from him. Any more and he'd be Hulking out. To thwart or teach a lesson to Nick, LaCroix usually relies on tricks, emotional manipulation, and hurting people in Nick's orbit. But this time, he's taking his fury directly out on Nick's person. Nick isn't even fighting back as he tells LaCroix, this isn't even about you. But that is not how LaCroix sees it at all.
Whatever has been going on between them lately has pushed LaCroix to his breaking point. His well of patience with Nick's mortality shenanigans has run dry. Soooooo much of LaCroix's identity seems to be wrapped up with being Nick's vampire creator. Nick's repeated rejections of vampirism and everything LaCroix thinks he has to offer Nick seem to feel to LaCroix like an ever worsening betrayal and escalating personal rejection of and an attack on LaCroix's self.
LaCroix regains some semblance of control over his fury and, as he backs off, he asks Nick, "Why are you doing this to me?" But Nick's like, I haven't done anything to you, what's happening is something you've done. Which... yeah. If LaCroix would just let Nick do his thing, their relationship wouldn't be like this. (On the flip side, from LaCroix's perspective, if Nick would just stop with the nonsense, it wouldn't be like this either.) Nick's also all, I am fucking leaving you, one way or another. If that means it's because you kill me, fine. Whoa, that would be the ultimate escalation, but Nick believes that's a possibility. LaCroix doesn't correct that belief so it certainly seems it could be true. LaCroix lets him walk, but this isn’t over.
The parallels between Nick and David, and LaCroix and Constantine in this episode line right up. 1925 LaCroix is just like 1990s Don Constantine. 1925 LaCroix cannot get where Nick is coming from any more than 1990s Don Constantine can get where David is coming from. For Constantine and LaCroix, it's all about legacy and being part of "the family,” which they think are supposed to be good things for David and Nick. As such, David and Nick are each, respectively, treated like extensions of Constantine and LaCroix themselves rather than separate individuals with their own unique hopes. But for Nick and David, it's only about improving themselves; they're not trying to hurt their paternal figures by forging their own paths in life. They're not doing what they're doing at LaCroix and Constantine. But the patriarchs do not Get It. No wonder 1990s Nick is getting his memories triggered by the Constantine family drama.
Anyway, back in the present, Nick doesn't take David to the police station because (1) David doesn't want to go, (2) the police have no cause to arrest David (though, couldn't they detain him as a material witness to Johnny Lamar's murder?), and (3) the police can't protect David from Constantine. Nick spills the beans to Captain Cohen that he found David and he let him go. It pisses her off, but there's not much she can do about it. I don't even know why Nick told her he found David, to be honest. This is the end of the police storyline.
Nick goes to see Nat and confesses he didn't exactly set David loose. Instead, he's hiding David at the loft. Nat's like, omg wtf are you thinking, you're a cop! But she calms down so that Nick can explain why he's being so unprofessional. Nick's like, David is not only in danger, but, as a practical and emotional matter, it's just not easy to leave. And he delivers the Quote of the Episode: "Even when they're trying to kill you, they're still your family." Not sure anything more succinctly captures the story of Nick and LaCroix than this line.
Nat grasps that this isn't entirely about David and the Constantine family, this is about Nick and his vampire family. She's a little more understanding of him going rogue as she asks if it was really that hard to leave them. Nick's like, yeah, yeah it was.
And we head back to the flashback shortly after the confrontation between Nick and LaCroix. Nick goes to a worried Janette, who was aware that LaCroix was angry at Nick. Nick insists that he needs to leave. He thinks LaCroix is going to kill him because of his search for a cure. Janette's like, ugh, let this stupid cure thing go and stay with us. Nick refuses and says he's going to leave Paris immediately. He wants Janette to go with him, but she doesn't want to. Even though she thinks Nick should stay, she agrees to help him flee by using connections she has to get him to Don Constantine. She also gives him the jewelry we saw in the first flashback so that he can pay Constantine.
In the present, Nick goes to talk to Constantine's wife again. She argues with him that David would never leave the family, but Nick impresses upon her that David's motivation is to remove her and their son from the violent and corrupt mob lifestyle. "Take a look at the old man. Take a look at the world he lives in. That's not the kind of life David wants for you."
Nick goes home at daybreak, not having convinced David's wife to come. David's upset about this, but Nick's a bit more understanding. Upending her life is a lot to process. There's a noise in the stairwell and David thinks it's his wife. But it's mob goons! With automatic weapons! Holy crap! (Wait... didn't this also happen in "Father Figure"? I digress.) David hits the floor and the goons pump Nick full of hot lead! Of course, gun fire doesn't hurt Nick. He chases them off and his eyes glow orange/red. David's like, whhhhhhat are you? Nick says he's "the only thing that can protect you." Nick and David have a l'il heart to heart. Nick admits he knew Constatine in the past, and that he understands what it's like to be in David's situation.
The goons go back to Constantine. Can I just take a moment to say, fuck Constantine? Because fuck him. He sent these guys to kill his own great-grandson and a cop in a hail of bullets. Ballsy. Because he knows he can get away with it. This is the kind of person he is! He's a complete ruthless and violent menace. Constantine realizes that the cop protecting David must be a vampire when his thugs explain what happened.
The next night, Nick takes David to the Raven because he wants Janette to shelter David there. Janette's like, nooooo way, you can't expect me to keep babysitting people you don't know what to do with. Also, she needs to stay on Constantine's good side "to do business in this town." Doing business with Constantine means Janette has no problems with her liquor license and health inspections. Kinda makes you wonder why she can't legitimately obtain a liquor license or pass health inspections (I mean... ew.) Sure, blood is stored and served at the Raven, but it's all done on the down low. But maybe it's too great a risk to have officials sniffing about the place. So she doesn't want to run afoul of Constantine. She describes him as someone who would "kill anyone, betray anyone to protect his family." Nick responds, "Wouldn't we all?"
This sends Janette into a flashback. (You know, I didn't really pay attention with prior viewings, but all of our vampires have flashbacks to the events of 1925 in this episode.) She's at her home in Paris. It's a cool set with a super awesome frieze of a huntress in the background.
LaCroix has come around looking for Nick. Janette and LaCroix are both wearing different clothes than the night Nick fled so it must be the next night or a few nights later. Janette's like, he's gone, forget about him, "we can get a new one." LaCroix is upset by that suggestion. "I don't want a new one, I like that one!" Kind of a weird objectification of Nick, but we know LaCroix's unhinged so it's fine. It is, of course, true that Nick isn't interchangeable with some other vampire. This isn't like when the grocery store is out of Fuji apples so you get Honeycrisps instead. And LaCroix really likes Nick, even loves him, but, simultaneously, at this moment, he seems to hate him. He is unwilling to tolerate Nick's behavior, including him splitting town. Janette's got to be sick of all this interpersonal strife between them, which constantly puts her in the middle. Like if LaCroix could just let this go, that would be great, they'd probably all be happier for it. We know him though. There's no way on God's green earth that he is going to let this go.
LaCroix tries to persuade Janette that Nick needs them. Nick's a part of them and he always will be. This scene then gets really interesting and uncomfortable. Throughout the scene, Janette has had her back to LaCroix. He comes up behind her and says Nick needs them to survive. He then puts a hand on her neck, not like he's choking her, it's just resting there, but I think it's meant to intimidate her. He's still very angry at this moment. I definitely get the sense that he is ready to break her neck if she doesn't tell him where Nick has gone. Anyone else get this vibe?? I don't think we've ever seen him try to coercively intimidate her before (nor do I think we ever see it again). It's unsettling. She tells him that she sent Nick to Constantine.
When Janette comes out of the flashback, she says to Nick regarding the past, "You were confused and you needed us." He protests that he needed to get away from LaCroix and Janette betrayed him.
It's interesting that we ultimately don't know WHY Janette gave Nick up in 1925. She remains rather enigmatic here. There's what we saw in the past with LaCroix being scary, and then there's how Janette phrased things in the present, echoing what LaCroix said about Nick needing them. I think there are a couple of ways to take this: (1) she agreed with LaCroix, or (2) she was afraid of LaCroix. Perhaps a little of both. Either scenario is plausible to me given what we know about her, what we saw in her flashback, and what she said to Nick in the present.
Nick always seems to think Janette is going to choose loyalty to him over loyalty to LaCroix, but I don't know why. We've seen that not be the case (remember when she lured him to the Raven at LaCroix's behest in "Bad Blood"?) And she's in a no-win scenario in 1925. It would be great if she could maintain loyalty to them both, which would work only if she could convince LaCroix to let Nick go. But she was unable to do that. The reality is that she didn't want Nick to leave and she thinks his quest for a cure is pointless, and so, well, why shouldn't she side with LaCroix? Hasn't he always looked out for them? (That parallels David's wife's attitude about Constantine and how she gave David's location up.) Janette may completely agree with LaCroix. Also, even if she felt bad about giving up Nick, she would probably have felt just as bad not giving him up. Someone was going to be hurt and angry no matter what. It could be Nick or it could be LaCroix. And, let's be honest here, do we really think LaCroix couldn't track Nick down without Janette's help? It would probably just take him longer and all the while, he'd resent Janette. Janette can't win here.
Alternatively, Janette might have given up Nick because she was afraid of LaCroix. Interesting that she didn't tell Nick about it, if that was the case. If fear was her motivation, I presume she kept it to herself because that would just stir up more shit between those two, which she doesn't want, even if it means Nick resents her. I lean more toward theory #1 since it syncs up better with the modern day story and how Constantine's wife behaves, but I find either option, or a combo, believable.
Annnnnyway, Nick goes to see Constantine, who recognizes him and makes an interesting remark: "Last I heard, you were in Chicago." Who told him that? Constantine is really well informed about the vampire world. But this apparently does not run afoul of the Enforcers. I'm guessing because Constantine keeps the vampires' existence secret, and his power and connections in the mortal world are extremely useful for the vampire community. He may even be protected by the Community if they need him. They operate in the shadows just as much as the mob.
Constantine says he remembers Nick as "the man who ran out on his family." He tells Nick, you best not mess with my family though. Nick tries to reason with him, to get him to back off David, but Constantine is like, absolutely fucking not. They have totally different concepts of what should happen here. For Nick, Constantine should be a "good father" and let David go, but for Constantine, David should be a "good son" and take his proper place at the head of the criminal organization.
We leave that scene and are back with LaCroix on the radio. Constantine comes to the radio station, wheeled in by a nurse. He enters the soundbooth as LaCroix wraps up the broadcast, encouraging listeners to turn off their radios and enjoy a night on the town. (Someone at CERK is not going to be happy about that, but I have a feeling LaCroix generally has free rein to broadcast whatever he wants.) He turns off the broadcast and makes fun of Constantine for being old and in poor health. Classy, LaCroix, real classy. Constantine tells LaCroix he's there to collect a favor that LaCroix owes him.
And now we go into LaCroix's 1925 flashback. We're again in young Constantine's office, which we saw in the first flashback when Nick emerged from the steamer trunk. LaCroix and Janette are there, having traveled from Paris. They're trailing some time behind Nick, having left on a different night. And they certainly did not go via steamer trunk as cargo. I mean, can you imagine?? Me neither. It probably took them a little time to arrange passage on a suitable passenger ship.
Why do you suppose Janette is there? We know she didn't want to leave Paris and yet, there she is by LaCroix's side. Did LaCroix make her come? Did he assume she would come and she didn't protest? Did she choose to come, resigned to her role as a mediating influence? (She seems to understand each of them better than they understand each other.) We know within the context of this episode and the mob family parallels that there is a real risk that LaCroix might hurt or kill Nick, just like Constantine had his goons take shots at David. Makes me wonder what Janette and LaCroix talked about during the whole journey, from the transatlantic crossing to finally tracking down Nick in California. Because, as we'll see, LaCroix no longer seems angry once they find Nick.
Young Constantine is uncooperative at first, saying he hasn't seen Nick. But LaCroix spies the gold pocket watch that Nick used for payment sitting on Constantine's desk and knows Nick was there. Constantine must have either helped him or killed him. LaCroix says, "I would be most unhappy if it were the latter." So perhaps, by this point, he has decided not to kill Nick. Or maybe he was never going to kill Nick. Or maybe he's still thinking about it, but certainly doesn't want some random human to do it.
We learn there's a story behind the watch as LaCroix says, "I gave this to him. He was to keep it until the day he died." I kind of wish we could have seen the circumstances of the gift. We know Nick's cure efforts really ramped up in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with LaCroix always intervening and using various tactics to dissuade him: murdering Nick's helpers, humiliating Nick, stealing from Nick. In this episode's flashbacks, he's also violent and threatening toward Nick. Was the pocket watch a peace offering of some kind in the midst of all the hostility? Maybe. I like this theory because of how the watch is deployed later in the episode so I'm going to stick with it.
Young Constantine seems wise to the fact that LaCroix's not fucking around. He admits that he did see Nick and that Nick is fine, but he doesn't say where Nick is. LaCroix presses the issue and offers his "eternal gratitude" if Constantine will provide more information. Well, that's worth a lot more than a nice pocket watch, so we can see on Constantine's face that he's going to give Nick up.
Back in the present at the radio station, LaCroix agrees that he owes Constantine. Constantine says David cannot be allowed to leave the family. But what does Constantine want LaCroix to do about it? Serve up David's head on a platter? "Be careful, I do tend to take things literally." LOL, I live for LaCroix lines like this.
Nick once again goes to see David's wife. He accuses her of telling Constantine that David could be found at Nick's place, which is obviously true. He then asks her if she knows that Constantine sent goons to try and kill David. She's like, no, no, they were supposed to bring him back, not kill him. She just wants life to go back to how it was. And Nick's like, do you really want David to be like Constantine? Do you want that for your son? She wants David back and she's pretty ticked because she sees him as having run out on them. Nick's like, he's not coming back, so you can choose David or you can choose Constantine, you can't live in both worlds. She still looks undecided.
Nick heads to work after that. It's Father's Day and he's covering Schanke's shift. When he enters the bullpen, LaCroix is there just chilling out at Schanke's desk. No one questions this even though some random guy has no business hanging out at a detective's desk. I'm assuming with his hypnotic powers, he can probably pretty much come and go where and when he pleases in most places.
When he sees LaCroix, Nick heads back into the final flashback. Nick's looking super happy! Awwww, La La Land agrees with him. Perfect place for a dreamer. But the happiness train comes to a screeching halt when LaCroix and Janette appear. Someone walks by and it looks like maybe a police officer? For a moment, it appears like Nick is going to signal the officer for help when LaCroix subtly holds him back, saying, "Let us not make a scene, shall we?"
Nick wants to know how LaCroix found him. LaCroix doesn't point to Janette, but it's super obvious it was her when she can't meet Nick's eyes. LaCroix's quite calm here, he doesn't even seem "quiet pissed," which is a little surprising given how angry he was in Paris. He says he wants to put the whole thing behind them and not hold it against Nick. LaCroix returns the pocket watch to him. A peace offering? Possibly a power move? Maybe both.
As is often the case, I wonder about the "what was next" once a flashback series ends. Poor Nick. So he is forced to take up with LaCroix and Janette in Los Angeles. Don't you wonder how that all went down?? Like WTF is the plan here? I don't know how Nick can stand to be around either of them at this point, not that he has a choice in the matter. LaCroix's controlling and possessive nature is crushing him. Janette's betrayal must have cut him to the core. How can he not hate them for this? I can't see anything other than Nick going into a depressive episode after this and pushing them away as much as LaCroix will tolerate. Is Nick just supposed to live a life of quiet despair? Which, in their way, is NOT what LaCroix and Janette want for him. It's a quandary. But in this show, they can really fuck with each other one moment, and the next moment, pretend like nothing happened. Typing that out... yeah, this isn't necessarily that weird in dysfunctional relationships. Still, everything that went down in 1925 was so messed up. I find myself picturing Nick being absolutely miserable for a time. The others may act like nothing happened, but how does he recover?
Back in the present at the police station, Nick and LaCroix have one of their tense little chats, this time about fathers and children and what they owe each other. As usual, these two are not on the same page. LaCroix wants Nick to butt out of Constantine's family drama and is like, look, I'm going to hunt David down and kill him if he doesn't return to his family, and "you're not strong enough to stop me." LaCroix asks why Nick even cares about any of this, to which Nick responds, "I think you understand." And given their history, LaCroix actually does. 1925 has been on his mind too. Nick asks LaCroix, "Then why don't you do for David what you would never do for me? Let him go." This seems to give LaCroix a slight pause. Could there be a teeny tiny little shred of empathy for Nick here?
LaCroix zooms off to see Constantine. He points out that David is going to leave and if Constantine holds to his position, "there's only one way this can end." He's like, you and I are on the same page here, children are just so selfish and ungrateful, but does that mean they should die? Does Constantine really want David dead? What does Constantine, in his heart of hearts, want? Constantine hashes out the detailed, tragic history of the deaths of his sons and grandsons, leaving David as his next in line. If David doesn't take over the organization, everything Constantine has and is will die with him. He says to LaCroix, "That doesn't mean anything to you, does it? But it means everything to me. You owe me." Does this mean Constantine still wants David dead if he doesn't return to fulfill his role? We don't have any answers.
We go to Nick and David. Nick has somehow arranged for David to disappear, but David won't go because his wife and son have not joined him. Everything he has been risking has been to give them a better life. But, yay, they show up! But yikes, a big flashy car pulls up and Constantine and LaCroix get out. And I'm like, God dammit LaCroix and Constantine, you absolute sons of a bitches. Nick says he'll "try and hold them off." David's all, but you're stronger than... oh. He realizes that the man with his great-grandfather is another vampire. David has finally had it with the conflict and steps forward to say, he will give in and stay—run the family, let Constantine kill him, whatever—so long as his wife and son are allowed to leave.
But Constantine has had a sudden and dramatic change of heart! He doesn't want to bury yet another child. It's his turn to sacrifice for David rather than expect David to sacrifice for him. What is happening!? He tells David that Los Angeles is a good place to start over. The city needs people like David "to help them rebuild." (I'm assuming this is a reference to the '94 Northridge Earthquake). David and Constantine embrace and reconcile despite Constantine's prior efforts to murder David. Remember, "even when they're trying to kill you, they're still your family."
Nick is as surprised as we are at this unexpected turn of events. He asks LaCroix what he said to Constantine. Well, it's not so much what LaCroix said, but what he did. Constantine was upset there would be no one to take over the business after he died. But isn't he looking well? He could live another 100 years. 'Cause now he's a vampire. That's how LaCroix repaid his debt to Constantine.
So it's great news for David and his wife and kid, who don't have to remain enmeshed with criminality; great news for Constantine, who can keep what he has built going; and great news Nick and LaCroix, who don't need to have a violent altercation (and maybe even great news for the audience since we don't have to put up with snarly, hissy vampire fisticuffs). Great news for EVERYONE!
Except for, you know, the police, the general public, and victims of mob intimidation and violence (like... there's still a murder to solve, remember Johnny Lamar?) But, whatever, let's not worry about little things like a perpetual violent criminal enterprise headed by an absolutely brutal man turned vampire. Fuggetaboutit.
It does raise some practical questions for me though. Constantine is OLD. He was 19 or 20 years old in 1925 (very early in the episode, we learned he took the reins of the organization at 19 years old, and in one of the flashbacks, he mentions his father died the year before). So let's say he was born in 1905. By the year of the episode (1994? 1995? It's not clear since it aired in October '94 but is supposed to be set in June). He's 89 or 90 years old! How much longer can he really be seen to be the figurehead of the organization? It's going to raise questions! How will this be addressed? Perhaps a more distant relation like a cousin or grand nephew will be appointed as head in name only with Constantine operating as the man behind the curtain.
Also, this seems super awkward for Nick. We all know he does what he wants police-wise, but is he going to be expected to look the other way, or even participate in cover ups, when there are mob-related murders? Will he? He and Constantine are now vampire relatives. How many more obsessive relatives demanding loyalty can Nick take? One is enough!
None of this will be a problem though because like most interesting characters and concepts introduced in an FK episode, we will never hear about Don Constantine or his organization ever again.
To wrap up the episode, the next night, Nick makes an unexpected visit to the radio station during LaCroix's broadcast. LaCroix for his part, looks quite pleased to see Nick. We've never seen Nick drop in on LaCroix like this. It has always been LaCroix going to Nick (or, in the case of "Bad Blood," having Nick brought to him). So this is a change that LaCroix is not failing to notice.
Nick gives LaCroix the gold pocket watch and wishes him a happy Father's Day. Again, I think the watch may be a peacemaking symbol between them. I certainly get that vibe from this scene. Nick kept the watch all these decades despite all the crap that has gone down between them. This fact cannot be lost on LaCroix.
LaCroix stops the broadcast. (The listeners are probably like, WTF is going on?) Nick then says he is not coming back to LaCoix, but he "just wanted to say thank you." The "thank you" is quite surprising to hear from Nick given how much he disagrees with and resents LaCroix. LaCroix is usually such a thorn in Nick's side. However, in this episode, by turning Don Constantine into a vampire, LaCroix devised a solution in which (1) no one had to die, and (2) he and Nick didn't have to be at odds. The "thank you" could be for that specifically, or it may be broader. There hasn't always been strife between them. At any rate, Nick is grateful for the peaceful solution and seems to want the peace to continue. Even if he's not going to go back to LaCroix, by visiting him and giving him the watch, he's also perhaps signaling that he's not going to keep pushing him away either.
As Nick leaves, the episode concludes with LaCroix resuming the broadcast with, "They say if you love someone, let them go. If they're really yours, they'll learn their lessons and return. You will come back, Nicholas. I can wait. I've all the time in the world." (Again, radio listeners have got to be like, WTF is happening?) As the scene closes, we see for the first time that the watch is engraved with the word “Forever.”
It seems LaCroix is willing to give an inch as well. He presumes Nick is going to come back to him, but unlike in 1925, he's willing to give Nick some space and exercise patience for as long as it takes.
So they both cede a little ground to one another. The episode feels like a turning point for them. Things will still be tense and they will still have disagreements in season 2, but they will largely deal with one another peacefully. The aberration is "Be My Valentine," which I think is the last time we see them in violent disagreement in the 1990s. Am I wrong? (I could be wrong. There were a few season 2 episodes that I straight up don't remember and missed during last summer's rewatch. I also skipped some season 3 episodes that I likewise did not recall well.)
You know, it is too bad LaCroix donks up the peace in "Be My Valentine." Though, we can fix that, since this episode could be June 1995 and not June 1994. Other than "Killer Instinct," the episodes can really go in any order. If you want an order that perhaps makes Nick and LaCroix's 1990s behavior toward one another/relationship arc make a little more sense, it seems "Be My Valentine" should come chronologically before "Father's Day," which would be true if both occurred in 1995.
Whew, this was an absurdly long one. I hope a few of you FK friends bore with me. "Father's Day" is one of my faves of season 2 and I doubt I'm alone in that. As always, I enjoy other people's theories and perspectives if anyone cares to chat.
