FK Season 2, Episode “Be My Valentine”
Feb. 13th, 2025 02:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
switchbladeeyesGiven the time of year, how could I resist hitting “Be My Valentine” next?
This is one of those Forever Knight episodes that makes me simultaneously say, “I love this episode!” and also, “What the hell is going on here?”
We have muuuuuuurder, unrequited romances, LaCroix in love!, Nick in love?, historical flashbacks, makeout seshes, Nick family backstory, unhinged rants by LaCroix, and a high-stakes interpersonal conflict involving a centuries' old grudge. I love this episode!
But we also have very confusing things going on that I can't quite square. Nick's never been in love with a mortal? Natalie forgot everything that happened? Nick and LaCroix are ready to kill each other again? What the hell is going on here?
Even Mr. SwitchbladeEyes observed, "Let’s face it, this show has a lot of plot holes.”
No kidding. C’est la FK.
Buckle up, friends. Of my absurdly wordy episode discussions, this is the longest one yet by far. I hope you hang in there because I would love to hear what others have to say about this episode.
In which Nick is totally not cool with LaCroix dating his sister...
A woman comes home from work and checks her mail. Bills, bills, bills, ugh, more bills. But wait, what is this? A valentine? How sweet… I guess. (Am I the only one who would have been creeped out to get some random valentine in the mail? Were we like this in the 90s? Whatever.) The woman is not creeped out though. She even gets herself a glass of wine to enjoy while she reads the card. She opens it and discovers the romantic message is incomplete. Because the conclusion of the message is scrawled on the wall in large, red letters.
Weird that she didn't notice the giant letters on the wall first, but whatever, that's not the least believable thing about this episode. An intruder attacks her and chokes her to death. Happy Valentine's Day! 😘
Interestingly, we do not start right away with the police investigation. Instead, we're treated to the Nightcrawler broadcast with LaCroix going off about love. Love is just a trifle compared with emotions like envy, hatred, and lust. And yet it can entirely drain you of your strength and power. And we see LaCroix flashback to a young woman beseeching him to "take her" because she cannot live without him.
LaCroix broadcasts that love does not conquer all. Not for St. Valentine, "not for me," "not for any of the heartbroken." Dang, he's awfully mopey tonight.
We go to Nick and Nat, who are listening to the broadcast on Nick's stereo. Nat asks incredulously, "Is that LaCroix talking about love?" Interesting that she knows the broadcaster is LaCroix. Nick must have told her about the radio show at some point. I wonder why. We never saw Nick mention LaCroix's return to her or that he broadcasts on the radio. When did these topics come up? Nick’s open about some things yet closed off about others.
Nat asks Nick, "What insanity compels you to tune him in?" To which Mr. SwitchbladeEyes muttered, “Seriously.” Because it’s a GREAT question Nat!
Nick says he’s “not sure.” That’s because you need therapy, Nick.
And lest you thought my last FK meme would be my only FK meme, rest assured, meme-spiration struck again:
Nick observes that LaCroix is "gloomier than usual." And Nat's like, well, it's almost Valentine's Day and love can make people do strange things. Nat even overheard Cohen whispering sweet nothings into the phone at work. Which I think is a nice tiny little touch to add to Cohen's character since she's always shown to be so reserved.
Nat starts talking about Nick's treatment regimen. He's supposed to be taking a vitamin supplement, but keeps forgetting to take the pills, which comes as no surprise to Natalie. Since she suspected as much, she has bought him a present: a custom engraved silver pillbox. "Don't forget your vitamins. Love, Nat." Awwwwww.
Natalie says the gift is a "completely platonic" Valentine's gift LOL. Yeah, right. No one is fooled. Just like us, Nick is picking up what she’s putting down. Coy smiles, flirtation, awwwww. Too bad that pesky murder from earlier gets in the way as they are both called into work.
At the crime scene, Nat identifies with the victim, that the victim had a busy job, probably didn't have much time for a love life, and so, she would look forward to receiving a love note in the mail. Nick comments that the murderer was probably praying on the victim’s vulnerability in that regard. And I’m like, y’all are projecting waaaaayyyyy too much here.
As he is wont to do, Nick starts spacing out and we’re off to our first flashback. Our favorite vamp trio rushes inside a castle, escaping the sun, which is high in the sky. Nick and Janette appear unscathed, but LaCroix has severe burns on part of his face and seems to have taken the brunt of the sun’s rays.
Why were they out in the sun? ‘cause Nick was in a rush to get here, his mortal family’s home! Awesome! He’s dragged his vampire companions with him on this visit even though both clearly disapprove of it. You have to wonder why they went along, let alone why they'd venture into the sun for this.
Nick's sister, Fleur, comes running to greet him. They haven't seen each other in years. Last time he saw her, she was still a child, but now she's grown up. To explain LaCroix's injuries, Nick tells her that they were involved in a "skirmish down the road." Fleur's shows great concern for LaCroix’s state, but when she tries to check his injuries, he's like, whoa, no touchy.
Nick's mom arrives on the scene, also thrilled to see him. She was certain he'd "been killed in battle." So, like, I guess he didn't get a chance to write. He introduces LaCroix and Janette as his "travel companions." Which, safety in numbers for travelers, I guess. Was this typical for the age? I have no idea. I'm guessing Janette will have to be passed off as a relation of LaCroix's. I meant, wouldn't it be odd for a woman as finely dressed as her to be traveling alone?
Also, how long has it been since Nick last saw his mother and sister? I've decided about 10-ish years. He went to England --> Middle East --> France (presumably on his way home), where he had his fateful encounter with Janette and LaCroix. How long has Nick been a vampire by the time he returns home? I'm guessing maybe a few months, or a couple years at most? Not long in the grand scheme, still just a baby vampire. Anyway, I digress.
Nick insists that all three must rest, which is probably true. LaCroix is exhausted and quite slow to heal here; he stumbles when he steps forward. Fleur rushes to support him so he doesn't fall down. And I'm like, geez, why is LaCroix ailing so much while Nick and Janette are fine? What the heck happened outside? But this is FK and if there's one thing FK wants no part of, it's explaining things.
LaCroix looks at Fleur and it’s kind of weird because we suddenly see her through his eyes… but… this is Nick’s flashback. It’s also weird because the show inserts a continuity error with LaCroix Vision. His view of her is actually from a clip later in the episode where she is wearing something completely different. IDK why the show did this. This will also not be the last of the wardrobe-related continuity errors in this episode.
Anyway, LaCroix pulls himself together. But he has Taken Notice of Fleur.
We exit the flashback to return to the crime scene. Cohen drops that this may be the work of a serial killer. The year before, there were two murders in Montreal under the same circumstances. The Valentine Killer. So he may kill again before the big day! 🔪💌
Meanwhile, for Schanke, the Complaints Department is open. He’s miffed about Valentine's Day, not because there is a serial killer on the loose, but because now he has to do something nice for Myra 🙄. He’s bellyaching because there’s a short time span between Christmas and Valentine’s Day. (Well, Schanke, it could be worse, your wife’s birthday could also be in February as it is for Mr. SwitchbladeEyes.) Schanke has planned a getaway to Vegas, but Myra wanted Hawaii. Perhaps not as bad as when he took her camping in Buffalo instead of on a trip to the Caribbean… but Vegas is not Hawaii. Then he has the AUDACITY to say, "The problem is women do not know what they want." Oh, hell no. Myra knows damn well what she wants and she is going to get it lol.
Nick, on the other hand, is being far more gentlemanly than Schanke. He offers to walk Nat to her car. But, dun dun dun, LaCroix is watching them. This can’t be good.
The next night, LaCroix is broadcasting again, just as gloomy as the night before as he looks at a white rose in his sound booth and contemplates whether love exists. Even if it exists, does it really matter? And what "hellish alchemy if it does."
We’re off to the flashback! LaCroix comes across Fleur in the garden where she is reading a book and making a study of the stars. Turns out, they share this interest. The injuries to his face have healed and she remarks, “They say a benevolent power flows through one who heals quickly.” LOL, girl, no. LaCroix is self-aware enough to admit that’s not the case. They have a little light flirtation, and he plucks a white rose for her. She takes it, but pricks her finger on a thorn. He brings her finger to his lips, getting just leeettle taste of her blood.
Nick, who has just entered the garden, is NOT cool with that and is about to intervene. But Janette holds him back, observing that Fleur and LaCroix appear to have a mutual attraction. Nick hangs back, but still, this is def not cool with him. Meanwhile, LaCroix is totally oblivious to him as he is completely captivated by Fleur. (Which makes it kind of weird that we heard Nick and Janette’s exchange given that this is LaCroix’s flashback, but whatever.) Nick announces himself and says dinner is ready. They all go inside, but LaCroix looks back at where he and Fleur sat, a perturbed expression in his face.
Back in the present, sad sack LaCroix encourages his listeners to “just say no to love. A carnival kewpie and an electric blanket will give you more satisfaction.” Yikes. He’s ascending to peak cynicism in this episode, and we’re not even to the halfway point!
Back at the police station, Cohen tells Nick and Schanke that a psych profile of the killer reveals that it is likely the same guy from Montreal. Back in Montreal, the victims were both single career women (actually, we later learn this is totally false, and it's weird the cops have these facts wrong). The profile reveals what we already know: this guy has a problem with women that he can only resolve through violence.
Over at the morgue, Nat provides more confirmation that the killer is the same one from Montreal. The Toronto victim was killed in exactly the same manner as the Montreal victims. Schanke finds it weird that "any woman would fall for this." And I'm like, fall for what? Opening mail?
Nat comments that "Any woman who's romantically neglected is a target." Projecting once again. Nat admits to Nick that the case is getting to her. And not for the first time in this episode, I am reminded of "Last Knight," another with a case that got to her. Nick and Nat have a bit of light flirtation before the scene ends.
We return to the flashback where Nick is confronting LaCroix. Nick's like, "Bruh, stop hitting on my sister. You don't love her." LaCroix's super agitated, not because Nick is trying to boss him around, but because, well, he actually does love Fleur, a lowly mortal. And he doesn't like it anymore than Nick does.
Back in the present, Nat has arrived home and she is Being Watched as she opens the door to her apartment . But whew, it's only Nick, a far safer serial killer than the Valentine's Day serial killer. Why has Nick come by? Ostensibly to tell her about the case. The killer's handwriting in Toronto matches the handwriting in Montreal.
But Nick's not really here to tell her about the case! He's here to either (1) express romantic feelings for Nat, or (2) totally play on Nat's romantic feelings for him. More on that later.
Nat's like, you could have just called. Nick admits he wanted to come by to see her. He has been thinking about her and "about us." He wants to know "What are we gonna do about this? About how we feel?" He starts caressing her face...
And we're interrupted by a flashback. (And this is actually LaCroix's flashback, as will become apparent.) LaCroix and Fleur are holding hands, walking in the garden, enjoying a conversation about their mutual interest in the stars. The two come face-to-face as she expresses her desire to understand them. He confesses he would happily spend the rest of his days with her on this scientific and philosophical quest. She reveals that she feels very close to him. She touches his face and goes in for a kiss. Instigating the kiss is a Very Bold move on her part. He is more reluctant, even pulling back for a moment, before he gives in to it.
Back in the present, LaCroix starts talking about the stars again, but with pain, sadness, and bitterness. He's outside. Why? Oh, because he's spying on Nick and Nat. He can see them through the window of Nat's apartment sharing a moment like the one he and Fleur shared.
Back inside the apartment, Nick goes in for a kiss. And we are interrupted once again! This time by Nat's microwave going off with her dinner. They're both distracted for a moment, but then Nick refocuses and they have a passionate kiss, unaware of their audience outside.
LaCroix returns to the radio station, extremely agitated. He usually sits calmly for his broadcast, but this time he is pacing around. And his monologue is unhinged! (Unhinged LaCroix is some of the best LaCroix!) It is worth posting:
To quote Mr. SwitchbladeEyes: "What the fuck, dude?"
Is he talking about himself? About Nick? What does all this mean? Are these metaphorical things for his life? Has he been irreparably changed by what he felt for Fleur? Has his lovelife since Fleur been just a series of one-night stands (I mean, probably)? And what's the point of any of it when he's just choked by a love he can never get back? Is this what he hopes will happen to Nick (again, probably)?
LaCroix has lost it. Which never bodes well for Nick.
But back to the police side of the story. Another murder! Nick and Nat arrive at the crime scene together, a fact that does not go unnoticed by Schanke, though I don't think he quite connects the dots that they were together together. Anyway, the victim was murdered the same way as yesterday's victim. The victim's fiance is on the scene, having found the body, and he's a total wreck. Nick comments that it's hard enough to find love, so to lose it… 😭
We fade into the flashback to LaCroix and Fleur's makeout sesh. Nick sees them and watches from the shadows (not unlike LaCroix watching Nat and Nick in the present time). Fleur implores LaCroix to take her with him (again, BOLD on her part) because she cannot endure again the pain of separation from a loved one. "My father. Nicholas to the Crusades once, and now again." Too bad we never knew what happened to their father! I'm sure there's an interesting story there. LaCroix holds Fleur close, trying to console her.
LaCroix starts talking about the two of them never dying and being together for all eternity. She wishes she could have that "impossible dream." But it's not so impossible when your boyfriend is a vampire. LaCroix vamps out as he assures her that "there is a way." He's about to bite her, but that's a bridge too far for Nick 🙅, who rushes in, vamped out. He grabs LaCroix away from Fleur and shoves him against the wall before facing Fleur so she can see them both for what they are, fangs and all.
But Fleur is not horrified! She is intrigued. NOT the reaction that Nick was going for. He tells her that LaCroix "will make you one of us whether you want it or not." And she's like, oh I want it. I'm down to be a vampire, sounds super interesting, YOLO.
Unable to make her feel freaked out by LaCroix and vampirism, Nick tries to foist a sense of duty to the family onto her, telling her "when I chose this, the future of our family fell to you." JFC, I actually just really dislike Nick's argument. Such a goddamn man thing to do to dump familial responsibilities onto a woman while he goes galavanting about doing whatever the fuck he wants (thanks, patriarchy). Well, Fleur is not having any of that. (I super love her character!) She knows exactly what she wants. Nick tries to hold her back, but she breaks away from him and goes to LaCroix.
LaCroix wants to know whose heart Nick is trying to break here. But Nick still does not believe that LaCroix loves Fleur. Rather, she is "just another conquest, another death to satisfy your craving." LaCroix argues that if he doesn't bring her over, as a mortal, she's going to die anyway.
Super great scene, but we've got to get back to the crime stuff, unfortunately. Nick's asking Nat how she's feeling about the two of them getting together, but Schanke interrupts. It is revealed that the victim from the day before was also engaged to be married. And the victims in Montreal were also engaged. So all their dumb "desperate, lonely single women" victim-blamey theories go right out the window.
Anyway, let's just wrap up the police mystery. We really need to get back to the good stuff: the flashbacks and what happens later in this episode. The serial killer worked at the library, which is how he met the women. They had books checked out from the library. Nick and Schanke traipse down to the library, which is open super late at night/early in the morning? The library in my city sure doesn't keep these hours. Nick and Schanke apprehend the serial killer. That's enough about that.
When they’re back at the police station, Nick spaces out again and we're taken to the flashback. Since neither scare tactics nor appealing to duty worked on Fleur, Nick shifts his approach and appeals to LaCroix. He tells LaCroix that if he brings Fleur across, he will destroy what he loves about her. LaCroix is not particularly convinced by that. He's like, bruh, would you rather she "wither to old age and die?"
Nick shifts again and says, if you love Fleur, you won't turn her into a killer. So now, it's reframed as, you should refrain because you love her. THAT gives LaCroix pause. Would he be bringing Fleur over for his sake, or for hers? Would she really be who she is anymore? Fleur turns to face him and he touches her face. He kisses her forehead and starts to lament a pain he is already starting to feel, knowing he isn't going to bring her across.
Back in the station, Natalie is wondering how anyone can know whether love is real or an illusion. How can she and Nick know? He asks her if she's afraid. I assume asking whether she's afraid of loving him (my brain, again turning to LK, girl, you should be afraid, runnnn!). She says no, she's not afraid. This episode has done a great job paralleling Fleur and Nat.
Anyway, it's getting close to sunrise and Nat admonishes Nick to go home. He asks her to "keep tomorrow night open." (Presumably, Valentine's Day) Then, he kisses her on the head and leaves.
Meanwhile, LaCroix is in the police station, watching them. Nick doesn't see him even though he's right there. Nick's vampire radar has not gone off this whole episode, so he has no idea that LaCroix's up to his old, stalker tricks. I think this works though because (1) Nick doesn't do the best job of keeping his vampire radar calibrated, and (2) this parallels LaCroix not noticing Nick when LaCroix was in Fleur's company.
The next night at the morgue, Schanke walks into the lab with a bouquet of long stem white roses that had been delivered to the morgue for Natalie. Schanke and Nat have a super fun, friendly exchange here, putting on dramatic British accents when he hands over and she accepts the flowers to discover it has come with "an invitation to dine." It's such a great little moment between them and I'm reminded just what great chemistry John Kapelos had with everyone on this show. (Will I ever be over this show killing off Schanke? That's a hard no.) Schanke reads the invitation out loud, but his playful accent trails off when the note gets weird. Its' signed, "A gentleman from the 13th century." But Nat knows what it means 😏 (or, rather, she thinks she does).
Later, a dressed up Natalie shows up to what appears to be a very nice, but also very empty restaurant. Save for one other diner. It's LaCroix! The scoundrel! He's apparently taken a page from the Valentine's Day killer's book, but decided to class it up a bit with the roses and invitation to dine. This convoluted set up and deception is just so LaCroix. Love it.
Nat is confused because while she knows generally who LaCroix is and has heard him on the radio, she apparently doesn't know what he looks like. So she has no idea who is meeting her at the restaurant. He introduces himself while also turning on the charm. (Because he can be charming when he wants to be.)
Meanwhile, I'm like 🚨🙅♀️🚩🚨🙅♀️🚩!! Natalie must recognize that she is in danger here. But what choice does she really have? He clearly wants to talk to her so I doubt she can just turn on her heel and leave. She has to know that. Also, aside from the danger she can't do anything about, Natalie is a very curious person by nature, and she has GOT to be burning with curiosity about him. Not just because he's a vampire, but because of the major role he's played (and is still playing) in Nick's life. So when he invites her to sit, she sits.
Nick, for his part, is wearing the same clothes from the night before, and tries to reach Natalie on the phone, but gets her answering machine. He also gets a call from Schanke, who can't find or reach Myra. But has received a mysterious note from her: "I'll be contacting you tonight."
Nick decides since he couldn't reach Nat on the phone, maybe she's at work. He checks for her at the morgue, and also has apparently changed his clothes to something different. He finds the roses, which send him off into the final flashback.
Nick pulls Fleur away from LaCroix, who lets her go over her objection. LaCroix can't even look at her as Nick puts the whammy on her and tells her to "forget." (It makes me a little nuts how imprecise their hypnosis is sometimes. Forget? Forget what? That any of them were ever here? Just forget LaCroix? That she saw vampires?) As she leaves the scene, LaCroix bitterly tells Nick, "You've probably done me a favor." But still, LaCroix being LaCroix, he wants something in exchange for letting Fleur go. He and Nick make an agreement that if Nick ever loves a mortal, LaCroix gets to take that mortal away from him.
Nick snaps out of the flashback and finds the invitation Natalie got with the roses. He puts 2 and 2 together. Outside, he takes off into the air, but we have more continuity problems/wardrobe changes. He is wearing different clothes than he was at the morgue a second ago. (Get it together, FK! This is the third time this episode!).
At the restaurant, LaCroix's having a grand time opening champagne and making sexual innuendos. Natalie seems transfixed on him, like mebbe she's just a leeeeettle bit whammied. They start talking about love and whether Nick being a vampire makes a long-term romantic relationship impossible. She says she doesn't see it as a problem. LaCroix counters that it is an insurmountable problem, observing that, "We may mix minds with mortals, but anything more than that could be quite hazardous to your health." And, well, as infuriating as it can be when he's right, he's right nonetheless.
Natalie tells LaCroix that she "knew the risks when I signed on." And I'm like, GIRL, no you do not. Have you really pictured Nick murdering you?? Because that is the risk! (*cries in LK*)
LaCroix just rolls with it, lightly offering a toast to "new friends, old champagne, and passions of the heart." Nat's glass has champagne in it when they toast, but LaCroix's glass is empty, which is a super nice, and very aware touch to the framing of this scene. They wind up talking about food and how vampires cannot tolerate it, let alone enjoy it. During the conversation, Natalie starts to look and sound more and more whacked out.
LaCroix gets up from his chair and comes to stand behind her, brushing her hair back with his hands. She's still conversing, but she's a full on space cadet at this point, not even seeing what he's doing. He pulls her sweater down and puts his hands on her shoulders then her neck. She confesses to finding vampires to be "fascinating creatures." She actually seems to be enjoying his touch, not that she's exactly aware of what's happening. IDK, sometimes vampires like their victims to feel terrified, sometimes they like them to feel good.
He vamps out and hones their conversation in on what Nick has said he felt for her (and I am reminded we weren't privy to everything they said in her apartment). Convinced that Nick does love Natalie, LaCroix says he's "so happy" (though he sounds anything but) and goes in for the bite. Oh no! Then Nick crashes into the restaurant just in the nick (*ba dum bum tiss*) of time! Wearing the clothes he had on in the morgue! (Fourth time, FK!)
Nick flings LaCroix across the room and demands to know why he has backed down on "our agreement." Apparently, at some point, they reached an agreement that LaCroix would not go tear-assing through Nick's life on a murder spree. No, we never saw them ever make such an agreement on the show. (I have a fic for that.)
LaCroix is pissed and claims he has not backed down on the agreement, and is collecting what is owed to him. 'Cause remember, Nick? Remember that time you agreed that LaCroix could do exactly what he's doing right now? You just had a flashback about it a short while ago.
LaCroix smacks Nick hard, and then grabs a, idk, wood spear that a statue was holding. He breaks it in half to make a stake. He threatens to kill Nick if he interferes. (Cue Mr. SwitchbladeEyes, incredulous, "No way will he kill Nick.") Interesting that as high-stakes (another *ba dum bum tiss*) as this conflict feels, they're NOT vamped out for it. Usually this level of worked up means vampire eyes. IDK, whatever. (Of course, I get that there are practical issues in that, if I recall correctly, the actors can't see with the vampire contact lenses in.)
LaCroix moves closer to Natalie. He is really, really looking forward to munching on her and watching Nick feel the same "torture that I have felt every moment since I left your sister behind."
But then Nick drops a bomb. "What makes you think I am in love with her?" 😮
Nick tells LaCroix that he has been playing Natalie. He has been indulging in her romantic feelings for him to keep her close to him so she'll keep working on a cure.
LaCroix demands that Nick prove that he doesn't love Natalie. He can do that by bringing her across. Nick acquiesces to that and pulls Natalie to him. (For her part, she's still totally checked out and seems to have no idea what is happening.) He vamps out and is all over her. It is super creepy.
LaCroix keeps flashing back to Fleur at this moment. When Nick goes in to bite Natalie, LaCroix stops him. Nick then objects, "Why not?"
LaCroix believes Nick really was about to bring Natalie over. And if he was willing to do that, he could not possibly love her because he "reveres all that is mortal" and would never take that from her. Nick has still never loved a mortal. Feeling that Nick turning Nat will not give him the retribution he seeks, LaCroix leaves, but not without the lingering threat that "someday" he will get it. Nick looks super relieved once LaCroix leaves, and hugs Natalie.
The next night at the police station, Schanke calls Nick, and we learn what happened with him and Myra. Turns out, Myra jetted off to Hawaii, and sent a cab and plane ticket for Schanke to follow. Get it, Myra!
Natalie shows up and she doesn't remember the night before. Apparently, she thinks she got black out drunk because "I don't remember a thing from the time I walked in the restaurant 'til you took me home in a cab last night." (My god, so many questions about this. We'll discuss.) Nick assures her that they had a good time. She says she's so burnt out from work, a lot from the past couple days feels like a blur. But he again assures her that they had fun.
We end with the Nightcrawler broadcast. LaCroix is again studying a white rose while he talks about love. He acknowledges that love exists, but that for him, it is nothing but pain. It is a single precious flower, "long withered and gone." He ends by tearing the petals off the rose. Ouch.
Whew!
BMV is an intense episode. I LOVE this episode, but I love it in the same vein that I love "Ashes to Ashes": with caveats. I've got some issues. This episode, like AtA, has got some 'splaining to do.
My Top Issue: Nick has never been in love with a mortal?
Poppycock. Balderdash. I call shenanigans!
I mean, Nick's romantic interludes with mortals have never worked out long-term, but still. I doubt I'm alone in finding Nick to be the "falling in love" type. FFS, what about the ballerina in season 1's "Love You to Death"? Didn't LaCroix's retribution get satisfied there? Maybe that doesn't count because it seemed more like a bizarre infatuation than love.
What about Alyssa in "Dead of Night"? Okay, that's season 3 and this show would never have thought that far ahead in season 2. But even if we ignore season 1 and anything the FK writers would later come up with, what about right here in season 2? Serena? Nick totes loved her. I believe it. And he fucked that up so hard that, I'm like, that's not good enough LaCroix?
But even if not, the biggest one for me is Emily Weiss. The whole freaking point was that Nick was falling in love with Emily! He only whammies her to forget the love between them after LaCroix murders a guy and menacingly hovers because it's Nick's turn to do something to Emily. She wanted him to turn her into a vampire so she could be with him (like Fleur!) And Nick didn't get to be with her! Because LaCroix is standing there threatening them! She's whammied away into forgetting (like Fleur!). Retribution not satisfied? Why not?
I don't buy that Nick has never "truly" loved a mortal. It's not consistent with canon. It's not consistent with Nick's personality. He has loved other mortals. And LaCroix knows that. So why here, LaCroix? Why now?
Of course, I know the real answer is that FK as a show is loosey goosey with its canon. I'm not here for the real answers though, I'm here for the fannish answers, which will always be the better answers.
Thoughts?
Another issue: Nick and LaCroix are ready to kill each other again?
Season 2 has a bit of a trajectory with Nick and LaCroix finding themselves on peaceable terms after a rough and violent start. At times, as the season progresses, they're almost on friendly terms. For me, "Father's Day" was a turning point. Both of them were willing to give just a little in that one. But then BMV comes along and constitutes a drastic resumption of hostilities. It feels out of place. It feels very early season 2 before tensions started to mellow.
The escalation in this episode is also so drastic, it seems like there had to be some fallout from this between them. I want to be a fly on the wall for that conversation! Or, maybe, they just pointedly Do Not Talk About It, but in the background, it's a Thing. Or, maybe there was no fallout because of how much they've normalized their toxic patterns.
To somewhat reconcile the "out of place-ness" I feel from this episode, in my mind, I think "Father's Day" has to come after BMV. The broadcast date of "Father's Day" was not aligned with the holiday anyway so there's no reason it couldn't come after.
Another issue: Nat loses her memories?
Mr. SwitchbladeEyes had a big beef with this one. How could she lose her memories? Nick can't whammy her. LaCroix didn't tell her to forget. So what happened here? Mr. SwitchbladeEyes thinks she was drugged. But I was like, why would LaCroix drug her? He has no need to do that. To this, Mr. SwitchbladeEyes told me not to overthink it. Never! Overthinking weird plot holes is one of the most fun things about discussing the show lol. Can't stop, won't stop.
In fic, I've addressed this memory issue a couple different ways. One was by saying she doesn't remember because LaCroix was whammying her from the moment they saw one another. Another way was that Nick did whammy her and was able to do it by riding the coattails of LaCroix's whammy. I feel like there are a lot of fannish possibilities here (including just straight up ignoring the resistor canon).
I suppose a secondary question is, what doesn't she remember? Everything from the restaurant is gone, sure. But what about everything that led up to it. Her and Nick confessing feelings, making out. Is that gone too? And if it's not gone, how did he cool it down between them? What was that conversation like? Because he'd have to cool it down to keep LaCroix from becoming suspicious again.
Finally, it is also possible that she remembers everything, and is just feigning forgetting. Why would she do that though? Why pretend with Nick?
Enough of my bellyaching
Those are my issues with this episode. Well, those, plus the weird wardrobe-related continuity errors. But even with those issues, I love this episode!
So let's talk about some things that are interesting about this episode.
Fleur de Brabant
She's one of the few "one-off" characters that is discussed again on the show. We learned in "Fallen Idol" that Nick kept up at least a correspondence with her though we don't know if they ever saw one another again. She died fairly young, which is quite sad. At her gravesite, in "Fallen Idol," LaCroix's still very bitter about the whole thing.
In addition to "Fallen Idol," a clip from one of the BMV flashbacks of LaCroix letting Fleur go is also shown in "Last Knight."
So when it comes to Most Important FK Sibling, the prize goes to Fleur 🏆. (Sorry, Richard Lambert, but you're chopped liver in comparison. No one ever wanted to think or talk about you again, buddy.)
I find Fleur to be a very interesting person. She's well-educated; intelligent; curious; bold in a way one might not expect of a young, medieval noble woman; and not fearful of things she doesn't understand. She only seems to fear only one thing she does understand, the pain of loss and being left behind.
You have to wonder some things about what might have happened with her had things gone differently. If LaCroix had brought her over, would she be so fundamentally changed that LaCroix would lose what he loved in her? Would she have not been recognizable as herself?
Or could they have had a "happily ever after" together as vampires?
And here's some food for thought, assuming the blood of a mortal True Love is somehow a cure for vampirism, could LaCroix have become mortal if he had bitten her? How would that have played out? Now there's some hellish alchemy for you.
I also wonder so much about Fleur's life after this. All we know for certain is that she had a son, Andre. Presumably, she was married (but maybe not, scandalous!). At the time of Fleur's death, Andre's father is not in the picture because Nick assumes guardianship over Andre. What happened to him? What was Fleur's life like post-BMV?
LaCroix as Capable of Love
We see such a fascinating side of LaCroix in this episode. We don't usually see him emotionally vulnerable. We also almost never see him selfless. I think giving up Fleur was a selfless act for her benefit that he was capable of in the moment. But it's so jarring for a person like him—how could he walk away with nothing?—that he pushes Nick into a bargain after the fact (I mean… Fleur's already forgotten him at that point, what were they even bargaining over?)
What we discover in him in BMV is that he actually does know what it is to love another person. I think until this episode, it's not clear that he has the ability to distinguish between love and possession, mistaking the latter for the former. And I'm not saying he doesn't necessarily still conflate those things at times. But he loved Fleur. So when he talks about love, he understands what love is.
Not that I'm saying he didn't feel love for others before Fleur, just that this is the first time, I think as viewers, that we really see it. So when we later discover he also had a daughter he loved, it doesn't come as a surprise that he would have genuinely had that emotion. That he actually loves Nick is also on the table when I think that was perhaps murkier before (see again, love vs. possession). What we see in the BMV flashbacks just casts LaCroix in a bit of a different light.
None of this is to say that LaCroix has a healthy relationship with his own emotions. He has anger, jealousy, possessiveness, and hubris in spades, none of which he seems inclined to control. We see him behave in twisted ways, including in BMV's present-day story.
But despite the dark ways his emotions often manifest, the picture BMV paints is of a more complex person than we previously knew. He doesn't seem to have experienced romantic love with a mortal except with Fleur. But I think, at a higher level, without parsing out different "types" of love and despite all his other baggage, he gets what love is.
I've remarked before that I think the ability of LaCroix to love is his one redeeming characteristic. Because if he can love, what does that mean for him as a person? Because if he can love, what else can he do?
Impact of Fleur on Nick and LaCroix's Relationship
I have to wonder, is what happened with Fleur one of the reasons that LaCroix can be so cruel to Nick?
When Nick was trying to talk LaCroix down in the flashback, LaCroix seemed convinced in the moment that turning Fleur would be bad for Fleur. So he let her go for her own sake. I think all he could see were bad outcomes: he turns Fleur and she becomes something she's not, which hurts her and him; or he doesn't turn Fleur and they both still end up hurt. Nick's whammy on her meant she would not bear the heartache though, which is why I assume LaCroix let Nick do it. So LaCroix alone bears the pain of their separation, and as we see in BMV, that the pain is deep and enduring. So perhaps he acts out his pain on Nick across time because he's so emotionally dysregulated that he doesn't know what else to do with it.
Even though LaCroix can be cruel to Nick, he also loves Nick. He's not particularly shy about expressing this considering it comes up more than once on the radio. And as I said above, we know that he is capable of experiencing love rather than just slapping "love" as a label on something much darker. (Not that something much darker might not also be involved.) So LaCroix lives with a constant cognitive dissonance of resenting Nick terribly and wanting to punish him while simultaneously longing for Nick to accept him and be close with him. How much of what happened with Fleur played into this? I suspect that even unconsciously, the flashback events of BMV have cast a very long shadow over their entire relationship.
After BMV, despite his threats, LaCroix never brings up the bargain he and Nick made again. In fact, in LK, the events of which should be exactly what LaCroix wants for his retribution, LaCroix reverses course. In LK, after LaCroix flashes back to Nick convincing him to leave Fleur behind, LaCroix says to him in the present, "If we truly care for a mortal, truly love one, then we must go. Isn't that something that you taught me?"
When did that lesson become his takeaway? I think it is what Nick tried to impress upon him with regard to Fleur, but I didn't think LaCroix really walked away with that lesson intact at that time, being so immediately overtaken by pain and bitterness that would last centuries. He must have had occasion to reflect on those events more, to understand them for what they really were.
Once LK rolls around, instead of harboring this deep-seated grudge, when LaCroix is faced with Nick on his knees in the depths of suffering over draining the mortal he loved, LaCroix does not enjoy it like he said he would in BMV. Once he sees how bad it really is, he tries to pull Nick out of it (in a LaCroix way, not that he has success, obv). Interesting stuff. Something changed in him post-BMV. We don't really know why. Season 3 did throw him some serious curve balls. He also had a little existential crisis later in season 2 during "A More Permanent Hell." Perhaps these things made him think and shifted his perspective. Perhaps also it's one thing to theoretically want something and quite another to see the reality of it come to bear in a way you didn't expect (death wish!).
Rewinding a bit, you also have to wonder what would have happened with them if Nick hadn't gotten to the restaurant in time. Presumably LaCroix would executed his retribution by killing (more likely) or turning Natalie. Then what...? LaCroix's whole raison d'être in Toronto was to get Nick back on his side so they can have vampire fun murder times together again, just like in the bad old days. LaCroix killing or turning Natalie would have completely undermined his goal of reeling Nick in. Would there have been any coming back for them after that?? It's actually hard to know. Because of their toxic patterns, this isn't their first rodeo with a situation like this. Maybe what would be the deciding factor was whether, as of that particular time, Nick was actually in love with Nat. Which brings us to...
Was Nick playing Nat? Was he in love with her?
Nick certainly cares about Nat, but was he romantically in love with her or was that a ruse? It's a bit of an open question, but I lean towards love. Same for Mr. SwitchbladeEyes, who rather unartfully explained, "Oh yeah, Nick wants to tap that." I was like, Nick would probably want to tap a lot of people, I'm asking if he loves her. Mr. SwitchbladEyes is a yes.
If Nick was in love with her, what would he have done if LaCroix hadn't stopped him?
And if he was in love with her, where exactly was he going with it, LaCroix notwithstanding?
We learn in "The Human Factor" that Nick's afraid to have sex with Natalie lest he kill her. He fears the same thing in LK. So what was his plan in BMV if he and Nat became more deeply romantically entangled? Perhaps there was no plan so they'd have just have careened into disaster a lot earlier than LK.
Even though I lean toward a "yes" on the love meter, Nick playing Natalie is also a possibility (duplicitous!). I can't pretend it's not. It's not clear why he'd be doing this. She hasn't given up on him so... 🤷♀️
Nat's worries about whether love is an illusion highlight the "maybe it isn't real" angle. Which means that, yes, perhaps he would have brought her across during the confrontation with LaCroix. Food for thought.
Miscellanea
What did Janette think of what went down? Both in the past and in the present? She's only briefly in the flashbacks, but she's still in the thick of it. As for the present, we have no idea if she's aware of LaCroix's scheming, or if she ever knew what went down in that restaurant.
BMV has been prime fodder for my imagination. Events of BMV have come up in multiple fics for me. Very Important in three of them. The bargain was a key plot point in two of them, one nullifying it and one fulfillng it. Fun stuff!
And I doubt I'm done. I shall not be satisfied until I figure out more about Fleur herself. And even then, maybe not lol. Maybe I need to answer the Janette questions too. Maybe also the other questions that came up for me during this episode, mentioned elsewhere in this post.
We shall end with a personal fun fact!
At the “Bridging the Knight” FK con/auction back in the 90s, there was an FK costume party. I went as Fleur! I still have the dress. I dug it out of the depths of the closet to take a picture. It doesn't photograph that well because the sheen in the fabric makes every ripple or bump in the fabric look like a wrinkle. I SWEAR it isn't actually that wrinkled. It doesn't look wrinkled on the hanger, but on the hanger, you cannot see how it is fitted and flared. So I laid it flat.
Voila, this dress that isn't actually as wrinkled as it appears that I wore to a costume party 28 years ago:
Oh my gosh, friends, if you're still there after the word tsunami that was this episode, thanks for hanging in there. I promise to rein myself in a bit more on the next one.
This is one of those Forever Knight episodes that makes me simultaneously say, “I love this episode!” and also, “What the hell is going on here?”
We have muuuuuuurder, unrequited romances, LaCroix in love!, Nick in love?, historical flashbacks, makeout seshes, Nick family backstory, unhinged rants by LaCroix, and a high-stakes interpersonal conflict involving a centuries' old grudge. I love this episode!
But we also have very confusing things going on that I can't quite square. Nick's never been in love with a mortal? Natalie forgot everything that happened? Nick and LaCroix are ready to kill each other again? What the hell is going on here?
Even Mr. SwitchbladeEyes observed, "Let’s face it, this show has a lot of plot holes.”
No kidding. C’est la FK.
Buckle up, friends. Of my absurdly wordy episode discussions, this is the longest one yet by far. I hope you hang in there because I would love to hear what others have to say about this episode.
In which Nick is totally not cool with LaCroix dating his sister...
A woman comes home from work and checks her mail. Bills, bills, bills, ugh, more bills. But wait, what is this? A valentine? How sweet… I guess. (Am I the only one who would have been creeped out to get some random valentine in the mail? Were we like this in the 90s? Whatever.) The woman is not creeped out though. She even gets herself a glass of wine to enjoy while she reads the card. She opens it and discovers the romantic message is incomplete. Because the conclusion of the message is scrawled on the wall in large, red letters.
Weird that she didn't notice the giant letters on the wall first, but whatever, that's not the least believable thing about this episode. An intruder attacks her and chokes her to death. Happy Valentine's Day! 😘
Interestingly, we do not start right away with the police investigation. Instead, we're treated to the Nightcrawler broadcast with LaCroix going off about love. Love is just a trifle compared with emotions like envy, hatred, and lust. And yet it can entirely drain you of your strength and power. And we see LaCroix flashback to a young woman beseeching him to "take her" because she cannot live without him.
LaCroix broadcasts that love does not conquer all. Not for St. Valentine, "not for me," "not for any of the heartbroken." Dang, he's awfully mopey tonight.
We go to Nick and Nat, who are listening to the broadcast on Nick's stereo. Nat asks incredulously, "Is that LaCroix talking about love?" Interesting that she knows the broadcaster is LaCroix. Nick must have told her about the radio show at some point. I wonder why. We never saw Nick mention LaCroix's return to her or that he broadcasts on the radio. When did these topics come up? Nick’s open about some things yet closed off about others.
Nat asks Nick, "What insanity compels you to tune him in?" To which Mr. SwitchbladeEyes muttered, “Seriously.” Because it’s a GREAT question Nat!
Nick says he’s “not sure.” That’s because you need therapy, Nick.
And lest you thought my last FK meme would be my only FK meme, rest assured, meme-spiration struck again:
Nick observes that LaCroix is "gloomier than usual." And Nat's like, well, it's almost Valentine's Day and love can make people do strange things. Nat even overheard Cohen whispering sweet nothings into the phone at work. Which I think is a nice tiny little touch to add to Cohen's character since she's always shown to be so reserved.
Nat starts talking about Nick's treatment regimen. He's supposed to be taking a vitamin supplement, but keeps forgetting to take the pills, which comes as no surprise to Natalie. Since she suspected as much, she has bought him a present: a custom engraved silver pillbox. "Don't forget your vitamins. Love, Nat." Awwwwww.
Natalie says the gift is a "completely platonic" Valentine's gift LOL. Yeah, right. No one is fooled. Just like us, Nick is picking up what she’s putting down. Coy smiles, flirtation, awwwww. Too bad that pesky murder from earlier gets in the way as they are both called into work.
At the crime scene, Nat identifies with the victim, that the victim had a busy job, probably didn't have much time for a love life, and so, she would look forward to receiving a love note in the mail. Nick comments that the murderer was probably praying on the victim’s vulnerability in that regard. And I’m like, y’all are projecting waaaaayyyyy too much here.
As he is wont to do, Nick starts spacing out and we’re off to our first flashback. Our favorite vamp trio rushes inside a castle, escaping the sun, which is high in the sky. Nick and Janette appear unscathed, but LaCroix has severe burns on part of his face and seems to have taken the brunt of the sun’s rays.
Why were they out in the sun? ‘cause Nick was in a rush to get here, his mortal family’s home! Awesome! He’s dragged his vampire companions with him on this visit even though both clearly disapprove of it. You have to wonder why they went along, let alone why they'd venture into the sun for this.
Nick's sister, Fleur, comes running to greet him. They haven't seen each other in years. Last time he saw her, she was still a child, but now she's grown up. To explain LaCroix's injuries, Nick tells her that they were involved in a "skirmish down the road." Fleur's shows great concern for LaCroix’s state, but when she tries to check his injuries, he's like, whoa, no touchy.
Nick's mom arrives on the scene, also thrilled to see him. She was certain he'd "been killed in battle." So, like, I guess he didn't get a chance to write. He introduces LaCroix and Janette as his "travel companions." Which, safety in numbers for travelers, I guess. Was this typical for the age? I have no idea. I'm guessing Janette will have to be passed off as a relation of LaCroix's. I meant, wouldn't it be odd for a woman as finely dressed as her to be traveling alone?
Also, how long has it been since Nick last saw his mother and sister? I've decided about 10-ish years. He went to England --> Middle East --> France (presumably on his way home), where he had his fateful encounter with Janette and LaCroix. How long has Nick been a vampire by the time he returns home? I'm guessing maybe a few months, or a couple years at most? Not long in the grand scheme, still just a baby vampire. Anyway, I digress.
Nick insists that all three must rest, which is probably true. LaCroix is exhausted and quite slow to heal here; he stumbles when he steps forward. Fleur rushes to support him so he doesn't fall down. And I'm like, geez, why is LaCroix ailing so much while Nick and Janette are fine? What the heck happened outside? But this is FK and if there's one thing FK wants no part of, it's explaining things.
LaCroix looks at Fleur and it’s kind of weird because we suddenly see her through his eyes… but… this is Nick’s flashback. It’s also weird because the show inserts a continuity error with LaCroix Vision. His view of her is actually from a clip later in the episode where she is wearing something completely different. IDK why the show did this. This will also not be the last of the wardrobe-related continuity errors in this episode.
Anyway, LaCroix pulls himself together. But he has Taken Notice of Fleur.
We exit the flashback to return to the crime scene. Cohen drops that this may be the work of a serial killer. The year before, there were two murders in Montreal under the same circumstances. The Valentine Killer. So he may kill again before the big day! 🔪💌
Meanwhile, for Schanke, the Complaints Department is open. He’s miffed about Valentine's Day, not because there is a serial killer on the loose, but because now he has to do something nice for Myra 🙄. He’s bellyaching because there’s a short time span between Christmas and Valentine’s Day. (Well, Schanke, it could be worse, your wife’s birthday could also be in February as it is for Mr. SwitchbladeEyes.) Schanke has planned a getaway to Vegas, but Myra wanted Hawaii. Perhaps not as bad as when he took her camping in Buffalo instead of on a trip to the Caribbean… but Vegas is not Hawaii. Then he has the AUDACITY to say, "The problem is women do not know what they want." Oh, hell no. Myra knows damn well what she wants and she is going to get it lol.
Nick, on the other hand, is being far more gentlemanly than Schanke. He offers to walk Nat to her car. But, dun dun dun, LaCroix is watching them. This can’t be good.
The next night, LaCroix is broadcasting again, just as gloomy as the night before as he looks at a white rose in his sound booth and contemplates whether love exists. Even if it exists, does it really matter? And what "hellish alchemy if it does."
We’re off to the flashback! LaCroix comes across Fleur in the garden where she is reading a book and making a study of the stars. Turns out, they share this interest. The injuries to his face have healed and she remarks, “They say a benevolent power flows through one who heals quickly.” LOL, girl, no. LaCroix is self-aware enough to admit that’s not the case. They have a little light flirtation, and he plucks a white rose for her. She takes it, but pricks her finger on a thorn. He brings her finger to his lips, getting just leeettle taste of her blood.
Nick, who has just entered the garden, is NOT cool with that and is about to intervene. But Janette holds him back, observing that Fleur and LaCroix appear to have a mutual attraction. Nick hangs back, but still, this is def not cool with him. Meanwhile, LaCroix is totally oblivious to him as he is completely captivated by Fleur. (Which makes it kind of weird that we heard Nick and Janette’s exchange given that this is LaCroix’s flashback, but whatever.) Nick announces himself and says dinner is ready. They all go inside, but LaCroix looks back at where he and Fleur sat, a perturbed expression in his face.
Back in the present, sad sack LaCroix encourages his listeners to “just say no to love. A carnival kewpie and an electric blanket will give you more satisfaction.” Yikes. He’s ascending to peak cynicism in this episode, and we’re not even to the halfway point!
Back at the police station, Cohen tells Nick and Schanke that a psych profile of the killer reveals that it is likely the same guy from Montreal. Back in Montreal, the victims were both single career women (actually, we later learn this is totally false, and it's weird the cops have these facts wrong). The profile reveals what we already know: this guy has a problem with women that he can only resolve through violence.
Over at the morgue, Nat provides more confirmation that the killer is the same one from Montreal. The Toronto victim was killed in exactly the same manner as the Montreal victims. Schanke finds it weird that "any woman would fall for this." And I'm like, fall for what? Opening mail?
Nat comments that "Any woman who's romantically neglected is a target." Projecting once again. Nat admits to Nick that the case is getting to her. And not for the first time in this episode, I am reminded of "Last Knight," another with a case that got to her. Nick and Nat have a bit of light flirtation before the scene ends.
We return to the flashback where Nick is confronting LaCroix. Nick's like, "Bruh, stop hitting on my sister. You don't love her." LaCroix's super agitated, not because Nick is trying to boss him around, but because, well, he actually does love Fleur, a lowly mortal. And he doesn't like it anymore than Nick does.
Back in the present, Nat has arrived home and she is Being Watched as she opens the door to her apartment . But whew, it's only Nick, a far safer serial killer than the Valentine's Day serial killer. Why has Nick come by? Ostensibly to tell her about the case. The killer's handwriting in Toronto matches the handwriting in Montreal.
But Nick's not really here to tell her about the case! He's here to either (1) express romantic feelings for Nat, or (2) totally play on Nat's romantic feelings for him. More on that later.
Nat's like, you could have just called. Nick admits he wanted to come by to see her. He has been thinking about her and "about us." He wants to know "What are we gonna do about this? About how we feel?" He starts caressing her face...
And we're interrupted by a flashback. (And this is actually LaCroix's flashback, as will become apparent.) LaCroix and Fleur are holding hands, walking in the garden, enjoying a conversation about their mutual interest in the stars. The two come face-to-face as she expresses her desire to understand them. He confesses he would happily spend the rest of his days with her on this scientific and philosophical quest. She reveals that she feels very close to him. She touches his face and goes in for a kiss. Instigating the kiss is a Very Bold move on her part. He is more reluctant, even pulling back for a moment, before he gives in to it.
Back in the present, LaCroix starts talking about the stars again, but with pain, sadness, and bitterness. He's outside. Why? Oh, because he's spying on Nick and Nat. He can see them through the window of Nat's apartment sharing a moment like the one he and Fleur shared.
Back inside the apartment, Nick goes in for a kiss. And we are interrupted once again! This time by Nat's microwave going off with her dinner. They're both distracted for a moment, but then Nick refocuses and they have a passionate kiss, unaware of their audience outside.
LaCroix returns to the radio station, extremely agitated. He usually sits calmly for his broadcast, but this time he is pacing around. And his monologue is unhinged! (Unhinged LaCroix is some of the best LaCroix!) It is worth posting:
Like some sweet on the track; roll steel wheels right over her precious body. She's just a girl. The apple of your pie in the sky. Valentine her good. Goodbye, my friend. Pass your days in one-night stands. Tear apart the threads, the web of love's truth, where strings of beauties wrap your heartstrings around your neck.
To quote Mr. SwitchbladeEyes: "What the fuck, dude?"
Is he talking about himself? About Nick? What does all this mean? Are these metaphorical things for his life? Has he been irreparably changed by what he felt for Fleur? Has his lovelife since Fleur been just a series of one-night stands (I mean, probably)? And what's the point of any of it when he's just choked by a love he can never get back? Is this what he hopes will happen to Nick (again, probably)?
LaCroix has lost it. Which never bodes well for Nick.
But back to the police side of the story. Another murder! Nick and Nat arrive at the crime scene together, a fact that does not go unnoticed by Schanke, though I don't think he quite connects the dots that they were together together. Anyway, the victim was murdered the same way as yesterday's victim. The victim's fiance is on the scene, having found the body, and he's a total wreck. Nick comments that it's hard enough to find love, so to lose it… 😭
We fade into the flashback to LaCroix and Fleur's makeout sesh. Nick sees them and watches from the shadows (not unlike LaCroix watching Nat and Nick in the present time). Fleur implores LaCroix to take her with him (again, BOLD on her part) because she cannot endure again the pain of separation from a loved one. "My father. Nicholas to the Crusades once, and now again." Too bad we never knew what happened to their father! I'm sure there's an interesting story there. LaCroix holds Fleur close, trying to console her.
LaCroix starts talking about the two of them never dying and being together for all eternity. She wishes she could have that "impossible dream." But it's not so impossible when your boyfriend is a vampire. LaCroix vamps out as he assures her that "there is a way." He's about to bite her, but that's a bridge too far for Nick 🙅, who rushes in, vamped out. He grabs LaCroix away from Fleur and shoves him against the wall before facing Fleur so she can see them both for what they are, fangs and all.
But Fleur is not horrified! She is intrigued. NOT the reaction that Nick was going for. He tells her that LaCroix "will make you one of us whether you want it or not." And she's like, oh I want it. I'm down to be a vampire, sounds super interesting, YOLO.
Unable to make her feel freaked out by LaCroix and vampirism, Nick tries to foist a sense of duty to the family onto her, telling her "when I chose this, the future of our family fell to you." JFC, I actually just really dislike Nick's argument. Such a goddamn man thing to do to dump familial responsibilities onto a woman while he goes galavanting about doing whatever the fuck he wants (thanks, patriarchy). Well, Fleur is not having any of that. (I super love her character!) She knows exactly what she wants. Nick tries to hold her back, but she breaks away from him and goes to LaCroix.
LaCroix wants to know whose heart Nick is trying to break here. But Nick still does not believe that LaCroix loves Fleur. Rather, she is "just another conquest, another death to satisfy your craving." LaCroix argues that if he doesn't bring her over, as a mortal, she's going to die anyway.
Super great scene, but we've got to get back to the crime stuff, unfortunately. Nick's asking Nat how she's feeling about the two of them getting together, but Schanke interrupts. It is revealed that the victim from the day before was also engaged to be married. And the victims in Montreal were also engaged. So all their dumb "desperate, lonely single women" victim-blamey theories go right out the window.
Anyway, let's just wrap up the police mystery. We really need to get back to the good stuff: the flashbacks and what happens later in this episode. The serial killer worked at the library, which is how he met the women. They had books checked out from the library. Nick and Schanke traipse down to the library, which is open super late at night/early in the morning? The library in my city sure doesn't keep these hours. Nick and Schanke apprehend the serial killer. That's enough about that.
When they’re back at the police station, Nick spaces out again and we're taken to the flashback. Since neither scare tactics nor appealing to duty worked on Fleur, Nick shifts his approach and appeals to LaCroix. He tells LaCroix that if he brings Fleur across, he will destroy what he loves about her. LaCroix is not particularly convinced by that. He's like, bruh, would you rather she "wither to old age and die?"
Nick shifts again and says, if you love Fleur, you won't turn her into a killer. So now, it's reframed as, you should refrain because you love her. THAT gives LaCroix pause. Would he be bringing Fleur over for his sake, or for hers? Would she really be who she is anymore? Fleur turns to face him and he touches her face. He kisses her forehead and starts to lament a pain he is already starting to feel, knowing he isn't going to bring her across.
Back in the station, Natalie is wondering how anyone can know whether love is real or an illusion. How can she and Nick know? He asks her if she's afraid. I assume asking whether she's afraid of loving him (my brain, again turning to LK, girl, you should be afraid, runnnn!). She says no, she's not afraid. This episode has done a great job paralleling Fleur and Nat.
Anyway, it's getting close to sunrise and Nat admonishes Nick to go home. He asks her to "keep tomorrow night open." (Presumably, Valentine's Day) Then, he kisses her on the head and leaves.
Meanwhile, LaCroix is in the police station, watching them. Nick doesn't see him even though he's right there. Nick's vampire radar has not gone off this whole episode, so he has no idea that LaCroix's up to his old, stalker tricks. I think this works though because (1) Nick doesn't do the best job of keeping his vampire radar calibrated, and (2) this parallels LaCroix not noticing Nick when LaCroix was in Fleur's company.
The next night at the morgue, Schanke walks into the lab with a bouquet of long stem white roses that had been delivered to the morgue for Natalie. Schanke and Nat have a super fun, friendly exchange here, putting on dramatic British accents when he hands over and she accepts the flowers to discover it has come with "an invitation to dine." It's such a great little moment between them and I'm reminded just what great chemistry John Kapelos had with everyone on this show. (Will I ever be over this show killing off Schanke? That's a hard no.) Schanke reads the invitation out loud, but his playful accent trails off when the note gets weird. Its' signed, "A gentleman from the 13th century." But Nat knows what it means 😏 (or, rather, she thinks she does).
Later, a dressed up Natalie shows up to what appears to be a very nice, but also very empty restaurant. Save for one other diner. It's LaCroix! The scoundrel! He's apparently taken a page from the Valentine's Day killer's book, but decided to class it up a bit with the roses and invitation to dine. This convoluted set up and deception is just so LaCroix. Love it.
Nat is confused because while she knows generally who LaCroix is and has heard him on the radio, she apparently doesn't know what he looks like. So she has no idea who is meeting her at the restaurant. He introduces himself while also turning on the charm. (Because he can be charming when he wants to be.)
Meanwhile, I'm like 🚨🙅♀️🚩🚨🙅♀️🚩!! Natalie must recognize that she is in danger here. But what choice does she really have? He clearly wants to talk to her so I doubt she can just turn on her heel and leave. She has to know that. Also, aside from the danger she can't do anything about, Natalie is a very curious person by nature, and she has GOT to be burning with curiosity about him. Not just because he's a vampire, but because of the major role he's played (and is still playing) in Nick's life. So when he invites her to sit, she sits.
Nick, for his part, is wearing the same clothes from the night before, and tries to reach Natalie on the phone, but gets her answering machine. He also gets a call from Schanke, who can't find or reach Myra. But has received a mysterious note from her: "I'll be contacting you tonight."
Nick decides since he couldn't reach Nat on the phone, maybe she's at work. He checks for her at the morgue, and also has apparently changed his clothes to something different. He finds the roses, which send him off into the final flashback.
Nick pulls Fleur away from LaCroix, who lets her go over her objection. LaCroix can't even look at her as Nick puts the whammy on her and tells her to "forget." (It makes me a little nuts how imprecise their hypnosis is sometimes. Forget? Forget what? That any of them were ever here? Just forget LaCroix? That she saw vampires?) As she leaves the scene, LaCroix bitterly tells Nick, "You've probably done me a favor." But still, LaCroix being LaCroix, he wants something in exchange for letting Fleur go. He and Nick make an agreement that if Nick ever loves a mortal, LaCroix gets to take that mortal away from him.
Nick snaps out of the flashback and finds the invitation Natalie got with the roses. He puts 2 and 2 together. Outside, he takes off into the air, but we have more continuity problems/wardrobe changes. He is wearing different clothes than he was at the morgue a second ago. (Get it together, FK! This is the third time this episode!).
At the restaurant, LaCroix's having a grand time opening champagne and making sexual innuendos. Natalie seems transfixed on him, like mebbe she's just a leeeeettle bit whammied. They start talking about love and whether Nick being a vampire makes a long-term romantic relationship impossible. She says she doesn't see it as a problem. LaCroix counters that it is an insurmountable problem, observing that, "We may mix minds with mortals, but anything more than that could be quite hazardous to your health." And, well, as infuriating as it can be when he's right, he's right nonetheless.
Natalie tells LaCroix that she "knew the risks when I signed on." And I'm like, GIRL, no you do not. Have you really pictured Nick murdering you?? Because that is the risk! (*cries in LK*)
LaCroix just rolls with it, lightly offering a toast to "new friends, old champagne, and passions of the heart." Nat's glass has champagne in it when they toast, but LaCroix's glass is empty, which is a super nice, and very aware touch to the framing of this scene. They wind up talking about food and how vampires cannot tolerate it, let alone enjoy it. During the conversation, Natalie starts to look and sound more and more whacked out.
LaCroix gets up from his chair and comes to stand behind her, brushing her hair back with his hands. She's still conversing, but she's a full on space cadet at this point, not even seeing what he's doing. He pulls her sweater down and puts his hands on her shoulders then her neck. She confesses to finding vampires to be "fascinating creatures." She actually seems to be enjoying his touch, not that she's exactly aware of what's happening. IDK, sometimes vampires like their victims to feel terrified, sometimes they like them to feel good.
He vamps out and hones their conversation in on what Nick has said he felt for her (and I am reminded we weren't privy to everything they said in her apartment). Convinced that Nick does love Natalie, LaCroix says he's "so happy" (though he sounds anything but) and goes in for the bite. Oh no! Then Nick crashes into the restaurant just in the nick (*ba dum bum tiss*) of time! Wearing the clothes he had on in the morgue! (Fourth time, FK!)
Nick flings LaCroix across the room and demands to know why he has backed down on "our agreement." Apparently, at some point, they reached an agreement that LaCroix would not go tear-assing through Nick's life on a murder spree. No, we never saw them ever make such an agreement on the show. (I have a fic for that.)
LaCroix is pissed and claims he has not backed down on the agreement, and is collecting what is owed to him. 'Cause remember, Nick? Remember that time you agreed that LaCroix could do exactly what he's doing right now? You just had a flashback about it a short while ago.
LaCroix smacks Nick hard, and then grabs a, idk, wood spear that a statue was holding. He breaks it in half to make a stake. He threatens to kill Nick if he interferes. (Cue Mr. SwitchbladeEyes, incredulous, "No way will he kill Nick.") Interesting that as high-stakes (another *ba dum bum tiss*) as this conflict feels, they're NOT vamped out for it. Usually this level of worked up means vampire eyes. IDK, whatever. (Of course, I get that there are practical issues in that, if I recall correctly, the actors can't see with the vampire contact lenses in.)
LaCroix moves closer to Natalie. He is really, really looking forward to munching on her and watching Nick feel the same "torture that I have felt every moment since I left your sister behind."
But then Nick drops a bomb. "What makes you think I am in love with her?" 😮
Nick tells LaCroix that he has been playing Natalie. He has been indulging in her romantic feelings for him to keep her close to him so she'll keep working on a cure.
LaCroix demands that Nick prove that he doesn't love Natalie. He can do that by bringing her across. Nick acquiesces to that and pulls Natalie to him. (For her part, she's still totally checked out and seems to have no idea what is happening.) He vamps out and is all over her. It is super creepy.
LaCroix keeps flashing back to Fleur at this moment. When Nick goes in to bite Natalie, LaCroix stops him. Nick then objects, "Why not?"
LaCroix believes Nick really was about to bring Natalie over. And if he was willing to do that, he could not possibly love her because he "reveres all that is mortal" and would never take that from her. Nick has still never loved a mortal. Feeling that Nick turning Nat will not give him the retribution he seeks, LaCroix leaves, but not without the lingering threat that "someday" he will get it. Nick looks super relieved once LaCroix leaves, and hugs Natalie.
The next night at the police station, Schanke calls Nick, and we learn what happened with him and Myra. Turns out, Myra jetted off to Hawaii, and sent a cab and plane ticket for Schanke to follow. Get it, Myra!
Natalie shows up and she doesn't remember the night before. Apparently, she thinks she got black out drunk because "I don't remember a thing from the time I walked in the restaurant 'til you took me home in a cab last night." (My god, so many questions about this. We'll discuss.) Nick assures her that they had a good time. She says she's so burnt out from work, a lot from the past couple days feels like a blur. But he again assures her that they had fun.
We end with the Nightcrawler broadcast. LaCroix is again studying a white rose while he talks about love. He acknowledges that love exists, but that for him, it is nothing but pain. It is a single precious flower, "long withered and gone." He ends by tearing the petals off the rose. Ouch.
Whew!
BMV is an intense episode. I LOVE this episode, but I love it in the same vein that I love "Ashes to Ashes": with caveats. I've got some issues. This episode, like AtA, has got some 'splaining to do.
My Top Issue: Nick has never been in love with a mortal?
Poppycock. Balderdash. I call shenanigans!
I mean, Nick's romantic interludes with mortals have never worked out long-term, but still. I doubt I'm alone in finding Nick to be the "falling in love" type. FFS, what about the ballerina in season 1's "Love You to Death"? Didn't LaCroix's retribution get satisfied there? Maybe that doesn't count because it seemed more like a bizarre infatuation than love.
What about Alyssa in "Dead of Night"? Okay, that's season 3 and this show would never have thought that far ahead in season 2. But even if we ignore season 1 and anything the FK writers would later come up with, what about right here in season 2? Serena? Nick totes loved her. I believe it. And he fucked that up so hard that, I'm like, that's not good enough LaCroix?
But even if not, the biggest one for me is Emily Weiss. The whole freaking point was that Nick was falling in love with Emily! He only whammies her to forget the love between them after LaCroix murders a guy and menacingly hovers because it's Nick's turn to do something to Emily. She wanted him to turn her into a vampire so she could be with him (like Fleur!) And Nick didn't get to be with her! Because LaCroix is standing there threatening them! She's whammied away into forgetting (like Fleur!). Retribution not satisfied? Why not?
I don't buy that Nick has never "truly" loved a mortal. It's not consistent with canon. It's not consistent with Nick's personality. He has loved other mortals. And LaCroix knows that. So why here, LaCroix? Why now?
Of course, I know the real answer is that FK as a show is loosey goosey with its canon. I'm not here for the real answers though, I'm here for the fannish answers, which will always be the better answers.
Thoughts?
Another issue: Nick and LaCroix are ready to kill each other again?
Season 2 has a bit of a trajectory with Nick and LaCroix finding themselves on peaceable terms after a rough and violent start. At times, as the season progresses, they're almost on friendly terms. For me, "Father's Day" was a turning point. Both of them were willing to give just a little in that one. But then BMV comes along and constitutes a drastic resumption of hostilities. It feels out of place. It feels very early season 2 before tensions started to mellow.
The escalation in this episode is also so drastic, it seems like there had to be some fallout from this between them. I want to be a fly on the wall for that conversation! Or, maybe, they just pointedly Do Not Talk About It, but in the background, it's a Thing. Or, maybe there was no fallout because of how much they've normalized their toxic patterns.
To somewhat reconcile the "out of place-ness" I feel from this episode, in my mind, I think "Father's Day" has to come after BMV. The broadcast date of "Father's Day" was not aligned with the holiday anyway so there's no reason it couldn't come after.
Another issue: Nat loses her memories?
Mr. SwitchbladeEyes had a big beef with this one. How could she lose her memories? Nick can't whammy her. LaCroix didn't tell her to forget. So what happened here? Mr. SwitchbladeEyes thinks she was drugged. But I was like, why would LaCroix drug her? He has no need to do that. To this, Mr. SwitchbladeEyes told me not to overthink it. Never! Overthinking weird plot holes is one of the most fun things about discussing the show lol. Can't stop, won't stop.
In fic, I've addressed this memory issue a couple different ways. One was by saying she doesn't remember because LaCroix was whammying her from the moment they saw one another. Another way was that Nick did whammy her and was able to do it by riding the coattails of LaCroix's whammy. I feel like there are a lot of fannish possibilities here (including just straight up ignoring the resistor canon).
I suppose a secondary question is, what doesn't she remember? Everything from the restaurant is gone, sure. But what about everything that led up to it. Her and Nick confessing feelings, making out. Is that gone too? And if it's not gone, how did he cool it down between them? What was that conversation like? Because he'd have to cool it down to keep LaCroix from becoming suspicious again.
Finally, it is also possible that she remembers everything, and is just feigning forgetting. Why would she do that though? Why pretend with Nick?
Enough of my bellyaching
Those are my issues with this episode. Well, those, plus the weird wardrobe-related continuity errors. But even with those issues, I love this episode!
So let's talk about some things that are interesting about this episode.
Fleur de Brabant
She's one of the few "one-off" characters that is discussed again on the show. We learned in "Fallen Idol" that Nick kept up at least a correspondence with her though we don't know if they ever saw one another again. She died fairly young, which is quite sad. At her gravesite, in "Fallen Idol," LaCroix's still very bitter about the whole thing.
In addition to "Fallen Idol," a clip from one of the BMV flashbacks of LaCroix letting Fleur go is also shown in "Last Knight."
So when it comes to Most Important FK Sibling, the prize goes to Fleur 🏆. (Sorry, Richard Lambert, but you're chopped liver in comparison. No one ever wanted to think or talk about you again, buddy.)
I find Fleur to be a very interesting person. She's well-educated; intelligent; curious; bold in a way one might not expect of a young, medieval noble woman; and not fearful of things she doesn't understand. She only seems to fear only one thing she does understand, the pain of loss and being left behind.
You have to wonder some things about what might have happened with her had things gone differently. If LaCroix had brought her over, would she be so fundamentally changed that LaCroix would lose what he loved in her? Would she have not been recognizable as herself?
Or could they have had a "happily ever after" together as vampires?
And here's some food for thought, assuming the blood of a mortal True Love is somehow a cure for vampirism, could LaCroix have become mortal if he had bitten her? How would that have played out? Now there's some hellish alchemy for you.
I also wonder so much about Fleur's life after this. All we know for certain is that she had a son, Andre. Presumably, she was married (but maybe not, scandalous!). At the time of Fleur's death, Andre's father is not in the picture because Nick assumes guardianship over Andre. What happened to him? What was Fleur's life like post-BMV?
LaCroix as Capable of Love
We see such a fascinating side of LaCroix in this episode. We don't usually see him emotionally vulnerable. We also almost never see him selfless. I think giving up Fleur was a selfless act for her benefit that he was capable of in the moment. But it's so jarring for a person like him—how could he walk away with nothing?—that he pushes Nick into a bargain after the fact (I mean… Fleur's already forgotten him at that point, what were they even bargaining over?)
What we discover in him in BMV is that he actually does know what it is to love another person. I think until this episode, it's not clear that he has the ability to distinguish between love and possession, mistaking the latter for the former. And I'm not saying he doesn't necessarily still conflate those things at times. But he loved Fleur. So when he talks about love, he understands what love is.
Not that I'm saying he didn't feel love for others before Fleur, just that this is the first time, I think as viewers, that we really see it. So when we later discover he also had a daughter he loved, it doesn't come as a surprise that he would have genuinely had that emotion. That he actually loves Nick is also on the table when I think that was perhaps murkier before (see again, love vs. possession). What we see in the BMV flashbacks just casts LaCroix in a bit of a different light.
None of this is to say that LaCroix has a healthy relationship with his own emotions. He has anger, jealousy, possessiveness, and hubris in spades, none of which he seems inclined to control. We see him behave in twisted ways, including in BMV's present-day story.
But despite the dark ways his emotions often manifest, the picture BMV paints is of a more complex person than we previously knew. He doesn't seem to have experienced romantic love with a mortal except with Fleur. But I think, at a higher level, without parsing out different "types" of love and despite all his other baggage, he gets what love is.
I've remarked before that I think the ability of LaCroix to love is his one redeeming characteristic. Because if he can love, what does that mean for him as a person? Because if he can love, what else can he do?
Impact of Fleur on Nick and LaCroix's Relationship
I have to wonder, is what happened with Fleur one of the reasons that LaCroix can be so cruel to Nick?
When Nick was trying to talk LaCroix down in the flashback, LaCroix seemed convinced in the moment that turning Fleur would be bad for Fleur. So he let her go for her own sake. I think all he could see were bad outcomes: he turns Fleur and she becomes something she's not, which hurts her and him; or he doesn't turn Fleur and they both still end up hurt. Nick's whammy on her meant she would not bear the heartache though, which is why I assume LaCroix let Nick do it. So LaCroix alone bears the pain of their separation, and as we see in BMV, that the pain is deep and enduring. So perhaps he acts out his pain on Nick across time because he's so emotionally dysregulated that he doesn't know what else to do with it.
Even though LaCroix can be cruel to Nick, he also loves Nick. He's not particularly shy about expressing this considering it comes up more than once on the radio. And as I said above, we know that he is capable of experiencing love rather than just slapping "love" as a label on something much darker. (Not that something much darker might not also be involved.) So LaCroix lives with a constant cognitive dissonance of resenting Nick terribly and wanting to punish him while simultaneously longing for Nick to accept him and be close with him. How much of what happened with Fleur played into this? I suspect that even unconsciously, the flashback events of BMV have cast a very long shadow over their entire relationship.
After BMV, despite his threats, LaCroix never brings up the bargain he and Nick made again. In fact, in LK, the events of which should be exactly what LaCroix wants for his retribution, LaCroix reverses course. In LK, after LaCroix flashes back to Nick convincing him to leave Fleur behind, LaCroix says to him in the present, "If we truly care for a mortal, truly love one, then we must go. Isn't that something that you taught me?"
When did that lesson become his takeaway? I think it is what Nick tried to impress upon him with regard to Fleur, but I didn't think LaCroix really walked away with that lesson intact at that time, being so immediately overtaken by pain and bitterness that would last centuries. He must have had occasion to reflect on those events more, to understand them for what they really were.
Once LK rolls around, instead of harboring this deep-seated grudge, when LaCroix is faced with Nick on his knees in the depths of suffering over draining the mortal he loved, LaCroix does not enjoy it like he said he would in BMV. Once he sees how bad it really is, he tries to pull Nick out of it (in a LaCroix way, not that he has success, obv). Interesting stuff. Something changed in him post-BMV. We don't really know why. Season 3 did throw him some serious curve balls. He also had a little existential crisis later in season 2 during "A More Permanent Hell." Perhaps these things made him think and shifted his perspective. Perhaps also it's one thing to theoretically want something and quite another to see the reality of it come to bear in a way you didn't expect (death wish!).
Rewinding a bit, you also have to wonder what would have happened with them if Nick hadn't gotten to the restaurant in time. Presumably LaCroix would executed his retribution by killing (more likely) or turning Natalie. Then what...? LaCroix's whole raison d'être in Toronto was to get Nick back on his side so they can have vampire fun murder times together again, just like in the bad old days. LaCroix killing or turning Natalie would have completely undermined his goal of reeling Nick in. Would there have been any coming back for them after that?? It's actually hard to know. Because of their toxic patterns, this isn't their first rodeo with a situation like this. Maybe what would be the deciding factor was whether, as of that particular time, Nick was actually in love with Nat. Which brings us to...
Was Nick playing Nat? Was he in love with her?
Nick certainly cares about Nat, but was he romantically in love with her or was that a ruse? It's a bit of an open question, but I lean towards love. Same for Mr. SwitchbladeEyes, who rather unartfully explained, "Oh yeah, Nick wants to tap that." I was like, Nick would probably want to tap a lot of people, I'm asking if he loves her. Mr. SwitchbladEyes is a yes.
If Nick was in love with her, what would he have done if LaCroix hadn't stopped him?
And if he was in love with her, where exactly was he going with it, LaCroix notwithstanding?
We learn in "The Human Factor" that Nick's afraid to have sex with Natalie lest he kill her. He fears the same thing in LK. So what was his plan in BMV if he and Nat became more deeply romantically entangled? Perhaps there was no plan so they'd have just have careened into disaster a lot earlier than LK.
Even though I lean toward a "yes" on the love meter, Nick playing Natalie is also a possibility (duplicitous!). I can't pretend it's not. It's not clear why he'd be doing this. She hasn't given up on him so... 🤷♀️
Nat's worries about whether love is an illusion highlight the "maybe it isn't real" angle. Which means that, yes, perhaps he would have brought her across during the confrontation with LaCroix. Food for thought.
Miscellanea
And I doubt I'm done. I shall not be satisfied until I figure out more about Fleur herself. And even then, maybe not lol. Maybe I need to answer the Janette questions too. Maybe also the other questions that came up for me during this episode, mentioned elsewhere in this post.
At the “Bridging the Knight” FK con/auction back in the 90s, there was an FK costume party. I went as Fleur! I still have the dress. I dug it out of the depths of the closet to take a picture. It doesn't photograph that well because the sheen in the fabric makes every ripple or bump in the fabric look like a wrinkle. I SWEAR it isn't actually that wrinkled. It doesn't look wrinkled on the hanger, but on the hanger, you cannot see how it is fitted and flared. So I laid it flat.
Voila, this dress that isn't actually as wrinkled as it appears that I wore to a costume party 28 years ago:
Oh my gosh, friends, if you're still there after the word tsunami that was this episode, thanks for hanging in there. I promise to rein myself in a bit more on the next one.
no subject
Date: 2025-02-14 10:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-02-14 11:29 pm (UTC)I remember hearing/reading somewhere that there was discord on the set filming this particular episode. I think there were issues with the director, if I recall. I think he was new the show and unfamiliar with the premise or something. I wonder if that was the source of some of the continuity issues. Also, there are things that conflict with the prior canon of the show. I'm curious if anyone knows or remembers more about it?
The episode was written by Diane Cary, AKA Mrs James Parriott. I think she wrote one other episode and was the guest star on Dead Air and Avenging Angel. It might be the answer to one of your questions.
I have a bit of a love/don't like relationship with this episode. There's a few things that just don't meet my suspension of disbelief threshold, yet it gives us so much background into the characters that I'm very glad we were given this episode. And of course I have a fanfic recommendation!
My biggest pet peeve is Nick's 180 degree flip in his willingness to express his feelings towards Natalie. Nope, don't buy it in this circumstance. I don't believe that investigating a crime targeting lonely women (which turns out to be incorrect) is quite enough to get him to come to her and spill his guts. I may have bought it if the circumstances were more dire--say her life were threatened in some way, but this just doesn't work for me.
My second disagreement is with present day LaCroix. I actually think Nigel does a beautiful job getting me to believe that he's fallen for Fleur, but the agitated present-day behavior seems a bit much after 800 years. Just because it's Valentine's Day. The ramblings in the studio are a little over-the-top for me. I consider it out of character, which takes a lot given the variations we see in LaCroix's behavior over the series.
Oh, I think she knows exactly who he is. I feel like it's her best moment of gamesmanship in the scene. She forces him to introduce himself, as if he's been beneath her notice this whole time. Unfortunately, it's last point she scores.
I don't buy it either, it's not consistent with his personality. Certainly he loved Alyssa, enough to marry her in a religiousish ceremony. I think the answer is an external one: they had reached the point that all 90s TV shows did where the male and female lead needed to either become a romantic couple or not. I think this was an effort by the show to put it on the back burner at least for a time. I do wonder if the assignment was given to Ms Cary to come up with something that would satisfy the N&N fans, yet still kicked the question of romance down the road?
That being said, all the relationships that Nick engages in are short-lived. It's tough to determine that one is 'in love' when the relationship is such a short duration. He is certainly given to infatuation quite easily.
Still nothing seems to compare to the duration and depth of feelings he has for Janette. He is devastated when she breaks it off after a century together.
Was he a Natpacker in a previous life?
Sorry, I just remember the endless, heated debates about this on FORKNI-L. I always thought the 'drugging' theory was a little on the desperate side. Just because Nick couldn't hypnotize Natalie literally moments after his body had reconstituted itself in a plastic morgue bag, doesn't mean, at least to me, that she couldn't be hypnotized by anyone.
We have given to us in canon that Nick's whammy leaves something to be desired. On a side note, that's a GOOD thing. If we agree that scrambling people's brains is a violation, then being bad at it for lack of practice is a point in Nick's favor.
Anyway, I think LaCroix was mesmerizing her from the start. She never touched the champagne, the level of the liquid in the glass never went down. I do think Nick must have followed up with some hypnotic suggestions riding on LaCroix's work because she does not seem to remember their conversation the night before.
That's my answer, and I'm sticking to it!
I definitely agree with you about the character of Fleur. A real positive for not only this episode, but the series in general. For me, I loved seeing her reunion with Nick. Clearly despite a lot of time and distance, they still had a very real and loving connection.
And here is my fanfic recommendation. This is Wake and Remember by Brightknightie and one of my all time favorites. It's a great sequel to BMV and a bridge to Fallen Idol.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/1570352
I agree completely. I think this has a lot to do with the very complicated nature of their relationship. LaCroix loves Fleur, but he isn't certain of what the outcome will be if he brings her across. We often dismiss Nick's failures in bringing people across as 'bad parenting' but maybe there's a lot more to it. Perhaps LaCroix has had failures as well, but we just haven't seen them. I think it's a gamble bringing someone over, no matter how skilled you are. The risk that she would not come across well was perhaps too great a risk since it would cost him Nick as well. By not bringing her across at least he still has Nick to love.
Interesting point. Clearly there are big changes between BMV and LK. I do think that LaCroix backed off in BMV, not because he believed Nick's claim that he was only using Natalie, but because he was afraid it would lead to the worst outcome possible--that he would lose Nick forever. And then unfortunately, that's just what transpired anyway ultimately in LK.
Strangely enough, while I think he cares for her, as he told us on many occasions, and I believe he loves her, I am not convinced that Nick was romantically in love with Natalie. I think he knows pretty early in the series that she is in love with him, but I'm not convinced that he has the same intensity of feeling for her. He never actually says it, which is interesting. It's a very fine line for me.
This is a tough one. I actually think Nick's solution may have been to kill her. I think we know how he feels about bringing people across--although depending on the episode order, AMPH hasn't happened yet. He tells us pretty clearly he won't bring her over, yet I don't think he would have allowed LaCroix to touch her either.
You mean you actually believe he thought that through?! I'm going to presume he was hoping for a romantic yet platonic relationship. Another pet peeve here--the insistence of the series that a romantic love has to be sexual. There are many couples who face relationships without sex due to health reasons or other factors. Just saying. Although it does seem to be important to Natalie.
I do think it's worth considering, and I have. And while I think he would have preferred their relationship not become romantic, I just don't see him being cold-hearted enough to use her feelings for his own purpose. It's contrary to almost everything we know about Nick.
Wow, awesome! How neat that you kept it all this time. Did you make it yourself?
no subject
Date: 2025-02-15 01:00 am (UTC)That's a great way to put it lol. It's one of my favorite episodes despite its problems (same thing for me with AtA) probably because of how much insight it's given us.
My biggest pet peeve is Nick's 180 degree flip in his willingness to express his feelings towards Natalie. Nope, don't buy it in this circumstance.
Yeah, I get that. They have the lighter flirtation in the beginning, which was the opening for him. But flirtation is also not unusual in their interactions. Then he comes on super strong confessing feelings for her.
... but the agitated present-day behavior seems a bit much after 800 years. Just because it's Valentine's Day. The ramblings in the studio are a little over-the-top for me. I consider it out of character, which takes a lot given the variations we wee in LaCroix's behavior over the series.
Very interesting! I did not find it so out-of-character, but I also admit that I love me some unhinged LaCroix, and that impacts my perspective. I also think that while he was thinking about Fleur in the lead-up to Valentine's Day, he didn't lose it until he started observing Nick and Nat. Their romantic interactions bring it all back for him with a vengeance. I think the episode did a good job in the setting up the scenes so that he would see the parallels clearly, riling him up.
Oh, I think she knows exactly who he is. I feel like it's her best moment of gamesmanship in the scene. She forces him to introduce himself, as if he's been beneath her notice this whole time. Unfortunately, it's last point she scores.
Looooooove this take on what she knows.
Anyway, I think LaCroix was mesmerizing her from the start. She never touched the champagne, the level of the liquid in the glass never went down. I do think Nick must have followed up with some hypnotic suggestions riding on LaCroix's work because she does not seem to remember their conversation the night before. That's my answer, and I'm sticking to it!
Ha! We're on the same page. I wasn't on FORKNI-L when the show was airing (discovered it not long after "Last Knight") so I wasn't there for endless debates about drugging. TBH though, maybe there were debates when I was there, and I just don't remember them. My recollection of list activity is very dim. Anyway, I shared this particular post with FORKNI-L (not something I've done before). Poking the 30-year old cocaine bear perhaps. We'll see.
We know from AtA that LaCroix can "work around" resistors so that gives us any retcon needed to say LaCroix hypnotized her from the get-go.
And here is my fanfic recommendation. This is Wake and Remember by Brightknightie and one of my all time favorites. It's a great sequel to BMV and a bridge to Fallen Idol.
Thank you! I've bookmarked it for later! :-)
We often dismiss Nick's failures in bringing people across as 'bad parenting' but maybe there's a lot more to it. Perhaps LaCroix has had failures as well, but we just haven't seen them. I think it's a gamble bringing someone over, no matter how skilled you are.
This is a great point. I agree that there is a risk that becoming a vampire changes some people so dramatically that they become complete monsters and/or are unrecognizable to the people they knew. It's a fine line perhaps. What makes someone a complete monster vs. just like... a vampire doing vampire things? LaCroix had at least one failure when he somehow accidentally brought across the barber in "Bad Blood." THAT GUY was one of the most monstery vampires we've ever seen. On the "changed waaay to much" front, I think there's Richard Lambert. (Though, still, IDK, he's a vampire and wants to do vampire things. Should that be a surprise? Nick always seemed surprised/disappointed when he brought someone over, and they then go around killing people as if that's a strange thing for a vampire to do.) Perhaps also Divia fits into the "changed way to much" camp, or both camps given her absolute rampage in AtA. We never saw her as a mortal girl, but LaCroix comments on how much he loved her when she was a mortal girl. Yet as a vampire, he hated her. Sexually propositioning your own father is quite beyond the pale. He didn't bring her over, but he's well aware of what happens when vampirism goes wrong.
I do think that LaCroix backed off in BMV, not because he believed Nick's claim that he was only using Natalie, but because he was afraid it would lead to the worst outcome possible--that he would lose Nick forever.
Innnnnteresting. I didn't get that from him, but I'm also curious about this interpretation because I love it. How did he reach the conclusion in that moment what the outcome would be vis-a-vis Nick? When Nat was in Nick's hold, did that give LC just enough of a moment to cool off and think it through more?
Another pet peeve here--the insistence of the series that a romantic love has to be sexual. There are many couples who face relationships without sex due to health reasons or other factors. Just saying. Although it does seem to be important to Natalie. There are many couples who face relationships without sex due to health reasons or other factors. Just saying. Although it does seem to be important to Natalie.
I just don't think the analogy works for me in the sense that those reasons are not because one partner will murder the other. Murder is the impediment for Nick and Nat. Which just doesn't seem the same to me.
Wow, awesome! How neat that you kept it all this time. Did you make it yourself?
I did not make it myself. I lack the talent and skills for such an endeavor. A person very dear to me made it for me as a gift, which is why I've held onto it all these years :-)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this episode! I always appreciate hearing your perspective!
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Date: 2025-02-15 05:19 pm (UTC)I joined mid third season, and any debates about second season episodes was probably after the series ended. As I recall, traffic on the site was heavy and it was tough to keep up with it all. And of course it depended on what facet of the show was of interest to you.
Agreed about Nick and his expectations. I was particularly puzzled by his reaction to the woman with leprosy. Really? She attacked men who had cruelly assaulted her. Seems like fair game to me!
That was definitely not my original idea, not sure where it originated, but it makes sense in a way. It is kind of funny that "she's only looking for the cure" is somehow an acceptable reason for not killing Natalie. I think people took issue with the idea of Nick 'fooling' Lacroix.
I do think that LaCroix had time to think it through and realized that killing her might not be the right option in the moment. Maybe once he actually met her, his thoughts changed.
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Date: 2025-02-15 10:48 pm (UTC)I think the acceptable reason for not killing her is the agreement they reference in the episode that LaCroix wouldn’t just go around killing people in Nick’s life.
We know he hates the cure angle, but that’s still outside the scope of the agreement. (Also, I’m not exactly sure when/how he found out Nat was helping Nick with a cure. Probably, I just don’t remember. Wasn’t this episode was it? When she literally tells him?)
From LaCroix’s perspective of believing Nick loved her, Nat falls under a separate agreement where he’s “allowed” to kill her without running afoul of the other agreement. (I mean, it’s kind of an absurd “rules lawyering” position for him to hold, as if he’s going to win an argument with Nick by this logic, but he can be pedantic like that.) Once he no longer believes Nick loved her (if that was indeed true or if he was pretending) then she falls under the no killing agreement.
I think people took issue with the idea of Nick 'fooling' Lacroix.
I kind of love the idea of Nick fooling LaCroix. IMO, LaCroix’s often shown to be a bit too “all knowing” about Nick’s thoughts and feelings. But does he always have to be one step ahead? I like something that counters that “all knowing” narrative because it makes things more interesting. At least it does for me.
I do think that LaCroix had time to think it through and realized that killing her might not be the right option in the moment. Maybe once he actually met her, his thoughts changed.
What was it about meeting her that changed things for him?
And if she’s (super interesting idea!) the one who changed things, what was he going to do? Snack on her and then be on his way?
I’m enjoying the theorizing and imagining the different possibilities here :-)
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Date: 2025-02-15 01:35 am (UTC)It *is* interesting that he never says it.
It's a bit of a tough call. What do you make of his actions at the end of LK? Why agree to have sex with her? Like maybe she could love enough for the both of them?
I lean toward thinking he does love her romantically, but he doesn't want to. He quashes it because of his deep-seated fears. Perhaps fear of LaCroix, but mainly fear of himself.
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Date: 2025-02-15 05:27 pm (UTC)It's very hard to figure out just what he was thinking in LK. It's easier to identify with Natalie, but yes, I think he was hoping to ride on her feelings and her belief in him.
I have never thought that he would be willing to bring her across though. She said she was willing to 'spend an eternity in darkness' but I think he had been clear in the past that it was not an option for him. I think he truly feels that being a vampire is worse than being dead.
I really like that! I've wrestled with this question for a long time. This might just be my answer!
no subject
Date: 2025-02-15 11:32 pm (UTC)🎉😁
The more I think about it, it also works as something that follows the Nat and Fleur parallels of this episode.
Nick does not want to love Nat anymore than LaCroix wanted to love Fleur. But they’re still stuck with their feelings nonetheless.