y Boyfriend is a Vampire
y Boyfriend is a Vampire
Ratings at any cost is the agenda for the producer of a popular TV talk show. When the cost becomes murder, Tracy unwittingly goes undercover, unaware that she has been chosen as the next victim -- for a televised murder -- designed to satisfy a jealous rage and boost the program's ratings.
You could tell this was going to be a great show from the very beginning. Not only was the murder set up, but Natalie and Tracy were both made to think about their relationships with their vampires. And the very beginning was ruthlessly set up to appear like a talk show (I suffered the briefest doubt that maybe Forever Knight had been pre-empted...).
Nick seems to be pushing Tracy a little bit too much. He asks her point blank if she believes in vampires, even pressing the question when she doesn't give a clear answer. Then, back at the precinct, he asks about Vachon's unexpected presence, forcing Tracy to make something up, and then he hints that he knows she had lied earlier about having to wait for a plumber (she had been meeting Vachon). Add on the fact that he's constantly teasing her (even to the point of practically forcing her to appear on the Jerry show) -- it seems almost like he wants her to find out that he's a vampire. Perhaps he does; after all, he wouldn't have to cover up his actions from her, and she has proven herself worthy of such trust (with Vachon).
Similarly, I have to wonder if Vachon is really clueless that Tracy wants a more solid relationship with him, or if he's just feigning ignorance in an attempt to protect her from his danger. Probably the latter; even her poor delivery of her question about their relationship was clear enough. Besides, the flashbacks he has when talking to her, and the way he stares at her (when she's describing her potential makeover) definitely indicates interest. And we do know he has a history of running away from problems...
Even though Natalie complains that Nick isn't using her treatments, and hasn't stopped drinking blood, he does seem more human in this episode than in many of the earlier ones. He laughs at several jokes, and almost gleefully traps Tracy into doing the talk show. His more melancholy moments (calling Nat, reaching her answering machine, and sadly hanging up) were strong emotions, too, but ones we've seen more often; it's the laughter that really seems different. And at least we know why Nat's been so reclusive in recent episodes; it must have been building up to this one.
In fact, it's the humorous little things sprinkled throughout this episode that keeps it from being too depressing. I especially liked Vachon's "hip, cool, and cutting edge" faked description of a street deal -- the Fatman taking off with the bird to Cairo? It's no wonder Charly thought it sounded familiar; it's the "Maltese Falcon".
Ironically, Tracy, who has a knack for not quite saying what she wants to say very clearly, was probably more instrumental at bringing Natalie and Nick back together than anything Nick did (or didn't do). Why wasn't he able to say anything useful to Nat the three or four times she confronted him? Anything would have been better than nothing. And he's had lifetimes to develop something appropriate. Just a quick kiss at their first confrontation, before he flew off to save Tracy, could have done wonders.
The murder investigation part of the plot, however, was almost identical to the first season episode "Spin Doctor" -- the second in command (Charly) doing all she can to help the first (Jerry) rise to the top, even if it means murder. But that's forgivable; it was a good plot, and they did a nice job of it.
One final question: why did Nick say "I don't think you ever will understand how much I care"? It just didn't strike me as an amazingly romantic statement; it's almost a put-down, as if she, being mortal, can't understand.
Episode rating (0 to 10): 7
Please feel free to leave your own comments on this episode.