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the_ckr_files2009-07-14 06:57 pm
lucifuge-5.livejournal.com) wrote in the_ckr_files2009-07-14 06:57 pm
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Forever Knight : Outside the Lines (TV Post)
Series Synopsis: Nick Knight is an 800-year old vampire who is currently working the late-night shift as a homicide detective in Toronto, Canada. By the time the show begins, he has grown tired of killing people and wants redemption. He also yearns to become human again. His loyalties are divided between his vampire family headed by Lacroix, who is his mentor, and his human friends like Dr. Natalie Lambert, the police’s forensic doctor who feeds his hope for mortality by coming up with scientific experiments. There is an additional twist in that Nick and Natalie are star-crossed lovers of a sort. Each episode has a thematic/moralistic component that is explored through the crime of the week and Nick’s own flashbacks to similar situations in his past.
Episode Synopsis: A young woman has been murdered in a nightclub. When Detectives Nick Knight and his partner, Tracy Vetter, go there to investigate, they run into undercover Detective Bruce Spencer (played by Callum) who is trying to bring down the drug ring the slain woman was involved in. Bruce says he knows who killed her, Nick questions his motives and Tracy is not sure who to believe.
The IMDB page: Forever Knight: Outside The Lines
Episode was directed by John Cassar who also helmed the due South Season 2 episode Body Language and Callum's Dead Zone episode, Dinner with Dana.
Written by Barney Cohen and James D.Parriot (series' co-creators) and Naomi Janzen.
Cast / Characters:
Geraint Wyn Davies Catherine Disher Nigel Bennett Blu Mankuma Lisa Ryder Gabrielle Allan Brad Austin Simon Barry Michael Filipowich Callum Keith Rennie | Det. Nick Knight/ Nicholas de Brabant Dr. Natalie Lambert Lacroix Capt. Joe Reese Det. Tracy Vetter Vicki J.T. Giroux Stu Bruce Spencer |
Original Airdate: September 19, 1995 (Season 3, Episode 3)
Runtime: 43 minutes
Country: Canada/West Germany
IMDB rating: 6.9/10 (7 votes)
Genre: Crime/Drama/Horror/Mystery
Keywords: vampire detective, immortal, flashback, vampire driving car
Awards:
14 Gemini nominations from 1993 through 1997.
1 Win in 1996 : Nigel Bennett (“Lacroix”) for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series (for episode Curioser & Curioser.)
33 user comments
One example:
Forever Knight is a show about a vampire cop. But don't stop there. If you do, you will miss the great writing and acting that made it so much more. The depth of the characters and the stories is tremendous. It is a great show for those who are into vampires and even for those who are not. Sadly at this time it is not on in reruns but there is hope. If you get a chance to watch this show, do so, you will not be disappointed.
You can find all the comments here.
Callum Quotient: 45 %
Pictures:
Quotes:
- Bruce: Don’t play games….
Ann: Honey, you couldn’t afford my games. - Bruce: Look, Button, I need your help.
Tracy: Don’t call me that! - Bruce: Living the fast life is a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it. Ciao.
- Bruce: Look, you’ve gotta be tough. That’s what the trash knows, that’s what they respect!
Tracy: No, it’s not. It’s what they get.
Trivia:
- During its original run in the U.S., the show aired at 12:30 a.m. Tuesdays nights as part of the Crimetime After Primetime lineup in CBS.
- Geraint Wyn Davies had previously appeared in the 1990 show Dracula: The Series. He also appeared in the second season of C6D favourite Slings and Arrows as Henry Breedlove.
- The show’s finale is considered amongst the most controversial ever for being so downbeat. To date, the general fan consensus is that it shouldn't have ended the way it did.
- The show was voted number 23 in TV Guide’s Top 25 Cult TV Shows of All Time
- Geraint Wyn Davies came up with the show’s title.
Interesting scenes:
- Bruce being ‘manhandled’ by Nick at the club. He has a big grin the whole time.
- Nick’s conversation with the leather-clad prostitute. He sure knows his kink lingo.
- Nearly every scene between Bruce and Nick.
- Bruce and Tracy in the alley. Just what are you doing there, Brucey-Bruce?
Do I want to show this to my parents/friends/co-workers?
[Poll #1429923]
Callum's character
[Poll #1429924]
Does he die?
You really want to know? Are you sure? Really sure? Well, then. (highlight to read)
::He doesn’t die but he does end up in prison::
Articles/interviews
Sorry, kids, I couldn't find a single article that was even minutely interesting. Feel free to link if y'all come across any.
Links
Forever Knight Wiki. (link goes to the very bare Outside the Lines page. It has a teeny-tiny version of the Callum pic at the beginning of this post.)
Forever Knight Freaks. (LJ community)
Here is an awesome picspam for the episode courtesy of the fantastic
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
scriggle.Availability
The complete series is available through Barnes And Noble as well as at any other online retailers.
aaaaaand some last words
This is neither one of the best episodes of the show nor one of the most memorable ones. The plot is a little contrived (even for Forever Knight ) and the flashback scenes don’t work as well as the writers might have wanted them to. That said, Callum's performance as the cocky/shifty Bruce is interesting given the rather cheesy dialogue and uneven storyline. For one thing, his character looms heavy despite it being a one-shot. He's either in every other scene or other characters are constantly talking about him when absent. It almost seems like Nick is shoved to the side whenever the plot tries to move away from Bruce. The show slows down whenever Nick has one of his flashbacks, for example. Now that I've watched it again after all these years, I wish it would have been a two-parter at least, if only to learn more about Bruce.
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Keywords: vampire detective, immortal, flashback, vampire driving car
IMDB keywords will never ever cease to amaze me. Ever.
This is neither one of the best episodes of the show nor one of the most memorable ones.
I wouldn't even know. Have you seen any of the other episodes? I think I have, but back then when it aired. So, you know, I couldn't say anymore.
The show’s finale is considered amongst the most controversial ever for being so downbeat.
Oookay. Tell me what happened there?
Country: Canada/West Germany
I... I don't know what to say. Huh.
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I was slightly perplexed at that vampire driving car one. Hee!
I wouldn't even know. Have you seen any of the other episodes? I think I have, but back then when it aired. So, you know, I couldn't say anymore.
I'll represent! I remember staying up til 1 in the morn back then just to watch it. Considering the DVD was still a few years away from being mass marketed, it was either that or having to hunt down VHS tapes on the net. Strangely enough, I think I didn't have Callum fever at the time because I had actually forgotten he was in one episode. Go figure.
Truthfully, the show is certainly cheesetastic. Amongst the bad are the vampire f/x and some of the more, ahem, historical flashbacks. I mean, Nick not only met Joan D'Arc and Marie Curie, but also Freud and Jack the Ripper...
:: blink, blink ::
OTOH, there are a few eps that are fairly decent. And, as far as I know, everyone involved owns up to having being part of the show...
Oookay. Tell me what happened there?
Well, for the sake of those who don't want to be spoiled, I'm going to do this:
SPOILER ALERT! SERIOUSLY NOT KIDDING! SPOILER ALERT!
1
2
3
4
5
Apparently TPTB were over the show and decided to kill EVERYONE but one character in the last episode. Humans were shot or, in the case of Natalie, drained of their blood. Vampires caught this rare fever that killed them. Lacroix staked Nick in the heart (at Nick's insistence because Natalie was dead and he wanted to join her wherever she was).
Most fans thought, deservedly, that it was all kinds of fucked up to have believed in a show (including bringing it back from cancellation) only to see the people behind it kinda go all "sod off/there's no hope".
A few fen though it was ballsy or innovative.
Nowadays, opinions are divvied up 55 - 45 with the majority still hating the last ep.
END OF SPOILER.
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Er, sorry. Splashing in the shallow end, here. ;-)
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OMG, he sooo was Baby!Callum... :: squees :: I gotta say though, that he was one angry Baby. Hee!!!
Oh and there was some heavish tongueluv happening through the ep.
Er, sorry. Splashing in the shallow end, here. ;-)
:: grins :: Splash away,
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Oh, and FYI, the highlight-over-the-spoilers thingy doesn't work very well if one's friend's list has it's own formatting. Text shows up as black over white, for me. Kind of..highlighted, actually...
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Weeeell, in all honesty, I don't think I would have watched this episode again if CKR had not been in it. It also seems like it's not that good OR bad since I don't remember watching it during its original run.
Maybe watch it for the AngryBaby!CKR factor? Considering it aired around the time the show got sorta Silk Stalkingsish...erm, I can't really hype it on its own merits per se.
bad nonrec is bad.
Re the highlight. Um, I looked at the code again and it seemed ok to me. Dunno why it's being all wonky. Sorry :/
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Yeah, I think it's because my journal customization has some kind of text color ubercode or something, that makes the white (i'm assuming) text turn black. No biggie, it's behind a cut, after all, and I kind of prefer to know anyway. Just, you know, fyi.
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If anything, just make sure to fast-forward all of Nick's 'flashbacks'. They don't make that much sense in this episode even though they have to do with trust and betrayal.
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Excellent write-up, btw, and thanks for linking to
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I'm pouting too. :( 'cause I'm one of those people who (for the most part) hates spoilers. Even those concerning tacky vampire shows from the mid-90s.
Thank you though, for the props. I was sweating this post 'cause, well, it was my first one and had to do with a somewhat obscure show.
Oooh, and how much do I love
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Geraint Wyn Davies was also in ReGenesis, and I'm used to thinking of him as middle-aged and pompous. I'm trying to picture him young and vampiric and it's not quite working. Hee!
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He's kind of the same in FK? Just a bit younger. I guess the image of vampires was a different on back then. And it's weird to think that he and CKR are pretty much the same age. He looks way older. Probably the pompousness.
And you should watch it, CKR is very RayK-ish. :)
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*plot to put together a clip with all the not sexually violent (and it's not a lot, really, this was prime time tv in the nineties) scenes of CKR, like, almost all of them*
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I hope that one's okay for you. There still IS violence in there, because, well. It's a cop show? And there's also a tiny little bit of violence against women, but she can totally handle it. So, if you watch it and hit something that makes you uncomfortable? Let me know. I'll re-edit.
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He needs a vacation and a good meal and a hug. But not from me. *hides*
(Thanks for that. <3)
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strangelyno Johnny Johannson in there at all.no subject
Geraint Wyn Davies was also in ReGenesis, and I'm used to thinking of him as middle-aged and pompous.
Not for nothing, but he kinda looks middle-aged in FK and loves the overacting. In truth, having sat through most of season 3 (I had borrowed the dvd set from a friend), I think I would have watched the show (if it was to air nowadays) for GWD or even the vampire theme, but for the actress who played his human semi-romantic interest, Natalie. She tends call on Nick being overtly dramatic and is sassy and smart without apologizing for it to boot. Kinda like a proto-Scully?
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Hee! So what you're saying is that he was totally type-cast in S&A? *g*
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It's odd, you know, because I hadn't watched FK in sooo long. I'd remembered him kinda like a yuppie version of Spike? (And now I'm about to geek out a bit: I don't know if you're aware that James Marsters, i.e. Spike, was in his mid-30s in BTVS' Season 2? He's only about 2 years younger that CKR).
I was very surprised to see that, um, no, GWD looked the same as now only a bit thinner.
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I don't think that Bruce is a normal person, though I think he has higher-than-normal stress in his life. And that he is dark and violent. But decent enough to spend some time talking to. *is torn*
Bruce Spencer is a dark and violent normal person, with higher-than-normal stress in his life and decent enough to spend some time talking to. *beams* Multi-choice polls are the best!
The show slows down whenever Nick has one of his flashbacks
That it does. I put it down to the lack of Bruce, this episode being the only one I watched. Is it the same all along the series, awkward? or does it make some sense and add interest?
Nick not only met Joan D'Arc and Marie Curie, but also Freud and Jack the Ripper...
Interesting life :)
And interesting finale. Quite relevant with the current :::: (hope I'm not spoiling you)
Thanks for reviving this! and for putting it in context - all you ever need to know on Forever Knight to watch only one episode with angel!faced Callum!
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Hee! I concur with your assessment. I do think he's much more violent than dark and the undercover gig must not have been doing him any favours stress-wise, you know? Maybe (and this is me stretching things all the way to due South 'cause that's the way my brain works sometimes)he's an angry version of the RayK we see in dS?
That it does. I put it down to the lack of Bruce, this episode being the only one I watched. Is it the same all along the series, awkward? or does it make some sense and add interest?
Well, this is one of the few FK episodes that is not all about Nick (I mean, even the flashback is lame).
Overall though the show had its really low points (there was another Season 3 episode where there are vampire dogs and one that deals with Nick finding a temporary cure for vampirism). It also had some fascinating episodes (like the infamous Curioser & Curioser that turns canon upside down and sideways as well as Livia where Lacroix runs into his daughter. It was not a happy reunion.)
Also, you didn't spoil me. I'm not as much of a fan of that as I used to be. Frankly, I thought some parts of it were poorly written (like in Episode 4) though there were other developments that were rather ingenious. Overall I feel meh.
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Thank you for the added information, looks worth watching.