Dark Knight (DK1)

Schwarze Sonne

Week starting May 3rd, 1992

James D. Parriott & Barney Cohen

Allan Kroeker

Christine Reeves as Dr. Alyce Hunter

A museum guard appears to have been killed by a vampire during the theft of a ceremonial Mayan jade cup, which is believed to be one of a pair, although the museum only has one. Nick investigates the scene and we learn he can read ancient Mayan. He tells the curator, Dr. Alyce Hunter, that the first 4 glyphs on a panel he sees there match his alarm code. Shortly after, homeless people are turning up dead, apparently due to a vampire, and they all have type O blood. Captain Stonetree assigns Schanke as Nick's partner, part-time, even though Nick likes to work alone.

On returning home, Nick advises his young homeless friends, who he lets sleep in his garage, to stay off the streets at night, but they don't listen. Nick goes up to his loft and we find that he has what looks just like the missing cup!

Nat has begun her "medical approach" to make Nick mortal and he tries to comply with her program by cooking a potato-burger dish, but he burns it and spits out his first bite. Schanke has been eating raw garlic, on Myra's advice, and at a blood drive we learn he is type A. When Nick won't let him smoke in the Caddy, he admits he's addicted to cigarettes. As they drive, Nick hears, with his sensitive ears, a girl screaming in Chinatown and they stop to investigate. A psycho is holding a girl at gunpoint in a dark, upper floor apartment. Nick has Schanke talk and distract the guy while he flies up to the window and drags the guy out. Just as Schanke kicks the door open, Nick drops the guy in a dumpster so it will appear to Schanke the guy either jumped or fell. But the guy shoots Nick several times as Nick is flying back to subdue him.

Meanwhile, at the Museum, Dr. Hunter is reviewing her papers on the Mayan cup and its discovery, and she comes across a black and white photo of Nick on the original dig site. She knows the Mayans believed in vampires and that the pair of cups were a cure for it. Nick visits her and is very attracted to her. He kisses her and has to subdue an urge to bite her. Nick explains the holes in his leather jacket to her by saying it once belonged to a drug dealer who was shot while wearing it. Back at headquarters, Stonetree doesn't believe Schanke saw Nick pull the guy out the window.

Later, Nat comes to the loft where Nick is drinking blood and acting morbidly depressed and drunk, and she tells him in no uncertain terms why he has to stop doing this. She hears a message on his machine from Dr. Hunter and gets concerned. Nick tells her about kissing Alyce and then wanting to kill her. He also tells her about how he thinks Lacroix stole the cup and killed the guard just to keep Nick from getting it.

Another type-O homeless person is killed. Nick goes to the Raven and sees Janette for the first time in many years. She tells him she is in Toronto because it reminds her of Paris. She offers him a "drink" and when he says no, she says, "You are probably on duty!" She assures him Lacroix is not the one responsible for the type-O blood killings. As Nick drives away, we hear Lacroix on the radio, playing live, a violin piece that he has dedicated to "my friend Nicolas," and ends by saying, "The Nightcrawler is waiting for you."

To be continued in "Dark Knight, the Second Chapter."

Paris, 1228. Lacroix has just brought Nick across, at Janette's urging. Together, they teach him how to feed and other 'ways of the night'.

The groundwork is laid towards explaining the reasons behind Nat's attitude about Nick's 'recovery'... we are introduced to the loft, the Caddy, Nick's nature and the reasons behind his desire to overcome his nature and become mortal again. We are also treated to an excellent, dramatic view of Nick flying, which is rare in Season 2 and almost nonexistent in Season 3!

FoDs	An excellent introduction to Schanke and his idiosyncrasies.
NatPackers	Our first good look at Nat's love and concern for Nick and her determination and honesty with him... her TOUGH LOVE... to cure him.
Knighties	We see Nick's empathy and caring for the homeless people, because their lives hold so many similarities to his.
Dark-Knighties	We see the fury and hatred Nick feels for the psycho who holds an innocent girl at gunpoint in a dark apartment and his dark satisfaction at literally bringing the guy down.
Immortal Beloveds	Nick goes to see Janette for the first time in many years and they discuss Lacroix. A confused emotional time for them both.

Answering machine:	"Mr. Nick Knight? You have been selected to spend a sun-filled week in beautiful Hawaii!!"
Nick to Nat:	"I am what I am and I don't think Betty Ford takes Vampires."
Nat to Nick:	"When you disappear like this, Stonetree starts eating Kleenex. Have you ever seen him do that? I think he does it for the roughage."
Nat to Nick:	"I'll just close the blinds for you and you can go back to your Bela Lugosi film. Maybe he can give you a few tips... blood suckers as public servants... NEXT ON GERALDO! Although he's probably exhausted that subject."

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