Only the Lonely (OtL, OL)

Einsame Herzen

Week starting November 15th, 1992

Susan Martin

Michael Levine

Barclay Hope as Roger Jamison

The story opens with a man and woman outside her apartment. He's putting the move on her. His beeper goes off and he asks if he can come in. Instead of answering the call, he presses her for sex. She refuses him, telling him that he's going too fast. He becomes angry and kills her.

At the scene, Schanke, Nick and Nat are on the job. This is the third such victim. Schanke finds a video tape for a dating service. It's of the victim. Outside, they talk about dating services. Nat has thought about a dating service, but she doesn't have the time. Schanke wants to know what's wrong with Nick. He's available. Nat says to ask Nick. Nick replies who's got the time.

In forensics, Grace and friends give Nat a birthday cake. She's thirty years. For a present, they give her a sexy undergarment. Later Nick finds out that he forgot her birthday. Cleaning up after the party, Nat remembers her 28th birthday, the night they brought in Nick. He had been the victim of a pipe bomb.

Nick and Schanke investigate the dating service. The victim hadn't had a date in six months. Later Nat arrives home. Sydney is the only one to greet her, but she sings and talks to him. She's out of cat food. At a market, Nat smashes into someone. His nose is bleeding so she gives him her scarf. Nearby, Nick is buying flowers. He comes out and sees Nat. Nat introduces the latest victim of her clumsiness, Roger Jamison. Nick apologies for missing her party and gives her the flowers. Nat reads the card and watches Nick leave. She explains to Roger that Nick is just a friend. Nat flashes back, remembering that night she met Nick in the morgue. She sees Nick's face, and thinks that it's not such a bad face. Roger wants to meet Sydney sometimes. Nat says he's in the book, under Lambert.

At the morgue, Grace and Nat need blood for a control group sample. Nat corners Schanke and takes blood from his finger. Schanke tries to set her up with Mira's friend's brother, Lionel. In the loft, Nick stares at a bottle. He remember that first night in the morgue too. He rises off the table, startling her. Nat wants to know who he is. Nick replies that she doesn't want to know. He drinks from a blood bag.

From the precinct, Stonetree calls Nick. Over the speaker phone, Schanke says that the other two victims were members of the dating service. An ex-employee was fired. Meanwhile, Nat gets a call from Roger. He wants to meet her for lunch. Later, in the park, they share lunch and talk. At forensics, Grace informs Nick that Nat had a lunch date. While Roger and Nat walk, Nat flashes back to the first meeting again. Nick tells her he's dead and she disagrees. Later, Nick and Schanke wait for their suspect, George Bomfree. The suspect runs and Nick jerks an iron gate off its hinges and catches him.

At Nat's apartment, Roger kisses Nat. Her pager goes off and she invites him in. Inside, Nick is on Nat's phone, calling her. Nick and Nat argue behind a thin screen. He was worried about her. Roger suggests that he leave. Nick possessively puts his hand on Nat's shoulder when she tells Roger that its work related. Nat tells Roger good-bye. They kiss. Nick is upset, and says he feels protective. Stonetree phones Nick to say they found another victim.

At the precinct, the suspect is ruled out as the murder. Later Nick and Schanke talk to the suspect, George. Nick hypnotizes George and finds out that the suspect had sold a data disk from the dating service. He had sold the disk to some guy in a white van with flowers on it. In forensics, Grace needs a fourth sample for the DNA test. Nat gives her scarf with Roger's blood on it. Nick comes in and wants to know if Nat has forgiven him. He wants her to be happy. Nat remembers talking to Nick when she offers to help him become mortal. She had said that he's not evil and that his condition is a physical one.

Roger takes Nat to a greenhouse/nursery for a romantic getaway. White trucks with flowers are parked there. Meanwhile, Grace talks to Nick. The DNA test came back. Grace tells Nick that the killer is Roger and Nat's with him. In forensics Nick and Grace argue. Why didn't Nat tell anyone where she was going? Meanwhile, surrounded by tropical flowers, Nat and Roger drink wine. They talk, while listening to soft music. Meanwhile, in Nat's apartment, Nick finds the box for flowers with the nursery address.

At the nursery, Roger puts the move on Nat. He begins undoing her buttons. Nat thinks they're moving too fast and Roger gets angry. Nat sees the scratches on Roger's arm and runs. She falls and knocks herself unconscious. Roger drags her inside the greenhouse. Nick arrives, vamped out. He crashes through the glass. He throws Roger out of the greenhouse into a pile of manure. Nat wakes up in Nicks arms and breaks down in tears.

In the tag, Stonetree suggests that Nat take a vacation. Nat is glad that Nick got to her in time. Stonetree leaves. Nick asks if she had any idea how worried he was. They embrace but Nick kisses only her forehead. Nat leaves before Mira's friend's brother, Lionel, comes in.

Flashbacks center on Nick and Nat's first encounter. Nick is brought into forensics in a body-bag. He's the victim of a pipe bomb. While she talks on the phone, the blood returns to the body, flowing upward. Later, Nat remembers opening the bag and looking at Nick's face. It wasn't as bad as she was told. At the loft, Nick flashes back. His face heals and his eyes open, vamped out. Nat drops the phone, telling him that he was dead. Nick hops off the table and gets a bag of blood. He drinks it with her watching. What are you? she asks. Something very different from you, he replies. Later Nat remembers Nick telling her that he's a vampire. He's dead. She rebukes him, saying he's not dead. Another scene shows Nat telling Nick that she wants to help him, that his condition is a physical one and she wants to help him.

This is one of the first episodes where we see Nick and Nat's relationship take on a deeper meaning than just friendship. Nat begins to realize that she cares more for Nick than she wants to. She's lonely and knows that the relationship will not go anywhere. Having a birthday and spending it alone adds to Nat's frustrations. Nick, too, wants more, but he knows he's not the kind of man who Nat needs.

FoDs	Schanke is snagged for a blood test. He pops off a great comment about slicing him instead of cake.
Nick&NatPackers	Practically the whole episode appeals. It centers on Nick and Nat's relationship and their first awareness of it. Great scene at the end when Nick tells Nat he really cares for her.
Knighties	Nick feels evil, hopelessly lost and evil, but Nat wants to help.
Dark-Knighties	Nick yanks the iron gate off its hinges to go after the suspect. He throws the killer through the greenhouse glass.
FoSils	Nat singing to Sydney, talking to him.

Nat (at birthday party):	"No escaping the creature from the birthday lagoona."
Nat to Roger (about her perfume):	"I believe that I'm wearing a formaldehyde base scent."
Nat to herself (about Nick's face, when she sees it for the first time)	"Isn't so bad. Not so bad at all."
Schanke (to Nat, taking his blood sample):	"One day you're slicing cake, the next day you're slicing me."
Flashback scene:	Nat: "You're so cold." Nick: "I'm dead." Nat: "No. No, you're not. You're not dead."

• Nick putts golf balls in his loft. He remembers the conversation with Schanke and Nat about dating services.
• The first part of Nat talking with Nick on the street. Nat passes Nick and Nat says he's testing her to see if she remembers. She says she may be one who can't be hypnotized.
• The scene of Nat returning to her apartment when Nick is there. She asks him what he's doing there and walks into the other room with him.
• At the nursery, Roger opens the front door. Nat questions how a lawyer has a key to it. Roger says it belongs to a friend. He locks the door back.
• When Schanke calls Nick, Nick is sitting on his motorcycle. He closes blinds. In the USA version it looks as if Grace calls him while he's here.
• At forensics, Nick is sitting at Nat's desk. He's reading her notes on him and her research. Grace comes in and tells about the DNA tests. Nick asks who's in the blind test. It's Roger.

Available