Faithful Followers (FF, FaFo)

Getreue Jünger

Week starting October 16th, 1994

Naomi Janzen

Jon Cassar

Karl Pruner as Matthew

The episode opens by cutting between two scenes - a group of people sitting around a glowing orb, reaching their hands toward it; and a man in a basement doing some repair work. He turns off the circuit breaker and sets up a step ladder and begins to work on some wires. It then cuts to the soon-to-be killer's point of view and we see water being poured onto the floor, reaching where the step ladder stands. Then, a hand turns the circuit breaker back on and the man repairing the wiring is electrocuted.

At the precinct, Schanke tells Cohen that Nick hasn't contacted him in two weeks. Nick has been undercover in the Luminology Cult investigating the murder of Vincent Cardelli, Councilman Cardelli's son. Cohen tells Schanke that Cardelli wants the case solved ASAP.

Inside the Luminology cult, the leader, Matthew is giving a speech. As he is speaking, each of the members is shown. The camera finally settles in Nick in a Luminology shirt, seemingly taken in by Matthew's lecture, which has turned to the subject of guilt.

Natalie asks Schanke about Nick - where he has been, what's going on? - and is genuinely surprised when Schanke tells her about Nick's lack of contact with the precinct. Natalie becomes worried saying that Nick is usually very resourceful and should have gotten a message to them.

At the Luminology building, Holly bursts into Matthew's office telling him that one of the members, David, is about to kill himself. In front of the entire group, including Nick, Matthew talks the gun out of David's hand and prevents him from committing suicide. Nick appears impressed at this action.

David is going through a 'cleansing session.' A patch is on his forehead and Matthew is talking him through his fears. When David is finished, Matthew nods to Nick. It is his turn. Nick lies down on the couch and Matthew places a silver patch on his forehead. As the session begins, the other members leave the room. A video camera is recording the session.

At the precinct, Councilman Cardelli is getting angry because the case isn't solved yet.

During Nick's session, Matthew speaks about the sun's healing power to cleanse even the darkest recesses of ourselves. Throughout the session Nick has flashbacks of his vampire-self and all of the 'evil' from his past, finally resulting in him vamping out. He sits up and turns his head away from Matthew.

Schanke goes to the cult to talk to Nick secretly. He finds Nick in the kitchen stirring soup and looking spaced out. Schanke asks why Nick hasn't contacted the precinct.

Upstairs in his office, Matthew give the order that no new members are to be admitted until Vincent Cardelli's murder is solved. He also requests any information available on Nicholas Corrigan (Nick).

Back in the kitchen Nick tells Schanke he is fine and that he shouldn't have come. He then tells Schanke to tell everyone that he is staying and not to come back. Nick then leave the room with Schanke standing there dumfounded.

Schanke then tells Natalie about his experience with Nick. Natalie rationalizes it by saying they were probably being watched.

Natalie goes to see Janette at the Raven about what is happening to Nick. She asks about Nick's vulnerability. Janette, knowing that Natalie has feelings for Nick, is very chatty with her answers. She tells Natalie that Nick can be influenced at times, but that this is not one of them.

Matthew comes to Nick's room to talk to him about Nick's first cleansing. Knowing he vamped out, Nick asks if anyone else was there. Matthew tells him no, and then tells him not to worry about the video because it is his (Nick's). Nick then offers Matthew money to help with the cult. At first Matthew declines, saying he doesn't want it. Nick then tells him, "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have offered."

Nick talks to Holly and finds out she left her husband and two little girls to join the group.

Schanke has found out that Vincent Cardelli had a large trust fund and the beneficiary was Matthew. Natalie comes in with the toxicology report. It seems that traces of a psychotropic drug were found in Vincent's system. Schanke tells her that all of the core members of the cult are rich. He then gets permission to look into Nick's bank accounts to determine if the cult actually has gotten to Nick.

Natalie goes to the Luminology building, posing as a distraught person in need of guidance. At first, David tries to turn her away, but then Holly comes along and welcomes her in.

Schanke has received Nick's bank records and as he looks though them, his eyes get wider and wider. He says, "you son of a ...."

At the cult, Nick is in his room and seems to be disturbed by the glowing orbs that are positioned throughout the building.

Holly tells Natalie that perhaps a place can be found for her and the goes off to talk to David. When she leaves, Natalie calls Schanke on her cell-phone. He tells her he's on his way. Matthew watches this on a closed-circuit television. He tells David that no one was to be let in, and then tells him to do something about it. David, who had been putting the disks on his arms, gets a gun and starts off to get Natalie. David threatens Natalie with the gun.

Nick is in Matthew's office about to watch his video, when Matthew walks in. He asks if he can help and addresses Nick as 'Detective.'

Before David can do anything to Natalie, he is knocked out by Holly. She then takes the gun and goes off to help Matthew.

In Matthew's office, Nick is accusing Matthew of killing Vincent and stealing money from the members. Holly is standing outside the door and hears this. She walks in and points the gun at Matthew. It turns out that she killed Vincent, trying to protect Matthew, but she now realizes that Matthew was just a scam and can't deal with it. Nick talks the gun away from her and she collapses in his arms crying. Schanke arrives and arrests Matthew.

Back at the loft, Nick tells Schanke that he was okay all along. Schanke asks about the bank account - $1.2 million. Nick tells him that he just had a friend shift some money from his savings to his checking account to make Matthew think he had a lot of money. Schanke accepts this and leaves. Nick tells Natalie that the drug on the disk didn't work on him, and that Matthew used it to guarantee everyone some kind of "transcendental experience."

The main flashback occurs in Egypt sometime after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, circa 1917-1924. Nick is on an archeological dig with a fellow vampire, Thomas, who says he is also searching for a cure. Thinking one of the papyrus manuscripts he has found may be a key, Thomas convinces Nick to bring a noted linguist to the site. When Nick brings her, Thomas kills her. She had been the subject of a wager between Lacroix and himself.

There are also snips of flashbacks to other episodes including Dark Knight and For I Have Sinned.

This episode was pretty good. It is very different from most of the episodes in that Nick has little to no interaction with any of the main cast members. Also, it isn't until the end of the episode that we realize Nick was faking it.

One thing that bothered me about the episode was that Nick seemed so completely spaced out. He seemed to be walking around with glazed eyes. It suited the idea that he had been brainwashed by the cult, but it just seemed wrong to me.

Being that this episode centered around Nick, I would say this would radiate towards the Knighties. Possibly more toward the Dark Knighties because the cleansing session brings up many images of Nick as a vampire and he eventually does vamp out.

Ravens/Ravenettes may also be drawn to Janette's scene with Natalie.

Schanke to Natalie:	"Weird is B.A.U. (Business As Usual) for Nick."
Matthew:	"What was in the past, is no more in the present. We've rendered the past inoperative."
Schanke:	"It was the thousand yard stare - Nick Knight of the Living Dead."
Schanke & Natalie:	Schanke: "I'm scared that they've got him. He's like a zombie or something." Natalie "Close."
Janette:	"Nichola in a cult... somehow the word ironic comes to mind."
Janette:	"If he is running with that pack, he is the wolf... they are poodles."
Natalie & Nick:	Nat: "Anyone that promises that you can have everything that you want probably wants everything that you have." Nick: "Once you have given them everything you are nothing." Nat: "You did good work, detective. That's something."

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