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Blood Ties: Heart of Fire
I really loved this episode.
First, my completely shallow responses:
Holy crap. Mike should be forced to have stubble and blood on his face in every episode, because he was hotter than a hot thing. When it came to the books I was a Henry girl through and through, but in the show I actually think I'm starting to favor Mike (albeit slightly) over Henry.
On the other hand, Henry was also amazingly hot tonight. I really can't decide if I find feral-vampire -Henry-of-the-artfully-torn-shirt more, or if I liked regal-Henry-of-the-flashback better. It's a tough choice. I have to admit I've been wondering, lately, if Kyle Schmid really had the range to play Henry, but I did think he did a good job with flashback Henry, bringing that certain edge of entitlement a bastard son of royalty would have had.
Also, I *must* make icons of the two of them in each other's arms, walking down the hallway in that last scene, because that was slashy heaven.
Second, my religion-geek responses:
Hey, not bad! Grand Inquisitor, a little cliched but why the hell not--if you're going to do over-the-top religious insanity, no one can resist the Spanish Inquisition! And how hilarious that the Inquisitor was using the dark arts to stay alive. I confess I was laughing as Javier recited Revelation while torturing Henry, but even though I was amused by the OTT of it, I still found it effective. And props to them for having people in the flashback praying in Latin. The part that made me laugh hardest, though, was Henry saying grace before meals right before he ate Javier. That was PRICELESS.
Finally on to the episode as a whole, and character stuff:
I had thought Mike turning in Henry would drive Mike and Vicki apart, and yet what it actually did was allow them to really work together on a case like they haven't really all season. And damn, they're a great team. Fantastic partnership vibe, and they know each other well enough to really play off each other's strengths. I thought their interrogation of the prostitute, for example, showed that very well.
At the same time, this episode really showcased Henry in a way we haven't seen before. We got lots of Henry's history, via the flashbacks--yay flashbacks! (I have watched *so* much bad television **cough Forever Knight, Highlander cough** because of flashbacks like that, and I thought they did a great job with them). We also got to see how complex he is as a character, and the extent to which being a vampire does and doesn't shape his ethical choices: he lets the rat go free, and he's willing to confess to save Vicki's life, but he kills Javier's helper in the past and also kills Javier. To be honest, I can't remember Henry ever killing any non-demon in the books; can anyone refresh my memory about this? I guess they've decided that Henry can kill on the show, and Mike doesn't, and that's going to be one of the divisions between them?
I would have predicted that Mike's betrayal of Henry would have shifted the triangle so Vicki was being more sympathetic to Henry in this episode, but that actually wasn't the case, either. She was certainly concerned for Henry's life, and didn't want him to betray himself to protect her from Javier, but she was also extremely concerned for Mike after Henry fed from him. I do think what this episode did, though, was open Vicki's eyes to exactly what Henry is capable of. It was very interesting indeed that she went back for the illumination del sol, or whatever it was called. To protect herself and/or Mike from Henry in the future? Or just a handy weapon if one encounters a rogue vampire?
Coreen continues to shine in the small amount of screentime she gets--I'm really not sure *how* she and the professor made the conceptual leap from "immortality" to "Chinese," but it was nice to actually *see* her get her scooby on, and I'm glad they brought back the professor. I also like the fact that some of the background characters at the police station are starting to be more fleshed out, like Mike's female colleague who covered for him. And the pathologist, whose name I can't remember, continues to be absolutely fun.
My only complaint about this whole episode is why on earth didn't Vicki and Mike try to shield Delphine from the sun? Are we supposed to think it happened so quickly they couldn't stop it? Because honestly, that pissed me off: she really died a needless death, all just to get Mike to realize vampire deaths are wrong too???
First, my completely shallow responses:
Holy crap. Mike should be forced to have stubble and blood on his face in every episode, because he was hotter than a hot thing. When it came to the books I was a Henry girl through and through, but in the show I actually think I'm starting to favor Mike (albeit slightly) over Henry.
On the other hand, Henry was also amazingly hot tonight. I really can't decide if I find feral-vampire -Henry-of-the-artfully-torn-shirt more, or if I liked regal-Henry-of-the-flashback better. It's a tough choice. I have to admit I've been wondering, lately, if Kyle Schmid really had the range to play Henry, but I did think he did a good job with flashback Henry, bringing that certain edge of entitlement a bastard son of royalty would have had.
Also, I *must* make icons of the two of them in each other's arms, walking down the hallway in that last scene, because that was slashy heaven.
Second, my religion-geek responses:
Hey, not bad! Grand Inquisitor, a little cliched but why the hell not--if you're going to do over-the-top religious insanity, no one can resist the Spanish Inquisition! And how hilarious that the Inquisitor was using the dark arts to stay alive. I confess I was laughing as Javier recited Revelation while torturing Henry, but even though I was amused by the OTT of it, I still found it effective. And props to them for having people in the flashback praying in Latin. The part that made me laugh hardest, though, was Henry saying grace before meals right before he ate Javier. That was PRICELESS.
Finally on to the episode as a whole, and character stuff:
I had thought Mike turning in Henry would drive Mike and Vicki apart, and yet what it actually did was allow them to really work together on a case like they haven't really all season. And damn, they're a great team. Fantastic partnership vibe, and they know each other well enough to really play off each other's strengths. I thought their interrogation of the prostitute, for example, showed that very well.
At the same time, this episode really showcased Henry in a way we haven't seen before. We got lots of Henry's history, via the flashbacks--yay flashbacks! (I have watched *so* much bad television **cough Forever Knight, Highlander cough** because of flashbacks like that, and I thought they did a great job with them). We also got to see how complex he is as a character, and the extent to which being a vampire does and doesn't shape his ethical choices: he lets the rat go free, and he's willing to confess to save Vicki's life, but he kills Javier's helper in the past and also kills Javier. To be honest, I can't remember Henry ever killing any non-demon in the books; can anyone refresh my memory about this? I guess they've decided that Henry can kill on the show, and Mike doesn't, and that's going to be one of the divisions between them?
I would have predicted that Mike's betrayal of Henry would have shifted the triangle so Vicki was being more sympathetic to Henry in this episode, but that actually wasn't the case, either. She was certainly concerned for Henry's life, and didn't want him to betray himself to protect her from Javier, but she was also extremely concerned for Mike after Henry fed from him. I do think what this episode did, though, was open Vicki's eyes to exactly what Henry is capable of. It was very interesting indeed that she went back for the illumination del sol, or whatever it was called. To protect herself and/or Mike from Henry in the future? Or just a handy weapon if one encounters a rogue vampire?
Coreen continues to shine in the small amount of screentime she gets--I'm really not sure *how* she and the professor made the conceptual leap from "immortality" to "Chinese," but it was nice to actually *see* her get her scooby on, and I'm glad they brought back the professor. I also like the fact that some of the background characters at the police station are starting to be more fleshed out, like Mike's female colleague who covered for him. And the pathologist, whose name I can't remember, continues to be absolutely fun.
My only complaint about this whole episode is why on earth didn't Vicki and Mike try to shield Delphine from the sun? Are we supposed to think it happened so quickly they couldn't stop it? Because honestly, that pissed me off: she really died a needless death, all just to get Mike to realize vampire deaths are wrong too???
no subject
Oh, definitely. Though it actually did help to make him an actual Grand Inquisitor, since at least ignoring that hypocrisy was consistent with that particular historical worldview.
I'm resisting the urge to connect defense of torture, the Spanish Inquisition, and certain debates over the latest SV episode.
t was the best thing ever. I totally laughed out loud at that and also at how neither Vicki nor Mike was focused enough to think, "Hmm ... perhaps we should not leave the torture victim alone with his torturer." For some reason, that cracked me up because realistically, as cops (well, a cop and a former cop), they would know to maintain that distance. And sure, Mike had just been bitten and all, but still. It was as if they're were subconsciously perfectly okay with Javier getting eaten. Which, really, one can't really blame them. *eg*
Yeah, I had that same thought: umm, Vicki, shouldn't you be checking on Henry, now that you know that Mike is still alive? But really, what could they have done with Javier? The evidence that he was murdering vampires was destroyed with Delphine, and it's not like Henry could testify in daylight that he'd been tortured. I can see that this is going to be an ongoing problem for Mike, though, with his commitment to due process that I really respect.
Oh, definitely. I loved it that she went back for the pendant (aside: it was driving me nuts that no one in the episode even took a stab at translating the name; I mean, I've not taken Spanish in 23 years and I could work out that it meant "the illuminated/lighted sun") because there are at least three reasons why: (1) so it could never be used on Henry again; (2) so she could use it against him to protect herself and/or Mike (or Coreen); and/or, (3) to use on a rogue vampire. But the series doesn't necessarily provide any hints one way or the other. Loved that like burning.
Yes, I also love the ambiguity of her motive. Now that she's been forced to see the true threat Henry might pose to someone she cares about, it could be #2, but 1 and 3 are equally plausible--and she may have all three in mind.
I'm definitely loving how complicated the character dynamics are becoming in this show.