It's baaaaack! My favorite TV show returns with another season; let's just hope it gets extended even longer. This little gem is so much fun.
If you weren't lucky enough to catch the first season, allow me to summarize. The stories center around Vicki Nelson, kick-ass private detective, formerly a member of the Toronto police. After a brush with the paranormal, Vicki ends up solving cases that the police won't touch. Zombies, elves, demons, and other monster thangs that you've never heard of...apparently Toronto is a much more dangerous place than it seemed when I was up there last month. Vicki finds help and an unlikely friendship with 450 year old vampire Henry Fitzroy. Henry's inside knowledge of the world beyond our own combined with Vicki's tenacity and no-nonsense investigative style adds up to quite a team. Oh and then there is Mike Celucci, Vicki's former partner on the police force (and one gets the impression...former partner in other areas of her life as well). Classic love triangle.
Each episode features some sort of mystery dealing with the supernatural and as the story progresses, so do the relationships. Vicki is obviously attracted to the sexy mysteriousness that is Henry but she also has a history with the solid stability that is Mike. Watching her struggle to figure out how to balance the two relationships is one of the things that makes the show so entertaining. Vicki embodies those strong female qualities that a lot of romance novelists try to get right with their heroines and so often fail. She's smart, hard core, unafraid to battle demons, but still heartbreakingly vulnerable and guarded when it comes to her heart. Henry is something of a playboy who has a sensitive and artistic side. The fact that Vicki doesn't fall into his arms seems to confuse and intrigue him. His youthful face masks a very old soul, and actor Kyle Schmid does an excellent job in balancing this dichotomy. Mike cares for Vicki; that much is obvious. His jealousy of Henry combined with his fear that Henry is a bad and even dangerous influence on Vicki leads him to do some stupid stuff in season one.
One of the things that keeps me coming back to this show is the dialogue. Funny, often tongue in cheek, and always entertaining, the verbal exchanges between all of the characters sparkle. In last night's episode for example, Vicki's assistant Corrine finds Henry looking at some of her research materials:
Corrine: "You're a vampire reading a book on vampirism?"
Henry: "Like you've never read a self help book."
Or earlier in the episode:
Vicki: "It's a biker bar..."
Henry: "I know it. I don't always hunt in the opera circuit. One has to vary one's diet."
Vicki: "Well, everybody enjoys a little fast food now and then."
It's little one-offs like this that make it seem like the show doesn't take itself too seriously. Oh, but besides the characters and dialogue and all that stuff...did I mention that there are hot guys? Oh yeah. Minor detail. (*ahem*)
If you weren't lucky enough to catch the first season, allow me to summarize. The stories center around Vicki Nelson, kick-ass private detective, formerly a member of the Toronto police. After a brush with the paranormal, Vicki ends up solving cases that the police won't touch. Zombies, elves, demons, and other monster thangs that you've never heard of...apparently Toronto is a much more dangerous place than it seemed when I was up there last month. Vicki finds help and an unlikely friendship with 450 year old vampire Henry Fitzroy. Henry's inside knowledge of the world beyond our own combined with Vicki's tenacity and no-nonsense investigative style adds up to quite a team. Oh and then there is Mike Celucci, Vicki's former partner on the police force (and one gets the impression...former partner in other areas of her life as well). Classic love triangle.
Each episode features some sort of mystery dealing with the supernatural and as the story progresses, so do the relationships. Vicki is obviously attracted to the sexy mysteriousness that is Henry but she also has a history with the solid stability that is Mike. Watching her struggle to figure out how to balance the two relationships is one of the things that makes the show so entertaining. Vicki embodies those strong female qualities that a lot of romance novelists try to get right with their heroines and so often fail. She's smart, hard core, unafraid to battle demons, but still heartbreakingly vulnerable and guarded when it comes to her heart. Henry is something of a playboy who has a sensitive and artistic side. The fact that Vicki doesn't fall into his arms seems to confuse and intrigue him. His youthful face masks a very old soul, and actor Kyle Schmid does an excellent job in balancing this dichotomy. Mike cares for Vicki; that much is obvious. His jealousy of Henry combined with his fear that Henry is a bad and even dangerous influence on Vicki leads him to do some stupid stuff in season one.
One of the things that keeps me coming back to this show is the dialogue. Funny, often tongue in cheek, and always entertaining, the verbal exchanges between all of the characters sparkle. In last night's episode for example, Vicki's assistant Corrine finds Henry looking at some of her research materials:
Corrine: "You're a vampire reading a book on vampirism?"
Henry: "Like you've never read a self help book."
Or earlier in the episode:
Vicki: "It's a biker bar..."
Henry: "I know it. I don't always hunt in the opera circuit. One has to vary one's diet."
Vicki: "Well, everybody enjoys a little fast food now and then."
It's little one-offs like this that make it seem like the show doesn't take itself too seriously. Oh, but besides the characters and dialogue and all that stuff...did I mention that there are hot guys? Oh yeah. Minor detail. (*ahem*)
*edited to add...And apparently, Lifetime has all of the episodes available to watch on their website. Go forth and enjoy!
1 comment:
LOL - I think you and I have a lot in common. Blood Ties, now North and South and of course some really excellent romance books.
We're still in Season I here (and tomorrow night is the second part of the Vampire Hunter) but I think it's continuing right on to Season II - at least I surely do hope so! I haven't been this excited about a series since The Highlander. Did you watch that one by any chance *g*?
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