Nick Knight (Forever Knight)
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- For the original movie and character, see Nick Knight.
Nick Knight (AKA Nicholas deBrabant) (1190-1996) is a fictional character on the Canadian-German-American science fiction/fantasy/horror/gothic television series Forever Knight. He is portrayed by Canadian actor Geraint Wyn Davies.
Nick Knight was born Nicholas de Brabant in France in 1190. He was born into a noble family, and eventually became a Norman knight. Early in his career, he was sent to Wales on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church to investigate pagan activities. While there, he was framed for the murder of a young pagan high priestess. The real murderer, a local official, arranged for his conditional release, provided that he leave Wales and fight for the Church in the Crusades as penance. His service during the Crusades was troubled.
(Although never stated in any episode, producer James Parriott speculated that while serving in the Crusades, Nicholas was captured by Muslim warriors and suffered a brutal incarceration that lasted several years. He became bitter and began to lose faith in God, which made him vulnerable years later to Lucien Lacroix.[1])
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[edit] Brought Across
By 1228, Nicholas had returned to France. One fateful night in a tavern, a drunken Nicholas met a beautiful lady named Janette du Charme, who intrigued him with talk of gaining immortality. She then introduced him to Lucien LaCroix. He revealed to Nick that both he and Janette were in fact vampires and wanted to bring him across (to the world of the undead.) LaCroix tempted Nicholas with the prospect of having eternal life, eternal youth and power beyond his imagination. Having been sold on the idea, Nicholas readily agreed to allow LaCroix to turn him into a vampire. LaCroix then brought Nicholas to the catacombs of Paris for his first feeding, which, in the vampire world, involves killing a mortal for their blood. After some brief hesitation, Nicholas killed the first of what would become many victims, and fully embraced life as a vampire.
[edit] Life as a Vampire
Being a vampire has given Nick extra-ordinary powers. He has infra-red vision and has enhanced hearing. He can move at incredibly fast speeds, can fly and has super human strength. He has the ability to hypnotize some people (however, some mortals, known resisters among vampires, are immune from hypnosis by vampires.) This skill has proven useful when trying to extract information from people, erase or alter their memories or getting them to perform some kind of action. His heart beats only once every ten minutes. Although he can suffer serious physical injuries, his wounds heal within a matter of hours. Cold weather does not affect him in anyway. He is also immune to all forms of disease and illnesses, and poison gas will not harm him. Although he outwardly appears human, when he is threatened or acting on his vampire instincts, his eyes turn yellow and he bares fangs (this is known as vamping out among fans of the series.)
With his incredible powers comes a heavy price. Sunlight will cause Nick to burst into flames, so he cannot go outside during the day. He does not enjoy eating any food, though he can drink some liquids and occasionally mixes blood with wine. Ingesting large portions of food make him violently ill. The smell of garlic makes him sick. He is compelled to look away at crosses or other religious symbols. Touching blessed objects such as crucifixes or holy water with physically burn him. Vampires must keep their true identities secret from the public. In order to avoid suspicion from others, Nick can never stay in one location very long. Every few years or so, he will move on, a term used by vampires which refers to leaving an area and establishing new life in a different area under an assumed identity. Although immortal, Nick can be destroyed by a stake being driven through his heart, sunlight, fire and decapitation.
Vampires share a psychic bond with their master (the vampire who brought them over.) Nick has such a bond with LaCroix. He is able to sense when LaCroix is close to him. This bond, while not making him LaCroix's slave, does make Nick feel a certain amount of loyalty and obligation to him. Unlike other vampires depicted in fiction, Nick (or other vampires depicted in the series for that matter) does not sleep in a coffin. He cannot turn into a bat or other animal forms. He can see his reflection in a mirror and can cast a shadow. He does not become comatose or lose any of his powers at sunrise.
For over 700 years, Nick traveled with both LaCroix and Janette, leading a very evil life. He and Janette became lovers, and during the Renaissance period, lived together as man and wife for 97 years. Janette eventually ended the relationship. Although Nick was devastated, he eventually accepted her decision, and the two have remained close friends.
Gradually, his conscience began to gnaw at him. He was never able to live with the guilt he suffered because of his evil deeds. Over the centuries, he began to realize that murdering innocent people for their blood was wrong. He resolved only to feed on those who deserved death, specifically those who committed major crimes. He rationalized this behavior by claiming that he was acting as God’s instrument of vengeance. It was around this time that he began to entertain notions that perhaps he made the wrong choice becoming a vampire, and expressed a desire to regain his mortality.
Although Jeanette and others in the vampire community expressed mild amusement with Nick’s ideas, LaCroix found such thoughts unacceptable, feeling that Nick should accept his vampire nature. He cruelly mocked Nick’s desire to regain mortality, and went out his way to frustrate any and all attempts by Nick to reclaim it. Nick responded by abandoning LaCroix and Janette for long periods of time, some periods lasting a few years or even decades. Such rejection hurt LaCroix, who looked upon Nick as a son. Eventually, LaCroix would locate him and make him return to his vampire family. LaCroix went too far once when teaching Nick a lesson about his vampire nature, a lesson that resulted in tragedy for a mortal woman Nick fell in love with. From that moment on, Nick resolved never to kill anyone again, under any circumstances whatsoever, in order to feed.
Although French is Nick’s first language, he has learned many others over the centuries. He is fluent in Cantonese Chinese, English, German, Italian, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
He has also encountered several historical figures over the years, including Joan of Arc, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jack the Ripper, Rasputin and Adolf Hitler.
[edit] Police career
By 1992, Nick had re-established himself in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as Homicide Detective Nicholas (Nick) Knight for the Metropolitan Toronto Police. He had not killed anyone for blood for past 100 years, and subsists on cow’s blood to satisfy his hunger. However, he must constantly struggle to control his instinctive urges to hunt humans for their blood. He chose policing as a profession in part to try to re-establish a connection with mortals, and also as a self-imposed penance for the numerous murders and other crimes he committed over the centuries. Nick worked permanent grave yard shift at the 27th precinct due to his nature, although he explained to his superior, Capt. Joseph Stonetree, that he had to because he was allergic to sunlight. Although Stonetree had his misgivings about Knight, he tolerated him because he was an excellent detective. Originally he worked alone, but Nick was partnered with Det. Donald Schanke, a capable detective who was a complete opposite of Nick in terms of personality and approach to police work. Although the two initially butted heads, they came to respect each other and became close friends. Although he came close on some occasions, Schanke never learned that Nick was a vampire.
Nick was also working with Dr. Natalie Lambert, a coroner who assisted Nick and Schanke with their murder investigations. Lambert met Nick in the morgue one night, when his apparently dead body was brought in. Nick had been trying to defuse a bomb while investigating a case. To her surprise, she noticed none of the injuries that the ambulance driver claimed Nick had sustained. She turned away briefly from his body, and was shocked to find Nick alive and drinking the blood samples in her lab. Rather than fear him, Natalie took a scientific interest in him. She agreed to keep his vampire nature a secret, and has been helping him to regain his mortality through a variety of means, such as encouraging him to use a sun tan lamp to develop UV tolerance, developing synthesized blood for him, etc. Although she occasionally expresses frustration over Nick’s lack of progress, she has also developed strong feelings for him, though Nick is reluctant to act on them.
It was in 1992 that LaCroix located Nick in Toronto, and destroyed another attempt by him to regain his mortality. Nick was later forced to destroy Lacroix by driving a burning stake through his heart in order to save an innocent mortal from him. Janette was also living in Toronto by 1992, operating The Raven nightclub, which both vampires and mortals frequented, and re-established her friendship with Nick
Nick resides at 101 Gateway Lane in a three story loft, which is accessible by a freight elevator. The windows are covered during daylight hours by metal shutters to prevent the sun from getting in. In his spare time, he often plays music on his grand piano and paints. He drives a 1962 Cadillac more out of necessity then vanity. This model of car has enough trunk space for a person to easily fit into. Nick has often climbed into the trunk and stayed there for several hours in situations where the sun suddenly rises. Nick has amassed a secret personal fortune over the centuries worth $478, 000, 000. 00 (Canadian), which was gained through illegitimate means.
[edit] Transfer and Reunion
Within a year, both Nick and Schanke were transferred to the 96th Precinct, under the command of no-nonsense Capt. Amanda Cohen. Like Stonetree, Cohen was exasperated at times by Nick’s unorthodox police work although she respected him and his track record.
It was around the time of Nick’s transfer that he made a shocking discovery. His old master LaCroix was alive and in Toronto. LaCroix had unsuccessfully tried to frame Nick for a murder in order to force him to move on and live like other vampires. LaCroix claimed to a horrified Nick that he was far too old and powerful to be killed by a burning stake. (It was never clearly stated how LaCroix re-generated, implying that LaCroix must have more vampiric powers then Nick, and that for some reason LaCroix has not taught him all his knowledge of vampiric ways.)
An uneasy truce was formed between the two, though LaCroix still continued to urge Nick to return to his vampire family. LaCroix settled in Toronto and became a late night radio show host on the CERK radio station, going by the radio name Nightcrawler. Nick would often listen to his shows while driving around Toronto. Although relations between the two gradually improved, Nick stated in clear and no uncertain terms to LaCroix that he would never go back to life as a vampire.
[edit] Tragedy and Change
In 1995, both Donald Schanke and Amanda Cohen were killed when a plane they were traveling on was blown up while flying over Toronto. Nick was devastated over the loss of his Captain and partner. Further complicating matters was the fact that Jeanette suddenly left Toronto without any explanation, signing over The Raven to LaCroix, who began broadcasting his shows from a booth inside the club. Her sudden departure perplexed Nick. Furthermore, LaCroix was miffed at Nick, believing him to be the cause of Janette's sudden departure.
Later, Janette resurfaces, now as a human. She reveals that she fell in love with a mortal, to whom she eventually revealed her secret. In the course of lovemaking, she drank his blood, little bit at a time, until one day, she not only lost appetite for blood but also found that she had regained her mortality. Janette and her new lover marry and start a new life, but it is interrupted when they are (nearly) murdered by a criminal syndicate. Nick brings a mortally wounded Janette back across (over her objections) and she exacts revenge on her would be killers by draining them of blood.
Nick’s new partner was Tracy Vetter, a recently promoted and very capable detective who was often willing to take dangerous risks in order to prove herself. Vetter’s father was a member of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission, and she was determined to advance her career on her own merit. Like Schanke, Vetter was unaware that Nick was a vampire. Captain Joe Reese succeeded Cohen as head of the 96th precinct. An American expatriate, Reese respected Nick’s detective work, though he was puzzled at times by his odd behaviour.
[edit] Journey’s End
Despite Nick’s best efforts, he was finally beginning to loose ground in his quest for humanity in early 1996. His vampiric inclinations were beginning to re-assert itself. This was depicted in the final few episodes of the series. Natalie, who was developing strong romantic feelings for Nick, was growing impatient with Nick's lack of progress and wanted some kind of resolution for their relationship.
One fateful night in 1996, Nick’s world came crashing down around him. A hostage situation had occurred at the 96th precinct. Nick was trying use hypnosis to get the suspect to surrender, when lights in the room suddenly turned on and broke the suspect's trance. He fired several shots at Nick, but the bullets went through him and hit Tracy instead. Nick managed to kill the suspect while displaying his vampire features in front of a shocked Tracy. Before she slipped into unconsciousness, she whispered reproachfully to Nick you could have trusted me. Tracy was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, and doctors felt she may die. Reese tries to comfort Nick. He also warns him that the Special Investigations Unit will want to question him regarding the strange circumstances of the shooting, but that he would help him as best he could.
Later that evening, Nick stopped by The Raven, and is surprised to find LaCroix closing the club down and packing. He explains that the time has come for him to move on. He also says he knows what happened to Tracy, and tells Nick that he must leave Toronto immediately and move on. When Nick protests, LaCroix points out that the subsequent investigation will ultimately lead to his exposure as a vampire. He then warns Nick that he is leaving Toronto for good, with or without him.
Nick later stops by the hospital again, and is so consumed with guilt over what happened to Tracy that he seriously considers turning her into a vampire. Natalie stops him, and chastises him for being willing to bring Tracy across but not her, even though she has requested this on more then one occasion. Hours later, Nick returns to the loft to find Natalie waiting for him. She informs him that Tracy died of her injuries.
Nick, feeling responsible for what happened, resolves to move on, but Natalie does not want to leave him. She insists that Nick bring her across. Nick reluctantly agrees, with Natalie assuring him that she trusts him and that no matter what, she has faith that they will be together always. Remembering Janette's secret, Nick decides to try becoming human again by drinking Natalie's blood, as Janette did her lover's. Nick bites her, but drains too much of her blood, resulting in her death. At that point, LaCroix arrives and tells a horrified Nick he has two choices; complete the process and bring her across or let her die. Unable to condemn her to life as a vampire, he allows her to die.
At this point, Nick has an epiphany. He tells LaCroix that just as Natalie had faith that they would always be together, he has now after all these centuries found the same thing. He decides to end his hellish existence by committing suicide, claiming he has faith that Natalie will be waiting for him wherever he goes and that God would finally grant him absolution for his many sins. LaCroix tries in vain to talk him out of this course of action, but Nick is resolute. LaCroix then states that Nick must believe him to be the devil. In a touching moment, Nicks says no, he is not the devil, that he now realizes that he is his closest friend. He hands LaCroix a wooden stake and then kneels over Natalie’s body. LaCroix then shouts DAMN YOU NICHOLAS!! as he impales Nicholas through the heart, ending his tortured 800 year existence.
