Blood Ties – Wild Blood

By Nancy Mathews
I’ve read the first two books in the Vicki Nelson series by Tanya Huff and enjoyed them a great deal. I’m particularly happy when the characters in the television show behave more like the characters in the books. The writer of this episode most definitely read at least one of the books; in fact, the story this episode was nearly lifted from the second book. Thankfully they changed it enough to keep it interesting.

From the opening, things are different. Henry and Vicki are talking about interesting things, like how he sees the world with vampire senses. Vicki admits that she would like to see things that way, “life in Technicolor”. He brings up the drawbacks, not the least of which is the fact that they could no longer have a relationship.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we see a woman going through someone’s house in the dark with a flashlight, dressed like a burglar, yet not acting like one. Looks like the homeowner is a big hunter and our poor excuse for a home invader is checking out the trophies on the wall. When the light falls on a black panther head her eyes go all mushy and sad.

Hmm. . . a relative perhaps?

Of course, at this point she’s interrupted as the hunter himself arrives home. We see her skulk out of site, then there’s the sound of a big cat roar, and next we see someone walking by a badly mauled body. Heck, we haven’t even had the credits yet!

Cool.

We, of course, discover that Cellucci has caught the case. He doesn’t buy into the animal mauling story since as a rule animals don’t rip off heads and leave them on tables. Seeing a pattern here? Interestingly enough, Mike seems to have ditched his donut eating partner David. Now he’s just with the obviously smitten Kim. They have picked up the woman from the opening scenes and, since she ran when they flashed their badges, she is being interrogated .

Here’s where things get interesting. Mike decides after his suspect goes all glowy eyed on him that, in fact, there is – get this – a supernatural aspect to this case. Can you imagine? Seriously. I mean Mike actually goes to Vicki and says he needs her help.

Don’t panic - he doesn’t immediately extend that request to Henry.

By the way, if I ever have a business partner who looks like Henry I will definitely have a desk top that glows like the platform at a strip joint that he can lay on it while he sketches. Smart girl, that Vicki.

Vicki and Henry do some actual detective work, oddly enough without Coreen (I guess Flash needed her to be Dale Arden this week). I thought I’d miss her, yet I didn’t. It meant more Henry participation, which is a happy thing.

They find the girl’s odd farm folk family and figure out they’re cat people (where is Nastassja Kinski these days, anyway?) and discover that the hunter’s specialty was shape shifters. He killed the girl’s brother and so she came to the big city to hunt the hunter and end him.

Unfortunately, at this point Cat Girl’s dad is coming to end her. See he thinks their secret is more important than anything – including his daughter’s life.

In a fit of decency, Mike talks him down and lets her go. He understands (miraculously) that justice would never be served in a typical court of law, so he calls it even.

The characters were nearly three dimensional this week. Let’s hope they keep episodes like this one coming.

Nancy Mathews works very hard at masquerading as a grown-up to go to work and raise her two sons. Once the sun goes down she reverts to the 10 year old she is. You can follow her plans for world domination through the formation of an army of knitters at her blog, Bronxgirlknits.

Never miss an update. Subscribe to Pink Raygun by Email or subscribe via RSS