Blood Ties

Very interesting beginning to a series on vampires and things that go bump in the night. I enjoy the characters that Huff puts into her stories. It is interesting though that Vicki even though she seems to be immune to the vampires charms was so easily taken in by the vampire.



The Canadian cast of this show is pretty strong. Christina Cox plays the lead role of Victoria (Vicki) Nelson from Huff's novels. Her vampire paramour is Henry Fitzroy (Kyle Schmid) a 476 year old vampire that was the former Duke of Richmond. Vicki's former partner and sometimes boyfriend Mike Celluci is played by Dylan Neal. Finally Vicki's soon to be assistant and client from this first episode is Coreen Fennel (Gina Holden).



Coreen believes her boyfriend who was the second victim and the one witnessed by Vicki was killed by a vampire. Unfortunately for Vicki it is the only possible conclusion once the facts are all put into place. So where do you go when you're looking for a vampire.



Vicki is an excellent investigator and a strong female lead. She manages to uncover a lot despite the dangers to herself. An important component to the story is Vicki's failing eyesight which caused her to leave the force and eventually will cause her to lose her eyesight all together. It will be interesting to see how vampire blood will eventually enter the story and cure that problem. This is part one of two of the Pilot episode. Thanks for reading...

I love the fact that Henry is who he is, and he makes no apologies for it. Very refreshing compared to other vampire shows and movies where the vampire is tortured and wants to be human. I love the Vickie character, too. The fact that she is slowly going blind allows her to see what is really important. Strong female lead characters are becoming more common, but few of them are so flawed and so compelling. The confusion she feels about the men in her life feels right somehow. Such choices shouldn't be easy in drama because they're not easy in reality.

I love the sexy yet subtle attraction within the first episode between Henry and Vickie. When his curiosity and Vickie's work collide in the club there is an immediate impression, on Henry that is. Vickie didn't as much as blink when he tried to control her will and it was an obvious reaction of admiration as well as surprise from Henry. Vickie barely noticed him I think only fuelling the fire. When they meet again without thinking of how strange or odd she immediately uses her own blood to save Henry because that is who Vickie is and always will be. React first and think later. Corrine's character who hires Vickie is strange and sexy as well. She comes looking for answers, she finds herself in the throws of unusual abduction, and after all she comes back for a job. I feel she is the perfect sidekick to Vickie. Her love for the gothic and her brains is just what a new comer to these sides of life Vickie needs in order to do her work. The ex partner and cop Mike Selluci makes an uptight and still pivotal first impression and from the second he enters you can tell he looks out for Vickie…was there something there before? Keep watching…I love this series. An ex cop turned private eye for the world of the abnormal and her secretary/partner who is a bit strange, the ex partner still cop who is all about reality and normal, and the vampire. Sounds strange but I am glad I gave it a chance.

This is a serial about sexy vampire, detective and love.Interest for many teens who likes buffy or queen of damned. Blood Ties, set in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, centers around Christina Cox as Vicki Nelson, a former cop who left the force to become a private investigator after beginning to lose her eyesight. Through her work she teams up with a 480-year-old vampire, who happens to be the illegitimate son of Henry the VIII. The mutual attraction between them is complicated by Vicki's relationship with former partner and lover, Mike Celluci. In the beginning, he doesn't believe in the supernatural and thinks that Vicki is losing her mind along with her eyesight. Also in the picture is Vicki's assistant Coreen, who was hired because of her knowledge of the occult and to keep her quiet about Henry. Coreen is thoroughly enamored with both the occult and Henry, which can get her into trouble.

My review is FULL OF SPOILERS.



The Good



They've set this up fairly similarly to Huff's books, except that Henry Fitzroy writes graphic novels instead of romance novels. Slight update, and I like it. It's visual, for one thing, which works better in the visual medium of TV. It still has that slightly surreal feel that Vicki got in the book from meeting a vampire who writes bodice-rippers. They replaced Tony in the book with Coreen, a mysticism-loving Goth student who blackmails her way in to being Vicki's assistant. I like it.



I've decided I really like the casting for Henry. I like that he's average height - he's 500 years old and they grew them smaller back then. He manages to have sufficient presence to make up for height. He's pretty without being wimpy and he can really look dangerous or mysterious as needed. Yep, I've decided I really like Schmid in the role.



Cox, despite being a tiny, flaxen-haired beauty like so many other actresses, is convincing as a tough guy type, unlike many others who have tried to pull that off in similar roles.



The scene where Vicki gives Henry her blood to save his life. Good! Not overtly sexual, but those of us who've read the book know how erotic Vicki finds it, and you could see that in the scene too, if you looked.



Good Lines

Dave: Are you going to shoot him again?

Vicki and Mike: That was an accident!



Mike: (sarcastic) Good catch.

Vicki: Clearly I need more beer.



Vicki: You don't look a day over 450.

Henry: I use a great moisturizer.



Vicki: Just because you got in a lucky shot doesn't mean I'm easy to kill.

Henry: Everybody's easy to kill.



Mike: Vicki, what the hell did I just see?

Vicki: It's a really long story. But I'm sure glad I'm not the one writing the report.



The Bad



Vicki tells Coreen to stay patient, "I told you this would take some time." Not true. She told her she would only dedicate a few days to such an unlikely assignment.



Both Vicki and Henry plot the locations of the three murders and conclude that it makes the first three points of a pentagram on the map of the city. How does that work? Three dots makes a triangle. That's all. From there you can make all sorts of things, pentagrams, six-sided stars, lots of things. Norman wants to take clandestine pictures of Coreen, so he sits at a table where she's a waitress with a huge clunky camera he has to lift to his face to snap a shot and whip away before she can see. The demon gives him hot cars but he can't get a cameraphone?



The Ugly



The scene where Vicki wakes up in Henry's apartment. She should try to leave and doesn't. She tells him all about the retinitis pigmentosa within less than a minute of waking up in the home of the man she thinks might be a serial killer. At least she refuses to drink the drink he gives her. "I am a vampire," he says, and she still makes no attempt to leave, nor does she act angry or frightened.



Maybe the scene doesn't qualify as "ugly;" a lot of things in it worked. But you don't tell the guy who knocked you out and took you home that you're half blind. In the sacrifice scene, Henry busts in as Norman literally is about to plunge a dagger into Vicki, but rather than grab his hand and stop it, he opens his grimoire and starts chanting something at the demon. Duh! The final sacrifice is what brings the demon through, Vicki is to be that sacrifice, so *stop Norman from killing her* then deal with the demon.

I loved her in F/X and I love her here. And it's good to hear that Tanya Huffs herself said that Christina was just perfect for this part! This actress is not a gorgeous babe but she is strong and you really believe that she can kick some ass. Oh, and this baton of hers... wow, so hot!





Dylan Neal as Mike Celluci is quite the hottie! I didn't watch Dawson's Creek but I know that he played the part of the gay sheriff there. He is older now but still so incredibly handsome! I might be smitten here :D





And Henry Fitzroy... Kyle Schmid... wow! I mean, reading the books I thought he looked older but this young version is like so hot - yeah, I'm repeating myself, so sue me :P I loved Vicki's "craddle-robber" comment :D





But Gina Holden aka Coreen Fennel... she looks so... old! X( I mean, it's been just two years since she appeared in Supernatural but oh my gosh, does she look quite ran-down or what? Especially in her goth make-up and compared to Christina Cox.



The story was quite interesting too. I think this series will be up there with The Dresden Files, meaning it'll be fun to watch but I won't be completely in love with it. I mean, in the books, Henry Fitzroy is quite the gay or at least bi character, here he seems very very het so far. I'm not sure what to think of it. I mean, it's an US series, so I don't expect them to be open-minded about homosexuality but I hope that they won't cut out this part completely :(

I have to admit, while I am a sucker for television that involves science fiction or the supernatural, I had fairly low expectations regarding "Blood Ties". After all, it is a fairly low budget Canadian series, and it was acquired by Lifetime of all networks. But after watching part one of the pilot, I must say everything turned out better than I was expecting, and it was enjoyable, but the show does have some issues, many of which can easily be worked out in the future.



The acting was pretty good but did suffer in some instances, mostly from Dylan Neal. The writing got overly campy in some instances, and the cinematography felt a little cheap. But everything seemed to improve as the hour went on, making me wonder if they filmed the scenes in order or if it was just a coincidence.



The worst aspect of the episode by far was the nerd/villain. His lines were bad, his acting was bad, and he was a typical television cliche. I'm assuming he'll be gone after part two which is a blessing.



"Blood Ties" appears to be a fun - if campy - new series with potential. I've been waiting for an occult-themed show to hit the airwaves, and while there is "Supernatural" on The CW, this show has a fun "guilty pleasure" aspect to it and I'm definitely interested in watching more.

YAY I have just found a new fav. show.



YAY I really like this show.At first I was a little skeptical at first but again I say YAY!!!! It's sometimes really hard for shows to pull off supernatural plots but I think they did an awsome job (siriously) And Henry...WOW... must I say more?



But anyway back to the episode... what is up with Viki's arms I wonder? I guess we wil just have to find out later I suppose. And what's going to be on te adgenda next Sunday?

I guess we'll find that out tommorrow as well. But ya this is deffinatly going into my top 10 shows:)

OMG I loved it, loved it, loved it!!!! I am going to start a Henry/Vicki shipper fan club! Wow Henry is not only undead but hot and I would fall for him anyday. I can't wait for this team to take on the forces of Vodoo next week. I am so taping it Think it is too early for DVDs to come out LOL

Ok about the episode that has me a little confused did Henry kill the bad deman with his words and then because of the bad guy being taken/sucked in by the deman I take it he still is alive???

And what up with Vicki's arms I am so curious to what they mean and what will come about them?????

Victoria Nelson, also know as Vickie Nelson is a private investigator who is legendary in the police force. She witnesses a murder that bring her together wiht one of the most dangerous and amazing person she will ever meet. After being called to service by her latest client, Coreen, Vickie meets Henry Fitzroy, a vampire. Coreen thinks that its a vampire who killed her boyfriend Ian, but Vickie after working with a vampire doesn't think so. It was something more dangerous than that. A demon. One that is supposedlu being controled by a human who thinks that ones they call up a master demon they will have all that they want. After they discover who it was. Coreen becomes Vickies new assistant through blackmail.

ok so i was hooked from the begining...this is one of the few shows about vampires that is good...i love how they intertwined Henry and Vicki it was awesome because now they are pretty much connected forever since he drank from her...and the relationship between Vicki and Mike is definately full of drama that we have yet to see...i mean i laughed so hard when Mikes partner asked if Vicki was going to shoot him again...i can only imagine what the circumstance were where vicki would shoot him...but for the first epiosde i am definately hooked and will be watching from now on...