More Permanent Hell
More Permanent Hell
Although both LaCroix and Janette are fascinating in this episode, I agree with Marc that the highlight is Natalie. Her tragedy is not death or the end of the world, it's the bitter reality of losing Nick -- even worse, losing him to Janette (who will survive the asteroid crash). Believing circumstances to be so dire, she has no reason not to share her feelings with him.
Natalie makes her proposition to Nick to bring her across. She says, "I can live forever with you". "With you" is so revealing and prefaces the rest of her attempt at persuasion. "Everything I've held back I want to give you now. You want it too, don't you?" This is the best example ever of Nat expressing her true feelings and desires to Nick. He, of course, refuses her request. With biting sarcasm she retorts, "Hell, a little rejection isn't the end of the world..." But the real sting of rejection is that Nick never even acknowledges the subtler meaning of her request. Ouch!
Desperation leads Nat to offer herself to Spark behind the Raven. When he leans in to bite her neck, she stops him because she wants "romance". What she really wants is Nick acting out what she's pictured in her head at least a thousand times.
During the fight with Spark, Nick's protection of Natalie is thrilling and passionate. He kills for her. She witnesses firsthand his devotion. But again her expectations are disappointed. He gives her another one of those platonic forehead kisses as he stands in the corner comforting her. To add insult to injury, he doesn't stay "the day" with her, a natural reaction to his guilt for rejecting her. He says he didn't think she'd want him to, clearly indicating he knows he's hurt her. Unable to look him in the eye, she admits, "I don't know what I want." Natalie is left emotionally naked and unsure of herself in their relationship now.
It seems to me that Natalie was more concerned about her own problems than the crisis with the meteor. As far as I could tell, she went about thinking "now's my chance" in regards to Nick. Did she somehow think that she would show up at his place and show off her newly acquired fangs? She would probably be more hurt by his rejection of her due her new state than anything that being a vampire could do to her. Nick was right all along. She wouldn't want his kind of life. Can you imagine her, as a vampire, in a few hundred years ? Natalie would probably be bitter and lonely, more like LaCroix than anyone else.
Can you imagine LaCroix's reaction if he found out that Natalie had been brought across? I'm sure he and Janette could not resist a few sarcastic "how the mighty are fallen" taunts.
It seems plausible that LaCroix would start thinking about religion. If the end of the world really was near, he wouldn't be any more immune to it than ordinary mortals. Same with the vampire community. For once, they can't just move on.
All in all, I'm surprised that Natalie would be more concerned with her own romantic problems than with the looming disaster. It seems to me that she was acting, all through this episode, like she didn't have to worry because she had inside help. She would "be saved" because she was going to get herself brought across. Getting another vampire to do what Nick wouldn't clearly shows to me just how self absorbed she was in this episode.
-- Pat Gallagher
An exasperating show to watch if you truly want Nick and Nat together like I do. His refusal to commit to her seemed to me to indicate that he has very deep feelings for her. He is scared of what might happen if he tries to bring her across. Perhaps Nick thinks that if he lives without Nat, the pain won't be as intense. They deserve to be together!
-- Julie Fogel
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