Blade (TV series)

An American TV series which followed in the continuity of the Blade films, though without any of the main cast. Although not played by Wesley Snipes, Kirk Jones (the new actor) is surprisingly versatile in the role. The series was short-lived, lasting only from June to September, 2006. A total of 12 episodes.

The series follows a woman cop, Krista Starr, as she learns about the Vampire Masquerade after her brother was killed. (No, not that one!) Eventually, in a bid to destroy the House of Chthon from the inside, she herself is converted into a vampire and must deal with her own hunger.

But who cares about that? We're just here for Blade!

This series also delves into the history and backstory of Blade himself, filling in the gaps the films don't explore, including introducing us to Blade's father.

Notably, the series backs off from the third movie's 'final solution' to the vampire menace, with offhand comments about how the Day Star was a mess, but was handled by the Vampire Hierarchy.

Needs More Love

Tropes used in Blade (TV series) include:

• Action Girl: Krista Starr.
• Ancestral Weapon: The House of Chthon relic is the Sword of Lord Chthon, which, for some reason, is a katana. It actually turns out to be almost useless in a fight, as it is too old to be able to stand up to modern steel.
• A Child Shall Lead Them: Charlotte is a vampire aristocrat, who looks to be a young girl. She is, actually, over 200 years old, thanks to pureblood vampires aging very slowly. She is a villain, though.
• Anti-Hero: Blade. To normals, his actions would appear sociopathic.
• Badass: Blade.
• Badass Biker: Blade often uses a motorcycle as his primary conveyance.
• Badass Longcoat: Blade wears a black coat. It even has a hole to accommodate his sword.
• Big Bad: Marcus Van Sciver (even moreso than the purebloods).
• Blondes Are Evil: Chase.
• But for Me It Was Tuesday: Marcus has spent centuries waiting for a chance to avenge his wife's death at Damek's hands. When he finally confronts the pureblood about it, Damek simply laughs, claiming he doesn't even remember her. Justified, as he is hundreds of years old and likely can't remember everyone he has killed.
• The Cake Is a Lie: A villanous example with the Aurora Project, which is supposed to be a cure for vampire weaknesses. In fact, van Sciver is using the money to fund his own project to design a virus specifically targetted against purebloods. A partial cure does exist, but it kills the vampire within days.
• Cliff Hanger: The series ends in one, thanks to the cancellation.
• Cool Shades: Blade. Word of God is that he's nigh-invincible any time he wears his shades.
• Dead Little Sister:
  • This is Shen's reason for fighting vampires.
  • Agent Greg Collins is obsessed with catching serial killers after his family was killed by one.
• Designated Girl Fight: It seemed obvious from the start that Krista and Chase would come to blows.
• Enemy Mine: Blade is willing to stand by and watch as van Sciver kills off the purebloods and even help him, but has no intention of letting him live past this point.
• Evil Brit: Marcus van Sciver is a native Londoner, even though "van" indicates Dutch ancestry.
• Face Heel Turn:
  • Chase betrays Marcus at a crucial moment.
  • Blade things Krista has done this after she starts sleeping with van Sciver (for the record, the guy who killed her brother and doesn't hide it).
• A God Am I: The White Prince believes himself to be an angel.
• Genetic Engineering Is the New Nuke: Marcus pretty much says the trope name when calls refers to his genetically engineered Aurora virus as an atomic bomb that the other houses will have to fear.
• Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: After Marcus captures Shen, he wants Krista to torture him for information using her experience in Iraq. She does that after mouthing "I'm sorry", although she breaks her own finger instead of Shen's, while he yells in false pain.
• Katanas Are Just Better: Blade is, of course, armed with his signature silver katana. The House of Chthon relic is an ancient katana belonging to the founder of the House named Lord Chthon (which is strange, considering "chthon" is a Greek word meaning "earth"). Subverted in that the relic is made of inferior steel that can't stand up to Blade's sword.
• Last of His Kind: After the war between the House of Armaya and the rest of the vampires, Damek is the only remaining Armaya pureblood. He is later killed by van Sciver.
• Left Hanging: A real bad mistake on the producers part as the series tries to set up season two. However Spike TV wouldn't spring for another season and what happens next is pretty much left up to imagination.
• The Mole: After Marcus van Sciver forcibly turns Krista and throws her off the roof (to prevent her from ever being cured), she agrees to work with Blade from inside the House of Chthon. The finale reveals that Marcus has known the truth for awhile.
• Never Found the Body: After Krista throws Chase down the stairwell, the body disappears and no ash is found. Marcus comments that even if the body or the ash was found, he'd still remain fearful of her for the rest of his immortal life.
• New Old Flame: Pureblood Alex had a relationship with Chase a long time ago and now wishes to resume it. Turns out it's all a trap by Marcus and Chase to test the Aurora virus against a pureblood who won't be missed.
• The Other Darrin: Kirk Jones replaced Wesley Snipes in the title role for the television series.
• Our Vampires Are Different: Pureblood vampires age extremely slowly with the childlike Charlotte being in her 200s, while the adult-looking Overlord Rusk is over 600 years old.
• Poor Man's Substitute: Instead of Wesley Snipes, the creators hired rapper Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones for the role of Blade.
• Psychic Link: Apparently, a vampire's sire has a slight connection with the fledgling, which can be enhanced by a ritual involving being submerged into a vat of blood.
• Recycled: the Series: Based fully on the films.
• Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Father Carlyle betrays Blade to the Bad Bloods, who kill him in front of Blade.
• Scary Black Man: Blade is a (rare) heroic example.
• Sidekick: Shen's job is mostly logistics and weaponry, but he is also more than capable of handling himself.
• Sunglasses at Night: Due to his light sensitivity, Blade wears sunglasses nearly around the clock.
• Technical Pacifist: The House of Leichen vampires have sworn off killing humans for food, preferring to drink cloned blood. They believe killing is wrong and that it pollutes vampires. They also claim that non-Leichen vampires smell of meat.
• Wicked Cultured: Marcus van Sciver is known throughout Detroit as a patron of the arts and a proponent for the city's cultural revival, while at the same time being a bloodsucking mastermind and a vicious murderer. He also enjoys dining in expensive restaurants, despite the food having no nutritional value to him.
• You Are Already Dead: Krista is attacked by a vampire sent by Charlotte. She throws the vampire into a mirror, breaking it. The vampire gets up and prepares to attack again, only for Krista to point to the vampire's gut, where a piece of the silver mirror is sticking out. A second later, the vampire is ash.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness:
  • Detective Brian Boone is a familiar of Marcus's. When van Sciver finds out that Boone has been feeding his feral vampires hookers, he decides to have Boone be Krista's first kill. Boone survives, though, and is turned instead.
  • Subverted with Tucker Moffet, an architect who is hired by van Sciver to remodel the Conclave building. When Marcus meets with him to give him his reward, there is a tiny pause where the audience thinks he will kill the architect. In fact, Marcus gives him a familiar girl for his pleasure.