Brief Summary
Tracy Vetter is assigned to homicide and paired with Nick Knight. First assignment: track down
a serial bomber who blew up the plane carrying Don Schanke and Amanda Cohen.
Why I like "Black Buddha I"
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always looking for contributions.
Favorite Tracy quote
"It's like it's a big neon sign over my head. 'Commissioner's daughter. Proceed with extreme
caution...'"
Full Tracy-centric Summary
Detective Tracy Vetter, newly assigned to homicide, meets her "temporary" partner, Nick Knight.
She's young and smart, but very defensive about the fact that her father is on the police
commission. Tracy merely wants to be judged on her own merits and for her own accomplishments.
Driving around, Tracy and Nick end up near the airport, where they witness a fiery explosion in
the sky. The plane that was carrying Donald Schanke and Captain Amanda Cohen to Alberta crashed
to the ground, with an infant the only survivor. At the crash site, Tracy thinks she sees a
corpse move, but Reese convinces her it was just her imagination. As they leave the site, the
"dead" body gets up and sprints away -- he's a vampire.
Tracy is unable to get the crash out of her mind, and uses her connections to the police
commission to get into the crash investigation site. She stays behind when Nick and Nat leave
the hangar, suspiciously looking for someone -- or something. In the shadows, she spots the
"body" she saw move at the crash site. He's walking, talking, and missing a hand. Stunned,
Tracy faints.
She awakens in the passenger seat of her car, which is being driven by the mysterious stranger.
He introduces himself as Javier Vachon. She tries to force him (at gunpoint) to drive to the
police station, but he refuses. Instead, he tries to hypnotize her. When that doesn't work,
he offers to give her information about the crash. Tracy takes him home, and while he's
showering, Tracy studies herself in the mirror. Vachon catches her wiping imaginary smudges
off the mirror. He moves in close to her, smooths back her hair, and kisses her. Tracy,
captivated by his gaze, returns the kiss.
Vachon leaves, telling her it's too dangerous for her to try to find him, but that he'll find her
later. Tracy, however, disagrees, and researches "J.D. Valdez" at the police station. She sets
out for his only known address, an abandoned church. When she gets there, instead of Vachon,
she finds an angry Spanish-speaking man. He grabs her by the throat and threatens to kill her
if she doesn't tell him where to find Vachon.
Review
Tracy Vetter gets an introduction to homicide, the night shift, and the vampire community all
at once. She's impulsive in this episode, checking out the crash investigation site and
"Valdez's" church with little forethought. Still, she states one of her most consistent ideals
very clearly, her need to prove her worth as her own person, not as an extension of her father.
She's practical in knowing that she may always be judged as the "Commissioner's Daughter."
Her introduction to her new partner is short and sweet, due to the plane crash and Nick's
temporary resignation. Even so, this establishes the pattern of their partnership. Tracy's
relationship with Vachon starts off on a unique note. How many women can say they met their
boyfriend after he had died in a plane crash? "Black Buddha I" shows the undeniable attraction
between the two of them, to the point of their first kiss. This also demontstrates that Tracy is
a resistor, unable to be influenced by vampire hypnosis.
All in all, a good introduction to Tracy, Vachon and the third seson crew. Plus, some good bits
for Nick and Nat.
