LaCroix's Depiction Across the Seasons (Plus a Meme)

Meta
Title:	LaCroix's Depiction Across the Seasons (Plus a Meme)
Creator:	Switchbladeeyes
Date(s):	10 February 2025
Medium:	blog post (DW)
Fandom:	Forever Knight
Topic:
External Links:	"LaCroix's Depiction Across the Seasons (Plus a Meme)"
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In "LaCroix's Depiction Across the Seasons (Plus a Meme)", Switchbladeeyes discusses the changing depiction of the character of Lucien LaCroix across the three seasons of the Forever Knight television series. The character is humorously compared to the villain, Snidely Whiplash, from "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle" cartoon, with Nick compared with Dudley Do-Right.

In the first season, LaCroix is "obsessed with fucking with Nick; he has no reason to do so and realizes no gain, profit, or advantage, but is simply compelled to do it." In second season, "We get more of his backstory, which makes him feel like a more fully realized character instead of just an agent of chaos in Nick's life. He switches tactics from force to persuasion, resulting in quite a shift in dynamics." In third season, "He takes a major chill pill toward Nick. So much so that he helps Nick preserve his modern self [...]."

To illustrate this, Switchbladeeyes accompanies the discussion with a meme illustrating the changes, concluding with a final illo depicting "Fan Fiction LaCroix" as the most complex version.

Comments to the blog post include the following:

"I quite agree with the character evolution you described. He's such an interesting character. You never know what's his agenda and what he's up to. And he gets away with anything. That makes him super fun to write. And I love his witticisms. There's so much potential in a man who has lived 2000 years." - excerpted from comment by PJ1228

I'll leave the detailed analysis to those who have studied LaCroix more intently than I, but of course Season 1 LaCroix is largely a product of Nick's memories of how the events transpired. And that is in the light of the fact that Nick believes he killed him and must be trying in some way to justify that to himself.

Of course, LaCroix is a bit of a bastard in Dark Knight which is 'real time' Lacroix. It is pretty consistent with how we see him the rest of the season.

I do like my villains and my heroes with shades of gray, so I am happy to see a more well rounded and nuanced version of LaCroix emerge. Still not a good guy, but no longer a cartoon characterization of an evil one. For what it's worth, I wish we had seen more of an evil Nick, particularly in early flashbacks (not stupid Nick, we saw enough of that) but the Nicholas who kept captives in the cellar to feed on. A Nicholas who has a reason to feel the guilt that is crushing him.

I do suspect that LaCroix and Nick have gone round and round forever with these various behaviors--he pretty much tells us that in the fb in NiQ. "You really do like me, you just know that you do." "Our relationship hasn't always been this difficult." Then something snaps and they start all over again with "Snidely LaCroix." I'm going to hang on to the hope that Ashes to Ashes finally changed the dynamic up a bit. - excerpted from comment by Calliope24