TVSquad

(S01E10) First thing we learn this week is that there are clubs in Detroit where a vodka tonic still only cost an inflation-fighting four bucks. Secondly, if you frequent such clubs, be prepared to encounter masked super-villains who channel Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and collect teeth.

Krista gets locked up by Shen and Blade to detox from her sex and blood feast with Marcus last episode. This is a gruesome episode, with lots of dungeons, torture and references to historical sadists like Gilles de Rais. It fails to be very scary and this torture-fest made me impatient for them to bring back Richard Roundtree, or for at least some mention of all the other threads they've put on the back burner, if not dropped altogether. Where's Boone been lately?

One good touch thing this week is Shen gets more than his usual cameo here -- getting enlisted by a missing hot cocktail waitress's even hotter nerdy sister, Bethany -- with whom he has good chemistry. Bethany is played by Lauren Lee Smith, (Mutant X, The L Word) and she's a welcome edition this week who I wish had had a little more screen time, what with Chase and Krista in separate states of lock-down and out of commission most of the night. Maybe she'll be back, but I doubt it.

Chase's imprisonment under the pureblood Charlotte is not wholly uncomfortable, as they serve her fresh baby blood in a lovely teacup. The reason for her kidnapping is to assess whether Chase is more loyal to Marcus -- or to the House of Cthon. But, for Chase, Marcus is the House, and soon enough Chase is assigned to yet another turn as a double-agent by Marcus. We also get another scene is a strip club this week, complete with pole dancers -- just to remind us we're watching Spike TV. Also on hand are some gory torture lithographs in a ancient tome that would have made Willow and Giles blush. Yep, it's Spike TV all right.

In Blade's showdown with -- and unmasking of -- the White Prince, there's the inevitable speech where villain claims that he and Blade are "just alike" -- enjoying the hunt and all. Yeah, whatever. But Blade doesn't seem to buy this cheap psychology cliche Batman-villain crap any more than the audience will, so good for him. In fact, once Blade dispenses with this week's especially cheesy threat, he smiles -- for what I think might be the first time in the series.