A More Permanent Hell

A More Permanent Hell

Broadcast Date	6 May 1995
Season	2
Broadcast Order	20th
Episode Number	48
Production Number	225
Writer	Ron Taylor
Director	John Kapelos
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“	I have been delivered from death...to a more permanent hell.	”
	— LaCroix, A More Permanent Hell

Summary[]

When the head of a team of astronomers commits suicide, their predictions of a meteor's collision become public. As panic sweeps the world both mortal and vampire populations face their personal fears. Some of those fears lead to unusual actions.

Guest Cast[]

Divia	Selene	Flavius
Dr. Marybeth Ellis	Dr. Paul Dana	Dr. Carter	Dr. Forbes
Spark	woman attacked by Spark	Briana	Officer Harris
Daniel Plummer	news anchor	news anchor for CQRY

Kathryn Long.......Divia
Gina Wilkinson......Selene
Richard Partington......Flavius
Sharon Bernbaum......Dr. Marybeth Ellis
Michael Ayoub......Dr. Forbes
Jacqueline McLeod......Dr. Carter
Julian Richings......Dr. Paul Dana
Rod Wilson......Spark
Susan Bryson......woman attacked by Spark
Joanna Bacalso......Briana
Adrian Falconer......Officer Harris
Jennifer Mossop......News Anchor #1
Timothy Webber......News Anchor #2 (CQRY)
Lee Tim......Daniel Plummer

Detailed Story Recap[]

Vampire Lore[]

LaCroix makes a distinction between younger and older vampires. He clearly believes that, when human beings become extinct, younger vampires will be unable to survive, but that older ones will not die.

Fan Fiction[]

The following are works of fan fiction based on A More Permanent Hell, including works set in some AU in which the asteroid did hit Earth.

...what's an arcsecond? by imajiru (November 1995)
"Reconstruction" by Valerie Meachum (March 1996)
"What Makes a Mortal Interesting" by knightshade (January 2007)

Quotes[]

LaCroix: I'm going to miss them. Mortals, I mean. Where's the sport without them? Where's the fun? Where's the sense of gamesmanship?

LaCroix: Which do you suppose is worse, Nicholas: to die, or to be left in a living hell? A form of life whose only purpose is survival and nothing more. To exist for the sake of existing. Such bitter irony. The mortals sustain us: their art, their laughter, their society, their blood. Our eternal lives aren't worth much without them, are they?
Nick: So who is the more powerful in the end, the hunter or the hunted?
Lacroix: I don't know. Perhaps there is a power that's greater than both.
Nick: And the possibility frightens you, doesn't it?
Lacroix: But what kind of god is it, that can create such perversity, that can make such torture?

LaCroix: Life is the enemy we cannot defeat, only cling to like parasites on the living flesh of the universe.

Nightcrawler Monologue[]

At exactly 7:14 AM on June the thirtieth 1908 an asteroid 10 meters in diameter entered the Earth's atmosphere and exploded with the force of a 12 megaton bomb. A column of fire rose twenty kilometers in the sky, as hot and as bright as the sun. The entire forest below was incinerated and blown flat. The shockwave circumnavigated the Earth. Twice.

Now we have our friend 6748, when it hits, the one-thousand megaton blast will raise an impenetrable cloud of dust that will obliterate the sun for twenty years or more. The temperature on Earth will fall below freezing, and stay there. The air will be filled with dirt and toxins. Within a short time, all animal, plant, and human life will be gone.

Life will always find a way to cheat death. Life is the enemy we cannot defeat, only cling to like parasites on the living flesh of the universe. Hoping that we're not noticed and brushed away with a flick of the hand.

Notes[]

Behind the Scenes[]

The German title for this episode is "Leben ist schlimmer als sterben" ("Living is Worse than Dying").
Joanna Bacalso, who appears in this episode as Briana, also appears in the Season Three episode, Black Buddha Pt. 2, playing the angelic vampire who brought across Vachon and the Inca.

Continuity[]

In all other episodes of this series, vampires are shown not to be able to pass through solid objects such as doors. But Spark, who was outside Natalie's bedroom suddenly appears in the room with her. Rather than suddenly appearing the same way to save Natalie, Nick flies in through the window. So either Spark went through a solid door or he tricked Natalie's mind into not seeing him quickly come in. Or he moved so fast Natalie did not see him come in.

Canadian Content[]

Goofs[]

At the end or near to the end of this episode, one could see that LaCroix is holding a necklace, but LaCroix doesn't receive one until Ashes to Ashes. Although the one that LaCroix was holding in this episode could have been a copy.