| Queen of Harps | |
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| Broadcast Date | 29 April 1995 |
| Season | 2 |
| Broadcast Order | 19th |
| Episode Number | 44 |
| Production Number | 221 |
| Writer | Gillian Horvath |
| Director | Alan Simmonds |
| Navigation | |
| Previous Story: Beyond the Law
Next Story: Close Call
| |
| “ | Schanke showed up. I couldn't let him see me spend ten years' salary in one night. | ” |
— Nick Knight, Queen of Harps
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Summary[]
the harp
When Nick is unable to obtain at auction a harp that has ties to his mortal past at auction, his actions are less than legal. When the auctioneer is found murdered, Nick finds himself in a precarious situation, caught between the harp's longing and his own desires.
Guest Cast[]
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- Brenda Bazinet......Gwyneth/Johanna Shea
- Peter Donaldson......Sir Raymond DeLabarre/Hugh DeLabarre
- David Bolt......Sam Baskers
- Ron Hartmann......Ted Haley
- Colin Miller......concierge
Detailed Story Recap[]
Gwyneth plays her harp by the standing stones
A woman is seen sitting on a rock. She is singing and playing a swan pattern harp. There is a noise in the distance. This woman calls out "Nicól". A horse nearby whines. Then the woman sees a man [his face is unseen to the viewers] with a sword and she starts to run. The man chases her. She runs to a river and flings the harp into it. The man with the sword then kills her.
It is the present day, the an pattern harp, frm the Kushner estate, isbeing auctioned. At this ae ion house, a man is speaking on a cell phone and asking what to bid for the harp. This man is a buyer's agent and esenting a mysterious bidder. The buyer's agent and a woman start bidding against each other for the harp. When buyethe r's agent bids 30, everyone is quiet. In the back of the auction room someone bids 75. Everyone in the room turns to see the bidder--it is Nick.
Meanwhile Schanke is driving around and talking with dispatch, he is looking for Nick. At the auction, only Nick and the agent continue to bid for the harp. Suddenly Schanke shows up at the auction; he wants Nick's help with a case. Nick tries to continue to bid but Schanke takes Nick's bidding paddle. The buyer's agent wins the harp.
Back at the precinct, Nat wonders where Nick was hiding. Schanke says he was at the auction house, and leaves to talk to Cohen. Nat asks Nick whether he got the harp. Nick stated he couldn't bid "ten years salary in one night" in front of Schanke. Nick tells Nat that the harp is important because it is related to his past -- even before he was a vampire.
It is night time, Nick arrives at the auction house again. Nick questions the auctioneer, Sam Baskers, about the buyer of the harp. Baskers states it is confidential. Nick flashes his badge but Baskers still refuses to release the name of the buyer without a subpoena.
After Baskers leaves, Nick returns to the auction house to look for the name of the buyer but is unsuccessful. Nick then decides to steal the harp.
The next morning, Nat and Schanke are at the murder scene of Sam Baskers. Baskers was killed by someone breaking his neck. Schanke wonders why only the harp is stolen when there are more valuable objects in the auction house. Nat checks Baskers neck for any markings but she sees nothing.
Nick caresses Gwyneth's harp
Meanwhile, back at the loft, Nick is admiring the harp and has memories of his past. Nat suddenly walks in. She scolds Nick for stealing the harp and then leaves.
Nick begins his night shift. Schanke discusses with Nick about his suspicions that the person responsible for stealing the harp is the murderer. Schanke also mentions to Nick the name of the buyer's agent - Ted Haley - and the buyer of the harp - Hugh DeLabarre, a.k.a Lord Carragh from Wales.
At the Salisbury club, the concierge refuses to let Nick and Schanke in to talk to Lord Carragh. Nick hypnotizes the concierge into believing that Lord Carragh is expecting them.
Lord Carragh says that the harp is a lost family heirloom from the 13th century. He tells Nick and Schanke that the harp contains the soul of the land. Schanke informs Lord Carragh of a blond woman bidding for the harp also. Lord Carragh thinks this mysterious woman knows where the harp is.
When Nick and Schanke leave the Salisbury club, Nick states that someone is lurking around. The intruder tries to break into Lord Carragh's room via the window. Nick and Schanke catch the intruder - it is the mysterious woman.
Back at the precinct, Schanke questions the woman. She is Johanna Shea, an archaeologist. Nick observes Johanna and sees her resemblance to Gwyneth, the woman who was singing and playing the harp at the beginning of the show. Cohen informs the detectives of Johanna being connected to the deceased Ellen Kushner. Johanna states that Ellen Kushner agreed to donate the harp to the Carragh museum before Kushner's death. However, since it was a verbal agreement, Johanna has no rights to the harp. To obtain the harp, Johanna would have to bid at the auction. Johanna states that the harp contains the "soul and spirit of the land".
Schanke talks with Nat about the case and the missing links. Nick walks in just as Schanke is on his way home. Nat tells Nick it would be impossible for him to kill Baskers. Nick tells the rest of the story about the harp to Nat.
At the precinct, Nick is talking with Johanna. She states that she does not have a lawyer and knows no one in town. Nick finds Johanna a lawyer - Ted Haley.
Haley visits Lord Carragh and tells how Miss Shea is released from custody. Haley also informs Lord Carragh that he is now Miss Shea's lawyer. Lord Carragh then askes where Miss Shea is residing.
Johanna walks into her apartment and sees the harp in her room. When she holds the harp, she sees an image of Gwyneth in danger. Lord Carragh suddenly walks in.
Nick and Schanke finds that Lord Carragh is only a lord on paper. He actually is bankrupt. Also, the three previous owners of the harp all died at a premature age of 55 years old. All the owners were from the same family and named DeLabarre. Nick then states that they need backup at Johanna's place.
Lord Carragh says that the harp belongs to him because he paid for it. Johanna wants to wait for the police to come before handing over the harp to Carragh. Carragh becomes angry and tries to grab the harp but Johanna escapes his clutches with the harp. The images of Johanna escaping from Carragh intertwine with the images of Gwyneth running from her purser, who turns out to be Sir Raymond. Johanna falls down the stairs and Carragh grabs the harp from her. He almost kills her, but a stranger yells,: "What's going on down there?"
Carragh escapes and reaches outdoors. Nick corners Carragh in an alley. Carragh tells Nick that the harp has cursed his ancestors and he wants to destroy it. Carragh shoots at Nick. Nick punches Carragh and takes back the harp. He walks out of the alley and saunters toward Johanna. He gives her the harp. Lord Carragh appears again and tries to run toward Nick and Johanna, only to be hit by a bus.
At the precinct, Nat states that DeLabarre is the one who killed Baskers. Schanke also mentions that a mysterious bidder donated the harp to the Carragh museum.
In the closing scene, Johanna is playing the harp like Gwyneth did at the beginning of this episode.
Flashback:
Nick is found by Gwyneth's body and taken into custody
Nick flashbacks to a time when he is a knight. He is riding a horse with Sir Raymond. He hears music. He searches in the direction where the music comes from. He sees a woman playing a harp -- he introduces himself as Nicholas de Brabant who serves Lord DeLabarre. Nicholas develops a relationship with this woman, Gwyneth. They have discussions about religion and their beliefs. Gwyneth also tells Nicholas about her being the last person to play the harp and the belief that the harp contains a soul. Sir Raymond is not pleased with Nicholas developing a closer relationship with Gwyneth. Sir Raymond states that Nicholas and Gwyneth's relationship is only work and nothing more. Nicholas goes to see Gwyneth at night. She states that the "stones" tell her she will not share a destiny with Nicholas. In the morning, Gwyneth is calling out "Nicól" but sees a man with a sword and runs. At that moment, Nicholas awakes from his sleep and senses Gwyneth is in trouble. Nicholas desperately searches for Gwyneth and finds her lifeless body near the river. Suddenly the local people surround Nicholas. Nicholas is put in a dungeon and Sir Raymond comes to his rescue. Nicholas can only have his freedom on the condition that he fights in the holy land. The final scene indicates that Sir Raymond killed Gwyneth.
Vampire Lore[]
Fan Fiction[]
Quotes[]
- Nick: My lord, you must know that I am innocent!
DeLabarre: Of course, Nicholas, of course. Such ugly business, this. In time, the true killer will be unearthed. No doubt it was one of the field hands—one of their own—bent on taking the poor woman.
Nick: What's to become of me?
DeLabarre: I've managed to secure your freedom, Nicholas, on condition that you pay your debt and your penance by fighting in the Holy Land.
Nick: I'm not a murderer. I must have a chance for a fair trial.
DeLabarre: Are you blind, man? You are a foreigner here. The harper woman was their native daughter. Stay to protest and they'll have your head. The Archbishop and I have exercised all our resources in order to secure this reprieve, Nicholas. I advise you to accept it with our blessing and take your sword to Jerusalem.
Notes[]
Behind the Scenes[]
- The German title for this episode is "Die Harfe" ("The Harp").
- Gwyneth’s harp is very similar to the Trinity College harp (“Brian Boru’s harp”), which dates to the 14th or 15th century. This type of wire-strung Celtic harp is called a clàrsach (Scottish Gaelic) or telyn (Welsh).
- Why did Gwyneth fling the harp away, instead of using it as a shield? DeLabarre said she had been using it “to stir the people against us.” Perhaps, like the minstrel boy of the famous Irish folk song, it was important to her that the harp not fall into an enemy’s hands.