Kindred: The Embraced

Kindred: The Embraced was an American television series loosely based in Vampire: The Masquerade. The plot was set in San Francisco and the series premiered on Fox on April 2, 1996. It ran for eight episodes before being canceled on May 9, 1996.

Overview[]

The series focused on San Francisco Police Detective Frank Kohanek (C. Thomas Howell) who discovers his city is home to numerous vampires while investigating alleged mobster, Julian Luna (Mark Frankel). Julian is the Prince of the city, ruler of the vampire clans in his territory, collectively called "the Kindred". The vampires survive through the Masquerade, disguising themselves as humans, and Julian strictly enforces the laws that govern them to protect their anonymity. Julian and Frank form an uneasy bond as they work together to try to prevent a vampire war and Julian struggles with his romantic feelings for human reporter Caitlin Byrne (Kelly Rutherford).

Episode 1: The Original Saga[]

A police detective, Frank Kohanek, has learned that vampires exist, but doesn't realize that he's surrounded by them. The businessman whom he suspects is a mobster, Julian Luna, is the Prince of the San Francisco Kindred clans. Frank's girlfriend, Alexandra, is Julian's ex and also a vampire. When she reveals herself, breaking the Masquerade, her unlife is forfeit.

Guest Cast:

Gilbert B. Combs (as Gil Combs): Second assassin
Richard Danielson: Billy
Christina Erlich (as Cristina Erlich): Elegant young lady
Basil Hoffman: Charon
Tara Subkoff: Cash's girl
Brian Thompson: Eddie Fiori
Kate Vernon: Alexandra Serris

Episode 2: Prince of the City[]

The feud with the Brujah is escalating. Against Masquerade policy, Eddie Fiori has ordered the death of Boyle, an informant of Detective Kohanek. Fortunately for Eddie, the vote by the ruling Primogen is split and Eddie is not sentenced to Final Death. Julian has fallen in love with reporter Caitlin Byrne, a human who wants to do an article on him because he is wealthy, powerful and unseen. In order to control her, Julian buys the San Francisco Times and appoints her as the editor.

Guest Cast:

Michael Bauer: IA Investigator
Kimberly Campbell: Waitress
Scott MacDonald: Paul "Paulie" Boyle
Yuki Okumoto: Lt. Kwan
Christian Svensson: Nino Donelli
Brian Thompson: Eddie Fiori

Episode 3: Nightstalker[]

A recently Embraced and insane Kindred is making the news as a serial killer. Falling in love with human women is an issue for Julian, Cash and Daedalus.

Guest Cast:

Kimberly Campbell: Waitress
Aixa Clemente: Medical examiner
Kimberley Kates (as Kimberly Kates): Elaine Robb
Nicky Katt: Starkweather
Scott Mosenson
Brian Thompson: Eddie Fiori

Episode 4: Romeo and Juliet[]

Cash and Sasha have become lovers and Julian grudgingly gives permission for Cash to Embrace Sasha. He's too late, however, because the Brujah clan, trying to provoke a war between clans, has already Embraced her.

Guest Cast:

Kimberly Cockrell (as Kimberly Hooper): Lorraina
Gavin Danker: Martin
Emile Hirsch: Abel
Judy Kain: Nurse
Peter Anthony Rocca (as Peter Rocca): Bate
Brian Thompson: Eddie Fiori

Episode 5: Live Hard, Die Young, and Leave a Good Looking Corpse[]

Zane, a rock star Embraced by Lillie, endangers the Masquerade, but she's having trouble admitting that he's a problem. Sasha embraces her Brujah blood.

Guest Cast:

Christopher Allport: Mr. Dugan
J.C. Brandy: Riannon
Brook Susan Parker: ER doctor
Stephen Quadros: Brujah #1
Ivan Sergei: Zane
Brian Thompson: Eddie Fiori
Chandra West: Grace Dugan

Episode 6: The Rise and Fall of Eddie Fiori[]

Lillie is jealous of Caitlin and sends a P.I. to take photos of Julian and Caitlin together. The P.I. ends up capturing Eddie's assassination attempt on film. Frank ends up with a copy of the photos and shows them to Caitlin, so she breaks up with Julian. Lillie, meanwhile, has sided with Eddie, who is still planning to kill Julian. Heads will roll, but not the ones Eddie plans.

Guest Cast:

Kimberly Campbell: Waitress
Kimberly Cockrell (as Kimberly Hooper): Lorraina
Jack Conley: Mr. Benning, private investigator
Ed O'Ross: Cyrus, Prince of Los Angeles
Brian Thompson: Eddie Fiori
Blair Valk: Marissa

Episode 7: Bad Moon Rising[]

With Brujah primogen Eddie Fiori gone, fights are breaking out all over San Francisco to determine which Brujah will succeed him. This is to be expected. What isn't expected is the return of the Nosferatu Goth. Julian ran Goth out of town years ago, but he has returned, stronger than ever. And, when he performs the ritual and drinks the blood of the human infant he has just kidnapped, he will be unbeatable.

Guest Cast:

Kimberly Campbell: Waitress
Patricia Charbonneau: Camilla
Una Damon: Mai Sung
Maureen Flannigan: Ruth Doyle
Yuki Okumoto: Lt. Kwan
Skipp Sudduth: Goth

Episode 8: Cabin in the Woods[]

Julian hasn't been out of San Francisco in seven years. So when Caitlin asks him to go away with her for the weekend, Julian leaves Archon Raine in charge and goes with her sans bodyguards to Manzanita Springs in Sonoma County where Caitlin has secured a secluded cabin in the woods. Unbeknown to Julian, the sole survivor of that bloodbath, a Brujah named Cameron, has reunited with the three remaining Manzanita Springs Brujah and has plans to take over Eddie's seat on the San Francisco conclave.

Guest Cast:

Tony Amendola: Sorrel
Gordon Capps: Clyde
Titus Welliver: Cameron

Background Information[]

Based on Vampire: The Masquerade by Mark Rein-Hagen, the production was extremely low-cost. Sometimes they had to shoot some sequences during the day to save money.
The show was produced by Spelling Television, the same production team behind more traditional dramas such as Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, Models, Inc., and so on.
Major clans represented in the series were the Ventrue, Brujah, Gangrel, Nosferatu, Toreador, and Assamite. One character was initially designed to represent the Malkavians, but his clan was changed to Gangrel.
The clans in the show were not faithful to their World Of Darkness counterparts. The most changed were the Brujah which were nearly unrecognizable.
The program ran for only 8 episodes. Aaron Spelling envisioned Vampire: The Masquerade as a Melrose Place with mafia vampires. A 9th episode called "Skull" was supposedly planned, but never came to fruition.
While Fox was deciding whether or not to renew KTE for a second season, star Mark Frankel died in a motorcycle accident. The decision was made not to try to find a replacement and let the single season stand.^[1]
KTE received higher ratings than Buffy The Vampire Slayer when it premiered the very next year. Had KTE continued into a second season, Buffy may not have happened.^[1]
KTE also received higher ratings than Melrose Place, but Fox decided to focus on its more "real world" or non-supernatural drama programs.^[1]
Produced by John Leekley Productions and Spelling Television.
The series has had several releases on VHS and DVD, most recently in 2013 with The Complete Series edition, which includes a paperback edition of the The Book of Nod and a letter from series creator John Leekley.