Title: Thanatopsis (Go to glossary for definition)

Original Airdate: July 31, 2001
Season: 1
Episode: 8

Writer: Richard C. Okie
Director: James Whitmore, Jr.

Music:
Circles - Soul Coughing [Lyrics] 56K
Big Brother - Sid Six 56K
Song title? - Artist? 56K
No Time - The Guess Who [Lyrics] 56K
Song title? - Artist? 56K
Song title? - Artist? 56K

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Guest Stars:
Nestor Serrano as Captain Bruno Dante
John Hensley as Gabriel Bowman
Kathryn Winslow as Vicky Po
Bill McDonald as Jerry Orlinski

At Dante's office. Dante's in a meeting with some of his officers, including Sara and Jake. He passes out pictures of Armand Parsegian, a world class arms dealer who armed both sides of the Chechen conflict. Parsegian lives on a yacht and rarely comes to shore, especially to the US. Dante suspects Parsegian's involved in a big sale or purchase. The Witchblade glows.

A Ship-2-Door Express deliveryman gets out of his truck and drops off what looks like a birthday present wrapped in pink puppy decorated paper and balloons. The delivery man looks around and knocks on the door, but no one's around. He calls ("11-11") to confirm the address and leaves the package in front of the door to a brick building.

Dante assigns two-man teams, including Sara and Jake, to 12 hour shifts on the Parsegian case. Sara asks why the Feds aren't all over it. Dante says the feds don't know and that wrapping up Parsegian in a ribbon would be a career making move. Jake asks about the man on another photo. The man is Benjamin Wolf, Parsegian's bodyguard, who infiltrated the secret service before they learned he was working for the other side. He's rumored to have a sixth sense about being tailed. When Sara, who doesn't think this case is relevant to homicide, wants to know what she's supposed to do with their other case loads, Dante lets everyone leave except Sara.

Someone dressed in black opens the door and picks up the package the deliveryman left.

Dante tells Sara that whatever the reason, whether he wants to give her an opportunity or wants to build up Jake's resume, that it's an order and not a request.

Gabriel enters his friend Sly's house. The table is filled with garbage. The house is adorned with comic artwork on the walls. Gabriel sees a body hanging from the ceiling and initially thinks it's a joke. He realizes it's real when he turns Sly and sees his white face.

Parsegian and Wolf exit a limo in Downtown. Parsegian discusses his prototype with a buyer on a hands-free phone. Someone in a black suit is walking along a mid-story exterior of a high-rise with the wrapped package. He unwraps it and finds a rifle.

Jake and Sara are preparing for their shift at the precinct. Gabriel walks in and tells Sara that someone murdered his friend. Sara think it's a suicide when he tells her he was hung from the ceiling. Gabriel insists that Sly wouldn't kill himself and says Orlinski just called it a suicide without checking anything. Sara has a Witchblade flash and sees Sly's body hanging from the ceiling and a piece of comic book art that resembles Ian and Irons. She then agrees to check the scene. Orlinski sees Gabriel talking to Sara and tells Dante.

At Sly's apartment. Gabriel thinks a lot of people could have wanted Sly dead, including his partner, who gets Sly's half of Parricide Comix (Parricide is defined as killing one's parents), a string of ex girlfriends sucking him dry and crazed friends paying a fortune for his artwork. Sara sees the same piece of artwork she saw in her vision. She asks about it, but Gabriel says it's new and doesn't know anything about it. Sara finds a marijauna pipe near some books and thinks Gabriel's wrong about Sly's death. Gabriel is upset and leaves.

In downtown. Jake is sitting and taking pictures of Wolf, who's walking out with a suitcase. He puts it in the backseat and readies the limo. Dante asks if Sara's in position. Jake lies and tells him she's taking pictures of the vehicle. Sara arrives just in time to answer Dante. The sniper is still on a building and sees Jake and Sara below through the rifle lens. He uses the lens to follow Parsegian and Wolf to the limo. Wolf opens the limo door and lets Parsegian in. The sniper shoots and hits them. The people on the streets are frantic. Sara and Jake run toward the limo and look up and around for the shooter. Sara sees that both men are shot. She radios in.

Dante and Orlinski arrive at the scene and blames Sara for allowing it to happen. They open the trunk of the limo and are in awe when they find the weapon. Sara opens the back seat and finds a briefcase with a picture of Irons and a disc.

Sara goes to Gabriel's apartment to use his computer. She inserts the CD into the drive. The time is 7:39. The disc contains a profile of Irons. Irons occupies a 12 bedroom mansion. He never sleeps in the same room two consecutive nights and has no confirmed family or progeny. He owns 11 personal vehicles and switches everyday. Irons' personal security is Ian Nottingham. There's no personal data on Ian. Ian was a member of the US Special forces unit "The Black Dragons" from 1993-95 and is extremely dangerous.

At the morgue. Vicky tells Jake and Dante that it's irrefutable that one shot went through both heads.

Sara continues to read info on Irons. Irons is highly active sexually. Pictures of his partners include men and women. Sara is shocked to see her own picture on the list.

At Dante's office. Dante tells Jake to generate a list of suspects and report back to him since Sara's nowhere to be found.

At Gabriel's apartment. Sara denies being Irons lover. The time is 8:18. The disc also reveals that Ian might be Irons' son. Sara experiences a Witchblade flash of the crime taking place earlier. She sees the snipers face. It's Ian. The time is 11:11. Sara finds out that Gabriel's gone. Sara receives a call from Irons. Irons wanted to tell her he knew Sylvester Marcus because he didn't want her to find out herself and think he was hiding something. Sly attended design school on an annual scholarship that he awarded. He and Irons remained close. Sara asks about Parsegian. Irons sarcastically says he'll miss him. He tells her that someone's waiting for her at the precinct.

At the precinct. Sara visits Gabriel in a holding cell. Gabriel has a black eye and bloody lip. Sara had zoned out in a trance, so Gabriel went over to Sly's, where there was supposed to be a wake for him. Instead, Sly's partner, Mike Donlis (?), was renegotiating a new lease with his landlord. Gabriel broke Donlis' nose. Sara sits next to him and tells him that she can sympathize. Danny appears and sits next to Gabriel. Sara tells Gabriel that she still shares meaningful moments with her partner even if he is dead. A tear rolls down Danny's face. Sara has ordered Gabriel into her recognizance, so Gabriel's free to go.

Sara walks into her office and finds Ian sitting on a filing cabinet. Ian professes his love for her and turns himself in. He gets down from the cabinet and offers his wrist to be cuffed.

At the interrogation room. Sara is standing. Jake is sitting across from Ian at a table. Jake questions Ian, but Ian wouldn't give a straight answer. Ian points out that Jake was whisked into the job over several more qualified candidates. He asks Jake if he remembers what he's doing here in the police department. Jake, who's fed up, punches Ian. Sara separates Jake from Ian and tells Jake to leave. Ian asks for Sara's hand. She refuses at first, but gives in. The Witchblade glows. She sees flashes of Ian fighting.

Jake is back at his office, heated over what happened at the interrogation room. Dante walks over and tells him there's no need to apologize for hitting the suspect. He also tells Jake that Sara's holding Ian's hand.

Sara tells Ian that he killed them because he anticipated double cross and protected his master.

Jake sees Sara and Ian holding hands through the two way glass mirror.

Ian asks how many people she murdered. Sara says she killed her share, but never murdered anyone. Ian reminds her of the Irish wench, but Sara believes it was justified. She tells him to let go of her hand. Ian hangs on a little longer before letting go. He asks whether she's at least a bit curious about what he asked Jake. Sara tells him spending a night in a jail cell may make him more communicative. Sara leaves.

At Gabriel's apartment. He receives a manila envelope in the mail and opens it. He finds a Parricide comic inside. The cover includes a drawing of someone slitting his wrist, a large noose and bullets. He opens it and reads the back of the cover. It reads like a suicide note.

Jake's in his office contemplating Dante's offer to join the White Bulls after seeing Sara holding Ian's hand. He goes over to Dante's office and accepts the invitation. He expresses concern over the initiation test that could involve Sara, but Dante tells him to relax. Jake shakes Dante's hand.

Ian is standing alone in a corner of the holding cell. His arms are raised and his fists, which his sleeves cover, are against the sides of the walls. His eyes open. He knows Jake has agreed to join the Bulls.

Sara walks through some doors and sees Orlinski releasing Ian. Orlinski asks why she tried to call Sly's murder a suicide. Ian's tying his hair back and putting his gloves on. He signs the release form and offers to stay close to Sara. Sara calls him a freak. Ian wants to know where Jake is because he has a debt of honor to repay.

Jake's doing push-ups in a large empty open stadium. He gets up and puts on his sweatshirt. He takes out the White Bulls bullet from his pocket and looks at it.

Sara is at Sly's apartment looking through the Parricide comic. Gabriel arrives. Sara tells Gabriel that he has to accept Sly's death and whether Sly ended his life or not, he saw his death coming. Gabriel asks if she knows because of the Witchblade. Sara says she knows because of her heart. They hug and the Witchblade glows.

Jake is running up the stadium steps. He sees Ian sitting on a bench nearby. He runs up further and then runs down a couple of steps. Ian stands in front of him and asks why he doesn't use the bullet on him. Jake plays ignorant, then turns around and grabs his gun. Ian knocks the gun away. Ian blocks Jake's punch, punches Jake in the stomach and shoves him down the bleachers. Jake gets up. Ian kicks him down more bleachers. Jake is leaning against a rail. Ian asks him how he'll apologize for betraying Sara and sentencing her to death. Ian continues to punch Jake. They end up on the field. Jake swings a folded chair at Ian, but he dodges it. He rips the chair from Jake. Ian knocks Jake to the ground. Jake's kneeling. Ian is ready to kick Jake and end his life, but decides to take Jake's bullet out of Jake's pocket and put it into Jake's mouth. Sara arrives and calls out to Ian before Ian can punch the bullet into Jake and kill him. Jake puts the bullet back into his pocket. Ian tells Sara Jake betrayed her and the only way to save Jake's life is to end his. Sara threatens Ian with the Witchblade, which has transformed into a gauntlet. Ian lets go of Jake. Jake falls to the ground. Ian gets up and asks Sara whether she would lift the blade against her own flesh and blood. Sara is surprised to hear that and calls to him, but Ian runs off.

At the precinct. Sara is tending to Jake's injuries. Jake is holding an ice pak to his face and says he feels like he was hit by a truck. Sara gives him a look and tells him that's exactly what happened. Sara asks about the questions Ian asked back at the interrogation room. Jake tells her there's no truth in it. Sara receives a call from Ian, who's sitting on Sly's apartment steps holding a sword. He tells her that Gabriel's right. Sly's death was no suicide. Irons felt that life was imitating art too closely. Ian also tells her that he always liked the Parricide comic.

• Dante and Orlinski could be involved in Sly's murder. When Orlinski sees Gabriel come into the station to talk to Sara about Sly's death, he goes to talk to Dante.
• Ian could be Irons' son according to a CD taken from a briefcase found in Parsegian's limo
• Ian killed Parsegian and Wolf (possibly to protect his master from a double-cross)
• Parsegian's buyer could've been Irons himself or an adversary
• Irons knew Sylvester Marcus. Sly was a protégé of his and won an annual design school scholarship Irons awards.
• Ian tells Sara he loves her in unguarded moments and offers to stay close to her, that they can be inseparable
• Jake has questionable qualifications and motives? Ian mentions that Jake was whisked into the job over several candidates who were actually qualified. He also asks Jake if he remembers what he's doing here at the station.
• Jake agrees to join the White Bulls.
• Ian has super hearing? Jake goes to Dante's office and agrees to join the Bulls. Ian's in a holding cell somewhere in the precinct.
• Ian and Sara could be related. Ian has put Jake's engraved bullet into Jake's mouth and is ready to deal the final blow. Sara arrives and threatens him with the Witchblade gauntlet. Ian lets go of Jake and asks Sara if she would lift the blade against her own flesh and blood.
• Ian's a fan of Parricide Comix. Parricide means killing one's parents. Ian says that Irons made him in the Periculum episode. A CD taken from a briefcase in Parsegian's limo also mentions that Ian could be Irons' son.
• Ian tells Sara that Sly's death wasn't a murder. Irons felt that art was imitating life a bit too closely. Ian may have killed Sly.

The Ship-2-Door Express deliveryman radios in to confirm the address and says 11-11

Irons owns 11 personal vehicles

The clock on Gabriel's computer desk is at 11:11 when Sara snaps out of a daze while using the computer.