Episode 17: LAZARUS RISING

Crow Rating: 3 1/2 Crows

Written By: Jonathan Vankin & John Whalen

Directed By: Scott Summersgill

Originally aired on WGN: 4/11/99

Music in this episode from: Tin Star

Story Line
A shadowy group of powerful men approach Draven with an offer he can't refuse - to reunite him with Shelly forever.

Dr. Dorsett (Don Most) seeks Draven out, carrying an unusual offer from the Lazarus Group. It was this secretive consortium of powerful men who smoothed the way for Dorsett's therapy license to be re-instated and he owes them a favor. They claim to posses advanced technology which will reunite Draven with Shelly and want to test it on Draven. Unbeknownst to him, the Lazarus Group is a secret society rumored to have been in existence since the time of the Druids, and their interest in him is anything but benevolent. The society is dominated by the physically frail but still intimidating Frederick Balsam (Mavor Moore) who holds sway not only over Judge Morrison (Jerry Wasserman), who unexpectedly released Draven from jail, but also over head scientist Dr. Jack Saks (Robert Wisden), and group member Steve Fentress (Terry David Mulligan). Draven agrees to the experiment, but once hooked up to the machinery finds himself split. The Crow is the one strapped to the operating table, Draven is stuck in a psychological limbo with someone who looks like, but isn't Shelly. When Dorsett realizes that Draven is being used to be the new body for Balsam's soul, he tries desperately to put matters right. Meanwhile Albrecht, who is still estranged from Draven, has his own crisis of conscience when he is approached by a slick lawyer who wants to pursue a lawsuit of wrongful dismissal based on race.

Personal Thoughts
This episode helped to emphasize the series premise that Draven and the Crow were two separate entities. The premise had a more sci-fi feel to it than the previous episodes.