(S01E04) "You're a delicate flower, Mick St. John." - Beth
Since Jen is on a trip, I'm taking over reviewing duties this week for Moonlight. Sorry for the delay in posting the review. My phone company thought it would be funny to switch my phone number with someone else's on Friday night. This meant no Internet access until the phone company took care of the problem on Sunday morning! Yikes!
As Jen said two weeks ago, even if a lot of people don't like this series, it seems that I too have a higher tolerance for it and I enjoy vampire smut. Plus, the shows I tape on Friday nights and watch over the weekend are all about me not having to think too much while being entertained (the other show on my Friday watch list is Las Vegas). Moonlight falls right into that category.
This week, Mick and Beth were searching for a young woman named Leni Hayes who was believed to be hiding in the desert. Since sunlight and vampires don't mix, Mick's vampiric ability to heal himself was depleted. Beth had to take drastic measures to save his life. The episode was entertaining because of the mystery of the storyline, the new vampire factoids we learned, and the Beth/Mick relationship.Even if a tad predictable, the main storyline offered us a few twists and turns. It was pretty much a given (even if you hadn't read the episode's official description) that Leni would do something stupid which would lead to her going on the run. At first, I thought that she had called Fayed and I was not expecting her to shoot Mick. I was surprised to see Mick steal the cop's car instead of a random (and less visible) one. In retrospect, it was probably the best choice since the cop was stuck without a ride to chase Mick and Leni but it was still a risky option since stealing a police car is illegal.
It was great to see Josh and Mick properly meet one another and work on the same case. It added a new level to the love triangle since both men were now able to size up one another a bit more. I wonder if Josh will become more and more jealous as Beth works on more cases with Mick. Probably, especially since she will surely start to slowly pull away from him.
Mick once again showed us how great an investigator he is, maybe even more than in previous episodes. Yes, Mick has decades of experience as an investigator and whatnot. Still, this week he showed us how quick he is to find clues and make sense of it all. His enlighten sense of smell told him that Leni was not injured; he was really quick to make the connection between the picture and the bill, etc. Not only is he a fantastic investigator, but he is always pretty good at having people he doesn't know confide in him. It didn't took long for Leni to spill everything (well, almost).
Mick and Beth's relationship went a step further this week. At the beginning of the episode, he told us that he always picks up the phone for Beth. The poor guy has been having trust issues since Coraline turned him (who wouldn't after such a traumatic event?). Later, Beth had to face the fact that Mick was dead. The news deeply affected her, showing how much she truly cares about her friend. But their relationship reached a new height when she offered him her blood so he could survive. This was a rather intimate moment between the two (one could even compare it to them making out for the first time). Beth made a sacrifice that could have turned deadly if Mick hadn't been able to stop. In a way, she gave her life to him. Her facial expression when Josh kissed her at the end expressed how she now feels for Mick, this paving the way for a potential Mick/Beth hookup. For Mick, Beth's gesture not only meant he would live but also that he would now "feel" her in his body. You can see this event affected him since, compared to at the beginning of the episode, he didn't open the door when she came knocking. Mick knows that Beth is in danger because of him and he wants to stop it. We, the viewers, know he won't be able to break up their team because, without it, there would be no show!
One interesting fact we learned about the "delicate flower" this week is that Mick St. John spent six weeks in a trench in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge. This adds to his background and character. I hope we see flashbacks of him in the trenches at some point to see how these six weeks helped shape the man he is today.
We learned a bit more about vampires, per the Moonlight world:
- Mick keeps human food such as coffee in order to entertain guests.
- Vampires can go outside during daylight but not without consequences. (Note to Mick: Do not wear black clothes when outside if you want a better chance at surviving.)
- When in survival mode, vampires who feed on someone may not be able to stop themselves.
Giveaway Monday: Smallville season seven
Giveaways reminder: Office, Eli Stone, Supernatural, South Park
Giveaway Thursday: Tickets to the New York Television Festival ... all of it!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-21-2007 @ 4:02PM
Tim said...
Like you, I seem to have a high tolerance for this show (and most shows on Friday nights as Las Vegas is on my list along with Numb3rs). ** maybe CSI: Miami should jump to Fridays?**
Mick has been protecting Beth (from afar) since she was little and I think he's conflicted about trying to still protect her by keeping her at a distance but enjoying her company. I'm curious how many of these cases they can go on before it gets redundant.
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10-21-2007 @ 5:30PM
clgbutterfly said...
YaY budget. We can see the show has a new budget and able to branch out. Besides budget this episode had more development and felt more comfortable with itself. Still predictable, but very enjoyable. Alot of minor things happened in this episode that will add up for the season. This episode had lead up characters and clues. Do not be surprised if the cop from Victorville is a Vamp. Mick made a comment about him being hot in a full winter/nightshift jacket during the day. We also saw a glimpse of predominant canines. I don't think this was accidential and Mick now has a new enmy, perhaps.
The sun posioning and halucinations were fabulous. They even played them well in the commericals. I had no clue it was Leni walking with him in the teasers. I assumed it was Beth.
I also found it intersting that vampires can't heal their bites. How exactly do you write that off in modern society that knows alot about Vampires?
Overall continually impressed at how the show is progressing and developing. As stated before it can be difficult for a very narrow, overly done concept to establish a show, but they seem to be doing pretty good, especially for mainstream TV.
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10-21-2007 @ 6:05PM
mamadoe said...
I really liked this episode, and, yes, I also tend to like vampire smut. I realize this program isn't the most original or brilliant ever made, but I am finding myself quite hooked. I hope it lasts, since I tend to get involved in shows, then they get cancelled!
The scene where Beth gives Mick her blood was so erotic, the imagery stuck with me long after the show had finished. Mick has already said that he hasn't been with a woman since becoming a vampire, and the vampire lore is that mortal sex ceases and drinking blood becomes the substitute. And, the intimacy of the scene went far beyond any explicit sex scene would have done, for me, anyway. When Beth was cold toward Josh at the end, it seemed she felt very strongly that she had cheated on her boyfriend, and she had, if not in a traditional sense. Her connection to Mick is going to go way beyond sex, and their feelings for each other are very clear. They never have to "hook up" and probably never well, in mortal terms. This won't change if Beth turns into a vamp. Their connection is very deep and there is that hope that, since there cannot be a mortal hook-up, the shark-jumping of other sexual tension couples can be avoided for awhile, anyway.
And, yes, that observation of Mick's that the "policeman" was wearing such a warm jacket, and the slight evidence of fangs implies something far more sinister afoot. This will never be a brilliant show, but this was my favorite episode so far and I feel that a lot of plot points and character developments have been established, so there is a long way it can go, at least until the end of the season.
Also, I am one of those folks who never saw "Angel" so I have no comparisons. I feel this might be an "Angel" for more mature adults like me. You know, who are actually home on a Friday night watching this, on the edge of our seats. I make no apologies for the thrill of vampire smut!
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10-21-2007 @ 7:39PM
Joey Geraci said...
Uhm, mamadoe, there is nothing immature about "Angel" or "B:tVS". While Moonlight is fine, it doesn't even approach the complexity or layers in a typical Angel episode.
But yea, I can like this show for what it is. It is getting better.
I thought I'd just note that I don't think Leni's phone call was any part of the safehouse getting hit. I am pretty sure it was just the leak in the DA's office. A little bit of clever misdirection on show's part.
It is kind of lazy how many of the traditional vampire weaknesses they are dumbing down. Stakes don't kill, they just paralyze (and they only do that in certain circumstances, as he didn't actually get paralyzed in the first episode they showed of this); sunlight doesn't set the vampire on fire, but an indeterminate amount will eventually kill him. This allows him to go out and about in the daytime, while conveniently allowing the writers to weaken him whenever they want.
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10-21-2007 @ 11:35PM
Claire Pizzuti said...
I actually remember a movie when I was MUCH younger where someone put a stake in the vampire's heart, someone else removed it and the vampire woke up. So it seems this is not an original idea. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the movie.
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10-22-2007 @ 12:03AM
Logan said...
Great episode, compared with the first few. I think the show is slowly starting to find its legs.
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10-22-2007 @ 1:25AM
lovelain said...
i don't think i'm actually a fan of "vampire smut," really. i usually don't like vampire stuff, except the stuff i see as classic (dracula, the lost boys..that's about it for me that i can think of). i do dig this show, though. 1) alex o'loughlin is super nice to watch 2) i do like a little romance stuff even though it simultaneously gives me douche chills 3) i usually like supernatural stuff, so even if it's not my favorite, vamp's are still in that genre.
i think beth gets some pretty good lines and i would be asking just as many questions if i were her. i also like the friend a lot (josef). a nice contrast to mick. plus i always love a guy who uses his powers for good (mick, of course).
a good episode. although, i didn't think it really added anything to start off w/ the main scene (mick feeding on beth). i mean, i guess if you're going to go w/ whole "how on earth did they get in this situation angle?" that that type of thing serves, but you could pretty easily figure out how they got there.
anyway, if anyone wants to check out more work by alex o'loughlin, i rented "feed" and it was...disturbing. must have a high tolerance for gore, though.
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10-22-2007 @ 2:38AM
Logan said...
@clgbutterfly: I think the reason the "cop" was wearing the coat, is that the police uniform he had on was either just bloody, or had bullet holes in it. I got that impression, because when he went to put on the sunglasses, in the cop car, there was a bullet hole thru one of the lenses, implying that he shot the cop to death. I could be totally wrong, especially since I didn't notice any fangs...
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10-22-2007 @ 5:07AM
Karen said...
Thanks for the great review. Loved this episode. Alex's and Sophia's acting in the bathroom scene was great. They really conveyed their feelings of fear and pain.
Can't wait for the next installment of Moonlight. I, too, hope it's on for a long time.
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10-22-2007 @ 4:37PM
mary Kay Brooks said...
When all the relationship shows like Grey's and ER, Brother/Sister and alike start rolling into the same kiss and fight and make-up again, Moonlight comes along and puts the veiwer into fantasy. Mick is handsome and restrained, Beth is pretty and moves well and is believable. Of course things will get tangled but the pace is fast enough and the weekly vampire info (being turned, or blood from the fridge is ok) gives us just enough to keep us hanging on till next week. Great young cast. I wonder who is a vampire in secret and will turn on Mick. And what about that ring on Mick's finger?? More info yet to come for this new fledgling show. I hope it sicks around.
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10-23-2007 @ 9:28PM
Jeffrey Lipsey said...
Moonlight keeps getting better and better each week!
"I’d have to say Fever was the best episode of Moonlight so far and I’m no longer ashamed to say I like a show about vampires (OK, maybe still a little bit ashamed)."
http://lamererun.com/category/moonlight/
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10-24-2007 @ 1:13PM
lovelain said...
thought i'd add this in, since i haven't seen this anywhere on tv squad: cbs ordered 4 more scripts for moonlight, yay!
check it out: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i8250d0c235497d9f7b26a28da59fa13a
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10-25-2007 @ 12:43AM
Alicia said...
mamadoe - if anything, this show is the less mature version of "Angel." Moonlight is a pale shadow of the king of vampire detective shows.
I'm still not completely sold here. Things are moving too fast. We're not even a quarter of the way through the season and he's already fed off her? The show is improving, but I feel like everything is being much too rushed. The mysteries are lame - they're not even a little bit original. I'm OK with an arc-driven series, but each episode needs to have more of a hook and payoff for me. The character and relationship developments are interesting, but there's nothing interesting going on elsewhere.
Plus, at this rate Mick and Beth will sleep together by mid-November, Coraline will make her inevitable appearance in December and when the show comes back from winter hiatus, Mick and Beth will be married with kids. I for one hope things slow down and simmer. Shows that go for "it" too quickly get canceled just as fast.
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10-25-2007 @ 2:17PM
Anita said...
Hey Alicia,
I actually think Moonlight is going at a normal pace relationship-wise. While Mick and Sophie are mutually interested, they're simultaneously uncertain and both S's boyfriend and Mick's own feelings serve as decent roadblocks. On a side note, he did cry 'Not here, not like this,' when she offered herself implying he had hoped for a more 'romantic' albeit cliched vampire feeding setting focusing on the neck over the wrist - :)
Overall, ML has improved. I'm no longer bored by his overtly emotional voiceovers and he's downplayed the moodiness. While Beth is the stereotypical nosy reporter, it doesn't seem like a plot contrivance so much as her natural curiosity. While I would've loved if she were a nerdy, vampire-obsessed blogger, you can't have everything :) If the show is cancelled, I won't cry as it isn't the TV crack of FK/B:TVS, but I'll enjoy the male eye candy while I can :)
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10-28-2007 @ 4:18AM
Cj said...
I am also a vampire buff. love this show I'd let him turn me. I hope this show keeps going every time I get hooked on something they take it off. Why can't they ask the fans.
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11-01-2007 @ 9:29AM
John said...
This show is a bit too familiar to me...reminds me a LOT of "Forever Knight," a story about a vampire turned homicide detective trying to regain his humanity/mortality. Lead character named "Nick." But, maybe it's just me.
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1-13-2008 @ 8:36AM
Mandy said...
No cause then their wouldn't be anything to watch.
I live in Australia and we watch Moonlight on a Wednesday at 9:30, so why doesn't CBS put Moonlight on at that time.
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