(S01E06) "Vampires can't really be trusted with pets."--Mick St. JohnI'll go ahead and admit it: I like it, in episodic dramas, when subtleties of the plot further a developing theme or subplot. Bear with me here: Moonlight isn't a soap opera, because the storyline isn't continued every week. There are definite cases with beginnings and endings. However, we all know by now that at its heart, Moonlight masquerades or moonlights (ba-dum bum!) as the burgeoning love story between vampire Mick St. John and human Beth Turner. In the backdrop. we also learn more and more about vampirism and its culture. So, I appreciate when the investigation, in its fashion, furthers the love story every week, and this week did not disappoint me.
Once again, the case unites Beth and Mick. Beth is covering a new fashion designer, and making fun of the broomstick sizes of the mannequins models, and it was nice to see Kevin Wiseman get to make an appearance, albeit small one, as her leering cameraman. When the model, Renee, suddenly convulses and falls to the floor and dies of an apparent overdose, it's mystery time! I am surprised Beth doesn't don a special suit when that happens.
There were some funny moments in this episode, like when Josef starts banging on Mick's freezer door to get him up. And then Mick just hung out in the freezer talking to him-- presumably naked because Josef tossed him a towel-- which was some nice eye candy. I love how Josef dresses, in his magenta suits. He needs Mick to find The Oldest Vampire, who has ditched him. Josef had a bit more to do in this episode, but it would be nice, once again, to see more of him. One complaint: Why does Josef seem more like a whiny teenager than a powerful 400-year-old vampire? It would be nice to see some of this so-called reputation we only hear so much about. Because he seems like more of a... dork vampire.
The link between the convulsing model Renee and the vanished old vampire, Lola, is the drug that has killed Renee. She apparently got it at Club Valis (sounds like? Vampire). The police can't identify it. Mick discovers what it is when he finds the burned out corpse of a vampire in a warehouse where Lola has stored a ton of silver. Naturally, Mick and Josef are a bit alarmed by the fact that she has just bought enough vampire to paralyze every vampire in Los Angeles.
Did you catch the fact that the morgue attendant, Terrance, was tasting the blood of one of the corpses, whose blood he was draining? No wonder they must love that job. But does the blood of a dead human really do as much for them as the blood of a live human? I can't imagine that it would. In fact, I know that I have read in other vampire lore that the blood of dead humans makes vampires sick, but this is a different show, so I'll just wonder about it. Regardless, it was a funny moment, and a nice touch.
There were more funny moments: In the nightclub Club Valis, where Beth has vamped her way in (the number of puns are just endless-- humor me), a guy comes up to her and says, "The drinks suck here." I love the play on words, especially if the club has been taken over by vampires.
Apparently, Beth's morgue attendant friend isn't a vampire. She has to bribe him by buying him an iPhone-- obnoxious product placement. I prefer it when we simply get closeups of their phones, but hey, the show has to stay on the air somehow, right? And it's not as bad as the Visa infomercials that call themselves episodes of The Dead Zone.
When Beth discovers that Renee's entry into Club Valis's VIP room is through a microchip under her skin, she asks Mick (who is at the morgue at the same time, of course) if he knows a good vet, which led to the quote I opened with. I thought that was funny too. The repartee between Beth and Mick started as your garden variety polite, embarrassed chit chat, which they are perfecting, and then became conspiratorial, and Mick offers to implant the chip into Beth's wrist. Did anybody else notice that Beth's earrings looked like drops of blood in that scene? These are some nice little touches, some real attention to detail.To distract her, he tells her he figures that their kiss was just an accident. So, the flirtation continues. Some commenters last week thought it was too soon for Beth and Mick to kiss; however, in a society in which people tumble into bed with each other with the slightest provocation, I think the kiss can be allowed.
There was some other nice humor in the episode too:
"Yes, well, perpetual coolness is the vampire's curse."-- Mick. I love the double entendre here too, because vampires, obviously, have no body heat.
"Just being human is so lame!"--Beth Turner
"I know, but you wear it well."--Mick St. John. These were toss away lines, but they underscore the main subplot of the episode (which I will talk about in a minute) and also the main tension that is developing between Mick and Beth. Beth is becoming more and more attracted to the vampire life, coinciding with her growing attraction to Mick. Mick is firmly rooted in the human world, and equally, adamantly, opposed to any talk of Beth becoming a vampire. He gave up a lot years ago to protect her from that fate, and he isn't about to let that go to waste now.
"I knew I should have closed the window."-- Lola. She addressed this to Mick, which showed us (hurray!) rather than telling us that she identified Mick as a vampire immediately.
The drug, the reason the vampires are being killed, and the reason for the overdosing, is vampire blood, otherwise known as Black Crystal (or, B.C.). This is not a new storyline by the way. My fellow TV Squader Brett Linder pointed out to me that this was also done on Blade, The Series. Deduct ten points for recycling ideas. Ahem. The drug provides humans with the seductive experience of what it's like to be a vampire, without them having to be turned. For Beth, who is insatiably curious anyway, the drug is irresistible. She tries two tastes of it, and it leads her to Mick's house an laughable attempt at a seduction. Mick
puts her in the shower while she begs him to turn her. Mick keeps his head turned from her, but it's like the anti-sex scene, because they are embracing, both in black, and both wet, and in another show it would be the sex scene. But Mick is trying to wash her and help the drug wear off-- also giving her a cold shower. It probably doesn't hurt him either.
Did you notice how Mick's forefinger twitched when Beth admitted that she remembered everything? I don't know if that was deliberate or not, but it's not the first time I've noticed that Mick does that sometimes in reaction to Beth. I would love to think it's a way that Mick can't help but show a reaction, subtle as it is. We get more of the tension between Beth's impressions that being a vampire is wonderful and Mick's regrets, but I think the toss away lines I discussed earlier were even more effective in some ways, because they were just said in passing. Sometimes what we say casually reveals more than what we think we intend to say.
I agree with commenters who have said that Josh and Beth need to just break up. We don't really know why their relationship is so important to them both, except for a reference to their one year anniversary and the fact that their relationship continues. We don't get voice overs from their points of view. This actually made me realize how much of a crutch the voice over continues, because the show doesn't have to show as much if it can tell us things. However, they are dealing with the time constraints of a one-hour show, so they have to move things along.
Beth keeps her black crystal. I wonder whether, or when, she will use it again. Could lead to some potent vampire sex, eh? If Mick ever decides just to go for it.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-03-2007 @ 1:20AM
Marty Powell said...
I LOVE MOONLIGHT... IT IS HOT... IT IS DIFFERENT... MICK IS DIVINE... IT IS FUN... NOT THE SAME 'OLE, SAME 'OLE... PLEASE KEEP IT ON... LET THE FAN BASE BUILD!!!!
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11-03-2007 @ 1:22PM
KayDee said...
Jen - I don't understand why you think Jason Dohring's Josef is whiny and juvenile. Dohring's acting seems perfectly appropriate. (Though I'd like to see more of him and quite enjoy the Mick/Josef scenes.) Having just met Dohring on Moonlight, I have nothing from which to compare him, but I think he's doing a great job with his character. As for Moonlight as a whole, I have to admit, its fast becoming a staple of my week. Though not impressed with the premier, seceding episodes have been terrific viewing.
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11-03-2007 @ 3:12PM
tschrh said...
Moonlight is terrific. Story line, film quality, cast are all wonderful. The chemistry between Mick and Beth is great and hopefully will get more intense as the season progresses.
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11-03-2007 @ 3:13PM
tschrh said...
Moonlight is terrific. Best new show on TV. Please keep in on. Cast dynamics are great, story line holds your interest and Mick and Beth have a great chemistry that will hopefully get more intense as the season progresses.
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11-03-2007 @ 3:36AM
Leeser said...
I loved the episode and how it showed that Mick is indeed gentleman, not taking advantage of Beth, who is clearly not in her right mind.
The show gets better and better, week after week.
And another consideration about the Black Crystal Beth kept...it could be used to seriously disable a vampire, since it does contain silver. Perhaps it will serve that purpose in a future episode.
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11-03-2007 @ 4:26AM
Cj said...
I love this show the attraction between them is great. I was so wanting him to turn her when she asked. But maybe another time. I'm not to happy with the other woman coming back to mess things up. The vamp that turned him. But anyway the shower scene was hot hot hot. cj
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11-03-2007 @ 4:58AM
Karen said...
Thanks for another great review Jen. You're very perceptive. I, too, noticed Beth's earrings and Mick's finger twitch. I agree that the toss away lines you referenced are revealing in a subtle way. Clever writing.
I found the story to be interesting and new to me, as I've never seen the series Blade. In the episodes we've seen so far, the writers have come up with intriguing stories that have provided suspense, action, humor and romance.
Have you noticed that the music chosen fits the scenes? I don't know the song, but as Beth is ascending the stairs, the lyric refers to love and 'I wonder if you want me.' In the shower the final words of the song are 'I can't change you, you sure can't change me.' The people selecting the songs are doing a wonderful job of matching them to the scenes. In each episode, some songs have been played I've never heard before, which I would like to hear again. Hopefully, CBS will consider releasing a CD of the music used in Season 1.
Loved Mick's (Alex's) expressions when Beth was coming on to him. (Sophia portrayed the vamp quite well.) He went from panicked, almost tripping over his feet to get away from her to acceptance, even while trying to dissuade her.
It's enjoyable watching these characters attempt to resist their attraction to each other, but fail because fate intervenes. Moonlight is proving to be a delectable romantic thrill ride.
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11-03-2007 @ 7:33AM
Becky said...
Another awesome episode of Moonlight! I eagerly look forward to each Friday's episode and this week didn't disappoint me.
It was a bit more intriguing and had some really tense scenes between Mick and beth when she came to his place after taking the drug. What "vampire coolness" to show such restraint! I thought the storyline was excellent and had some wide-eyed, don't blink moments during some of the Lola/Mick scenes as well as when Mick was investigating the warehouse. I think we were able to see a more personable side of Josef showing that he did care for a certain vampire for a long time. It was like a little crack in his hard-shell vamp exterior that let some emotion reluctantly through.
I keep hoping that CBS will commit to a full season of this series so we can all have a moment to catch breath after waiting with much anticipation for that announcement. My only fear is how the writers' strike can affect the show since they do not have episodes stock piled. To me, it is the best new show of the season and I do not even want to think about not tuning into my favorite vampire on Friday nights!
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11-03-2007 @ 8:20AM
La-Di-Dah said...
I liked this review a lot and I agree with everyone who feels this show is getting better and better, mainly because of the blossoming and well-paced attraction between Beth and Mick. My other favorite character of this episode was the morque vampire Terrence. His whole tasting the blood thing and "that was a litle excessive" comment was pitch perfect for that kind of character, and hilarious. I have to say though, everyone is a dork on this show: Joseph, Josh, the police dude. Come on! Otherwise, superb episode.
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11-03-2007 @ 8:28AM
Karen said...
THe name of the club--Valis--didn't make me think of "vampire." I noticed that it was an anagram of "silva"--silver.
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11-03-2007 @ 8:48AM
Sans said...
I really love this show. Reminds me of that other great Friday night romance I faithfully watched years ago... Beauty & The Beast. House, Boston Legal and now Moonlight...the only network shows I watch consistently. If there's a petition or anything started to save this show let me know where to sign up.
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11-03-2007 @ 8:57AM
Anita said...
I don't know - I felt this ep was a step back in terms of script & character interaction. If Beth hadn't mentioned the kiss, I would've assumed this was an earlier eppie that they put on ice so they could release Fever and the Wonder Years ep ahead of time. I think the strength of Moonlight is the Beth-Mick connection, but this ep didn't really build on it.
Also, what's up with Josef? He strikes me as someone who would take care of his own crap. Why did he wussy out and leave it to Mick? I had been waiting for an ep that would require a Josef/Mick team-up, but this kinda disappointed. Also, if he needed to track Lola what happened to his Vamp-Geek, Gamp?
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11-03-2007 @ 9:22AM
Georgia said...
This is my favorite show. I think all aspects (writing, directing, acting, props, music) are really good and in sync. How is it doing in the ratings?
Since CBS seems to be about the only network that listens to viewers, maybe fans can keep it on the air like they did Jericho.
I think Alex is perfect for this role. He is hot in a subtle way, got a great voice for the voiceovers, plays a charming guy to be so dangerous.
The scene where Beth vamps Mick was hot and the shower scene was smoking. I loved the line "you don't know what you're doing." Not until I read your review, did I think that maybe Mick was really talking about the danger of the drug - vs how hard (cough) she was making it for him to resist her.
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11-03-2007 @ 12:11PM
Gossip said...
It's very hot. I love it. BTW, I have seen Mick's pic on a celebrity and millionaire dating site named searchingmillionaire.com. Seems she is a certified millionaire there.
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11-03-2007 @ 1:20PM
Nancy said...
This show is really growing on me. The writing on last night's episode was the best yet. I loved when Josh told them to frisk Mick first at Club Valis. Think he's a little jealous these days?
Loved seeing more of Josef and having his character develop a little more. I would have loved to see him more involved. I like that there's always a bit of humor going on as well. Romance, thrills, humor. Who could ask for more? Moonlight is definitely heading in the right direction
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11-03-2007 @ 1:34PM
Beth of N.O. said...
I loved this ep. the interaction between Beth and Mick gets better every week. I too loved the verbal banter and the play on words, I liked when Mick tells her he doesn't know a vet but he has something that'll work and then you see the syringe OMG!! It was funny that he says it's disinfected and she says I was more concerned about the size LOL! Back at his place and she comes over all vampy and he's feeling cornered a bit trying to be a good boy. When she asks him do you feel like this all the time and he's like...... I don't think so. I love the comedic touch he's got. Alex has a great sense of humor and it dribbles over into his work.
I loved when she told him to come upstairs and he's clearly debating and loved when he ran up those steps. I did like the HOT cold shower scene, whew!! Georgia I agree it was the Hottest cold shower I've had the pleasure to watch.
YAY!! for CBS keep up the great work and keep bringing me this fun and wonderful show LOVE IT!!
Beth from New Orleans
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11-03-2007 @ 4:15PM
xbxtv said...
This show is getting better every week, truely. And I'm once again falling for an honorable vampire... I'm so predictable ;)
And Jen: Great reviews! Always looking forward to them.
Another detail: Beth' necklace during the club scenes looked like drops of blood too.
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11-05-2007 @ 9:38PM
caseymc said...
I love this show more and more with each week. I absolutely adore Alex O and I think he is the newest Aussie to hit it big here in the U.S.A. I hope this show will get the go ahead for a full season. I think this show is captivating and I have something to actually watch on a Friday night or DVR it if I am out.
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11-04-2007 @ 7:52AM
Jacki Amrhein-Phillips said...
I love this show, the shower scene was out of this world!
How long is it going to take CBS to give us what we need, and renew this show.
I enjoy the way things are said, with the voice-overs, more seems to be said with a look, then the spoken word.
More is said with a lifted eyebrow, a nose wrinkle, or a smug look, then the script ever does.
Keep up the good work, and PLEASE somebody tell CBS to renew this show NOW!!!!!!!!
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11-04-2007 @ 10:23AM
Alicia said...
This is the episode I've been waiting for! I think this was definitely the best so far - we delve deeper into the Mick/Beth relationship and Beth's fascination with vampirism. The details were great, the throwaway lines were perfect. Loved it.
My only issue is Josef. I wish they'd pick a personality for this guy and go with him. Is he the suave more experienced vamp who helps the much younger Mick deal with the parts of vampire life he hasn't come to terms with? Or is Josef the needy friend who would give a woman a million dollars for no reason at all? And, like Anita said, what happened to his "gamp"? Is he the skeezy playboy or the naive good boy? I'm confused with the characterization the writers have put forth.
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