(S01E07) "It's like one of those true stories that sounds more like fiction."-- Morgan Vincent
This was the best episode of Moonlight yet! Excellent. Everything about it was fantastic: It had a gripping storyline, well written, well performed. It was great! Of course, there were a couple of teeny inconsistencies, and I have to mention those, but in this case, think of it as the imperfections that make a Persian rug so exquisite.
First and foremost, it was nice to see Jason Dohring get more to do in this episode. His snarling and showing his teeth was exactly what we needed to see in a vampire who was four years old in 1603. His reluctance to jump to the balcony at Hank Mottola's house was odd, considering he is the one who is always telling Mick to embrace who he is. But I loved how he said, "Ugh," and then flew up beside Mick.
I'm not sure why Josef, who knew Coraline for a century longer than Mick did, was slow to accept that idea that she could be orchestrating an elaborate plot to punish Mick for attempting to kill her all those years ago. It isn't like she hasn't had time to plan this. Of course, Josef tends to play the role of Mick's voice of reason: Mick, you have to let Coraline go. Mick, you have to stop hating what you are. Mick, there is no cure for vampirism. So, naturally, in the guise of that role, he is Mick's foil. Mick says plot, Josef says, tomato.
As Morgan herself says, "This is one of those stories that is more like fiction." Of course she says that. She's baiting him. Either Morgan is actually Coraline, or she knows an awful lot about Coraline and Mick and she is a very crafty human who is setting him up. I haven't actually figured out how Morgan can smell human and bleed and fail to heal. As for the fleur-de-lis, why not just have it lasered off? Ah, so that we would know you are really Coraline. Ironically, the commonly-used symbol can represent The Virgin Mary and also purity, chastity, and female virtue and spirituality. That is really funny.
Considering how weak some of the plots involving the investigations have been, this one was really pretty strong. I loved how we got to see the beginning of Mick's relationship with Coraline, and we saw the usually tightly controlled Mick throwing a chair through a glass window because he was desperate to be with Coraline. Excellent use of showing instead of telling or using voiceover.
What we have now, folks, is a love triangle. Coraline is obviously under his skin. She has been for years. He can't let go of her, and of course, now he reveals what we viewers already knew: Mick didn't actually see Coraline die. He just can't imagine her having escaped the burning room he abandoned her to.
Some of the commenters were wondering about a baby Mick bit-- he didn't bite a baby. He rescued Beth from Coraline when Beth was four. Coraline kidnapped Beth and wanted to turn her into a vampire, so she and Mick could have a child together. Mick, being horrified at what he is, was even more aghast at the idea of subjecting a child to vampirism, so he killed Coraline-- or thought he did. He stabbed her in the heart with a silver letter opener (which is exactly the instrument Morgan claimed the "thief" attacked her with), which should have paralysed her. However, she was pressed against the glass of the burning room when Mick left with Beth The Child. If she wasn't paralyzed, of course she could have escaped.
I love Coraline's use of the name Morgan: It's the name of King Arthur's sister, who, depending on which version of the legends you read, was rather evil. She was definitely powerful and magical, no matter who you read.
Some of the parallels between Morgan and Coraline seemed patently obvious: The book Remembrances of the Past that was Coraline's favorite; the music; the "fifties thing" Morgan was trying to shake. Not very subtle. The tattoo on the murder victim from the photographs was more effective. 
I felt bad that Beth didn't have more to do in this episode, but it was hard to take our eyes off Morgan. Shannyn Sossamon was perfectly cast in this role. I haven't really cared for her portrayal of Coraline so far, but as Morgan, she was smart, curious, sincere, and affecting. I really almost wanted to believe that this was a huge coincidence and that perhaps she really did just look like Coraline-- and that maybe somebody else was using Morgan to get to Mick.
The big inconsistency that I referred to earlier is: Why wouldn't Mick insist on Josef coming to the cemetery with him and Morgan when he was convinced that Morgan was actually Coraline? Doesn't it seem like Coraline is hell-bent on revenge? Why would Mick even risk being alone with her? Ever? She kept intimating that there was a romance between Mick and Beth. If Coraline/Morgan can confirm that and that Mick has feelings for Beth then Beth is in mortal (or perhaps immortal) danger. What would hurt Mick more: For Coraline to kill Beth or to turn her? Would Mick turn Beth himself to save her? I think we are going to have a chance to find out.
Josef says he wouldn't go back to the mortal coil if there turns out to be a cure for vampirism. A cure does sound like Mick's wishful thinking, but how else to explain Morgan's human-like characteristics? I suspect that Coraline herself wouldn't want to be mortal. She is stronger and deadlier as a vampire. She must have figured out a way to disguise herself and smell human. She could have faked bleeding somehow with someone else's blood. But let's say there is a cure: Would you want to see Mick become human so he could be with Beth? Or does the show's popularity hinge on the tension of the vampire/human romance?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-10-2007 @ 8:46PM
Tom said...
I'd say the biggest inconsistency of all was the fact that Nick couldn't believe she wasn't Coraline despite an overwhelming amount of evidence but then is convinced by a missing tatoo. So she's overcome the fact that vampirism is not curable but has never heard of laser removal surgery? Kind of stupid.
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11-10-2007 @ 8:50PM
Manal said...
Wow!! I completely agree!! Ha, I was waiting for you to post about this episode. I think this IS the best episode yet!! I can't believe it about Coraline!! I'm not sure if she did find a cure, but I definitely wouldn't want Mick to use it, he's so gorgeous!! And as a vampire, yum! I can't wait to see what happens next. It continues in the episode after next, episode 9, where he works with "Morgan" again. Ughhh I can't wait!!
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11-10-2007 @ 9:47PM
Anita said...
Great episode and great recovery from last week's ep. Nice Mick and Josef team-up(just what I wanted last week) & end confrontation. Plus, Josef was back in character (stare and all :). Ditto for the Mick and Beth development. Kudos, ML, for not making Coraline the typical sexy, vengeful vamp. It's hard to believe Mick was a bandleader (he's such a good pi what w/ fingerprint kit, fake id and lockpick abilities), but great reveal on Mick and Coraline's relationship. I kinda wondered how stupid you'd have to be to not notice your lover's covert evilness, but obsessive love wholly explains it :) Mick's a total femme pushover :) The opening was still awkward and I'm hoping they either remove the voice-overs or help OL overcome his flat tonality. However, the show has definitely gotten over its need to shout 'vampire' every 5 min and I hope they take those cheesy jumps with them. Side note, Great 3 Musketeers allusion. Fleur de lis tattoo is such the image of evil, sexy woman resurrected!
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11-10-2007 @ 9:54PM
Karen said...
I agree this was a fantastic episode. Alex did a great job of acting. Changing from his normally suave, in control detective persona to an obsessed lover, who is still trying to come to grips with that obsession in the present day.
Coraline is back and up to no good, the last scene confirmed that. If Mick admits he's attracted to Beth, Coraline will do something to her. And he's definitely attracted to Beth. At the beginning of the episode Mick did admit to himself that maybe he'd found somebody, then Bam, the ex shows up. He later told Josef he believes Coraline has come back because of Beth. Coraline can't stand to see him happy. Beth is in mortal or immortal danger as long as Coraline/Morgan is around.
You mentioned a silver letter opener was used by Mick to paralyze Coraline in 1985. I thought it was a piece of wood so I watched that scene again. Mick picks up what looks like a round piece of wood from the debris littering the floor. It was one inch in diameter and about a foot long.
Had Mick taken Josef to the cemetery we might have missed out on the exciting fight scene and Mick's near emotional breakdown.
With Coraline's return the suspence will keep building. What an exciting romantic 'thrill ride' this show is.
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11-11-2007 @ 12:49AM
Haunt said...
"I haven't actually figured out how Morgan can smell human and bleed and fail to heal."
That's easy: Wolfram & Hart brought her back to torment Mick. It will slowly drive him insane and threaten to destroy his relationships with all his friends, finally pushing him to a terribly dark place that leads to an epiphany and a renewed sense of purpose... a newly strengthened desire to do good.
Next, he'll discover the prophecy that suggests he too can become a "real boy" again someday. And then Coraline will turn up inexplicably pregnant by Mick, despite the fact that vampires can't reproduce like that. The child (a son) will be born and experience some kind of accelerated aging process so that he can become a petulant teenage antagonist and pseudo-villain for his dad to battle against.
Then Beth will also become pregnant by some supernatural force and give birth to an evil god. Mick will become a lawyer and sacrifice all of his friends in an effort to defeat evil.
And no one will remember that the entire story has been told before...
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11-11-2007 @ 2:50AM
Nabby said...
Oh, Haunt (5), that was really boring.
I agree with you, Jen, this was a truly excellent episode.
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11-11-2007 @ 3:27AM
Gaz said...
1. Boring or not, it was a good summery by Haunt.
2. I also thought that the episode was very good. Mick and Joseph should have lots of scenes together, and I don't mind if Beth appearances are short.
3. We should all separate Angel and Moonlight. So should the writers. There are striking similarities that just can't be ignored. Imagine if Greenwalt hadn't left the show...
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11-11-2007 @ 4:18AM
Cj said...
I like him and Beth together. I hate love triangles they never turn out well. Love the show hope they keep it on. I love vampire show. I'm sure if Morgan trys to hurt Beth I think Mick will protect her. What a hunk Mick is.....
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11-11-2007 @ 8:25AM
Nancy said...
I totally agree with Jen. This was the best episode yet. I enjoyed seeing more of Josef, and his "mortal coil" speech. It really brought out the whole "tormented soul" angle to Mick. I also liked seeing the tables turned on Beth, and having her be the jealous one. I can see this playing out between Coraline and Beth as well. Things are heating up!
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11-11-2007 @ 9:23AM
Tina Eccles said...
Just loved this episode!! It showed us a different, tormented side of Mick and still gave us the teasing, jealousy with Mick and Beth. Please, CBS, give us this show for more episodes and seasons!
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11-11-2007 @ 10:38AM
Georgia said...
I like the voiceovers. I love listening to his voice. Does anyone know if Alex O really sings?
This was a fast paced show w/o packing too much in. Well written.
I think the "fever" Mick described was accurate. Even someone as collected as he is could be pulled in by the fever. That's what happens when we do stupid things when in love.
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11-11-2007 @ 10:48AM
Brent said...
This isn't a satirical post? This show has a stupid plot and horrible acting. But, that is what makes it a good Friday show. It's badness is entertaining.
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11-11-2007 @ 11:53AM
Miguel said...
Great summary Haunt 5.
I liked the episode, but It consistently reminded me of the Darla arc in Angel season two. I know someone said we should stop comparing the shows, but they have way too many similarities. Vampire detective in LA, kills his past vampire love, past love comes back as a human as payback. Give me a break; how can that be coincidence?
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11-11-2007 @ 12:46PM
Anita said...
Look, if we compared ML to Angel we'd have to compare Angel to FK, where NK's lover came back as human and, oh, guess what, she had a kid, too. So, on paper they are similar, but in execution they're all different -
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11-11-2007 @ 1:00PM
Beth said...
Did it bother anyone else that Mick had a reflection in the rearview mirror and one scene ended on this image. Isn't the no relfection thing pretty much universally accepted?
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11-11-2007 @ 5:41PM
Logan said...
This was definitely the best episode of the season. It did bring up a couple of questions for me, though.
1. In one of the 1950s scenes, when Mick first goes to Coraline's house, there's a guy sitting there. Was that Josef? I'm pretty sure it was, thus making me wonder if Josef may have had something to do with Coraline turning Mick later. It would cause some interesting tension between Josef and Mick down the line.
2. Is Josef Coraline's sire?
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11-11-2007 @ 2:39PM
Dre' said...
It's a different show, I like it, It's just not anywhere as well done as "Forever Knight" was
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11-11-2007 @ 7:31PM
Keevia said...
Great synopsis Jen. I am the only one who noticed that Morgan's tatoo was on the right shoulder when she's cleaning herself in the mirror? But when Mick unzips Coraline's dress and he pulls the shirt off Morgan's shoulder in the cemetary it's supposed to be on the left side?
A Mirror Twin??
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11-11-2007 @ 7:51PM
nattyff said...
i truly like these show, but surprisingly i hate these episode. I have accepted the fact that these show is similar to angel, and like the diferent rules about vampires, love the old vampire friend (so much potencial story lines), i love that we had more joseph (i love how jason plays him), etc. But these episode was wayyyyyyy to much for me, even if a had already accepted the fact that he was sired by his lover and then he kill her (don't be mad, but like angel) the fact that she apears like a human to torture him it's definetly to much, and i reallt don't care who though the idea first (and i never heard about that show that keep poping up, to old), the thing that boders me is that with soooo many potencial storys that these good show has been constructed they have to go with the most used one of all.......... such a waiste adn a pity.
I though that the guy was joseph too at first!!! (the one with coraline in the flashback) but then a saw it again and it wasnt (almost 98% sure, i woud love to be wrong!!! LOL)
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11-11-2007 @ 9:34PM
Ruth Ann said...
First and foremost, I absolutely love this show. The "Ringer" episode was great, nice to see Beth react to Mick's interest to Morgan. Mick now knows Beth cares for him. I like seeing more of Josef, telling Mick to get his head out of his a** about Coraline.
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