MOONLIGHT 1.16 – "Sonata"

Writers: Ethan Erwin & Kira Snyder
Director: Frederick E.O Toye

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick), Sophia Myles (Beth), Jason Dohring (Josef), Jacob Vargas (Guillermo), David Blue (Logan Griffith), Eric Winter (ADA Benjamin Talbot), Heather Stephens (Emma Monaghan), Erika Schaefer (Lisa), Ryan Caltagirone (Hank Bishop), Matt Riedy (Hearst College Chancellor), Jonathan LaPaglia (Jackson Monaghan), Abigail Spencer (Simone Walker), Claudia Black (The Cleaner), Vince Pavia (Guard), Mitch Eakins (Troy) & Jacleen Haber (Cleaner #4)

When a man is killed by a vampire in the throes of passion, Mick and Beth have to find the killer before all vampires are exposed...

Beth: Do you realize this is
our fourth official date?

Mick: Define official.

Beth: Any outing that doesn't
involve dead bodies.

Mick: You are such a romantic,
you know that?

The premature demise of a US television show isn't anything to write home about. It's almost becoming the norm to be yanked off air after a handful of episodes, so getting to episode 16 is something of an achievement. Sonata isn't much of a season finale, let alone a series climax, although at least it ends on a note of optimism for Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) and Beth's (Sophia Myles) relationship...

Sonata begins with Josef (Jason Dohring) donating money to Hearst College (a Veronica Mars nod for Dohring fans) at a glitzy party, with Mick and Beth attending as a couple. Josef introduces them to his date Simone (Abigail Spencer), a human lawyer who knows Josef's a vampire and willingly lets him suck her blood. The party turns into a crime scene when the college's famous basketball alumni Dominic is found dead in a bathtub, with Simone the only other occupant in the restroom.

So it's up to Mick and Beth, with help from A.D Talbot (Eric Winter) to solve Dominic's murder, as Simone professes her innocence, and Mick comes to realize the Dominic was killed by a vampire during sex. Mick investigates Dominic's husband and wife managerial team, Emma (Heather Stephens) and Jackson Monaghan (Jonathan LaPaglia), then snoops around Dominic's jealous team-mate Hank Bishop (Ryan Caltagirone) – who claims he saw Emma having sex with Dominic before his death. Matters are complicated when Mick realizes Emma and Jackson are both vampires, so imprisoning Emma would inevitably lead to vampires being exposed when she can't control her urge to feed behind bars. After being taken into custody, Emma also threatens to expose vampires unless she's released in 24 hours.

The Monaghan's marriage also gets Beth thinking about her own relationship with a vampire, as she learns how Jackson turned his lover into his vampire bride – rather than see her age and die. Is it inevitable that, to be truly happy with Mick, Beth will have to be turned?

Eventually, it's decided that to the only way protect the world's vamps from exposure is to free Emma from police custody before she's locked up behind bars. Mick arranges a meeting of his vampire friends to think up an escape plan: Josef, computer nerd Logan (David Blue), mortician Guillermo (Jacob Vargas), The Cleaner (Claudia Black) and her PVC-clad staff. Their plan to kidnap Emma from a police transport vehicle doesn't quite go to plan, but an improvised Plan B results in a vehicular crash that enables them to smuggle Emma away.

Unfortunately, vamp justice dictates that Emma must die for threatening to expose vampire kind, and her loving husband decides to join her in death – as she's incinerated by a vampire woman wearing a skin-tight cat-suit, wielding a flamethrower. What a way to go!

The episode closes with Beth convincing herself that a relationship with Mick will never work, as perhaps they really do live in such different worlds after all. She breaks things off with him, and he walks away dejected. But as Beth sobs alone, Mick reveals he isn't ready to give up on them – and returns to insists their love isn't based on what they are, but who they are. They kiss.

Meanwhile, the seed of a story that will never be told is sewn, when Talbot receives a list of every vampire in L.A from an anonymous source, together with a mysterious phone call. Obviously, Talbot doesn't know what every name has in common right now, but he's still left wondering why Josef and Mick's names are included... while audiences are left to muse over who sent the list and clearly wants to expose vampires with Talbot's help. For what it's worse, my guess would be nerdy Logan -- but we'll never know.

Overall, Sonata was pleasant and entertaining (helped by the sight of Farscape babe Claudia Black in tight leather), and I enjoyed seeing Beth think deeper about what it means to fall in love with a vampire. The plot wasn't as convoluted as usual, the "vampire task force" was good fun to see in operation, while the late development of a vampire turncoat hoping to expose his/her own kind would have been nice to see play out.

As season finale's go, it wasn't that great. The Coraline storyline was season 1's spiritual end for me, and this subsequent batch of episodes were just bonuses. It's a shame Moonlight didn't bewitch a sizeable audience to justify its return, but I can see why it failed. I personally found enjoyment in O'Loughlin, Myles and Dohring's well-balanced performances, but the overall vampire detective concept was well-worn, while the writing lacked impact and rarely took chances. I tend to think it appealed to young adults with Anne Rice crammed on their bookshelves, but it was only really a pale shadow of Angel. I'm sure O'Loughlin, Myles and Dohring will go on to bigger and better things, though.

Fangs for the memories.


3 June 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

MOONLIGHT 1.15 – "What's Left Behind"

Writer: Jill Blotevogel
Director: Chris Fisher

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick), Jason Dohring (Josef), Sophia Myles (Beth), Mercedes Conner (Lilah Fordham), Justice Leak (Ray Fordham), Anthony Starke (Ken Verdolino), Todd Giebenhain (Leo), Bonnie Burroughs (Julie Fordham), Erika Ringor (Detective Theresa Novak), Robin Thomas (Robert Fordham), Eric Winter (ADA Benjamin Talbot) & Daniel Goldman (Jacob)

When Mick learns that the grandson of a friend he knew in WWII has been kidnapped, he immediately offers his assistance...

Quite a contrasting episode this week, as the storyline is another Moonlight script that barely rises above lukewarm temperature, but you can take solace in some intriguing back-story for Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) and present day family heartache. It's just a shame the series lacks the bite to do a story about child abduction justice...

The kidnapped child in question, Jacob (Daniel Goldman), is plucked from his bed after hearing strange noises come from his bedroom walls, before a pair of hands descend from the ceiling and steal him away. Mick becomes interested in the case after hearing about it on the news, supposedly because he grew up in the same neighbourhood before he was a vampire, but actually because he knew Jacob's grandfather Ray (Justice Leak), as they both fought in WWII.

Of course, the Fordham family Mick knew have long since died. But Mick vows to help Jacob's distraught parents Robert (Robin Thomas) and Julie (Bonnie Burroughs), even if they’re unaware of the underlying motivation. Matters are complicated when Mick gradually begins to realize (aided by some clunking sepia-tinted flashbacks every few sentences) that he might actually have fathered Robert, meaning the missing Jacob is his grandson. It turns out Mick returned from service in Europe after Ray was killed and ended up falling in love with his best-friend's widow Lilah (Mercedes Conner). But is he Robert's father, or did Ray get his wife Lilah pregnant before leaving for war-torn Italy?

It puts a nice spin on the mystery of Jacob's abductor, and making things personal for Mick certainly squeezes more drama from a generally routine plot. Meanwhile, Beth (Sophia Myles) no longer works for BuzzWire and handsome Talbot (Eric Winter) is still circling her, eventually suggesting she become a civilian investigator under his guidance. I'm not convinced about this development, as giving Beth the same occupation as Mick seems like a waste of time. Why can't she just become a journalist for a traditional newspaper? Or, if the investigative aspect if something she wants to pursue, how about joining forces with lover Mick? It all seems a bit contrived to develop some Talbot/Beth chemistry.

The knock-on effects of Mick realizing he might have living relatives is the episode's strong points. The show hasn't tackled the idea of what a vampire has to leave behind when they're "turned", so this was a welcome aspect to the storyline. The only disappointment is that, after a DNA test is rushed through at a lab, the episode ends with Mick knowing Robert isn't his son – his best-friend Ray really did father a son back in the '40s. So the status quo is maintained, sadly. It might have been nice for Mick to have a family to watch over secretly, but the opportunity was passed over.

The mechanics of Jacob's abduction storyline wasn't all that interesting, although once Mick deduces that a workman called Ken Verdolino (Anthony Starke), who helped renovate the Fordham residence, planned and executed Jacob's kidnapping, it at least built to a satisfying conclusion in an underground chamber. Of course, being a romantic supernatural drama at heart, the motivations of the kidnapper and experience Jacob suffered is kept pretty vague. While I never expected anything with the grit of CSI in a vampire detective show, it's sometimes a shame Moonlight can't be edgier.

Overall, What's Left Behind does what it set out to do. A few of the flashbacks to Mick's life in WWII are a bit awkward and sometimes unnecessary (scared to let the imagination of the viewer fill in the blanks during a monologue at one points), the general sweep of the idea worked nicely. I was never gripped by the missing boy storyline, but the ramifications of a vampire's pre-bitten life was interesting to consider – even if this episode ultimately opted to brush everything under the carpet by the end. Still, the closing scene – where Robert realizes his son was rescued by a man (ghost?) who was in his father's army photo – was worth whatever issues I had.


27 May 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

MOONLIGHT 1.14 – "Click"

Writers: Erin Maher & Kathryn Reindl
Director: Scott Lautanen

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Jason Dohring (Josef Kostan), Zane Copeland, Jr. (Clint), David Blue (Logan), Eric Winter (A.D.A. Benjamin Talbot), Jacob Vargas (Guillermo), Marc Vahanian (Partygoer #2), Lindsay Heston (Paparazzo), Greg Pitts (Grant Lewis), Eddie McClintock (Jason Abbott), Alex Sol (Dean Foster), Robert Okumu (Paparazzo #2), Sean Wing (Scott Walsh), Martin Spanjers (Marshall), William Christian (Ryan Gold), Bryan Rasmussen (Paparazzo #1) & Peyton List (Tierney Tate)

Mick has to investigate the death of a teenage actress he was hired to bodyguard...

Beth: You are going to get sooo
tired of watching me eat.

Mick: I hope so.

It's always a bit disheartening to watch a show you know has been cancelled. I sometimes wish there was a rule somewhere that says you can't reveal a show's fate until the last episode has aired. Moonlight's death gives the remaining few episodes a bittersweet taste. It was never a particularly brilliant series that demanded a second season, but there are always little moments and ideas that make me disappointed it hasn’t been given a chance to reflect on its highs and lows over the summer, and come back with a fresh take (stake?)...

The second episode written by Erin Maher and Kathryn Reindl focuses on the cutthroat world of Hollywood, with Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) now working as a bodyguard for teen film star Tierney Tate (Peyton List). It seems his time spent living as a human has given him a thirst to step out of the shadowy world of private investigation and into the glare of paparazzi camera flashes. Whatever the reason, it delivers a bit of freshness, although it's not long before Mick has to use his detective skills when Tierney is found murdered during a party aboard an ocean liner.

There are signs of change elsewhere in this episode, as BuzzWire gets a replacement editor in the unscrupulous shape of Grant Lewis (Greg Pitts), whose work ethic is to publish first, think later, and retract any stories that turn out to be false. This is obviously a practice that goes against Beth's (Sophia Myles) journalism training, and she's always been a cut-above a low-rent gossip website anyway. I still think the show's attempt to be fresh by revolving around an online magazine has never quite worked, as I don’t know anyone who would trust or even watch news reports streamed from a website. Particularly ones that involve serious murder-related stories Beth typically deals in.

The investigation into Tierney's death, which Mick takes to heart (well, he was her bodyguard), soon gets complicated with the arrival of Dean Foster (Alex Sol), a bloated paparazzo parasite who might be involved in her death. Other suspects include Tierney's musician boyfriend Scott (Sean Wing); the producer of her latest film Jason Abbott (Eddie McClintock); and her manager Ryan Gold (William Christian).

This was a strong episode, blessed with a storyline that actually had some depth and subtleties to it. It was refreshing to see a few new elements injected into the show, following the arrival of A.D.A Talbot (Eric Winter) last week – which suggests the show is trying to keep evolving. By the end of the episode, it's even revealed Beth has decided to leave BuzzWire. Of course, these changes ultimately won't have much bearing on the show, now it's been axed.

It was also interesting to see a subplot where Dean Foster managed to take snapshots of Mick "miraculously" surviving a car accident, before trying to blackmail Beth into giving him BuzzWire exclusives. I'd hoped this threat from Foster would develop, but it's unfortunately wrapped up within this episode – as Beth makes the grave decision to eliminate Foster by going to Josef (Jason Dohring), who has two vampire kids attack the slimy pap in an alley. Ordinarily, I'd be disappointed this subplot wasn't allowed to continue into future episodes, but maybe Maher and Reindl sensed the show wasn't likely to return for the 08/09 TV season.

There were also some amusing moments sprinkled throughout Click: Mick has a Facebook page, was involved in a seafaring disaster that inspired The Poseidon Adventure, and Josef dated Jean Harlow? These little amusements were worked into the script nicely, and the general tone and vivacity of the dialogue helped give the episode some punch and spirit. It even opened with an exciting car chase -- which was ultimately unnecessary, but welcome.

It was also nice to see that Mick and Beth's relationship is continuing apace, as the show seems determined to avoid the cliché of the having two love-struck people never quite getting it together. Even the vampire/human "incompatibility" issues have been swept away. Still, if Moonlight could continue into a second season, would a boyfriend/girlfriend (and possibly husband/wife) double-act work? Possibly. It's certainly a dynamic that's grossly underused on TV -- with good reason? The only other example I can think of is Hart To Hart! A big part of Moonlight has been the love-chase between Mick and Beth, so losing that might lose a big part of its appeal for all the romantics out there. It's all academic now, anyway.


20 May 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

MOONLIGHT 1.13 – "Fated To Pretend"

Writers: Gabrielle Stanton & Harry Werskman
Director: David Barrett

Cast: Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Jason Dohring (Josef Kostan), Tami Roman (Maureen), Jacob Vargas (Guillermo), Jennifer Chu (Architect), Erika Ringor (Office Novak), Victoria Pratt (Dee Dee Dwight), Amy Motta (Interior Designer), Ksenia Solo (Bonnie Morrow), Edoardo Ballerini (Pierce Anders), Bonnie Root (Ellen), Antonio Elias (Luis Perez), David Blue (Logan), Eric Winter (ADA Benjamin Talbot) & Christopher Cousins (Kent Morrow)

After the Editor of BuzzWire is murdered, a still-human Mick helps Beth with the investigation...

"I'm actually gonna have to chase this guy? Crap."

-- Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin)

Moonlight has been cancelled. So this is the last bunch of episodes -- ordered by CBS after the writers' strike ended, giving hope to fans that Moonlight was "in favour" and would return next year. An inventive campaign, where fans donated blood to prove their devotion, just wasn't enough. It's a shame, as the show's pretty good fun at times and has definitely developed well...

Fated To Pretend finds Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) living the high-life as a human, enjoying in the day-to-day comforts people take for granted: sleeping in a warm bed, drinking coffee, eating hot dogs, walking in the sunlight, etc. Beth (Sophia Myles) has forgiven him for refusing to turn dead-boyfriend Josh into a vampire, just 6 days after his funeral, so they're now growing closer and taking picnics on the beach. She moves on fast, that girl.

This week's crime involved the murder of Beth's boss Maureen (Tami Roman), whose death is being investigated by new A.D.A Benjamin Talbot (Eric Winter), who isn't very impressed by Mick's reputation and warns him to keep his nose out. But Mick and Beth soon find evidence of the case Maureen was working on before she dies (on a USB data-stick hidden amongst some tampons) and mortician Guillermo (Jacob Vargas) confirms that Maureen was killed by a vampire.

Maureen's files contain information on a few suspects, including a donut company, a mayoral candidate and Josef! Josef pleads his innocence over a charity scam, Beth speaks to the donut company's chairwoman (whose spokesperson may have died from eating their product), and Mick investigates mayoral candidate Morrow (Christopher Cousins) – whose wife died in a car accident 3 years ago

Morrow seems the likeliest candidate, and Mick eventually finds a man called Luis Perez (Antonio Elias) -- the valet on the night Mrs Morrow died -- who reveals that her husband was driving the car. Morrow's daughter Bonnie (Ksenia Solo) attempts suicide back at her dad's campaign HQ, by threatening to jump off a roof, having known about her father's role in her mother's death. Mick stops Bonnie from jumping and it turns out the teen falsified an incriminating e-mail from Perez pointing the finger at her father – rather than just tell the cops! Yeah, it doesn't really make much sense.

But, no matter. It's clear that the Morrow situation has little to do with Maureen's death, so they turn their attention back on the donut spokesperson who had died – discovering that she had liposuction. Mick, Beth and Talbot go to the plastic surgeon Dr Anders (Edoardo Ballerini) who did the procedure, only for him to "vamp out" once he's provoked and tear up his own office. Mick, now a puny human, can't do anything to stop his rampage. Anders kidnaps Anders and Talbot, but Mick is left alone (why?) and gets stitched up by Guillermo. It also becomes clear that Dr Anders has been siphoning rare blood types from his clients and selling them on.

At his apartment, Mick prepares to go after Anders alone, but Josef makes him realize he wouldn't stand a chance as a human (by effortlessly disabling him). Mick is forced to agree, so persuades Josef to turn him back into a vampire. Josef obliges and the pair head to Anders' office (where he has Anders and Beth tied and blindfolded on the floor), and together they lead an assault on Anders and his vampire colleagues.

Afterwards, Beth isn't sure Talbot will be able to let all the unanswered questions lie – as he was blindfolded and unable to see Josef and Mick as vampires. She's also sorry Mick had to turn back into a vampire to save her, as she knows how much he relished being human again. But she lets him know it's not the vampire/human divide that's keeping them apart: it's just him.

Fated To Pretend was indicative of Moonlight's general problem: the procedural elements are either bland or ridiculously strained and nonsensical. This episode required suspension of disbelief (the easily-founded data-packed memory stick with the easiest password ever) and once again relied on Guitar Hero-playing geek Logan (David Blue) to push the plot on with technical mumbo-jumbo genius. And the red herring subplot with the Morrow family didn't make much sense, as it relied on Bonnie going to extraordinary lengths to snitch on her father – when an anonymous call to the cops would have sufficed!

But, as usual, you tend to latch onto the vampire and romantic elements to pull you through the quagmire of half-baked ideas. It was great fun seeing Mick adjust to life as a human and the vamp-powered fight sequences are now very accomplished – although the amount of hissing and snarling puts H.R Geiger's Alien to shame! I was disappointed to see a Josh replacement turn up so quickly in Talbot, but his dislike of Mick might lend the show some freshness. We'll have to see where it goes – which won't be far, given there are just a few episodes left until the curtain comes down.

Overall, this was disappointing after a strong run of mythology-heavy stories just recently. While unoriginal, Moonlight's silly-but-entertaining when it tackles vampirism, the Mick-Beth romance is quite engaging (in a sugary way), but the plots are often unable to craft a water-tight procedural. And that's certainly the case here.


13 May 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

MOONLIGHT 1.12 – "The Mortal Cure"

Writer: Chip Johannessen
Director: Eric Laneuville

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Shannyn Sossamon (Coraline), Jason Dohring (Josef Kostan), David Merheb (Brother), Jason Butler Harner (Lance), Meredith Monroe (Cynthia), Bitsie Tulloch (Celeste), Christopher Stapleton (Officer), Lonnie Hughes (Clarence Brown), Charley Rossman (Security Guard), David Blue (Logan), Jeremy Forte (Scientist), Tasha Tae (Hostess), Jill Latiano (The Cleaner), Marques Johnson (Minister) & John Everlove (Paramedic)

Mick investigates Coraline's disappearance from hospital. Meanwhile, while putting Josh's affairs in order, Beth discovers evidence that her dead boyfriend was cheating on her...

"I've wanted to feel human for a long time, but I forgot how painful it can be."

-- Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin)

Originally intended as the season finale, the earlier-than-expected end to the writers' strike meant another 4 episodes were pushed into production. Regardless, The Mortal Cure is the climax of the cure for vampirism plot-line that's informed half the season on the back of vamp-ex Coraline's (Shannyn Sossamon) return...

I expected big things with the reveal about Coraline and her apparent ability to reverse vampirism, but the answers presented by writer/exec-producer Chip Johannessen don't completely satisfy. Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) investigates the disappearance of Coraline from her hospital bed, quickly discovering via CCTV footage that she was smuggled out by fanged friend Cynthia (Meredith Monroe). Mick also has to contend with the sudden arrival of two ancient bloodsuckers, one-eyed Lance (Jason Butler Harner) and his stocky brother (David Merheb), who are also trying to find Coraline as she's "taken something from me." Your eye?

After interrupting a game of pool to discuss the issues with Josef (Jason Dohring), who only knows that Lance is a troublesome ancient European vampire, Mick eventually traces Coraline down to a makeshift lab – where she's involved in experiments to increase the effectiveness of the cure for vampirism, using something called "the compound" she stole from Lance. Ah, it wasn't his eye then.

Meanwhile, Beth (Sophia Myles) is still giving Mick the cold shoulder after he refused to turn Josh into a vampire and instead allowed him to die from his gunshot wounds. For once, their storylines are entirely separate, as Beth comes to suspect Josh was cheating on her before his untimely death. She meets Celeste (Bitsie Tulloch), "the other woman" Josh had arranged to meet, arriving bitter and angry at a restaurant, only to discover Celeste's a jeweller hired to reset Josh's grandmother's diamond in an engagement ring he was going to propose with.

Lance discovers Coraline's lab, effortlessly decapitating her vampire scientist assistant (icky and more explicit than usual), before Mick manages to surprise him and save Coraline's life. During their struggle, Lance's hand is set alight – but Mick is amazed to see the blistered burns heal themselves almost immediately. He's knocked unconscious before he can ask questions, allowing Lance and his brother to whisk Coraline away..

Later that night, Coraline returns to Mick's apartment and reveals what's been going on, via flashbacks: during the French Revolution there were 7 siblings of royal blood who were also vampires. During a "reign of terror" (1793 – 1794), where vampires were regularly being exposed and killed (burnt at the stake or decapitated by guillotine), the royal vamps created a compound that could temporarily mask the traits of their vampirism, allowing them to survive the 9-month genocide. Lance and his brother were two of the 7 siblings. Coraline stole the compound to try and extend its effectiveness. Excited by the idea of being human again, Mick asks if he can try some of the compound on himself, and Coraline agrees. She opens a wound on his forearm and applies the mix to the cut. Within minutes Mick is feeling more human as his vampire powers dim.

Unfortunately, Lance and his brother attack them both outside and Mick is physically unable to put up much of a fight – although he does manage to stake Lance's brother. As Mick lies beaten on the floor, it's revealed that Coraline is also part of the royal vamps (the only daughter of the 7 siblings) and her family are angry she stole their precious compound and continued their bloodline with Mick without permission. Coraline agrees to go with them, but only if they leave Mick alone. They agree to her terms, paralyze her with a stake through the chest, and carry her off...

After a night spent sampling food for the first time in 5 decades and an uncomfortable sofa to sleep on, Mick joins Beth at Josh's funeral in the morning with a badly bruised face, revealing to her that he's now mortal. For the time being.

The Mortal Cure is good, but disappointing. The idea of linking Coraline's history to the French Revolution was good fun, but it wasn't explained how Coraline survived being burned alive by Mick -- although I suspect she has similar rapid-regenerative abilities as her brother demonstrated, so I can let that slide. But shouldn't Mick be similarly powerful if he's in the royal bloodline?

Coraline walking back into Mick's life, pretending to by a photographer called Morgan, now seems a bit pointless and silly, though. Why did she bother doing that? It was a mind-fuck for Mick, sure -- but was that a worthwhile act of revenge for him "killing" her? Why did she kidnap Beth as a little girl? And where's she been for the past half-century years? She doesn't seem particularly upset with Mick now either, or jealous about his relationship with adult Beth. I suppose more answers will be forthcoming, but I'd hoped her cure for vampirism would be closer connected to her fiery survival and mysterious return. But the script instead veered off into rewriting French history with a vampire slant.

Beth was sidelined throughout the episode, which seemed strange as this was intended as a season finale and she's Moonlight's co-star! But I don't like Myles when she's being dour and serious – it just doesn't work for me. She's a decent actress, but she often looks a bit lost and unsure whenever she has to deal with subdued, complex emotions. She's much better at the upbeat, plucky, starry-eyed stuff.

Shannyn Sossamon was okay, but there wasn't really much for her to do. Her biggest scene was basically to explain the whole mystery while sitting on a sofa as some flashbacks played. Indeed, a lot of this episode's investigation didn't amount to much. Mick got half his leads from another convenient computer wiz, and had the big mystery explained to him by Coraline, all while getting more unhelpful words of warning/advice from playboy Josef.

Maybe I'm approaching Moonlight with expectations that are too high. It's a fairly light and sugary romantic drama with a supernatural twist, and this episode worked fine on that level. I shouldn't expect too much from a show that has Mick narrate lines like "she's a vampire" when Coraline shows her fangs. Does the show have to treat its audience like lobotomized idiots, or do the writers really think most viewers won't be au fait with horror/fantasy TV shows? The voice-overs really are surplus to requirements a lot of the time, serving only to beat audiences over the head with information, or make a few sly wise-cracks. They can be used well; but not here.

Still, for the most part this was an entertaining climax to a major storyline that left things on a decent cliffhanger regarding Coraline and her powerful dynasty. And we did get some answers to some big questions, even if other questions seem to have been left by the wayside. For now.

I've grown to really like Alex O'Loughlin's measured performances, even if he's rarely stretched by the scripts, and Moonlight's decision to embrace its mythology and character relationships definitely boosted the second half of the season. And I hope Mick remains human for a little while longer, as that should be amusing and interesting to see play out...


6 May 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

MOONLIGHT 1.11 – "Love Lasts Forever"

Writer: Josh Pate
Director: Paul Holahan

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Jordan Belfi (Josh Lindsey), Brian J. White (Lieutenant Carl Davis), John Everlove (Paramedic #2), Maurice Compte (Bustos), Emilio Rivera (Chemma Tejada), Manuel Urrego (Jorge Perez), David Blue (Logan), Margaret Easley (Dr. Alison Lin), Luis Fernando Moncada (Huerta), Jon Emm (Judge), Shelbie Bruce (Nicole) & Jeremy Denzlinger (Paramedic)

Josh is working to convict a dangerous gang member, who threatens Beth's life...

"The truth is, I don't know what I would do. What I
do know is, at the end of the day, not a lot separates
life and death. Only one thing... eternity."

-- Mick St. John (Alex O'L oughlin)

By focusing on its own fledgling mythology, Moonlight has become a lot more interesting in recent weeks. The introduction of Coraline awhile back, and last week's focus on Josef has invigorated the series, and this energy continues into Love Lasts Forever – with an exciting, if rather empty-headed, storyline for Josh (Jordan Belfi) and Beth (Sophia Myles).

District Attorney Josh has been working for the past 2 years on a case to imprison notorious gang leader Chemma Tejada (Emilio Rivera), but is put into a quandary when Tejada has some thugs assault him, before making it clear his girlfriend is now a "marked woman" unless he drop his investigation. Concerned for Beth's safety, Josh considers backing off from the case, but principled Beth is adamant he should continue his work. Someone has to make a stand against Tejada, who will inevitably continue to hurt and kill people if they let him go free.

Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) soon hears about the threat to Beth's life and offers to help protect her, which Josh gratefully accepts. Unfortunately, Tejada makes bail and dispatches two goons, led by Bustos (Maurice Compte), to kidnap Josh as punishment for all the trouble he's caused. With Mick and a police protection unit keeping focused on Beth, Josh is easy pickings for Tejada's men – who jump him outside his house, bundle him into the trunk of their car, and drive off. Mick and Beth follow in hot pursuit, using Josh's cell phone to triangulate his position.

Josh Pate's script forms the leanest, most frenetic episode of Moonlight yet. It's quite a departure from the usual style and plays more like an episode of 24, clearly having fun with a stream of exciting sequences: an assault on Josh by biker thugs, a sniper's attempt to assassinate Beth, a breathless car chase through L.A, etc. Everything comes to a heart-wrenching climax as Josh is rescued, only to be shot multiple times through the back of the trunk by a semi-conscious thug, leaving him fighting for his life on the ground!

Mick's medical training as a soldier in WWII comes in handy, and there follows a genuinely tense and rather icky scene with Mick improvising emergency treatment for Josh's wounds: cauterizing a neck wound with a car's cigarette lighter and tying off an artery using a necklace! I squirmed a lot, but was also rather taken by the scene's realism and surprised by how effectively it was pulled off. Sadly, Josh doesn't survive the ordeal, and Mick refuses to save his life by turning him into a vampire, despite Beth pleading with him.

Josh's death sends Mick into a rampaging mood, as his ordinarily secretive stance regarding his vampirism takes a backseat to vengeance. After scaring Bustos in an interrogation room (simply by revealing his white, dilated eyes and fangs), Mick gets the location of Tejada and arrives at the Latino's bar looking for revenge. As a force of nature, Mick tears up the place, doing nothing to hide his monstrous side, before coming face-to-face with Tejada and biting down on his neck.

Of course, even with Josh avenged, nothing can bring Beth's boyfriend back. Beth is seen grieving for the loss alone, as Mick arrives to try and make her understand why he couldn't turn Josh into a vampire as some kind of "miracle cure". Beth doesn't understand – asking him what he'd have done if she was the one dying. Mick says he'd do the exact same thing, but his voice-over admits he's not sure...

Love Lasts Forever is undeniably very exciting in places and one of the few Moonlight episodes that captured my attention and refused to let go. Director Paul Holahan's handling of the action was impressive and the actors did a fine job, particularly during Josh's protracted death scene. As I've mentioned before, one thing I've enjoyed about Moonlight is how Josh/Beth weren't written as doomed to failure with Mick on the scene. They made a nice couple, too – and Josh wasn't the domineering, dislikeable creep he could have been.

However, where this episode falls down is in the details. Tejada and his gang were gross stereotypes, written as simple boo-hiss Latino villains without any texture. They were evil for the sake of being evil, and many of their actions weren't very plausible. The whole episode seemed like it was the world of writer letting off steam, with everything cranked up to the max at the expense of intelligent plotting. Fortunately, the action was engaging and the actors really sold the emotional scenes. It was great fun to watch, but it was also disappointingly thin on story and characterisation.

A tiny subplot existed for Mick and Beth, who go to a laboratory to test the blood Mick took from Coraline last week. The doctor there can't find any abnormalities (with Mick hoping it could explain how Coraline has turned from a vampire back into a human). However, she does mention two interesting things: the blood is so pure she assumes it has come from a child, and the blood type is the incredibly rare AO-negative – the same group as Beth.

Is that why Coraline kidnapped Beth as a child – she needs to feed on that blood type? Or, in my own outlandish theory, is Beth actually Coraline's daughter? We've never seen Beth's family, have we. Feel free to pick that one apart, but it just occurred to me. Or, how about this: the blood is childlike in its purity because Coraline's actually a brand new clone? Just putting it out there.

Overall, this is an essential episode in terms of Moonlight's mythology, and certainly one of its most entertaining and intense stories. It's a shame the Latino gang were underwritten and the plot so wafer-thin, but if you've been disappointed by the lack of thrills, action and super-powered fights in a show about a vampire detective, Love Lasts Forever more than delivers.


29 April 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

MOONLIGHT 1.10 – "Sleeping Beauty"

Writers: Trevor Munson & Ron Koslow
Director: John T. Kretchmer

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Shannyn Sossamon (Coraline), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Jason Dohring (Josef Kostan), Jordan Belfi (Josh Lindsey), Tami Roman (Maureen), Rashawn Underdue (Tim), Nick E Tarabay (Ralf Martan), Ian Abercrombie (John Whitley), Alice Greczyn (Sam), Paul Rae (Tom), Kavita Patil (Doctor Duffy), Al Galvez (Dan), Robert Noble (Toupee Man), Elizabeth Chambers (Victoria's Secret Model), Jane Galloway Heitz (Elderly Woman), Dierdre Holder (Nurse Linda), William August (Nurse), Betty A. Bridges (Paula), Edward Carnevale (Doorman) & Chase Kim (Detective Kim)

A hitman targets Josef and Mick's investigation discovers hidden depths and secrets about his old friend...

"You just gonna stand there all day, or you
gonna help me find out who killed me?"

-- Josef Kostan (Jason Dohring)

It was about time the show focused on 400-year-old vampire Josef (Jason Dohring), who has been unfairly pushed into the background for too long, appearing just occasionally to raise a smile before disappearing. Sleeping Beauty involves an assassin, hired by a sick old man, travelling to L.A to kill the playboy vamp...

This is actually the first episode written by Moonlight's creators, Trevor Munson and Ron Koslow, who are credited as executive producers but left the day-to-day running to showrunners David Greenwalt and later Chip Johannesen. If this episode exemplifies their take on the material they created, I hope they write more – as this was the first episode that gripped me from the teaser and entertained throughout.

Wizened millionaire John Whitley (Ian Abercrombie) dispatches hitman Ralph Martan (Nick E. Tarabay) to kill Josef, who later interrupts Josef's poker night with some fanged buddies, by spraying them all with bullets and detonating explosives to finish the job. This was all in the first few minutes of the show!

Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) is heartbroken that his old friend has been murdered this way -- resolving to find out who killed him, and why. Beth (Sophia Myles) becomes aware of the incident through BuzzWire and is assigned the case by her boss, finding her professional duties and personal relationship with Alex colliding rather uncomfortably.

But of course, Josef isn't really dead. No, no. He miraculously survived the attack and is just as eager as Mick to find out the identity of his would-be killer. Unfortunately, Josef's laid-back demeanour isn't best suited to hiding out at Mick's apartment (he can't help bringing back a group of babes to entertain himself), and the extreme danger he's in barely seems to register.

The Sleeping Beauty of the title (well, one of them...) is Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon), now confirmed as Mick's vampire wife who has somehow turned herself back into a human – but was stabbed by Beth in the climax of last week's episode. Coraline is now in hospital getting medical attention, with Beth feeling guilty about her rash decision to stake her competitor for Mick's affections. As for Mick; well, he wants to know how Coraline has reversed her vampirism (as he longs to be mortal again), but she's too weak to give him clear answers. Instead, he extracts some of her blood into a syringe, intending to investigate her biological make-up for answers...

After being tipped off about his Josef's survival by Josef's traitorous security man, Martan returns to finish the job. Josef and Mick are in the fire-damaged luxury apartment so Josef can retrieve the contents of a fire-proof safe, when Martan strikes again. Mick manages to defeat the hitman, thanks to his superior strength and agility (although the Martan puts up a commendable fight, considering his disadvantage!), and gets the name "John Whitley" from Martan's lips as he's dangled over a balcony.

Beth discovers that Whitley is a 93-year-old real estate tycoon living in New York, and she travels with Mick to investigate why he's put a price on Josef's head. Josef himself has vanished after hearing about Whitley's connection to the Martan, keeping something a secret from his best-friend. Meanwhile, Martan is handed to the cops, but escapes during transit...

In New York, Mick and Beth manage to sneak into John Whitley's home and confront him about why he paid Martan to kill Josef. Whitley claims that Josef killed his daughter in 1955 and, now that he's old and in poor health, he doesn't want to go to his grave without ensuring Josef (real name: Charles Fitzgerald), pays for his crime. As proof, Whitley shows them his daughter's diary, which proves she was madly in love with Charles/Josef before her untimely death, and knew he was a vampire.

Mick and Beth quickly locate Josef in a house he owns, and he leads them into a bedroom where the episode's true Sleeping Beauty resides: Sarah Whitley, still the same age she was when she "died" in the 50s. Josef explains that, given his vampirism, Sarah wanted to be "turned" so they could be together forever. He eventually gave in to her demands, but the process didn't work – causing her to slip into unconsciousness, but unable to age. He's been keeping her comfortable for the past half-century, hoping that advances in medicine will find a way to revive her, so they can be reunited.

Martan (the Kato of hitmen, it seems) pounces once again, grappling with Mick and Josef in Sarah's bedroom. Martan succeeds in paralyzing Josef with a stake, but Mick manages to get the upperhand and snaps Martan's neck, before pulling out the stake from his friend's stomach. Satisfied that Josef isn't a killer and Whitley just didn't have all the facts about his daughter's "death", Mick offers Beth the chance for a fun-packed evening taking in the city, but Beth is feeling guilty about leaving her boyfriend back home, and shoots down his proposition.

I had fun with this episode. The story was relatively simple, but the mystery surrounding Whitley's motives was maintained well, while the pace and energy stopped things becoming tedious. It was also great to see an episode revolve around Josef for once, even if he still shrank into the background as Mick and Beth investigated events around him...

Maybe Josef's personality is just too passive and selfish to take charge of an episode with an investigative aspect (which demands active empathy for others), but it would be a shame if Jason Dohring doesn't get a chance to take Josef into fresh territory. I really liked the revelations about Josef's love life, as it's now clear his own past life has parallels to Mick's current one. But, in case you didn't pick up on that very obvious aspect, Beth did plenty of knowing looks and sideway glances to Mick! But is Mick-Beth as doomed as Charles-Sarah?

The subplot for Coraline wasn't particularly eventful, but it was interesting to see her vampire nature takeover the sicker she got – with fangs protruding when she spotted a nurse's neck pulse in one scene. If she has found a cure for vampirism, it seems to only be a temporary fix. I'm sure the blood Mick took from her will prove insightful, in any case...

While not quite the blistering, high-octane adventure the superb teaser promised us, the performances continue to appeal and the central relationships work. O'Loughlin and Myles are great together, but O'Loughlin and Dohring also work brilliantly as a duo. I even like Jordan Belfi as Beth's boyfriend Josh, who isn't a clichéd scumbag and instead has my sympathy as he watches his beautiful girlfriend slip away from him.

It's even better that Mick is a decent guy in Josh's eyes (having helped him on a few cases), so the blame for any break-up with Beth wouldn't be wholly directed at "the other man". It's Beth who's making the obvious play for Mick; even if he's (understandably) not pushing her away with much gusto.

Josef's presumed death also gave O'Loughlin a brief tear-jerking moment to reflect on his loss, that made a refreshing (if too brief) change of gear for Mick. If there's one thing Moonlight needs, it's more opportunities for its actors to stretch themselves.


22 April 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

MOONLIGHT 1.9 – "Fleur De Lis"

Writers: Gabrielle Stanton & Harry Werksman
Director: James Whitmore, Jr.

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Shannyn Sossamon (Coraline/Morgan), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Jason Dohring (Josef Konstantin), Tami Roman (Maureen), Chase Kim (Detective), Victor Webster (Owen Haggans), Kathleen Munroe (Tina Haggans), Richard Cox (Richard Haggans), Marc Anthony Samuel (Tucker), Amayla Early (Little Beth), Bryn Early (Little Beth #2) & Andrew Lin (Waiter)

Mick and Morgan work together to spy on a rich man's cheating wife, as Beth investigates Morgan's history...

"You aren't blushing right now, but I think you are actually
embarrassed. It's so cute. You are so old fashioned."

-- Morgan (Shannyn Sossamon)

After a totally unnecessary scene designed to hook your interest (which I won't mention, and suggest you avoid for best results), Fleur De Lis jumps back in time to find Beth (Sophia Myles) and Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) sat in a car together – mulling over photographer Morgan (Shannyn Sossamon). In an irritating 180-degree turn, Sophia now believes Morgan could be Mick's ex-wife Coraline after all, which doesn't tally with her mindset a few episodes ago...

Putting aside the awkward change in Beth's attitude towards Morgan (did the writers forget the plot, or what?), Fleur De Lis is actually pretty solid stuff from Moonlight. I'm enjoying the stream of developments and revelations in Mick, Sophia and Morgan/Coraline's intertwined histories, although I hope the series isn't blowing its load too early – perhaps nervous of cancellation before the story is told?

This week's investigative element revolves around millionaire Richard Haggans (Richard Cox), who wants Mick to snoop on his wife Tina (Kathleen Munroe), as he suspects her of having an affair. Mick enlists the help of BuzzWire photographer Morgan, giving Beth the chance to dig around in Morgan's private life for clues that she's actually presumed-dead vampire Coraline. And, most importantly, "the ex".

Fleur De Lis, written by Gabrielle Stanton and Harry Werksman, is fairly humdrum when it comes to the surveillance of Tina Haggans, who they discover is sleeping with her step-son Owen (Victor Webster), but the parallel plot of Beth trying to expose Morgan is more enjoyable. But was Morgan's identity ever never in doubt? By everyone's admission, Morgan looks like Coraline, talks like Coraline, and acts like Coraline.

There are only three things keeping Mick doubtful: she's not a vampire, she doesn't have a Fleur De Lis tattoo on her left shoulder, and Coraline apparently died in a fire. But is that really enough when confronted by an identical clone? It would help if Morgan had a different style and personality to Coraline, but it's just plainly her. And what are the chances of a secret twin sister getting a job working alongside the grown-up child her sister kidnapped decades ago?

Beth narrate her actions this week -- perhaps signifying her growth on the show, but probably because Moonlight loves its characters to sneak around houses, talking to themselves. The use of voice-over hasn't always been successful on the show, though -- for while it allows us to hear a character's thoughts, it often seems like the writers are just scared of on-screen silence. Either that or they can't devise ways to have characters show their feelings and thoughts through actions and dialogue.

If there's one thing Moonlight has up its sleeve to distract you from sometimes bland plots -- it's chemistry. O'Loughlin and Myles are comfortable and appealing in each other's presence (almost from day one) and now O'Loughlin and Sossamon raise temperatures: in a quick kiss while on surveillance, and in a short but steamy shower scene towards the end.

The Mick/Morgan chemistry is integral to this episode's success, as Josef (Jason Dohring; still underused) makes it clear that Mick's marriage to Coraline was self-destructive and dangerous to be around. It could only end in tears. Or a fiery death, as it happens. Beth's jealousy of Mick and Morgan's rapport also fuels plenty of scenes, and putting an obstacle like Morgan in the way of the "Mick-Beth" coupling is just what this show needed. It was getting a bit too Mills & Boon with fangs, for my taste.

I had fun watching this episode. The Haggans' storyline has a nice little twist, Sossamon is a delight throughout, the pace is fluid, and the episode builds to a decent cliffhanger that should guarantee you tune in next week. The only downsides were the bizarre changes to characters' feelings from The Ringer, the continuing waste of Dohring as sage vamp Josef, and the underlying feeling that Morgan's manipulation of her widowed husband could have been better. But even with these concerns, if you've stayed loyal to Moonlight up till now, this ninth episode is definitely must-see.


14 April 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

MOONLIGHT 1.8 – "12:04 AM"

Writer: Jill Blotevogel
Director: Dennis Smith

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Brian J. White (Lieutenant Carl Davis), Quinton Newton (Levi), Mark Totty (Jerry Drake), Alicia Randolph (Young Audrey), Mark Tomesek (Warden Cooley), Sarah Foret (Audrey Pell), Gideon Emery (Donovan Shepard), Paul Keeley (D.A George Quinlan), Mark D. Espinoza (Father Garza), Lorena Segura (Bronwyn), Aisha Kabia (Miriam), Christopher Guyton (Phillips), Mark Totty (Jerry Drake) & Alicia Randolph (Young Audrey)

After a killer is executed on Death Row, Beth befriends the girl who testified against him in court, but needs Mick's help protecting her from more attacks...

"Come on; two vampires and two lovely ladies --
in my day, we called that a party."

-- Shepard (Gideon Emery)

Writer Jill Blotevogel half-remakes her Fever episode here, with Beth (Sophia Myles) and Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) again protecting a young woman who witnessed a murder. This time it's Audrey Pell (Sarah Foret), whose parents were killed by serial killer Donovan Shepard (Gideon Emery), and whose testimony in court has resulted in his death by lethal injection. But has Shepard returned from beyond the grave, to seek revenge?

If you can forgive 12:04 AM's similarities to Fever (and a few other episodes), this is actually one of the better instalments of Moonlight. It helps that there's a decent villain in Shepard -- whose deep-set eyes, lanky frame, snake-grin, and long hair, provide genuine chills. He's a walking cliché, but he's also far more threatening than a randy teenager and leggy Holly Valance!

Also interesting were Shepard's misguided followers --a "Family" of goths, chanting outside the prison waving placards of support. I hoped we'd see more of them (as it's intriguing how disaffected youth gravitate towards the macabre), but their involvement was only limited to a nutjob spooking Audrey as she took a shower. It was fun, but I wanted more than a red herring.

A blossoming friendship between Beth and survivor Audrey also felt forced and implausible. I just don't think a key witness in a renowned trial would stay overnight in a journalist's apartment -- hours after meeting said reporter at the execution of her parents' killer! Sure, Beth's a friendly person, but doesn't Sarah have anywhere else to go? It struck me as a limp way to get the characters together, and their heart-to-heart about living with childhood trauma didn't click either. Beth was just four years olf when she was kidnapped (and only half-remembers the event), whereas Audrey was 10 and recalls her experience vividly. I suppose it worked well enough, but it left me cold.

Still, the driving force of the storyline was quite tense and often exciting, with the confusion surrounding Shepard supernatural return handled well. Of course, Moonlight seems unable (or unwilling), to tell stories that don't involve vampirism – so it was inevitable that Shepard had cheated death by becoming a vampire, paying for a bite from visiting Father Garza (Mark D. Espinoza) minutes before his execution.

Mick confirms Shepard has become a vamp after discovering his dead body has been replaced in the morgue by murdered D.A Quinlan (a man instrumental in putting Shepard on Death Row), so it's down to Mick to stop Shepard before he gets to Audrey on his hit-list. It all culminates with another well-staged fight between the two vampires at the home of a film producer hoping to make a movies based on Shepard's life. Needless to say, the slimy producer instead gets a slashed throat.

Also in the mix, Beth discovers Mick's file that he keeps on her -- full of photos dating back to when she was a little girl. She seems unsettled at this revelation at first but in the denouement she unpredictably admits to Mick that she always knew, deep down, that he was her "guardian angel". Well, the show certainly gets a move on: Beth discovered Mick was a vampire in episode 2, and a mere 6 episodes later she knows he rescued her as a toddler. Maybe in episode 10 they'll start dating, and be married with kids by season's end?

I'm not complaining. It's refreshing for questions to be answered in weeks rather than months, or years, on a TV show. I just hope the writers have other avenues to explore once the connection between Mick, Beth and Coraline's histories are explained and explored. For now, I don't particularly look forward to episodes of Moonlight every week, and there are some aspects I find irritating (the awful gumshoe narrating and the general soppiness), but the past few episodes had snap to them, and it looks more polished. The fights are pretty bone-crunching here, while boys will appreciate an icky throat slash and a shot of a decapitation (albeit brief).

Overall, while everything still reeks of Angel (with the vibe of Charmed), 12:04 AM is further evidence that Moonlight is settling into a formula that works, and refuses to stay still. It might not have the guts, intelligence and storytelling depth I prefer in fantasy/sci-fi drama, but it's well-pitched at an audience clamouring for a supernatural romance without any pretensions. It's not going to change the television landscape, or earn anyone an Emmy award, but it can entertain.


8 April 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

MOONLIGHT 1.7 – "The Ringer"

Writer: Josh Pate
Director: Chris Fisher

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Shannyn Sossamon (Coraline/Morgan), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Jason Dohring (Josef Konstantin), Tami Roman (Maureen 'Mo' Williams), Brian Maillard (Bandmate #1), Roddy Jessup (Bandmate #2), Rhomeyn Johnson (Fire Inspector) & Stephen Jackson (Hank)

Mick becomes obsessed with a woman he meets at the scene of a blazing fire, who is the spitting image of his dead wife...

"Coraline drove you crazy the whole time that you knew her, and now she’s dead and she’s still driving you crazy. You need to let her go."

-- Josef (Jason Dohring)

The mystery surrounding Mick's (Alex O'Loughlin) ex-wife Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon) is finally focused on, and the story even finds time for Josef (Jason Dohring) to come out to play. The episode is obviously an important one for fans eager to learn more about Mick's past, but it's awkwardly put together and only its sense of mystery holds things together...

While witnessing a building on fire, being covered by BuzzWire reporter Beth (Sophia Myles), Mick is astonished to find his ex-wife Coraline amongst the spectators, taking photos of the inferno. The woman, calling herself Morgan, doesn't recognise him, but Beth reveals she's a photographer she's know for the past few months. Mick is amazed by the similarities between Morgan and Coraline (they look, sound, and act the same), but senses that she's human – so it can’t possibly be his vampire bride, can it?

Mick becomes obsessed with Morgan, particularly when she requests his help in finding her stolen cameras. Morgan backed-up her photos on a datastick, and she searches through them for some reason for the theft – discovering one snap of a man in a window of the burning building, apparently strangling a woman! Mick is immediately struck by the parallels between the case and real-life, as he killed Coraline inside a fiery building himself...

Certain that Morgan is playing him for a fool, Mick consults Josef – who doesn't pay too much attention to Mick's wild claim of Coraline returning "from beyond the grave", until he hears that Mick never saw Coraline's remains with his own eyes. Later, when Morgan arrives at Josef's apartment, he is forced to agree with Mick that the similarities between Morgan and Coraline just can't be accidental. So is Morgan an imposter?

There's certainly enough intrigue and uncertainty in The Ringer to ensure you stick with it, but the story isn't handled well and it starts to test your patience. There are a number of hazy flashbacks sprinkled throughout, revealing how Coraline seduced Mick at a pool party, after spotting him in a cheesy band, but while it was nice to get some background on their past, none of it excited me. The flashbacks culminate with Mick arriving at Coraline's home, to find she already has the company of a man. So she's a man-hungry player. Fine. We could have guessed that.

The most frustrating thing is how poorly the mystery unveils. I find it quite dubious that Morgan could tale a photo of someone inside a burning building with such clarity, but I find it utterly implausible that the killer would know someone sneaked a photo of him, find the photographer, and steal their camera! But Mick, Josef and Beth never question it – despite it being pretty solid evidence that Morgan must be lying.

And there are so many parallels to Mick's past with Morgan's case, it just can't be coincidence – but Mick remains unsure and puzzled for too long, and likewise those around him. The fact Morgan isn't a vampire is the only reason to believe she can't be Coraline, and consequently the only thing that keeps you invested till the end. But, really – what were the other options? A clone? Too silly. An identical twin sister? Brushed aside when they research Morgan's family history. A genuine instance of a doppelganger? Nah, too coincidental.

Beth is pushed firmly into the background for the first time here, with Mick and Morgan taking centre stage. It was great to see Josef leave his snazzy apartment to help Mick in a few scenes, even if he didn't do much and looked content to lounge around during the investigation! Maybe my hope for a Mick/Josef partnership might not be a good idea, after all. The writers seem to like Josef as a smart-mouthed, millionaire hermit, with no interest in other people – particularly the daily grind of humans. That's probably how a 400-year-old person would behave, but I was still left disappointed.

Shannyn Sossamon gets a chance to shine away from a few blurry flashbacks, and her performance is half the reason The Ringer remains watchable. Sossamon must be grateful of a decent role (she spent season 1 of Dirt as a schitzophrenic's vision), and Morgan/Coraline appears to be a worthwhile villain for Mick to deal with. It's a shame the script wasn't stronger for her, but her extraordinary beauty and allure permates the screen. She even makes the faintly ridiculous flashbacks palatable by complimenting them with a dreamy quality to her performance.

Overall, this should have been must-see stuff given the links to Mick's past and the emergence of a more personal villain to contend with, but the plot isn't strong enough to make it work. There are just too many holes, and those superfluous flashbacks didn't elevate the present day events. It’s all a bit too murky, implausible and wastes some good opportunities. The question hanging over Mogan's identity kept me watching, and I enjoyed Sossamon's performance, but everything else left me colder than Mick's freezer unit.

To end on a positive; did Moonlight get a budget increase? It all looked glossier and slicker than usual, those "vampire jumps" look to have been improved, and the burning building effects were very well done. It's all superficial, surface-level stuff, but The Ringer was visually more engaging than previous episodes.


1 April 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

MOONLIGHT 1.6 – "B.C"

Writers: Erin Maher & Kathryn Reindl
Director: Paul Holahan

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Jason Dohring (Josef Konstantin), Kevin Weisman (Steve Balfour), Brian J. White (Lieutenant Carl Davis), Jordan Belfi (Josh Lindsey), Anil Raman (Terrance), Holly Valance (Dolores 'Lola' Maxford Whitaker), Josh Kelly (Calvin), Patrick Fischler (Alan), Kaylee Quilling (Renee Beresford), Adam Shapiro (Attendant), Frank Latten (Guy at Bar), Tim Talman (Man in Bagging Room), Michelle Lee (Black Crystal Girl), Angie Simms (Walla), Danny J. Evans (Bouncer) & George Ketsios (Photographer)

Mick helps Josef find a 500-year-old vampire who used to be his lover, now that she's returned to Los Angeles to mastermind the production of a dangerous new drug...

"Let me get this straight: she stood you up, so, instead of
moving on, you became so worried that you immediately
came over here. How much does she owe you?"

-- Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin)

I'm a week behind with Moonlight reviews, so episode 7 will be reviewed shortly after its LivingTV repeat later this week...

Former Millennium scribes Erin Maher and Kathryn Reindl make their debut on the show, delivering a taught story with an original idea at its core. It doesn't quite satisfy after a very promising first half, but the storyline is very easy to follow, the plot develops nicely, the cast look to have settled into their roles, and it's obvious the writers know Moonlight's strengths. Oh, and it's easily the sexiest episode yet...

Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) is asked by best-friend Josef (Jason Dohring) to find an erstwhile girlfriend of his, 500-year-old vampire Lola (Holly Valance), who has returned to L.A. Beth (Sophia Myles) is struggling to look interested as she reports on a vacuous modelling shoot, but is surprised to find herself in the middle of a hot story when beautiful model Renee Beresford (Kaylee Quilling) dies of an apparent drug overdose mid-shoot.

Eventually, Mick and Beth cross paths at the morgue, having been trying to avoid each other since their first kiss. Of course, both once again realize they're investigating the same case from different perspectives. Mick has already found the dead body of a vampire, whose body was drained of all its blood, contained traces of silver and was burned to a crisp. Renee's body also contained traces of silver, so the two must be connected.

After investigating a nightclub run by Lola (giving Sophia Myles an opportunity to swap her flared jeans for a small skirt), Mick and Beth finally meet Josef's on/off lover: a tall, slim, woman who stalks the club with a frosty demeanour and air of superiority. It later becomes clear that Lola is preying on her own kind; paralyzing vampires with silver, and draining them of their valuable blood, to manufacture a drug called "Black Crystal". The drug, when taken by a human, gives them a brief experience of being a vampire – heightening senses and delivering feelings of unparalleled strength and sexiness. Unfortunately, continued use leads to a likely fatal overdose, as Renee discovered to her cost.

Beth, who has been especially fascinated by Mick since she learned he was a vampire, secures a sample of the drug and can't help taking some herself. She arrives at Mick's apartment wearing a slinky black dress and full of uncharacteristic sexual confidence, with a predatory glint in her eye. Mick is aroused by this fantasy-come-true turn of events, but realizes Beth's under the influence of Black Crystal, so represses his feelings and ensures she takes a cold shower to dampen its effects.

The next day, Beth learns that her boyfriend Josh (Jordan Belfi) and the police are closing in on Lola's operation, having discovered the whereabouts of her "factory". She tells Mick, who rushes to the warehouse where Lola has dozens of coffin-sized glass containers with silver-paralyzed vampires trapped inside. A fight ensues between Mick and Lola, whose old age grants her superior strength and speed. However, Mick manages to catch her off-guard and throws her into one of her own glass containers, neutralizing her. With the police closing in, Mick can't allow them to discover the vampiric background of their planned drugs bust, so torches the entire building just as the cops arrive – destroying all the evidence

I really enjoyed this episode, for two main reasons: the notion of a vampire-made drug giving people a supernatural high is a fresh idea, in a sub-genre it's difficult to be original in, and the sexuality of the episode was a lot of fun. Sophia Myles is a beautiful woman, so any story that creates a necessary reason for her to glam-up gets my approval, and I don't think there was any man watching who didn't envy Mick when "vamp-Beth" sashayed into his apartment with come-to-bed eyes. The presence of Holly Valance (the former Neighbours babe who's been appearing in a few US TV shows after her pop career fizzled out) was another superficial highlight, and Valance did well with an (admittedly) unchallenging femme fatale character.

In fact, the only disappointments with B.C were the underwritten Lola (particularly her limp face-off with Mick at the end), and the continuing marginalization of Josef in the series. This was particularly notable in B.C, as the episode seemed to promise a long-awaited Mick/Josef team-up, but Josef quickly faded into the background again. For an episode that revolved around the return of Josef's centuries-old girlfriend, it was extremely disappointing that Josef and Lola didn't even share a scene together! I'm also not convinced about lawyer Josh's omnipresence at crime scenes, as it seems the writers are regretting not making him a policeman, as he's basically being portrayed as one!

Overall, B.C didn't escalate events to a dramatically satisfying level in the second half, but the journey was still enjoyable to watch unfold, and I appreciated the sexiness from Valance's and (especially) Myles' performances. The cheeky shower scene between Mick and Beth was particularly witty, and there was generally a good vibe from how this episode played out. There was certainly room for improvement (mainly with Lola's one-note characterisation, the lack of depth in the drug-taking idea, and the sidelining of Josef), but this episode was essentially polished, amusing, sexy fun.


25 March 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

MOONLIGHT 1.5 – "Arrested Development"

Writer: Chip Johannessen
Director: Michael Fields

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Jason Dohring (Josef Konstantin), Tami Roman (Maureen 'Mo' Williams), Brian J. White (Lt. Carl Davis), Jordan Belfi (Josh Lindsey), Janelle Giumarra (Marissa), Wes Robinson (Mineo), Casey LaBow (Cherish), Christine Romeo (Mom), Tom Ohmer (Dad), Nate Mooney (Rider England), Eduardo Ortiz (David), Roy Vongtama (Morgue Attendant), Deanna Smith (Natalie), Charly Emery (Yuppie Mom) & Asia DeMarcos (Fed #1)

Mick and Beth hunt a teenage vampire who is killing female escorts he arranges to meet via the internet...

Beth: What am I supposed to say?
I've never spoken to a serial killer before.
Josef: Well, you know. Be polite. Please, thank you.

Writer-producer Chip Johannessen delivers his first episode of the show he took over from David Greenwalt, and the former-Millennium scribe's story has mixed results: a clichéd, dreary plot about a teen-vamp killing escorts, but with better chemistry developing between Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) and Beth (Sophia Myles)...

After the events of last week (where Mick drank Beth's blood to save himself from certain-death), the vampire has been avoiding her. However, fate conspires to bring them together when cases they're working on (a missing escort girl for Mick, a dead prostitute fro Beth) are revealed to be closely related.

There's a interesting idea behind this episode – with a vampire essentially snapping after being trapped in the gawky, acne-ridden body of a 16-year-old for over 200 years. You'd perhaps think two centuries would be ample time to improve your personality and garner knowledge/experience to impress the ladies, but apparently not. But I still liked this idea; it reminded me of the even-worse fate of Kirsten Dunst's neck-biter in Interview With The Vampire – who was cursed to spend eternity as a pre-pubescent child.

Despite a good idea at its core, Arrested Development is sadly a very tedious investigative drama, riddled with clichés and disappointing scenes. The teen-vamp, Mineo (Wes Robinson), spends his time pacing a dark apartment, dressed in a black hoodie and baseball cap, trawling the internet for victims. My eyes rolled. And once Mineo was revealed as being nerdy kid, it hardly came as a surprise, but nothing interesting was forthcoming.

More appealing was seeing Mick and Beth's relationship with each other blossom, as the two actors settle into their roles. I like watching them together (they're actually quite bland when separated), and Johannessen's script provides them with amusing scenes to bounce off each other in – like when Beth has to pretend to be an escort girl in front of Mick and Josef (Jason Dohring).

Speaking of Josef, I really hope Dohring plays a bigger part on the show soon, as he displays a playfulness and charm that surpasses everyone else. It’s a crying shame to see him cooped up in his luxury pad, when he'd be far more exciting as a true accomplice working alongside Mick, instead of a friendly helper. This episode provides Josef with a geeky computer-expert friend Rider England (Nate Mooney), who seemed a little pasted into events because of the internet connection, but I can live with it.

It was also fun to notice that Beth's boyfriend Josh (Jordan Belfi) seems to like Mick – likely because of his help with recent cases – and has even noticed the way Beth looks at him. I'm glad the writers avoided the easy option of making Josh aloof to his girlfriend's feelings for Mick, and it'll be interesting to see if Josh actually grows jealous. There's a scene where Beth and Jordan host a party at their home for a group of friends, only for Beth to embarrass Jordan after she leaves for work-related reasons, that played very nicely to show how their work/social lives are splitting.

However, I have to admit that Moonlight's a bit "girlie"* at times -- lacking bite in key scenes and sugaring the romance at the expense of hard drama. There's a moment where an escort girl, speaking to Mineo by telephone, tells him she'll cost "500 flowers". It's call girl lingo for money, but she happens to be standing in a flower shop at the time. I assume that's so kids watching don't have their little brains damaged by the idea that some men pay for (whisper it) sex, and she actually just loves flowers. Sex isn't mentioned or seen throughout the whole episode, in a story about girl escorts and a teen sex pest! What demographic is this show aiming for, again – the under-10s?

I'm a man and I watch Moonlight – but my reasons for choosing to were primarily because of its vampire and crime combo, with any sexual chemistry between the leads an added bonus. As such, I just found this episode lacking in most dramatic respects. Moonlight can't exist on Myles and O'Loughlin giving each other smouldering looks alone. I don't want, or expect, a CSI-level of grit, but it definitely needs to start punching harder.

Overall, Arrested Development was the first episode that totally bored me: a limp, clichéd villain committing crimes the show is too nervous to show, for fear of upsetting youngsters. It's just toothless. The climactic fight between Mick and Mineo around a pier was fun (why am I reminded of Lost Boys?), and the staging of their brawl on a rollercoaster's tracks was original. But, a solid sequence in the last 5 minutes, and a handful of sparkling scenes between the leads can't disguise a tired, unimaginative, derivative and hackneyed story.


18 March 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm

* On LivingTV, this episode was sponsored by Katherine Heigl rom-com 27 Dresses, so its girl credentials seem certain!

MOONLIGHT 1.4 – "Fever"

Writer: Jill Blotevogel
Director: Fred Toye

Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Jordan Belfi (Josh Lindsey), Philip Hayes (Officer Richard Colden), Haley Pullos (Mara), Navid Negahban (Amir Fayed), Vanessa Lengies (Leni Hayes), Philip Maurice Haynes (Officer Richard), David J. Lee (Officer Ken Nagawa), James C. Victor (Kempner), Erika Ringor (Officer Novak), Eduardo Ortiz (Stu Peldon), Derk Cheetwood (Kevin Branch), Martez Covington (Omar) & Mickey Maxwell (Uniformed Officer)

Josh enlists the help of Mick to find a witness to a murder, who's on the run after being targeted by the suspect's hired hitman...

"Blood is life for vamps and humans alike. It warms us and thrills us; helps
us heal. But vampires will always be jealous of the living -- like renters
versus owners. You can make your own blood. We’ve got to beg,
borrow and work it into the budget."

-- Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin)

The intriguing start promises more than Fever actually delivers, but the fourth episode of Moonlight still delivers a diverting story -- with vampire lore only taking over near the end. It's fluent and entertaining throughout, so that's reason enough to stick with it...

We open on Mick (Alex O'Loughlin) lying in a bath of ice cubes in a motel, pale and seemingly close to death, before leaping back in time 21 hours to see the circumstances behind his condition. It's an old writing trick to hook viewers, but not one that's particularly required, and the time-jumps aren't returned to as part of the format.

But anyway; a young woman called Leni Hayes (Vanessa Lengies) is under police protection at a safe house – but that doesn't stop a hitman arriving to shoot up the place, leaving the cops dead and Leni on the run.

It transpires that Leni is a secret witness who saw billionaire arms dealer Amir Fayed (Navid Negahban) killing employee Jack Toland, whom she worked for as a nanny. Beth's lawyer boyfriend Josh (Jordan Belfi) is involved with the case – which is obviously very handy for his ace reporter girlfriend, who tends to get all her stories from acquaintances and loose-tongued cops.

After hearing about the safe house fiasco and Leni's disappearance, Beth (Sophia Myles) talks Josh into getting Mick involved on the case, and Mick agrees to help. At the crime scene (which lawyer Josh seems to have a strange amount of authority over!), Mick actually does some proper detective work for once (which was nice to see) – although a few of those "psychic flashes" still pop up to help him. Is that element a hangover from producer Chip Johannessen's tenure writing-producing Millennium?

Mick leads Beth on the trail of where he thinks Leni went, finally arriving at murder victim Toland's house, where they discover she was romantically involved with her employee before his death. Mick also figures out Leni's headed to a safe place owned by Jack Toland in Victorville. He leaves quickly to find her, with Beth commenting that "we make a pretty good team".

At a roadside café in the middle of the California desert, Mick finds Leni at a vending machine, and she half-accidentally shoots him in the forearm (don't worry, it heals), before opting to trust Mick after hearing him out. Inside the café, Leni confirms that she was in love with Jack, and is carrying his baby. Mick urges her to return to L.A with him to testify against Fayed, to get justice for Jack, but she's still nervous and unsure...

Meanwhile, Beth finds out that one of the safe house cops called a cell phone paid for by Fayed, prompting Josh to issue a warrant to investigate further. A police team later storm into Fayed's luxury home and demand Fayed's goons hand over their phones.

After hearing about Mick's discovery of Leni, Josh tells Mick he's sending a police escort from Victorville to pick them up. Unfortunately, the hitman targeting Leni is somehow aware of the arrangement (that pesky leak!) and steals the Victorville cop's identity -- driving to the roadside café with the intention of killing Leni. When he arrives, Mick's preternatural skills means he recognises the hitman's scent from the safe house crime scene, and keeps him hanging around as he makes his escape with Leni through a restroom window.

As Mick and Leni race away through the desert in a car, an attack helicopter (owned by arms dealer Fayed) flies into view and starts firing missiles at them. Mick and Leni manage to bail out to safety, with Mick rigging the car's accelerator to fool the helicopter into thinking he's still inside driving. The car is destroyed by a direct missile hit second later, and the victorious chopper returns home, believing its mission is a success

The California desert isn't the best place for a thirsty vampire to be, as Mick has previously mentioned he can cope with sunlight, but it gradually saps his energy without any intake of blood. Leni helps sickly Mick walk, thinking he's suffering from sunstroke and unaware Mick's sense of self-preservation might force him to kill her at any moment...

Josh breaks the new to Beth that Leni and Mick were killed in an attack on their car, with distraught Beth now convinced the leak to the hitman/helicopter must be coming from someone on Josh's team – as they were the only people who knew about Mick's location.

In the sweltering desert, Mick's conditioning is worsening, but Leni manages to get him inside an abandoned motel. Mick immediately settles down into a bath of cold water in a dark room, ordering Leni to bring him as much ice as she can. Lucky this place still has running water and an ice machine, huh?

Leni manages to get a signal on her cell phone and calls Beth, who's amazed to hear that her beloved vampire P.I is still alive. Beth arrives at the motel soon after -- just as Mick has turned delirious and started hallucinating about biting Leni's neck to quench his thirst. Seeing his terrible condition, she offers her blood to rejuvenate him. Mick has to reluctantly agree, and punctures her wrist with his fangs. Yeuch! Sorry, but I've always been squeamish about blood and wrists.

Back at Josh's office, he overhears a colleague talking secretly on the phone about Leni's situation, and realizes the leak to Fayed's men is coming from this traitorous co-worker. The leak gets a bruising punch for his deception, and will doubtless be facing jail time in the not-too-distant future. Josh later apologizes to Beth at home for the day's events, and mentions "we make a pretty good team". Beth squirms with guilt at his unintentional echo of the phrase she spoke to Mick earlier.

Beth goes to Mick's apartment later, but a brooding Mick doesn't answer when she knocks – now believing his vampire nature only puts her in danger, and he couldn't live with himself if any harm came to her. After both leaning on opposite sides of the door for a beat, sensing each other's presence inches away, Beth leaves...

Fever was a good episode and easily Moonlight's strongest so far. The plot surrounding Leni was initially quite involving to begin with, but it quickly became a bite clichéd, before lurching into more vampire lore to sustain itself. That said, it was at least good fun and easy-to-follow, although it would have been better if Fayed himself wasn't so heinously underwritten, and the events surrounding the murder of Toland wasn't so hazy.

I still find the use of Mick's maudlin voice-over contrived and silly, as it just shoehorns in quick (obvious) explanations, and seems hell-bent on destroying what little subtext Moonlight has to offer. The show is paying homage to the film noir tradition of a detective narrating his investigations, but it's a writer's crutch here.

Alex O'Loughlin is suitably smouldering as Mick, and he's an easy presence to watch, if never that exciting. At the moment, O'Loughlin's eye-candy for the ladies and a dependable actor, but I hope he gets the chance to stretch himself as an actor soon.

It's Sophia Myles who is noticeably improving week-to-week as Beth and, consequently, the love-story heart of Moonlight is getting better. This episode gave in to the cliché of a human offering her blood to the monster she loves, but it's such a part of vampire tradition it was easy to forgive.

In terms of guest stars, Jordan Belfi is doing god work as Josh (a genuine nice guy, who doesn't deserve to be two-timed by Beth), and Vanessa Lengies does well to bring some depth to a rudimentary girl-in-peril role as Leni.

Overall, I'm still waiting for an episode to really grip me; with Moonlight quite a safe, comfortable viewing experience. And that's fine with me. It knows its audience and is toying with the will-they/won't-they element of "MickBeth" to good effect. It helps that O'Loughlin and Myles have presence and charisma, but the show's unoriginality still stings at times. The detective, vampire and romantic genres are all littered with clichés, and Moonlight isn't really escaping them...

A few of the quirks to its vampire lore are fun (wooden stakes just paralyze) or born of necessity (sunlight doesn't kill), but the detective element is very by-the-numbers, and having a romantic aspect at the forefront could become numbing. But still, every episode of Moonlight has been an improvement on the last, so it's heading in the right direction.


11 March 2008
LivingTV, 10.00 pm