I'm glad Beth knows Mick's a vampire. I think it'll just make it that much easier for the two of them to work together. Now Mick won't have to hide who he really is. I still think he'll try to keep her at arms length, but she seems to be getting under his skin.
We learned a few more rules tonight:
" A wooden stake to the heart won't kill a vampire, but it will paralyze him.
" A vampire's image cannot be captured in a photograph but it can be captured digitally.
" Silver bullets are like poison to vampires.
Let me introduce you to our human bad boy of the week: Lee Jay Spaulding. After serving a 25-year prison sentence, Spaulding is released from jail. He's teamed up with reporter and author Julia Stephens, whom he also happens to be romancing, to tell the world his story of false imprisonment and triumph over all who wronged him. He's even helping underprivileged youth. He has everyone convinced he's a good guy. Everyone except Mick. Oh yeah, and he knows what Mick is after Mick failed at his attempt to kill him 25 years earlier.
But Spaulding is doing a very good job of making Mick a nonthreat. He stages and frames Mick for an attack on him during his book signing. He even breaks into Mick's home and shoots himself with Mick's gun. This guy is good. He knows Mick can't run the risk of having anyone find out he's a vampire, so Mick has to go on the run. And who does he run to? Beth, of course.
Mick's really looking for redemption here. He feels like he failed Spaulding's second wife Ilene when she came to him for protection in 1983 and he wants a chance to make it right. He even visits Bobby, an old detective pal, to get a case file on the mysterious suicide death of Spaulding's first wife. Mick tells his side of the story, which prompts Spaulding to lose interest in continuing the charade. He kidnaps Julia and tells Mick to turn himself in to the police; he's got one hour. Beth's boyfriend, an attorney with the DA's office, can help make it seem like Mick has complied with Spaulding's instructions. In the meantime, Mick and Beth track Julia's location by tracking the bug Mick put in her car. But Spaulding's been lying in wait. He gets the upper hand on Mick and is about to do something that really will kill him - burn him alive - when Beth shoots and kills Spaulding.
I knew from the moment Spaulding left the prison that he was guilty. It's probably because I remember the actor from
Superman Returns, where he played one of Lex Luthor's henchmen. That, and he kind of looks evil. What I do think he pulled off with this role is making a monster look outwardly tame, and that was frightening.
I also liked the flashback scenes to 1983. The party scene with Mick and Josef was especially visual. The hair, the makeup, the clothes. It was all over-the-top excess and it looked like a lot of fun. I wouldn't want to be one of the girls Mick or Josef snacked on, but those guys sure do know how to party.
I want to quickly acknowledge the writer of tonight's episode,
David Greenwalt, who some of you mentioned in your comments. I loved his work on
Angel and I liked the complexity of storytelling he brought to tonight's episode.
What did you think? I thought this episode built nicely on the pilot and I feel like we're getting some good backstory on all our characters. I want to delve even deeper and I'd love to see flashbacks of Mick's past every week. Maybe the '70s next? That would be fun. One crucial element I did think was missing this week was that noir feeling. I just didn't see or feel it.
Thanks for all your great comments last week. It's clear to me this group loves television, and I'm not just talking about vampire shows. This will be a fun group. I can just feel it in my bones.
If you need a
Moonlight fix before next Friday, check out our
Online Video Guide.
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I’m glad Beth knows Mick’s a vampire. I think it’ll just make it that much easier for the two of them to work together. Now Mick won’t have to hide who he really is. I still think he’ll try to keep her at arms length, but she seems to be getting under his skin. We learned a few more rules tonight:• A wooden stake to the heart won’t kill a vampire, but it will paralyze him.• A vampire’s image cannot be captured in a photograph but it can be captured digitally.• Silver bullets are like poison to vampires.Let me introduce you to our human bad boy of the week: Lee Jay Spaulding. After serving a 25-year prison sentence, Spaulding is released from jail. He’s teamed up with reporter and author Julia Stephens, whom he also happens to be romancing, to tell the world his story of false imprisonment and triumph over all who wronged him. He’s even helping underprivileged youth. He has everyone convinced he’s a good guy. Everyone e...
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