Friday, September 28

Moonlight First Episode Review

All vampire shows have their lore and each time they start, they got to explain the rules. "Moonlight" gets it over with it by the beginning. Mick is a 90-year old vampire detective who lives in L.A. who doesn't hurt innocents, he protects innocents... No it is not "Angel" and it has been mentioned before. Alex O' Laughlin ("The Shield") is all with the feathered hair and intriguing and charming. We do get to see him shirtless in the beginning as well. He narrates like flim-noir but the show is not shot in such a way. He can disappear out of nowhere like Angel but stakes, crosses and garlic don't effect him. The sun just makes him 'sick' but he doesn't instantly burst into flames. He does have the super smelling, super strength, incredible speed and rapid healing abilities. Cliches are abound like him falling in love with the hot blond reporter Beth (Sophia Myles). Any show that hires Kevin Wisman ("Alias" gadget man Marshall) is a good one. Also, Jason Dohring, fresh off from "Veronica Mars," plays the 400-year old Josef. He is coy and sexy, great to see. Nice to see him in dress clothes. Brian J. White, also fresh off "The Sheild" plays a lieutenant.

The vampires on this show have the teeth, the eyes, but not the monster faces from "Buffy." Mick, like Angel, feeds from medical blood packets. The vampires have connections, they actually have jobs, some big ones. Josef is scared the secret of the vampires will be revealed and doesn't want anyone to know and puts it on Mick to kill those responsible. The real connection between Mick and Beth is that Beth is the girl he was sent to save on his first case. She was kidnapped by his ex-wife Coraline, (40 Days 40 Nights, A Knight's Tale, and "Dirt" Shannyn Sossamon) the one who sired him. Mick is like Nicholas (Geraint Wyn Davies), the vampire from "Forever Knight" that had morals and was ethical, not a 'soul' concept like Angel had. The real conenciton with "Angel" is gone. Angel's former showrunner David Greenwalt was brought on as executive producer and showrunner for Moonlight after the original pilot presentation was shot. During that time he ditched most of the pilot and gave several prominent roles to some new actors. But he then left the show for personal reasons. It is not known how much of his influence is still left in the first episode shown but you can kind of feel it. The original pilot writers Ron Koslow and Trevor Munson remain as Executive Producers and Creator credit.

The show is definitely quotable. I see it being as a cult favorite, if it has breakaway success, let's see...