MOONLIGHT: "12:04 A.M."

Moonlight “12:04 AM”

Episode 1.08

Original Air Date: November 16, 2007

Writer: Jill Blotevogel

Director: Dennis Smith

Starring: Alex O'Loughlin, Sophia Myles, Shannyn Sossamon, Jason Dohring

Guest Star: Sarah Foret, Gideon Emery, Paul Keeley, Mark D. Espinoza, Lorena Segura, Aisha Kabia, Christopher Guyton

Plot Summary: When the followers of cult target a young woman based on their belief that she was responsible for their leader's death by execution, Beth gets Mick to help.

Review: Writers define a mystery as a story that elicits an intellectual response from its audience versus a thriller, which is all about getting to an audience’s raw emotions. So a thriller is like a tragic romance in that way—it gets under your skin.

   In “12:04 AM”, the writers of Moonlight chose to follow the highly anticipated and well-  received episode seven, “The Ringer”, with a scary, bloody, violent thriller that got a couple of squeals from a number of seasoned thrill-ride enthusiasts, including moi. However, it was a risky episode to throw into the mix. Loyal Viewers had been treated to the Mick/Beth relationship growing stronger each week in spite of interference from Josh (Beth’s boyfriend) and Morgan (Coralline), and Josef’s warnings. But what do the writers go and do? They up the tension between our hero and our heroine and leave out the rest of the familiar cast. Now, there’s no one in their way, just Mick and Beth and an evil sadistic killer and a young woman in need of protection, which sounds like our non-couple, except Mick’s not sadistic. (But did you see that bathroom scene, or the vampire priest in the confessional?)

   After some big fights scenes, crashing glass, Beth’s life on the line and a beheading, we are suddenly on a rooftop with Mick and Beth, with nothing standing between them. All of Mick’s secrets have been exposed and the audience knows Beth isn’t thinking about Josh. They’ve vanquished the bad guy and saved the girl, too. But our exhausted hero (he did roll down that hill) still walks away from the woman we know he loves. Why? Beth not only tells him, but shows Mick (more on that later), how deeply she cares about him, vampire or not. That’s a lot of story arc to throw into a thriller. Honestly, I don’t know if it worked, but I enjoyed it.

   I also liked Beth in this one, too. She was heroic (not just the over the top reporter girl), brave, and surprisingly capable of keeping it together. As vamp Donovan said, she wasn’t begging for mercy. She was going to freeze him with a stake in the heart (but spitting in the face works, too).

More things I liked: – I’ve always enjoy the music on Moonlight, but the entire score for this episode was a WOW, especially in the opening execution sequence. (What’s the name of that tune?)

   This episode also had a  few snappy, pop-culture lines, and Hollywood digs. There was great chemistry between Alex and Sophia as well. Not that there hasn’t been in the past, but they had a lot of emotion to deal with in that rooftop scene and they made it work there as well as in the lighter scenes (Me casa, su casa).

Things I didn’t like so much: The scene leading up to the reveal of the DA’s blood-covered office – the screaming executive assistant just didn’t do it for me.

   We could have had a more original look for Donovan. Admittedly he was creepy, but the longhaired blond vamp? Well, been there, done that.

Things that made me go, huh?: Vamp Donovan picking up Mick’s iPhone and immediately knowing how to use it. I mean the man was in prison for 14 years. It came out less than six months ago and it took me at least three days to figure out how to turn it on.

Continuity: The bullet Mick removed from his forearm in the opening sequence was from “Fever” (1.04) when he was shot in the desert. Enjoyed that refer back…

   How come the priest didn’t know Mick was a vampire when he walked into the confessional? He should have smelled vamp Mick.

Best lines:

Mick (voice over): “Sometimes I hate living in Hollywood.”

Mick (voice over): “I thought about being an actor back in the 70s, but I think I really just wanted to be Steve McQueen…there is a difference.”

Mick: I would recommend not going into the office.
Beth: Okay.

Mick: Okay…or upstairs…or through the gray door.

Beth: Wow! This all sounds so Alice in Wonderland.

Mick: Beware of the bottles that say Drink Me.

The Funny: Torture by nose pulling – seriously, folks. That was funny.

Kind of sad, but necessary: No Josef, no Josh, and no Morgan/Coralline.

The Ending or Stepping in Front of the Sun: Some might say it was heavy-handed, and I might agree, except my review is based on the idea that the emotions in “12:04 AM” had no place to go but up, and in the last act, that’s where these characters needed to be. Mick might have been prepared for Beth’s anger, but not her forgiveness. He doesn’t forgive himself for any number of things and only more episodes will show us the depth of Mick St. John’s self-loathing. But it was the intensity of Beth’s forgiveness that forced Mick to walk away. His laugh when she called him her “guardian angel” wasn’t about the funny. Plus, Beth wasn’t just blocking the sun, she stepped in front of it to protect him. What sacrifices will Beth Turner make for Mick St. John? He doesn’t want to have to find out.

But I for one, Loyal Viewers, am looking forward to it!

Until next week, yours in vampire solidarity,

Denny S. Bryce/denny_dc

Comments

[Natalie]

You write excellent reviews. I always look forward to them!

Well done!

[Blenderama67]

Wonderful! This was a perfect description of the balcony moment, "But it was the intensity of Beth’s forgiveness that forced Mick to walk away." Thank you. I had not seen that and it was bugging me.

Looking forward to your next review.

[girl from ipanema]

I think you nailed what makes this show: this is an old fashioned victorian gothic mystery romance placed in modern times LA. And it is wonderful. My brazilian 69 year old dad loves to watch with me. It has suspense, angst, action, rip roaring romance and really good looking people. What is not to like? It certainly beats watching Angie Harmmond played Dectective ANNIE HALL (watch the Woody Allen movie and you'll understand what I mean).

[MrynaLynne]

This review was right on the money - everything I liked and disliked about the episode in a nutshell. And the balcony scene was very problematic and a bit odd, but that scene was the payoff of the whole episode, which was basically just a set up for Beth to realize it was Mick who saved her and find out he'd been watching over her all those years. Audrey never felt like a real character to me, she felt like plot device/parallel to Beth's traumatic experience in the past. Loving Moonlight!