Moonlight Episode Discussion - Ep 8: 12:04AM

[darlingcat]

I thought the reference to the two girls meant Beth and the dead girl, the victim.
And yes, Grace. I wish we had seen more of Mick's life before he was turned, his years as a musician would have been interesting too. But I guess, this material was probably planned for subsequent seasons

[GuardianAngel]

I thought the reference to the two girls meant Beth and the dead girl, the victim.
And yes, Grace. I wish we had seen more of Mick's life before he was turned, his years as a musician would have been interesting too. But I guess, this material was probably planned for subsequent seasons

Yes, that's the way I took it as well, the two girls being Beth and the poor dead student.

Also agreed on wishing that we had more Mick backstory. I have always wanted to hear about those 'bad things' he did after he was Turned.

[wpgrace]

Oh I think Mick is talking about HIS story... and not just the ep... he's being universal. This V/O is introducing HIM. It's the first time we meet him (aside from the Interview, but that's kinda an add-on). And the story of Mick IS the story of 2 girls... Beth and Coraline, who to his knowledge at that point and time, is already dead. Which we discover at the end of the ep... that this Coraline, who turned him, died in a fire at his own hand while he was rescuing the blond child, now an adult. Who he then rescues again. So thus his two girls. One already dead. But integral to his story nonetheless... and as it turns out, also not so dead.

Kelly's story, in this ep, is purely incidental...

[mwj01]

That's how I took it as well. Kelly (I'd forgotten her name) isn't really significant, and I agree Sister G, that the vo seemed to be referring to picking up the story of his life from there.

[allegrita]

Well... I think that's one of the cool things about that episode--and about Moonlight in general. You're meant to think that the dead girl is Kelly. But after a while, you find out that the dead girl Mick was referring to may very well be a lot more significant than some boring old murder victim in a fountain.

Nothing is as easy as it seems. Nothing is simple in Moonlight-land. It's all difficult, dangerous, and complicated.

But getting back to the connection issue... remember, Josef told Beth that it was the fact that Coraline was willing to turn a child (who happened to be Beth) that allowed Mick to finally pull away from her. (The fact that the pulling-away was also the act of KILLING Coraline wasn't explicitly stated...) So looking at it that way, maybe Beth is not just herself, but also the embodiment of Mick's ability to break away, at least physically, from Coraline's influence. (Not that he was entirely successful, mind you...)

[wpgrace]

Exactly, Alle! The story is always more complicated than you think in ML.... they DO make you wanna think at first he's just talking about insignificant Kelly... (not OUR Kelly... she is NEVER insignificant...)... but you realize at the end of the ep, it's a bigger story he's telling, and a far more complicated one... and THEN you realize a few eps in, it's even bigger and more complicated than THAT and the dead girl isn't exactly dead, either! Sorta like at the end of Sleeping Beauty, you've now changed your mind about who the sleeping beauty is...

The complications and layers are part of what's so cool about Mick, his story, and his world. HIs life was never simple... he isn't simple.

And I think the connection issue, as you said, IS partly that BabyBeth, her being a child, a pretty child, an innocent child, made him willing to not only stand up to Cora, but to end it in that moment in what he thought was a final way.

It didn't totally work, emotionally even... we see Josef in DF telling Mick he needs to let the dead wife go... we see Josef in The Ringer telling Mick he needs to let the hopefully-dead wife go... and we see Mick struggling still to let her go and then finding out he also didn't manage to kill her, physically, either. So complications arise again, and Beth ends up at the end of The Ringer kinda caught in the middle of that... but as you said, the complications are what are so cool about the show.

The crime solving isn't that difficult for Mick... so the complications kinda need to come in his private life, I guess.

[GuardianAngel]

That is true - there is more than meets the eye with out beloved Moonlight.

When Mick sits up and makes that comment, "Like all good detective stories, this one starts with a girl. Well, technically two girls. And one of them's already dead", we pretty much knew nothing. So it would make sense at that moment that he meant Beth and Kelly. That would work for that episode. But as we learn the whole 'story', yes, it makes sense that he was referring to Coraline and Beth.

[GuardianAngel]

Now that Mick knows who Turned Shepherd he goes to find him. A priest. Church. His VO tells us that a church is not someplace a vamp would usually find sanctuary - not with complex history of religion and vampires.



The Father is in the confessional hearing penance. Mick slides in and begins confession. It's been about 36 years since his last confession. He's cursed and lied to someone he cares about. And he's broken someone's arm. The priest doesn't think that's good - violence is a dangerous steppingstone to darker deeds. MmHmm.



And in the past week, Mick has drank about six pints of human blood. That gets the priests attention.



He wants to know who Mick is and is told that Mick is the one who wants a confession. An arm goes through the window and grabs the priest by his neck.



The Father tells Mick that he did not know what Donovan Shepherd was going to do. Yeah, right. You Turn a serial killer, what do you expect. Mick wants to know where Donovan is.



The priest tells Mick he'll talk if he lets him go so Mick complies. Greed was the reason for the Turning. The check Drake wrote Shepherd went to the priest which was quickly deposited in an account in the Cayman Islands. Mick assumes Drake and Shepherd were still friends but he's told that no, Donovan hated Drake. He thought Drake abused their relationship. When the priest looks again, Mick is gone.



And guess where he went.

Drake has gone for an evening swim. When he gets back in there is a surprise for him. Donovan is sitting in his office chair.



Drake looks scared and confused. He wants to know how Shepherd could be there to which he gets the response 'You wrote a check and here I am." I love that line. This time his money brought back the dead.



Drake tells Shepherd he looks good. It's been fourteen years since he's seen him.



But he DID call. Once. When he wanted something - Donovan's life story. He says he figured he'd come in person and give a visual aid.



Got to give Jerry some credit. I know he was scared enough to soil his shorts (if he'd been wearing any) but he recovers quickly and laughs; says Donovan's movie is gonna rock. Shepherd laughs too as he discreetly pulls out his knife and picks up the glass Drake dropped. As he comes up he slices the producer's throat.



Proceeds to fill the glass with the blood that from that throat. And then drinks it.




*shiver* Donovan Shepherd is one nasty character.

How about discussing Mick's confession. Any thoughts on why he would have been there about 36 years ago?

[mwj01]

*shivers too* Shepherd is so scary!

Okay, why didn't the priest smell Mick's vampness?

[helloeeze]

Yes, I was just going to say that. The priest didn't smell Mick. Maybe it was the cedar or pine smell from the confessional overpowering? Love the way Alex has Mick standing at the door of the church, his arms slightly away from his body. I'm assuming that's because the muscles in his arms so so developed it's causing that effect. Same thing applies to the thighs, I'm thinking.

[redwinter101]

Oh GA, I had totally forgotten the "36 years" comment. Mmmmm, must think on that a little...

I loved the confessional scene - this is a side of Mick I adore. In control, effective, no-nonsense. Just very, very cool.

Red

[darlingcat]

That is true - there is more than meets the eye with out beloved Moonlight.

When Mick sits up and makes that comment, "Like all good detective stories, this one starts with a girl. Well, technically two girls. And one of them's already dead", we pretty much knew nothing. So it would make sense at that moment that he meant Beth and Kelly. That would work for that episode. But as we learn the whole 'story', yes, it makes sense that he was referring to Coraline and Beth.

Or maybe not!
I think we love ML so much and have thought about each and every scene that we see things even if the writers didn't intend them The beauty and magic of Moonlight

[PNWgal]

First, just a very shallow observation. I absolutely ADORE that silhouette of Mick in the confessional.

Hmmm...36 years since his last confession? My guess his last confession 36 years ago was probably to confess to all the crap he would have pulled with Josef.

In all seriousness, I wonder if he finally realized at that last confession 36 years ago that the absolution he was seeking, he wasn't going to find at the hands of a servant of God. Given how much Mick hated what he is, a priest telling him his sins were forgiven wasn't going to be enough.

mwj's question and helloeeze's response begs a question (and this probably isn't the thread for this discussion) - CAN a vamp's sense of smell be overcome by a strong smell?

[darkstarrising]

Looking at that first image, I just see so much more symbolism than I did in the one second it was on the screen....

First, Mick is standing in the back of the church, the outsider, looking to come in. There is a light behind him, silhouetting him. Yet shadows cast by his body appear to be both light and dark, as he himself is. In the front of the church, there is a crucifix (in the lore, something that repels vampires), yet here, it may be drawing him in. The other telling image in this shot is the candle in the red holder, otherwise known as the sanctuary light. When the sanctuary light is lit, it is supposed to indicate the presence of God in the church. Traditionally, the lamps have been red, to make it more distinctive than anything else, but how appropriate that it is a beacon for a vampire.

[wondergirl9847]

Remember when he went into Jerry Drake's house looking for Shepherd and said "Unfortunately, all that fresh blood in the air, sometimes makes it hard to distinguish who's still here." so perhaps they can get...distracted.

So, his last confession was 1971? I hate math, but I think that might be right. LOL I guess it could be for anything, but did his Bad Mick Time begin in the 80's with Josef or was he doing bad before that?

In light of darkstarrising's post, I think that cap of the church and Mick is one of the most beautiful shots of the series. It's just very striking and until today, I never really noticed Mick in the doorway (I know, perhaps I should get my eyes checked! LOL) because there was so much to look at.