Moonlight Episode Discussion - Ep 10: Sleeping Beauty

[nutmegger911]

There were a couple of things that struck me about this scene. Mick's outburst was really interesting. As much as he hates what he is, he clearly doesn't want to die. Also, this is one of the few times Josef's vulnerability shows. They were both in a pretty raw state that evening.

[helloeeze]

Yeah, it is a great scene for so many reasons. More layers revealed of Josef's vulnerability and more layers of Mick. There is no trace of Mick being tempted by those women... Instead his protection instinct comes out. Mick's anger is masking his fear. And I think it's more a fear of protecting Josef and not Mick fearing they will kill him. He is never afraid of that. He had just almost lost Josef and that was way too painful.

As to Mick not being the slightest bit interested in those women, well that's what we love about Mick. He is sexy, virile, masculine and macho but he is not seeking to satisfy his urges and is saving it for someone special...in this case, Beth....and by proxy us female viewing audience. He's a hero once again in our eyes. He's a man of honor, something so rare today. Mick stands in contrast to certain celebrity sports figures in the news today. Of course, Mick has an advantage... he isn't real.

[wpgrace]

In this scene he definitely lets his anger get the better of him. I can understand his annoyance but that remark to Josef about knowing why he's lonely was brutal.

Yeah, but haven't we all done that in an argument? Haven't we all gone a step too far, and instead of making a point in the case we're trying to make, we've just said something mean to WIN word war? And immediately then felt badly about it? The look on MICK'S face, as well as Josef's, after Mick says what he does, it just seemed like a really human moment.

And Jason's work here, with showing Josef's inner fight between the vulnerability he really feels and the front he knows he NEEDS to put on to the world is amazing. Cause yeah, we learn that at least SOME of Josef's usual snark and swagger is frontin'. Tho ya know, there was a hint of it in the very first ep, with his fret over supposed-Vamp Rocks LA and his comment about torch bearing mobs. In THIS ep tho, we realize his anxiety goes deeper; he's not just afraid of mobs... he's afraid of what we all are. Dying, yes, but also loss of control, being alone, being lonely, not being loved... losing love.

Anyway, the 2 of them are just amazing here. It really seems like a real Bro moment and a real Bro fight...


Tho I have a question... night and day seems all mixed up to me in this ep. Mick is going to bed now in the middle of the night? Wouldn't he just be getting warmed up in the middle of the night? Why is he going to bed?

[francis]

Maybe it's already almost morning. Don't you have days where you're just so spent that you can't wait to get into bed? This confrontation must have taken some toll. And he was up and about all day finding out about Martan.

I love this scene because that was when I finally realized what a fine actor Jason is and what a great character Josef is. I haven't gotten anything from Josef until then, he was just the snarky sidekick. Now he finally had depth and purpose. The dynamic of Mick and Josef was sizzling in this episode.

[wpgrace]

Maybe it's already almost morning. Don't you have days where you're just so spent that you can't wait to get into bed? This confrontation must have taken some toll. And he was up and about all day finding out about Martan.

Yeah, but the next scene, where Josef leaves for his office and Mick wakes up and follows him there... still night. This whole ep confused me on the night/day continuum...

I love this scene because that was when I finally realized what a fine actor Jason is and what a great character Josef is. I haven't gotten anything from Josef until then, he was just the snarky sidekick. Now he finally had depth and purpose. The dynamic of Mick and Josef was sizzling in this episode.

I had loved Josef all along, for his snarky wit, his fabulous side-kickedness... but yeah, in this one, you see the whole individual and you love him even more...

[GuardianAngel]

Coraline's doctor and nurse are discussing her. To Dr. Duffy's confusion, it looks like even though Coraline has a raging infection her temperature is dropping.



wtf? She assumes there is some mistake and tells the nurse to try again.



The nurse goes in and talks to a sleeping Cora, telling her everything is okay, she's just taking her vitals. Coraline wakes and tells the nurse she's dying.



The nurse kindly shushes her and tells her to calm down. As the nurse is fluffing the pillow (where did they find this paragon of virtue?) Coraline says she feels strange and begins to say somthing 'she's not supposed to...' but stops as she focuses on the pulse in the neck of the nurse. She vamps and moves forward.



But the nurse moves back and looks down at Coraline asking if she's comfy. She has no idea how close to death she was.





Meanwhile, at the FOS, Josef is putting on his coat and leaving. He's being quiet, obviously hoping to not wake up 'Daddy'.



Josef (looking like he wants to be incognito) is heading to his office and is stopped by Tom.





Tom's stunned. Josef says he thought about calling first but didn't want to make a big deal out of this. Tom wants to know how he is alive but Josef tells him it's a long story.





Toms the only one who knows Josef's alive and Josef says they need to keep it just between them. (Umm did he forget Mick and Beth?)



Speaking of Mick. He wakes up.



And comes downstairs doing a 'hold robe and crouch' manuever. He calls out to Josef but we don't believe he was actually expecting an answer, do we?

[wpgrace]

Cora in the hospital confused me, but I think that was supposed to be the deal... she is in betwixt and in between... and to be honest, I don't think we ever got the details about this substance and the turning back part... they ignored it in the final four...

Mick in the robe confused me too... what happened to his silk pj pants? And since when did he wear a robe??

And I am STILL confused about night and day in this ep... it seems to always be night... at least in LA... he left with Beth during the day, returned at night, went to bed at night (since when do vamps SLEEP at NIGHT??), then woke up at night, as did Joz'f (IF Joz'f was sleeping at all; and where was Joz'f sleeping upstairs... in the freezer with MICK?? ), and then went and fought the assassin at night, met up with the cops and Beth at night.. WHAT a long journey into night this ep was!

I like the ep, but the time frame just confuses me...

[nutmegger911]

Mick in the robe confused me too... what happened to his silk pj pants? And since when did he wear a robe??

Grace, are you sure that wasn't actually disappointment?

The robe may have been only because he had a guest.

[PNWgal]

I have a feeling the robe was for a more practical purpose - it was a short scene to shoot and they didn't want to spend hours covering up Alex's tats, hence the robe.

And Grace, you've made my eyes cross...but you're right. The timeline just drove me NUTS in this episode, even though it's one of my favorites.

[GuardianAngel]

I just figured he didn't want any snarky remarks from Josef. Or maybe he thought Josef had snuck in some more 'friends'.

The timeline is skewed. It starts at night - poker game and Beth is working late. That night ends with Mick walking in on Josef in his office. Then it appears to be the next day when They're looking over the tape and Beth takes Mick to see Sam. Then it's night again and Mick is walking in on Josef and the freshies. Hmmm. Maybe it's very, very late? Maybe almost dawn? Then Josef sneaks out and Mick follows him to the office? Gah!

As for Coraline I assumed that maybe she did not expect the cure to wear off so soon. Maybe the change was brought on by the trauma?

[Lilly]

I've never had any problem with the timeline, but I went ahead and pulled out the script to see what it says... (the bold is directly from the script)


- Josef's Downtown Office - Night -- poker scene

- Ext. Josef's Downtown Office Building - Night -- explosion

(End Teaser)

- Josef's Downtown Office - Night -- Mick and Tom in the wreckage

- Int. Buzzwire - Night -- Beth and Maureen

- Int. Josef's Downtown Office - Night -- Mick, Beth, "camera guy"

- Int. Josef's Downtown Building, Security Office - Night -- Mick and Tom

- Int. Hospital, Outside Coraline's Room - Night -- Mick and Dr. Duffy

- Int. Hospital, Coraline's Room - Continuous -- Mick and Coraline

- Int. Mick's Hallway - Night -- Mick and Beth

- Int. Mick's Office - Continuous -- Josef, Mick, Beth

(End Act One)

- Int. Mick's Apartment - Day -- Mick, Beth and Josef

- Int. Buzzwire - Day -- Mick, Beth and Sam

- Int. Mick's Apartment Hallway - Night -- Mick

- Int. Mick's Apartment - Continuous -- Mick, Josef, freshies

According to the script, there was supposed to be a brief shot of Josef checking on Mick in his freezer room and grabbing an overcoat before heading downstairs.

- Int. Mick's Apartment - Continuous -- Josef

- Int. Josef's Building - Night -- Josef and Tom


So, basically, Mick had a really long night on Night #1. When he found Josef in his office it was probably getting close to dawn. The next day has Mick, Josef and Beth trying to figure things out. We don't know what time they leave for Buzzwire, but I've always felt they were talking things over quite a while off screen, so it must have been afternoon to late afternoon. By the time Mick gets back it's night again (Night #2). It doesn't appear that he would have slept in a least a day and a half so it seems reasonable that he'd try to get some sleep even though it was nighttime at that point.

[GuardianAngel]

Thanks Lilly. Makes some sense now.

And:

According to the script, there was supposed to be a brief shot of Josef checking on Mick in his freezer room and grabbing an overcoat before heading downstairs.

Now we know what Josef was doing upstairs just before he left.

[wpgrace]

Oh Lill! That does help... it is just a long night for some reason. They always skip around all the time, but THIS night, it's just the same night for a looooooong time.

And I guess Josef is either stealing Mick's clothes and coat, or sometime during that very short day, most of which we had not gotten to see, Mick went off and brought Josef's own clothes to the loft.

[allegrita]

Well, I can pretty much guarantee that Mick does not own that cap.

[GuardianAngel]

It was Josef's office that was destroyed. Maybe he took a detour to his own house before showing up at Mick's.