Moonlight Episode Discussion - Ep 4: Fever

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darkstarrising
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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by darkstarrising »

librarian_7 wrote:I wanted to mention, while we were still at the Victorville diner, the way in which the window blinds, shadows, and even the wire cover of the fan in the foreground while Mick is on the phone give that "noir-ish" confined feel to the scene. Mick is often, especially in these first episodes, surrounded and captured within metal frames, much as his life is confined and constrained by the demands of his nature.

Lucky

Wow!! Good eye....with the screen cap, it is easy to see what you're talking about.....never even 'saw' it as it was playing....
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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by allegrita »

librarian_7 wrote:I wanted to mention, while we were still at the Victorville diner, the way in which the window blinds, shadows, and even the wire cover of the fan in the foreground while Mick is on the phone give that "noir-ish" confined feel to the scene. Mick is often, especially in these first episodes, surrounded and captured within metal frames, much as his life is confined and constrained by the demands of his nature.

Lucky
Yes--what a mistake it was to get rid of this noir ambiance! It had so much to do with my falling in love with the show. It was extremely well done, subtle but definitely there. And then--they dropped it. :sigh:

The scene in the bathroom is so good, it kills me that SciFi cut it. Why didn't they cut some of the stuff at Fayed's house??? :grumble:
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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by GuardianAngel »

I was a fan of the film noir aspect of the show. They should have beat up whoever suggested they do away with it. I don't know if it was suppose to change - the darkness in the background lifts as the darkness within Mick lifts - but it was a mistake.


Josh and his team enter Fayed's home.

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He goads Fayed the whole time. Finally, he asks him to have all the phones that he pays for laid out on the table with ringers on.

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Josh takes out his phone and dials the number dialed from the detectives phone that he believes to have signaled the ambush. None of the phones ring.

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We cut to Beth and the young girl outside.

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Fayed's daughter tells Beth that she spoke with Leni just the day before. And as they are talking, the girl's phone rings. Beth asks if she could see her phone.

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It's Josh on the other end. She tells him not to say anything. It wasn't the detective that called this number, it was Leni.

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We cut to the guy who shot up the safe house pulling up in a cop car outside the diner in Victorville. Looks like he shot the real cop in the eye.

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He goes in and tells Mick he's there to pick up him and the girl.

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Mick gives him a good lookover. He's suspicious. He asks the guy if he's hot in that jacket.

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The guy says no. Mick says he'll go get Leni but she's a little overwhelmed so he'll get her alone.

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We cut back to Beth and Josh. If Leni used the phone to call her young charge and not the detective to call for the ambush, there is still a leak somewhere in the department.

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Josh tells Beth to call Mick and tell him to get him and Leni out of there. She can't, she tried but the call won't go through. Damn the desert!

The escort waits a bit but when Mick doesn't come back out he goes in after him. Mick and Leni have escaped out the window.

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The guy runs out - Mick and Leni are off in the police cruiser.

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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by librarian_7 »

I have to say I liked Josh here...very competent, very confident, very "in charge." What bothered me, though, was the easy way Beth was willing to lie to Mara and manipulate her, telling her she was a friend of Leni's...yeah, yeah, I know, it's all for the greater good, but it is an illustration of just how far she's willing to go in pursuit of a story.

And I think that Mick is suspicious of the hit man, not only because he's wearing a jacket in the heat (hey, so is our guy, after all....) but that his uniform fits so poorly. Not to mention that he announces himself as "Victorville Police" and his uniform clearly says "County Sheriff." Interestingly, the cop car says both...(and I only noticed that a viewing or two back--which given the number of times I've watched this, sheesh.).

Lucky
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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by GuardianAngel »

I agree, Lucky, about both Josh and Beth.

You know, the first time I watched through the series I never paid much attention to Josh. But he was a good, competant ADA. He was confident and did not back down. I'm sorry I didn't pay closer attention to him. He's really kick-ass. I was annoyed with Beth as well. She was so phony with that young girl - pretending to be her friend. See how quickly she changes as soon as she gets on the phone with Josh?
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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

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librarian_7 wrote:I have to say I liked Josh here...very competent, very confident, very "in charge." What bothered me, though, was the easy way Beth was willing to lie to Mara and manipulate her, telling her she was a friend of Leni's...yeah, yeah, I know, it's all for the greater good, but it is an illustration of just how far she's willing to go in pursuit of a story.

And I think that Mick is suspicious of the hit man, not only because he's wearing a jacket in the heat (hey, so is our guy, after all....) but that his uniform fits so poorly. Not to mention that he announces himself as "Victorville Police" and his uniform clearly says "County Sheriff." Interestingly, the cop car says both...(and I only noticed that a viewing or two back--which given the number of times I've watched this, sheesh.).

Lucky

Yeah Lucky... I often wondered in that scene... did Mara's parents never tell her to not talk to strangers and certainly not give them your damn cell phone????? I have little kids and that scene bothers me....

And I do believe Mick smelled the hit man (who is the same guy from the safe house murder, Eli, yes?) coming a mile away... bad fit and bad vibes...

But here is one that bothers me... Mick's cell phone worked and then didn't work at the diner... and at the end didn't work... But when Mick and Leni pull out in the cop cruiser... Eli whips out HIS cell and makes a call to the chopper with the missiles... Why does Eli's cell work and Mick's doesn't? Is the Iphone an inferior product???
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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by librarian_7 »

wpgrace wrote: But here is one that bothers me... Mick's cell phone worked and then didn't work at the diner... and at the end didn't work... But when Mick and Leni pull out in the cop cruiser... Eli whips out HIS cell and makes a call to the chopper with the missiles... Why does Eli's cell work and Mick's doesn't? Is the Iphone an inferior product???
Maybe the service provider isn't good? I've always wondered, also, in Dr. Feelgood where exactly in LA were they, that didn't have cell coverage! You've gotta be kidding me. In Fever, I can see it not picking up signal out in the desert, but there at the diner, it's inconsistent.

And I have another HUGE phone comment for later.

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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by allegrita »

Actually, in LA there are several places where my cell service is spotty to nonexistent...and friends with another network have the same problem, but in DIFFERENT areas. So it is actually possible to lose cell service in LA...believe it or not. :)

iPhone uses the AT&T network, and I'm on T-Mobile, so I don't know specifically about its coverage.

Grace, I absolutely agree that Mick would have smelled the cop/sheriff (both?) impersonator. Why didn't they write that into the script? It would have given us another groovy sniffing thing scene to cap. Darn it!!! :grumble:
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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by librarian_7 »

Maybe he tries not to do the obvious sniffing thing in public? That would be a little odd to see.

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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by Fleur de Lisa »

Remember GA--when you get to the motel bathtub scenes, there is something that I want you to check out---Mick's feet when he is either entering or exiting the bathroom.

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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by GuardianAngel »

You got it, Lisa.


Leni wants to know why they've taken a cop car. Mick explains that they needed to get away from the guy sent to kill them. Mick phone is still not working.

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Mick spots something in the mirror.

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As it gets close her sees what it is. Damn! Leni wants to know what's going on. He says she just had to piss off an arms dealer.

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The copter has missiles and tries to hit the car.

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Mick manages to swerve out of the way.

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But it's coming back. He has Leni get out and he does the same after jamming the gas pedal with a police nightstick. The helicopter goes after the car and blows it up.

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Leni and Mick are stuck in the desert.

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They can't wait around - who knows who or what will show up for them. They begin to walk.

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We cut to Josh's office. He gets a call about the car blowing up and has to tell Beth about it. They don't know that Leni and Mick got away.

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She's trying her best not to fall apart.

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Josh says he's sorry. Beth turns on him and tells him that someone on his team is responsible and he better find out who. She leaves.

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Cut back to Mick and Leni. They are traveling through the desert on foot. Mick's VO tells us that he was at the Battle of the Bulge. The coldest winter he can remembers. A friend lost his foot to frostbite. Mick thought that that was hell but he was wrong.

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We cut to Beth, getting home and letting go in private.

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A lot of grief over a man she's known for a relatively short time.

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Mick is dying from exposure and he needs blood. He is resisting Leni's as hard as he can but knows that if they are stuck out there it is inevitable that he will feed from her. He won't be able to stop himself.

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Thank God, Leni spots a motel up ahead.

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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by wpgrace »

librarian_7 wrote:Maybe he tries not to do the obvious sniffing thing in public? That would be a little odd to see.

Lucky

Hmmm... I wouldn't mind seeing it....



And GA, continued excellence in both pic choices and descriptive captions... with just a touch of snark... perfect!
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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by redwinter101 »

I loved the Battle of the Bulge VO. So heartfelt, and revealing - without any hyperbole. It perfectly set up Mick's fears of feeding on Leni in the bathtub.

And I'm sure I'm not the only one who, every time I see the helicopter/missile shots thinks, "You could afford a missile and a helicopter but no decent ice cubes? WTF?".

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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by librarian_7 »

Actually, I'm just thinking...Fayed, you could afford a helicopter and a missile, but not a competent hit man? (And how in the world did that guy call in a missile strike that quickly??? they just happened to have an armed heli floating around Victorville, just in case?)

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Re: Fever (Episode Four)

Post by GuardianAngel »

I know. This is where suspended belief comes in. An arms dealer that just happens to have missile bearing heli's sitting around, ready to go after a witness.
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