All about Mick

[redwinter101]

It always puzzled me a little that discussion threads at other sites always focused on M/B or M/C or M/J and there were always plenty of Josefites to extol his (considerable) virtues, but there never seemed to be much discussion solely about Mick. That is apart from a notable thread at MLL (there may have been others - I'm not claiming to have read them all!!!).

Because, for me, this show, and everything I love about it, is all about Mick. Yes I love the other characters and relationships, but I am a Mick chick to my very core. He is just such an amazing character: sad, sweet, beautiful, tortured, heroic, funny, brave, loyal.... You get the picture.

On the subject of pictures, here's one to start this thread in style:



So, here's the place to come to talk about the wonderful, marvellous (I'm almost breaking into song...) Mick St. John.

Red

[wpgrace]

Ah yes, I do like the idea of this thread, Red... and you're right... there seem to be threads for everyone BUT Mick... tho I think that's because the conversations about most of the other characters so often center on that character's relationship WITH Mick.

But there's a reason that the (can't recall the name) blog or mag or poll or whatever it was recently named MSJ as one of the (can't recall the number listed) best tv characters of all time. He is an absolutely riveting character.

Obviously Alex playing him made a big difference in how well Mick actually worked. It wasn't just a great character; it was the perfect actor playing that character.

But there was more to it than just Alex. Alex has played, and played well, other roles, but they haven't made any best of all time lists...

One cool thing about Mick is his complexity. And part of that is his age. He's lived 85 years and is staring down the road at lots more. He's changed and still changing... often nearly before our eyes. He has a core personality, but he's been thru many different stages... only some of which were shown on the show and others of which were hinted at... but the layers and complexity let the mind imagine the different Micks... some more sophisticated than others... some more extroverted... some more assured... some more naive...

Because he has already endured so many transitions and is bound for more... it's like he CAN be all things to all people. Just depends on what year you happen to run into him...

[Overdamoon]

It always puzzled me a little that discussion threads at other sites always focused on M/B or M/C or M/J and there were always plenty of Josefites to extol his (considerable) virtues, but there never seemed to be much discussion solely about Mick. That is apart from a notable thread at MLL (there may have been others - I'm not claiming to have read them all!!!).

I guess cuz Mick always leaves us speechless... Guilty as charged, I tend to look and ogle at Mick but yak about Alex. The Mick discussions tend to meld into a discussion about the episodes.

Hi Grace!

[coco]

Red, loving this thread already.
I will be back with more to say, promise, but for now a pic

and one more just because I adore Mick with baseball cap

[Phoenix]

Nothing intelligent to add to the conversation (today) but would you mind if I leave these here? They are a nuisance to cart around.

[redwinter101]

I am going to LOVE this thread.

Grace, I'll be back later to add to your post.

Red

[pinkiepie230]

First I want to say HI!! I am so glad I found you! Hi Gracie, Red and Phoenix!
I haven't gotten settled in yet but Thank You for this thread!
Red you said it all and Gracie agreed.

I am not into MicBeth or MicCora but I am into Mick the man. Another devoted Mick Chick. He is facinating. Frankly neither one of these women deserve him. They both toyed with his vulnerabilties in their own way. They took advantage of his sensitivities and good heart whether intentionl or not. Josef on the other hand compliments him beautifully because of their extreme differences and their acceptance and appreciation of one another is what makes that relationship work so well. They have no interest in changing one another they respect and celebrate their differences.

That is why most of my fics are about him and my OC, because she loves him for who he is and appreciates and celebrates not only his strengths but his weaknesses because that is who he is. A complete package. Good topic! I will return!
The decorations are beautiful!!

[wpgrace]

First I want to say HI!! I am so glad I found you! Hi Gracie, Red and Phoenix!
I am not into MicBeth or MicCora but I am into Mick the man. Another devoted Mick Chick. He is facinating. Frankly neither one of these women deserve him. They both toyed with his vulnerabilties in their own way. They took advantage of his sensitivities and good heart whether intentionl or not. Josef on the other hand compliments him beautifully because of their extreme differences and their acceptance and appreciation of one another is what makes that relationship work so well. They have no interest in changing one another they respect and celebrate their differences.

Hey Pinkie!!

Yes I think you have hit on another reason he is so appealing, Pinkie... He gives all of himself in those relationships and asks very little in return. Some of us on the MickCora thread (at then ML4E) had at one time discussed that both his women were pretty self-absorbed and tended to make a lot of demands of him... and did not stop very often to think about what they might do FOR him. Not that they never did, just that both Cora and Beth were very comfortable with letting him do the heavy emotional lifting in the relationships...

He has the emotional strength to do that, but it is sometimes maddening for us, as voyeurs, to watch him do that, at least IMO!! So it bugged you so bad you made up a new character, huh?

[redwinter101]

One cool thing about Mick is his complexity. And part of that is his age. He's lived 85 years and is staring down the road at lots more. He's changed and still changing... often nearly before our eyes. He has a core personality, but he's been thru many different stages... only some of which were shown on the show and others of which were hinted at... but the layers and complexity let the mind imagine the different Micks... some more sophisticated than others... some more extroverted... some more assured... some more naive...

Because he has already endured so many transitions and is bound for more... it's like he CAN be all things to all people. Just depends on what year you happen to run into him...

I think this is what it is that makes him such an intriguing character, and also such an interesting contrast to Josef. I don't know about anyone else but I get the feeling Josef has pretty much always been Josef - whereas Mick, as Grace says, has that core humanity and personality but is constantly evolving.

That's one of the reasons why I think that no matter what the writers had planned, Mick would have found a way to make things work with Beth. He would have found a way to allow himself to be happy. And that thought, in itself, makes me happy too.

I also agree about his penchant for demanding women - but honestly, we wouldn't want him any other way, would we?

Red

[pinkiepie230]

Hey Pinkie!!

Yes I think you have hit on another reason he is so appealing, Pinkie... He gives all of himself in those relationships and asks very little in return. Some of us on the MickCora thread (at then ML4E) had at one time discussed that both his women were pretty self-absorbed and tended to make a lot of demands of him... and did not stop very often to think about what they might do FOR him. Not that they never did, just that both Cora and Beth were very comfortable with letting him do the heavy emotional lifting in the relationships...

He has the emotional strength to do that, but it is sometimes maddening for us, as voyeurs, to watch him do that, at least IMO!! So it bugged you so bad you made up a new character, huh?

Now you know why!! I agree totally Grace (like that was a surprise - huh?)
Red that is what makes Josef so unique. He is selfish and self-absorbed but he doesn't decieve or apologize for it. In fact he celebrates it. Mick accepts him and he truly admires Mick's stellar make-up, even if he does bitch about it. I can handle imperfections; it's when they try to hide behind facades for their own personal gain that I disdain the person. Be an a$$hole if that is what you truly are, I can appreciate and possibly even admire that about a person.
Mick was born with those angsty emotionally strong responsible traits. Being turned didn't make him that way, he would have been that way had he remained a human. Perhaps vampirism enhanced and perfected his strengths. He now has something solid to blame his self doubts on. Had he not been turned I am sure he would have destroyed himself with alcohol or drugs, trying to numb his strong emotions. He is truly a unique character and so multi-faceted. Yep, definitely a Mick Chick all the way.

[Raven]

Shoot. Mick ruined me.
First there's Alex who establishes Mick as tall, dark and handsome...eyes that mirror colors of the world, a cleft chin that begs for a tongue to run down it, a knee kick out gait that was created to wrap around...you get the drift.
Then all the delicious fan fic Micks...the Season 2 & 3 Mick (LL!)...that 80's Mick, holy crap.
Mick is like a virus. He's permeated my brain, my senses are affected, my thoughts have been infiltrated, I think about him WAY TOO MUCH!
I'm ruined, I tell you! Ruined!
Okay...I've embraced ruination. Life is good.
I love Mick!

[redwinter101]

Raven you speak the truth.

And that picture... I need to sit down for a moment.

Red

[Phoenix]

Because he has already endured so many transitions and is bound for more... it's like he CAN be all things to all people. Just depends on what year you happen to run into him...

First of all, Raven that photo needs a warning label. :shock: I swear my heart stops every time I see it...

Secondly, these are not gratuitous pics they are actually visual aids to enhance Grace's point about Mick ... depending on what year you run into him. I give you Mick and Mick - fifty something years apart.

[MoonShadow]

I love Mick for the complexity of his personality and the strength of his convictions as well.

I loved the Fortress of Style (Mick's place) because it was such a wonderful representation of the man himself. Utilizing his Roman Catholic roots he blended the monk like solemness with the soldier and the artist. What woman could ever "deserve" such a person. For me and me alone; I don't think in those terms. Rather I look at it as Mick is seeking a complementary fit to the dynamics that are him, who he is, and who he wants to be.

now squeeing and looking about.... I love this place!

[redwinter101]

Mick was born with those angsty emotionally strong responsible traits. Being turned didn't make him that way, he would have been that way had he remained a human. Perhaps vampirism enhanced and perfected his strengths. He now has something solid to blame his self doubts on. Had he not been turned I am sure he would have destroyed himself with alcohol or drugs, trying to numb his strong emotions. He is truly a unique character and so multi-faceted. Yep, definitely a Mick Chick all the way.

I agree about him having those strong emotional traits but I disagree about the drink and drugs thing. We have all seen Mick's iron self-control - and we know it stemmed from his time as a human too. When Ray came home, he upped and left (rightly or wrongly), tearing himself away from a love that had provided him with a haven after the war.

The next we see of him is 1952 and he's got the bad-boy musician thing going on. Yes, he's not exactly made a steady career choice, but he's getting on with his life. He was looking for something new and found it in Coraline. And then, despite everything she did, he stayed married to her for all those years, with only the threat of a child's murder driving him to kill her.

I think under the circumstances, he's amazingly stable! There is an inherent goodness, a desire to be a good person and live life the way he feels to be right, that shines through human-Mick and vamp-Mick. Well, that's what I see anyway..

Red