![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
abby82Moonlight the latest entry in the do-gooding vampire genre premiered last night. I had things to do so I programed the new DVD recorder to do its thing. And it did...on the wrong channel. Apparently it's gonna reair tonight but I chose to watch it on CBS.com and let's just say that the verdict on the pilot is less than stellar.
The series opened with an interview of the vampire (Mick) by an unseen woman. Since the female love interest is a reporter I thought the end would reveal the woman to be her but it was just a dream sequence. Mick would love to set the record straight on vampire misconceptions and so the dream is an attempt to do that. OK fine but when the first few moments of a brand new show are so laughably bad that can't be a good sign. I was quite embarassed just watching it was so lame. I'd heard that there were interview promos being run to promote the show and they sounded quite cheesy so I never checked them out. I never imagined that they were actually part of the series.
The opening title card was nice but I continue to lament the loss of opening title sequences in general. Some people say we get more show by eliminating them but I think what we really get is more commercials inserted. At least with a show like Blood Ties there is a longer opening out there. They just choose not to use it.
The voice overs by the lead have got to go. They didn't work in the promos and they don't work here. All the vampire puns and noir dialogue grates and the delivery doesn't work.
I like the sensationalism of reporter Beth (the mortal love interest). She's not a hard news reporter and instead she's working in the tabloid world that likes to spin angles to get more hits online. She reminded me a bit of Lois in Smallville especially the whole taking photographs with her cell phone although it looked like Beth was using an iphone. The cell phone is definitely more discreet than an obvious camera but I don't know what kind of quality it has. I'm still living in the dark ages so my cell phone is lacking that feature. I liked the visual idea of Mick seeing Beth for the first time in person as she walked barefoot in a cold water fountain but their first meeting felt a little hollow. Later in the story Beth going undercover as a Hearst student to get closer to the suspected murdering professor was nice.
Big bad vampire Josef's first scene was so completely flat it was ridiculous. The line delivery felt like the actor was doing a line reading rather than actually acting. I may not have enjoyed his character in Veronica Mars but at least there I saw a character being depicted on screen. Also he looked like he was playing dress up. I certainly didn't believe there was a ruthless 400 year old vampire under there. Mick says he's one of the oldest vampires in Los Angeles. Really? He's a pup. Vachon on Forever Knight was just as old and those around his age were viewed as one of the young-uns. The role of Josef was originally that of an older man played by a Croatian actor. The really liked what the actor brought to the screen in the short scenes he was in of the presentation reel. Sadly he was replaced along with most of the rest of the cast and the role was redefined. I was initially intrigued by making the old vampire in the guise of a young man but from the pilot it may have been an idea that was only good on paper rather than in execution. Hopefully future episodes adds a little more depth to the character.
Now the second scene with Josef worked much better. The light banter between him and Mick showed a believable, long friendship. I can't wait to find out more about their history together. Yet once Josef starts getting into We Must Protect the Secret mode that's where he looses me again although not as much as in his first scene. Oh well. Also why is Josef getting on Mick's case to protect their secret. That's not Mick's job. Surely the vampire community as some kind of police force out there to keep their secret from getting out. Maybe I'm thinking too much of Forever Knight's enforcers.
Coraline (the vampire that brought Mick over...on their wedding night) So she's a nut job or at least that's the indication so far. Color me disappointed. She was the character I was most interested in and to have her "die" in flames annoyed me. Now obviously she's a series regular so it's not the last we'll see of her but I had flashbacks to the first episode of Forever Knight when Nick "killed" LaCroix with a combination of fire and a stake through the heart only to have him really not be dead. I wonder if she's going to be used only in flashback sequences like LaCroix was that first season or if they are going to have her "survive" much sooner. How are they going to explain her survival. I seriously doubt LaCroix's blanket explaination of being too old and powerful be be felled by flames will work for her. She did look absolutely incredible in scenes though. She's very stunning especially in that white flowy gown. It made her look quite gothic but a bit out of place for a scene that took place in 1985.
I hope they elaborate on why Mick decided to keep an eye on Beth ever since the abduction incident because right now it doesn't make sense. Interviews with people behind the scenes indicate that is was a life changing event for Mick and why wanted to change is ways. What makes her case so different from others that this affects him the way we're supposed to believe?
The action sequences were good and very welcomed especially after the really slow pace of the pilot leading up to them. I'm not an action junkie but the pilot needed to show some life.
So Mick's vamped out look will be similar to the Rick Springfield look in Nick Knight complete with blue eyes. I find that amusing especially since the failed Nick Knight pilot took place in the city of angels as well. :) It's also funny that Mick drives some kind of black convertible and Nick in Nick Knight and Forever Knight obviously did as well. In Nick Knight though it was also black.
Rick Springfield in Nick Knight pilot; with Alyce Hunter
Rick Springfield in Nick Knight pilot; angry at Jack
Mick in Moonlight. Screengrab comes from moonlightfans.com
The actor for Mick is adequate. Right now I see nothing special about him.
As far as current vampire shows run I'll rank this one behind Blood Ties which I watched on ocassion but am by no means a fangirl about. The spoilers for Moonlight indicate some good things like the interactions between the vampire community so I'll definitely be sticking around to see how that comes to fruition. I also feel that all the behind the scene tweaking means the show hasn't quite found it's identity just yet. As previous vampire shows have shown the subject matter is rich with potential so I'm holding out that Moonlight will mine that.
The opening title card was nice but I continue to lament the loss of opening title sequences in general. Some people say we get more show by eliminating them but I think what we really get is more commercials inserted. At least with a show like Blood Ties there is a longer opening out there. They just choose not to use it.
The voice overs by the lead have got to go. They didn't work in the promos and they don't work here. All the vampire puns and noir dialogue grates and the delivery doesn't work.
I like the sensationalism of reporter Beth (the mortal love interest). She's not a hard news reporter and instead she's working in the tabloid world that likes to spin angles to get more hits online. She reminded me a bit of Lois in Smallville especially the whole taking photographs with her cell phone although it looked like Beth was using an iphone. The cell phone is definitely more discreet than an obvious camera but I don't know what kind of quality it has. I'm still living in the dark ages so my cell phone is lacking that feature. I liked the visual idea of Mick seeing Beth for the first time in person as she walked barefoot in a cold water fountain but their first meeting felt a little hollow. Later in the story Beth going undercover as a Hearst student to get closer to the suspected murdering professor was nice.
Big bad vampire Josef's first scene was so completely flat it was ridiculous. The line delivery felt like the actor was doing a line reading rather than actually acting. I may not have enjoyed his character in Veronica Mars but at least there I saw a character being depicted on screen. Also he looked like he was playing dress up. I certainly didn't believe there was a ruthless 400 year old vampire under there. Mick says he's one of the oldest vampires in Los Angeles. Really? He's a pup. Vachon on Forever Knight was just as old and those around his age were viewed as one of the young-uns. The role of Josef was originally that of an older man played by a Croatian actor. The really liked what the actor brought to the screen in the short scenes he was in of the presentation reel. Sadly he was replaced along with most of the rest of the cast and the role was redefined. I was initially intrigued by making the old vampire in the guise of a young man but from the pilot it may have been an idea that was only good on paper rather than in execution. Hopefully future episodes adds a little more depth to the character.
Now the second scene with Josef worked much better. The light banter between him and Mick showed a believable, long friendship. I can't wait to find out more about their history together. Yet once Josef starts getting into We Must Protect the Secret mode that's where he looses me again although not as much as in his first scene. Oh well. Also why is Josef getting on Mick's case to protect their secret. That's not Mick's job. Surely the vampire community as some kind of police force out there to keep their secret from getting out. Maybe I'm thinking too much of Forever Knight's enforcers.
Coraline (the vampire that brought Mick over...on their wedding night) So she's a nut job or at least that's the indication so far. Color me disappointed. She was the character I was most interested in and to have her "die" in flames annoyed me. Now obviously she's a series regular so it's not the last we'll see of her but I had flashbacks to the first episode of Forever Knight when Nick "killed" LaCroix with a combination of fire and a stake through the heart only to have him really not be dead. I wonder if she's going to be used only in flashback sequences like LaCroix was that first season or if they are going to have her "survive" much sooner. How are they going to explain her survival. I seriously doubt LaCroix's blanket explaination of being too old and powerful be be felled by flames will work for her. She did look absolutely incredible in scenes though. She's very stunning especially in that white flowy gown. It made her look quite gothic but a bit out of place for a scene that took place in 1985.
I hope they elaborate on why Mick decided to keep an eye on Beth ever since the abduction incident because right now it doesn't make sense. Interviews with people behind the scenes indicate that is was a life changing event for Mick and why wanted to change is ways. What makes her case so different from others that this affects him the way we're supposed to believe?
The action sequences were good and very welcomed especially after the really slow pace of the pilot leading up to them. I'm not an action junkie but the pilot needed to show some life.
So Mick's vamped out look will be similar to the Rick Springfield look in Nick Knight complete with blue eyes. I find that amusing especially since the failed Nick Knight pilot took place in the city of angels as well. :) It's also funny that Mick drives some kind of black convertible and Nick in Nick Knight and Forever Knight obviously did as well. In Nick Knight though it was also black.
Rick Springfield in Nick Knight pilot; with Alyce Hunter
Rick Springfield in Nick Knight pilot; angry at Jack
Mick in Moonlight. Screengrab comes from moonlightfans.com
The actor for Mick is adequate. Right now I see nothing special about him.
As far as current vampire shows run I'll rank this one behind Blood Ties which I watched on ocassion but am by no means a fangirl about. The spoilers for Moonlight indicate some good things like the interactions between the vampire community so I'll definitely be sticking around to see how that comes to fruition. I also feel that all the behind the scene tweaking means the show hasn't quite found it's identity just yet. As previous vampire shows have shown the subject matter is rich with potential so I'm holding out that Moonlight will mine that.
