The Moonlight Blog

Written by Jill Blotevogel
Directed by Dennis Smith

It has occurred to me, especially watching this most recent episode of “Moonlight”, that the format is very similar to “Supernatural” and Joss Whedon’s Buffyverse. Not necessarily in terms of the plot elements or the premise, but rather, in terms of structure. While every episode has a specific plot concept in mind (in this case, dealing with a turned cult murderer), there is an underlying set of character arcs, all evolving in a very serialized manner.

That serialized story is the developing relationship between Mick and Beth, and it takes a complicated direction in this episode. Despite his behavior with Morgan/Coraline in the previous episode, Beth still trusts Mick with everything important in her life. She connects on an emotional level with the girl who was abducted by cult leader Donovan, and when things start to get violent and dangerous, Mick is the first one on her speed dial.

Audrey is the latest person to point out that Beth seems more connected to Mick than her supposed boyfriend (including, I might add, said boyfriend), and it’s nice to see the writers move past that point. While Beth may still need to protest in the future, it’s clear that she’s turned a corner, recognizing that Mick has always been there for her. As Beth said, she’s always felt that a guardian angel has been watching over her, and now she knows it for certain.

I like the progression at play, because Coraline’s return to Mick’s life must be as disruptive as possible if that plot element is to have any value. Thus Beth’s growing involvement with Mick, and Mick’s inner conflict between desire and duty. Both need to escalate as Coraline draws ever closer to revealing herself to Mick and making it all fall apart. Given the pace of the plot thus far, it probably won’t be long before that happens.

While the central plot was interesting, its main purpose was to contrast the post-abduction psychology for Beth and Audrey. Audrey never had someone watching over her, and it left her feeling exposed. Beth had Mick, and she was able to get past her fear and succeed as a result. This is noteworthy because it gives the episodic plot elements meaning above and beyond the long-term contextual meaning.

The episode itself is bolstered, as one would hope, by the long-term character arcs. As with most shows utilizing this format, weak episodic content can be strengthened through ties to a greater context. I’m amazed at how well this “paranormal romance” concept has translated to a weekly series, and with the slow but steady growth in audience and strong demographics, this show could manage to survive the writers’ strike.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10