Moonlight Episode Discussion - Ep 7: The Ringer

[GuardianAngel]

Mick is looking good. But he always does.

grace, Morgaline drops so many hints it's impossible not to know. Mick pretty much DOES know until he doesn't find that tattoo. The bottom line is, even if she survived that fire, how can she be human? That's a stumper. Even for Josef.

What gets me is that Mick baits her right back and she NEVER bats an eye. She's such a cool number.

[SirenSong]

I absolutely loved how they had Shannyn play Morgan. As you said GA, she NEVER bats an eye even when baited. So cool.

As for Mick (always looking HOT even when rattled!), the fact that Morgan was human but WAS Coraline in just about every other aspect must have blown his mind. If he's been told for 50 odd years that there's no cure and no way back, what else was he supposed to think?

[wpgrace]

Mick is looking good. But he always does.

grace, Morgaline drops so many hints it's impossible not to know. Mick pretty much DOES know until he doesn't find that tattoo. The bottom line is, even if she survived that fire, how can she be human? That's a stumper. Even for Josef.

What gets me is that Mick baits her right back and she NEVER bats an eye. She's such a cool number.

You are very right, GA... and I enjoy that about her... that's one of the things that makes her very intriguing to me...

Of course, she has the advantage here of having planned this charade... and likely having thought out in advance all sorts of conversations and reveal-tactics he might try to uncover her identity... so she's likely practiced many of these responses...

...at least I would've done, if I were pulling this con... and I would be totally enjoying watching his facial expressions as each layer of BS is methodically applied...

And SS... sometimes he looks hot BECAUSE he's rattled, doesn't he???

[wondergirl9847]

You know how in some movies/TV shows, you have a villian/villianess that will give the camera a look or knowing smile that says "Yes, I'm a villian.", she NEVER did that. It was just as confusing to us as it was to Mick. WE were Mick in this particular episode because the frustration could be felt.

DANGIT, I love this show!

[mwj01]

She really did play it so well! I doubted myself a couple of times and thought what's going on here? since there wasn't even a hint of a giveaway look. In the cemetery, she looked truly shocked and terrified!

[wpgrace]

Well... I dont' think Coraline THOUGHT of herself as a villain.

She loved Mick, she turned him. She liked being a vamp and thought of it as a gift. He had other ideas, but they stuck together, with passion, for 33 years. And she put up with him not "getting" how cool her gift was... I am guessing she feels just as put upon about that turning misunderstanding as he does... or near about anyway...

Then she overstepped and threatened a kid and he burned her. He burned HER. Then she forgave him... tho does seem to think playing with his head is in order... but she forgave him for killing her nonetheless... at some point anyway. She wants him back. Clearly.

So she's a femme fatale on a mission... and I think she'd cop to that descriptor... but I don't believe she sees herself as a villain, as someone who, other than screwing up with Baby Beth, really has done anything wrong.

[GuardianAngel]

I agree with you, grace. I don't think Coraline would see herself as a villain. She just does what vamps do. And she enjoys being what she is. Like you said, she's probably feeling just as put upon - not getting what Mick's friggin problem is.

It looks like she's always enjoyed playing games. Being Morgan and watching Mick (and Josef too!) struggle with this must be loads of fun.

[mwj01]

I guess when you've been around for centuries and aren't going anywhere anytime soon, you have to find ways to amuse yourself!

[wpgrace]

I guess when you've been around for centuries and aren't going anywhere anytime soon, you have to find ways to amuse yourself!

Good point... that would account for a lot of what they do... that would be a challenge even for Josef, wouldn't it? At what point do you get bored drinking Scotch and hanging with freshies and playing 9 ball at the Vamp Club?

[GuardianAngel]

Mick heads over to Buzzwire to see what Beth has been able to find out about Morgan. She says that she checked with her editor for three years at Rueters in Chicago. He said that Morgan was the best he'd had. Beth tells Mick she's not sure what he's looking for. He says he wants to know that Morgan is who she says she is.









Beth hasn't found anything that says she isn't Morgan Vincent from Highland Park, Northwestern Class of 2000, daughter of Bob, sister of Jennifer. Mick's surpised and asks if she's spoken with the family. Beth says, yeah, she pretended she was from the Wildcat alumni board and felt ridiculous.







Mick thinks out loud, saying that maybe she's legit. Beth counters saying that if not, she's doing a really good job of faking it. She wants to know what the heck is going on.









Mick asks Beth again if she's sure that she'd never met Morgan before a few months ago. Beth is sure.







Guess who shows up? Morgan, smiling and saying that her ears were burning. Mick gives her a smile.





She wants to know if he's gotten any feedback on the fingerprints. Beth is surprised. Fingerprints? There's fingerprints now?







Morgan tells her that Mick picked them up at her place the night before. Uh Oh. Mick steps out saying that he needs to get back to it - he should hear something by that afternoon. Beth looks a little ill and Morgan looks smug.







Morgan comes and sits down next to Beth asking 'was that a look?' and whether Beth and Mick are an item. Beth says no. Morgan tells her that she could have fooled her, or anybody else. Beth says they just work together. Morgan wants to clarify - it's just professional? Yes, Beth tells her, it's just professional.













Morgan isn't buying it. She's a photographer, she sees things. Beth counters by saying she has a boyfriend. Ha, when does that ever stop anybody.








So, what do you think really happened to Morgan Vincent? When did she and Coraline cross paths? And don't you think it would have made sense for Beth or Mick to have gotten hold of a picture of Ms. Vincent?

Coraline was baiting Beth big time here. My take is that she wants to know exactly what Beth's feeling for Mick are and how close they are. I wouldn't think she'd be threatened if they were close. Beth's only going to live for about another 60 yrs or so. Do you think Coraline might be afraid Mick will Turn Beth?

[GuardianAngel]

[coco]

GA I definitely think there was an element of Coraline being afraid of that very thing. Mick & Beth had been getting closer in each episode and when she arrived as Morgan she really stirred things up and got in the middle of their friendship. She caught them both off guard with the emotions she stirred up in them and considering she had been watching them for quite a while there must have been a reason for her choosing that moment to appear.

[redwinter101]

Morgan comes and sits down next to Beth asking 'was that a look?' and whether Beth and Mick are an item. Beth says no. Morgan tells her that she could have fooled her, or anybody else. Beth says they just work together. Morgan wants to clarify - it's just professional? Yes, Beth tells her, it's just professional.

Liar, liar, pants on fire....

So, what do you think really happened to Morgan Vincent?

I reckon the hapless Ms Vincent met an untimely death. I doubt she was anything other than a convenience for Coraline - just like Mottola.

Red

[wpgrace]

LOL!! Breaking Alex news pre-empted the ep discussion! Oooops.

I liked seeing the Morgan/Beth interaction... cause truly, of any couple you want to put together from ML... they are the strangest, are they not?

At this point, Beth thinks she's friends with her childhood kidnapper and the woman who turned her current (unacknowledged... verrrry unacknowledged) flame, both of whom are generations older than her... and she is at THIS point in the ep, utterly clueless. And she's kinda feeling she's got this whole thing in-hand... she's showing Morgan the ropes around Buzzwire and introducing her to Mick and... she thinks SHE's in control of these people/vamps... she just sooooooo has no clue.

Weird and wonderful drama.

[darkstarrising]

I hadn't truly appreciated all that was going on in this episode until I had seen it a couple of times....

I agree, the real Morgan Vincent probably met with an untimely end...but you're question about getting a picture of her really does indicate a hole in the writing. Maybe we were supposed to assume that they had gotten a picture of Morgan and that she and Coraline bore a strong resemblance, but still....

When you get Mick, Beth and Morgan in a scene together, the dynamics are fun to watch....Mick gets uptight...the woman he once loved and he thought he murdered is possibly standing only a few feet away from him and the woman he has now fallen in love with. A part of him is horrified, while another part is intrigued...you can see the struggle in his face and his body language. When given an out, he gladly takes it.

Beth knows something is bothering Mick, but isn't sure what it is. Her own insecurity / jealousy comes through when she sees Mick watch Morgan. Yet when confronted by Morgan about whether Beth has a thing for Mick, Beth tries to be nonchalant and failing miserably.

Morgan, on the other hand, is delighted with the various reactions she's getting out of Mick and Beth. She wants Mick, but she doesn't want to be obvious about it. Hence the mind games. She knows the effect she has on him and to see that he hasn't lost interest after all this time makes her feel very powerful. When Mick leaves, she turns her attention toward Beth, trying to get Beth to fess up to her feelings for Mick. As Beth keeps protesting (too much) Morgan just twirls in the chair, her Cheshire smile laughing at this mere mortal woman who thinks she has a chance with Mick.