Moonlight Episode Discussion - Ep 10: Sleeping Beauty

[PNWgal]

I think a lot changed for Beth when she saw Sarah frozen in time, lost 'in between'. All of a sudden, there's a dark side, danger, if you will, to the romantic notions she may be entertaining about a relationship with Mick. I think her going back to LA instead of taking advantage of a night on the town with a man she's falling for, indicates that she now realizes there's danger associated with Mick. And Josh is safe, at least until the next episode.

Great point, DSR...and I think this is where Mick's shot himself in the foot. If he'd been honest and forthright about the dangers of being with a vampire, Beth wouldn't have been caught so off-guard when seeing Sarah.

[allegrita]

Well, to Mick's credit, he did try to tell her. She just didn't want to listen. Remember the conversation at the end of B.C., about the downside of being a vamp, and "it never ends well" when they talked about relationships between vamps and humans... Mick didn't know how to make her see the truth, and he was pretty inarticulate whenever he started to try to tell her the bad stuff. But he did try.

I absolutely agree that seeing what happened to Sarah threw Beth for a very large loop, and sent her back to try to fix what she knew in her heart was a very good thing with a very good guy. As I said earlier, the knowledge of Josef and Sarah kinda flipped Mick and Beth to opposite sides of where they'd been at the beginning of the episode. Mick got hopeful. Beth got scared.

[PNWgal]

Yes, he did try - he just didn't try very hard. Statements like "I miss being in the sun and food" and "It never ends well" are a far cry from "If I try to Turn you, I may put you into a coma and you'll never wake up". I know I'm jumping ahead here, but Mick only has himself to blame here for Beth running back to Josh. That doesn't mean I didn't want to smack Beth for leaving him there, but...she was scared. And I have to believe she had enough integrity to know she was hurting a good man back home, someone that loved her, and she wanted to fix that.

I agree that Beth can only see the upside of being a vampire - you live forever, you stay young and beautiful forever, you're strong and your senses are enhanced. And yeah, it's VERY easy to forget that vampires are dangerous and can kill you when they're as pretty as Mick. Although...Beth DID get a glimpse of how dangerous a vampire can be when she found Mick dying in the desert. He DID tell her that she would have to stop him at some point (just a second while I ), and that had to have frightened her.

[GuardianAngel]

Mick and Beth go to the park. Beth settles on a bench while Mick goes and gets her coffee. As they sit, she begins to read Sarah’s diary out loud.






It’s emotional. Especially since this could be them, Mick and Beth, down the road. Sarah loved Josef and even though it was dangerous she wanted to be as he was so they could be together.




Her last words....”I’m ready.” Beth looks up at Mick.


Beth asks if Josef really kept this all a secret - never saying anything to Mick about Sarah.


Mick says no. He knew Josef lived in NY before L.A. Vamps tend to move around - they can’t stay in one place for long. Beth’s says that Mick has - he stayed in L.A.


Mick says he likes the weather. Beth laughs and asks “Really?”




Mick smiles and Beth really looks at him. She might say more but her phone rings.


It’s Sam with info on Josef. He was picked up at the NY terminal by an H&G limo. She texts Beth the drop-off address.




Mick and Beth leave the park but they’ve been watched.

[GuardianAngel]

I agree, I think Beth's notion of vampires is romanticized. Mick's looking pretty good and so is the life he shows her. How horrible can he be? He saved her and saves other people. He watched over her and kept her safe most of her life.

Mick definitely hasn't tried hard enough to show her the underbelly of vampirism. But if he does, he takes the huge risk of seeing him as the monster he's always believed himself to be.

[allegrita]

And don't forget, Mick didn't KNOW about Sarah. For all we know, he didn't know that turnings could go so terribly wrong till Josef told them both.

But yeah, he didn't try very hard.

That scene in the park is so poignant. Sarah's handwriting is so childlike, isn't it??!

[darkstarrising]

Mick is pretty quiet while Beth is reading Sara's diary to him, and that look she gives him just before the phone rings is a little bit of playfulness as if she understands he's trying to process all this as well. Not only could it be Beth and himself at some point in the future, but his closest friend kept this secret from him all these years....what else hasn't Josef told him?

[GuardianAngel]

...his closest friend kept this secret from him all these years....what else hasn't Josef told him?

That question has burned though my mind quite often. And Mick still has more to find out.

[librarian_7]

I think if Mick really thinks JOSEF tells anyone everything...he's naive for his age.

Lucky

[darkstarrising]

I think if Mick really thinks JOSEF tells anyone everything...he's naive for his age.

Lucky

And so Mick is....his relationships with Lila and Coraline, his belief that he can recover his humanity, his attempts to keep Beth at bay....that's just who he is and part of the reason he's so endearing.

[PNWgal]

I don't think Mick believes Josef tells him everything. A guy doesn't get to 400+ years without keeping some secrets.

And...I don't think Mick tells Josef everything, either.

[GuardianAngel]

That is true, dsr. For all that Mick thinks he's a monster he has an innocence about him as well. But I don't think he expects that Josef will share everything with him.

In this case I think what rankles him is Josef's attitude about his feelings for Beth. Mick probably feels misled, almost lied to, not just left out.

No, Mick doesn't tell Josef everything either. So he can respect the need for privacy.

[Luxe de Luxe]

The look on Beth's face when she hears the story of Sarah is very interesting to me. She's affected by it. She thinks it's very romantic...

She's definitely affected by it...but I wonder how much of that changes when she finds out what really what happened to Sarah.

I think a lot changed for Beth when she saw Sarah frozen in time, lost 'in between'. All of a sudden, there's a dark side, danger, if you will, to the romantic notions she may be entertaining about a relationship with Mick. I think her going back to LA instead of taking advantage of a night on the town with a man she's falling for, indicates that she now realizes there's danger associated with Mick. And Josh is safe, at least until the next episode.

I'd never thought of this before, dsr. What an interesting way to think about it. I think that's got a lot of creedence.

[Luxe de Luxe]

I agree, I think Beth's notion of vampires is romanticized. Mick's looking pretty good and so is the life he shows her. How horrible can he be? He saved her and saves other people. He watched over her and kept her safe most of her life.

Mick definitely hasn't tried hard enough to show her the underbelly of vampirism. But if he does, he takes the huge risk of seeing him as the monster he's always believed himself to be.

Agreed, GA, I think he's in a really difficult position here. Just getting through each day has been incredibly hard for Mick, but when he meets her, he sees himself through her eyes for small parts of his day. That must feel wonderful for him. Too precious to just throw away. I can really see him trying to tell her the bad parts without exposing himself as a monster.

[Luxe de Luxe]

The issue with Sarah hasn't just been a 'secret' Josef has kept, though. He's actively campaigned against human/vamp relationships (remember his opening comments in both BC and SB?) as being somehow improper or unseemly for vamps. He's given Mick the impression that he's totally anti the whole thing and given Mick a hard time for his desire for Beth, and then Mick finds out he's having one himself. (she's still alive! ) That's a little different than just a secret.