Moonlight Episode Discussion - Ep 7: The Ringer

[redwinter101]

[mwj01]

I'm sure his feelings were mixed about wanting Morgan to be Coraline. Can you imagine all the stuff going through his head. If she IS Coraline, he didn't kill her - he didn't murder his own wife. But if she's not dead Beth could be in danger. And so could he. If she IS Coraline, she knows a way to become human again. She's found a way back. If she is NOT Coraline, he's losing his mind. But nothing has really changed. Status quo. And he's just traumatized an innocent woman. AND let her in on his vampire secret. But then, how is Matolla a vampire? Only a vampire could have fought him like that.

And if she is Coraline, what happens to all those unresolved feelings he'd been working on resolving for decades?

[wpgrace]

I'm sure his feelings were mixed about wanting Morgan to be Coraline. Can you imagine all the stuff going through his head. If she IS Coraline, he didn't kill her - he didn't murder his own wife. But if she's not dead Beth could be in danger. And so could he. If she IS Coraline, she knows a way to become human again. She's found a way back. If she is NOT Coraline, he's losing his mind. But nothing has really changed. Status quo. And he's just traumatized an innocent woman. AND let her in on his vampire secret. But then, how is Matolla a vampire? Only a vampire could have fought him like that.

And if she is Coraline, what happens to all those unresolved feelings he'd been working on resolving for decades?

Which clearly upset him... that he hadn't resolved those feelings. He kinda knew he hadn't, cause he and Josef had this discussion back in ep 3, but he also didn't have a living breathing focus for those feelings back then... the living and breathing part adding a whole new dimension to the angst...

That whole Mick in the cemetery... raw nerves... utterly raw. He's been pretending he kinda had his sh!t together... in an angsty, reclusive kinda way. And with Beth, he's been kinda pretending to be human and new again. He really needs to deal with his past...

Mick is SO interesting... Just the MOST interesting and complicated character. Just LOVE him!

[GuardianAngel]

I also can't help wondering, how sure is Mick that Morgan is not Coraline at the end? It should be out of the realm of possibility that a vampire can be human. So should the fact that she doesn't have a tattoo close the subject?

[Fleur de Lisa]

Nothing of any importance to add except and to GA for continually providing the best pix of ML in these discussions, as well as the best synopses of each scene.

[mwj01]

I also can't help wondering, how sure is Mick that Morgan is not Coraline at the end? It should be out of the realm of possibility that a vampire can be human. So should the fact that she doesn't have a tattoo close the subject?

I think he was pretty convinced (although still not entirely) it wasn't her after her convincingly terrified reaction, the bleeding, scent and lack of tattoo. Until he flip-flopped once again!

[redwinter101]

Yeah, I think he was convinced.

Red

[misskitty002]

Thank you so much, GA for all the hard work you do. These episode discussions are what drew me to the site. I was heartbroken when I thought they were finished. Elated to see it's continuance.

I'm actually watching The Ringer as I type. I can't begin to tell you all how much I love this episode. The only thing I like better than perpetual coolness , living embodiment of all that is sexy Mick is batshit-crazy-sexy(-beast) Mick. Just when you think Mick would progress through each episode with coolness and style, they throw a curveball and we get pre-vamp, copa-cabana-boy-band Mick.



[Josef] DAMN[/Josef] it takes a sexy man to make that look good and he does it in spades.

The flashback at the end when he comes to Coraline's house drunk is one of my favorite scenes in the ENTIRE series. Mick is so far gone and Coraline pushes him over the edge. The look on both of their faces as she laughs in his face and he throws the chair through the window is exillarating and depressing. It is at this point where batshit-crazy-sexy Mick reminded me of an ex-boyfriend. He was one beaUtiful, crazy, bastard. I didn't drive him to it. He came into the relationship with his own home grown crop of crazy. Fortunately we never progressed beyond a few expletives before it ended. But, he'll always have a special place in my heart (and hell).

I know what Mick means when he talks about a fever. It's as if you become mesmerized when you're in their presence. It consumes you and, like Mick, it took something shocking and unforgiveable to break the spell. In my case it was an intimate encounter with vaccination-like speed.

The Ringer gives us a whole new dimension to the persona of Mick St John and IT WAS AAAAAAAAAAAWESOME!!!

... but when we kiss ... um ... it's like FIRE!!!

[wondergirl9847]

Yep, The Ringer introduced us to the NON-perpetually cool Mick. We saw more depth into this man/vampire we fell in love with in the previous 6 episodes. Hey, guess what?! Mick has flaws! LOL He gets nutso when he's around the ex. We saw glimpses of it earlier in flashbacks, but this was full on.

Mick was more human in The Ringer than he was in FtP. Heh.

[helloeeze]

Yes, Mick certainly didn't have the "intense affair" with Beth, which sometimes I get "jealous" about. But that type of relationship is not necessarily a good thing. Coraline was a seductress, with vampire lure and Mick was drawn to it like a moth to flame. On the surface that type of passion might seem like something to envy, but it can be, I suppose, very destructive. Now Mick, understanding that he can be susceptible to that, it seems he has turned the opposite way and now living like a celibate monk up high in his "fortress." He has gone totally the other direction. But, I suppose, Mick feels safer there. Then seeing Coraline it all came flooding back, that loss of control. Must have been very disturbing to our poor boy.

[misskitty002]

Yes, Mick certainly didn't have the "intense affair" with Beth, which sometimes I get "jealous" about. But that type of relationship is not necessarily a good thing. Coraline was a seductress, with vampire lure and Mick was drawn to it like a moth to flame. On the surface that type of passion might seem like something to envy, but it can be, I suppose, very destructive. Now Mick, understanding that he can be susceptible to that, it seems he has turned the opposite way and now living like a celibate monk up high in his "fortress." He has gone totally the other direction. But, I suppose, Mick feels safer there. Then seeing Coraline it all came flooding back, that loss of control. Must have been very disturbing to our poor boy.

You're right. That type of relationship is NOT a good thing. It burns hot and fast. I would like to think his love for Beth has a longevity.

[GuardianAngel]

Yes, Mick certainly didn't have the "intense affair" with Beth, which sometimes I get "jealous" about. But that type of relationship is not necessarily a good thing. Coraline was a seductress, with vampire lure and Mick was drawn to it like a moth to flame. On the surface that type of passion might seem like something to envy, but it can be, I suppose, very destructive. Now Mick, understanding that he can be susceptible to that, it seems he has turned the opposite way and now living like a celibate monk up high in his "fortress." He has gone totally the other direction. But, I suppose, Mick feels safer there. Then seeing Coraline it all came flooding back, that loss of control. Must have been very disturbing to our poor boy.

You're right. That type of relationship is NOT a good thing. It burns hot and fast. I would like to think his love for Beth has a longevity.

I agree. That kind of relationship cannot be maintained long term. Through everything we've seen of the relationship between Mick and Coraline, its always about the sex and passion. We never see anything else. Well, there's the fact that she Turned him and taught him to be a vampire and that Mick resented her for it. But those are negatives. Other than the passion I never saw any other positives.

That is not to say that the fiery passion between them isn't totally hot. I'd have been seriously jealous were I Beth.

[redwinter101]

Through everything we've seen of the relationship between Mick and Coraline, its always about the sex and passion. We never see anything else. Well, there's the fact that she Turned him and taught him to be a vampire and that Mick resented her for it. But those are negatives. Other than the passion I never saw any other positives.

I'm going to disagree with that one. Yes it was definitely about sex and passion - but it was also about love. Coraline thought turning him would make him happy - it was a selfish act but it was also an act of love. She came back, plotted and schemed, killed - not to have sex with Mick, but to be with him, to get him back.

And when it came down to it, she gave him the cure, demanding nothing in return, and sacrificed herself to Lance to save him. That wasn't an act of passion or lust - it was an act of love.

Red

[wpgrace]

ITA, Red... which will surprise no one...

I would add, yes a relationship that is JUST about lust won't last long, but Mick and Cora were together 33 years. That's way longer than most marriages. If one is looking to see what else was there, besides the "infection that burns you up," one can witness the relationship between Mick and Morgan... granted, mostly in the upcoming FdL ep... but clearly Cora was actually a fun and cute person. Chairs thrown thru glass aside, Mick and Cora must have had joyful moments like these, too, in their marriage.

I can see where so many THINK it is only about passion and lust, because that is the part the show emphasized and the part Mick talked about. But as Red noted, Cora loved him in quiet ways too... when she gave him the cure, she knew full well which woman was gonna benefit from that, and it wasn't her.

She had hoped, seeing her again, that Mick would choose her. He didn't. He chose Beth. Cora accepted that. And saved his fine @$$ in the bargain. Tho that all happens in upcoming eps... and upcoming ep discussions...

[Phoenix]

Through everything we've seen of the relationship between Mick and Coraline, its always about the sex and passion. We never see anything else. Well, there's the fact that she Turned him and taught him to be a vampire and that Mick resented her for it. But those are negatives. Other than the passion I never saw any other positives.

I'm going to disagree with that one. Yes it was definitely about sex and passion - but it was also about love. Coraline thought turning him would make him happy - it was a selfish act but it was also an act of love. She came back, plotted and schemed, killed - not to have sex with Mick, but to be with him, to get him back.

And when it came down to it, she gave him the cure, demanding nothing in return, and sacrificed herself to Lance to save him. That wasn't an act of passion or lust - it was an act of love.

Red

I agree with Red one thousand percent. (Big shock ... I know.)

Sorry to butt into the conversation so late in the game - but I just have to say that The Ringer is probably my favorite out of all 16 episodes.

And many thanks to GA for being the facilitator of such a wonderful discussion.