Moonlight Episode Discussion - Ep 11: Love Lasts Forever

[PNWgal]

HM, I caught myself cutting and pasting almost your entire post, so I'll just shorten it up and say I agree with every single word and point you made.

Do not get me started on that completely OBTUSE statement from Beth about taking a vampire wife. I remember the first time seeing that and going, "She did not just say that." Given the fact that she'd stuck a stake in a human Coraline in the not-too-distant past made me want to bang my head against the TV.

That look on Mick's face when Josh comes in and Beth hurries over to him...man, it's a heart-breaker. I spent a lot of time not liking Beth in this episode.

What I REALLY would have loved was to see a more in-depth exploration of Mick's statement that some would see the cure as a threat. I would have loved a good vampire/bad vampire standoff (and not just with Lance), drawn out over an episode or 10.

[HotMicks]

Yes, and with all these dangling vampire storylines (cure as a threat, Coraline's "vamp-knapping," Josef's backstory, vampires in the French aristocracy, etc.), I still cannot fathom why they thought they needed to introduce werewolves into the mix...

[GuardianAngel]

The first time I watched this episode (okay, maybe the first few times) I didn't like Beth much either. For the vampire wife comment, for her anger at Mick for not Turning Josh and her comments to him later. For me, this was because I'm enamored with Mick and I hate to see him hurt. But later I came to understand Beth better and can't really blame her. Even the vampire wife comment made more sense. I don't think she had any thoughts of Coraline or the past. She was looking forward and, I believe, testing Mick to see where his head was. Also, she was distancing herself; purposely NOT seeing herself in that role. Mick should choose someone who is already a vampire - making that horrible Turning part unnecessary.

I'll talk about her other behavior/comments later as we get to them in screencaps.

[NocturneInCMoll]

Mick doesn't want to go see Guillermo for help with the cure now, but when he's on the cure and actually human, he doesn't worry a bit about going to see Guillermo.

[GuardianAngel]

LOL, I know, Moll. I thought that too. But then again, G doesn't know HOW Mick is human.

[NocturneInCMoll]

LOL, I know, Moll. I thought that too. But then again, G doesn't know HOW Mick is human.

Technically, neither does Mick. But you don't think Guillermo had a few questions when Mick suddenly showed up in the morgue smelling like human? That must have been one of the things lost when the episodes were condensed...

[francis]

Beth was sitting there only turned half-way towards Mick while the back of her chair was putting a barrier between them. Her whole demeanor was: "Leave me alone with this vampire business." I think she's had not enough time to think since they came back from NY, and maybe even decided to be with Josh now and forget all about Mick. It didn't work, and I think that's why she's so catty. He didn't just vanish from her life, and she isn't able to forget him. He wants her help, still, because he made a step forward while she made a step back. And when Josh comes home it's even more obvious. I think she didn't even register that she had a date with Mick at 10 am in her anguish about Josh being hurt and upset. She's totally focused on him, while Mick is totally focused on Josh. Josh needs to ask Mick to go because he's the only one with a level head in that scene, despite being so dishevelled. I think this scene was fabulous and made very clear where they all three were standing at that time.

As for visuals, I think that Mick looks fabulous in that dark henley. If Beth doesn't want him, I would gladly take over.

[wpgrace]

This discussion makes me think it would be very interesting to hear what Sophia was thinking during these last eps... about her character seeming to veer all over the place and becoming a total PushMe PullYou, about her character suddenly being given ugly oversized sweaters, about mourning Josh or not, about that turn about in Sonata, about her having help Joz'f kill off that annoying photog, about whatever she may have asked or been told by the writers in these eps...

We've heard some of Alex's take on the series, primarily thru that lovely Vamp magazine that had him do ep by ep wrap ups, but I've never seen anything from Sophia...

[darkstarrising]

Me neither, but I agree, it would be interesting to get her spin on the many personalities of Beth during the last few episodes and whether Josh's departure was accelerated or not.....

When Talbot came on the scene in FTP, his disdain for Mick was evident and initially his opinion of Beth wasn't that much better. Over the course of the last four episodes, he grew to respect them both and I wonder if Talbot was supposed to be a romantic distraction for Beth or whether he was going to be one of the werewolves. For someone as young as Talbot, he's apparently moved around a bit. From 'Click' he says

Listen, I’ve worked with many DA’s offices and whenever you get a new boss… Well, everybody runs things differently. You know, it’s all about personality.

Another question I wish we had the answer to.

[GuardianAngel]

If I remember correctly, it was said that into the second season we were really going to like Talbot. I took that to mean he was probably going to align himself with the vampires. Either as a werewolf or against the Legion. Or both. I didn't think there was going to be anything romantic between him and Beth.

[wpgrace]

That would not have been believable, IMO... I mean, seriously. I've seen Mick. They could not have pulled off that plot...

[darkstarrising]

I remember hearing the same thing, GA, about liking Talbot in season two. I wonder what he did that would cause that of attitude.

And grace, I nearly posted over you, but maybe if they hadn't finished with Sonata as they did, and Beth did push Mick away, I can see them setting Talbot up to 'console her'. Or, if she didn't push Mick away, Talbot might have made a play for her anyway. The former would have created some tension that would have carried the show further. The latter might have gotten Talbot killed.

[allegrita]

You know... maybe I'm in the minority here, but considering the tone and direction we've heard they were intending to take the show, I'm glad, in a way, that it ended when it did. I hated the Legion idea. I hated the werewolves idea even more. It was losing everything (except the actors, of course) that made me fall in love with the show.

It took me a while to forgive Beth for her blurted stupid statements ("vampire wife"--oy!) But one of the things I've come to believe about Beth after studying her a LOT for a couple of years is that her insensitivity comes from the way she compartmentalizes her own traumas. She shoves her true reactions to things so far down into those little boxes that she loses touch with her intuitive side. She won't face her own feelings, so she becomes insensitive to the feelings of others. I believe that Beth has the capacity to come to terms with her own damage, and I choose to believe that her relationship with Mick would be a process of her learning to face her own demons as she helped Mick face his. Whether as friends or as lovers, or a combination of both, I think they will be connected till one of them dies.

Annnnnd... back on topic, I've really been fascinated with the discussion of that scene between Mick, Beth, and Josh in her apartment. I hadn't noticed some of the nuances before you pointed them out, GA. Beautiful job, as usual.

[librarian_7]

One thing I've always thought about that scene when Josh comes in, is that he is acknowledging Mick's right to be there, when he asks to speak to Beth, alone. It's always seemed to me that this is significant.

Lucky

[wpgrace]

Oh! Interesting point, Lucky...

What a strange triangle the 3 of them made... and so many jumbled up feelings, between the lot of em.
Ironically, altho Josh is not one of my favorite characters, HIS POV in this business is the most relatable for me.