It really is impossible to narrow it to eight, let alone rank them. Which is why you are the head mistress around these parts, Alle — because you managed to do both (along with bringing home the bacon and frying it up in a pan, I'm sure... oh wait, you're vegan, aren't you?

).
Since you've set such a fine example, I shall trudge on...
1. This place. Honestly, I still love Moonlight, but over the ensuing years this board has surpassed Moonlight as the best thing about Moonlight.

I have had so much fun frolicking in this playground. Like many of you've said, it's provided an excuse for a creative outlet that I had been missing for years.

Plus there's all of you. Sometimes I want to know what you guys think about something more than I want to know what my RL friends think.

Especially when it comes to TV. So here's my annual shout out to Alle and the mods — Lilly, Lucky & PGal — for their fabulously witty personalities and board-herdin' skilz!!!

And here's to those of you who comment — for making me laugh so hard, consider another viewpoint, learn about another country... or city, see L.A. in a totally new light, read a new ML adventure, share in your joys and sorrows, make April Fools of ourselves, watch a new TV show I probably wouldn't have otherwise, snark about badly written TV shows (ahem!) and, well, I could go on and on, but you get the gist.
2. Mick is the man. Still. I doubt there'll be any list on here that doesn't include him. I mean, come on.

I often wonder if Trevor fully appreciates the impact of Mick St. John. And I am reminded of
this excellent archetype run down by Cinemama. She (and the comments in response) really nailed the reasons why Mick pushes so many of our buttons, and it's another example of the rich breadth of this fandom.

I will be a Mick girl until I crawl into my freezer in the sky, and that is thanks primarily to two incredibly talented people: Trevor Munson and Alex O'Loughlin. One for each of them...
3. The back stories. So rich. So many ideas in which to immerse oneself.

Chief among them being "what if you rewrote human history to include a sprinkling of vampires?"

Am now doubling down on that whole 'Betty Davis eyes' thing.
4. The Gallery. Seriously, those images.

to Lilly. By way of the crew (sets, lighting, etc.). The look of Moonlight is just gorgeous!
5. The modern sensibility. This was one of the first things that really caught my attention. The dialogue, the pop culture references, the iPhones(!), the fortress of style... this was definitely
not Count Dracula!

And Beth. Beth was definitely a modern woman, and I loved that, esp. her reporter's curiosity and persistence. Up until the end, when the scripts went a little haywire, she really defied TV convention. My favorite "modern" Beth moment? "Why does the girl always have to wait in the car?"

And she worked for an outfit called "Buzzwire." Eat your heart out, Facebook.
6. Speaking of modern... the freezer. (Oh come on, you know that had to make
my list.

) Really, Mick's ice box beats a coffin any day of the week, in my book

(although we never got to see Josef's surely elaborate freezer... I might covet that more

). I think we should all be buried in such a cool, sleek disco den... or that over-the-top cremation box from P.S. I Love You.

However, what really sold me on the freezer (other than the fact that it's where Mick gets nekkid

), was the story that Ethan told at the L.A. Convention about how they considered ending Sonata with Mick and Beth in the freezer. While I think they made the right decision not to do that, I just adored the idea (aside from the practical considerations). So I took up residence in the freezer... and have been there ever since, waitin' for Mick to chill out.
7. The snark. HaHa. Big surprise there, right? Josef is the master, but everyone got their share of great lines. ML snark did not feel "watered down" like on many other shows. Plus, the best ML snark of all wasn't even on the show! I am referring, of course, to Harry's story about how the "it is so on!" line came from the incident with his neighbor and the bag of dog poop on the front stoop.
8. The romance. All around, it was believable. Mick & Coraline, Mick & Beth, Josef & Sarah, Josef & Simone, Beth & Josh (okay, not that kissing scene after she came back from NY, but other than that....

). Josh and Beth's relationship really did feel natural and real - the scenes depicted a modern relationship. And up until the strike, they paced the Mick and Beth romance pretty much perfectly... something in each episode to move it along a notch. But really, Alex and Sophia just nailed it. Their chemistry is still some of the best I've seen. I really rooted for those two crazy kids....

So I'm eternally grateful for this...
'Coz after all the "sturm und drang," it allows us the freedom to take Moonlight wherever we want.
