CBS airs a new drama about a Los Angeles vampire detective with morals, but even with pleading from the fans, the fate of the show could have a mortal end.
Alex O’Loughlin ("The Shield") is Mick St. John, a suave private investigator with all the charisma of James Bond. So what makes him unique? He’s immortal.
On their honeymoon, 60 years ago, Mick was turned into a vampire by his new bride, Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon from "A Knight’s Tale"). Terrified and confused by what he had become, Mick left Coraline. Desperately wanting Mick to return, Coraline kidnapped a young girl named, Beth Turner, in the hopes of creating a family. Coraline’s actions did make Mick return, but not for her. He tried to rescue Beth, but Coraline attacked him. They both fought and in the process set the building that they were in on fire. Mick was able to rescue Beth, but Coraline was trapped in the burning building.
Criminal Vampires!
Twenty-two years later, Mick and Beth (Sophia Myles from "Underworld") reunite and begin working together to solve, as well as keep hidden from the general public, any vampire crimes caused within the city.
Blessed with eternal youth and cursed with not being able to reveal his true identity or get too close to anyone, Mick struggles with his vampirish ways and in his relationship with Beth.
Mick relies on a vampire friend, who works in the morgue, for his fresh blood supply and tries to convince others like him that it’s not a necessity to "feast" on humans.
Jason Dohring ("Veronica Mars") plays Josef Konstantin, Mick’s 400-year-old , wealthy mentor who does not approve of the way Mick conducts his life. He would rather see Mick enjoying his immortality and "feed" on whomever he wishes.
Not Just Another Vampire Detective Drama!
So why watch Moonlight? While it’s true that a detective drama with a vampire element has been done before ("Angel" and "Blood Ties"), this show doesn’t delve too deeply into the dark history of vampires. The show also takes a new approach to what "kills" a vampire. Direct sunlight does not cause a vampire to spontaneously combust, it only weakens them. Driving a wooden stake through a vampire’s heart will not reduce them to dust, but instead paralyzes them until the stake is removed.
With the last episode, that aired on January 18, 2008, leaving fans wondering what would happen to the newly turned mortal, Mick, the fate of the show, due to the writers strike, also hung in the balance. There are numerous blog sites and forums on the Internet where fans have expressed interest in the show and their concern for whether or not it would return to the CBS line-up. A petition to bring the show back was set up at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/renewmoonlightcbs. To date, the petition has received 2,512 signatures.
Apparently all of the positive feedback did not fall on deaf ears, because CBS recently announced that the network will air four new episodes of Moonlight beginning April 25, but the verdict is still out on whether the show will see a second season.
