TV: "Moonlight" Review

Even though this fall television season is chocked full of geeks, super powers, and the supernatural, the one topic it's barely covering just so happens to have been the most popular amongst teenagers just a few years ago: Vampires. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" were cult favorites in the late 90s, and they went on for as long as they could. Now that CW has given up the genre for less specific mystical fare, like "Supernatural" and "The Reaper," it seems CBS wants to pick up the slack. It already has "The Ghost Whisperer" and now it's adding on to its spook factory the vaguely familiar "Moonlight."

You do remember that David Boreanaz played the hottest vampire P.I. of television history, right? Well, this is Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin from The Invisible), his clone. Alright, so maybe the only thing they have in common is that they're both vampires and detectives. Where as Angel had a crew, a taudry past, an evil alter ego, and possessed the very same afflictions as traditional vampires, Mick tries to work alone and defies all laws of vampire history. Instead of disintegrating in the sun, he just starts to feel weak. He doesn't sleep in a coffin--not that Angel did--but in a freezer. He asserts that his kind can't turn into bats, not even Dracula, who I gather he won't be mentioning. Garlic, crucifixes, and holy water are not harmful towards him. He can retract his fangs if he injects himself with blood. He can fly...sort of. (It's pretty lame to watch.) And the only way to kill him does not involve a stake through the heart, but fire or decapitation.

I don't think changing the background of vampires is a good idea. Granted, they're not real, so you can make up whatever you want. But to convince avid readers of supernatural material to adopt a new belief system is like trying to convince Star Wars fans to consider believing--just for once second--that members of the Sith are actually really friendly and all they do is bake cookies. Thus, committing sci-fi suicide.

Nonetheless, here's the story of Mick St. John. He's a 90-year-old vampire, who was turned when he was 30. His sire is a woman named Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon from 40 Days and 40 Nights), who is obsessively in love with him. So much so that she kidnapped a little girl so she can be their child forever. He was hired by the girl's mother to get her back and when he did, he burned Coraline alive. Ever since then, he's watched over the girl, for a reason not explained. Perhaps, it's because they're soulmates--which is kind of creepy, since he met her when she was like 8. Now that Beth (Sophia Myles from Tristan + Isolde) is all grown up, she seems to be getting herself into even more trouble. She's an investigative--or what I like to call, nosy--web reporter for Buzz Wire. And she often sneaks into dead people's houses, invades crime scenes, and prods her police informant, Lt. Carl Davis (Brian J. White from Stomp the Yard), for info. So naturally, his hands are full.

Coming into contact with her was inevitable. She's convinced she's met him before and it must be for that reason that she doesn't seem to grasp the importance of personal boundaries--waltzing into his apartment uninvited and demanding compliance in certain situations. Even though you can see the chemistry between them, she has a boyfriend, Josh (Jordan Belfi from "Entourage"). Don't pity him because he's lonely. Unlike Angel, Mick has a best friend, Josef (Jason Dohring from "Veronica Mars"). Of course, they're like "Smallville"s Clark Kent and Lex Luthor, complete opposites. Josef is a 400-year-old, rich playboy, who's witnessed so much vampire discrimination and experienced so many joys as an immortal, he doesn't feel compelled to be polite to humans. He treats their blood like its wine, saying things like "82 was a good year." His place in the vampire world is apparently one in P.R. He makes sure that everyone still thinks vampires are a myth, and will do what he has to in order to keep them a secret. Meanwhile, Mick does his best to help humans when they're in need. He uses the scent of a person's blood to track them, smelling the past and glimpsing the future. He's the perfect partner for Beth.

Overall, what the show tries to do is humanize vampires. In one line, there's the statement, "You don't have to be a vampire to get a taste for blood," referring to murderers. But if they're going to keep up this case-per-episode rhythm, they're going to have to come up with stuff that's a little less predictable.

Honestly though, I'd rather watch Friday Night Lights next week on NBC. "Clear eyes. Full hearts. CAN'T LOSE!"