TV is the New Reading

‘Moonlight’ needs work;

Vampire detective show

seems to lack direction

This fall season is chock full of speculative and supernatural goodness – a fact that fans of science fiction and fantasy have already glommed onto like the last Darth Sinister action figure on eBay.

This is a good thing for several reasons. First, sci-fi and fantasy programming is almost always scripted (except for those programs in which investigators go to sit in haunted houses all night or psychics listen to ghosts gossip about the living). This suggests networks are willing to pay for quality scripted shows again.

And most of it has been acceptable (except for “Flash Gordon,” which is unbearable). Even “Reaper” on The CW has been OK, suggesting that an engaging cast can make up for a lot of shortfalls. And for every “Bionic Woman” we’ve had a “Pushing Daisies” and that’s pretty good, considering network television’s track record with sci-fi and fantasy.

Sitting square in the middle of the quality continuum among new and returning shows I would place “Moonlight,” airing 8 p.m. Fridays on CBS.

Alex O’Laughlin stars as Mick St. John, a vampire. He’s also a private investigator who drives a convertible in L.A. And he’s different from other vampires in that he only drinks bagged blood and disapproves of vampires who feed on people.

Slap a black leather duster on him and the show could run for five seasons — just like Joss Whedon’s vampire detective show “Angel” did back on The WB.

Vampires

These vampires – oh yes, there are other vampires, all over the place, in fact – do seem to cast reflections although it seems they can’t be photographed. They’re OK out in the sunlight (it just makes them ill). They’re also fine with crosses, with holy water, and with wooden stakes. The only ways to take them out, it seems, are to shoot them with silver (and here I thought that was werewolves), decapitation and fire.

Otherwise, they’re eternally youthful and superstrong and superfast and their eyes go all glowy when they attack. And apparently St. John sleeps in a freezer, so ... I’m sure they’ll get around to explaining what’s up with that.

One of St. John’s best friends, played by Jason Dohring of “Veronica Mars,” became a vampire in the 17th century and is some sort of stock market guru. Other vampires in his circle of acquaintance work in the county morgue and ... well, they’re just all over the place. The reason people aren’t up in arms about it is that they tend not to kill their prey.

St. John gets after the ones who do. Together with a webzine content provider named Beth Turner, played by Sophia Myles, he solves crimes and ... gets coverage.

So far, he’s faced down his ex-wife (a vampire), a vampire wannabe, an ex-con vampire hunter and this week he’ll track a newly sired vampire.

Quality

None of this goes to the quality of the show. I recognize it’s in its first season and that a lot of these cast members were shuffled in with a massive recasting and reshooting at the last minute, but that’s not the big deal. The big deal is that I’m not completely clear what the show is about.

It’s only been about detective fiction to the extent that the main character is nominally a detective. It’s mainly been about introducing the concept of vampires, but it can safely move beyond that now, thanks. We get it, and anything we don’t get the show can easily demonstrate when the time comes.

It certainly hasn’t been about the romantic lives of the main characters. None of them seem to have any. It appears that St. John saved Turner from his vampire bride some 20 years before, so there’s some solid backstory there, but honestly, O’Laughlin and Myles have something like zero chemistry.

It does seem to be about witty exchanges and clever retorts, but really that could happen if no one in the show was a vampire. The dialogue is cool and the settings are cool, however. The photography is really good and there’s some sort of story in there somewhere that will likely get clearer as the show continues.

Pros, cons

Summing up, there’s good news for vampire fans: Along with new episodes of “Blood Ties” starting at 10 p.m. Fridays on Lifetime, there’s this stylish new vampire show with hot, sexy vampires.

The bad news: These are not Joss Whedon’s vampires, and this is not Joss Whedon’s writing.

That being said, I believe something this complicated should have at least a decent chance to establish itself before conclusions get leapt to and viewers desert the show for something else. But a few episodes in, now, it has not yet established itself as being definitely good or as being certainly worth our time as viewers.

Fans of genre programming might be more patient to see how it pans out, but despite high hopes for “Moonlight,” I can’t recommend it to audiences tuning in for a good mystery or for outstanding speculative fiction.

Features Editor Terry J. Aman compiles the Best Bets for The Minot Daily News.

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