Moonlight: The pilot that never was (Part 4)

(Check out parts one, two, and three)

At this point almost everyone knows about Moonlight, knows the novel that spawned it, knows about the re-casting of Beth, Josef, and Lt. Davis for the September 2007 pilot, and knows the show continued to re-cast its supporting vampire characters in 2008. But, have you seen the original pilot before the pilot? Last week, while doing clean-up for my article, I came across the original pilot pre-Jason Dohring, pre-Sophia Myles and pre-everyone save Alex O’Loughlin. Interestingly, this pilot seemed closer to the novel I reviewed yesterday and interviewed Munson about last week, than the Moonlight that arrived on our doorstep in September 2007.

I always sensed an empty space in the initial episodes of Moonlight and now I know why. The things I questioned surrounding the too-young cast, Mick’s modern apartment (despite his 1950s upbringing), Beth’s hyper-modern job, and blood thirsty Coraline inexplicably kidnapping a child for love all made sense in the unaired episode. Mick’s fortress of solitude and his contempo-casual clothing all seemed too modern for a guy born in the twenties and whose youth thrived in the fifties. Even Beth’s detective and Josef felt too young.

What else is different? The Mick-Beth connection came across as WAY less creepy and stalkery while the main crime appeared grittier and more realistic. Also, O’Loughlin’s accent seemed better. I remember chiding his wooden-ness throughout Fall 2007, but after hearing his relaxed, natural-sounding American accent in the pre-pilot pilot, I no longer fault him. His character changed from a charming, old school 1950s vampire to someone more innocent yet more angsty and partially emotion-less. Although 2007 brought us a stylized Los Angeles darkness, the unaired pilot appeared more unique with its sepia tones and hints of red amidst a classic New York skyline.

Honestly, the original pilot reflected a show I would’ve watched without skepticism. Sure, it featured a few laughable moments with the vampire make up and monstrous reflections; all the same it represented something different, perhaps closer to True Blood in its covert violence, yet still unique. So, check it out and tell me what you think.

Part 1

Part 2

Thanks again, all, for walking down memory lane with me. This marks the final post in the Moonlight/Angel of Vengeance series. If you’re interested in more 2007 goodness, check out D.W.’s virgin Moonlight diaries. The thing I enjoy most about CliqueClack is my ability to choose who I want to interview and what I want to review. While I, and everyone else on the internet, secretly believes that had Moonlight survived an additional season, we would see it experience the same fanaticism of V.D. or T.B (or other vampire shows with the initials of hideous diseases); then again, we wouldn’t have Hawaii 5-0 and Munson might not have found time to publish the novel. All the same, I wonder what might have happened if this far more unique pilot aired in place of what we initially saw.

Clacked by An Nicholson
on Apr 06, 2011 @ 15:00 EST5EDT