One of the stars of my favorite new guilty pleasure, Moonlight, is speaking up about what direction she thinks the CBS vampire series should take. Shannyn Sossamon, who plays the centuries-old ex-wife of hero vamp Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin), told SyFy Portal she wants Moonlight to lay off the procedural crime stories and focus on character mythology.
"I don't think any of the audience members are sitting at home going, 'Gosh, I wonder what case Mick St. John's going to have this week? I'm so curious.' No, you care about the other stuff," Sossamon said. "Go back into the history. I love the drama of the vampire world. I love the aesthetic of it, and so to be more [of] that than the procedural element of the show."
I never thought I'd agree with Shannyn Sossamon on anything, but she's right on here. I first tuned in to this vampire detective series to watch the talented Jason Dohring (formerly of Veronica Mars) chew some scenery, but now I'm caught up in the series' relationship arcs. I even find myself looking forward to the flashback scenes. Sure, half of the fun of watching Moonlight comes from laughing at the insipid dialogue, cheesy romantic scenes and O'Loughlin's Lifetime movie-ready acting. Still, this series has its merits, and peering into the characters' (especially the vampires') backstories is a lot more fun than watching O'Loughlin CSI his way through another crime plot.
Angel, another drama about a vampire detective, became more successful, creatively, when the "case of the week" formula was dropped and the series began focusing on character relationships and back stories. Former Angel producer David Greenwalt was behind the scenes when Moonlight premiered in the fall. Greenwalt has since left Moonlight, which some say is playing out like a watered-down version of Angel's first season. Still, I don't think Sossamon's suggestions will be ignored if the series returns after the WGA strike ends.
Dohring, who recently said Moonlight will probably be back for a second season, is singing a similar tune. The actor recently told TheTVAddict that the series will delve more into his character Josef's past. Dohring also said he enjoyed a recent episode's “old world, from a different time” look and feel.
Moonlight is getting decent ratings, a sure sign that it might return for a second season. It pulled in 7.6 million viewers last Friday to help CBS win the week. Moonlight returns for a quick two-episode run on Jan. 4.
