Moonlight: The Complete Series

While a series about a vampire detective that features some mythological twists and originally had Angel producer David Greenwalt attached may sound interesting, the reality is that the show couldn't be more routine and pedantic if it tried. Part of the problem lies with lead actor Alex O'Loughlin, who clearly takes advantage of his gym membership and hair products but has all the range and charisma of a toilet seat. Another problem is the exposition-laden template that bogs down each episode. It sucks any and all life from the series, leaving it to flounder as a flat and impersonal procedural, much like the many CSI and Law and Order clones, which feature slightly less artistic integrity than a typical reality television series. Exacerbating this is the fact that the show has a cheap, overly lit aesthetic and dreadfully timed humour. Talented actors such as Sophia Myles (Mister Foe) and Jason Dohring (Veronica Mars) originally keep some sparkle flowing on occasion but inevitably succumb to the sheer lack of innovation on absolutely every level, dialling in their crappy dialogue with the expected apathy. The series follows Mick St. John (Alex O'Laughlin), a 90-year-old vampire who solves crimes using his abilities to smell and detect blood, along with some sonic hearing and the capacity to detect lies. When not waxing vaguely philosophic with best buddy and ideological opposite Josef Kostan (Jason Dohring), Mick is sniffing around spunky reporter Beth Turner (Sophia Myles), whom he of course wants to shag, eventually revealing his vampire secret to her. Each episode follows the examination of a crime, which occasionally connects to a Mick flashback to his feisty vampire lover Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon). The four-disc, 16-episode complete series box set has no special features to speak of, which is understandable, given that the show was cancelled and unlikely to receive additional financing for such frivolities.