Moonlight: What's Left Behind (Episode 115)

Hey, it's that vampire show

This week's episode begins in the darkened bedroom of a frightened boy who's hearing strange noises. He's snatched by someone who seems to reach down from the ceiling. For a moment, I forget that this is Moonlight and not part of the marathon rewatch of The X-Files I'm currently undertaking. In the light of day, Beth meets Josh Ben (I'm going to try very hard to remember his name this week) for coffee and they discuss the kidnapping. There were two similar cases Beth covered for BuzzWire (no suspect and the boys were killed), and Josh wants her to help him with the case since she's "already done the leg work." Gee, you know who else I bet has done the leg work? I'm pretty sure they have these people who are trained professionals in catching killers and solving crimes. Last time I checked, they were called "the police."

Fortress of Style. Josef and Mick return from a late-night furniture shopping trip, bickering like an old married couple. As usual, it's all rather adorable. It's so clear that Jason Dohring and Alex O'Loughlin have become good friends in real life, and I love the dynamic that brings to their scenes nowadays. As Josef goes to leave, Mick is stunned by a report on the TV about the missing boy, Jacob. Beth is in the background, and Josef, looking like he's about to possibly give Mick a kiss goodbye, notes that Mick is "positively Pavlovian" where Beth's concerned. Yep, usually he'd be salivating over her, but in this case, Mick's transfixed by something else.

Josef, you want to do *what*?

In the bright sunshine, Mick goes to Jacob's house and talks briefly to Beth. Then it's time for a sepia-toned flashback as the Emo Voice Over (EVO) explains that Mick's WWII pal Ray and his wife, Lilah, lived in that same house. They were all lifelong friends, until Mick apparently banged Lilah. Whoops! Mick speaks to Jacob's father, Robert, who is the only child of Lilah and Mick Ray. (I smell some baby-daddy drama coming up!) A police detective tries to give Mick the heave-ho, but Ben steps in and says they can use all the help they can get, because district attorneys clearly outrank the police at crime scenes.

Robert is played by Robin Thomas, who is a "Hey, It's That Guy!" actor. He's been on a million TV shows. Robert and his wife are interviewed by the police detective as Beth nonsensically hovers close by. (Because when you're grieving and shocked over the kidnapping of your son, the person you most want to spill your agony to is a tabloid journalist.) McBeth discuss the case and Beth thinks an anxious Mick is acting odd. He suspects a vampire is responsible for the kidnapping.

In the past, Mick and Ray and some other soliders laugh in the woods until a sniper attacks. Then laughing time is most definitely over. Ray eliminates the sniper and the EVO says that Ray and Mick saved each other's lives several times. Back to the future, and Beth notes the defensive set-up of Jacob's toys in his room. (The idea being that a monster would make noise walking through the toys. Clearly six-year-olds don't understand the concept of stepping over things.) Ben mentions that he's aware Beth was kidnapped herself as a child.

At a park, Mick talks to Leo, a vamp with a taste for children's blood. He claims innocence and Mick growls a threat to leave kids alone before making a dramatic exit. Oh, Mick. Always such a queen. Back at the house, Beth speaks to Robert about Jacob's nightmares (the kid said he was hearing noises), and also sees a WWII squadron picture on the wall. She immediately spots Mick.

At the Fortress, Mick thinks back to screwing Lilah (it's just a quick clip, but it's hot) and the fact that she had Robert seven months after Ray returned from the war. Ruh roh! Beth shows up and Mick tells her Robert and Jacob could be his family.

Dead husband, schmed husband.

McBeth sit down and he tells her about his experiences with Ray in Italy. During a mortar attack, Ray was apparently killed and Mick seriously injured. When Mick eventually made it back to the States, he and Lilah mourned together. And then, you know, fucked together. Turns out Ray was in a coma in Europe, so when he came back, Mick took off. He did love Lilah, though, which Beth isn't too happy to hear. Sorry, Beth, but the guy's 85. He's bound to have some notches in ye olde bedpost.

Later, McBeth return to Robert's house, where he lets them look around. Mick stares a bit too much at Robert, and Robert thinks Mick looks familiar. Beth: "He was all over TMZ last week." Hee! The EVO notes that it's strange to have a son who looks old enough to be your dad. If I'm not mistaken, didn't New Amsterdam just do an extremely similar storyline? But I suppose it's a common enough plot device in immortality tales.

We learn a few things in Jacob's room:

1. Mick doesn't smell any vamp there.
2. Mick's DNA was fundamentally altered when he became a vamp.
3. Mick can identify the smell of powdered metal. That is quite a nose he's got.

In the attic, Mick figures out that there was a secret panel in the ceiling, which is how Jacob was snatched. Robert says the attic was renovated last year, and Mick figures out that the kidnapper also had a secret way into the house through an old coal shute. As our intrepid heroes are putting the pieces together, a mysterious man watches them from a pick-up truck across the street. Too bad there aren't any cops around!

Commercials. Please shoot me (although it may not be necessary -- this movie looks like it'll induce a seizure instantaneously) if I ever have to see Speed Racer.

Ben and his minions arrive at the house to do some detecting in light of Mick's discoveries. Ben casually grills Mick on his past, but Beth interrupts with the brilliant revelation that all three kidnappings took place in old Victorian homes. The police go to check on the connections and the workmen who renovated the attic. Mick snags a lock of Robert's hair so he can do a paternity test (providing he can somehow get his own DNA sample from the pre-vamp years.) McBeth then express their desire for little Jacob's safe return, and Beth notes that Ben has a good team. Mick cutely asks Beth if he should be jealous of Ben, and they banter.

I know, I'm adorable, aren't I?

Beth also says that "the D.A.'s office will narrow it down." Sincerely, this makes no sense. I know the DA's office has investigators, but they don't serve the same function as the police. I know, I need to get over this, but we really need to put an APB out on Carl the Cop. Oh, and speaking of characters we haven't seen in a while, I don't miss Coraline in the slightest. Just for the record.

The next day, Beth and Ben lunch and discuss the case. Ben offers her a job as a civilian investigator (Beth can go click on that link above to learn more). Meanwhile, at the Fortress, Mick opens up his army footlocker (one of the few mementos he kept from his human life), to find something with his DNA on it. Josef stops by for his forgotten cell phone and Mick tells him about Robert. Josef is sympathetic and says not having children (aside from siring vamps) is his only regret. Then he gets up close and personal with Mick, telling him he hopes Mick gets his potential grandson back. Sincerely, it looks like Josef is going to kiss Mick goodbye again. Not that I'm opposed. Not one bit.

Josef's parting shot is a joke about Mick and Beth not being able to have kids, and then he comically realizes Beth is standing there. Apparently she just walks right into the Fortress these days, huh? But so does Josef, so I guess Mick doesn't believe in locks. Beth tells Mick that someone would have had to sign the original plans for the Victorian homes from the city records, so they go to check it out. They also drop off a cigar from Mick's footlocker to the lab for DNA testing. [ETA: My bad -- it was a razor, which makes much more sense! My TV is a bit dark, clearly.]

In the car, McBeth discuss the children issue and Mick wonders if it's a deal breaker. Beth wisely notes that they haven't even done the deed yet, so perhaps they're getting ahead of themselves. She says the sex might not even be good, and then they both grin, because they know that's just not possible with two people this pretty.

Back at Robert's house, Mick talks to an emotional Robert. Mick wants to tell Robert that he's his daddy, but he just can't do it, which is clearly the right call. The poor man has enough to deal with right now without his undead bio dad making himself known. Robert tries to remember all the workmen from the renos, and comes up with the name of one, Ken Verdolino, who might be the kidnapper. Verdolino's ears must have been burning, since he promptly calls Mick's cell and threatens Beth, who is at the Hall of Records doing research. Apparently she's the only person left in the building (because city buildings always let people stay around after hours; they must have heard about what a brilliant detective she is and bent the rules), so Verdolino kills the lights and terrorizes her. Mick shows up in the nick of time (as is his wont).

Verdolino escapes, but Beth handily locates the blueprints of his house, so Mick takes off to rescue Jacob. Beth thinks he should wait for a warrant (since when?!?), but Mick is obviously not down with that idea. Also, I don't think the police need a warrant if they suspect a kidnapping victim is inside a house, but like the writers, I'm no expert. Mick goes down into the very extended and dark cellar below Verdolino's house while the police bust down the door upstairs.

In the cellar, Mick psychoanalyzes Verdolino (a bunch of blather about how Verdolino likes the dark, etc.) and Verdolino shoots at Mick before blowing his own head off. His last words are that Jacob is going to die scared and alone because of Mick. As Mick desperately searches for Jacob in the underground labyrinthe, Beth and Ben and co. are above ground trying to pin down the location of the gunshots. Mick finally detects a heartbeat behind a brick wall, and he promptly tears it down with his bare hands (hot!) and rescues Jacob.

Hot guy protecting little kid equals SWOON

The next day, McBeth sit in Mick's car as he reads the DNA report. To my complete non-surprise, Robert isn't Mick's son after all. Mick is emo about it, but Beth reminds him family isn't just about DNA. Awww. In Robert's house, Jacob has spotted Mick in the army photo. Robert runs out, but Mick drives away to the strains of "The Nearness of You," which seems like a really odd musical choice. I'm sure it's WWII-era appropriate, but considering it's a romantic song about being in someone's arms, it seems a bit weird. Robert looks after Mick's car with confusion as the picture falls to the ground, showing us Mick's name written on the back, along with the names of the other soldiers. Hey, maybe Robert can look up Mick on Facebook: "OMG, R U my dad? LOL!"

Wow, is next week the season finale already? How strike-shortened seasons fly.