How do you tell a man twice your age that you are his father?
You don’t!
– Mick St John, Moonlight, Episode 15
For so many reason, Episode 15 – ‘What’s left behind’, of Moonlight has got a special place in my heart. One of them is the warm fuzzy feeling in my heart whenever we get to see Alex interact with children. His tenderness and ease with them always astounds me. He just has this ability to let the child actors shine and be the best at whatever they need to be…..
Another reason of course is the warm fuzzy feeling I get in “other” parts whenever he is afforded the chance for some romance and love. Oh boy, we are getting far to little of that in his career!! (and somehow when we do, people find reasons to complain about it 😕 )
The other wonderful thing about this episode, is that we meet “normal” Mick. I guy who was born just before and grew up during the great depression years. A guy who grew up in a normal middle class American home. Mick St John, the shy man, who went to war for his country. And suffered in the trenches in the snow, during the “Battle of the Bulge”…..
We meet Mick, who just like many men of that time, not only got injured in the war himself, but came back, having lost his dearest friend as well. A friends who’s dying words were, take care of my wife. And that is exactly what he did. But in the process of looking after her and maybe as they were both grieving for somebody they love, they fell in love with each other. Was it true love or just consoling each other. I guess we and they would never know.
What we do know, is that a half paralyzed Ray came back and 7 months later a very large prem baby was born. Is this all a coincidence or not? The odds are definitely in the favor of a healthy Mick, to be the father of a child that was not actually born prematurely.
How do you tell a man twice your age that you are his father? You don’t!
We have to realise that Mick knew the consequences of having a human family in his life. He told Beth in Episode 3, that he had to give up his family. Even if he did get involved with Robert and Jacob, how would he be able to explain to them as the years go by, that he is not aging. For vampires the only way they could be with humans and be safe, is for the human to know the truth. How will Mick be able to explain the truth to Robert?
Alex O’Loughlin as Mick St John
Alex O’Loughlin as Mick St John
Alex O’Loughlin as Mick St John
Alex O’Loughlin as Mick St John – Saving Jacob
From there my belief that Mick made a conscious decision at that very moment, that Robert and Jacob can’t be part of his undead life. For me he actually shows his love towards them for putting their feelings and safety before his own need of family. Also as he receives the results, he says “Good for you Ray” – for me that was his way of saying – Good for you Ray, you raised our son well and you took him as your own. You might have come back from the war as a cripple, but I gave you a son and you took my gift without contempt. Good for you for doing that! This is the way it was supposed to be. Thank you my friend, I will honour you and not disrupt their lives with my own need for a family…….
A lot of the arguments against my view, are that most believe Mick would not lie to Beth. But there are so many things that Mick were withholding from Beth and not sharing with her, because of her being human. He was most probably also thinking of her feelings and the fact that they could never have children, but that he now has got offspring of his own. Something that might somewhere down the line, become an issue between the two of them…..
Alex O’Loughlin as Mick St John
Alex O’Loughlin as Mick St John
Mick St John – Who are you?
So all in all I want to stand by my fantasy that Mick indeed had a family, with some potential of stories yet to come……
My first question is: ‘Can I shine in this role?’ Do I have a comprehensive understanding of this character? Do I also have an inherent, instinctual understanding of how I’m going play this character, does this character live within me already on some level? Am I going to be able to authentically bring honesty, integrity and life to this character and, defend this character with all my might? And so that’s our job as actors
– Alex O’Loughlin, Vampires & Slayers, November 2008
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(we might just as well call August, the month of parties and drinking from now on! *hick*) 
Alex O´Loughlin ~ An Intense Study 