Midnight, Texas Series Premiere Plot Summary:
Manfred Bernardo’s (François Arnaud) plans to lay low in a new town go up in smoke when he and his fellow Midnighters find a dead body.
I don’t have any experience with Charlaine Harris. I’ve never read her books or watched True Blood. Series like True Blood and The Vampire Dairies always struck me as silly. But at least they don’t sterilize the concept of the vampire the way Twilight does. From what I do know about True Blood, Midnight, Texas is pretty similar. There’s a bunch of supernatural folk in both.
Whereas most series would build up to these fantastical elements, Midnight, Texas blatantly shows them right off the bat. Not only does a vengeful spirit possess Manfred in the first few minutes, he chats with the ghost of ol’ Grandma Xylda (Joanne Camp). A Midnighter named Lemuel (Peter Mensah) then essentially tells him, “I’m a vampire. Not a big deal.” And Manfred just brushes it off, quipping that he’s usually the oddball in the room.
Midnight is a haven for weirdos like our psychic friend. The rest of the inhabitants are apparently cool with them, for whatever reason. Creek (Sarah Ramos), Manfred’s love interest, is nice enough to explain who’s who. They have a nice, cute relationship, but I have the feeling she’s hiding something, as she’s one of the only normal people the pilot introduces. Otherwise, someone will probably turn her into a vampire or werewolf in a few seasons.
The murder mystery isn’t particularly interesting. Outside of Manfred and Creek’s romance, there’s nothing to really get invested in. I suppose the idea of rallying behind a town where all the strange people go will be enough for some viewers. Isn’t that part of the appeal of Twin Peaks?
If you’re a fan of occult mysteries or Charlaine Harris, I’d give Midnight, Texas a look, though you might find it to be a watered down True Blood. But if you’re like me, you’ll just ignore it. NBC will probably cancel it after one or two seasons.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10 (Acceptable)
MIDNIGHT, TEXAS AIRS MONDAYS AT 10 ON NBC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyl0OpwsVgE
