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<i>Midnight, Texas</i> – “Lemuel, Unchained” Review. Meet Your Maker.

Season 1, Episode 3

Air Date: Monday, August 7, 2017 at 10/9c on NBC

Rating ★★★★★

 

 

“FYI – garlic, holy water, them needing to be invited inside – all lies.” – Fiji

 

Midnight, Texas has me totally under its spell. I’m enjoying the fantasy, mystery, and nuances that the spirit of the show casts upon me each week. The actors are amazing to watch when interacting with each other. Each episode provides insight into each character and “Lemuel, Unchained” reveals many gems about our sexy resident vampire, Lemuel “Lem” (Peter Mensah).

Seriously, Mensah has that… jé ne sais quoi; he’s so poised, graceful, and scintillating to watch. He commands the room without ever breaking a sweat. Mensah brings such a distinction to Midnight, Texas with his sheer presence. Not to knock any of the other cast members but come on, he’s Peter friggin’ Mensah! I digress.

“Lemuel, Unchained” tells the story of how Lem became a vampire. When Zachariah (guest star Zahn McClarnon) strolls into Midnight with his vampire nest, we learn he and Lem have a sordid past. It’s more than obvious that Zachariah has come back under false pretenses. He may want to try and make peace with Lem, but old habits die hard. Lem is a special kind of vampire; he drains energy for sustenance. Lem also drinks blood, if the occasion calls for it, but his days of killing for sport are long gone.

What’s intriguing about “Lemuel, Unchained” is not how Lem became a vampire, but how he transformed into one that is able to drain energy and can kill vampires without a ray of sunshine or splinter of wood. “Lemuel can kill vampires; that’s why they stay away.” Thanks for the info, Rev (Yul Vazquez); good to know.

More interesting is Lem and Xylda’s (Joanne Camp) backstory. When Xylda was young (Mia Stallard), she met Lem at his lowest point; he was ready to walk into the sunlight. Whatever she did, which isn’t shown in this episode, solidified their friendship for life.

 

A conversation about vampires:

Manny: “So, how to do you kill them?”

Rev: “Silver’s poison, debilitates them but to end their lives, it’s either the sun or a wooden stake through the heart.”

Manny: “Awesome.”

Manny (François Arnaud) is proving to be a valuable asset to the town of Midnight. He enlists Olivia’s (Arielle Kebbel) help to do some recon on Zachariah’s vampire party bus and they discover that perhaps he’s not quite over killing humans for food like he claims. I’m not sure if a stop at “Waffle House” will give poor “donor” Tiffany (Eve Kozikowski) the boost she needs to replenish her dwindling blood supply.

Manny is earning his Midnight Merit Badges, that’s for damn sure. He’s already risked his life to save Creek (Sarah Ramos) from a were-tiger in “Bad Moon Rising.” He also saves Creek, her infuriating father Shawn (Bob Jesser), and younger brother Connor (John-Paul Howard) from a hoard of vamps. As if that’s not enough, the nail that seals the coffin, all puns intended, is what Manny does to save all the “Midnighters” from Zachariah and his nest. All I have to say is I need one of those crystals…you know, just in case.

 

Other notable happenings in “Lemuel, Unchained” –

  • The relationship between Olivia and Lem is much deeper than I originally thought. And whatever training she’s doing, I need to sign up. She holds her own against speedy vamps like a boss. How does that even happen? She’s human.

 

  • Joe (Jason Lewis) makes a startling confession to the Rev about who he really is. And the fact that Chuy (Bernardo Saracino) is conveniently out of town gives me pause. With Joe’s painting, and the demon incident with Fiji (Parisa Fitz-Henley) in “Bad Moon Rising,” something tells me Midnight is in serious trouble.

 

  • Mr. Snuggly (voiced by Joe Smith), Fiji’s snarky feline companion, is a unique character. We don’t know much about him or his origins, yet. I’m looking forward to seeing the episode that tells us more about him.

 

Overall

“Lemuel, Unchained” is an entertaining and eye opening episode. We learn a good deal about Lem and his past, but I still want to know what Xylda did to change him. More supernatural beings are being drawn to Midnight and there’s still the unsolved murder of Aubrey (Shannon Lorance). With a killer on the loose, and the veil between Midnight and hell rapidly thinning, things are getting more treacherous by the minute.

 

Let me know what you thought of “Lemuel, Unchained.” Leave a comment below or tweet me at @judybopp.

 

Tune in to Midnight, Texas, Mondays at 10/9c, only on NBC.

For more on the show, go to http://www.nbc.com/midnight-texas?nbc=1

 

Follow Midnight, Texas on Social Media #MidnightTexas

Twitter: @NBCMidnightTX

Instagram: @NBCMidnightTexas

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NBCMidnightTexas/

 

Photos: ©2017 NBC Universal. All Rights Reserved.

 

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.