Yearning for Humanity: Vampire Mythos in Television

Spoiler Alert: Before I begin this essay, if for some reason you have not seen the Angel episode "I Will Remember You" (1x08) or the Moonlight episode "Fated to Pretend" (1x13), please be aware that I give away the endings to both. Go watch and then come back.

I recently got into the TV show Moonlight, which was unfortunately cancelled by CBS last month. Having previously been a fan of Angel, it was interesting to note the parallels between the two shows. Sure, there are surface similarities - the protagonist is a vampire detective who lives in present-day Los Angeles (even some of the nighttime establishing shots are similar), but the actual protagonists are quite different, as is the specific vampire lore adopted by each show. (Those familiar with the Buffyverse will be perplexed with the vampire rules of Moonlight.)

What I find most interesting is that both vampire protagonists--Angel and Moonlight's Mick St. John--yearn to be human again. Even Spike (another Buffy alum to transition to Angel) eventually wants in on the possible return to humanity. However, this desire is not shared by the other vampire characters in either show. Angel and Mick's respective vampire counterparts enjoy the perks of vampirism and in most cases fail to understand this motivation.

So why would writers make a character who has nifty super powers (with some downsides) want to return to the mortal coil? In the fairly black and white world of BtVS/Angel it's straightforward: good vs. evil. Vampires by nature are evil--they kill and torture for fun as they have no souls. Angel (and later Spike) are the exception: they have regained their souls. Apparently with a soul comes enormous guilt for all the bad things one has done. If the soul is removed (as happened a few times throughout the Buffy and Angel series) the vamp becomes evil again. Simply put, vampire plus soul equals good; vampire minus soul equals evil.

So is a vampire with a soul just as good as being human? For Angel, it isn't--no sunlight, no food, and most importantly no girl for fear of accidentally achieving "perfect happiness." (If you're not familiar with the exploits of Angel, "perfect happiness" means bye-bye soul.) On the other hand, Angel is able to use his vampire strength to fight evil in the world. As Angel does penance for his past, he hopes to fulfill the Shanshu prophecy, which states something to the effect of the vampire with a soul will save the world and then become human. It's all very mystical, as there's no cure for vampirism.

In Moonlight, there is also no known cure, but life as a vampire isn't quite so bad. Mick won't burst into flames by getting too close to a window and he gets a steady stream of blood from the local morgue (none of the pig's blood that Angel drinks). Souls are never specifically mentioned, but Mick is a good guy whether he has one or not. Apparently he wasn't always quite so good, but he was probably never the terror Angelus was, and it didn't take being cursed with a soul to change his ways. However, it did apparently require his vampire spouse kidnapping a little girl to make him actively become a do-gooder in the world. Mick has strong morals and a desire for justice that are not shared by his fellow vampires. Like Angel, Mick uses his vampire abilities to help others. However, unlike Angel, he is not working towards any sort of reward.

When Mick's vamp spouse, Coraline, reappears as a human, Mick becomes obsessed with discovering her cure. As with Angel, this desire for humanity is partly motivated by a girl (a blonde named Beth rather than Buffy). Mick also continually reminds us that he was made a vampire against his will (perhaps saying "bludgeons us repeatedly with this fact" would be more appropriate). Immortality is lonely, and Mick's morals don't always let him fit in with his vampire peers. They aren't outright evil, but they're not entirely good either. Good and evil are not black and white here as they are in Angel.

Each protagonist's desire for humanity is granted briefly in the first season of their respective series (Angel 1x08 "I Will Remember You" and Moonlight 1x13 "Fated to Pretend"). There are striking similarities in the plots: a foreign substance introduced into the blood causes the reversion to humanity, the protagonist enjoys food, sunshine, and quality time (sort of) with his lady, and he eventually has to choose to become a vampire again. The outcome for each is inevitable, not surprisingly, for the same reason.

Each episode also has its heartbreaking moment. In I Will Remember You, it's Angel's last few moments with Buffy, who won't even remember their sole day together as humans, before the day is erased and Angel is a vampire once more. In Fated to Pretend, it's Mick's realization that he cannot protect Beth as long as he's human and his pleading with fellow vampire Josef to turn him again. Both protagonists realize they can do more good as vampires than as humans. Perhaps more importantly, it's their need to protect their loved ones that makes the return to vampire form inevitable. It is ironic that what makes them good is also what prevents them from fulfilling their desire to be human.

While the themes are similar, I don't see Fated to Pretend as a ripoff of I Will Remember You. The individual characters are sufficiently different as are many of the plot details. In terms of storytelling, I prefer Fated to Pretend--it's less tragic as Mick's "cure" was known to be temporary, so it was only a matter of time before he reverted. He might even have the chance to test out the cure again at some point in the future. It lacks the sense of loss Angel experiences (which to me is a good thing) and has a positive ending. I Will Remember You doesn't hit me the same perhaps because I'm not a fan of the Angel/Buffy relationship. Fated to Pretend is bittersweet while I Will Remember You leaves more of a feeling of bitterness (especially because of Buffy's bad attitude when the day plays out again). Joss Whedon is a fan of the heart-wrenching after all.

Because Fated to Pretend has a fairly positive overall vibe, it makes the decision scene all the more powerful. Mick is determined to rescue Beth, despite his fragile human form, though his odds of survival would be slim to none. It takes the intervention of his vampire friend Josef to realize just how ineffective he will be as a human against a vampire. With this realization, Mick makes a difficult (but inevitable) choice and begs Josef to make him a vampire again.

Angel's decision is less urgent. In fact, he probably could have waited before approaching the oracles to help him be a vampire again as there was no imminent danger. Instead, Angel was warned that another apocalypse is coming (how many have there been in the seven years of the Buffyverse?). Angel knows he can only be effective as a vampire and thus asks the oracles to swallow the day so he will be a vampire again. While it is a difficult decision, the scene itself is dispassionate in comparison.

Will either vampire hero ever achieve his desire to be fully human again? I believe this is unlikely, as their desire to do good is too strong. Their longing for humanity may be viewed as selfish compared to the greater good. Their overwhelming protective natures also make such a choice unlikely in the long term. However, would either jump at the chance were it offered again? I think they would...it just wouldn't last.