Midnight, Texas - Season 2

For those that didn’t catch on last season, Midnight, Texas was a ten-episode summer series last year that took place in the one-stoplight town of the same name. Based off the book series from Charlaine Harris, author of The Southern Vampire Mysteries series (True Blood), the backroads town of Midnight is a beacon for all manner of supernatural creatures and energies. The show’s vibe is similar Grimm, another cheesy yet entertaining show of things supernatural that blends humor, drama, and never goes the route of taking itself seriously.

Season One picks up with Manfred Bernardo, a man running from his past. He comes to Midnight, Texas on the advice of his Grandmother, who just happens to be dead. Manfred—or Manny—is a very talented psychic who can see and interact with the dead. He journeys to Midnight in the hopes of finding someone that can help him. What he runs into is a motley crew of characters, supernatural and not that include:

  • Creek—a lifelong Midnighter and waitress whose family life isn’t the most stable
  • Bobo—Owner of The Midnight Pawn and with a sketchy past of his own, he’s a town staple and best friend to Fiji.
  • Fiji—An eclectic young witch of immense talents who owns the only magic shop in town. She also has the hots for her best friend, Bobo.
  • Lem—A vampire that’s been a resident of the town since the 50’s. He feeds on emotions and has a very unique relationship with Olivia.
  • Olivia—Lem’s lover, she’s an assassin-for-hire with her own cache of weapons and secrets.
  • Reverend Emilio—The representative of faith, Rev is also a shapeshifting weretiger.
  • Joe Strong—A fallen angel whose abilities of prophecy predict a darkness coming for the town, and is married to Chuy, a half-demon who wants nothing more than for he and his husband to live a quiet life free of supernatural drama.
Grandma returns–only she’s a figment of Manny’s demon residue-infected mind.

Though the first ten-episode season of Midnight, Texas is a bit on the uneven side (like many first seasons), the show lays a solid foundation of supernatural mysteries for seasons to come. Last year found the Midnighters under assault from Colconnar, a demon that wanted Fiji for her incredible powers. When Manny allows himself to be possessed by demonic spirits to give him to power to challenge Colconnar, he prevents Midnight’s obliteration, destroying the demon in the process. But, as they say, actions have consequences.

Picking up sometime after last season’s events, it seems as if all the couples of Midnight are in great places. And though he appears to be okay, there are some strange things

The Midnighters band together to save Manny. They’ve accepted him as one of their own.

going on with Manny. His weird dreams, coupled with a voice suggesting he commit violence against his friends has him on edge. When his grandma reappears (she’d finally got to be at peace last season) and they realize, in his sleepwalking, he’s been digging graves for his friends, they consult with her also-deceased Uncle Barney.

The apparition tells Manny that the ingestion of a half-dozen demons wasn’t good for the body. The black fluids Manny’s been leaking are demonic residue and will inevitably cause Manny to lose his mind and try to kill his friends. He’s nearly successful but, the gang is able to subdue Manny and, in a moment of clarity, he asks his fellow Midnighters to kill him. Instead, they go to Kai for help. The newest town resident and owner of the Crystal Desert Spa with his wife, Patience, Kai is a holistic healer of extreme talent. He’s able to remove the residue from Manny, healing him and, at the same time, endearing himself to the Midnighters.

It’s hard not to cheer for these two. Fiji is such a loveable and deeply good person. Bobo is…well, he’s Bobo.

Though Manny is back to himself, all is not peachy. Deciding that she needs to get out of Midnight, Creek moves to Austin, breaking up with Manny in the process. Joe, attacked earlier by a trio of demons, is saved by Walker, a demon hunter whose chemistry with the fallen angel may cause a few issues with Chuy. Finally, there’s Kai; though his powers of healing are unquestioned, his ultimate goal seems to be of the sinister tilt as at the end,  the skull of some supernatural creature is shown. One to which Kai promises “I will avenge you.”

Midnight Mile

  • While Season One is a must-watch for those interested in Season Two, “Head Games” does a fine job in framing the narrative as to give new viewers new to the show enough backstory where they can enjoy the upcoming season. Some of the characters’ motivations may be a bit obscure without that background but, similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, another show where a town was a beacon to the supernatural crowd, Midnight, Texas’s freshman campaign is not what I’d call must-see TV.
  • The writers bamboozled us to start. They showcased all these relationships as rock-solid, in a happy place only to introduce a bit of havoc. Not only are Creek and Manny done-zo, but Joe’s making moon-eyes at demon hunter Walker, which will not go over well with Chuy (or Walker when he finds out Chuy’s origins). Lem and Olivia seem okay but something tells me that this “forever” thing that now having going (and their psychic connection) may wear on the assassin. She was playing to leave Midnight at the end of last year, after all. My guess is that they will be problems for the two down the road. Only Fiji and Bobo (these names, though!) seem to be at a place of solid ground. Whether they stay that way, remains to be seen.