Roundtable Discussion: “Lemuel, Unchained”

On this week’s episode of Midnight, Texas, we not only learned how Lemuel became a vampire, we learned how he became an energy-sucking vampire. Join Roz, Cara, Lisa, and Mel for a roundtable discussion of “Lemuel, Unchained”.

Were you surprised by Lemuel’s backstory? What did you think about how it was portrayed?

Roz: I’m all for Lemuel’s back story. It helps to understand how long he and Zachariah have been together and at what point Lem became the energy vampire rather than blood sucker. Are narratives about slavery overused? Maybe – but it worked here.

Cara: I’m glad they explained Lem’s uniqueness and where he came from. I do think the slavery narrative was a little cliché and could have been done in a more nuanced way. It feels like an exploitative TV trope. Then again, we do have a character called “Gypsy Xylda”, so they’re not really going for cultural sensitivity.

Lisa: I thought it was pretty good. I was really hoping they wouldn’t go the slavery angle but like Roz said, it worked. I loved finding out how he became the energy sucking vampire and truly seeing what his powers can do to other vampires was pretty damn cool!

Mel: I was surprised because I thought Lemuel was older/had been a vampire longer than would have predicated him being a slave. His connection to Xylda was a total surprise. What kind of power did she have that she could turn Lemuel into an energy sucker?

Did you feel like Zachariah posed a real threat?

Roz: I think a nest is always a threat, especially with Zachariah having so much animosity for Lem.

Cara: Yes, Zachariah was our first real bad guy. Up until now everything they faced had been the result of the rift or its effect. I’d like to have seen something in Zachariah to understand Lem’s loyalty because the vampire conversion story didn’t sell it to me.

Lisa: Yeah, old Zach was a real badass considering how long he held on to that animosity for Lem. When he gave Lem the drink I was yelling at the TV, “Don’t drink it Lem!” Come on!

Mel: I agree with Cara, Zachariah was the first real bad guy. The Sons of Lucifer could have been evil, but that storyline was wrapped up so fast, they barely registered. Zachariah’s charm had me on edge from the start, as did his attempted attack on Creek.

Are you shocked that Creek’s dad is still not on Team Manfred?

Roz: Not at all. He’s really a cranky old man who doesn’t want anyone to touch his daughter. Sorry to tell you man, you lost!

Cara: Nah, love stories need an obstacle to stay interesting. Otherwise they’re all saccharine sweetness. It also seems like Creek is having some reservations, or at least not ready to rush into this relationship.

Lisa: Nope. Typical stubborn old man who couldn’t recognize that Manfred saved them. All he sees is a man who is after his daughter so he has to puff his chest out. Lame! He’ll probably never get on Team Manfred.

Mel: Not surprised, but definitely curious about why he’s so anti-Manfred/any-man-interested-in-Creek. I think Sarah Ramos said we find out more about Creek’s home life in episode 6. Maybe we’ll gain some insight then.

MVP?

Roz: Fiji for sure. That crystal saved them.

Cara: Fiji is pretty amazing, but my MVP this week was Manfred. He put himself in the center on the danger to save the town, and also punched his lady friend’s dad for the sake of expediency. Pretty risky stuff.

Also, I like that Olivia is the go-to tough character.

Lisa: This week is a tough one for me, but I’ve got to go with Olivia. She wasn’t going to let her man die and she stopped at nothing to save him. I love Lem & Olivia together! #relationshipgoals Manfred & Fiji were awesome too.

Mel: This is a tough one. Olivia exhibited both brains and brawn; Fiji continued to be amazing; and Manfred went to the mat for his new neighbors. I think I have to give it to Manfred only because these are people he’s known for just a couple of weeks, but he risked his own safety for them.

Midnight, Texas airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC.