Reception
Moonlight attracted a loyal and devoted fan base which included internet communities. Fans coordinated with the American Red Cross for a series of charity blood drives, and Alex O'Loughlin became a national spokesman for the charity. The series averaged 7.57 million American viewers per episode, ranking 89 out of 281 in the 2007–08 ratings. The pilot finished first among total viewers and adults 18–49 for its night, and was seen by 8.54 million American viewers. By comparison, the series finale was watched by 7.47 million viewers upon its original broadcast, making it the 41st most watched episode of the week. Moonlight was the 90th most watched series of the 2007–2008 Television season with 7.53 million viewers.
Reviews were generally negative for the pilot, and the early episodes. Metacritic gave the pilot a Metascore of 38 out of 100, signifying generally negative reviews. Tim Goodman of The San Francisco Chronicle considered the series to be "the worst new fall show". The writing was criticized as "ponderous", and having "familiar, conventional plots". The dialogue was described by Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune as "groan-inducing". The acting of the pilot was criticized as "sub-par" and "woeful". Matthew Gilbert of the Boston Globe depreciated the chemistry between O'Loughlin and Myles as "artificial", and said that they "exchange lines of dialogue with a stilted rhythm and no natural flow". O'Loughlin was described as a "flatliner", and "passable in the lead role". Not all reviews, however, were as negative. Kara Howland of TV Guide gave the pilot a positive review, and thought it was a "solid start". Travis Fickett of IGN praised the actors, however, and felt that O'Loughlin did "a decent job", and that Myles was "perhaps the most promising aspect of the show". Ryan commended Myles as "reasonably good". Several critics praised Jason Dohring's portrayal of Josef. One said that he gave the series "a small burst of energy", while another said that he made it "crackle with a bit of wit". Dohring was described as "a welcome presence", and one critic wished for "a bit more screen time".
Reviews of the second episode were generally more positive than the pilot. Travis Fickett of IGN described the episode, and the series as a whole, as "vampire mediocrity with a slight hint of potential". He compared the episode to the television series Angel, saying it was "weaker on virtually every front". Jen Creer of TV Squad criticized the writing, but said she felt that Sophia Myles was doing a "decent job of developing her character and embracing the material". Carl Cortez of iFMagazine.com said this episode improved "leaps and bounds", and was a "step in the right direction". He gave the episode a 'C' rating, saying the direction was "lifeless" and the acting was "stilted". AOL TV placed the show in its list of TV's Biggest Guilty Pleasures.
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