Wondering how NBC’s Midnight, Texas will hold up against the book series? We’ve noted four changes that we think make the show even better!
Charlaine Harris is probably best known for writing the True Blood book series, which spawned the HBO television phenomenon. However, on top of the Sookie Stackhouse series, Harris also followed many other characters in a similar world.
Midnight Crossroad, the first book in Harris’ Midnight, Texas series follows Manfred Bernardo as he moves into the shockingly small town of Midnight, where it seems like everyone has their secrets. The series follows the town’s inhabitants as they dive deeper into the town’s secrets, mysteries, and their own supernatural abilities.
NBC’s Midnight, Texas captures the world of Midnight perfectly, on the screen. Every character, shop, and empty street is a beautiful replication of the words on the page. As is so often done, however, some changes have been made to the small screen adaptation.
While some book fans may already be calling out “blasphemy,” hear us out! Here are four changes from the book that we think make NBC’s Midnight, Texas an even better version of this story.
The supernatural factor is way higher
In Midnight Crossroad, Manfred is a phone psychic who barely even believes his own abilities, Fiji is a witch who tones down her magic for the comfort of others, and Lemuel is a vampire.
In the first book of the series, while there are some other strange things happening, it seems like the rest of the town’s inhabitants are just along for the ride! In the Midnight, Texas TV show, that’s far from the case.
Many other supernatural entities that crop up later in the book series make themselves known immediately in NBC’s version. On top of that, the gifts that Manfred and Fiji have are increased exponentially. Fiji is capable of performing pretty much any spell she wants, and Manfred can’t take a step without seeing a ghost, or getting a reading.
Despite Lemuel’s presence, Midnight, Texas is definitely not a vampire show in the same way that True Blood was. It’s primarily a show about the town of Midnight, and how the band of misfits that have been drawn to it work together. But never fear, the way that NBC is doing it, there’s plenty of supernatural goodness for you to get lost in.
Things move much faster
Let’s be honest, the beginning of Midnight Crossroad can feel like it’s moving slower than Midnight, itself. NBC’s Midnight, Texas takes care of that by jumping into that iconic picnic scene, which gets the ball rolling on the book’s biggest mystery, in the very first episode!
With both the mystery and the supernatural aspects coming into play more quickly, the show feels more exciting and thrilling, keeping you guessing at every turn.
The couples actually speak to each other…and do other stuff
Everyone knew Manfred had a crush on Creek in Midnight Crossroad, but he never really did anything about it! We understood that Lemuel and Olivia were together, but we barely ever saw them interact.
If you came into the world of Midnight looking for the heavy romance of True Blood, Midnight, Texas will be more your style. Of course, the show isn’t on HBO, so it can’t get that heavy, but we promise you’ll at least see some kisses before the second episode is over.
Aubrey’s husband is alive
Aubrey’s got plenty of secrets whether you’re referring to her in the book world or the TV world, but her exact secrets are a bit different in NBC’s take on Midnight, Texas. For starters, her husband is alive!
While this doesn’t cause a huge change in the tone of the series, it does make things a little bit more personal, especially when it comes to Bobo. Everything’s just a bit more tense when the man that Aubrey was married to while she was with Bobo is lurking right around the corner. In Midnight, Texas, Aubrey herself even plays a much larger role in the story, due to Manfred’s increased psychic abilities.
Watch the trailer for Midnight, Texas here, and tune in for the show’s premiere on Monday, July 24 at 10/9c, on NBC.
