"we were blessed as much as we ware cursed. In this little enclave of the lost I witness the very best of being human. We were safe here, while outside the monsters prowled."
It's back! The original Being Human started it's third season on Sunday night and got itself off to a quality start. The last time we saw Mitchell (Aidan Turner), George (Russell Tovey), Annie (Lenora Crichlow) and Nina (Sinead Keenan) they had been through hell. Annie was literally almost there when she was banished to Purgatory by the religious whackjob Kemp, then he went after the others and took Nina hostage. She was saved by Annie when she opened a door from the beyond and dragged him through it. We got a last look at Annie when she appeared on the TV and told them where she was and that she was trapped. Mitchell promised to save her. The shock at the end was the return of Herrick, resurrected thanks to Cara and Daisy. Let's find out where the gang is now.
At the beginning of the episode Mitchell, Nina and George are looking at a new place in Wales for them all to move into. Mitchell seems distracted and we find out why when he sees Annie again on the TV, seems they haven't been able to rescue her yet and Mitchell is pretty torn up about it. We are introduced to our first new characters for the season, a father (Robson Green) and son (Michael Socha). They are a bit weird and you get the feeling that there is something not quite right with them, we don't really get to learn too much right now though as the father is abducted by vampires while trying to scavenge some scrap metal from a closed carnival.
Sexy time! Well not quite, George and Nina attempt a little loving only to be interrupted, first by George's black cloud, seriously when is the guy going to catch a break, and then by an increasingly frantic Mitchell who bursts in to take their radio in an attempt to make contact with Annie again. Frustrated, Nina decides it is time to put the only plan they have to rescue Annie into motion. She has found a patient at the hospital who is close to death, the plan is to wait until he croaks and then Mitchell will follow him through his door to find Annie. Once he get's to the other side he find's out it's not as simple as just turning up and grabbing Annie. There is a guide waiting for him, the titular Lia, she explains that to find what he is looking for her first has to choose a door on the corridor. She also gives a cryptic clue to who she is and why she is the one was chosen as Mitchell's guide, H12.
The first door they go through takes them to France, July 17th 1917, the place were Mitchell killed his first victim as a vampire. Turns out the doors they are choosing from are Mitchell's memories. Lia questions him about why this particular victim seems to have been treated so delicately, he explains that he didn't want him to suffer, the hunger was upon him and he had to feed but he didn't want to be an animal. It was this murder that forced him to go in search of Herrick. Back in the land of the living, it's almost time for the full moon and George is heading out into the woods with his chicken on a string ready for his transformation, when he see's the young guy from earlier, the son, carrying a chicken on a string. George put's two and two together and realizes that he must also be a werewolf. Could they both be? Is that why his father was kidnapped by the vampires? I guess we will find out soon but for now the curse of George strikes again and as he is chasing him through the woods he runs right into a group of doggers just before they get arrested, along with George. Seriously, if i was George I just wouldn't leave the house anymore.
Back with Mitchell and he has to choose another door this one takes them to Christmas Eve 1960 and another of Mitchell's victims. Lia remarks how this one is bloody and destructive and points out the differences from the previous victim. She is charting his path from reluctant murderer to blood thirsty monster. You can't help but think she is building up to a big finish and it has something to do with H12. George, George, George, how does he keep getting himself into so much shit? He's stuck in a cell with Bob the dogger minutes away from changing, Nina is desperately trying to convince the inept constable that he has a medical condition and needs to be released, all the while she is fighting the change herself. When she finally gets him out they find a place to change with a secure gate, unfortunately they have to change together and George is worried they will kill each other. While they are changing we get confirmation that the man the vampires kidnapped is indeed a werewolf as they cut back and forth from him changing to George and Nina, and the vampires are using him as a cage fighting contestant against humans.
Lia takes Mitchell through the final door, into the aftermath of the box car 20 massacre from the end of last season and sit's him in front of seat H12, where her body is. She introduces him to his victims and Mitchell finally cracks, he breaks down and apologizes for what he did, he offers to stay there in purgatory so she can take him to all his victims, in return for Annie's release. Lia surprises him by saying they can both leave but not before she drops some truth on him, the reason he is allowed to go free is that he has to play apart in another persons journey and his death will be the end of that journey, he will be killed by a werewolf. George wake's up naked as a jay bird like usual but where's Nina? There she is, already dressed, come on BBC haven't we seen enough of Stovey's ass by now? Just once it should be the other way around. Is there a bare ass contract in his contract? Mitchell is finally reunited with Annie and they are both released from purgatory, there is a spark of romance hinted at between the two of them and as Lia points out he is dead as well, technically. The foursome are reunited and having a nice little party at their new pad. Meanwhile the werewolf, we find out his name is Mcnair, is rescued by his son the episode closes with him informing Mcnair that he found another of their kind, that'd be George then, looks like more trouble could be headed his way.
Overall a fabulous episode. The only worries i had going in where addressed and done very well at that. They had a nice quick resolution to the whole purgatory story which was great and they handled it perfectly. I had worried that they would try and drag it out for too long and they proved themselves by tackling it in one episode that it really would have been a disservice to the show for it to go on too long. My other worry was Nina, I wasn't sure making her a permanent fixture would work, it would be changing the whole dynamic of the show moving them from a threesome to a foursome. I was wrong, she's gold. Sinead Keenan is definitely the yin to Tovey's yang, the chemistry between them really is amazing. Speaking of chemistry I think there really could be something made of that little spark of romance forming between Mitchell and Annie, can't wait to see where they take it. Aidan Turner is the standout in this episode though he really get's to work his acting chops and you can genuinely feel sorrow for the monster during the box car scene. Something that looks set to haunt him throughout the season in one way or another. So far season 3 is shaping up to be a great watch and they didn't even play the Herrick card yet. Obviously anyone who has watched the previous season's would be a fool to not tune in but anyone who has seen the US version and finds it even the slightest bit interesting should definitely check out the original. While the remake is turning out nicely the original is still a step ahead. Season 3 begins airing on BBC American next month.
Network: BBC
Air Date: 01/23/11
Created by: Toby Whithouse
Starring: Aidan Turner, Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow and Sinead keenan
Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/beinghuman/
I was a little worried when I heard/read that Lacey Turner was going to be in it - I was expecting some loud-mouthed cockney shouting all the time - but I was happily mistaken, I found her character really eerie and frightening when she turned nasty and as an actress, she was really believable in the role.
ReplyDeleteI felt really uncomfortable watching Mitchell fall apart in the metro/train sequence as he was confronted with his past. For me, that kind of response only happens with really good acting.
Great acting all round as well.
Really enjoying series 3.