McNair and Tom are back for this episode and we get a first glimpse of just how young Tom was when he turned. George and Nina have got over the shock of finding out about the baby and are now focused on trying to find out if the baby will survive the change with the full moon fast approaching. That leads them to seek out Tom to see if he knows anything, what they find is a rather unfriendly, axe-wielding McNair who tells them they can't help them. Tom thinks otherwise and visits them that night to leave a gift for Nina, Mitchell catches him and understandably over reacts given the threat of the 'wolf-shaped bullet' hanging over his head. Blood is drawn before McNair arrives to break up the fight and we find out he isn't the biggest fan of vampires, the way he sees it is blood for blood and he intends to collect from Mitchell for drawing Tom's.
After Tom tells them that he was born a werewolf Nina has him visit her at the hospital to have some tests ran, she is not confident that McNair has been completely forthcoming with Tom. After checking his DNA against missing persons she has to break the news to him that he wasn't born a werewolf and that he went missing when he was just a baby but the bodies of his parents were found, the victims of an apparent animal attack. He confronts McNair who has to finally be honest with him and tell him that he killed his parents while he was transformed but when he went back to the campsite he found Tom and knew ha had to take him in and raise him. As noble an act as that may have been after such a tragedy the misguided attempt to keep this all from Tom and his lies about the titular Pack they have been supposedly tracking prove too much for Tom and he flees the hospital.
With George tackling a somewhat serious story this week the light comic relief falls to Annie, at least the small amount there is in this overtly dark and serious episode. Said comic relief is provided in the form of trying to figure out the nuances of un-dead and dead-dead sexy time. Annie gets a little frustrated with Mitchell's lack of reaction 'downstairs' to their make out session. Leading to an hilarious attempt at dirty talk from Annie, it makes you wonder how she ever got any action if this is her a-game. She does come up with another plan, a plan that anyone could see was doomed from the start, she wants Mitchell to pull a girl in the club take her back to their place and do the nasty so she can experience it with him psychically. Yeah cause that sounds like a stellar idea. The result isn't quite what she expected when the more aroused Mitchel gets the more animalistic he becomes until he can't take it anymore and the fangs come out ready to drink her dry. Annie manages to stop him before he can kill her but it does hit home just how hard it is for Mitchell to do what he does everyday, and even though he struts around seemingly full of confidence he could actually be the most vulnerable house member. You can't help but think that regardless of how Annie and the others see his past for his own sanity the truth will have to come out eventually.
Mitchel decides to see just how much of a threat McNair could be to him while the others are at the hospital with Tom, what he finds doesn't exactly assuage any fears. It seems McNair's problem with vampires goes a lot farther back than his first encounter with the dog fight vamps. With this threat hanging over his head Mitchell reaches out to Richard in an attempt to have McNair picked up and thrown back into the 'dog' fights. Plans motivated by fear never do seem to work out the way you want them and this is no different, when the vampires turn up to pick up McNair they find Tom instead, along with Nina and George fight to the death it's up to Mitchell and McNair to put their differences aside and save the day.
What follows is one of the best sequences of Being Human so far. McNair and Mitchell attack the vamps and manage to free the three captives, now with 4 werewolves all in the process of changing it's a bloodbath for the vampires. After Richard warns Mitchell of the retribution coming from the old ones for his refusal to leave and his actions now he is quickly dispatched by a mean looking half changed McNair. The scene closes with Mitchell forced to lock himself in the cage with Annie while the 4 wolves fight to get inside. Everyone is unscathed the next day, physically at least, you can still see the guilt weighing heavily on Mitchell for his part in the guys being taken. McNair and Tom leave but not without a chilling parting shot to Mitchell.
Another stand out episode for season 3. The acting was spot on, Robson Greene was a no-brainer to play McNair and his portrayal of the tough-as-nails, meanest dog on the block is perfect. Tovey was able to slip into his serious acting shoes pretty well and the emotional range being shown by Turner week in and week out is a treat to watch. With Richard gone now that storyline seems mostly tied up but I can't help but feel that Emma will show up for a revenge appearance before seasons end. The McNair/Tom story also seems to be tied up now, hopefully they will make another appearance down the line but it doesn't seem as solid a prospect as Emma's reappearance for me. I don't think it was specifically addressed but it was implied that all was well with the baby after the full moon. I'm not sure the whole baby subplot was needed to be honest and call me cynical but I can only see it going one of three ways, either it ends in tragedy and the baby doesn't survive something wolfy further down the road, it ends with Nina taking the baby away or it ends with the baby joining the group which I think would alter the dynamic too much so soon after the edition of Nina. I can give the writers the benefit of the doubt that they have something fulfilling in mind for all us viewers out there but I guess we will just have to wait and see.
One thing that is known about the future is that Herrick will be returning next week and by the looks of it he is a shadow of the vamp we knew, kinda bat-shit crazy too. What will it mean for the gang and how did he find them in Wales when he doesn't seem to be in control of even half a marble? I dunno but I can't wait to find out.
"there is only one way to become champion, never fucking lose"
After last weeks stellar debut some questions about this prequel mini-series were answered. The big question was can it work without, not only Spartacus the character, but without star Andy Whitfield? Luckily for us it absolutely worked on every level, which is good news for fans now that we know Andy Whitfield is unfortunately not returning to the series due to illness and the role has been recast. Another question was just exactly how will this series fit in with season one, a question the writers answered in inspired fashion by not only looking to flesh out the stories of familiar characters but adding interesting new characters to the mix. At the end of last week we saw Batiatus bloody, beaten and covered in piss staring out at the new arena construction. Not surprisingly revenge is the main agenda this week.
Batiatus has recovered somewhat from the beating he took last week and he needs to strike back at Tullius and Vettius. After he hears about the arrival of Quntilius Varis, a man of wealth an influence, coming from Rome to choose Gladiators for the games he wishes to put on he hatches a plan to gain favor from Varis and have his own men included in the games. Gaia is an old friend of Varis and together they come up with a way to not only get the House of Batiatus noticed by Varis but to also strike out against Tullius and Vettius. The ripple effect suffered from Batiatus' attack are felt everywhere, from the way he treats the slaves in the ludus to the way he treats Solonius after he comes to him with word from Tullius. The way he treats the men in particular causes a huge rift between him and Doctore. On the day of Varis' arrival Batiatus takes Ashur and the other Cyrians with him to the market, their purpose is to head off Vettius and give him a taste of his own medicine. Meanwhile Gaia and Lecrutia are sent to meet Varis and talk him into visiting the ludus so he can see the men perform. All goes according to plan, including Batiatus betraying the only Cyrian who showed his face to Vettius, until Gaia chooses Crixus to fight Gannicus in a demonstration for Varis. This obviously doesn't sit well with Batiatus but he defers to her knowledge of Varis and allows the match up. We get our first glimpse of Crixus' rise to prominence as he manages to strike a blow to Gannicus before he is bested. It's the final straw for Doctore when Batiatus commands him to not only brand the Cyrians with the mark of the brotherhood for their hand in the plan but to also inform Oenomaus he is to become Doctore. While Gannicus is presented for viewing to Varis and commanded to fuck Melitta in front of him, Oenamaus is forced to battle and kill Doctore. After the dust has settled and Varis has gotten his fill of the indulgences offered, we have a new Doctore and Gannicus is to be in the primus of Varis' games.
Another fine week for Gods of the Arena. My worries about them not having enough time to fill out all the plot paths started last week were put to rest a little bit when I saw the speed at which they began to flesh them out and in some cases tie them up. Oenomaus as Doctore for example. The cracks in the relationship between Batiatus and Solonius are already starting to show and the bonds between man, wife and brothers at arms are being tested with Gannicus being forced to bed Melitta. The action was slowed a little in this episode with Batiatus' scheming mind taking center stage and we get to see just how far he will go to try and live up to the legends of his father and grand father. The seeds are being planted for what the show will eventually become. The worst thing about this is that the majority of these characters they are building on so well will not be able to play a part in season 2.
Network: Starz
Air Date: 01/28/11
Created by: Steven S. Deknight
Starring: John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah, Dustin Clare, Nick Taraby and Manu Bennett
This Spartacus prequel series came about after the unfortunate illness contracted by series star Andy Whitfield. When he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma they had to put a hold on the production of the second season. Series creator Steven S. DeKnight decided to turn what had initially been intended as a single flashback episode in season 2 into a 6 episode mini-series. That Series is Gods of the Arena. Starring some familiar faces from the original series along with some new faces the story is set some five years before Spartacus' arrival at the House of Batiatus.
At the opening of the episode we see our first familiar faces, Batiatus (John Hannah), Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) and Solonius (Craig Walsh Wrightson), watching the games. The arena they are in isn't the grand arena we are used to from the season 1, that one is currently being built, and the relationship between the three isn't what we are used to either as they seem to be the best of friends. Batiatus has recently been put in charge of the family ludus and you can already see the beginnings of the scheming bastard he becomes. The current champion of the house is new character Gannicus (Dustin Clare), but there are some old friends at the ludus. Oenomaus (Peter Mensah) is back but he isn't doctore yet, Ashur (Nick Taraby) is a recruit yet to receive the mark of the brotherhood. Naevia (Lesley-Ann Brandt) and Barca (Antonio Te Maioha), returned from the dead, are also back, along with a new face in the form of Oenomaus' wife Melitta (Marisa Ramirez). The other new character that seems like she will be making a big impact on the series is Gaia (Jaime Murray) an old friend of Lecrutia's who has been recently widowed and returned to Capua. The villains of the piece are rival lanista Vettius and Capua noble man Tullius. Batiatus see's a way of gaining favor with Tullius, who has substantial influence over the games, by purchasing an unruly slave from him at an inflated price. That slave is Crixus (Manu Bennett). His attempt to capitalize on this gambit leads to a great battle between a blindfolded Gannicus and one of Vettius' men. After Gannicus is victorious Batiatus attempts to make his case to Tullius for his man to be included in the opening games of the new arena, Tullius has other ideas and offers to buy Gannicus for 200 Denari. When Batiatus refuses he is beaten and suffers the ultimate humiliation at the hands of Tullius.
All I can say about this debut episode is bra-fucking-vo. To face the kind of unforseen problems that this show has and for everyone to come together to build something this good from the ghost of an idea is amazing. Not only that, but to make it in a way that is as intriguing as it is interesting. On more than one occasion I got that...but wait...feeling. How did Batiatus and Solonius go from virtual brothers to bitter rivals? How does Oenomaus become doctore, especially whent the current one is Boba Fett's fucking dad, and what happened to his wife Melitta? How does Crixus go from tattered slave to champion of Capua? What happened to Gannicus? The change in Lucretia is intriguing as well, she seems much more innocent here, and you can clearly see the influence that Gaia will have on the Lucretia we know from season 1. All of this delivered with the liberal use of blood, sex and profanity we have come to know and love from the series. The cast was as amazing as ever and even the new additions seem like they really belong in this show. I look forward to all the questions being answered but have to wonder if they can do it properly in just 5 more episodes.
Network: Starz
Air Date: 01/21/11
Created by: Steven S. Deknight
Starring: John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah, Dustin Clare, Nick Taraby and Manu Bennett
"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/
"Some of these monsters simply choose to accept what they've become, some don't"
After last weeks debut I had high hopes for this SyFy channel remake of the great British show. They didn't let me down. For any fan of the original the story here will be familiar again, but they do seem to be creating the groundwork for some new paths for the story to take. Saying that, it is by no means detrimental to the show for it to be following the original story. It's a sad but true fact that, despite being shown on BBC America, the majority of casual American TV viewers have never even heard of Being Human.
The episode begins immediately where the last one left off, so we see Aidan (Sam Witwer) in the vampire den partaking of some fresh human blood from a willing donor. That kicking the habit thing doesn't seem to be going to well for him yet. Josh (Sam Huntington) is trapped inside a locked room with his sister on the verge of changing and Sally (Meaghan Rath) is stuck back at the apartment as she hasn't learned any of the cool ghosty tricks yet. Luckily Aidan manages to pull himself away from feeding long enough to notice his cell phone ringing and get's over to the hospital in time to save Emily and stop her from seeing Josh change. Well there goes my theory from last week about Emily playing the part of the 'Nina' character and being accidentally turned by Josh. Never mind, we do get to learn a little more back story about Josh before he decides once and for all that he can't be with his family anymore and tells Emily she needs to go back home without him. Turns out he was engaged and he left his fiancee at the same time as he left his family. We also find out that he left just after Emily told him she was gay, which she believes is one of the reasons he ran out out them, we know better obviously but hopefully that will mean Emily will be back around again down the road.
Rebecca wakes up in a morgue after her 'killer' date with Aidan, but he isn't there, she is alone with Bishop (Mark Pelligrino). After he cleaned up Aidan's mess he had her turned, partly to use as a weapon against Aidan and partly because he want's to know what it is about her that made him slip up. She isn't very happy with Aidan, understandably, when she find's out what she is now and that he isn't even there for her. Obviously he didn't know what Bishop had done but that doesn't stop her from setting out to torment him. First step is to kill Josh, until she figures out he is a werewolf, but she still scores some points against Aidan when josh realizes that she's a vampire and mistakenly assumes Aidan turned her. Josh Runs to Aidan with the accusation and the news that Rebecca is back and he in turn run's to bishop to see what the hell happened. Rebecca isn't done with Aidan and when she sees him in a bar with another nurse from the hospital she interjects and forces the girl to leave the bar, she then follows her outside and kills her.
Meanwhile Sally get's her first taste of what she is capable of as a ghost when she get's angry about not being able to see her fiance and blows the pipes out in the kitchen. It works to her advantage when he shows up to try and fix the pipes for them but only serves to make her angrier and cause another outburst when he can't see or hear her. Aidan, knowing that Sally needs some sort of closure presses him on what happened to her and we hear the story of her death. There was a black out at the apartment and after they had gone to bed she needed to use the bathroom but in the dark she took a wrong turn and ended up falling down the stairs. Sally still can't remember anything from that night but she obviously believes him. The episode closes out with Aidan and Josh at the hospital, Josh has to tell his sister to leave him alone, for what he believes is her own good. Aidan is confronted by Bishop who tells him he could have saved the girl by turning her and asks Aidan if he chooses us or them, Aidan chooses them. The final scene shows Aidan back at the apartment sitting alone on the stoop while Josh watches him and contemplates just how hard it is for Aidan to fight against his nature before joining him outside.
Another strong showing for the fledgling show. Meaghan Rath is utilized some more this week which is nice. Rath does portray a more serious, emotionally damaged side of the character but it's growing on me and there is also room for her bubbly care free side to come through as the season progresses. I'm liking Witwer more and more as the vampire, I think he is going to be incredible when the story get's darker. So far it seems that they are following the story for Sally and Aidan pretty closely, which is why I find Josh the most intriguing right now. Not to take anything away from the other characters but he is the one they seem to be playing around with the most at this point and I enjoy that. As someone who has seen all the original episodes it's nice to still be surprised here and there when they throw something new at us, it keeps it interesting. Hopefully SyFy has plenty more surprises in store for us.
Network: SyFy
Air Date: 01/24/11
Created by: Toby Whithouse (UK Version)
Starring: Sam Witwer, Sam Huntington, Meaghan Rath and Mark Pelligrino
Website: http://www.syfy.com/beinghuman/
Network: NBC
Air date: 01/16/11
Created by: Tom Wheeler
Starring: David Lyons, Summer Glau, Keith David and James Frain
The Cape definitely dropped down a couple pegs for me this week. They really need to make up their minds and decide exactly what the hell this show wants to be. One of the things that bugged me was that last week they went a long way to imply that despite what Vince and the carnies can do they are essentially still human beings with no special powers. When was the last time you saw a normal man rip a car door off and throw it 15 feet? Then in the same 42 minutes of television they show him struggling to simply yank on a guys arm forcing him to drop what he is holding. Despite all that it's not without the same quirky charm it showed last week and they also went a little ways into pushing the amazing Ms Glau more towards center stage.
This week The Cape attempts to fill in some of the back story of the the titular cape and push on us the moral quandary possessing it can cause. Neither of which seem to be particularly needed. The opening see's Vince (David Lyons) confronting one of the corrupt cops he remembers from the train yard the night he was framed. He 'casually' rips the aforementioned door from the car and proceeds to interrogate the guy, Dark Knight style. Turns out he is more afraid of Chess (James Frain) then the cape wearing loon hanging him off an overpass, go figure, when Vince realizes that he's isn't getting anywhere with him he drops him onto the top of a passing...mattress truck...I guess.
Here is problem number one for me, this is supposed to be the basis of the whole worry about the cape corrupting Vince. Seriously? So he dropped one of the guys who helped ruin his life 30ft onto a nice soft landing, what's he gonna do next attack his traitorous ex-best friend with a pillow? O no hold old him back, hide ya kid's, hide ya wife. I know it's network television and he's not about to go all Spartacus on the guy but surely we can go a little darker than something that wouldn't make a care-bear flinch before we worry about the power of the cape influencing him.
Now we get into the meat of this week's story, Russian criminal Gregor Molotov manages to escape from prison leaving a wake of bodies behind him and heads to see his old friend Max Melini (Keith David) to retrieve his cape. Yes, that cape. Gregor was the cape's last owner before he went all darkside and forced Max to take it back and turn him into the cops. Gregor is being held up here as the cautionary tale, this is what can happen if you let the power of the cape go to your head. If you happen to be a mass murdering Russian psycho anyway.Turns out the cape has a long history of owners, each one calling themselves Kozmo the Unkillable, before Gregor it was Max himself. Max informs Gregor that he no longer has the cape and he becomes a guest of the carnival refusing to leave without it. While all this set up is going on the writers make perhaps the best decision so far by blowing up Orwell's (Summer Glau) headquarters. Not that we see it, it's all done with a single line of dialogue, which is why I credit the writers. Thankfully this sees them back themselves out of the corner they found themselves in last week by making Orwell an entity unto herself and cut off from every other element of the show. Orwell move's in temporarily with the carnival and Glau gives us easily the finest moments of this episode with her quirky interactions with the carnies.
Once Gregor realizes that Max is lying and he actually gave the cape to Vince he tries to hold the carnival hostage and the inevitable showdown occurs. Despite claiming that you can only know the full power the cape holds after years of use and stripping Vince of the cape embarrassingly easily Vince still manages to defeat Gregor by turning the cape against him. Seriously if it's that easy then The Cape is *$&#@&. Deciding to turn him over to the authorities despite warnings that Gregor can easily escape from any jail and will never stop looking for the cape is supposed to show us that Vince has in fact turned from the darkside, at least for now. Funshine Bear and his little friends will be so relieved.
We get another little glimpse into how Vince's family is coping without him. His wife has started her new job at the public defender's office which she uses to try and prove Vince's innocence. A move that is immediately shut down by Marty. Again we have the most genuine moment of the episode when we see Vince interacting with his son as The Cape after he hears about him getting into a little trouble at school. Although if they both keep reading that one-shot The Cape comic book there won't be much of it left at the end of the season.
Another thing they seem to be trying to do is push Glau's character more which is fine with me. The way they do it? Not so good. They are implying that there is some kind of relationship between her character Orwell and Chess but they are about as subtle as a slap in the face. Anyone who isn't as blinkered as Richard Gere's gerbils will immediately know what they are getting at here. Problem is that it's actually a decent twist that they have pretty much ruined so early on.
Overall a little disappointing this week, I was hoping for a some rebounding from the pilot but it seems more like they took one step forward and two steps back. I still think this could be a fun and enjoyable show if they could just settle on an identity for it. After reading this and other reviews I'm starting to worry they simply just won't have the time.
Network: SyFy
Air Date: 01/17/11
Created by: Toby Whithouse (UK Version)
Starring: Sam Witwer, Sam Huntington, Meaghan Rath and Mark Pelligrino
It seems like every time you turn around these days they are remaking British TV shows for the American market. In recent memory this endeavor has met with varying degrees of success. Ranging to breakout hits like The Office and Hell's Kitchen to crimes against our senses like Viva Laughlin!, I'm sure some people earned a special place in hell for that one. Thankfully this Syfy channel remake of the excellent British show has got off to a fairly decent start.
For anyone who has seen the original, Being Human will be instantly recognizable. The story follows three friends, Aidan (Sam Witwer), Sally (Meaghan Rath) and Josh (Sam Huntington). Aidan is a 200 year old vampire trying to kick the habit of drinking from living humans. It's a hard road that he slips from occasionally, his latest slip sees him accidentally kill Rebecca, a fellow nurse at the hospital where he works. Luckily for Aidan these things happen and there are contingency plans in place. Bishop (Mark Peligrino) is a Lieutenant for the Boston police department, he's also the leader of the local vampire community and one of Aidan's oldest friends. At least he was, now he see's Rebecca's death as a way to bring Aidan back into the fold by using his guilt against him.
Josh is a werewolf, he doesn't want to be and he certainly doesn't like it. Josh believes he is a monster, not just the three days of the month he actual is one, so much so that he has cut himself off from his family. Until a chance meeting with his sister at the hospital. Still unwilling to share his secret he attempts to distance himself once again, with consequences he could never imagine. Each of their struggles pushes them to find their lost humanity, first step? Renting an apartment, which happens to be haunted by Sally. Sally died in the apartment when she lived there with her fiance, she hasn't let it bring her down too much though, especially now she has other supernatural roomies that can actually communicate with her.
The story of this episode closely follows it's British counterpart but you can already see where they plan on branching out. The inclusion of Josh's sister is a nice touch, especially considering the unfortunate situation they find themselves in at the end of the episode.So far that's the only notable difference but hopefully they will try and build on that and establish their own identity.
The cast was great, i thought it would be hard to find someone who could match the performance's of the original but I realized they don't really have to. They found a cast that can make these roles their own and i think that will be part of the key to this shows success. Witwer is great as Aidan, he nails that brooding, I've seen it all attitude and he definitely has the overall acting skills to show the emotional depth the character needs when it's called for. Huntington makes for decent comic relief but what really impressed me about his performance was his agonizing portrayal of the outcast and the monster. Rath has the bubbly free spirited thing going for her but the thing I loved about Lenora Crichlow in the original was the lovable airhead vibe she brought to the role and I'm not seeing that from Rath yet. She was definitely the least utilized character of the three in the opening episode so it's no disservice to her performance to say she was the weaker of the three this time around although she did show great emotional depth in her scene with Witwer. Rounding out the main cast we met is Pelligrino, what can't this guy do? He is only seen briefly but he already exudes the menacing, don't mess with me vibe.
Overall it was a good start, with a few missteps that can easily be rectified. I am interested in where the story is going with Josh's sister, from the way the episode ends it looks like they might tread a little familiar ground with this one but I'm hoping it can find it's own identity as well. It will be interesting to see just how closely the Rebecca story mirror's the original as it was a fairly big part of the first season over in that version. One thing I am really hoping for in the next episode if some more of Meaghan Rath, I want to see more so we can get a better idea of how well she can do in that role, a role that becomes more central to the storyline in the British version. If they can pull this show off each week it would be great, more Being Human could never be a bad thing in my eyes.
Network: NBC
Air date: 01/09/11
Created by: Tom Wheeler
Starring: David Lyons, Summer Glau, Keith David and James Frain
Looking at some of the things that have been said about this show on the net I could just about be the only person who actually enjoyed it. Does it have problems? Yes of course it does, it's a new show and one of the episodes shown during this premiere event was the original pilot made to pitch the show. Pilots like those can sometimes contain just too much info and admittedly this one does. Was I entertained by it regardless? You betcha. Isn't that all we should really be looking for in a TV show? 42 minutes of entertainment.
