Being Human (UK)

What a wonderful episode full of tension and discovery. Annie, George, and Mitchell all learn a great deal about their new lives.



Annie's experience was unbelievable. Mitchell introduces her to Gilbert another Ghost at the 80's dance club. Gilbert is sort of a strange bloke who has weird taste in music and life in general. He states that he has never loved and that was the point of his continuing to exist in this plain. Annie reaches him in his experiences in helping her and he realizes that he loves Annie and poof his door to the next world appears. Annie for her part after pining over Owen and doing nice things for him she remembers what really happened the day she died. Owen pushed her down the stairs killing her. What a turn of events. Later Mitchell seems to already know that Owen did it so Annie doesn't have to tell him.



Mitchell is dealing with Lauren so he has his hands full as well. She keeps showing up at the hospital and causing him to worry about someone recognizing her. She pleads with him to help her and he tries, but in the end she can't or won't do what she needs to change. She's too weak.



Mitchell sets George up this week with Nina so he was two for two in the matchmaking department. Nina cures George of his fears about making love but I am wondering if that relationship really has a chance after seeing the previews for the next episode.



A really nice episode with good acting, dialogue, story lines and production values. This series really grows on you. Thanks for reading...

To cheer Annie up on her would be anniversary day Mitchell and George take Annie to a bar where she meets a new ghost friend who died back in 1985 and they strike up a friendship and decides to look after Owen as a spirit but learns a terrible secret about their final moments together in what is this series' most dark moment thus far. Lauren won't leave Mitchell be as she continually follows him despite his assurances that she's better off not being with Herrick and his ranks. George learns that Nina, the doctor, likes him and the two begin a sexual relationship with her thinking he is supposedly impotent.

What a brilliant show! It has everything - humour, drama and great characters. Annie is my favourite but even that is a hard statement to make because all of them stand out. But this one had a real shocker, Annie was killed by her fiancée Owen. I mean talk about intense. The way it played out as well. She'd been hanging around him all day and then BANG he's not the nice guy we all thought he was.



I wasn't a huge fan of the ghost that she vaguely bonded with but it was quite moving when he moved on for loving Annie. I wonder if Annie has to kill Owen to move on? Meanwhile George is trying to fight his attraction to co-worker Nina because he's afraid he might kill her during sex. This was a really funny storyline. How Nina thought he had a condition...the scene where they finally did it was great. Weird how he growls during it though...



Mitchell gives in to Lauren and they have the weirdest sex I've ever seen...blood splattered all over the bathroom. Very mental but really cool idea. He's a great character, very dark and mysterious but funny too. But will Lauren kill someone for the real blood...I can't wait for the last three episodes.

Overall, it's a great Annie episode that may lack the dramatic oomph of the previous two, but trumps on the reward-factor regarding her death. I have a feeling the reason she hasn't moved on is due to the fact she's an angel (perhaps a guardian angel to the lads?); Tully said last episode that she radiates like an angel, and Gilbert in this one refers to her as her Ex's Guardian Angel. Mitchell's storyline suffers from a lack of subtlety and just sort of fizzles out. George, on the hand, gets some hilarious moments, and when he howled during sex I laughed out loud!

Annie: "Not just parsley sauce, there's boiled ham as well. I'm going to put it in a casserole dish and I'm going to take it round."

George: "Right. Well, okay, aside from the fact that's a mental idea on so many levels, do you think you could possibly do it another night? Only I have a friend coming over for dinner. A female friend."

Annie: "Oh, okay. So I'm contemplating resolving my death so that I can move on to the next dimension and you're worrying about getting your leg over?"



Last week, George had the task of learning more about his nature via the destructive influence of Tully and this week Annie got some lessons in Ghost 101 herself. Of course, the only worrier would have been that she would get such lessons through a similarly destructive influence.



Thankfully the writers don't repeat themselves as Annie's go to guy, Gilbert is actually adorable. A former student who died in the eighties, Gilbert is a friendly ghost, even if his ideas of fun could be considered questionable. His introduction is certainly one of the more casual we've had.



Annie nearly destroyed the house because of her time of the month and Mitchell and George took her clubbing so she could meet Gilbert. Inadvertently Mitchell might have been playing matchmaker because there was a certain spark with Annie but that could also be down to the fact that she was interacting with a fellow ghost.



In the space of three episodes all we've known about Annie is that she's a bit OCD, has some serious self esteem issues and loved the idea of being a wife. This is conveyed even more when Gilbert took her to her own grave. As Mitchell would put it, Gilbert certainly knows how to treat women.



And that's the thing with Gilbert, even when he sounded incredibly rude, he's still being compassionate and helpful. To be fair, Annie's story about how she and Owen met was sort of dull but it opened Gilbert up into getting Annie to address why she hasn't crossed over. I thought it was to do solely with the fact that there are gaps surrounding her death but Annie's desire to be a provider for Owen played into things heavily. I think it's something to do with Annie's nature rather than just a gender thing. Annie is a very caring kind of person, arguably too much.



When she started talking to Gilbert about how Owen used to keep losing his keys, I got the impression that Owen took her for granted with things. Plus it did make sense for Annie then to go to Owen and Janey's place and start taking care of him but it also served as a catalyst for more answers.



First off all, despite the nice guy persona we saw in the first episode, Owen is actually quite a jerk as well as control freak. Janey might be a very annoying person but no-one should be lumbered with someone like Owen. I really did feel for her when Owen started yelling at her.



Then there's the reveal that Owen killed Annie because he thought she cheated on him. Did Annie cheat on Owen? Perhaps it's not shocking as a reveal but that's the thing about this show. It's immaterial that a lot of the stories aren't original because up until now the execution has been sublime and that to me has been the show's biggest selling point.



The reveal about Annie's abusive relationship with Owen might not be shocking in retrospect but it's beautifully fleshed out and you'd have to have a heart of stone not to feel for the girl when she's finally confronted with the truth behind her death. Owen removing her thong from the pipes in the toilet was there to cover his own backside.



And if Gilbert wasn't endearing beforehand then he certainly deserved a gold star for reassuring Annie about her worth. I knew that when he admitted to falling in love with her that she wouldn't reciprocate but it was a nice way of exiting the character as falling in love was the thing that made him want to cross over.



Hats off to Alex Price for a spirited performance as Gilbert in this episode. His method of fun might not have been the same as Annie's but the rapport with the two of them was undeniably brilliant and I liked his commentary on virtually everything in this episode.



As for Annie, knowing that the love of your life killed you is definitely a bad turn for the book. She made no effort in masking her sadness, not that you'd blame her but it was good that she told both George and Mitchell about it. If knowing about your death or being a wife weren't enough to make Annie cross over, then what will be?



Elsewhere while Annie was dealing with old love, George was trying new love for size. Of course the poor sod would have trouble in trying to sleep with Nina and while she mistook it for premature ejaculation, she certainly got him to get over his initial stage fright. I take it then that Nina will be around for much longer.



Lauren on the other hand found a better way of getting at Mitchell – by trying to go clean. I was unsure of whether or not she was playing Mitchell but in her desperation she did seem very serious. I don't think it was because she was suddenly feeling bad about killing people.



It was pretty clear that Lauren's motives for wanting to go clean were designed to snare Mitchell and it nearly worked. Both of them fed off each other in order to combat their bloodlust but Mitchell knew it wasn't going to last long and even though he knew giving her blood from the hospital wasn't going to help much he still did it.



It's good that Mitchell does have to struggle to keep his hunger at need but it's also good that we don't see him in anguish for the duration of each other episode. Lauren's still a bad influence on him and as soon as Seth showed up to collect her, she didn't waste time running off with him. Whatever plan Herrick is cooking up, can we please have some actual development on it?



Also in "Episode 3"



This is the first episode not to be written by Toby Whithouse. I wonder how many other episodes aren't penned by him.



George: "Love should be the opposite of death. It should be the biggest reason for wanting to be here. What else have we got? Football? Shoes?"



It was never really established how Gilbert knew Mitchell and George but he did seem concerned about their killing ways.



George (re Annie): "How can she possibly have PMT? She's a ghost."

Mitchell: "I don't know but it's not worth the risk. Let's go to the chippie."

George: "Mitchell I have two steaks in the fridge. They go off if I don't eat them today and I'm bloody starving."

Mitchell: "If you want, I can rush in and grab the steaks."

George: "No way. I'm not eating raw meat like an animal just because a ghost is ovulating."



Mitchell: "I never know with you whether it's Jewish guilt or werewolf guilt."

George: "They're pretty much the same thing."



Nina made a very direct point of mentioning that she used to be attracted to men like Mitchell. I assume she views Mitchell as the aloof type.



Lauren: "You did this to me. You made me what I am."

Mitchell: "And I take responsibility for that but everything else since then. Everything you done, that was you."



Annie (re her grave): "I've never seen it before."

Gilbert: "It's beautiful."

Annie: "Beautiful? I was 22 years old. I had my whole life to live. I was happy. I was in love."



Anna Clare Sawyer was born in 1985 and died in 2007, the same year that George was bitten by Tully.



George: "So what needs to be resolved?"

Annie: "Well if I knew that, it wouldn't need resolving, would it? Keep up!"



Mitchell (re the neighbours): "We're valued members of the local community."

George: "Yes, till we inadvertently kill one of them."



Good continuity from the previous episode with Mitchell's determination to keep in with the neighbours.



Gilbert: "Well, that was the dullest story I have ever heard. Nobody should make a film out of that. Thank God you met me. It's time you had some fun girl."

Annie: "I thought fun was a bourgeois concept."



Annie (re Owen): "I'd like to be like his guardian angel and stop anything bad from happening to him."

Gilbert: "Can you stop him from listening to Michael Buble?"



We learned that Annie was into design and that Owen was into computers at college. Annie's nicknames for Janey included "Tango Face" and "Filthy Orange Pleb".



Mitchell (re George): "Are you checking me out or him? You know he worries about me getting harassed in the work place."

Nina: "Don't worry, you're not my type."



Lauren: "Did you really throw up at the DVD?"

Mitchell: "Only the first dozen or so times."



Lauren talked about being in an abusive relationship with the man she killed in the DVD. More lies or is she as much a victim of Herrick's than helper?



Nina: "You're a man. You are a man, aren't you? You've always been a man."

George: "Oh God, it's … I have trouble containing myself."



Annie: "Maybe it's me. Maybe I am that annoying and pathetic."

Gilbert: "Of course not. You're amazing."

Annie: "But the man I loved killed me. Am I really that hard to love back?"

Gilbert: "Hey, hey come on. You are loved by loads of people, by me."



Standout music: This episode had genuine delights with "Girlfriend In A Coma" by The Smiths and "Tunnel Of Love" by Fun Boy Three.



Gilbert: "Come with me."

Annie: "I can't."

Gilbert: "I don't wanna go on my own."

Annie: "No I mean I can't. This isn't for me. This is your death."

Gilbert: "I just needed to meet you. All this time, I just needed to meet you." Mitchell: "It's stopped now, hasn't it? Now everything's normal?"

George: "Well that's something."

Annie: "Yeah. I find out that the love of my life killed me. But it's okay because at least now we can wash up."



Chronology: It's a month since "Episode 2", though we didn't actually see George wolf out in this episode.



Out of the three episodes we've had so far, this is certainly the best one. The show still maintains its humour and drama but this episode only serves as a reason why terrestrial viewers should be enjoying this series along with everyone else.

Being Human is a show that just evolves and evokes more and more interest with it every week to make this show truely essential viewing every single time...hardly any other show has managed to do this...but the characters -Annie, George and Mitchell brig their own stories with them in this truely masterpiece in storytelling.

this episode is definitely in every sense of the word, PIVOTAL for our beloved trio, Mitchell steadily gets lured in to the dark side of his vampire nature.

George realises that not only do his werewolf transformations cause disruption to his life but enhances his sexual preferences and has an awakening...be it for the best or not(?!).

it is Annie here though that this episode revolves around as she encounters a fellow ghost who is on a mission to discover his purpose in order to cross over to the other side...enter a strong and nice 80's play list at various intervals throughout this episode.

through this Annie makes the shocking discover of who she was killed by.

being human is perfect with every episode which gives this show a headway for further series to be picked up by the Beeb.

plus the next episode looks very exciting.

Where as not as dark or good as last week I enjoyed this episode a lot. The balance is improved quite a bit and the theme's for every character integrate really well. This episode in particular is about love and sex with a little bit of drug addiction metaphor thrown in (the vampire thread, the worst again but more of that later).



Annie up till now hasn't had much to do and this is her episode. I liked the fact that they didn't shy away from the explanation for her death that was sort of hinted at last episode. It makes more sense that she was killed (accidentally or not) than just tripped down the stairs. She really does get the hang of being a ghost this episode as well because of her obsession with her former fiancé Owen. Ironing his shirt and cooking him dinner, how could she not think that he'd credit his Ooompa Loompa chav girlfriend. This was creepy just more in the stalker sense than ghost like. It shows that Annie is in fact really naive as well.



The guest actor for this episode like Tully last should also be credited as being a good choice as well. Gilbert the 80s Ghost (80s theme ingenious)) was superb, although never properly revealed I got the sense that he had committed suicide probably something to do with unrequited love for a girl he knew. Didn't help that I'd watched the Ian Curtis Biopic the night before and then he blasts 'Love will tear us apart' by Joy Division on the stereo mind you. It's nice to know that Annie helped him find peace.



George and Nina was a great follow up from last episode as well. This time Mitchell sets them up and he cooks for her (watched by the ghosts in the other room). His nervous disposition as usual is great but the funniest bits came from one they were shagging and first time he growls (gets scared) and second time he literally howls. That was funny.



The only disappointment once again comes from the vampire story. Maybe it's just the character of Lauren but I couldn't get into this blood/drug addiction thing. The visuals of them lying on the bathroom floor each covered in Mitchell's blood are great but the overall feeling that it won't matter by the end of the episode prevails. I also had a different interpretation in my head from the scene last episode with her and Herrick. She reckons Herrick told her to kill while I reckoned he was scalding her for acting on her own and being so public about it while he doesn't want that just yet. I might be wrong but her explanation felt fishy to me.



Lastly, liked the little detail of all the neighbours being pally with Mitchell and George - a great follow up from last episode and (from the preview) it seems into next.

In this episode its annies turn to take centre stage. after suffering a ghostly case of PMT (seriously!!!) Mitchel takes her meet a ghost from the 80's called Gillbert. together they work toward finding what is keeping Annie here on earth.



Meanwhile George is working through issues of his own. His Fear of having a sexual relationship with someone givven his condition. Which Mitchel trys to help him with buy setting him up on a date with nurse Nina from the previous episode.



All the while Mitchel is trying help Lauren overcome her growing adiction to blood. But Lauren seems to be less than sure this is the right course.



All in all this was an exellent episode. Though Annie is not my favorite charecter it was nice to get some charecter development from her and get conformation of something that we all suspected. (As plot twists go we all saw it coming a mile off)



George also gets some much needed charecter development and finds that a relationship is not an impossibility even though he is a werewolf. This go's along way to laying to rest his hang ups about relationships gained when his fiancee left him in the Pilot,



Mithchel trys to help Lauren give up blood and in doing so we find out why he doesnt take blood from the blood bank. We also see that both Mitchel and Luaren still Have feelings for eachother.



some much needed charecter development all round and an episode that has answerd a few questions that have been un answered since the start of the series. Another great installment in a graet series. If this doesn't get a second series it will be a crime.

All three leading characters are built up in this episode, particularly that of Annie. Annie meets another ghost called Gilbert, and they help one another to find closure, enough so to release Gilbert from Earth and give him a proper death. George manages to overcome his fears of having a sexual relationship when he gets together with nurse Nina. Mitchell is still trying to get Lauren to overcome the urge to drink human blood by letting her have some of hers though this is not enough. This was a thoroughly enjoyable episode of a really promising series. Long may it continue.