Being Human (UK)

Mitchell, Nina, and George move into an old bed and breakfast and Mitchell becomes fixated on bringing Annie back from purgatory as she continues to send transmissions to him. A father son werewolf duo are in trouble when the father is kidnapped by vampires to fight in a cage against a regular human for their entertainment and the young one runs into George which leads to him being arrested right before the full moon. Luckily Nina comes to get him from the police station and the two are able to barricade in with one another. Mitchell crosses over into purgatory through a dead man's door and meets a mysterious guide, Lia, who leads him through many of his past victims and a shocking twist of him knowing her previously. The price of getting Annie back though is that Mitchell will die at the hands of a werewolf, or a "wolf-shaped bullet" as Lia puts it. Being Human is back and better than ever, I thought the purgatory storyline was going to be a whole arc of this series but the way that it was handled was well written and riddled with drama and deep insight into how Mitchell deals with his curse.

This was a perfect beginning to the series, to have Nina almost done with having to share George's attentions. Mitchell climbing the walls of the crazy house and poor poor Annie locked away in the purg. One would think our little family was about to go their separate ways. Not to worry though, this saucy episode ends with the dolls all back together again. First off let me say that Mitchell's pity me; tortured soul act was reminiscent of Buffy's Angel and Moonlight's Mick. Be it Being Human though to create a beautiful scene that makes even True Blood's Bill look pathetic. At first it's extremely embarrassing to see someone so open and emotional, but the lines were solid and the scene was set. "Lia", added that extra ingredient that made you squirm through Mitchell's confession. His romp through purgatory was informational about his character's dynamic and extremely graphic. Round of applause please for the actress playing Lia, she kept me on my toes and laughing through suspicion. I really hope they use her again. To finish up with Mitchell, his refusal to see his actions for what they are and his denial in his own responsibility will be quite a hurdle for the character. I see this being an issue in the future and maybe Mitchell's flaw when it comes to conquering his inner blood lust. Okay big spoiler here folks.

When Mitchell finally makes his way through the halls, Annie is freed from her prison. Along with her freedom she is given intense details of a love she's been cradling for awhile now. The initial scene of Annie and Mitchell's reunion was bittersweet at best.

Because Annie is stuck in a cell for most of the episode, I won't dawdle, but it was fabulous to see her again. On other matters, we're introduced to two new characters. Werewolves. As son and father team is running around Wales, apparently where the new series is set, and end up in deep crap. It turns out vamps have been fighting humans against werewolves, and the father gets snatched soon after his intro. In a cage, surrounded by people, a poor average joe named James comes to his death when the full moon takes its hold over pappa wolf. An interesting story line and one I'm ready to see play out on screen.

Georgie and Nina…These kids have had our hearts in their hands for a while now and they have yet to let up. The relationship seems to be suffering from Mitchell's sudden loss of sanity and the void left by Annie. Nina clearly is feeling neglected and the two make a humorous comeback in a sweet little bedroom scene. The comedy is spot on all throughout the show, especially when George is arrested just minutes before the full moon.

The two end up having to change together, risking both their lives in the process. Although no one dies come morning, we are led to believe there might be "new life" in the future for these pups. Wonderful episode and cannot wait until next week, the acting was great and the writing fit. SyFy hasn't got a chance at topping this show!

Thanks to the foresight of BBC America, I was able to catch up on the final episodes of the second series and then jump right into the premiere for the third series. While I was definitely happy to have a firm reminder of all the changes before jumping into the next story arc, I still feel like the series suffers from a rushed storytelling approach. There are things that are glossed over that really should be explained or explored in more detail.



To recap the status of the three flatmates: Mitchell regained his interest in self-serve hematology and slaughtered a train full of innocents during a mostly-off-screen rampage through the English countryside. George was lured into the clutches of a religious fanatical movement against supernaturals by Nina, but they escaped and are trying to figure out life together. And Annie was pulled into Purgatory by those selfsame religious fanatics, and is trapped against her will.



So yeah, fun times are being had by all.



The setting of the series moves from the familiar confines of the Bristol apartment to a B&B in Wales, which allows for the expanded cast to be under one roof while giving the story room to breathe. This is probably most meaningful to George and Nina, who are still trying to figure out their relationship and how to deal with having a manic vampire around the house.



As it happens, being werewolves is a real problem in a relationship, especially when one of you is about as hapless as it gets. Watching Nina deal with her own impending transformation while trying to prevent George from carving up a police station is both hilarious and tense, though they never quite explain why George and Nina made it through the night relatively unscathed. (Unless I missed it, which is a distinct possibility.)



As usual, the real meat of the episode comes with Mitchell. This time, he's raiding Purgatory to retrieve Annie, but he runs into an unexpected new friend named Lia. Lia really makes this polt thread work, playing off Mitchell with equal helpings of sexual innuendo and crushing accusation. The revelation that she is one of his recent victims, ready and willing to deliver judgment on Mitchell, is just one of many great moments.



Sadly, I still don't care for Annie or her subplot. I never really got the sense of Annie's experience in Purgatory, nor did the threat of eternal damnation seem real. If anything, given the manipulations surrounding Mitchell, it seemed more calculated to mess with him than do anything with Annie herself. Considering that the show is starting its third series and I still don't care a bit about Annie, that's a problem. (In fact, I didn't miss her at all in this episode, which is telling.)



As for the introduction of the Werewolf Fight Club and McNair, I really don't know what to think. Does this sort of thing really fit into the world of "Being Human"? Then again, I've been waiting for the werewolves to match the vampires in depth and intensity, and it didn't happen in the second series, so this might do it.

I personally cannot fault this episode it was amazing in my view. Spoilers ahead (don't read until you have watched)







I love Mitchell in this episode. He begins the episode being tortured by the loss of Annie and he ends the episode with the torture of knowing he is soon to die and that all his victims remember what he did even when they are die.

Lia was slightly annoying in my view, she was somewhat essential to the storyline in this episode but I think someone else should have played her.



The acting was superb especially Aidan Turner's. He brought raw emotion to Mitchell's character and he was able to switch from fearful to comedic in a split second. Werewolf's seem to be everywhere and George is just a magnet. I look foward to seeing who fufills Lia's prediction and the sinister plan ahead. The only disappointing aspect of the episode was that we saw nothing of Herrick, Daisy or anyone like that. After seeing Herrick rise from the dead last season it would have been nice to have seen him even if only for a second in this episode. On a final note I love the running gag with Annie and tea. A great return for a great show.

This episode made me really excited for the rest of the season. George getting arrested for dogging was hilarious and Mitchell's determination to get Annie back did make me wonder about his feelings for her although not too though much more of a case of wait and see how this develops. Lia's character was a bit cliche, the clue H12 sort of gave the game away as to her true purpose. Unfortunately every time Lacey spoke I kept hearing Stacey Slater especially with the innuendo's. Liked Robson Green's character Mcnair, although I am hoping he will be the werewolf equivalent of Herrick later on in the season.

I have to say the first episode of series 3 was amazing.



The gang all wanted to get away from their old Bristol life, especially Mitchell and decide to move to Barry, Wales in the coolest set I have seen, the old B&B, Honolulu Heights. The place just sums up their lives, down right crazy and bizarre. Gonna miss that pink house though...



The story mainly centres on Mitchell's stubborn attempts to get Annie back from Purgatory no matter what the hell happens to him. To do this crazy plan the gang decide to use a man in their new hospital work place who is on deaths door and could die any second. The scene where George and Mitchell were waiting for the man (Shaun) to bite it was classic Being Human, as George forgot half his Jewish pray and decided to start helping Mitchell with his crossword. Pure quality! The bloke dies and Mitchell enters Purgatory through the man's door, not before he looks back at George turned away who tells him with tears in his eyes to come back (gotta love the Bromance moments).



When Mitchell enters he comes across his personal corridor with many doors and a girl who calls herself Lia (Lacey Turner) who refers to 'H12' a lot, stating he knows her. She takes Mitchell to a couple of doors leading to his past victims, nice seeing Lia state his transition from victim in the beginning to down right sex crazed murderer. Then he enters another door, leading to his final (for now anyways...) act as bad boy Mitch, the train massacare. We eventually find out that Lia was his final victim on the train in seat H12. I have to say Miss Turner does an excellent job as Lia. This scene was the most powerful for me and quickly sumed up what Mitchell is and how dangerous he can be. He confessed how he was just an animal and how he relished in the kill, the power and worst of all he LOVED it. Was quite disturbing actually, anyways as soon as he stopped making excuses for his actions, apologised and admitted what he truly is, a murderer he was allowed Annie back. I'm extremely gald they got her back so quick to be honest because I wanted the 'awesome foursome' to be together.



Now the other introductions were to McNair the werewolf and his son, Thomas. I was really intrigued by these characters, they embrace their wolf and in doing so seem to be stronger and sense things more. Anyways McNair (Robson Green) is kidnapped by crazy vampire Vincent and forced to fight a man and kill him upon transformation, vampires really are... evil creatures. However his son, Thomas soon comes to his resuce and kills Vincent (who I wanted to see more of but meh) stating how theres another of 'them' aka George. I hope these characters are explored more in later episodes as their view on the wolf is far different to Nina's and George's point of view.



It looks like this series they are going to bring back a lot of the humour of series 1 and mix it with the darkness of series 2. The whole Nina & George being interrupted before doing the buisness by Mitchell was hillarious. I missed this last series as even though I loved series 2, it was a lot more serious in tone.



So to sum up... Since Thomas McNair and George met each other with chickens on strings near a dogging club, are they due to meet again soon? I think it's easy to realise that the whole Box Tunnel 20 murder is going to play a MASSIVE part in this series, not just for Mitchell but for everyone. And what of Lia's prophecy of him being killed by a 'wolf shaped bullet'? Anyone notice Mcnair's son's wolf headed stake?



So Annie is back with her tea making ways and the gang are all happy in their home where the monsters prowl on the outside... but how long is it going to last? Probably about five minutes... Being monsters themselves and all...