And so the final episode of Being Human comes to pass, with blood, tears and a song and dance number, it's time to say goodbye to Hal, Tom and Alex.
The final episode, with its apt title The Last Broadcast, brought in pretty much everything that had ever made Being Human great in the first place, with a little bit of Buffy and Supernatural thrown in. Hatch (Phil Davis) has risen, Hal (Damien Molony) is on a bit of a rampage, Tom (Michael Socha) is preparing to kill his best friend and Alex (Kate Bracken) is back in her coffin with her decomposing corpse for company. With the Devil bringing about his very own apocalypse, can the trio reunite long enough to stop him? As the Devil observed way back in the first episode, a trinity is bad news for him, and so it proves.
Opening with Hal performing Putting on the Ritz amidst newly vamped victims was a ballsy move, but set the tone for this offbeat finale with its mixture of horror and comedy. Molony clearly has a ball playing the evil side of Hal, though the recent introduction of a split personality proved to be a bit jarring in this final episode. However, when it leads to lines like 'Oh I was good again. It was ghastly', I can definitely cope. This was one of the areas where Buffy's influence shone most clear; as I observed in the previous review, the split personality of a vampire was toyed with frequently in Buffy and Angel and again, the battle for good Hal raged here. We also got a Buffy-style action sequence thrown in for good measure with the excellent fight between Tom and Hal.
Tom and Hal's relationship was one of the strongest points of Series Four, their completely different outlooks on life making for some brilliant comedy, as well as your requisite dramatic conflict. The conflict was brought very much to the fore here. A lot of Tom's character development has been about his innocence and naivety so it was good to be reminded of just how much of a badass he is. Likewise with Hal, we hear often about his dangerous, Kia-Ora side so it's refreshing to actually see some of this before the series ends. That's pretty much it for the action of the episode though as Whithouse opts to go for a more quiet, character-driven approach to the end of the world.
Each character is given a chance to live their lives again, without their supernatural curses and it is in these quieter moments that this episode truly excels. Davis proves to be a quietly menacing antagonist and has a great scene with each of our heroes as the Devil creates another world for them. Bracken's alternative was particularly heartbreaking as she is faced with the choice of not going on her fateful date with Hal whilst Tom's was really sweet, bringing back one of the best guest stars the series has had in Ellie Kendrick's Allison. Hal's origin story led to a welcome return for Leo, but each separate choice for the three characters were bittersweet. Part of you wished for them to live happily without each other, whilst the rest of you begged to get the three of them back together because that is how it is supposed to be, as Hal observes.
Thankfully, the three do decide to turn their backs on the Devil and fight together. Now, all credit to Toby Whithouse for not taking this in the expected direction; with the binding ritual for the Devil involving the deaths of all three heroes, I spent the entire episode dreading that this would happen. Thankfully, Whithouse decides to go with a bit of a twist. The gang fight off the Devil and through an expected self-sacrifice by Rook (well, he had to redeem himself somehow didn't he?), they defeat him. The dispossession of the Devil though, was more than a little related to Supernatural no? I mean, demons possess humans with black smoke through their mouths and exit in the same way. A small point, but it was a distraction.
And so we come to the ending; seemingly the gang is back together, they finally got the humanity that they so craved and settle down to watch the Antiques Roadshow. Then, we got a rather lovely pan across the fireplace to the mementoes of the previous residents of Honolulu Heights; Mitchell's fingerless gloves, George's Star of David, Annie's teacup, Nina's scan, Eve's bib before resting on the newest incumbents including the origami wolf that Hatch created in Tom's ideal world.
Now any fan of Blade Runner will know the ambiguity of origami animals but for me, it's the camera tilt that suggests all is not what it seems. When we think back to Hal's ideal world, it could be that the Devil listened to him when he said that he should have put them all together. "It's incomplete without them!" So we're left with question; are the gang all human again and happy? Or has the Devil actually won and just left them in their own happy ideal world? Personally, I want so badly to go with the former, it just seems the more fitting end to the series, to have them all human again. That and I'm a sucker for a happy ending.
With previous alumni moving on to bigger and better things, let's hope the same can be said for Molony, Bracken and Socha; they've been a real credit to this series and won a lot of us die-hards over. Being Human has always done finales well and this was no different, tugging the heartstrings, tickling the funny-bone and providing a truly fitting end to what has been, despite a few flaws, a wonderful series. And so we say goodbye to Hal, Tom and Alex... It would have been nice to spend more time with you.
- Becky
You can read all of Becky's previous Being Human reviews here.
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It's the penultimate ever episode of Being Human this week, and it's as dark as they get; Hal is falling spectacularly off the wagon, Tom has got some growing up to do and Alex gets to experience every emotion you can think. Plus, Hal does press-ups again. And wears a vest. Not bad for an hour.
With the build-up to Hal (Damien Molony) getting back on the blood taking place over the last few episodes, it became one of the focuses this week as our centuries-old vampire finds his way back to the o-negative. Elsewhere, Tom (Michael Socha) finds himself beguiled by a newcomer to Barry, the lovely Natasha (Kathryn Prescott). Little does he know that she is actually part of the scheme concocted by Rook (Steven Robertson) and Hatch (Phil Davis) to fuel the vampire/werewolf conflict. Alex (Kate Bracken), meanwhile, takes on an investigating job as she decides to find out what was really behind Bobby's suicide, uncovering far more than she had possibly bargained for.
Oh this episode was upsetting. From start to finish, the entire proceedings was tinged with a sense of sadness, not only that the series was coming to an end, but for the characters themselves. Each given their own particular turning point, the focus remained entirely on our central three rather than choosing to track the various sideline characters that have been appearing throughout the series. As always, the truly excellent scenes were the ones in which Alex, Hal and Tom appeared together, or in various combinations. One particular standout was the scene between Alex and Hal in the bandstand after she discovered Hal is feeding again. Bracken has been a great addition to the cast and she was fantastic here, giving a gutwrenching performance of betrayal and hurt. Molony, as ever, can't be faulted and with the evil side of Hal's personality only appearing in flashes, it was the tortured, self-destructive version that we got to see to great effect.
Once again, Socha excelled as the naive Tom, finding a balance between whimsical ignorance and a misplaced self-awareness. Granted another romantic subplot in the form of Prescott's Natasha, Tom's wonderfully old-fashioned ideals were mined for some comic moments, the best of which was either his response to being asked about 'the birds and the bees' or his questions to Natasha on their date. It also allowed a new dynamic between the three supernaturals to be explored. Whereas Mitchell, George and Annie were always very much flatmates, here we see a family dynamic developing. In Alex's throwaway line that referred to Tom as her and Hal's child, a new spin was put on the way our heroes interacted. If the series were to continue, this would be something that I would like to have seen the writers explore.
As you would expect from the penultimate episode, it was all fairly action-packed, with revelations and plot developments galore. Although he has been a suitably sinister presence throughout the series, I'm still not entirely convinced by the Devil, whose powers so far have amounted to Suicidal Chinese Whispers and Glowy Red Eyes of Doom, but hopefully now he has his powers back, we assume, we can actually see some form of Satanic badassery. The writers have also been taking notes from recent Nolan films as we were given a very literal interpretation of 'He Will Rise', though differing budgets meant it wasn't a rising platform in a waterfall, but standing up from a wheelchair. Still, the Devil has stood up and has caused our three heroes to split quite spectacularly.
And now, that ending. One of the best pre-finale build-ups I've seen on Being Human, we seemed to have just about everything; emotional turmoil, best friends falling out, an arming oneself sequence, a bloody massacre, an excellent use of 'Hey Man, Nice Shot' by Filter, a burial alive (sort-of) and Hal performing Gilbert and Sullivan. Never has I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major General sounded so sinister. If this is a sign of how good the finale is going to be, I'm already excited for Sunday. But I'm also upset, as I don't want to see this show end. I'm going to miss Hal, Alex and Tom.
- Becky
You can read Becky's view of the previous episode, The Greater Good, here.
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Being Human moves on apace this week as two supernaturals are introduced to the already delicate balance of Honolulu Heights. After Rook (Steven Robertson) and his department are shut down, he must find a new place for manchild/werewolf Bobby (Ricky Grover) to live and sends him off to stay with Tom (Michael Socha), Hal (Damien Molony) and Alex (Kate Bracken). Meanwhile, Hal also agrees to try and wean vampire Crumb (Colin Hoult) off human blood. Needless to say, it all goes a bit awry and thanks to Captain Hatch (Phil Davis) and his creepy influence, our three heroes end up having to deal with more than they had intended.
This was an episode of doubles and reflections, offering a chance for Tom and Hal to see what they could have become in different circumstances. For Tom, it is a life without parents, without MacNair and his influence, cast through the mirror of fellow werewolf Bobby. We see Tom adapting to life in a senior role in the hotel and feeling like he has to lie about how good he is in order to seek Bobby's approval. Not that it is needed however as Bobby is already hero-worshipping Tom from the moment that they are introduced. The comedy of their relationship was really quite sweet and developed nicely and believably over the episode. Both characters majorly struggled with parenting and confidence issues and it was good to see Tom once again acting as a character in his own right rather than as merely a foil for the other two.
We're clearly heading for more vampire-ghost romance between Hal and Alex with a couple of not-so-subtle side glances and Crumb developing a weird jealousy complex. The narrative with Crumb was one of the more interesting aspects of the episode, offering a weird sort of double for Hal to contend with. Not only is the relationship with Alex explored through Crumb's involvement, but also Hal's own personality and his way of dealing with his blood addiction. Unfortunately, it all doesn't work and it feels like Crumb is offering a glimpse into Hal's fate if he can't control the bloodlust that has been steadily brewing since the end of last series, culminating in the basement-set split personality scene.
Evil Hal is clearly on the way in and Molony sells the idea of the two personalities well, particularly in the basement scene with Crumb, switching between the two almost effortlessly. The concept of a vampire as a man with two personalities is something that has been played with before, most notably in Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Angel/Angelus. Whereas that was wholly spiritual in origin (Angel was with a soul, Angelus without), Hal's appears to be a natural extension of his psychological anxiety. With his obsessive compulsive behaviour, it sort of makes sense that dissociative identity disorder could get thrown in there too. In terms of vampiric psychology, it's a fascinating take on the mythology and I'm not sure if it's been done before so I'm interested to see how it develops.
This episode made me realise something. Before, I was sad but resigned to the fact that, after this series, Being Human would be no more. As an audience, we hadn't spent much time with this trinity just yet and it seemed acceptable that we wouldn't get to. They weren't Annie, Mitchell and George so they'd be easier to say goodbye to. But then the next few episodes happened. We saw a huge amount of character development in that time, allowing us to get to know Hal, Tom and Alex just that little bit better and let us see them bond as a trio.
Now I don't want them to go.
I'd like at least another series to allow them to develop slowly like we saw the others do, rather than have it sped up over the six episodes. The fewer episode amount has really aided this series, tightening up the usual filler stories into something more relevant and more developed. Guest stars have largely been utilised to their full potential rather than just being irritating/comical/evil for a few scenes before disappearing again. Rook, in particular, is a fascinating character and I love the fact that the Civil Service has a supernatural branch. These ideas and characters have a lot of mileage left in them yet and I'm worried that we'll not get a satisfying conclusion that does them all justice. Then again, they do say you should never outstay your welcome and if this series is anything to go by, then Being Human is going out on a high.
- Becky
You can read Becky's review of previous episode, Pie and Prejudice, here.
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This week sees another ghost and a werewolf join the gang at Honolulu Heights whilst Rook makes an important decision about his future, or lack of it.
Tom (Michael Socha) and Hal (Damien Molony) still continue their squabbles in the hotel after Hal is promoted to acting manager following the suggested death of poor Patsy in last week's episode. Tom's feeling a little worthless but is perked up by the arrival of another werewolf, Larry (Julian Barrett), who he feels can educate him in the ways of being successful. Elsewhere, Hal takes part in his yearly visit to old friend Lady Mary (Amanda Hale), a ghost who he has known for 200 years. Alex (Kate Bracken) decides to tag along so she can meet another ghost, but soon discovers that Lady Mary isn't really who she appears to be and that the two share certain similarities. Meanwhile, Rook (Steven Robertson) faces a life of unemployment, left with the horrors of his work, until a solution appears in the form of an unlikely alliance.
With only six episodes in this series, a lot of work has been done to establish the three leads and their relationships as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Last week saw Captain Hatch (Phil Davis, though absent for this week) comment on how a trinity is a thing of strength, and something that could possibly stand in his way. So this week, we see the three divided, each worried about their own struggle and what might just happen to them if they're left alone. Lady Mary stands as an example for Alex of a woman who has waited around for Hal only to be betrayed by him time and again without her knowledge and then . Tom sees in Larry what he could become and almost accepts a lonely defeat whilst Hal is just downright dangerous when left to his own devices.
Naturally, by the end of the episode, we have it made clear that these three rely on each other for their survival and for their humanity. Whilst it is something that we saw a lot of in the Mitchell/Annie/George years, we hadn't had a moment so far that solidified this relationship for the new trio of supernaturals. It also gave us some all-important character development individually, particularly for Alex, who has always been so fiercely autonomous that her plea for the boys to remain with her for her sake held much more weight. She understands the importance of their unique dynamic in terms of keeping each other safe from themselves and others. Of course, with Hal going off the rails quite spectacularly, it can't all last.
Am I the only one though who wants to see Hal let loose a bit? We've all seen what happens when Mitchell fell off the wagon (Box Tunnel Massacre anyone?), but we've only actually heard and seen in flashes just how bad and evil Hal can get. With the added pressure of the Devil rising in strength, I can only assume that this might mean we get to see what we only saw a glimpse of this episode. He's a fascinating character and I think the one who I am going to miss most in the future; a vampire with OCD anxiety issues was an inspired bit of writing and Molony's performance has only gone from strength to strength. The character feels like it has many avenues within it to explore and it will be a shame that we probably won't get to see all of the possibilities Hal has.
The shining light of this episode though was Michael Socha's performance as poor, lost Tom. Although the plot was a slight retread of George's experiences with Sully in the first series, this was more about replacing a father figure than a dodgy, smelly flatmate. Tom's floundered a bit so far this series as a character, more as a foil to Hal than anything in his own right. Here, we get to see what a lost little boy Tom really is, having not been brought up to know anything but the rough life of a vampire-killing werewolf. His misguided notion of success as a person was heartbreaking to watch yet also quite pertinent to a culture of people obsessed with owning the next best thing or having the most money. It led to some nice scenes between the three leads, particularly the scenes at the tent; Alex and Tom had never really interacted before, but being the two experiencing the most anxiety about their situations, it felt natural that they should confide in each other.
Alex's thread of plotline with Lady Mary was a mixed affair throughout the episode. After the initial comedy of Mary not being all Hal had cracked her up to be and some rather flagrant language, the jokes wore off quite quickly, particularly the nightclub scene and the incessant use of profanity afterwards. I wouldn't consider myself easily offended when it comes to language, far from it (and if you know me, you know I can turn the air blue with the best of them), but this felt as if it was just done too much for effect. There's only so much novelty to be wrung out of a woman in full Regency regalia saying 'fuck' repeatedly. On the other hand, it was important to show the effect that Hal has had on his victims, lingering on in their lives despite having destroyed them quite readily before. Though he has shown regret with Alex, this is clearly a foreshadowing of what could possibly define their relationship.
All in all, this was a solid, if not great, episode that befits its position in the middle of the series. With a lack of Captain Hatch, the menace levels were decreased but there was still enough development to keep the plot ticking along nicely. We've now passed the halfway point so I think we can expect things to start ramping up towards the big finale quite quickly.
- Becky
You can read Becky's review of Sticks and Rope here.
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Being Human returns this week with more Captain Hatch, some Hal/Tom-related hilarity and the poshest and most obnoxious child since Veruca Salt decided she wanted a bean feast. Whatever that is.
While Tom (Michael Socha) and Hal (Damien Molony) continue to try and make a living at the hotel, Alex (Kate Bracken) finds herself without a whole lot to do now that she's a ghost. Thankfully, or not, along comes child ghost Oliver (Benjamin Greaves-Neal) to entertain/exasperate her as they both haunt Honolulu Heights. Elsewhere, Rook (Steven Robertson) finds out that his department is likely to face cuts despite his protests whilst Crumb (Colin Hoult) gets nastier and finds himself a minion. Captain Hatch (Phil Davis) meanwhile stirs up the conflict between Hal and Tom during the Employee of the Month race and continues to get stronger feeding off of the energy.
Usually Being Human episodes can be slotted into two categories; there are those episodes which serve as filler stories which see some character development but tend to leave the bigger series arc alone, which is left to the mythology-themed episodes. This one was a curious mix of both, which didn't necessarily affect the quality, but did mean that it was a little odd in the way that only Being Human can.
We knew from last week that the Devil/Hatch feeds off the energy produced by a vampire-werewolf conflict so this episode saw him stoking up the usual Hal and Tom superiority conflict through the Employee of the Month competition. It led to some brilliantly funny scenes like Hal trying desperately to throw the competition by becoming bad at everything and the pair engaging in an afternoon-tea specific food fight (look closely and you can see Molony trying desperately not to laugh). The pair continue to have a great chemistry whilst Molony displays some serious comic talents, getting some of the biggest laughs of the episode.
The plot development was given to Alex this week which was a logical step seeing as she had been with us the least amount of time. Through the use of irritating ghost-child Oliver, we find out about Alex's family background and her relationship with her brothers. Once again, the balance between the light and the darker scenes was keenly struck and made Alex's defence of Oliver carry a greater emotional weight. As a big sister to two brothers myself, it really struck a chord. We also learn that Alex's inclusion in the group could cause particular trouble to Captain Hatch's plan. Whilst a werewolf and a vampire on their own benefit him, a trinity is apparently something else. Perhaps this goes to explain why such trinities exist (i.e. Annie, Mitchell and George or Pearl, Hal and Leo) or at the very least why Alex hasn't crossed over yet.
Speaking of crossing over, our plot arc for the series continues to rumble on with the arrival of the 'men with sticks and rope'. It's been a while since Being Human actually produced any major scares, but these three freaked me out completely. Their arrival signals that the barriers between worlds are starting to decay and Hatch is beginning to get strong. In another freaky moment, he increased the blood pressure on poor Halstruck Patsy until her eyes and nose began to bleed. Lovely. He also spent the whole scene detailing his ENTIRE plan. It was the only bum note in an odd but decent episode; it felt too exposition-y - which could be a slight negative note to the series' shorter episode run (6 instead of its usual 8).
Which brings us to the sad part of this review, because this series will be the final one we shall see for Being Human. I did think to myself that you couldn't go much bigger than the Devil during the last episode and wondered where they would go for another series so it's not surprising that it is coming to an end. It is, however, very sad as I was just starting to really warm to the new cast and really enjoy their chemistry. Being Human has always been about the interaction of its leads and the new three have been the best thing about this new series. So we approach the end with sadness but if these two episodes are anything to go by, Toby Whithouse has got a fitting end for us in store. Let's hope so anyway.
- Becky
You can read Becky's review of The Trinity here.
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Being Human returns for its fifth series, with a new vampire-ghost-werewolf trio and a new Big Bad but still with the same wicked sense of humour. At the end of last series, Annie (Lenora Crichlow) destroyed the vampiric Old Ones leaving behind newly ghost-ed Alex (Kate Bracken) to look after werewolf Tom (Michael Socha) and vampire Hal (Damien Molony). The trouble is, Hal has been on the blood again and must go cold turkey in order to prevent further destruction. Upon his release, the boys head to a hotel to find a job. At this hotel, there resides a rather nasty pensioner, Captain Hatch (Phil Davies) who is hiding a rather dark secret.
Right from the flashback opening scene, in which Hal tumbles with werewolf Lady Catherine, this new series of BBC Three's supernatural success seems determined to make the mythology bigger and badder than before. Whereas the origins of Being Human was very much about the three supernaturals trying to make their way in the world as quietly as possible, the new cast is given a much richer world to inhabit, one in which the Devil takes form as the Big Bad. It's a bold move and one that may alienate those of us who have been with Being Human from its humble beginnings. I am one such viewer but the fact that this is happening to a new cast makes it a little more palatable. Had it been Annie, Mitchell and George facing down the Devil, I would have been more than a bit peeved.
The new trinity, as they are so called, have a different dynamic to the original trio, particularly through the way in which the traits of the characters have shifted. Whereas Mitchell was feral and weakened by addiction, Hal is controlled, calculating and crippled by anxiety disorders. Alex is the complete opposite of Annie, feisty and confrontational where Annie was nurturing and maternal. Tom's good-natured manners make him perhaps the closest figure to his predecessor as George was quite similar, though George was never capable of quite so much violence. The three actors share an easy chemistry too; Hal and Tom were already a pre-packed comic double act but with the weariness of Alex in the mix, we're set for some great moments.
There were a fair few of these in the first episode, mostly thanks to Damien Molony's Hal who doesn't view going cold turkey as torture, but rather being forced to sit in a room that is very untidy. Molony was the highlight of the previous series, bringing a dangerous edge to his performance as the OCD-suffering vampire. He's well-matched though, particularly by Bracken; the scene in which Alex finally breaks down and yells at Hal for being complicit in her death marks one of the true strengths that the series has always managed. The shift between comedy and drama can sometimes be something that jars in an episode, an awkward shift in tone. Toby Whithouse, however, always manages to find the ideal moments to slide from one to the other, aided with assured performances from his cast.
One of the strongest elements of the series has always been in its Big Bads. While Jason Watkins' Herrick or Andrew Gower's Cutler cast a long shadows over any who follow them, having Phil Davies appear as the devil himself will surely dispel any lingering memories. He's an actor who specialises in nasty, slightly disturbing characters and he's already made quite the stamp on the first episode. There is also the mysterious Rook, last seen mopping up and taking Alex's body away and the accidentally-created vampire Crumb, a victim given the power to become the bully. It will be interesting to see how the hierarchy forms with the latter two characters, but you can guarantee they'll make worthy adversaries for our supernatural trinity.
It's an excellent start to the series, reminding us all of the reason why we loved the it in the first place, albeit with a larger canvas than there was before. If it continues in this vein, then we're in for a cracking series. Though this is Being Human, so it's natural to expect a couple of dodgy filler episodes. Next week's looks like it has a Tom/Hal food fight, which if their cafe conversations are anything to go by from last series, is reason enough to tune in.
- Becky
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