Square Eyes #4 – They’re still Being Human!

BBC Three’s ‘Being Human’ has for me always been a show of varying success. When it’s at it’s best it can be some of the best drama on the box, but at other times it leaves me disappointed, being ‘just another vampire show’. So how did last night’s Season 3 premiere.

We were left on a massive cliffhanger at the end of the last series. Mitchell (a vampire) and George (a werewolf) had escaped their fate, but Annie (a ghost) was exorcised and dragged through the door into…. Purgatory it seems.

After moving to a new house on Barry Island (no Gavin and Stacey jokes please), Mitchell keeps seeing Annie on a TV set. She’s stuck in purgatory, which seems to be some sort of cage like environment. And hereon in lies the plot to episode 1, get Annie back.

Now I should point out that the things I love most about Being Human is it’s quirkyness and imagination. I loved the original tagline of ‘a Vampire, Werewolf and Ghost sharing a house in Bristol’. It had the spirit of a supernatural show, but with a funny slant. There was of course a serious story, but a lot of humour. I thought this humour was pretty much lost in series 2 which I found far too dark for the original tone of the programme.

And I do think humour retuned to this episode. Russell Tovey as George gave an amusing performance, particularly the scene in the bedroom and at the bedside of a dying patient (sounds quite grim, but was funny in the circumstances!)

I also love Toby Whithouse’s (series creator) clever visions 0f the afterlife and his re-invetion of Vampires (that don’t sparkle) for the 21st century.

I was therefore thrilled by Whithouse’s portrayal of purgatory, an endless corridor, filled with all the things you did wrong and right in your life. Mitchell finds himself here and having to go on something of a journey to remember his horrific past and realise the pain he’s caused others. I understand that this storyline was partially necessary to claim back Annie, but at the same, isn’t this what Mitchell has been doing for the past two years of the show…. a bit unoriginal!

But hey, the darkness subsided when Mitchell was reunited with Annie and was able to take her home to George and Nina. The ending was at best cheesey, but it was nice to feel that some happiness has returned to the show as it can at times feel all too depressing!

There was great, believable acting all round. I do think the cast of this show are great and a true credit to the reason this show succeeds!

But of course, I couldn’t possibly end this review without mentioning Robson Green. No it’s not an obsession of mine, he’s one of two new characters making their way into the show. Robson plays a man called McNair who it turns out is also a Warewolf. He has quite a nasty opening episode as he is thrust into a cage battle which he would easily win, like it or not, as he transforms to his wolf form. He later escapes this as his son (also a warewolf) saves him.

I’m not too keen on these new characters. I just worry it might have a bit of a ‘Heroes’ effect on the show (as in too many people with powers were brought into the show). But it’s early days and like him or not, Robson is a very established actor. Maybe he can bring yet another angle to this diverse show.

So in short, I enjoyed last nights Being Human. It wasn’t an amazing episode, but it was an captivating watch and it felt like the ‘true’ Being Human was back.

And next week…. Henrik’s back!