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BEING HUMAN |
Alex - Kate Bracken Tom - Michael Socha Hal - Damien Molony 
OTHER BEING HUMAN SERIES Series 1 Series 2 Series 3 Series 4 BEING HUMAN USA OTHER VAMPIRE SHOWS Buffy The Vampire Slayer Angel Blood Ties Moonlight Ultraviolet 
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The Trinity - first transmitted February 3rd 2013Alex is coming to terms with being a ghost. Tom and Alex are coming to terms with Hal being a vampire who drank blood. Tom, Alex and Hal are coming to terms with the fact that there is a new vampire on the loose with a thirst. The new look BEING HUMAN comes to the screen with the first episode of a new series and it sets up a lot of things without ever drawing them all into a cohesive narrative whole. The backstory of a supernatural defence force being cut because the of austerity measures clearly has places to go, especially when combined with the loser vampire who doesn't understand that nobody likes him because he's not likeable (a classic BEING HUMAN character), but who revels in his new status as bringer of terror. The biggest plot arc, though, is Hal having released the Devil himself into the world, where he has been masquerading as a pensioner and driving people to suicide. These are all promising storylines, but have yet to be brought together. The strength of the show, however, has always been in its characters rather than its plotlines. The banter between the trio is bright and as amusing as ever (Hal begging for the torture to stop just long enough for him to run a duster round the place) and the three leads are still very likeable, but whether they can establish the closeness of the previous cast remains to be seen. This episode isn't the greatest that the show has produced, but even running of half its cylinders, it remains effortlessly entertaining. Top Sticks and Ropes - first transmitted February 10th 2013An elderly inmate of the hotel attempts to drive a wedge between Hal and Tom whilst Alex is left to deal with an annoying ghost child. Children who are older and more knowledgeable than they seem are an old idea, even on BEING HUMAN, and it is disappointing that the episode doesn't manage to come up with anything new to do with the one here, at least not until the men with sticks and ropes appear when the episode blazes into the kind of life that we are used to. Tom and Hal fighting over the employee of the month award provides a lot of scope for pleasing banter and there's plenty of that, levelling out the quality threshold a bit. Top Pie and Prejudice - first transmitted February 17th 2013Alex finds that Hal's beloved lady ghost friend isn't quite what she seems. Tom, meanwhile, finds that the older werewolf he takes up with is also not quite genuine. Tom is a simple soul and endearing as anything, but in this episode he is made out to be stupid, being taken in by a character who couldn't fool anyone for a second. This makes the journey to the inevitable discovery a bit tedious. Only Larry's face-off with Hal makes it worthwhile. The psycho restoration ghost is a typically offbeat BEING HUMAN character, but she fails to engage as others have in previous series and is neither as funny nor as dangerous as she ought to be. Top The Greater Good - first transmitted February 24th 2013Tom looks after a werewolf who is even more simple than he is and finds that being a role model suits him. Hal tries to get Crumb off the blood. Captain Hatch gets a new ally. We are srongest when we are with others. That is the moral of all the stories in this episode whether it be Tom finding being a surrogate parent fulfilling or Captain Hatch finding a new lackey to be manipulated into fulfilling his plans. Whilst it's not up there with the show at its best, this gets the show back on track and sets us off on the arc that will lead to the big finale. The werewolf makeup is duff, but not on screen for long enough to matter. The principle trio remain watchable and it is their relationships and interactions that make the show work. This story gives them some good things to do and is one of the best of this season. Top No Care, All Responsibility - first transmitted March 3rd 2013Natasha is on the run and Tom takes a fancy to her. He gives her a job at the hotel and she helps Hal with his blood addiction by allowing him to drink from her. Captain Hatch strikes at the trinity that threatens him. BEING HUMAN finally comes roaring back to its best with this brilliant episode that has all the comedy, charm, character and sudden shifts into dark, brooding horror that we have come to expect. The plot is strong with Kathryn Prescott making an appealing and shady character in Natasha. Her relationship with Michael Socha's Tom is lovely, which makes what follows all the more bleak and terrible. Twists come thick and fast at the end and this sets up the scene for a cracking final episode, but still manages to be an absolutely outstanding one in its own right. Top The Last Broadcast - first transmitted March 10th 2013The Devil has a plan to wipe out all of Britain, forcing Hal, Tom and Alex to work together for the greater good. Can they, though, overcome the ultimate in evil when he tempts them individually. And so we come to the last ever BEING HUMAN and it needed to be an epic ending to one of the most wonderful paranormal shows ever. Sadly, it doesn't do the business. Which is not to say that it's bad, because it's not. It's just that last week's episode was so much better. There is a brutal fight scene between Hal and Tom that is great and the last temptation of the trio is very nicely handled, but it all seems just a bit too low key after all the previous season finales, even if it does pack a sneaky punch in the tail. Despite being the Devil, the threat isn't physical enough to give it that visceral quality that the show has always had, letting it down just a little at the last. BEING HUMAN has varied from the bloody brilliant to the transcendent with only an occasional mis-step along the way. Though it doesn't go out on an all-time high, it will be remembered with very great affection. Top |
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