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Everyone's already commented on how a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost trying to live "normal" lives together sounds like the start of a bad joke...but it actually makes for great viewing. The cast helps. Unlike a lot of other shows, this show has a small regular cast. I like every one of the main characters and the close 'family' vibe that they've got going on. All 3 of the main actors are perfectly cast in their roles. I LOVE Lenora Crichlow as Annie, in large part due to Lenora's portrayal. Oftentimes, I find perky/cheery characters grate/annoying, but not so with Annie. Her upbeat personality is very endearing and she contrasts nicely against the two guys. She's funny, emotional and kicks major butt on occasion.
Russell Tovey is also great as George. He's the least likely guy you'd expect to be a werewolf, but works SO much better than the typical angst-ridden, brooding 'dark' traditionally "handsome" model werewolf guys. Kind of tired of those. Like Annie, George is oftentimes hilarious. Though, unlike her, he can also be a jerk sometimes (the Season 2 premiere springs to mind).
Aidan Turner's Mitchell has a personality so unlike traditional vampires. He actually has a fun/human side to him, which makes him so likable...at least until the end of Season 2, when he becomes quite dark. In a way, Turner being cast in The Hobbit benefited the show in the long run, as not only was it really the only proper end for his character, but it also kick-started the gradual addition of our new regular cast members.
Not many shows could survive losing all their original main leads, and even harder was making the new characters as likable as the original three who we'd grown to love/care about. But they succeeded here. Instead of just being a carbon copy replacement for Mitchell, Damien Molony's Hal had his own distinct look/personality and brought a freshness to the show, along with Kate Bracken's ghostly Alex. She provided quite a bit of humour, and was very different to Annie, yet still worked. I wasn't invested in the Tom character or his plot in Season 3 (my least favourite season of the show), but the new trio of Hal, Alex & Tom worked well. It was a shame we only got one season with them. Then again, it was probably better that the show finished while it was still good, instead of wearing out its welcome like so many shows do.
Sinead Keenan's Nina, who started off as a recurring love interest for George, but later got more involved in events and finally promoted to regular was good for the series. Sure, she started off bitchy and sometimes didn't get along with the others (mainly Mitchell), but she provided a different perspective on things. The way Nina was written out really did a disservice to both the character and actress. In comparison, George's wasn't THAT bad, plus it was emotional. Annie's was quite fitting & she got to kick arse.
Of all the villains on the show, Jason Watkins as Herrick was the best. He brought just the right amount of menace (combined with a wicked sense of humour) to his character. Speaking of, the show's humour is one of its strongest aspects. There are some very funny moments throughout the series which helps lighten the mood, and best of all it's *unexpected*. You're not expecting to laugh, they don't telegraph it with obvious/silly jokes, but when it happens it'll make you laugh out loud. There were just so many memorable funny moments. The show balanced this well with the 'horror' elements. There were some genuinely freaky moments throughout the series. They went to great lengths to create a creepy atmosphere and some actual genuine horror in the show (not to mention some truly gory moments, like in the Season 2 premiere & Season 4 final).
What's also great is seeing an actual *attempt* at having a proper werewolf transformation on TV. Most take the easy way out and either don't show the changing, have bad CGI (like the US remake) or simply have people with bad teeth and in need of manicures instead of actual proper-looking werewolves. Okay, so the finished wolf in the first episode was a bit dodgy, but it got better as time went on. The transformations were what really stood out, though, thanks to their excellent use of prosthetics, animatronics & Tovey's performance. The music used in the show is also excellent. Many a moment is made just that much better due to the choice of songs used, as well as the show's score. Really, the only negatives of the show was some annoying/pointless side characters who were introduced (mainly in Seasons 3 & 5. Season 4's Cutler was pretty good, but Allison was far too irritating). The early seasons actually had some decent side characters (like Ivan & Daisy), but had some horrible ones too (Cara).
We're kind of over-saturated with supernatural-related TV shows, and there's only so many ways they can put a new spin on the stories before they start being retreads of the same thing, but this Being Human went for something different & fresh, which certainly paid off. Seasons 1 & 2 were excellent, 3 was by far the weakest, then the show started coming good again with Season 4 (I actually didn't mind the War Child plot. At least they tried to make an effort with the apocalypse, unlike some other supernatural related shows. Gina Bramhill as Eve also helped. She and Annie had some good moments together). The final season, while not the best, was still a pretty good season to end on. Summing up, this show has great characters, acting, storytelling (for the most part), directing and originality...so why aren't you watching it? Forget the crappy US remake, I gave it a go and it paled in comparison to this amazing series.
score 9/10
Chalice_Of_Evil 25 July 2009
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2101376/ |
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10-11-2020 00:07:09