The first (and arguably best) Being Human UK Series 4 aired this weekend and for most of us it was an episode that has been highly anticipated for almost a year now.
And?
I’m so confused.
You see – my favorite thing about Being Human UK in comparison to Being Human SyFy was its simplicity. Its growth of characters, its slow yet methodical plot-building and its ability to shock the hell out of me at any point.
And Series 4 started off? On only that last note.
Spoilers!
Series 4 introduced a new trio. Rather, an older trio. A werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost who have lived with each other for years now (since 1955).
- Hal – Ancient Vampire (older than the now deceased Mitchell), born in a brothel, host of dog fights, terribly jaded much like all vampires, who has decided he needs to kick the blood habit.
- Leo – Werewolf. Jamaican descent. Strong. Good-willed. A sort of bodhisattva of the damned. Forced to participate in dog fights for the amusement of vampires until he convinces Hal that they can both change and control their separate inner beasts.
- Pearl – Ghost. Perhaps 50′s housewife? Not much known about her yet.
Episode 1 kicks off on what is possibly Leo’s last transformation as an old man. The trio have been together and survived in secrecy and normalcy for many years. They’re stricken with fear about not only losing Leo, but the what-ifs that occur if Leo is to die. The business (barber shop) and house is in Leo’s name as the only mortal and because ghosts are known to fade when their familiars depart, concerns are on Pearl as well.
This episode also introduces the fact that Nina has been killed. Yep. Just kind of like that. No showing it, only lightly touching on how she was apparently beaten to death. Just the fact that she’s dead. And George? Is a hot, paranoid mess.
So now only George, Sally, and Tom are left to protect the yet unnamed baby (later in the episode named Eve) from vengeful vampires on a quest for world domination. Seriously. Chaos ensues and the baby is taken hostage by the vampires and apparently based on their deciphering of an ancient vampiric skin-tablet (no joke) – this baby is the bringer of death to all vampires.
DUN DUN DUNNN.
So what are the vampires to do? Kill her, of course. But not if George can stop them. And he does – by tricking his body into thinking it is the full moon and half transforming. Wolfman George is AMAZING. And slaughters EVERYONE. But unfortunately? The healing factor is not applicable in half transformation. And so his now half transformed organs? Fail.
- insert super sad pause here-
Le sigh. I knew George was leaving – but in episode 1!? After saying goodbye the Mitchell in Series 3, I really wasn’t prepared for this.
Oh, and did I mention that Episode 1 also includes a look forward future shot? Of the complete obliteration of man-kind by vampires, save small pockets of a ‘resistance’.
The resistance is led by none other than adult Eve (or so we presume). And in this future, she finds the aforementioned skin-tablet and decides she needs to die.
SO SHE CAN GO BACK AND KILL BABY HER.
Did any of that make sense? Yeah.
This is not the Being Human I’ve loved since 2008. But maybe I’m just being super harsh. Maybe it’ll grow on me. Because I’m loyal as fuck, I’ll keep watching, but if you were confused at the season premiere? You weren’t alone.
I get that they were in a hard place when both Mitchell (Aidan Turner) and George (Russell Tovey) decided to leave the show – but it all felt a little… too rushed. Which is a far cry from the usual first episodes of the previous series.
However? I still have to know what happens. Anyone want to take any guesses to what the vampiric skin scrolls really mean?
Want to see the prequels and make more sense of Episode 1? Watch below.
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