Luke Addison reviews the final episode of BBC Three’s Being Human…
Being Human is the story of a werewolf, vampire and a ghost, all living under the same roof and dealing with problems, both human and supernatural alike. Whilst the cast has changed from the original three, from a personal point of view I think the new three, Hal, Alex and Tom, hold their own and certainly live up to, and in some regards surpass the original three, Mitchell, Annie and George.
That said, last night’s episode was the last in not just the current season, but the series as whole, with Being Human forever concluded and ended without the promise of another season, or just one more episode to sate the need for more.
The episode begins with Hal singing a musical number whilst bringing back those who he’d turned into vampires the night before. Being a light hearted, almost upbeat song it brings a stark contrast to the implied brutality within the pub, the smattering of blood driving this point home.
After a short fight between the group of vampires and Tom, culminating in a showdown of sorts between himself and Hal, Alex steps in once again to stop the violence in lieu of a discussion… followed by more violence.
She tells them that Captain Hatch – The Devil – has regained his full power, and plans on taking over the world and causing an all out apocalypse. Obviously the weight of the world is on their shoulders to protect it, so the trio set out to kill the devil. As they’re about to leave Alex asks Hal why he’s willing to help them, his response “The apocalypse is good for no one.” This is emphasized by the empty streets of Barry Island, littered with bodies and blood alike. The scene certainly wouldn’t be out of place in a zombie movie, to be honest.
Now I won’t ruin the episode any more than I minimally have, but I shall say that there are a few more twists than expected, with a particularly poignant set of scenes involving a ‘Devil’s offer’ to each of the three, highlighting a previously unknown origin story for Hal, most importantly.
Towards the end of the episode there’s a sweet scene between the three of them, with Hal telling Tom that “The desire to be human is the end of the beginning, to want it is to have it. You’re not wasting your time Tom, you’ve already won. Adieu.” In a few seconds Hal has encapsulated the entire point of the series and what each of the characters have been trying to do and managed to do for a short while.
The episode as a whole seemed highly average, with it being light on the comedy, which is to be expected considering the situation. However some of the drama seemed forced, as if the writer’s had boxed themselves into a corner. There are a few things that could have been done far better, but on the whole it seemed like a fitting send off to one of the best comedy dramas the United Kingdom has had to offer over the last five years, and from a personal stand point I’ll be sad to see it go.
Whilst the story may not have been top notch, the acting was fantastic, in particular Damien Molony who plays Hal, Phillip Davis as the season’s antagonist Captain Hatch/The Devil and Michael Socha, who had an awkward sense of charisma that made Tom not only seem good willed and meaningful, but also similar to a naive child with his lack of ‘street knowledge’.
All in all it was a lacklustre and anti-climatic ending but a resolute one, perhaps the only real way the series could have ended, but it certainly didn’t induce a waterworks of tears like the season three finale did. Perhaps I’m a cynic, but I know I’d have preferred a more… destructive ending for the trio, but that could be the impact of earlier seasons talking.
Now the only question is whether it’s worth watching the US version or to let it die in the lofty heights of one of my favoured series.
Luke Addison is an aspiring film journalist with a passion for all things television and film. Follow him on Twitter @Novo_Slev.
Originally published March 11, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
