Being Human (episode 3)

Another good episode of this tucked-away little gem. Although this week I found that the first half of the show dragged a little. Perhaps it was Sunday night tiredness?

This week’s episode focussed on Annie, the resident ghost, as she ‘commiserated’ (i.e. wept whilst trashing the kitchen) the date of her planned wedding day. So Mitchell introduces her to a fellow spirit named Gilbert, who died in the mid-eighties. Gilbert goes on to explain a few things about being a ghost to Annie and about how there’s something that they, as wandering spirits, still have to do before passing on to the afterlife. Annie decides to be her fiancé’s ghostly wife, with unfortunate results, and in the process remembers how she died. Poor Annie!

I think Gilbert was supposed to be this sad but gentle guy that deep-down we were all supposed to be routing for. But I found him… creepy. I was half expecting him to try to assault Annie in some way. It wasn’t until near the end, when Gilbert had found the thing that was stopping him from moving on (to be able to love), that I realised this character was supposed to be a good guy. A great scene with the new ‘door’ though – very well played.

Meanwhile, Mitchell had to deal with Lauren and the result of turning her into a vampire whilst George got off with nurse Nina (is that her name?), although he was worried that he might “wolf-out” during the, erm, pleasurable act. I’m starting to think that there’s a rule that says Russell Tovey, who plays George, has to be naked in every episode (unfortunately Nina wasn’t naked during the sex scene). Mitchell and Lauren also ‘got it on’, though in a more vampiric way. Again, the backstory of Herrick’s vampires trying to turn Mitchell back onto the blood wagon and the build up to taking over the human world creeps along.

As I mentioned, I didn’t think this week’s episode was quite as good as the first two, although it’s still one of the best shows on TV at the moment. Part of me thinks more action would just be the cherry on the top rounding this show off nicely but I also think it would probably cheapen the show. And, perhaps, ruin what is already a fantastic programme.

Grade: Very Fine.