Being Human returns to BBC American with "Eve of the War" this past weekend. The action picks up a few weeks after last year's finale. Viewers learn that, in the interim, Nina (Sinead Keenan) has been killed in retribution for George's (Russell Tovey) slaying of Wyndam (Lee Ingleby). Now, George is a shut-in, protecting his unnamed infant daughter by not allowing her out of her nursery. That is, until Tom (Michael Socha) shows up with information about Griffin (Alex Jennings, Whitechapel, The Queen), Wyndam's replacement who ordered Nina's murder.
Tom and George have their work cut out for them in the revenge game. Griffin is a few steps ahead, bringing in the Old Ones, and plotting to kidnap George and Nina's daughter, the first baby born of two werewolves. Disappointingly to the vampires, the baby appears all-human. The Vampire Recorder, Regus (Mark Williams, the Harry Potter films), reveals that the baby is prophesized to wipe out all the vampires from the face of the Earth, so Griffin decides to kill her.
The new vampire characters in "Eve of the War" are interesting, if a bit murky in their motivation. Is Regus really willing to see the annihilation of his entire species just to allow a prophecy to come true? Yes, he has dedicated his life to such works, and without prophecy fulfillment, his efforts seem to be a waste of time. But this is a serious offense against himself and his people, not to mention, he is missing a third of the scroll, and doesn't even know the whole story. Perhaps he is a good guy who just can't stand to see a baby killed?
The new vampire villain looks to be Cutler (Andrew Gower, Monroe), who is far more suited to modern times than Griffin is. Cutler tries to warn Griffin that his plans will fail, and is cunning enough to hide in the shadows when all hell breaks loose in the vampire place. Cutler will surely take over the local hive, and possibly the plans for world domination that Griffin aspires to. As such, Cutler will be the face of evil our heroes must defeat. Or so it seems from the season premiere alone.
It's a shame that Being Human kills Nina off screen. With the injuries she suffers near the end of last season, that seems a cleaner time to end the character than with an unseen hit. However, her death, and the way it is carried out, gives great motivation to George, who seeks to avenge her any way that he can, which eventually leads to his own reckless downfall. George dies a hero, in a powerfully moving scene, because the result of his actions is the saving of his daughter, whom he names Eve. Awesome way to take out George, which makes Nina's disappearance all the more regrettable.
This leaves Annie (Lenora Crichlow) with plenty of story going forward. Not only does she have to serve as a mentor to new housemate, Tom, but she has to raise George and Nina's baby. This is surely a lot for a ghost to handle, given her limitations. It also makes Annie even more the heart of the series than she previously is, which Crichlow should be able to handle with the ease that she has demonstrated repeatedly already.
To round out the house, because Being Human fans know that a vampire, werewolf, and ghost must band together to protect the human race, "Eve of the War" introduces Hal (Damien Molony). Hal has long been part of a similar trio as the main characters of this show, but his werewolf pal is dying. It is unknown what will happen to the ghost that he lives with, but Hal should have some guidance and wisdom to offer Annie, being that he has been a protector of mankind for so much longer.
Oh, and there's a plot set in a dystopian 2037, where a young woman (probably a grown Eve, though that is unconfirmed) has her friend kill her so she can, as a ghost, kill a baby and save the world. No idea how this works into the rest of the story yet, other than the prophecy connection, as she has Regus's scroll, including the missing piece.
"Eve of the War" is a fantastic season premiere. It changes the tone of Being Human into something a good deal more exciting than the original premise, and certainly a faster moving series. The new characters are interesting, and the plot arcs just beginning look to be really cool. One could not ask for a better premiere!
Being Human airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.
MORE: If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! To catch up with streaming episodes and DVDs of Being Human, as well a check out the American remake, go to amazon.com. Click here to read all of my Being Human (UK) reviews.
Tom and George have their work cut out for them in the revenge game. Griffin is a few steps ahead, bringing in the Old Ones, and plotting to kidnap George and Nina's daughter, the first baby born of two werewolves. Disappointingly to the vampires, the baby appears all-human. The Vampire Recorder, Regus (Mark Williams, the Harry Potter films), reveals that the baby is prophesized to wipe out all the vampires from the face of the Earth, so Griffin decides to kill her.The new vampire characters in "Eve of the War" are interesting, if a bit murky in their motivation. Is Regus really willing to see the annihilation of his entire species just to allow a prophecy to come true? Yes, he has dedicated his life to such works, and without prophecy fulfillment, his efforts seem to be a waste of time. But this is a serious offense against himself and his people, not to mention, he is missing a third of the scroll, and doesn't even know the whole story. Perhaps he is a good guy who just can't stand to see a baby killed?
The new vampire villain looks to be Cutler (Andrew Gower, Monroe), who is far more suited to modern times than Griffin is. Cutler tries to warn Griffin that his plans will fail, and is cunning enough to hide in the shadows when all hell breaks loose in the vampire place. Cutler will surely take over the local hive, and possibly the plans for world domination that Griffin aspires to. As such, Cutler will be the face of evil our heroes must defeat. Or so it seems from the season premiere alone.It's a shame that Being Human kills Nina off screen. With the injuries she suffers near the end of last season, that seems a cleaner time to end the character than with an unseen hit. However, her death, and the way it is carried out, gives great motivation to George, who seeks to avenge her any way that he can, which eventually leads to his own reckless downfall. George dies a hero, in a powerfully moving scene, because the result of his actions is the saving of his daughter, whom he names Eve. Awesome way to take out George, which makes Nina's disappearance all the more regrettable.
This leaves Annie (Lenora Crichlow) with plenty of story going forward. Not only does she have to serve as a mentor to new housemate, Tom, but she has to raise George and Nina's baby. This is surely a lot for a ghost to handle, given her limitations. It also makes Annie even more the heart of the series than she previously is, which Crichlow should be able to handle with the ease that she has demonstrated repeatedly already.To round out the house, because Being Human fans know that a vampire, werewolf, and ghost must band together to protect the human race, "Eve of the War" introduces Hal (Damien Molony). Hal has long been part of a similar trio as the main characters of this show, but his werewolf pal is dying. It is unknown what will happen to the ghost that he lives with, but Hal should have some guidance and wisdom to offer Annie, being that he has been a protector of mankind for so much longer.
Oh, and there's a plot set in a dystopian 2037, where a young woman (probably a grown Eve, though that is unconfirmed) has her friend kill her so she can, as a ghost, kill a baby and save the world. No idea how this works into the rest of the story yet, other than the prophecy connection, as she has Regus's scroll, including the missing piece.
"Eve of the War" is a fantastic season premiere. It changes the tone of Being Human into something a good deal more exciting than the original premise, and certainly a faster moving series. The new characters are interesting, and the plot arcs just beginning look to be really cool. One could not ask for a better premiere!Being Human airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.
MORE: If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! To catch up with streaming episodes and DVDs of Being Human, as well a check out the American remake, go to amazon.com. Click here to read all of my Being Human (UK) reviews.
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