"The Last Broadcast" of BEING HUMAN

Article first published as "The Last Broadcast" of BEING HUMAN on TheTVKing.

The British series Being Human recently aired their final season finale, "The Last Broadcast," on BBC America. Capping a short, six-episode run, the central trio face who they are, what they want, and battle the Devil for control of the world. So, just another day for our heroes.

I had my doubts about this fifth series, mainly because all of the original characters are now departed. It's rough to put three newbies front and center in a final season, even if they have appeared on the show prior to it. I wondered if Being Human would concentrate solely on a villain, pay homage to the former stars, or develop the fresh personalities.

"The Last Broadcast," and the rest of the series leading up to it, focus mainly on the last of those three, and that is a good decision. Being Human has always been about supernatural creatures finding their way in a world run by human beings, and discovering how they might fit in. That's what people tune in for, and the show really captures the drama of each spirit, as well as what their internal struggles are. This last season is remarkable in that regard.

There's Hal (Damien Molony), the vampire who likes to pretend he has the evil streak beaten, his craving for blood tamed, but he does not. He has a past that haunts him, and if the red stuff spurts in his field of vision, his carnal needs come raging to the surface. He will never fully defeat that part of himself, and keeping it locked in a cage isn't a cure.

Tom (Michael Socha) is also ashamed of himself, or rather, the wolf inside of him. Rather than celebrating the physical enhancements that come with the werewolf curse, he dwells on the dangerous creature he becomes once a month. This prevents him for bettering his position and career, in his mind anyway, and so he is kept in place.

Finally, Alex (Kate Bracken) has unresolved romantic feelings for Hal, since he killed her on their first date, not to mention that being a ghost keeps her separated from her family and former life. She isn't happy with her limitations, even as she is empowered by her abilities, and wishes for something different.

The Devil (Philip Davis) wisely exploits all of these shortcomings in the final battle, giving the three an opportunity at a normal existence. They can live as people, not as freaks. They resist, though, because as much as they war with who they are, they are deep down proud of the life they've built together. Hal says it when he boasts to the Devil that if the Devil really wanted to win, he'd have put them together.

This is a very interesting observation, and one that feels right as the trio wakes up in one place, defeats their foe, and become human once more. It's everything they've wanted, the best of both worlds, not forgetting the trials they've been through, and also getting to be an average person again. This is the best possible ending for the characters and fans of the series.

But the writers are smart, too, leaving plenty of clues that the Devil may have actually won. We see the paper wolf on the mantle. The ritual to defeat the Devil was supposed to kill the trio, and somehow they survived as humans. Everything is a bit too perfect. This is the ultimate bad guy, and while a film where he is defeated once and for all might be cool, the ambiguous, creepy, sort of depressing ending is kind of neat, too, even if it never goes past this.

Plus, there's always the debate, if Hal, Tom, and Alex truly believe they have won, fooled or not, isn't that still a happy ending for them?

Being Human and "The Last Broadcast" additionally serve up a juicy part for Rook (Steven Robertson), too. He is the bureaucrat who believes in his supernatural-control department whole-heartedly. It's a shame the Devil is able to convince Rook that there must be sacrifice for the greater good, so Rook helps with evil deeds, but Rook's end goal is still a noble one. Rook even is willing to sacrifice himself, which stills holds meaning even if the sequence isn't real, because it fits his arc. This indicates he is a misguided savior, but still someone to remember fondly. It's a complex portrait, beautifully acted and written.

Everything about this final hour is well crafted. From the contrast between Hal's song and dance and his brutality, to the bringing back of former characters for the Devil's offers, to Tom's grief, to Alex's inner strength, to the banding together despite all of their ill will, these roles are served, and the result is incredibly entertaining. Even if this had been taken alone, "The Last Broadcast" stands well on its legs, besides being a pay off for the earlier install

It's a little sad that there are only scant references to George, Annie, Mitchell, and Nina, and yet, this isn't their story anymore. The fifth series is fully about Hal, Alex, and Tom, and so it makes sense for the finale to be about them, too. This is a whole different story, almost a whole different show, but it ends as it should. The finale is to be lauded.

Being Human has completed its run, but all five series are out on Blu-ray and DVD, so there is plenty of time to re-live it, or check it out if you haven't done so yet.