TV Review: Being Human – “Eve of the War”

London, 2037.  New York has fallen and Earth belongs to the vampires.  The current reality is just as grim.  Nina is dead, killed by a vampire called Griffin and George (Russell Tovey) is not in a good place as he fervently guards his unnamed new born daughter.  Annie is not much better, barely coping with the loss of both her lover and best friend, as well as the dire situation at home with George and the baby.  Tom (Michael Socha) really wants to move in to the house with George and Annie (and Splodge as Annie names the baby) but will settle in the meantime for warning George of the coming storm.

Meanwhile, the vampires are becoming bolder as they brazenly take on new recruits and prepare to relieve the world of humanity.  Griffin (Alex Jennings) is mobilising his generals, warning of the impending arrival of The Old Ones and promising to gift them with George and Nina’s organic werewolf child.  He takes full credit for Nina’s murder, bragging that he “put her down” to punish the werewolf that killed John Mitchell and Windham.

We meet the Vampire Recorder, Regus (Mark Williams, Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films) and the ambitious and traitorous Cutler (Andrew Gower).  We also meet the deliciously sinister Fergus (Anthony Flanagan) and young vampire recruit Dewi (Darren Evans), who I really hope we’ll see again in the future.

Meanwhile, over in Southend-on-Sea, a vampire, a ghost and a werewolf live in a house together (stop me if you’ve heard this one before).  The aging werewolf Leo (Louis Maloney) has seen more full moons than you can ever imagine and it is his last days.  We meet Hal, the gorgeous vampire who is so much better looking than the promo photos ever reflected and the ghost Pearl (Tamla Kari) who seems to be a carbon copy of Annie really.  Wait, can you say ‘carbon copy’ when you’re talking about ghosts?

So begins the fourth season of the hit BBC series Being Human.   I don’t really think it is accurate any longer to call Being Human a drama-comedy because this is pretty dark stuff.  I love the scenes in the vampire nest and those featuring the resistance movement in 2037.

In fact, I pretty much loved everything about this episode.  I liked Griffin but I loved Fergus and am really happy that he’s becoming a series regular.  I really like Hal, even if the chemistry between him and Pearl is a little new and uncomfortable.  I don’t like Cutler but I don’t think you’re really meant to like him.  And finally, I love the whole crossover between Being Human and Terminator where Splodge = John Connor.  Or so I thought, we’ll have to see if that is who she really was.

Spoiler warning: do not read further if you have not seen Being Human – “Eve of the War”.  In fact, you might not want to read this even if you have.

I already knew that Aidan Turner wasn’t returning to Being Human when John Mitchell died at the end of season three.  When the start date for season four of Being Human was announced, we also found out that Sinead Keenan (who plays Nina) was not returning at all and that Russell Tovey (George) had announced that season 4 would be his last.  What I really, really did not expect was that we would lose George in the first episode.  I am heartbroken!  Russell Tovey – you will be sorely missed!  You were with us from the pilot and made Being Human the incredible show it is.

Despite being sad, I have to say that I was really impressed with the way they handled Sinead Keenan’s sudden departure and I thought the story was really well done.  George’s partial turning and subsequent death was really well done too.

I thought the introduction of the new characters was seamless and it lacked the awkwardness you often get in other mass cast introductions (I’m looking at you NCIS Los Angeles).

In a way, I am glad George left in the first episode because it means I don’t have to go the whole season dreading it and going into premature mourning.  In my eyes, the writers of Being Human have ever set a foo wrong so I am absolutely excited for the rest of the season with a brand new exciting cast.  

BBC Being Human - "Eve of the War" promo stills

 

 

 

 

All images © BBC / Touchpaper

Film Review: Haywire

It is such a pleasure to walk into a film with absolutely no expectations.  I knew nothing about Haywire before going to see it and my only request was that we see a blockbuster or action film as I wasn’t in the mood for a drama or comedy.

With an all-star line up including Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas and Channing Tatum, it is likely that I would have wanted to see this film but check out the tagline on the poster. 

“They Left Her No Choice” has to be the crappiest tagline ever and it really doesn’t give credit to how seriously newcomer Gina Carano kicks ass in this film.  Similarly, the description on IMDB is pretty rubbish too – who was marketing this film??

“A black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission.”

That kind of describes the last three minutes of the film, not the 90 minutes that comes before it.  Let’s try that again, shall we?

Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) is indeed a black ops soldier and a pretty lethal one too.  The film starts with her looking pretty mean and banged up as she waits in a diner in New York state.  Something is definitely not right when a man named Aaron (Channing Tatum) arrives and within moments he throws steaming hot coffee in Mallory’s face.  Which is around the time Mallory starts kicking ass and she doesn’t stop until the end of the film.

The film actually begins in the middle of the story and after beating up Aaron, Mallory carjacks fellow diner Scott (Michael Angarano, 24) and begins to tell him the story.

After a seemingly standard rescue operation in Barcelona, Mallory returns home, only to be dispatched straight away to another mission in Dublin. 

  

  

It is meant to be a simple babysitting job and Mallory meets up with fellow black ops operative Paul (Michael Fassbender) and they go undercover as a power couple.  The mission seems to be on track until Mallory makes a startling discovery which sheds a new light on the Barcelona mission and it doesn’t take long for her to realise that she is in fact the intended target on this mission.

  

So begins a game of cat and mouse as Mallory is pursued across the rooftops of Dublin.  There are some fantastic urban scenes and gravity-defying parkour.  The best thing about the acrobatics is that Gina Carano performed her own stunts and the scenes are really exhilarating.

The action moves on to New York state which is where we were at the beginning of the film.  Mallory quickly learns of the depth of the betrayal and the plot against her and she beats up a lot of deserving chaps along the way.

I really love Bill Paxton and I really enjoyed him in his role as Mallory’s father.  It was great seeing Ewan McGregor playing a real sleaze ball as Mallory’s ex-lover / handler Kenneth as opposed to his usually boring nice guy characters.  Michael Angarano was great as Scott (and a real trooper considering what happened to his BMW) and the real star of the film was Channing Tatum in his role as Aaron.

Haywire wasn’t perfect though and I didn’t really get Kenneth’s motives for being an asshat.  That part of the plot was weak, it was all a bit shaky and it definitely brought the film down a notch.  I also found Gina Carano’s acting to be a bit strange at times and got the impression that she might me a dancer or singer who had moved into acting. 

There was nothing wrong with her acting as such and I absolutely related to the character of Mallory Kane but she seemed to be underacting at times, as if she was deliberately trying not to overact.  Anyway, it turns out that Gina Carano is a former American Gladiator and that makes complete sense to me.  I definitely think she’s got a great future ahead of her and look forward to her bringing her relaxed style and great stunts to future films.

I give Haywire 7/10.

TV Review: Merlin – “His Father’s Son”

As season four of BBC’s Merlin nears it midpoint, “His Father’s Son” opens with Merlin being pursued, while wearing the full regalia of a knight of Camelot.   It is a trap and as Merlin’s pursuers close in on him, they suddenly find that they are surrounded by the real knights of Camelot.  They have caught a band of armed men trespassing on their land but this is no ordinary troupe.  It turns out that the leader of the men is no other than His Royal Highness, King Caerleon.  Forever the source of dark intentions, Agravaine remarks to Arthur that they would never have taken such bold chances when Uther was king and that Arthur needs to assert his authority on his land and send a message of his strength.  Agravaine counsels Arthur to give Caerleon an offer he can only refuse and that the only response therefore would be to kill him.

Warning: spoilers throughout this review.  Do not read further if you have not watched this episode.

Merlin balks at the idea and desperately tries to reel in Arthur’s moral compass.  The type of action he is contemplating can only leave a stain on his soul if carried out.

Merlin:  “Arthur, you've always shown mercy in battle. You've never sought to humiliate your enemy in this way. This isn't like you. This isn't who you are”.

Arthur:  “You have no idea what it is to make these decisions. Decisions that will shape the future of this land”.

Merlin fails and Caerleon is executed but at what price will this shallow victory come?

It is clear that Arthur feels the need to prove himself, to step out from under his father’s shadow.  In his crisis of confidence, he is pushing Merlin away and is instead accepting advice from Agravaine.  He distances himself from his normal compassion and bravery as he struggles to become something he is not, something he thinks people want him to become. 

Meanwhile, Agravaine once again displays his true colours by telling Arthur to stop seeing Guinevere, a servant. 

Agravaine:  “She's a beautiful woman Sire and possessed of many fine qualities, I have no doubt. But she is a servant”.

Arthur:  “That doesn't matter to me”.

Merlin has always approached this storyline with care but the theme of an enduring love between people from such vastly different stations in life has been central to the show.  Who could ever forget that incredible first kiss in "The Once and Future Queen"?  There are parallels here to the age-old prejudice and discrimination against not only class but also race and I was interested to see how it would be handled.  I was greatly disappointed then when Arthur seemed at first to resist Agravaine’s notions but later broke off relations with Gwen (Angel Coulby), telling her that their relationship is “not appropriate”.  Thankfully, Gwen sees straight through his insecurity and guesses that he is receiving advice from somebody else.  More assertive and impressive than ever before, Gwen delivers an incredible parting speech:

Gwen:  “Don't let anyone tell you what to do. You said you are your own man. You have a good heart. Be true to it. Only then will you be the king you want to be”.

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In the meantime Caerleon’s widow Queen Annis (Lindsay Duncan) has received his body and realising he was executed, departs immediately for Camelot to exact her revenge.   Ever the scourge, Morgana enters Queen Annis’s camp and schemes with her to defeat Arthur. 

War descends upon Camelot as Queen Annis’s army marches.  They have Morgana but as Gaius says, Arthur is not alone.  Gwen remarks that she knows that but she is not sure that Arthur does.  She is right, Arthur is on a slippery path as he pushes his true friends away and seeks counsel in Agravaine.  Perhaps his turning point is when Sir Elyan (Adetomiwa Edun) and the rest of the knights pledge their bravery and support:

Elyan:  “We just want you to know there isn't a man among us who would not die for you. We made our pledge and we wear the Pendragon crest with pride. Tomorrow, we fight in your name, Sire. For freedom and justice in this land”.

Arthur realises that he has made a grave mistake, that he has brought war to Camelot and that his men must pay for it with their lives.  He steals into Annis’s camp and evokes the right of single combat.  If her man loses, she will withdraw her army and leave his lands.  If his man loses in this trial by combat, Queen Annis will gain half the lands of Camelot. 

On hearing of Arthur’s deal, the knights of Camelot step forward, eager to fight for Arthur but he insists on being the champion (a decision he is no doubt regretting when he meets the seven-foot tall monster Darian).

There is so much to like about “His Father’s Son”.  Prolific British actress Lindsay Duncan was fabulous as Queen Annis, showing a great degree of strength, leadership ad wisdom becoming of a queen.  I enjoyed the themes of friendship and bravery and I especially liked the sword fight.  I love that once again, it was Merlin who saved the day and the whole of Camelot too. 

I truly dislike Morgana and Agravaine though.  I hate every second that they are on screen and literally want to jump through the screen and strangle Agravaine each time I see his smug face.  This is due in no small part to the excellent acting by both Katie McGrath and Nathaniel Parker, they absolutely own these roles and present my most hated villains of all time.  I have to admit though, Morgana gets better looking with every episode!

I also really disliked the scene where Arthur breaks up with Gwen.  I was absolutely disappointed and had to wonder why the writers did that.  Thankfully, I was more than pleased later in the show although I have to admit that I would not have been so quick to take Arthur back!

And the line of the episode goes to Queen Annis, speaking to Morgana:

Queen Annis:  “You are consumed by bitterness, Morgana. It spreads within you like a disease. In my grief, I let you infect me with your hate”.

All images © 2011 BBC