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Post by orokiah on Nov 14, 2009 17:24:24 GMT
Episode One
**Spoilers follow**
A decent start to the series, introducing a dislikeable bunch of ASBO-wielding teens who start off whining, moaning and swapping stories about how they ended up on community service, and end up with superpowers, a murderous secret, and no clue how to cope with either. It's grim, gritty and in parts downright depressing, but just about funny and polished enough to pull it off.
Lauren Socha (Jeremy Kyle Show escapee Kelly) and Robert Sheehan (cocky Irishman Nathan) were the standouts: Socha proving surprisingly vulnerable beneath her scraped-back hair and mouthy exterior as her character gained the ability to read minds, and Sheehan veering from immensely annoying to sympathetic to hilarious as he tormented the others, got kicked out of his home by his own mother, and wondered why he, alone among the fivesome, hadn't yet developed a superpower. He got all the best lines too: 'I'm pretty sure this breaches the terms of my ASBO', uttered as the group set about burying the bodies of their probation officer and his victim, was my favourite.
The storm that kicked it all off was well executed and visually striking - giant hailstones crashing to earth, crushing cars - and the series already has a definite look, with the characters' vivid orange jumpsuits set off against the ever present grey skies and storm clouds. Also liked Tony, the gang's long-suffering probation officer, who developed a murderous split personality, and the poignant image of shy Simon in the montage towards the end, standing at a bar apparently surrounded by friends, but actually invisible and standing amidst what he can't seem to have.
Killing off Tony so early on set up an arc for the series but seemed a bit of a waste - I'm guessing he'll be the supervillain of the piece and come back from the dead to torment them some more - and Kelly hearing her dog's thoughts was amusing but a tad cringeworthy. And I found the portrayal of Alisha's superpower - any man who touches her develops an uncontrollable lust for her - pretty disturbing, although perhaps that's the intention.
On this showing I think Misfits has got potential. I'll probably stick with it - if only to find out what superpower annoying-but-funny Nathan ends up with.
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Post by orokiah on Nov 24, 2009 14:38:32 GMT
Episode Two
**spoilers**
Misfits goes from strength to strength with a second episode that was even better than the promising first. Wickedly funny and surprisingly poignant: it managed to sneak in character development, as Nathan matures a little while remaining his obnoxious, wisecracking self, and even a bit of moralising, when he gets a lecture on his attitude to his mum's new boyfriend (with an amusing running gag in which he can't use the word), leading to the three of them reaching an awkward understanding at the end.
The revelation that Nathan's new lover is actually an octogenarian made young by the storm was a stonker of a twist (I saw it coming around the time she offered him a glass of sherry), despite attempts to conceal it with Ruth's very modern language and snazzy mobile phone - not entirely convincing looking back, although she was portrayed as young at heart enough to let it pass. Refreshingly there was no saccharine resolution to it all: when the old-again Ruth shuffles towards Nathan on her zimmer frame, he legs it, and can't bring himself to kiss her cheek when he finds she's passed away later, even though he clearly feels he should.
Nathan still shows no signs of developing a superpower - if he has one at all, my best guess at the moment is that it could be related to the way he's endlessly spinning wild stories and telling lies. Suspect it's a mystery that's going to be eked out for all it's worth, all the way to the series finale.
Other developments: the gang discover that they aren't the only ones who've developed weird abilities, Alisha continues to struggle with her deeply disturbing powers of seduction (surely at some point she's going to invest in a pair of gloves), Simon gets acquainted online with 'Shygirl18' and becomes an invisible peeping tom, and the gang receive messages from someone who knows about the murder - and it's strongly hinted at the end that it's their stand-in probation worker, Sally.
Really enjoying this series so far. Can't wait to see where it goes next.
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Post by orokiah on Nov 29, 2009 16:54:59 GMT
Episode Three
**as always, spoilers**
Another great episode. Not quite as ‘out-there’ as the previous two (unless you count Kelly’s nemesis/friend Jodie and her newly-revealed power to…make people bald), but a decent example of how well this series balances humour with serious issues and subtle character development. Alisha starts off having fun by prowling around, abusing her power of seduction, forcing Curtis and charity worker Ben – a guest turn by Hex’s Jamie Davis – to have sex with her, and later endures the flipside when she’s almost raped by both of them; a horrific scene that brings home the repercussions of her power, how damaged Alisha is, and ultimately, what a genuine guy Curtis is. There’s a really sweet romance now developing between them, with a side order of Rogue/Pushing Daisies-style ‘we can’t touch each other’ angst to go with it.
It looks like there’s also something brewing between acerbic Nathan and telepathic Kelly – loved the moment where they hugged each other in delight and then backed away in horror when they realised what they were doing – and shy, socially awkward Simon seems to think he’s in with a chance with his internet chat buddy ‘Shygirl18’, revealed this week to be probation officer Sally. We now know that Sally is indeed sending the messages to the gang, as she's investigating the disappearance of her boyfriend Tony and is – rightly, of course – convinced that the gang had something to do with it. Although Kelly seems to be softening towards him, the gang’s treatment of Simon is becoming pretty difficult to watch, especially as he’s the one with most of the brains. It can’t be long before he snaps, and the discovery that 'Shygirl18' is a plant who's stringing him along might just be the catalyst.
Curtis was the highlight of this week’s episode, with his understandable disgust at Alisha’s actions and later admission that she doesn’t need to use her superpower to make him attracted to her, because he’s ‘already there’. That he was also the one to save the gang by turning back time when Sally discovered the bodies in the boot of her car seemed fitting. Also loved Nathan desperately trying to stop Sally from looking in the boot after time rewinds...by throwing a brick at her windscreen. I loved Robert Sheehan’s gleeful delivery of his line in that scene:
Sally: ‘Are you mentally deficient’?
Nathan: ‘If I was mentally deficient, I’d have missed’
Brilliant stuff. And next week’s episode, focusing on Curtis trying to turn back time to reverse the drug rap that got him on community service and ruined his chances of competing at the Olympics, looks fantastic.
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Post by orokiah on Dec 5, 2009 17:25:42 GMT
Episode Four
**spoilers**
Another top episode, with a satisfying if well-worn exploration of the consequences of meddling with the past. The arrival of Curtis’ ex-girlfriend Sam, just as he’s embarking on a new relationship with Alisha, revives his regrets about them being caught with drugs: which led to Sam being charged with dealing and ending up in prison, and Curtis given community service, his hopes of competing in the 2012 Olympics in tatters. So he goes back to try to change things, and inevitably, something goes wrong with every attempt he makes, lending the episode a pleasingly Groundhog Day-style format.
In one timeline, Sam is killed by drug dealer Danny (a guest appearance by Hex star Stephen Wight), and in another all the gang bar Nathan are killed in probation worker Tony’s murderous rampage in the first episode – without Curtis being there to turn back time, there was nothing to save them. And when Curtis does the noble thing, sacrifices his hopes and dreams and goes back again to stop them dying, it turns out saving Sam from prison means she’s still his girlfriend. And so is Alisha. Oops.
Although this was a Curtis episode, his travels back in time gave us a glimpse of all the misfits, and their lives before the series began. It was rather implausible that all of them, plus Tony and Sally, happened to be at the club/bowling alley on the same night, but I still got a kick out of seeing their interactions; especially Curtis proving again what a decent guy he is by taking care of a drunken Kelly, and then playing it cool with a bewildered Alisha. Having all the characters present and correct might have been a bit contrived, but it was worth it for the indication it gave of how all their destinies are intertwined, and the deeper insight it allowed into some of them; particularly Sally, Tony and Simon, who goes from sympathetic when he’s cruelly rejected by a ‘friend’ who mistakenly invited him out for the night, to repellent when he almost assaults an unconscious and defenceless Kelly. Very interested to see where they go with him in next week’s Simon-centric episode.
Other things I liked: the nods to earlier episodes, revealing that Kelly’s engagement ring should have been Sally’s, and that Nathan really did get arrested for stealing some pick n mix (more or less); the cameo from Dexter Fletcher, playing Nathan’s father; and, as usual, pretty much everything Nathan, including him being the only one to survive Tony’s rampage even without Curtis there to help, and claiming that he was ‘lucky’. Just a throwaway line, or evidence that his superpower might be good luck, or even invincibility?..
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Post by orokiah on Dec 12, 2009 13:41:35 GMT
Episode Five
**spoilers**
We got more insight into Simon in this episode than any of the previous four, and it was well worth the wait. Iwan Rheon perfectly combines the shy awkwardness that makes Simon the most sympathetic of the leads with the creepy oddball undertones that make him the most enigmatic and unpredictable. The burgeoning relationship between Simon and Sally was both touching and beautifully played, and while it was all part of Sally's - quite understandable - scheme to uncover the truth about Tony's disappearance, there was wiggle room left for the possibility that she genuinely had grown to like Simon and regretted being forced to mislead him. It was all very tragic, and only ever going to end badly (of course, it might not have been as bad if Simon hadn't gone into a psycho rage at the discovery of Sally's betrayal, and she'd had a better plan than to lock herself in the building with him). So now there's another accidental death under the misfits' collective belt. Three bodies to dispose of in five episodes: they've had a busy old time.
The subplots were again entertaining diversions from the main event. At first it seemed Nathan's surreal obsession with the baby might have been a symptom of his own as yet unknown superpower, but turning it on its head and having it be the baby's power was a great twist. They're coming up with some fantastic wild and wacky, yet rooted in the everyday, superpowers for the guest stars of the series - first the alopecia sufferer who can turn people bald, now a baby rejected by its own father who makes other men desperate to play daddy. Not so sure about Kelly's ability to hear the baby's thoughts - like the dog in the first episode, it's amusing but downright bizarre - but I loved its telepathic siren call to Nathan: 'Be my daddy, be my daddy...' and disgusted rejection of him when he revealed his plans to feed it by foraging for berries in the woods.
Curtis has been one of the good guys throughout, and his story demonstrated that again. Faced with both Sam and Alisha as girlfriends after the time-warping events of last week's episode, he sets about dumping Sam. But every time he tries, it makes her cry, which makes him feel so guilty that it triggers his power - and rewinds time back to the start of the conversation. And when he eventually succeeds in making it stick (with some helpful advice from Nathan, presaging the fatherly role he takes to the baby, and a line from Spider-Man), he still decides to tell Alisha the truth. Loved the neat recap he gave of last week's episode, and all the timelines he created, while explaining, and Alisha's acceptance of it as just another weird and wonderful event in their new superpowered lives.
Another excellent episode. Can't wait to see next week's finale - the only pity is it had to come so soon.
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Post by orokiah on Dec 17, 2009 17:43:12 GMT
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Post by orokiah on Dec 21, 2009 13:20:00 GMT
Episode Six
**spoilers**
A great end to what's turned out to be a fantastic series. One by one the gang fall victim to Rachel, who's turning teenagers everywhere into cardigan-clad paragons of virtue using her power of speech, leaving only Simon and Nathan unscathed. While Simon retreats to the community centre, where he's keeping Sally's body in a chest freezer, Nathan dons a suit, grabs a water pistol and goes on the offensive, making a plea for individuality in a rallying call on the rooftop - from where he and Rachel both fall to their deaths. In the last, hilarious scene, Nathan wakes up in his coffin, the long-running mystery of his superpower finally resolved: he's immortal.
Finale it might have been, but this episode concluded almost nothing, and felt more like an hour's worth of set up for the next series. Although Nathan's power is now out in the open, there are endless questions about what exactly it involves, how he's going to get out of his grave (Kelly paying him a visit, reading his thoughts and digging him up seems the predictable answer) and how he's going to explain it away when he does. The gang might have a new nemesis in the shape of Sally's policeman friend - who also arrested Curtis - who's wandering around looking for her, and is bound to start questioning why both of their probation workers have now disappeared. And the identity of 'Superhoodie', who saved Nathan from the Virtuous and seems to be a proto-misfit judging from his orange outfit, remains unknown (could it be Gary, the sixth misfit, from the first episode? He's dead, as far as we know, but in misfit-land that's no barrier to a surprise resurrection).
With Curtis and Alisha in love but still unable to touch - pressing their hands together through a glass table was a sweet, touching moment for them - Kelly and Nathan getting ever closer, and Simon also seeming to nurse affection for the telepathic chav, there's plenty more to be explored in the characters and their relationships too. Simon has veered from sympathetic to creepy throughout, and this episode was no exception. Giving Kelly a film of Nathan was a kind gesture, but propping dead Sally up so he can stare at her while eating pizza was one of his weirdest moments yet. I'm also not convinced he didn't just let Nathan fall at the end (especially after discovering Nathan still doesn't know his name: 'Save me Barry!!!!'), or that he isn't going to go darkside at some point.
Here's hoping series two can live up to the remarkably high standard set by series one.
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Post by fenris on May 8, 2010 15:29:24 GMT
Misfits actresses Antonia Thomas (Alisha) and Lauren Socha (Kelly) are both interviewed in the current issue (#196) of SFX magazine.
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Post by orokiah on May 27, 2010 15:34:29 GMT
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Post by orokiah on Jun 17, 2010 19:26:55 GMT
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Post by orokiah on Jul 5, 2010 16:02:17 GMT
Misfits is getting a repeat run on Channel 4, starting this Saturday (10/07/10) at 10pm.
I've got the DVD, but I'll probably end up watching the lot all over again: it really is that good.
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Post by fenris on Oct 20, 2010 11:07:55 GMT
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Post by orokiah on Oct 28, 2010 13:39:26 GMT
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Post by orokiah on Nov 6, 2010 12:25:47 GMT
Hex star alert: Anna Wilson-Jones is guest-starring in episode two of the forthcoming second series of Misfits. Amber Sainsbury lookalike Evelyn Hoskins is also appearing in the first couple of episodes.
Also on the guest star front, I've just realised that the brilliant Downton Abbey's Lady Sybil - Jessica Brown-Findlay - is the same actress who played Rachel in the Misfits series one finale. Misfits and Downton Abbey - what a showreel that must make.
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Post by orokiah on Nov 16, 2010 14:52:28 GMT
Episode 2.1
**spoilers ahead**
Series one proved that Misfits, frank and near the knuckle as it is, is as formulaic in its own way as a show like Merlin or Smallville. Crucially, though, it has the verve and style to rise above it. So while it was a little disappointing to have the cliffhanger from series one - Nathan's demise/resurrection - dealt with so cursorily, it bodes well for the rest of series two that the opening episode got back on track so quickly, as if it or Nathan had never been gone.
The episode got Nathan out of his grave within the first five minutes, shunted his mother's reaction to him 'faking' his death off-screen, and swiftly moved on to the antics at the community centre involving the latest freak of the week: Lucy, an inky-eyed shapeshifter fixated with fellow former unit inmate Simon. A great performance by guest star Evelyn Hoskins - and all the main cast who had to impersonate her, impersonating them - but my favourite new character has to be the gang's latest probation worker, who's in possession of a fabulously dry wit, has no interest in reforming them, and is so laidback he's almost horizontal. Hopefully he'll last a bit longer than the previous two did.
Although there's mention of the ongoing investigation into the 'disappearance' of the gang's former probation workers, and Lucy now also knows the truth, it seems to have been pushed into the background as the throughline of the series in favour of the other holdover from the last: Super Hoodie, the mysterious masked man who's making a habit of intervening at crucial moments to save various members of the gang, and now has a black costume and a lair of his own; complete with clocks seemingly counting down to...something or other that's yet to be revealed.
All in all a great episode, right up there with anything in series one, and a really promising start. It's good to have it back.
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