Being Human

Season 1 – 90% – Everything in the supernatural genre has been said in recent years, and every newcomer must try an approach that will at least slightly differentiate them. And Toby Whithouse wrote his series from the world of darkness and blood and attempted it... in a completely ordinary, human, and civil way. At times, it really seems that Mitchell, George, and Annie will play out their stories purely through dialogue, small jokes, and interpersonal interactions with neighbors, acquaintances, friends, or lovers. But then there wouldn't be the gang around the slimeball Harrick, which frames their efforts with a clash with a group of (how else but completely elegantly) acting bloodsuckers. Because I expected mostly light entertainment from this haunted house, I remain shocked at how successful it was even in more serious aspects. A unique achievement that surprises with each subsequent storyline. Season 2 – 90% – More serious, bloodier, bigger. And damn more depressing. In the opening episode, the BBC gave me quite a few wrinkles because there was very little left of the original concept, perhaps only the main characters. The plot felt like a really bloody horror, and the motivations of the supporting characters felt unnecessarily rushed. But it was just a matter of getting used to it and accepting the fact that the life path on which a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost are embarking has taken a significantly darker direction. A direction in which tears or a genuinely suffocating emotional atmosphere are not far away, but the viewer's reward is all the more substantial. In the end, I just sat there exhausted and nodded in admiration for the diversity of genres that can be squeezed into eight episodes. It is hard to say how long such a specific spectacle can continue, but at this moment (partly also for the incredible courage of putting this into prime time) Being Human lands the highest rating. Season 3 – 100% – From the initial trip to the other world to the devastating conclusion, it may be the most engaging thing the British TV world has ever offered me. The way the central gang, along with the episodic cast, has matured in their acting and the boundaries the uncompromising screenplay forces them to push constantly made me sit on the edge of my seat, frozen, and only occasionally wipe away beads of sweat. The price for humanity is sometimes unattainably high, and anxieties, crimes, and all the bad things from the past tend to appear just when vampires, ghosts, or werewolves need them the least. At the very end, I could only silently admire the perfect gradation and fear that now the entire supernatural coexistence can only go downhill. But the ending shouldn't have been a surprise. Season 4 – 100% – The more complex the situation facing main creator Toby Whithouse was, the more admirably he dealt with it. It was really a close shave and the whole concept collapsing in his hands at a critical moment, but he held it together, revived it, and brought it to a completely captivating chapter. With Hal comes a rough and hard-to-tame force, which, thanks to the contrast with Damien Molony's certain elegance, becomes the surprising highlight of the entire eight-episode season. And while I don't usually demand naturalistic moments from a series, they fit perfectly in the fight against an ancient prophetic prophecy. In a sense, this season is the end of an era. And I was just trembling, hoping the quality would remain this high even in the officially last season. Season 5 – 85% – The rating is weaker than in previous years, but that by no means makes it a poor relative. On the contrary, it is precisely the fact that this coda, with its surprisingly far-fetched plot based on a battle against absolute evil, brought the whole effort to a honest and mood-perfect ending, that cements Being Human as an unforgettable achievement, and ultimately one of my favorite supernatural TV worlds. The final airing is filled with painfully gained experiences or sad failures, but even more apparently than ever before, it exudes an effort to be more humane than humans themselves. While in the first seasons, it was more about trying just to live and handle your own skeletons in the closet; the last two seasons are about the burning desire to change something. And that is admirable, captivating, and incredibly moving – but above all, terribly difficult. (23.06.2014) (weniger) (mehr)