Review: Being Human 3.2: Adam's Family

"You know what I feel? Hungry."

Brian Dooley, this episode's writer, has one previous Being Human credit; 1.4, where he created the idea of Vampire Porn. Similarly perverted concepts are present in this episode, which suffers from the typical issues that plague Being Human on the whole, but also brings along its own, as if the episode is a private plot-hole garden party. So far, this series has depicted the Welsh as a bunch of sexual deviants, something which both irks and offends me.
     The point of the episode was essentially as a back-door pilot for an online spin-off show (see below) starring the titular Adam, a 46-year-old Vampire stuck with the body and mentality of a horny 16-year-old. He's played by child star Craig Roberts; ironic, as his last role was as a "breather" in the three series of CBBC show Young Dracula. Needless to say that he works brilliantly with the material given to him, which puts his irritating character arc soley down to that very writing. It wasn't clever, it wasn't gritty - it was just a basic demonisation of the teenage stereotype.
     With George and Nina tied up with Adam, Mitchell and Annie were left to rather jarringly form UST and, for the former in particular, to brood and be frightened. Local vampire agent Richard tracks Mitchell down and passes on the message of the Vampire Elders, who are mighty pissed at what Mitchell's been doing. They want to send him on a slow boat to South America, which, judging by all the death-threats coming out of the television, he's pretty eager to jump upon. But then, of course, he's got his sudden relationship with Annie to consider.

A gorrilla is one thing. This is another entirely.

     Meanwhile, in hospital, Adam's 80-odd dad dies, leaving him without a food source. Having heard that Richard's family has a good food supply, they go to their stately home and discover the truth; the family feed on a leather-bound gimp who enjoys being fed upon. Leaving Adam to his happy devices, the two doubting werewolves return to save the boy from the ritual they're about to put him through - namely, killing the gimp and then having sex with Richard's wife Emma on the billiards table.* Adam chooses to leave, and is sent off on a train somewhere North.
     The main episode was, quite simply, a shambles. The Mitchell subplot was incredibly dull, and the main ridiculous. While it did manage to express some of the complexities of the teenage mind, it eventually fell back on the horrendous stereotype that this group is subject to. Kevin and Perry, eat your heart out. Even the message about parenting was skewered by the fact that Adam eventualy just grew up in a heartbeat. It wasn't captivating, or overtly interesting beyond the bile fascination of seeing how low the episode can sink. Other Pet Peeves this episode include the ever more annoying Lenora Crichlow and the inconsistancy of Mitchell's condition. Also, gimps? Doggers? Is this really what the show has fallen to?

The cast of Becoming Human.

     On a more positive note, the actual 12 minute pilot of Becoming Human was far better written than the actual episode. Adam was much more bearable, new love interest and werewolf Christa (Leila Mimmack) was portrayed as a realistically moody teenager, and the comic relief character, ghost Matt (Josh Brown), was by far more identifiable and funny than anything in the current series of its parent show.
      Being Human is beginning to feel bereft of life, an ironic situation considering its content but a valid comment none-the-less. There's none of the fun, none of the chirpy sitcom ideas that made the series watchable. The show and its characters are designed for a comedy drama, and the absense of the former is beginning to show.

Thanks.