Review: Misfits 1.3

Alisha gets ready to use her power for a night on the town.

God, is it the middle of the series already? Episode Three is quite mixed, a dull blade in an otherwise sharp series. It isn't that the plot, which is spread out over Alisha, Kelly and Simon, is particularly bad in any way; the problem really belongs in the episode's lack of focus or punch. Regardless, this week's episode managed to advance a lot of plotlines that were stilted by last week's Nathan smorgesboard.
     This episode's main labour was to give some much needed development to Alisha. At this point in the series the character comes across as (and, quite frankly, is) a shallow whore, and that doesn't make a sympathetic character. What results is quite an interesting interpretation of her situation, watching her first exploit her powers in an nightclub and then watching the negative aspects as she is unable to have a meaningful physical relationship with Curtis. My only bug here is that the character doesn't change that much - she's still immature and sex-obsessed, except this time she has to find other means of doing the deed.
     Much more interesting, if absurd, tales were to be found elsewhere. Simon's moments throughout the episode were scattered and subtle because of it, and Iwan Rheon's acting is what makes it so real. Just the ten second shot of Simon sitting alone and invisible in the changing rooms has evoked even philosophical thought from some reviewers. The episode also revealed that "shygirl" is their probation worker Sally, who was Tony's fiance. The other strand saw Kelly affected by previous assault victim Jodie, whose alopecia led her to develop the ability to make other people temporarily bald. Despite the mildly comical element, it felt good for her character, which gets stereotyped elsewhere.

Balded Kelly (left) and Jodie (right) have a heart-to-heart.

      The group-plot was a very loose and swiftly managed dilemma where Simon, upon wandering to the Underpass, finds that construction workers are busy digging up the ground where the two bodies from the centre are buried. After some time-travel solved tension, the group bury the bodies in concrete. More or less sorted, then.
     Excepting the "shygirl" element and the permanent burying of the bodies, the episode didn't hold much actual weight. Howard Overman has often been about Character over Plot, and that is nowhere more obvious than here. It's always been a major benefit of British Brevity that we're able to cram a lot more plot and drama into a shorter series, avoiding the long, drawn-out messes that can occur with some US shows (e.g. Heroes Series 2 and 4). It feels a waste, then, that the plot here was so subtley done it was rendered intangible.
          If 1.3 had some cohesive narrative, something to definitely strive toward, then it might just manage to be one of the more compelling episodes so far. But it just doesn't, instead presenting itself as a fruit-salad of plot scraps left over from the premise. Not a good sign. But the next episode makes up for it, surely? Join me next week and we'll find out.

Thanks.