Review: Being Human 3.7: Though the Heavens Fall

"Another barbarity? Bloody Southerner."

Series creator Toby Whithouse returns for the final two episodes of this so far tremendous third series, as we march on ever closer to the series finale. Our penultimate tale at times feels a little sluggish, but in its stronger moments manages to catch the tension that the series has built up so excellently this year. It's a bit of a mess; an often jarring mix of comedic asides and stark dramatic tension.

    After the MacNairs decide to stay at the B&B for a while on account of Daddy MacNair's injured leg, Annie gets all investigative and tries to clear Mitchell's name by "inviting" police officer Nancy for a third visit to the house. This doesn't end well; Nancy works out that Mitchell is lying and serupticiously takes a sample of his DNA. When this sample is sent to the labs, Police superior Cooper reveals that it matches with the Box Tunnel 20 and reveals his vampiric nature, but before he can convert Nancy she is saved by a suddenly corporeal Annie, who is obviously feeling betrayed after working out Mitchell's lies. Mitchell is arrested by the police and despite his struggling his picture is taken, blowing his secret into the open.

Cooper tricks Nancy

     Meanwhile upstairs, Herrick was growing ever more deranged, nearly killing Nancy and facing Nina with his fears about Mitchell. When MacNair confronts him about the events which led to his lycanthropic curse - notably, being the survivor in a vampire-run werewolf cage fight - and transforms, Herrick's thirst for blood is ressurected. After massacreing the house, Herrick confronts Nina and seems to spare her, but stabs her at the last second. We're left to wonder whether Nina's and her baby will surive.

     Despite the shambles, we're left with a satisfying and gripping pre-finale scenario, one that's well-acted and written. That said, Annie is given a serious Idiot Ball this week as she doesn't seem to see the consequences of letting someone take a picture of a vampire. It's the writing that's at fault here and not, as I've often said, Lenora Crichlow. Also improved was Sinead Keenan as Nina, who this week I felt put across a much more sympathetic and human character. 

"But... you were kind to me."

     I was a little disappointed with how the MacNairs were put on the back foot for the majority of the episode; there wasn't even any interaction between them and Nancy to join the dots. It's like the revelations in The Pack haven't made any difference; Thomas is still the raised-by-wolves man-child slaving away under his vampire-hating father. It's very rare that Being Human so blatantly ignores character development like this, so I can let it pass, but it's not a good omen for the finale.
     "Though the Heavens Fall" wasn't perfect; it was enjoyable to watch and it set us up quite well for the finale. However, its problems, like MacNair's leg, need seeing to urgently - most notably the odd charactisation issues. I look foward to the finale.
      Notes: Amy Manson's character, Daisy, has been killed off-screen after her Outcasts fiasco, and I love this episode's ironic soundtrack, with songs like, "Hunger Like The Wolf" and "History's Repeating".

Thanks.