Review: Fades 1.4

Polus (Joe Dempsie) monologues to Paul.

The beginning of the second half of this painfully short series promised to send the show in a darker direction. Instead of the stready buildup that I expected, the episode instead used the first three episodes as background on characterisation and spent a lot more time on the mythos. It's this style that I think is making the series feel quite off, but that's merely because I'm not really familiar with it. Besides that, this week provided everything I've come to expect from Fades and much, much more.
     The beginning of the episode saw Paul declared braindead, his Fade now active in the hospital. At the same time, the newly human Polus integrated himself back into humanity, learning to speak again (after spending half the episode with gutteral grunts) and then tracking down Paul. After a chase, Polus traps Paul on a roof, and explains how he was one of the first to become a Fade after the "ladder" to the Above was destroyed by the Second World War. In exchange for his freedom, Polus demands that Paul show him the bunker where the Angelics supporting Neil (as two had left his side) were keeping Natalie, who herself was breaking into life. The following assault on the bunker saw two of the Angelics die and Polus found to be immortal. Joe Dempsie is brilliant as the unnervingly alien Polus, from his inital animalistic growls to his monologue cateloguing the plight of the Fades since 1943. I loved how his character initally appears normal and the script relies on Uncanny Value to provide inital characterisation.
     Paul's family, however, continued to mourn his "death", as they prepared to turn off his life-support machine. Daniel Kaluuya was especially brilliant in Mac's intoned longing, truly capturing the nature of their relationship. Even the opening recount by Kaluuya saw that side of his character, which I think was an excellent touch. It's this love for his friend that gets the other Angelics' attention. They discover that Anna is his twin, and the episode climaxes with them using part of her soul to bring Paul back to life in a shower of moths. In a way this made his death feel rather pointless, but in a way it was essential both for the plot to proceed (so we could meet Polus without fear of death) and for the character to develop in the way it has. For a section in the middle of the episode the audience is very much led to believe that Polus is right and the Angelics are the murderers.

Neil (Johnny Harris) is betrayed.

     Mark's storyline was more focussed on Sarah this week, and it led me to wonder about where their tale is heading. Overall, it saw Sarah become frustrated with both the police, for questioning and then releasing her husband, and then with Mark himself who admitted to her that he didn't want to live knowing that she was always there, unable to touch him. To this end she ended the episode by telling a disheartened Neil that he had to fight on, and that she was ready to eat flesh and become like their enemies. I've always been cynical of The Tudors, but it can be said that it went distinctly downhill after Natalie Dormer left. I think this is a much better proof of her acting chops, as she skitted between subtle desperation and despair.
      Fades changes at such a brilliant and exciting pace, and it's so refreshing to see a drama like it on British television. It's really a shock sometimes to see such a brilliant set of scripts, actors and performances put together like Fades, and despite a somewhat slow start I am incredibly intrigued and relieved that the show hasn't undergone a mid-series slump.

Thanks.