h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Some of the dialogue will stay with me, for one reason or another. I quite liked the 'world's gayest ninjas' line from George.

WOW!!!

That episode was just fantastic!!!

How do they keep doing it?

I *LOVE* where they are going with the wolf, this series. It's not just like George's Id unhinged, but an entirely separate entity living within him.

I mean, that's kind of been implied, George as the victim and all that but what they did in the scene with the lemon sorbet, where it was just ...lurking - just out of left field - a scene about Annie was ultimately about George and his demon.

To go from that, to the whole anger management issue so so much better than last weeks Real Hustle in joke, George's disarming frankness just left no room for misinterpretation: "he got off the bus."

And then the Tourettes - that was genius, if it can't come out in one way it comes out in others - and to go from the implied violence to actual violence and then despair. George's emotional arc was just awesome.

Not for the first time I find myself desperately wanting to give half the charcters in this show a hug to try and make them feel better. Especially Sykes, poor guy.

I like how they are developing Annie's ...erm..powers.

We saw a little of that last season (*cough* Finale *cough*) but this whole business with telekinesis and aura reading is taking that a lot further.

Syke's funereal wit about the man in the park just made that real without having to resort to some awkward and tacky special effect.

This looks and feels like a stage play that escaped into the real world.


I've also decided this smiley looks like Annie and is preferable to

So, not a lot going on with Mitchell this week his double dealing with Ivan, and I did like his appeal to Ivan's nihilism to try and win him over. Mitchell as the master manipulator.

Of more import was the scene towards the end in front of the light board, with Professor / Doctor Lucy Jaggert - on the light board Mitchell is clearly identified as a vampire. This 20 questions, dancing around the bush, she *knows*: no question.

Also did anyone spot Owen's photo stuck up there? I'm sure he's going to reappear at some point here.

Well so that's an easy from me.

This show is just incredible! (the other) Ivan - you've got some great TV to look forward to!

Glad to hear it - there's absolutely nothing on tonight, and I expect that to continue for the next few months...

Have I been missing something? I watch it on Fridays on BBC3. Is that the repeat?

I wasn't so taken by the first two, but last Friday's was good (episode 3???) was good, I thought.)

It's shown on Sunday's and repeated at various points during the week.

Last night's was S02E04, and it was bloody splendid.

So hands up who cried when George was sat alone, watching the tape of him asleep in the cage? I was in floods. The focus in on RT's beautiful blue eyes. That'll stay with me.

After episode 3 left me somewhat cold, this was a stunning return to form: there wasn't a single thing that I wasn't blown away by.

The return of the group dynamic was particularly welcome: first of all with Annie and her two 'dads' and then the trio after George's sleepy wolf night. I've missed it so far this series and it was wonderful to see it back.

Every single scene with Annie in was a revelation: developing her powers, defeating the Men Behind The Door without diminishing their in scariness, seeing the wolf inside George and particularly her last conversation with Sykes. It showed that Annie won't become static, that she'll continue to develop.

Unlike last week, I enjoyed Mitchell's subplot, though that might have something to do with Ivan - the tactic Mitchell used to bring him to the group was sheer genius. Ivan's response was similarly awesome. And a huge round of applause for the way they're dealing with Professor Jaggert - very nicely done.

One of the things that makes the show truly spectacular is how much care and attention is given to minor or one-episode characters: Sykes, Saul, the kid who was turned/saved by Mitchell. All of them well-written and portrayed by truly skilled actors. Adds so much to the show.

Roll on next week.

>a huge round of applause for the way they're dealing with Professor Jaggert - very nicely done.<

Something occurred to me earlier. Her face-saving: "Know we know the change can happen while the subject is unconscious." was the set-up for George, but the episode then shifted and we saw what happened to George and why it ain't so simple as all that. So does that mean that Nina has been in real mood too? I expect some fall out from that next week.

I found it very interesting that the prof isn't the head of the organisation and am wondering who it is that scary man really works for (well, obv it is going to be some church organisation, but which one?). And interesting that her stuff on the evil gene wasn't really driving her, that she'd kinda left off it, until scary man picked up on it. I think she's seeing that perhaps the whole evil/good thing isn't that clear cut which is why she is so intrigued by Mitchell.

Both Annie and George showed the same sort of 'nice until pushed too far' thing this ep. Well done in both cases. George finally flipping at the pervy boss man was good and reminiscent of the first ep of the first series (although he's never seemed to have that sort of pre-change strength when the vamps pick on him).

Oh and the STFU and swear words in the TEFL class - methinks someone on the team has either taught or been in one!

I suspect Lucy may end up having to make a choice between her work and Mitchell. And there is clearly a *lot* more to go with Annie - which ties in with some of the series hints I have read - though nothing specific. For once I ain't bothering to read the spoilers, too much fun watching it fresh!

I'm also finding Ivan's story quite interesting. Clearly his issue is that he has forgotten how to feel and is intrigued by 'feelings' and wants them back but can't have them. Wonder where that will lead...

Ah. So I'll be seeing episode 4 on Friday. La-la-la fingers in ear until then.

s'on iPlayer now if you're bored...

We may well watch it tonight. The kids stay up later on Fridays, and it's Not Really Suitable. Swearier than Twilight for starters.

"Swearier than Twilight for starters"

Especially this episode!
But then it has a plot not made out of mushy peas so I guess swings and roundabouts...

'My folks went skiing in Couvent de la Tourette and all I got was this f***ing t-shirt.'

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187258-d566238-Reviews-Couvent_de_la_Tourette-Rhone_Alpes.html

Wow. Herrick!! I missed that grinning psychopath.

yep, was glad to see him back - along with evidence that even vampires suffered the curse of 70s hair fashions

Interesting to see how Mitchell met Josie and then playing that of him and Lucy - deffo getting rather complicated his story!

George was annoying again, come back Nina, please!

And Annie and the baby - erm, what? I mean, not bad, but I didn't quite get the ppoint of it (although the toaster moment made me laugh!). Actually, that was quite a humourous episode outside the vampire the story.

While it wasn't as stellar as last week, I still thoroughly enjoyed that.

It was great to see Herrick back, he really is a superb villain: the banality of evil as Ed said a while back. And good to see Mitchell has always struggled with his nature. More good stuff with Professor Jaggart.

One issue I did have with the Mitchell storyline is why he didn't simply get Ivan to do the deed: he'd have done it happily.

George was kind of incidental this week, and I really miss Nina: I think George is a bit of a sap without her. I was completely with Mitchell telling him to get real and to recognise he needed Nina.

I really liked Annie's story, I liked how it built upon what Sykes said last week: that Annie would start seeing life as though through a pane of glass. She can watch others and even participate a bit, but she can never truly feel. I had a tear in my eye when she sat by the door, half smiling, half crying. And the baby/toaster thing made me laugh out loud.

Last weeks episode was a hard act to follow, but this one did it well.

I thought this week's was a bit of a mixed bag: there's was stuff in there that I really liked and stuff that just seemed a touch pointless. Unlike S1, where it didn't feel like a single scene was wasted, there've been a few this series that just fell flat.

Annie now has the power to get me teary every week: superb casting with her mum who looked remarkably like her, and was a fantastic actor as well. I really like the ambiguity of the door, whether it's good or evil - when the wetsuit guy (incidentally ) went through it he seemed happy, at peace, so it's not a completely evil or scary thing.

George's stuff with rebound girl just wound me up. I want Nina back and I want her back now. Rebound girl's daughter had some good lines though.

Enjoyed the flashback with Kemp and his family. Was it just me or did his daughter look quite a bit like Professor Jaggart? If so, that adds an extra level of creepy to their relationship. The Prof's moral dilemma was well-played out too. Also, did anyone else think that with all the candles and the red, the chapel looked rather hellish?

Finally, it was nice to see the vampire storyline head towards it's climax. Ivan was good value for money, as always, and I think there's going to be a massacre next week.

Only two eps left to go, I can't wait for them.

Pretty much agree HI.
Prof was interesting - the lines she was saying were very much the sort of lines religious conversion types look for - the whole 'I want to be better' stuff. And yes, clearly Kemp's religion and tragedy have mixed to create a very apocalyptic world view. I think he's a man who has cut off his emotional side cos it hurts too much and replaced it with hate, hence his inability to properly console the prof. And yes, I suspect there will be retribution from the vamps. I wonder if Ivan dies? If so that'd be a big deal in vampire circles.

Annie's story was really well done I thought, they're rreally throwing the development storylines at her aren't they?

And George. Yes, I think they may have overplayed the rebound storyline, but my only caveat on that is the daughter. She is extremely precocious and either she is merely trying to get her mum back to herself or she's something else altogether and playing her own game. Her comment about her mum being on the 'yellow table' really seemed to be out of place unless she has other angle. And her comment about dog breath and so forth. I wonder if she knows full well what George is? Not convinced but it could go that way. She is turning into rather a good character, very confident and manipulative.

Oh and Ivan's 'everyone should have their Daisy' speech was rather a good bit too, the turn on a six pence thing cos it is for love from such a nihilistic character.

I too loved Ivan's "turn on a six pence thing because it was for love." The uses they put his nihilism to continue to impress me.

I was wondering if it was him who cleared away the Chief Constable's body, since Mitchell basically ran away and ended up sleeping with Lucy then skipping back home to Annie and George.

I think Mitchell is going to put two and two together - the only other person he told about the meeting was Lucy and Ivan - and Ivan pushed him out of the way of the bomb.

Did Ivan survive - did Daisy? Oooh exciting.

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From the preview Nina is back in it next week. and I get George's whole determination to lead an normal life but I am finding his story just a tad annoying. The highlight so far was his coming to terms with the wolf, and we've sort of meandered away from that.

His: "The 27th? I ...er...can't I'm er... yes.. tobogganing" was yes...George disassembling but a bit cringe-inducing.

I don't enjoy cringing

Also that was one horribly self-aware 11 year old.


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Annie's development has continued to be strong this year with Sykes and The Door, shes now getting into something like a Sam Becket mantle, helping the disenfranchised and dead of Bradford.


Points for discussion: are they breaking up the team? There's been the theme this eyar of everyone for various reasons growing apart and wanting to leave the hosue in one way or another.

Will they climax out on series two a la Life on Mars / Fawlty Towers?

Should they?

well, some of that is answered if you know anything about the 3rd series