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

Ah I was keeping myself chaste and virginal.

There's a 3rd series? Glorious.

oh I've not read much of it but I know it exists (or will do) and one other pertinent fact about it so all in all I'm guessing they won't all die or scatter to the corners of the globe otherwise it wouldn't be much of a series!

p.s. have you noticed how much the beeb is flogging this now?
Caught a bit of some goth academic on history of vampires (starting with Dracula - um, yeah, bit older than that) but they were doing clips of Mitchell as much as clips from twilight and nosferatu and so on. They clearly consider Being Human to be the quirky cult side of the current vampire fad.

Been avoiding putting spoilers in as much as possible, but it's just impossible to talk about last night's ep without them.

So they went for a lighter tone this episode then?

I should have seen it coming that Daisy would be the catalyst for the killing spree: her and Ivan really were a fascinating couple. He didn't feel anything, while she seems to work on sensation alone. His actions and movements were always calm and measured and deliberate while hers seem more impulsive and emotional. That was an interesting dynamic and it's a shame we didn't see more of them together. In general I'm very sad to see Ivan go, he was a superb character.

I just love watching Daisy move, I can't put my finger on why, but I can't seem to take my eyes off her. She never seems to sit in a chair normally either: it's like she's tense and ready to spring. I like her sense of humour too - telling the coroner off for being rude but making sure she got the 'I told you so' to Mitchell in first.

Annie's stuff was great, though she didn't make me cry this week. I like the flashes of her power, dragging George up the stairs and being unable to be exorcised. The banter she had with the psychic was a nice bit of levity in an unrelentingly dark episode.

Huzzah for Nina being back and George dumping rebound girl with the irksome daughter. Russell Tovey and Sinead Keenan are easily the best actors in the series and the chemistry between them is awesome. Their scene with Kemp was fascinating. I think I finally understood the purpose of rebound girl, and it was probably glaringly obvious to everyone else much earlier, but I finally got that George was using her to deny his werewolf nature. The contrast with him denouncing Kemp and his methods, and then going straight to his new house was well done.

I'm not going to say much about Mitchell, partially because I don't find his character that interesting and partially because I find the subject of addiction and relapse a bit painful. I will say this though, I don't blame him for the train massacre. Who hasn't had journeys where they've felt like doing that?

And this week's amazingly well-drawn guest star was Mark, the hospital chaplain. It was great to see him back and to see how different he looked from when we last saw him, the effect the events of last years finale has had on him. He seems to have taken George's advice and put away childish things, and his plea to Mitchell (and trust in George) to find what George saw in him and hold on to it. I raved last series about how Being Human treated religion sensitively, using Mark as an example, and with all this CENSSA stuff that seemed to have been lost, but Mark's return helped redress the balance a bit.

Roll on the finale.

yep, was a goody!
I think Daisy's appeal is her raw animalistic quality. The way she reacts, responds and her posture (you mentioned the sitting thing) - I wouldn't be surprised if she based some of that on cat like movements. Very 'top predator'. And yes, I'd love to have seen more of her and Ivan's adventures around the world!

Annie and the exorcism had me laughing. 'Did we bring a door?'
And yes, the allusions to her power now was very well done - we just see her as normal, but through the other characters we experience what she really is. Kemp's actions as exorcist actually hide some telling commentary on religion, his answer was to exorcise her - to force her out. Yet throughout the show those who have passed over have been the ones who have been helped, who have completed some unfinished business. Crossing over nicely in the BH world seems to be a cooperative act not a forceful one. And Kemp is all about the forcing and power.

Mitchell's losing it - yeah, can't really blame him. Not quite as well done as Ithought it could have been. And good to see sarky priest was back - although still making the goofy mistakes!

I'm still very suspicious about George's girlies daughter - the shot of her glance at the full moon. I'm sure she knows more than one might suppose. I actually thought the sequence of him running through the crowds were really well done - and topped off with psychic blokes "He's a WHAT?"

But George hasn't really gripped. I guess if season 1 was really George's story he's kinda gone off the boil a bit. This season is more about Mitchell and Annie's redemption. We've certainly learned a *lot* more about Mitchell and the vampires. And Mitchell's 'stay out the cities' bit was good too.

As you say, roll on the Finale!

Not read any of the above. I'm watching it off the hard drive tonight after I get from from (yet) another job interview!

oooh, that was good, and rather different.
Oh, and spoilers if you haven't seen it.



The way they handled Mitchell's infiltration was different, and quite well done I thought.
The overal story of morality with Mitchel/Lucy/Kemp was very twisty turny.
Annie - will she be back? Good scenes as ever though.
Like that Tully was referenced again, and had remembered George.
Thought George was a bit of a non-entity through it. Trying to do the right thing and ending up following rather than leading as he had in Series 1.

Knew that Canteen girl wasn't dead...

big spoiler




Herrick? Good character but should they really have done that?

Oh dear, that had me in floods most of the way through. It also surprised me at just about every point too: there wasn't much that I saw coming.

I kinda agree with you that George was a bit bland this episode, but when he's with Nina the pair of them are awesome. The chemistry between them and they really seem to cause each other to up their game. I love the strength in Nina's character and it was a great little moment when she slammed Lucy against the wall because a) we were expecting it to be Mitchell with his hands around her neck and b) Nina deserved that moment. The little banter between Nina and Lucy ("I bought your book. 600 pages of " "Did you keep the receipt, because I can get you your money back") reminded me of Buffy at its best.

I'm not going to pretend otherwise: I was crying like a baby when Annie was exorcised. I'd started when George heard her message and then went to see her about it, them holding hands like that really got to me and seeing her dragged away like that was shocking. Her pulling Kemp through the door was a nice bit of karma, though I *really* wanted her to stay on our side of the door.

Mitchell was superb this episode. His conversation with Lucy when he had her pinned in the isolation room was one of the reasons I love this show. So powerful and so true, the insight to it. Choosing to leave Kemp alive and offering to forgive Lucy was an interesting pairing, just because of the consequences of both. I really liked how George brought him back, that Mark the chaplain was right: the strength of their love for each other and how that made them more human than Kemp or any of the other CENSSA lot.

Lucy's always been a good character, but she really knocked it out of the park this week, she was sensational. And Kemp - to think I felt sorry for him. What a ed up mother-frakker he turned out to be.

When I saw he'd taken Lucy's Garfield mug I had a proper "I knew it!" moment - he was seeing Lucy as the daughter he lost. That really was stunning casting to get a kid who looked so much like Lucy to play Kemp's daughter in the flashback. And as much as he kept his guilt and grief for his daughter and wife alive, in the end he showed he wouldn't have chosen them - that his faith was more important than those he loved.

Still taking a lot of it in, so I may well be back with more ramblings later. All I can say is I'm glad I didn't end up watching it before work like I'd originally intended.

"Lucy's always been a good character, but she really knocked it out of the park this week"

Yes, I must say I've been really impressed with her, the actress is very good I thought. Plus I think she's got a very cute smile. But anyway...

I knew what I meant to mention - nice bit of self referential humour with George when Nina says 'nice arse' and he replies along the lines of 'yes, thankyou, I know' had me smiling!

Oh and it was 'inch high private eye'; can't believe I got that wrong although it has been a long time - memory must be going!

Just watched it again: this show can get me like nothing else. There was a moment when Kemp killed Lucy that I thought it was going to get Shakespearean, that everyone was going to die, and that the rumours of a third series were just to throw people off the scent.

Interesting that Daisy decided to bring Herrick back. I'm guessing she's in the mood for a spot of genocide and I was quite surprised she didn't attack alongside Mitchell. Now we know she was working on other things.

I saw art 5 +6 together (had a busy few weeks) too tired to put down thoughts about them now other than fantastic - but watch this space, will be back with something considered.

But one quickie. If you listen, Daisy and Canteen Vampire say "Mitchell said this is where the bones were buried" so my guess is raising Herrick is something Mitchell and Daisy cooked up together during their blood bath rampage - Herrick is a xenophobic psychopath remember who always said it was us or them - well Mitchell had that proven to him through Kemp's actions and Lucy's betrayal so I can quite see very pissed off and demonic Mitchell packaging off Daisy to go and fetch back Herrick just so they can team up and lay waste to stuff avenging Ivan and so on...

Of course since then Mitchell got a) saved by George b) forgave Lucy c) Lost Lucy.

The writer is on record as saying the threat in season 1 was supernatural (Herrick) in Season 2 it was human (Kemp) season 3 the threat will come from within themselves.

Which is plausible George and Nina are in all sorts of angst (Nina's 'how a bout a little nip') comment and her raging bout being weak and powerless victims denotes in her I think a shift towards vengeful sprite. George is fighting his constant battle with the wolf who this season was more visible than ever and Mitchell is in some other place all together - the most dangerous he's ever been and now he's got Herrick to partner up with, which is sure to piss off George.

And they are all of them grieving for Annie...

Season 3 is shaping up to be a blast already.....

Oh and one other thing I liked; the reprise in name only of Tully.

What a pay off for his somewhat uneven episode in series 1.

"George. All the werewolves die."

That and Mitchell's speech about God being a bit of a bastard were two really outstanding parts from that final episode.

....


Am I imagining it - or did they film him writing that? I'm being prompted by my brain that I saw him write that at some point, but I can't remember if it was a season prequel or something or if I really am just making it up....

doesn't ring any bells clive.
But then it could be. In the trailers they have several times shown a scene of Annie in a subway looking scared with half seen passers by in front of her and I can't seem to locate that scene in any of the episodes?

p.s.
"a shift towards vengeful sprite"
Ah, so you think Nina is going to turn into a scary fairy?

Maybe it was just a phantom of an over-active imagination.

Re: "scary fairy"

Well as I saw on a blog post last night which sort of chimed with what I was thinking they were commenting that Nina has earnt her place amongst 'the trio' as an 'official fourth member' and her arc from being George's squeeze to contracting the curse, and now with her as the catalyst behind events with Kemp and everything - her progression has been from one who cared for humanity (nurse - remember going out with him started with her being impressed when George said he gave up his weekends to visit the patients who had no-one) but is now steeped in guilt at her complicity and anger at what has been done to her - to one who now wants to bite Lucy.

What I'm detecting is a change from empathy to vengeance - and I kinda hope that keep that up. She was betrayed and betrayer of her friends.

I can imagine her being the most angry of all of them because both George and Mitchell want to draw back but she's been given every reason to to just rage.

As an indication of that - she was the one who wasn't sleeping, thoughts rampaging through her mind before she marched downatirs to confront Lucy "What are you up to?" she said when she found her bed empty not unreasonably she was deeply suspicious of her and ready to confront, while in the scene prior George was busy dealing with Mitchell and laying down some ground rules: "I'm just saying I don't think we should kill her (Lucy). Don't go thinking I'm your ally on this."

In other words: occupied.

It was Nina who went to challenge Lucy and met Kemp who again tried to kill her. I mean that'd piss anybody off.

And I really want to know her reaction when she sees Herrick again - it was after all at his killing that she contracted the curse, she'll know who he is maybe it's he who convinces her that humanity is out to get them. An opinion she is pretty much already well-disposed to believe.

"She was betrayed and betrayer of her friends."
Which goes back to what Herrick said to taunt them at the finale of season one about how it is in their darker nature that they are closest to the humanity they so want.

Yes, Nina has earned her place. Not bad given she was supposed to die in series one. A credit to the actress and the writers I think.

BTW where d'ya think they got the name Herrick from? We can't be sure if it is a surname or first name (I tend to think of it as a first name as all the others use first names). It seems a very unusual name, I hadn't come across it before and had to look it up as I thought it was a made up one at first.

I think Herrick's first name is William.

I'm sure that's how he's referred a few times on the BH blog. Just like you very rarely hear Mitchell get's called "John"

Yeah, I was right - it's William.

ah, cheers for that!

Hey Clive, found this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/beinghuman/original_ep_7_pre_titles_clean.pdf

script parts that didn't make the cut - including the scene of Tully starting to write out his message to George in the facility. I guess they must have filmed it and perhaps either shown it as a trailer or on the web.

But at least it means you weren't going mad