This review contains spoilers. So this is the last time I’ll say this, I promise. If you aren’t watching Being Human: The Reboot, I urge you to reconsider. Sure, we’re all pining for Mitchell and George but the sooner we all accept that they’ve moved on to pastures new, the better. The same could be said of Annie, whose devotion to her former housemates shone through in a wonderful exchange with Hal. It would have been silly for Anne to entirely forget about her friends, no matter how quickly the reboot wants to move forward. However, by acknowledging how much she misses her former life, and yet wants to move on with her new one with Tom and Hal, the show has wisely, and successfully, managed to tread that fine line. This meant Hal having to get a job. Inconveniently for him said job was with Tom in the café. Conveniently for the show, here was the chance for the boys to bond, and bond they did. Tom threw away his stake and Hal decided not to let his vampire chums chop up their ‘doggie’ for dinner. Hurrahs all round, then. Away from the bonding plotline, Annie was tasked with being literally the stupidest ghost on the block. Here’s a thought. You’re handed charge of a baby, whose importance in the grand scheme of things is deemed so important, she’s been gifted the unfortunate title of ‘War Child’. Time to keep her under wraps and safe inside then, no? Annie decides, instead, that it’s time to hang out at the park. Sure, this gave us a chance to see her newfound cloaking ability, but, really, Annie’s naivety at times is breathtakingly annoying. The episode did introduce one new character, but it all fell rather flat. Laura Patch is a fine comic actress, perhaps best known for her turns in Star Stories, but her portrayal of a gothic-obsessed writer was played for some far too obvious, broad gags. She gave Regus a new purpose, and did raise some genuine chuckles from me, but I’m not sure the role really worked, beyond delivering some cheap gags. The gags did come thick and fast in this episode, generally, which is always welcome. All three main leads have excellent comic timing, with Michael Socha looking his most comfortable yet. The scene in the café in which he and Hal tried to seduce Michaela was a thing of simple beauty, and in many ways defined for me what made this episode work as well as it did. Stripped down, devoid of any histrionics or huge set pieces, in brought back some of that ordinary, simply-pitched acting that I missed towards the end of the last series. I’m not knocking what’s gone before (I adored much of series three) but I really do like this new (or should that be old?) direction. Weakest point of the episode? The rather obvious about-turn of Hal in the flat to begin the beatdown at Honolulu Heights (and we all spotted Annie’s knife-throwing trick, right?). I can forgive that, though, as this categorically achieved what I dare say Toby Whithouse wanted his show to all along. It entertained the heck out of me, and I really can’t ask for more than that. And if you didn’t raise a smile when our new threesome huddled around the TV at the show’s denouement, then perhaps you’re trying too hard not to like Being Human MKII.
