After a slight dip in quality last week, and a major dip in logic, Misfits more or less recovers this time around. But they’re also playing it a little safe with the plot, as a body swap story device that’s been seen so many times before seems a little stale in a show normally so innovative and unique. It’s a Kelly-centric episode without any Kelly, as she inadvertently switches consciousness with an unlucky girl in a coma. Nevertheless, it’s nice to be back on the estate, and the prospect of a Kelly filled episode is certainly an enticing one. While it’s a shame to have the character in a vegetative state for much of the hour, the real reason we love her is Lauren Socha, and the actress is on top form throughout. The emotional impact of the episode relies on our level of sympathy for the body-swap victim, as she tried to reconnect with her boyfriend while in her new fully-functioning body, and Socha is able to generate just enough emotion to pack a punch by the end. Unusually, Kelly shares almost half of the episode with the two Rudys, who remain split for most of the running time. Apparently, Joseph Gilgun hated filming scenes twice over to produce the desired effect, but he gives his best performance since his debut here, and for once comes across more entertaining than annoying. His promise in the first week has waned with his similarity to Nathan and attention-seeking personality, but here his story fits in between the a-plot without much trouble. It’s a credit to Gilgun that he plays off of himself so well, his dual performances injecting some much needed life into the year’s run. On an opposite note, Seth is now a fully-fledged member of the gang, and he couldn’t be more welcome. Rudy’s replacement of Nathan was a nice change, but the two are very similar by design and necessity, so a completely new entity like Seth is just what the doctor ordered. He also has a nice dynamic with Kelly, even if the show hasn’t quite worked out his relationships with the rest of the cast yet. Now that Simon and Alisha are happy and settled (for now, anyway), it’s nice to see a bit of angst and courting, and this viewer can’t get enough of Kelly when she’s playing vulnerable. With the mountains Misfits has climbed over the last three years, and the amount it has grown, the cavalier attitude to burying a probation worker is a lovely throwback to early episodes, where minor characters dropped like flies on a weekly basis. This isn’t one of the show’s stronger instalments, but it will certainly be remembered for having the bravery to kill off such an adored character. I just hope the show steps it up next week, as I’m in danger of losing interest.
