Review: Being Human (USA): "I See Your True Colors...And That's Why I Hate You"

Non Spoiler Review:

This week picks up at the hospital with an intense Josh and Aidan confrontation over Marcus and the ramifications of his night of vampire bashing. That prompts Josh and Emily to return home for an uneasy family reunion. But they've been followed...

This week's pacing was a vast improvement due to just two storylines getting airplay (compared to the usual three). With Josh and Aidan together it also gave them more one on one time to show us this friendship they've established. We also get some additions to the vampire lore. 

Josh's development has leveled out with Aidan's now, but Sally is still drifting. I'm hoping when she finds some purpose she'll be more integrated into the main plotlines, because Danny and Bridget are extremely tedious.

The ominous ending promises some interesting schemes to come, though Aidan behaves erratically yet again, and offers advice that seems to run counter to what he's said in the past. Messy writing, or foreshadowing plot developments? It remains to be seen.

Spoilers Now!

Emily is okay, escaping with a few bumps and bruises, but as Aidan arrives at the hospital it's Josh who's livid at him for not watching her like he was supposed to. When Emily mentions the name Marcus, Aidan confronts officer Bishop who is also at the hospital handling things. Bishop tells him it's not Marcus who should be put on a leash—he was provoked by Aidan's dog.

Aidan goes back to Josh and tells him he can't tear up a vampire on his own turf and not suffer consequences, especially a wild card like Marcus. Aidan lays down the law and tells him he and Emily must leave town in order for him to fix this. No backtalk. Josh is left in shock as Aidan heads out.

Marcus is irritated with Bishop for not taking his side. Had it been Aidan who was attacked, Bishop would have taken care of the problem for him, but Bishop suggests he's done enough already.

Sally's abilities continue to progress—she can get into Bridget's head now. But Bridget wants her out, and Danny is noticing her weird behaviour. Given the bruises last week, Sally is concerned her interference may have put Bridget in danger, but Aidan suggests part of her closure might be to protect her, or even to make Danny stop. Sally was strong before her death, and Danny can't hurt her anymore, he reminds her.

Josh and Emily return to their parents' home, only things start off badly, given his mother doesn't appear to be reacting to his appearance after two years. Plus, Emily reveals their parents are separated (after he disappeared), though his father is coming for dinner. His mother prefers to avoid talking about anything controversial, and his father arrives, equally apathetic (he's a psychiatrist—red flag!). Josh assures them he's okay and it's all his fault for flipping out and leaving. He's kind of happy, so they don't need to worry. That's when his father asks him how long he's believed he was a werewolf. 

Dad has his son's personal journal (Emily took it—somehow—and gave it to him—when, we're not sure, given they just showed up. Did she Fed Ex it?). Josh had catalogued his last two years struggling as a werewolf, so he tries to laugh it off as a fiction he's writing, but his father suggests they talk after dinner. 

Sally returns to haunting Danny again, but this time it isn't that easy. He addresses her by name, asking if she's there. And then launches in on quite a nasty litany—is that the best she's got...broken light bulbs and shaking dishes? She's pathetic, with nothing better to do than wait for him to come home. She's dead and he's alive and he isn't scared because he's finally happy. Ouch!

Emily apologizes for trying to help her brother, but the family awkwardness is interrupted by the surprise arrival of Aidan. He needs to be invited in (of course), and mom asks him in for dinner against Josh's protests.

He's apparently there to help Josh make nice with the folks, so he sets about putting their minds to ease about his son and his awesome life in the city. That's fine until Aidan abruptly begins to suffer a vampire moment with black eyes and fangs and has to run to the bathroom. It's the garlic in the chicken (which makes vampires all vampy, like an allergy). He needs another herb to counteract it.

Hilarity ensues—Josh runs down to say Aidan's had an allergic reaction and brings him a bunch of herbal teas to try, so Aidan hops in the bath to steep awhile with the tea bags.

Josh runs back downstairs to find his father talking to Marcus at the door. He freaks out and slams the door shut, then grabs a knife and tells his father to cut his head off if he gets in the house, then runs back upstairs to find Aidan gone.

Aidan's dressed and outside, sparring with Marcus, who is acting alone now. After some fisticuffs (and while Josh runs around the house trying to find a sharp implement to stake him), Marcus runs off, announcing he and Aidan are at war.

After that drama, Josh has to deal with the repercussions with his parents. They promise to help him, but he knows he has to leave again. He doesn't want this, he admits, and says that his journal isn't a fiction. It's really happening to him. "I'm a werewolf." That's the truth and why he left, and there's no place for him there. He walks out to chill on the porch with Aidan.

Aidan tells a story that he once tried to explain his vampirism to his wife and son (back in the 18th Century). He thought they'd understand. They didn't. And he doesn't say anything else except that they should head home.

Aidan returns home to visit Bishop's lair, walking in on several additions to Bishop's entourage. Marcus is there, and he orders him to stay away from his friends. He goes to leave, but Marcus attempts to provoke him. Bishop suggests a family doesn't turn its back on its own, even if it is the weakest (Aidan) and the mistakes (he shoots a look to Marcus). Aidan walks out.

Sally goes back to Bridget, deciding to try to give her more of a pep talk. She needs her to understand what Danny did, though, and tries another trick—taking Bridget's hand and making her write out a message that says He killed me.

Bridget asks him if he killed Sally. Danny breaks down and admits it was an accident. He rattles off how he was never happy with Sally like he is with her. She was too strong and he was insecure, and when she lost her ring he grabbed her arm and she fell. But she was everything to him and he would give anything to take back that moment. Bridget seems to be quite sympathetic, and as Sally watches in horror, she gives him a comforting hug. "It was an accident," she says.

Bridget later shows up at the apartment and just walks in with no one home (but Sally). Bridget lets her know that she's sorry how she died, and she misses her. But this is the last time she'll talk to her. And if she comes to her again or haunts them, she won't acknowledge her anymore. Accept that it didn't happen the way she thinks it did, and maybe she'll move on. With that tough love, Bridget walks out.

Aidan comes home to get the update from Sally. Then Josh arrives, and sits down with them, saying nothing.

A hearse drives through the country to a farm and Marcus emerges to tell a woman he has news from Boston. He's brought to the barn, and told to wait for two hours until sundown. So he sits there in front of a barn full of human shaped cocoons hanging upside-down from the rafters. Can't be good.

The Verdict:

Trimming the storylines to two vastly improved the pacing this week. Hopefully Sally's storyline gets out of the Danny/Bridget malaise and she can get in the swing of things with Josh and Aidan. She needs to participate in the household rather than being the most annoying house guest ever.

Why exactly did Aidan show up at the folks' house? He wasn't aware that Emily had taken the journal until Josh told him, so that leaves me wondering what he was thinking, given he wouldn't know that Josh's parents were assuming he was crazy. But he marches in prepared to fix things. I guess we're just to assume he was anticipating Marcus' attack.

Aidan's advice for Josh to abandon his family again seemed to fly in the face of his previous suggestions about trying to keep a normal lifestyle, including sending him back with his sister and inviting her in the house in the first place. Why the change? Perhaps he should just stop offering up free advice, given what he told Sally wasn't exactly productive, either.

Are these new cocooned vampires (I presume) elders that can usurp Bishop's authority? And why wait until sunset, unless they're a special breed that can't survive in the daylight? The whole vampire plot is simmering in the background each week, this time with a host of new faces at Bishop's lair, implying a lot of planning behind the scenes sure to explode at some point.

A few more quibbles this week—I'm resolved to the fact that in the Being Human world, everyday people can brush off experiences with the supernatural will little trauma. After having his house trashed, and Bridget possessed, the two of them treat it like a mouse problem. We'll just ignore it. Alrighty.

Apparently Josh and Aidan have no problem with landlord Danny (and murderer!) walking in and out of their house at will. And now Bridget seems to have a key, as well. Considering there's werewolf journals and vampire snuff films floating around the house, you'd think they'd exercise a few precautions.