The end is nigh. The fifth and final series of Being Human is currently being broadcast on BBC America and only four episodes remain in this saga which tells the story of a unique threesome of housemates.
In the beginning there was George, a bewildered werewolf; Mitchell, the tortured vampire who befriends him; and Annie, the lonely ghost whose house in Bristol George and Mitchell find to let. After a bit of adjustment, these three paranormal black sheep learned to support and encourage one another in their attempts to “be (more) human.” However, at the end of Series 3 the trio starts to fall apart quickly. First we see the departure of desperate, defeated vampire John Mitchell. Actor Aidan Turner had to go off to Middle Earth to play a dwarf for a few years so his exit came as no surprise. Then, right on the heels of Mitchell’s sad end, besieged werewolf George sacrificed his life in the first episode of Series 4 because Russell Tovey had decided to explore other options as an actor. Fans were left wondering whether Annie’s (Leonora Critchlow) ghostly antics alone would be enough of a reason to continue watching the show.
If this was the case for you, I’d like to take this opportunity to convince you to stick with the series because I feel it accomplishes one of the best cast turn-overs I’ve ever seen. While it’s very clear the trinity of a werewolf, ghost and vampire is fundamental to the show, the writers didn’t just substitute impersonators - the same supernatural with a different face. They created characters that were unique and interesting in their own right and, I felt, worthy of my time. Let’s compare and contrast, shall we?