Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Being Human US, Season Three, Episode Four: I'm So Lonesome I Could Die

Josh wakes suddenly at 3Am to loud music is not in the least bit impressed. When he goes downstairs to check out where the music is coming from, he discovers that there is a massive party going on. Nora joins Josh and Aidan downstairs and is extremely unhappy because she has to be up for work in a few hours. Josh makes his way over to Erin to complain about the noise and she replies, "Twilight is okay with it," in reference to the fact that Aidan seems to be enjoying the party. Josh and Nora both order her upstairs and then Josh makes his way over to Aidan.  Josh says, "I get it, I like to drown myself in a keg or two when one of my friends dies. You don't want to talk about Henry that's fine, but don't bring home take out." Aidan tells him not to worry because he already ate.

Sally comes running down the stairs after scoping out the party.  When Josh confronts her, Sally says, "I can safely say that I didn't know any of these people before I died." Aidan is dancing (a sight no one ever needs to see again) and Sally advises Josh to lighten up on him because he just lost his "vamp son." Sally adds "at least he's home and it's better than not knowing where he is at all."  As Josh goes upstairs, Aidan sits down in the middle of the party and quietly looks around.

The next morning, Nora gets up for work and Josh, who is already downstairs, informs her that if she is hungry that there are empty pizza boxes in the fridge.  The place is an absolute mess. Josh asks Nora if she wants to go somewhere that doesn't smell like beer and in response, Nora says that she has somewhere she needs to be tonight after work and asks if Josh is free to look after Erin tonight. Josh replies, "so we have adopted a 15 year old?  I'm not against adoption, I just thought that if we did it, she would be younger, perhaps Ugandan. In all seriousness, I don't get the impression that she really wants our help."  Nora points out that Erin doesn't have anywhere else to go and that it doesn't feel right to ask her to leave.  Josh agrees to watch Erin and the two exchange a kiss. Before Nora can leave, Josh asks where she has to go tonight.  Nora says that she is going to see her parents and that this is the only time of year that she sees them.  Josh mentions going with her and meeting them but Nora tells him that he doesn't have to do that. Nora says that she has to go and that it is not Josh's responsibility to clean up after Aidan. Josh vows not to clean.

When next we see Josh, he is vacuuming.  When Aidan walks in, Josh says that it's been over a year since he and Nora have been together bridging the human/werewolf divide, that it's been amazing but she hasn't introduced him to her parents.  Aidan asks if Nora has met his parents and Josh replies that they had a lunch in the city with his mother "that only required minimal drinking." Aidan suggests that it might be a difficult time because "they're raising teen wolf." Josh says that he wants to be with Nora for the rest of his life no matter what. He goes on to say that the right thing to do is to let Nora's parents know his intentions. Aidan sits down with Josh and says "technically, the right thing to do would be to ask her father's permission. There used to be a way of approaching these matters - courtship, wooing." Josh then hands Aidan a name and address of man who didn't have the flu but Aidan tells him not to worry about it because he doesn't want to put him in that position. Josh replies, "I know it's been tough adjusting but don't you think it's time to jump back into life, into work? In all honesty we could use the extra income."  Aidan brings up his new car but Josh is not pleased and says that his isn't about him and that Aidan's job is waiting for him because he covered for him. Aidan says he doesn't want to take any blood from the hospital because most of it's tainted. Josh points out that this is not why Aidan took the job in the first place and that it was always about penance and spending time in a place were vampires weren't. Aidan stands and says, "I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore, the virus wiped them out."

Sally is dressed leaves the house, but she isn't outside for five minutes when a man stops and says, "Sally is that you?"  Sally tries to keep moving but suddenly all the people on the sidewalk are saying the same thing. Sally begs them to go away, when suddenly they start to fall to the ground. It turns out that this is only a dream and she sits up in a panic.

Later, Sally explains to Erin that she is a re-animated corpse brought back by a spell. Erin asks if she is a person again and if she has a new identity yet. Sally asks, "how does one get a new identity?"  Erin says, "you can't be Sally whatever ethnic last name again, she's dead. So you're a cursed undead hottie with no identity." Sally says all of this would be fine if she hadn't spent her whole life in Boston.  Erin advises Sally to leave and when Sally says she can't, Erin replies, "fine, stay, kill people."

Josh goes to the hospital to see Nora, who instantly wants to know where Erin is. Josh tells her that Erin is with Sally and that she doesn't have to worry about Erin and Aidan because werewolf blood doesn't agree with him.  Josh then changes the subject and says that he wants to go with her tonight to see her family.  Josh says, "this is what people in love do. They meet each other's families and then they get mercilessly judged." Nora tells him that her family is really tough and she just doesn't want to burden him with this.  Josh replies that her family is part of who she is and he wants to know everything about her. Josh declares that he is coming with her and Nora finally agrees.

Aidan comes upstairs and says that he is headed out but Sally says that she needs to talk to him.  Aidan then suggests that Sally should come with him.  Sally reminds him of the curse and so Aidan suggests that they go somewhere where the old Sally would never have been caught dead.  The two head out to a club, which 29 years ago was a Ramen joint.  Sally asks how he resets his identity and Aidan replies that the vampires had a system, which means that they had people in place to make it happen.  Aidan says that they would steal social security numbers from dead babies.  Sally asks if he ever had to cut and run and Aidan replies, "you always have to be ready to cut and run. You can't invest too much in anything or anyone."  Sally puts on some swing music and the two start to dance, but Aidan seems infatuated with a rough looking man whose arms are covered in tattoos.

Nora, Josh and Erin arrive at Nora's parents.  Josh suggests that Erin stay in the car and Erin agrees, but Nora nixes that idea.  Josh's star of David is showing, so Nora buttons up his shirt.  Josh says, "I think I know what you just did." Nora grabs the cake and they approach the door.  Nora introduces Erin and Josh, to her father Robert and her brother RJ. Nora's mother says that she wasn't expecting so many people and tells them to have a seat while she makes more food.

At the bar, Aidan orders a round of shots for the bar. Sally says that she feels weird toasting these people, if Aidan is going to bring them back to the house.  Sally adds that everyone is worried about him, but Aidan tells her to relax.


At her parents home, Robert wants to know why Josh is in the kitchen and Nora replies, "Josh likes being helpful. He's a really good cook." Erin and RJ start up a conversation about football, so Nora joins Josh and her mother in the kitchen.  Nora's mother brings up Will's mother Patty and Nora asks how she is coping.  Her mother says that Will was just starting to things around.  Nora and Josh go into another room, and Josh asks why her mother was referring to Will as that poor boy. Nora says that her family doesn't know that Will put her in the hospital and that they don't speak ill of the dead.  Josh tells her to stop blaming herself for that because she wasn't herself.  Nora replies that she was and that Josh has to accept that she has done terrible things.  When Josh says he accepts what happened to Will, Nora admits that it wasn't just Will.

While Sally is in the bathroom, Aidan pays the bill and takes off.  Sally leaves to look for him and sees the biker Aidan was infatuated with crawling out from between parked motorcycles with his neck slashed. When a couple comes by, she asks them for their phone and says she needs to call 911.

Nora says to Josh, "you haven't asked me what happened to Brin and I am grateful for that, but you need to know. We argued a couple of nights before the full moon. She was hanging onto some guy that she met on the road that she wanted to play with during the turn like a mouse. I tried to get him out but she fought me and I had to protect myself but I was stronger than I thought.  So now you know that it's wasn't just Will that I killed. With Liam sniffing around I thought the less you knew the better." Josh promises that he will not allow anything to happen to Nora and says that she had no choice. Nora says that she should have stayed with him.  Josh answers that Nora didn't judge him for what he did to Ray and that he refuses to judge her now.  Josh adds, "You think that I have blinders on but I see you, I see all of you and I love you."

Aidan is sitting by himself and he has a series of flashbacks to the people he has loved who have died. Sally approaches and says, "first of all you ditched me. I get that we all of things to do but when things involve me calling the paramedics to pick up your leftovers - not okay."  Aidan replies that he didn't drain him.  Sally calls him an ass and points out that he doesn't know whether or not the man he fed from was infected or not.  Aidan replies, "I roll the dice."  Sally follows him up the stairs and says, "this is not a game."

Josh heads out to the front porch and Robert is sitting there.  Josh tells Robert that Nora has changed his life and is a truly amazing woman.  Robert replies that Nora beat all the boys in the ten yard dash. Josh says, "I would like to take this opportunity here in your home, to ask for your permission to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."  Robert replies, "Well, you know what they say, take a look at the mother. It's your choice."

Later in the car, as they are prepared to leave, Erin tells Nora that her family is messed up, though she is not one to talk.  Josh jokes about inviting Robert over for passover.

Aidan is in bed, when he wakes to find Sally holding a stake to him.  She says, "So you wanna die? I get it. Let's do this right here, right now."  Aidan tells her to put it down, but Sally refuses and points out that if he keeps doing this that he is going to end up dead, just like Henry.  Aidan points out that even with Josh's help, those people could be infected by the time he gets to them.  Sally says that there is another way.  Aidan replies, "he knew how to survive (in reference to Henry). He survived eighty years on his own.  This disease came and I ruined it. I killed him. My way killed hm. My way killed everyone." He goes on about the irony of wanting to be free of vampires and how now he is alone. Sally asks why she and Josh aren't enough and points out that they all have problems but they're all there.  Aidan brings up the questions that Sally asked last night and says that it won't be long before Josh and Nora are out of the house having a family all of their own. Sally says that she doesn't know what her plan is and that she knows that she needs to become a person again. Sally adds that she is not going anywhere yet. "After everything you guys have been through, you have got to be an idiot to think he would abandon you. You are not alone."  Aidan takes the stake and says, "for the record, if you're going to kill a vampire, it's right here."

Aidan hops into the shower and then heads down to the hospital to apply for his old job, where he sees Josh again.

RJ shows up at the house with a case a beer and says that he is there to celebrate because the little guy popped the question. Nora says that she and Josh are not engaged and that she doesn't know that he would want that.  RJ replies, "that guy with you, you'd be insane not to lock that down." RJ says it's all good and that he'll go but Nora stops him, grabs the beer and tells him to sit while she runs to the store to get coffee.  Erin comes downstairs and RJ tosses her a beer.  Erin says that she probably shouldn't but RJ replies that Nora's been drinking since she was way younger than her.  Erin has RJ come upstairs with her.

Sally returns to the funeral parlor to look for a file on a dead baby. The funeral director finds her snooping.

When Josh returns home, he hears noises and goes upstairs to find, RJ making out with Erin. He pulls RJ off of Erin and says that she is fifteen years old and asks what is wrong with him.  Erin tries to object, but Josh accuses, "you let him do this." Josh then orders RJ out of the house, but RJ shoves him and the two start to fight.  Nora breaks up the fight and asks what is going on. Josh says, "I came in and he had Erin pinned to the bed." Erin lies and says, "RJ and I were talking and Josh came in and started punching him." Josh is shocked and RJ says, "I see your taste in men hasn't changed." Nora orders RJ out of the house.

The funeral director asks what Sally was looking for and Sally brings up the movie, Sleeping With the Enemy and says that for valid reasons she has to hide from her past.  Sally says that she shouldn't even be in Boston but she needs to be and that being there without an identity is paralysing. The director replies that he believes her and that in a job like his you are going to see people at their worst. Sally says that the identity is for security and money.  The director tells her that she can start her job there tomorrow and that he can pay cash.  Sally is surprised with the job offer and he promises that it is not going to be pretty.

Josh heads upstairs to talk to Erin and he stands outside her door and says that what happened earlier wasn't her fault and that he is sorry and not angry at her.  When he opens the door, he finds that Erin is gone.

Later that night, Josh and Nora are talking and he suggests that Erin just needed some space and that they can call the cops tomorrow.  Nora says that with everything going on with them that they probably shouldn't rush into things and that taking on someone like Erin would be a lot for them. "Like you said, she is from a completely different world - one that maybe we don't completely understand - plus we just got Aidan and Sally back. We should probably get used to that before we do anything major." When Nora walks away, Josh says, "I think we could handle more eventually - a lot more if you ask me." Nora asks if he wants to contact the adoption agencies in Uganda and Josh says no.

Aidan is starting on the night shift and sees Kenny, who has been stuck in a glass cage since he was a toddler because of his condition.  He learns that if a single germ gets through the glass that Kenny could die.  Clearly, Kenny is about to become Aidan's food source.

So this episode we had Aidan doing his standard Hootie and The Blowfish thing - crying all of the time.  Aidan certainly has good reason to be upset because he just lost Henry, but I cannot recall a time when we have ever seen Aidan have a little bit of happiness.  I get the whole vampires must suffer thing but I could really use a break.

I am not impressed with the joke about Ugandan babies this week.  It's become far too common to see White celebrities dragging around Black babies like they are the newest accessory and this line clearly infers that Black children have little value.  Considering that Being Human does not have a good record on race (i.e. no plots in which they deal with race or racism despite having Sally as a character) this was completely inappropriate.

I was not at all pleased to see Josh asking Robert for permission to marry Nora. Perhaps we were meant to see this as sweet, but it not only antiquated, it's sexist. Nora is not a possession that her father can control. I don't even know why this would occur to Josh because Nora has told him that she is not close with her family and sees them once a year.  I further did not like Josh's reaction to seeing Erin making out with RJ.  He was right that what RJ was doing was criminal because Erin is only 15, but that he turned and attacked her is problematic.  Yes, Erin consented, though she was not legally in a position to consent and she should not for one moment have been made to feel ashamed, especially because he knows she has several issues.

In terms of Sally, it would be nice to see one of her two room mates give a damn about her feelings or her life.  Sally specifically told Aidan that she needed to talk to him, but he was more caught up in his angst, though he did answer her questions.  At times, Sally feels more like a third wheel than part of a friendship involving three people.  I know what Josh did to bring her back but since then, he has not really paid attention to Sally at all.