Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Being Human US, Season 4, Episode 5: Pack it Up, Pack it In



Aidan’s big revelation is still causing Kat lots of joy and laughter before dissolving into worry when she realises that Aidan actually believes he’s Dracula. Aidan finally clues in that no reasonable person will actually take his word that he’s a vampire so holds her head to his chest – and she hears no heartbeat. She rather frantically checks his neck for a pulse. She’s a little freaked out – and she leaps back across the room when he blacks his eyes. Then she faints

When she wakes up there’s tears and hugs and pushing away and dramatic music – and the questions about trust and how many people has Aidan killed. Oops, hard question. And she pulls a knife when he gets too close, she’s not thrilled by the whole “it’s not me anymore” as an excuse. She tells him she’s scared – of him – and he offers to leave. She’s very eager to take him up on that offer.

On to the wolves with Nora and Josh dropping in on Andrew and Caroline to check in on their werebaby, April. Mark and Wendy are also visiting and are fellow werewolves (worse, Mark is a hugger- not just a hugger but a hugger who goes in for the hug on first meeting. Get the silver bullets). Mark also goes out looking for werewolves because he wants COMMUNITY, yeah, Josh not a fan of that. Once Huggy and Silent leave, they can all be all gushy around the baby. Though Caroline has a sad moment that the pregnancy was so quick and worry filled they didn’t get to do all the standard pre-natal stuff: decorate a nursery, baby showers etc. Of course Nora volunteers to Baby Shower

And back home realises what a bad idea that was – and Josh hates Mark the Huggy, interpreting his “wrestle hug” as a dominance gesture. Josh tries to drag Aidan into the baby shower but he’s clearing out and adding some moping since Kat is now moving out of Nora’s apartment and is probably not talking to any of them any more. Josh tries to cheer him up which doesn’t work and he points out to Nora that since Aidan is immortal he can mope forever. Yes I laughed.

Aidan goes upstairs to mope and to be taunted by the murdered blood-stained underwear-clad ghosts Beth and Holly before Sally shows up and banishes them (deriding them as “bitches” when, really, they kind of have a right to a grudge). Aidan is angry by this – those were necessary for him to properly wallow in self-hatred to reach proper Hootie status. As he begins his rant about how evil he is Sally just teleports out – no-one has time for that.

And at the door appears – Josh’s sister! Yes she’s out of the plot box! And out of rehab – and wants to crash with them for a few days. Which means she’s part of the baby shower with lots of terrible babbling due to nervousness – and Mark arrives bringing more people (werewolves) without telling anyone which makes Josh’s heckles rise. Josh asks Andrew about this – and it’s Andrew’s idea, he’s thinking about joining Mark’s sorta-pack. Josh thinks that’s a hella bad idea, but Andrew is worried about keeping April safe; particularly against vampires who are growing in numbers again.

Aidan goes wandering through town angsting away and Kenny catches up with him – perfectly summing up what Aidan is doing, much to Aidan’s annoyance who lashes out that Kevin knows nothing about it. Hah, but he got Aidan pegged exactly. And he invites Aidan round to step #2 of the pity party – a fridge full of bagged blood so he can drown his sorrows. Why do I think this is a bad idea?

The party at the house grows – this pack is huge (hey, at least Josh gets a compliment on the devilled eggs) and Sally returns – having just spent a magic caused 4 days in 2001 watching teenager Josh (Josh finds this cool rather than a spooky invasion of privacy) with teenaged Julia getting it on for the first time (see my creepy invasion of privacy comment). And Emily is having problems with the huge party and the vast amount of booze all of Mark the Hugger’s friends have invited


Mark interrupts the party to have a big speech about how dangerous vampires are. Which is when Aidan and Kenny come home. So they start dancing. It’s exactly as embarrassing as it sounds but it does get the party going again. And Aidan is drunk – but at least he’s a happy drunk, even if he’s a loud one. Kenny is much more awkward

Mark is, of course, not happy about Aidan and Kenny but Josh makes it clear Aidan is his family, like a brother to him and if Mark doesn’t like it he can gather all the uninvited people and get the hell out. Yes yes and, again, yes.

Emily runs upstairs for a moment of peace and is clearly struggling; Sally notices and follows her and casts a spell to let Emily see and hear her so she can help – but it doesn’t seem to work and, afterwards, Sally does her usual time jump. Where she joins Aidan and Henry in the 1920s where they are leading 2 women to a “necking party”. Which means luring them down a side alley and eating them. After killing the two, Aidan moves towards another woman who saw them, ready to eat her and, in desperation, Sally leaps into the woman’s body, possessing her and screaming Aidan’s name – it doesn’t stop him and Sally pulls free as the woman is fed upon.

In the present Josh realises just how much of a state Aidan is in and worries (Josh is so very good at worrying) before Aidan starts unloading mopily all over Kenny who is making eye contact flirting with girl there and not really listening. He’s soon joined by Sally who returns from the 20s rather upset and disturbed. She’s worried because she doesn’t understand the rules – sometimes she’s stuck in the pack for days, sometimes just hours; she realises she can’t use magic because the next time might be forever.

Emily also comes downstairs to almost drink but resist – but she talks to Kenny (Aidan’s inappropriately young friend, heh) and Kenny’s illusion slips – she sees him partly as he really is. He tries to re-whammy her and Josh sees him holding her and assumes the worse – he rushes over and Josh stammers and tries to explain. Which is when Mark and his werewolf friends get involved. When one slams Kenny against the fridge, Kenny breaks his arm. More werewolves attack – and Aidan and Kenny beat them quite easily – Aidan and Kenny leave via the back door once their attackers are no longer able to fight back

Lesson learned, do not attack the vampires. Alas, that would be a bit sensible. Of course Mark blames the vampires and Caroline is now more convinced they need to be a pack for safety. The party breaks up and everyone leaves.

Afterwards Sally approaches Josh, realising it was her spell that helped Emily see through Kenny’s illusion. Josh, with visible frayed restraint, continues the refrain from last week – Sally’s intentions are good but she leaves devastation in her wake; though he does add at least that it’s not all her. Sally perks up that she can help-  she has spells that may reduce Emily’s cravings or erase her memory or… Josh gives her a gasping “what did I just say…” look and goes to bed.

With Nora they talk about understanding why Andrew and Caroline want a pack, a family, a place to belong to feel safe but Josh not only understands but thinks they have one: Aidan, Sally, Emily. Dysfunctional as they come – but still a family.

And Aidan stalks Kat – when she tries to keep him out of her house he compels her to let him in. Then says how much he needs her to love him forever… was that compulsion? She responds that she does… yes that was compulsion. They kiss and… and Aidan’s outside just watching her. Oh thank gods it was just some weird imagination on his part. Except the romantic stalking thing – he’s still doing that.

The next day, Emily packs and leaves. She knows she can stay but she’s too fragile to be around the chaos of their lives. Josh has a brief angst moment “what I am is pushing you away” and Emily answers with a “I love you no matter what you are” hhmmm careful their Being Human – but ultimately she has to leave because of what she needs.

Aidan returns home to make a joke about Sally and a cleaning spell – and she brings up him murdering people in the 1920s for funsies. She acknowledges that he’s changed, that he’s now a good man but she’s also very afraid of him losing control and kind of understands his need to wallow in pain.

And Kenny comes round with his new werewolf buddy, Astrid; and both are willing to fight their respective factions to be together. Kenny also offers to erase Kat from Aidan’s memory as they discussed the night before. But Aidan decides not because a) it was a very human breakup and b) more pain to carry! YAY PAIN!

On the full moon Josh and Sally go into the woods to change – with the pack; apparently because Nora thinks they need their help. At least when they arrive Mark apologises (yeah I don’t trust it)




Can I say how much I loved Kat’s reaction? This is a show where a vampire reveals himself to a human and she doesn’t say “ZOMG AWESOME!” or “OH MY SPARKLY LOVE!” But she is FRIGHTENED of the supernatural predator in her home. She doesn’t brush off the possibility – the actuality - of him killing people. The death count matters to her, the killing scares her, this monster that eats people makes her afraid.

We’ve talked a lot about redemption lately and what it means – Aidan represents another failed attempt at it. Wallowing in a corner beating yourself up about what a terribad, nasty person you are isn’t redemption – it’s deeply deeply self-absorbed. You can’t beat yourself up with guilt until you manifest some kind of redemption from it – redemption isn’t a FFVII limit break – you actually have to do something. No-one but you cares how deeply deeply guilty you feel.

First Zoe and now Emily! And for a brief moment I had hope – it’s season 4 but maybe a regular minor GBLT character I don’t want to strangle is finally on the cards… except she then packs and leaves at the end of the episode. Is that it, back to the plot box after a cameo appearance or will we see more of her?

Poor Kenny… trying so very hard to be accepted by Aidan.

Andrew’s worry is understandable given the fear of vampires and that a vampire is much much more powerful than a werewolf most of the time – but at the same time Josh knows that just because someone’s a werewolf doesn’t mean they can be trusted. And, besides, a pack of werewolves is more likely to invite vampire scrutiny – so it’s an interesting issue and I wonder where they’ll go with it.


Is it just me or have Josh’s wolf issues just… disappeared? And Aidan is going to have SO MUCH ANGST, oh gods no, it’s going to be another Hootie season. Add in that the queue to beat up Sally (albeit justified) means that she’s likely to have a heavy angst load.