Being Human U.K. Season Two, Episode Four: Educating Creatures

 

This episode begins with a flashback from a year ago to Kemp talking to professor Janet aka Lucy, about a paper she wrote regarding her theory about a gene that is potentially the cause of all evil.  She tries to avoid the conversation by saying that those papers were all an intellectual exercise.  Kemp reminds her that last week she received a small sample of blood that made no sense, and that the sample was evil.  He tells her that if she wishes to learn more that she should call him.

It's early morning and Annie is following the mail man as he is doing his deliveries.  In an alley across the street, a policemen walks up to a dead body and Annie follows. When Annie sees the ghost of the dead man, she asks him if he is okay, and if he understands what has just happened to him.  "They told me to wait for you", he responds, and then attempts to drag Annie through yet another door.

Back at the house, George is awake and quite chipper and making sausages.  He tells Mitchell that he has had an Epiphany - a break.  He is making a list to make order out of his life.

When Annie becomes conscious, she meets a ghost named Sykes, who tells her that he saved her from the other side.  When he starts to leave, she follows him and says that he has to help her, because this keeps happening to her.  Sykes tells her that he does not have to do anything of the sort. "There's no automatic bond between us. We're just ghosts love" he says, as he attempts to walk away again. 

Back at the house, George says this whole time I never wanted to think about what happened to me once a month.  He says that you put a big scary animal in a cage, and thus he is going to buy a cage.  "I've been treating this whole wolf thing like this big life changing thing, running around doing jobs a monkey could do, but what is it really?  When you think about it, it's one night a month.  That's no reason for me not to live a long normal full life the rest of the time, and that is what I am going to do." Mitchell asks if that is on his list as well and George responds, "yes, yes it is in fact, number two get a better job."

Annie follows Sykes, threatening to haunt him if he does not help her.  Sykes tells her that fighting the men behind the door is grown up stuff, and she tells him that he is about nine.  Sykes goes on to say that he died when he was 23, and in ghost years he is 89. Annie stops him and says, "if you don't help me, then sooner or later they're going to get me".  Sykes responds, "you have resisted deaths door three times, which is written all over your aura, which I could teach you to read." Annie asks him to show her how to read auras at least, because apparently it's not like teaching, it's a magic trick.

At vampire headquarters, Campbell brings in a young woman for Mitchell to feed off of.  Mitchell asks what part of no blood do you not understand?  It seems that Campbell found her on a website for humans that have a vampire fetish.  He believes that this is different, because the woman is volunteering to be fed on, but Mitchell tells him that it is not different, and instructs him to get the woman out of there. Ivan tells Mitchell that Campbell's suggestion is a creative reinterpretation of the rules. Mitchell tells him that there is only one rule. 

George goes into a factory to get a cage built, and he starts to stumble when he's asked what size cage and how close the bars need to be together.  The welder asks if he wants a cage big enough for a man, because he believes that George is into S&M.  George says, "I was obviously embarrassed to say that I wanted a sex cage, but now that this is out in the open, I feel wonderful."  The welder tells George that he will throw in some handcuffs no charge.  

Back at the house, George is complaining that all the tradesmen he met that day think that he is a pervert and Skyes pipes up saying,"better they think that you're a nonce, than a werewolf surely."  When George asks who he is, Mitchell tells him that his name is Sykes and that he is dead and apparently very good at closing doors.  Mitchell asks if he can teach Annie how to do this, and when Sykes says maybe, maybe not, Mitchell asks him why he is there again.   Annie drags Mitchell into the next room and tells him that he is not her father, but Mitchell is concerned because of all the things that have been happening lately. Annie reminds Mitchell that Sykes saved her, and that she had to drag him to the house, only to have him act like an over protective father. She tells him to ease up.  Before going back to the living room, Annie asks how George is doing, and Mitchell tells her that he is manic and not talking about it.  Annie says that this not healthy, and that he needs to talk about it.

When they walk back into the living room, George is telling Sykes that if he can help Annie, that he has a responsibility to do so. Sykes says, "Do you want to know why I don't want to teach you? It's because there is only one passing grade. Anything less than an A+, and they've got you, and I really don't want that on my conscience."  Annie responds, "Sykes if you don't teach me, then I'm gone anyway." He tells her that they can meet a 9 tomorrow, if it's okay with her two dads, and walks out of the house.  George says that he liked him, and then mentions that he wants to switch rooms because of the size thing with the cage. 

Review: This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost, Book 5 of the Night Huntress Series

Cat is adapting to her new life as a vampire – and not just a vampire, but a vampire that feeds on other vampires and absorbs their powers – powers that she isn’t always old enough or strong enough to control. More, a newly raised vampire whose powers just killed one of the most powerful living master vampires

And this is a problem for Apollyon, the Ghoul. Or at least a convenient excuse for him. Using the image of the powers Cat has displayed, he is inciting the ghouls to raise up against the vampires, claiming they will use her powers to dominate, enslave and butcher ghouls.

Apollyon is now travelling from city to city, inciting ghouls to hatred – and it’s not the first time he’s used a half-vampire to try to start a war against vampires – last time the half-vampire was killed to placate him. Cat isn’t best pleased with this proposal.

So the hunt is on – to find Apollyon, to discredit him, to stop him by any means necessary – and before more masterless vampires are hunted down or too many ghouls are recruited to the cause.

We had plot, plot and more plot! Indeed many of the sex scenes were taken as a given rather than something that had to be excessively described, and relationship angst came in the form of long needed revelations rather than the eternal moping and misunderstanding. In fact, Cat made little breakthroughs with Mancheres so perhaps we can finally leave her constant suspicion and sniping behind. After the emotional maundering of the last book, this was a wonderful change of pace.

Another wonderful change was Cat’s actions and involvement. After the last book where she spent the vast majority of it being dragged around in other people’s plans, here she was involved. She didn’t always take charge and sometimes she had to follow as much as lead – which was appropriate all things considered (why should the millennia old Mancheres defer to Cat after all?) but she had constant input, intelligent input and was a meaningful part of their plans as well as adding her own plans and ideas that they followed. She was integral, not just for her special shiny powers, but also for her own choice of what to do and how to do it. In this book she was not just a strong, intelligent woman with her own ideas and unwilling to be dictated to, but she was also a team player – and I think that’s important. Often in Urban Fantasy “strong, independent woman” and “works well with others” are considered mutually exclusive – either she’s domineering, violent or drives people off, or she’s a passive follower. Or she refuses to work with others and insists on doing her own thing. This was one of the few times we see a character who is happy to work with others, as an equal, without having to be a complete arsehole or a complete puppet or a loose cannon. 

Being Human U.K. Season Two, Episode Five:

 

This episode opens with a flashback from 1969. Mitchell is lying on a bed covered in blood.  When he sits up, he finds a dead woman lying next to his bed, also covered in blood. In the hallway, he finds another woman, who is also dead and covered in blood. He hears a toilet flush and hides, only to have Herrick come out of the room.  Mitchell asks where they are, and how they ended up there, and Herrick asks if he cannot remember the party, the four hour drive, and the girls.  Mitchell says that they have to get out of there, but Herrick tells him that they have to clean up, and that he does not have people to take care of this mess, because he killed the mother of the head guy in London. Herrick leaves Mitchell and tells him to do what he can, because he has to find their car.  Mitchell straightens the apartment and washes off as much blood as he can, wrapping the bodies in sheets. He then runs down the stairs to leave the apartment, when he notices cops banging on one of the doors. Mitchell then forces himself  and a woman into another apartment, and asks if there is another way out. The police knock on her door, and ask her if she has seen anything suspicious. When she says no, they tell her to stay in the apartment, because there was a murder upstairs.

In the present time, the police knock on the door of the house and charge up the stairs.  They grab Mitchell, as he asks what he is going on, and speed off with him in their car.  When Annie asks what he has done, George responds, "how far back do you want to go." William shows him a man locked in a room and explains that he is a pedophile and that he wants Mitchell to kill him.  "I have a line of guys in there begging for the opportunity, I figured that you might enjoy this."  Mitchell tells him that he is wrong because he is clean and does not kill anymore. "But you're a vampire, is that even possible?" William asks.  Mitchell tells him that he is sorry that he could not be of more assitance and leaves.

Back at the house, George and Annie are talking about magazines, and George tells her that Sam has a daughter.  Annie tells him that she didn't know that Sam had a kid, and that it is quite the responsibility.  When Mitchell enters, they ask if he is okay, and Annie quickly tells him that Sam has a daughter.  Mitchell simply says, "figures," and George is immediately upset.  Mitchell replies, "I didn't mean anything by that. It's just the way you guys are together. Single mothers dude."  George walks out and Mitchell says that this is textbook rebound, because he is obviously still in love with Nina.  

At Sam's apartment, Molly opens the door and tells George that he has dog breath.  She is not at all impressed with George's gift. When Sam introduces George to her mother, she walks by and refuses to acknowledge George at all.  When George asks if her mother spent the night, Sam says that they share the apartment. George tries to have a seat and Molly tells him that this is where her father sits. When he shifts position, she tells him that this is where the cat sits. 

Back at the house, a woman opens the mail slot and asks if Annie is going to let her in.  Annie is shocked that she can see her but lets her in anyway.  The woman walks in holding a child and Annie stumbles and says, "you're uh a ghost." Molly learns that Sykes told Kathleen all about her, and that she is a celebrity, because she has resisted death four times.  Kathleen tells her that she has been dead for about a year, and that the baby will remain a ghost until they cross over.  She says the slum lord responsible for their death is in court soon, and if he gets sent to prison then they are out of here. Kathleen points out that Annie has her own place and seems very responsible.  She asks Annie to watch the baby, because she has met a dead fireman and does not want to scare him off on a first date. Kathleen says that there is no one else that she can ask, and that she does not have to worry about hurting him, because he is already dead.  Kathleen tells her to keep him clean and to keep him cool because ghost babies prefer it that way.  

At the funeral parlor, Mitchell is looking through paperwork and Campbell walks into the room and says that he has been dreaming about his ex.  Campbell says that he tried to recruit her, but no one would show him how and so she died.  He goes on to say that he had not dreamed of her in 15 years and that little things are starting to come back to him and he is scared.  Mitchell tells him that he has to stick it out, and that it happens, but that eventually it will stop.

In another flashback, Mitchell is back in London.  He ties Josie up after he notices that she wrote the word help on the window.  She asks him what his motive was for killing the girls, and he tells her that he did not have one. When Mitchell looks at the pictures on the mantle, he notices that she is an only child and she asks him if he killed his parents as well.  Josie goes on to ask how many people he has killed, and Mitchell responds, "more than a hundred, less than a thousand."

Lucy meets Mitchell on the street, and they confirm their dinner date for the next day. When Lucy walks away, she meets Kemp around the corner, who tells her that what is going on is an interesting mating ritual.  Lucy tells him that this will not end in mating, and that she signed on to discover the genetics of evil. Lucy asks, "if he is clean as he says he is, what's the urgency?"  Kemp responds that they have a duty to future generations, as well as to those already lost."

In another flashback, Josie asks Mitchell if he feels any remorse.  She tells him that she is not scared of him, at least not as scared as she probably should be.  Josie asks Mitchell if he wants to know her name and he screams shut up.  Mitchell says that he had to kill them, and that he didn't have a choice. In frustration he gags her.

Review of Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters Book 2 of the Generation Dead series

 

The Generation Dead series is about what happens to teenagers who die and come back to life as zombies. At the end of Generation Dead, Adam had been shot and killed saving Phoebe's life from his former friend Pete the night of the prom.  In the aftermath Phoebe must deal with her feelings for both Tommy and Adam as she and her differently biotic friends negotiate a world that is increasingly more hostile towards them.

Waters work continues to over written and angst riddled.  There are certain allowances that one often makes for a YA novel simply because working with teenagers as characters means that maturity of thought and or behaviour at times is extremely immature; however Waters quickly pushes through that tolerance with an angst level that is enough to drive adults to throw themselves on a bed and cry about not being understood.

As with Generation Dead Waters seeks to tackle oppression of zombies by using the oppression faced by historically marginalized bodies as a framework.  This of course amounts to appropriation and belittling of what marginalized people face on an everyday basis.  In Generation Dead Waters dealt with the word zombie as a slur and specifically discussed reclaiming this word.  In Kiss of Life Waters ups the anti by having a traditionally biotic person complaining about the inability to say the word zombie without facing retribution. 

"I got a detention yesterday for saying the word zombie.  Everyone in the room, even Tommy who Phoebe hadn't seen crack a smile since homecoming, seemed to think that was pretty funny.  Alish laughed out loud, unmindful of his daughter's warning glare." (pg 28)

Of course they laughed.  It's not like slurs hurt or stem from a historical method of dehumanizing minorities or anything right?  This is specifically why the word zombie regardless of Waters intent should never be considered a slur even in a fictional sense. Then Waters decided to double down on his error by having the character complain about losing his girlfriend because of his relationships with differently biotic people (pg28), and in response the zombies only laughed.  This is not a realistic response to this sort of appropriation and anyone who had any experience dealing with a slur would know that. 

For the first time, we have the introduction of a gay character.  Popeye is artistic and the mastermind behind the zombies social protest, though he does at time play second to Tak.  We first learn that Popeye is gay when he makes a comment about how short Karen's skirt is and Tak wonders, "if Popeye got away with his innuendos because he was gay." (page 147)  We quickly learn that not only is Popeye gay but he is in love with Tak who has hinted that he has no hope. "Popeye, he knew, wasn't really deterred.  That was one curse that didn't leave when you died. The curse of hope". (149)  I don't know about you but I am pretty sick of the trope that involves a gay character mooning over a straight character.  There is no reason why Popeye could not have been given his own love interest. 

Review: Guardian of Fate by LJ Kentowski, Book 1 of the Fates Series

Cassandra is a Guardian, her job is to save human souls. Demons, shadows, stalk humanity, targeting people, hunting them down and then killing them in perceived accidents, their souls then descend to sheol – hell – where they are enslaved as the demons prepare for their war against heaven.

Cassandra saves those souls, her visions guide her to the targeted humans and give her the chance to change things, to push the victim away from the crashing car, to pull them out of danger, to save them from the shadow-manipulated chance that would kill them.

But her life just got a lot more complicated. The Shadows have changed their ways of working and a new threat is targeting the humans in her visions. Worse, she has come to the attention of a different form of demon – and these Seekers don’t hunt humans, they hunt Guardians. And Cassandra, with her newly revealed ancestry and bloodline is a prime target for them.

Her life uprooted, she has to decide what to do – and which of the disturbingly attractive and oddly compelling new men in her life to trust all the while being hunted by demons and discovering that everyone around her was keeping secrets from her – including exactly what she is.

Let’s start with some of the problems I had with this book

I don’t particularly like Cassandra, the protagonist. She talks like a strong, independent woman and a decent protagonist – but she doesn’t act like one all the time. Part of that is the circumstances she’s in – her whole world has changed, everyone she knew was keeping secrets from her, she’s learned whole new things about her life, her family and even what she is and has had her life threatened on a regular basis. Given the circumstances, it’s reasonable for her to be a bit shocked and lost – so her crying, even fainting, and running around following other people’s plans are not bad things – but because I haven’t seen her in any other context yet, this is what I see. A woman who cries in emotional stress, isn’t very proactive and tends to follow other people’s plans and leads.

Her whole relationship with Hunter is fraught. From the very first moment they met, Hunter was pushy. And that quickly escalated from pushy to outright molestation – repeatedly touching her when she firmly said no. Putting his hand on her thigh, on her bottom, even undressing her when she fainted. He repeatedly forces kisses on her when she says no and in one memorable scene tries to force his tongue in her mouth while she firmly keeps her jaws closed.

Enter to Win The Vampire Diaries Season Two DVD and Mouse Pad

Hey everyone.  Thanks to the holidays we got a little bit sidetracked but we do have yet another exciting giveaway to announce.  As lovers of everything vampire, Paul and I would like to announce this month's giveaway.  One lucky winner will receive:

That's right, one lucky person will win a copy of season two of the vampire diaries as well as vampire diaries mouse pad.  Who wouldn't want to have more Damon at will? 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Please be aware that those who already follow us on the options given are eligible to enter.  Please leave a comment that includes your email address, telling us where you follow us in order to enter.

Good luck everyone and as always, please stay tuned for our next exciting giveaway.

The Winner of the EReader Christmas Giveaway is

Hello everyone.  Paul and I hope that you had a wonderful holiday break.  On December 16th we announced our Christmas giveaway.  One lucky person has won.

A 7.0 TFT ereader with earphones for listening to MP3 and MP4, on USB Cable and a Power Adapter. 

and the winner is.......

Ron Casteel

Congratulations Ron.  As with all giveaways, you will 48 hours to contact us with your shipping information.  Thanks so much everyone and please stay tuned for our next exciting giveaway. 

2011 in Review - and looking to 2012

So, the first year of Fangs for the Fantasy has passed (well, half year since we started in August) so it’s time for a review of the year and what we’re looking forward to from 2012


Renee:
What were you Top 3 series/books you read this year?

I think the best series that I read this year was easily The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games is a sci-fi and it falls outside of our purview, but I was compelled to read it after receiving multiple recommendations.  The Iron Druid Chronicles was the series to make me actively into a fan poodle.  I loved this series from beginning to end, and can be found on Twitter occasionally encouraging Kevin Hearne to spend more time writing.  Finally, I would have to say the Georgina Kincaid series by Richelle Mead. For me, this is an example of how to do paranormal romance the right way.  I found the books engaging, and could not help but root for Seth and Georgina.  

What book(s) pleasantly surprised you?

I would have to say White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland. Just based in the title alone, I expected this book to be a hot mess from beginning to end, and instead found a well thought out plot that closely examined class.  

What was this year’s guilty pleasure? Which book/series are you embarrassed to admit you liked?

I would have to go with the Argeneau series by Lyndsay Sands.  There is so much wrong with these books from beginning to end from a social justice perspective, but I found myself laughing in spite of myself.  Yes it’s wrong, but a vampire biting a penis during oral sex because she got a sudden craving for blood is hilarious.  This of course was doubly funny, because the man owning the penis in question, really should have known better, because he was after all having sex with a newborn. I also like The Elemental Witches series by Anya Bast, though it had the most vanilla sex possible because the plot intrigued me.

What was your favourite Television series this year?

This question is actually quite easy for me.  Hands down the series that I loved the most is The Walking Dead.  This season has not been as great as the first season, but I am still intrigued and read the comics as soon as they are released.

What was the worst thing you read this year?
This is actually quite hard because I read so much crap this year.   I don’t think I can narrow it down to just one, and so I will give you a few.  The Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey because it started off with a good plot, and descended to one big testosterone pissing contest.  The Iron Duke by Meljean Brooks, for celebrating rape culture in the most horrendous way. Finally, Generation Dead by Dan Waters.  This book has the honour of having the most appropriation of marginalized bodies that I have ever read in any urban fantasy book or series.

What television series did you enjoy the least?
Okay, hands down that has to be American Horror Story.  I found every episode torturous, to the point that when the season finally ended for the year I was relieved.  Each episode the writers of the show seemed to want to include as many isms as they could, thus making the show racist, homophobic, and ableist.  My second choice would be Grimm.  The sad thing about Grimm is that it still has so much potential, but has become stalled with doing the monster of the week, week after week.  We have learned next to nothing about the characters, and therefore it is difficult to form any real attachment to them.  It makes me just want to scream meta-plot repeatedly at the screen while the show is on.


What are you looking forward to being released in 2012?

I am really looking forward to the next Hollows book by Kim Harrison.  Now that Trent has made it clear that he has feelings for Rachel, I just have to know what happens next.  I also must find out what adventures Kevin Hearne has planned for Atticus in the next Iron Druid Chronicles. Finally, the next Sookie Stackhouse book, simply because I have to know how this series ends, though it is clear from her last book, that she is bored with this story.


Sparky:
What were you Top 3 series/books you read this year?
First for me has to be the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne. hilarious, fascinating, well written with a great world and amazing characters - I even got them on audio book so that I could listen to them in the car. I fanpoodle in his name

Joint second for me has to be the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews - perhaps the best world building I have ever seen in the genre. Joint with Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate for utter hilarity, and the strongest protagonist I’ve seen in a long time.

Third, I choose Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden Files, simply for brilliant stories and bringing the epic over and over. No other book has had me on the edge of my seat, or excited as much as this one

What book(s) pleasantly surprised you?
My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland. I expected utter awfulness from the title, I’ll be honest, and I didn’t rate the cover art. I expected trash, I expected fluff - and what I got? I got a subtle, nuanced analysis of class and personal growth and development and addiction, all with some amazing character development and a strong world setting. It was a gem that I totally didn’t expect. In fact, I am really looking forward to interviewing Diana Rowland in the New Year - beware, Ms. Rowland, we fanpoodle!

What was your favourite Television series this year?
I’m going to have to go with The Fades. So many powerful scenes, such amazingly good action, such genuine tension without needing a huge special effects budget. The acting carried this series - and it already had a dark and gritty story and a wonderful world.

What was the worst thing you read this year?
I would have said Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instrument’s series, except then she released Infernal Devices that was even worse. They had a good world and some decent story - but the truly awful characters and the horrendous over-writing was just intolerable. An editor could have cut these books by half without compromising the story or characterisation, the writing was that padded

What was the worst thing you watched this year?
American Horror Story, beyond a doubt. We just had -ism after -ism after -ism show cased over and over again for no damn good reason. It was a failapolosa, painful to watch and really not worth it.

After that, I’d have to go with Secret Circle simple because it was so damn predictable and lacking in even the slightest pretense of depth. I knew how each episode would end almost before it began.

What was this year’s guilty pleasure? Which book/series are you embarrassed to admit you liked?
Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter Series. I’m really trying to hate these. They’re full of awful romance tropes, they ignore the very intriguing plot, they’re nearly completely erased. With the world they could be so much better than they are - instead of being predictable, cliched, problematic and... fun. Yes, fun.

What are you looking forward to being released in 2012?
Tricked by Kevin Hearne, Heartless by Gail Carriger (I am fanpoodling all the way here). I’m also hopeful for more Jim Butcher since we ended on such a cliff hanger and more Ilona Andrews because her world is so awesome and she’s finally revealing her history with Roland, the Master of the Dead.





So readers, what about you?