I was highly skeptical of the quality of Being Human when it premiered. Syfy had (yet again) canceled some of my favorite shows and I didn’t want to fall in love with another show only to have it ripped away. My friend Hanako insisted this was a great show and I trusted her but it was her video with Sam Huntington that changed my mind enough to watch the show. I started from the pilot and was surprised that I actually liked it. I didn’t have to try to like the show or give it a 5-episode chance because it sucked me in immediately. I love well-crafted pilots. Yes, the show is Angel meets Dead Like Me meets Teen Wolf but it also has its own personality and is good enough to be called a great programming moment on Syfy. Of course because I have gone on record as liking the show, as I write this someone is plotting to cancel it.
Josh is the character that I like the most. He has a very natural and self-deprecating humor that I find endearing. His awkwardness is done with so much ease that it’s like watching a graceful but nerdy man swan. I love that he’s from Ithaca (as in Ithaca is Gorges). I also love that he’s not perfect. His imperfections has tragic consequences resulting in turning one of his girlfriends a werewolf and the other is now dead. Aiden’s character taxes me the most because he is too similar to brooding vampire Angel, almost as broody as Lestat, not as broody as Edward; I guess you can call Aiden the baby bear of broody vampires. I enjoyed his involvement with Bishop and Mother. His relationship with Suren may have made me a tiny bit misty-eyed. The most tragic character is Sally. It is extremely unfortunate that she died in a drabby, grey jersey shirt and a big grey “time-of-the-month” sweater. I yearn for the moments where we can see a wardrobe change via flashback or hallucination. That being said, it is the permanent wardrobe that makes her character more real. It gives you that feeling that she’s stuck between worlds and adds to her tormented state. I’ve only seen season 1 and the 5 episodes that are currently on Hulu so I’ve missed a lot of her Dream Reaper story. I saw the tail end of it and it is well done. She makes you feel her pain and sorrow. This trio of supernatural beings work to help each other and they stumble through their monster lives as best they can together.
At last glance Being Human‘s ratings made it the most watch winter show on Syfy. Season three begins January 14, 2013 and runs through April 8, 2013.
Being Human airs 9/8c on Syfy and streams on syfy.com and Hulu.
*No, I haven’t watched the BBC version.
I didn’t watch quite all of season 1, but I think I watched all of season 2. It is a pretty good show in some ways. I prefer sci-fi over the supernatural stuff, but this show does have enough humor and sentiment for me to overlook some of the material that I don’t usually like. I vaguely remember the 2nd season being a bit depressing and some of the characters getting a little darker than I would like, but I guess the show has to take risks to not be boring.
I watched the BBC version and while similar I still enjoy both shows. It’s a nice touch that they aren’t following the same storylines and letting the characters be quite different. I like them equally, and quite a bit.