TV Rec: Being Human
I'm enjoying the hell out of this show, which says something about me. Perhaps it's that I have a weakness for British TV. Perhaps it's that I have a thing for supernatural angst (y hello thar FMA, Le Chevalier D'eon, Supernatural). Maybe it's just that I love to see attractive naked men. I get all three in spades with this show. Especially the nudity. I don't think I've ever seen this much male nudity somehow made relevant to a show before.
The concept is a bit cracky ala Snakes on a Plane: What if a gorgeous super-sexy Vampire, a vulnerable (also very attractive) werewolf and a perky (beautiful) cheerleader ghost shared a flat. Now they could have taken this concept and run it for yuks, or they could have played it for horror. But they chose to go the psychological drama route. Each of the flatmates has cartloads of issues based on their "disabilities", and they all look very hittable when they angst. (Though sometimes its a bit of an inner struggle to decide whether I want to see them fucked or strangled).
The OT3 subtext is about as blatant as you can get with all three spending time being huggy and tender to each other and helping each other through their trying, trying times. Though, honesty here, Annie trauma seems rather pedestrian and small compared to Mitchell the vampire's OMG-I'm-killing-my-friends-with-hot-steamy-sex difficulties. And now that I've written that down, it sounds like Mitchell's angst should be played for yuks, but actually they are pretty horrible. And sexy. George's angst takes a middle road: Utter personal humiliation. For some reason a lot of this humiliation takes the form of having him get totally naked and put himself in positions where he looks like he's either getting ready to be reamed or is exhausted after a long night of being reamed. Thankfully, George has been blessed with a porn star's hairlessly waxed ass.
There is also something of a plot. Or, well maybe not a plot, but a series of goals each is trying to reach. Mitchell dreams of being human, which means ditching his broody (but omg sexy) mysterious demeanor and going for the utterly adorable, gregarious, friendly vampire. He's sworn off blood. And apparently sex too because he can't seem to fuck someone without also killing them. He smiles even though he's obviously extremely sexually/vampirically frustrated. The effect is sweet and comical and oh so doomed for failure. And when he does slip (because he does, frequently) he transforms back into a dark, mysterious, lustful stranger who can seduce without effort. Also his Sire has some big background "Step 1: Vampires take over the world, Step 2:? , Step 3: Profit!" scheme going on which he wants Mitchell to be part of. And Mitchell also has a childe who is pretty much the definition of horror.
Annie's ambitions are much smaller. She wants to be seen by other people. That appears to the be essence of her ambition. You know, I think something must have happened to her that she's not talking about yet. On the surface she's so hungry for company, that's she's comically ditzy: laughing at anything remotely funny, complimenting people, fascinated by them. There's a desperation in her desire to get people to see her that comes off as a bit "crazy chick". But under that she's very scared and totally lacking in confidence and trust. So far we've had no backstory to justify why she's this way, but we've also had no good reason why she's a ghost either. She appears to have died by accident. Anyway, depending on how confident and happy she is, more people can see her. When she's having a bad day, or scared, she becomes invisible to all but supernatural people like her flatmates.
Then there's George. His ambition is to get laid. Actually it's to stop being a werewolf, but since that's not going to happen, getting laid is a good second choice. Problem, he's painfully shy and a bit nerdy and a lot prim. And once a month he gets naked and risks getting thrown in jail for public exposure. He's dreadfully embarrassed by his condition as well as terrified that he might kill someone or turn them into a werewolf too. Becoming a werewolf is also extremely painful, and his flatmates feel terrible about watching him go through it.
Who is this aimed for? I'm guessing this show is pointing straight at a female and gay male demographic. How else to explain the almost total absence of naked women, while somehow finding a way to put in several shots of full male nudity. Usually with shows aimed at men we get lots of the bouncing boobies, and a guy who has unzipped his fly for the occasion. In this one, we can't even see the naked chick (because she's a vampire and doesn't show up on film) but we get to practically look up the guys ass.
Although all the characters are played straight -- the homoeroticism is everywhere.
The concept is a bit cracky ala Snakes on a Plane: What if a gorgeous super-sexy Vampire, a vulnerable (also very attractive) werewolf and a perky (beautiful) cheerleader ghost shared a flat. Now they could have taken this concept and run it for yuks, or they could have played it for horror. But they chose to go the psychological drama route. Each of the flatmates has cartloads of issues based on their "disabilities", and they all look very hittable when they angst. (Though sometimes its a bit of an inner struggle to decide whether I want to see them fucked or strangled).
The OT3 subtext is about as blatant as you can get with all three spending time being huggy and tender to each other and helping each other through their trying, trying times. Though, honesty here, Annie trauma seems rather pedestrian and small compared to Mitchell the vampire's OMG-I'm-killing-my-friends-with-hot-steamy-sex difficulties. And now that I've written that down, it sounds like Mitchell's angst should be played for yuks, but actually they are pretty horrible. And sexy. George's angst takes a middle road: Utter personal humiliation. For some reason a lot of this humiliation takes the form of having him get totally naked and put himself in positions where he looks like he's either getting ready to be reamed or is exhausted after a long night of being reamed. Thankfully, George has been blessed with a porn star's hairlessly waxed ass.
There is also something of a plot. Or, well maybe not a plot, but a series of goals each is trying to reach. Mitchell dreams of being human, which means ditching his broody (but omg sexy) mysterious demeanor and going for the utterly adorable, gregarious, friendly vampire. He's sworn off blood. And apparently sex too because he can't seem to fuck someone without also killing them. He smiles even though he's obviously extremely sexually/vampirically frustrated. The effect is sweet and comical and oh so doomed for failure. And when he does slip (because he does, frequently) he transforms back into a dark, mysterious, lustful stranger who can seduce without effort. Also his Sire has some big background "Step 1: Vampires take over the world, Step 2:? , Step 3: Profit!" scheme going on which he wants Mitchell to be part of. And Mitchell also has a childe who is pretty much the definition of horror.
Annie's ambitions are much smaller. She wants to be seen by other people. That appears to the be essence of her ambition. You know, I think something must have happened to her that she's not talking about yet. On the surface she's so hungry for company, that's she's comically ditzy: laughing at anything remotely funny, complimenting people, fascinated by them. There's a desperation in her desire to get people to see her that comes off as a bit "crazy chick". But under that she's very scared and totally lacking in confidence and trust. So far we've had no backstory to justify why she's this way, but we've also had no good reason why she's a ghost either. She appears to have died by accident. Anyway, depending on how confident and happy she is, more people can see her. When she's having a bad day, or scared, she becomes invisible to all but supernatural people like her flatmates.
Then there's George. His ambition is to get laid. Actually it's to stop being a werewolf, but since that's not going to happen, getting laid is a good second choice. Problem, he's painfully shy and a bit nerdy and a lot prim. And once a month he gets naked and risks getting thrown in jail for public exposure. He's dreadfully embarrassed by his condition as well as terrified that he might kill someone or turn them into a werewolf too. Becoming a werewolf is also extremely painful, and his flatmates feel terrible about watching him go through it.
Who is this aimed for? I'm guessing this show is pointing straight at a female and gay male demographic. How else to explain the almost total absence of naked women, while somehow finding a way to put in several shots of full male nudity. Usually with shows aimed at men we get lots of the bouncing boobies, and a guy who has unzipped his fly for the occasion. In this one, we can't even see the naked chick (because she's a vampire and doesn't show up on film) but we get to practically look up the guys ass.
Although all the characters are played straight -- the homoeroticism is everywhere.