Any TV junkies out there?

It's a good time to be a paranormal fan because the networks are following the trend and filling our weeks with numerous shows revolving around the make believe worlds we love so much. My DVR can barely keep up with the workload and I definitely can't find the time to watch every show I'm interested in...which is where you come in. Bite Club is looking for dedicated TV fans to recap some of the excellent shows out there, specifically Being Human, Game of Thrones, Grimm, Once Upon a Time and Supernatural.

If you are interested in reviewing for Bite Club email me a sample episode recap with the show in the subject line, and we'll go from there!

Catching up on Being Human

Yes, I've been remiss in recapping episodes but I plan to fix that problem... starting right now. Basically I'm going to discuss the last 3 episodes as if they were one big event and then we'll all be prepped and ready for the big finale next week. This recap has spoilers so skip to comments if you haven't watched the show!!! So let's get started!

Josh:

Bishop kidnapped Josh and was going to force him to act as the fight club style entertainment for his visiting vamps but Aidan saved the day...not that we got to see any cool action or anything. The reigning wolf champ had been a prisoner for 15 years and in his spare time he was working on a written werewolf history. It wasn't looking god for Josh. Aidan bargained with Bishop to save Josh, but since the 2 wolves were already locked in the cage it seemed that a brawl was inevitable. I was royally pissed that we started to see Josh go furry (and violent) only to have the scene abruptly end to all is right with the world, everyone was back home and thumbing through the wolf history book. Total cop-out!

Nora announced that she was impregnated (her favorite word apparently since she says it like ninety times an episode) by Josh during the infamous back room tryst that occurred a few weeks back. They've only had sex that one time and it was sorta wham-bam which makes me wonder why they haven't tried again. The pregnancy has caused massive anxiety for both, especially Josh, because he worries that the baby is some sort of freaky werebaby (a frightening image to be sure) but he hasn't shared his secret so far. Not sure how that will play out but my guess is that things will sour for them next season and/or the baby will have problems.

Aidan:

The whole turning Bernie into a vampire fiasco was exactly that, a mess from beginning to end. Rebecca took this dying kid, turned him and thought that this would mark the start of a normal family life with Aidan. Only when Bernie's bullying tormentors turn up dead in an alley with their throats ripped out it would seem that he is having control issues and might be a little serial killer. Rebecca has her hands full trying to get him to drink bagged blood when Aidan finds them and offers to help. His version of help was to end Bernie before things got really bad, and let's be honest here: Vampire children rarely turn out well and they tend to draw the wrong kind of attention. Think Claudia, my favorite vampire child that ended tragically. Rebecca was devastated that Aidan destroyed her dreams of having a happy vampire family.

Meanwhile, some very important vampires (the Dutch) from the council showed up in Boston to check on Bishop and the nasty rumors they've been hearing about a bunch of newly turned vampires in the area. Maybe Bishop's plan for world domination isn't so secret anymore. Bishop, and Aidan, show them around town and it becomes obvious that something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Long story short: Marcus betrayed Bishop. Bishop poisons and kills all but one of the Dutch. Aidan saves the last guy and Rebecca saves Aidan by killing Marcus. When all is said and done Rebecca asks Aidan to end her because the vampire life isn't for her. So bye-bye Rebecca. I'll miss her.

Now Bishop is after Aidan and the last episode ended with Bishop flying through the window of their brownstone and staking Aidan. Chaos ensues.

Sally:

Brigit and Danny bring a psychic to the house to perform an exorcism and send Sally to the other side. Things don't go exactly as planned and the psychic doesn't finish the ritual which leaves Sally not exactly looking her best (she was actually quite scary looking). On the plus side, Brigit and the psychic lady learn the truth about how Sally died because Sally briefly possessed the psychic and shared her death memories with her. Then Sally decides to haunt Danny in earnest and actually manages to hurt him while he's shaving. Who the hell uses a straight razor anyways? That's just asking for trouble.

All this stress proves too much for Danny and he loses his tiny little mind. He decides that he will get rid of Sally by torching the house. No house, no haunt. Sally traps him in the house vowing they will burn together. Aidan and Josh burst in and while Josh puts the flames out Aidan flashes some fang at Danny. They all decide that killing him would be too easy and he is persuaded to confess his crimes to the police. And then Sally's door appears.

Overall:

I have liked the pacing of the last 3 episodes and the highlight for me has been the flashback scenes of Aidan and Bishop. They both have an interesting and complicated history, and these scenes have given valuable insight into Bishop's flawed character and why Aidan doesn't want to be around him anymore. I wonder what they had in common all those years ago because it seems like they've always clashed in varying degrees. The finale should be good...the trailer shows Josh embracing his violent nature to go after Bishop. Good times:)

Being Human recap: The End of the World As We Knew it (episode 5)

*spoiler free recap that mostly hints at the big secrets*
*feel free to spoiler in the comments*

In the words of Darren Pang, one of my favorite hockey announcers from his Phoenix Coyotes days...Holy Jumpin!!! What does that mean exactly? I think it's a phrase for holy hell that was awesome! Or can you believe that? Okay, since you aren't here for a hockey class let's get down to business.

Episode 5 of Syfy's Being Human answered many of our lingering questions about Sally and Josh, or more to the point, how they were made into a ghost and a werewolf. I had sorta guessed about Sally but its always cool to have your suspicions confirmed. Loved her reaction to all the memories too! And it totally cracks me up that the plumbing is like Sally's personal mood ring. Who knew that it was all about the forshadowing? I just hope that she is able to warn Brigit about what a jerk Danny can be before it's too late.

Josh's story spin was more of a shocker because I just thought that maybe Ray would turn out to be a vampire serial killer that was wanted by vampire clans all over the world. Or maybe that he was trying to set up Josh to take the fall for some werewolf killings that happened in his neck of the woods.

Aidan rocks! I loved watching him kick ass all over the priest guy. Wow, that felt weird to type and I feel like I should offer my assurances that I do not condone attacking priests in our mundane world of reality. On TV though, that was cool. My fear is that Bishop has this evil mastermind plan that we can't figure out yet and that Aidan will be blindsided by it. Things on that front will be interesting for sure.

Flyboy got to watch with me last night and although he isn't fond of the acting he does enjoy the storyline. It will be fun to talk about each episode with him. Maybe we should do a "He said, She said" type thing on the blog to compare notes. Hmm, that might actually work.

Want the rundown on this episode? Watch this video.

Being Human Episode 4 recap: Wouldn't it be nice (if we were human)

*Warning* This recap contains a teensy-weensy bit of profanity but nothing worse than you heard in the episode last night.

So last night we met Ray, a trash talking werewolf that helps Josh embrace his inner wolf while teaching him how to be smarter about the change. Techniques like hanging a rump roast in the woods for the wolf to find and remembering to stay hydrated are just a few things that Josh learned. He desperately needed some help and some of this stuff should of been common sense, like bringing a change of clothes. Up to this point it seemed that Josh was so focused on the terror and all the negatives that he forgot to think about what might make being a werewolf tolerable, or dare I say it, fun. Ray injected some comedy into the episode but overall you just have to know that he is too good to be true (his hatred of vampires is not a good thing for the household). Trouble is brewing.

Sally learned that she can interact with the human world but her efforts require really strong emotions, like seeing her fiance kissing on her bestest friend. I'd find a way to toss some breakables too! After a heartfelt discussion with Aidan she decides that her loved ones are entitled to move on and communicates that to her friend. Sally is a much better ghost than I could ever be, as I warned Flyboy last night that 6 months is not enough time and my friends are all off limits, forever, otherwise serious hauntings might occur.

For me, the stars from last night were hands down Aidan and Rebecca. I didn't buy that Rebecca wanted to change her ways (she just isn't the huggly vampire type) but it was sure fun seeing her try. And instead of easing back on fresh blood consumption, Rebecca scoffs at the hospital blood bag method, convincing Aidan that taking from each other is a-okay, and the result is a major backslide for Aidan (but lots of bloody sex for us to watch). In the end Rebecca disappears while Aidan is left with a major case of bloodlust.

Favorite lines:

Aidan to Josh: "Why are you dressed like a douche?"

                                                                                                                                                                

Josh: What's rule number 2?

Ray: Normally we steer clear of vampires but you have already crapped the bed on that one.

                                                                                                                                                                

Here's a sneak peek at the next episode:

Being Human: episode 3: Something to Watch Over Me recap and discussion

One of the things that I like best about this show is that in every episode we get a little bit about each character, everyone progresses, and the story moves on. In this episode we get to watch Aidan dealing with his violent past and his friction with Bishop edges up another notch. I don't really like Bishop and every time I see him I wish someone would just give him a haircut already. And maybe fix the color. He looks trapped in like the 1970's and I don't find him to be threatening at all. I mean, he has the mindmeld mojo happening, could kill me without batting an eye, but he comes across as a Mr. Rogers type. I've seen pictures on the net and he isn't a bad looking dude so I'm not asking the impossible. Is this a new trend in master vampires? Godric (True Blood) was the same way for me. Maybe they do it to hide in plain sight or something?

Aidan is awesome though. He has the brooding attitude- the angst- but you also see the darkness simmering just beneath the surface. He struggles every minute of the day and his decision to not take fresh blood is dangerous for him and his friends. I am curious about the tattoo. When and how? Is that even possible for vampires? Nit-picky me.

We were also treated to Josh using his new skills to help the neighborhood. Let's just say that taggers will think twice before brightening up his block. He could definitely use his curse in a useful way, like maybe becoming a search and rescue guy, or as a taste tester for royalty. Can't wait to see the new werewolf he is supposed to meet next week!

Sally and Mullet-Man were fun to watch and I was glad to see Sally improve her ghosting abilities. I liked her speech about being buried and she made me teary when she watched Danny sleep. So sad. Not sure I'd like being a ghost and honestly, the thoughts about what happens when we die really trip me out. Next week should be interesting because we'll get the chance to see how she reacts to Danny moving on with his life, and maybe dating. Thought the effects for her teleporting were cool too.

Here's the sneak peek for next week:



*How hard would it be for SyFy to put episode photos up for us to look through and share? They really don't make it easy to spread the word about the show. That site is a pain in the ass to navigate!

*And in other exciting SyFy news:

They've decided to air Moonlight after Being Human, a decision I both applaud and despise. On one hand I was happy to have another chance to watch Mick, but that also means I will once again be disappointed when they run out of episodes.

Along with being bombarded for something about a gateroid that stars Debbie Gibson, I was tempted by a new series about makeup effects, called Face Off. Yeah, like I need another dose of reality TV, but this seemed pretty cool. I might even watch next week.

Did anyone else watch these shows or am I the only insomniac? Thoughts on Being Human? Anyone know what the hell a gateroid might be?

Being Human: Episode 2: There Goes the Neighborhood Part 2

 
updated video!

At the time that I am typing this up (before I go to bed) the SyFy channel has not updated with episode 2 information...which means that I can only give you the sneak peek video for this week. Blah! I wanted to have new images to sprinkle all around the post, but for now I will just give you my thoughts and impressions. And if I can swing it, I'll try to get new pictures up and running tomorrow afternoon. And remember, this recap is not a comparison between the 2 shows.

Thoughts and impressions:

*Rebecca is a piece of work, a truly delicious evil vampire, and I love her for it. Whatever character flaws/issues she possessed in life have definitely jumped to the front of the line in her rebirth. She wants to cause trouble for Aidan because he left her for dead and all, so she figures eternity will give her plenty of time to seek her revenge.

*I feel like the cast and crew have worked really hard to give this show an individual identity, like making Aidan part of the American Revolution. These touches are what I think will make the show a success in its own right.

*This episode gave us our first peek at how these 3 characters were "introduced" to the paranormal life and I was able to make my first emotional connection, especially with Sally. Her story is so tragic and I hope that she gets her closure. I'm also looking forward to seeing all the roommates bloom, struggle, and work at being human.

*Josh and his inability to socialize in any sort of mature way did make me want to duct tape his mouth a few times. He just blurts out nonsense! Reminded me of Sam Witwicky from Transformers.

Best line (as best I remember it anyhow):

*Rebecca to Aidan- I don't take advice from a man that fell of the wagon onto my neck.

Questions for you:

*Do you think that Danny knows Sally is somehow still in the house? Like maybe his logical mind cannot believe in ghosts but his heart sense her in the room?

*Would you consider them to be monsters, even though they didn't ask for what happened to them?

*How do you feel about how Josh handled his sister at the end of the episode?

I turn the floor over to you and I will check back throughout the day to comment. So let's talk!

Being Human Episode 1: There Goes the Neighborhood

The key to making this show successful for viewers is approaching the premiere as if you had never seen an original episode at all, as if the amazing and awesome BBC version just doesn't exist. At least that's how I did it and I really felt that the show worked. I'm tuning in next week... so long as it doesn't play against Castle.

My initial impressions were this:

*The casting was spot-on, especially for Josh, the tormented werewolf character. He does the lost puppy look very well, and he has a nice emotional range. He made me laugh too (walking down the street in a polyester dress, or mopping the floor in his new place). Sally (ghost) also scored an A and I look forward to her smart-ass wit. I predict that she will be my favorite. Aidan (vampire) started out so-so for me, mostly because he didn't have the sexiness that I was looking for, but I liked him more towards the end of the episode. He hit it with the brooding attitude and I liked his vibe so I'm just hoping he adds a dash of sexy next week. The potential is definitely there.

*Good special effects. This is something that I was worried about because SyFy can easily jump into the realm of cheestastic CGI or worse, the Halloween mask-like costumes and corn syrup blood. The transformation scene was cool and so was all the bloody stuff. The fangs were also decent.

Best Lines (that I can remember off the top of my head):

*Are you trying to scare us with Bon Jovi? -Aidan to Sally

*At least I don't masturbate to NOVA! - Sally to Josh

SyFy has loads of Being Human stuff up at their website, including a cool blog, videos, character bios and more. So stop by and visit. I'll be back next week with a brief episode 2 recap.

Did you tune in to the premiere? What did you think? Let's compare notes!

Being Human

I just finished watching the first season of BBC's Being Human.  I know, I'm behind the times.  The show is currently heading into it's third season.  Yay!  This is an awesome show with an amazing ensemble cast. It combines drama and the supernatural with a perfect dash of wacky humor, and there wasn't an episode that was not excellent.  The first season is only six episodes, but it's worth the price, no matter if you find it on DVD (Amazon around $20) or a streaming service like Amazon's Video On Demand ($9.99 for season 1 right now).

The show features a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost living together in Bristol, in an attempt to 'be human' by keeping their darker natures separate from the side they show the public.

Annie (Lenora Crichlow), the ghost, isn't quite sure why she hasn't gone 'beyond' yet, so wants to solve that.  She's a free-spirit, always happy and eager to please.  She doesn't need to eat, but making tea makes her feel normal, so there's always a clutter of teacups about the house.  She's someone you'd love to have as your next-door neighbor, but you wouldn't be able to see her because she's a ghost.  Her growth over the six episodes is remarkable and she learns both good and bad things about her death and its meaning.  You'll be rooting for her, I promise.

George (Russell Tovey), the werewolf.  What can I say about sweet, lovable, goofy George? He's not what you'd expect a werewolf to be, and that's great.  The whole show turns the paranormal stereotypes on their heads.  George is very firm about keeping his werewolf nature away from his 'human' life and only has to deal with that during the full moon.  Yet, he's fearful in reaching out to humans, and when love comes to him, he is reluctant.  He is the comic relief on the show, and has incredible comic timing.  Heck, the whole cast works marvelously with one another.  You'd think this show was in its third or fourth year for the actors really have a handle on their characters.  One of the things I adore is the gnome wallpaper in George's bedroom (you can see in the pic at left).  It was obviously there when he moved in, but, oddly, it fits him to a T.

Finally, there is Mitchell, the vampire who is about 150 years old.  He's stopped drinking blood in his efforts to be as human as possible.  You can see that he genuinely craves the companionship and affections that humans offer, yet he struggles (as you would expect from any vampire).  Aidan Turner, who plays him, has laidback charisma and charm and just like George, he embodies his character and you can't resist loving him from the start.  The fact he's gorgeous doesn't hurt a bit.  But over the very short story arc he manages to grow a lot as the others do.  He faces his dark cravings, and whether or not he succumbs I'll leave for you to find out when you watch the show.

The BBC site for the show is here, and you can watch clips and video (yes, even here in the US!).  The Wikipedia page is pretty awesome.

The SyFy version of Being Human premieres Monday night.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.  I don't get the channel, so can't watch it, but I'm so in love with the original I really don't want anyone to try and remake it.  Though advance word on the SyFy version has been good.  You all will have to report in if you see the new show and let us know what you think.  Do we need two versions of this show?  Can they capture the magic of the BBC version?

Being Human marathon and premiere

Season 2 of Being Human premieres tomorrow on BBC America! I absolutely cannot wait- this show is awesome and I just love the relationship dynamics between Mitchell, Annie and George.

Don't despair if you missed out on season 1 because BBC is airing a marathon all day today and the website has loads of useful information about the characters, storylines, and even a quiz to see if you are a vampire, a werewolf or ghost. I recommend that you buy the DVD set to avoid all the edits and repetitious commercials.

Other BBC shows that rock:

Top Gear
Doctor Who
Graham Norton
That Mitchell and Webb Look
Torchwood

Happy Friday!