"Rudy are you ok?"The orange boiler suits are out again which can only mean one thing: by the end of last night's Misfit's season three opener everyone’s favourite juvenile delinquents were finally back where they belong; released from the life of "freedom" that had seemed to subdue their collective nature and personality and instead contemplating new powers after selling their old ones, but more about that later. This was a premiere under more scrutiny than usual because of the big changes through both circumstance and design, but also because the show's had enough time to develop a following on DVD and overseas (the show's highly successful US debut on Hulu netted a remarkable 9 million streams). So has it managed to keep itself feeling fresh and relevant?
"Yeah I'm fine, just washing shit off my cock"...
After last year's departure of “universally popular and well-liked” Nathan, it's fair to say many were a little bit worried about the state of arguably one of the UK's most imaginative and high quality shows. For many he was the most entertaining character, with his schoolboy humour and penchant for annoying everyone but the audience. So what would become of our gang once their loudest member had departed? This wonderment was soon replaced by resentment towards Robert Sheehan from his previously hard-core fans, as his absence was to be explained by an online episode only (banged up in Vegas and not really the end befitting of such a hugely influential character) with no time or opportunity to include him in the main show.
And the product of this chaos was apparent on our screens last night. This Is England's Joseph Gilgun has slipped into the Nathan-shaped gap of the collective quite nicely, but how long will it be until viewers start to pine for the dynamic of yesteryear? Judging from the evidence presented by episode one, it might be a long time indeed suspects Caroline Preece. For the show was as witty, crude and sharp as it always has been and, instead of being left wanting after Sheehan's departure, the natural and uninhibited Rudy fits the show like a glove, and has given the central group a new lease of life. In many ways writer Howard Overman has gone for the safe option of replicating the Irish one's main characteristics: sex-obsessed, arrogant and annoying as fuck. He effortlessly fulfills the role of the childish, puerile member of the group; just with an added obsession with anal sex to flavour the endless stream of filth which he shares with the others much to their chagrin and disgust.
Yet there is more to his character, instead of simply replacing one cheeky chap with another, Rudy’s power enables him to split into two versions of himself; not unlike a Gremlin (or Mogwai, for pedants). One is the super-cocky bad boy and the other is the timid, insecure Rudy who tried to kill himself after Alisha (Antonia Thomas) rejected him when they were at college. There is more to him than meets the eye and this promises to make him an interesting character as long as the themes of memory, jealousy and insecurity are not lost beneath his arse-centric demeanour. By introducing an acquaintance between Rudy and Alisha, Gilgun’s character was neatly brought into the fold. He fits in well with the others and is not a complete outsider, making him less of a replacement and more an addition to the ‘Misfits’ family, thinks The Independent's Neela Debnath.
It still won't stop some finding Rudy annoying, as some found Nathan impossible to watch. Although Rudy's insecurity and capacity to collapse under emotional pressure proves to be the vital difference between him and his predecessor, and Gilgun does a great job of portraying the two sides with equal authenticity. Likewise, the episode did exceptional work with the special effects required to show him acting with "himself". There were even a few shots that must have taken skill to put together, such as when the focus on the camera changed from Cocky Rudy standing in the background to Timid Rudy sitting in the foreground. When the two halves of his personality are joined, it's not hard to see the conflicting personality traits co-existing behind the eyes. It's a trait that will help the ensemble in the long run as, with less focus on Rudy in future episodes, his presence will have to shine through in other ways.
With Nathan gone, and a new guy just finding his feet, Simon is the undisputed main player for the show, and it gives standout actor Iwan Rheon a chance to shine. Simon has always been one of the most interesting thing about Misfits, and has had the biggest transition from the creepy, introverted boy we saw in series one. In keeping with the growing mythology of the series Simon has swapped invisibilty for premonition. Seeing a short way into the future will no doubt aid the gang on their many adventures and it fits perfectly with the character's various neuroses and developing hero complex. His power also subtly reveals that it's not the end of time travel, since Curtis gave up his handy power to rewind the action. It's a convenient plot device that won't be missed by the audience, who generally prefer their characters to stay knowing whatever they learnt during the 40-minutes we spend with them. In the last series the audience learnt that Simon is Superhoodie, the one who has saved them on several occasions and who travelled back in time to save them. The threat is approaching but as yet unknown. In the meantime Simon appears to be developing and testing the limits of his abilities.
This time around the gang’s powers are more psychological than physical which adds depths to the show. Last year, following a little mishap with 'Jesus', the gang lost and regained their superhero statuses, and Overman has decided to move away from the usual superpowers such as invisibility, immortality, telepathy, etc. Kelly (Lauren Socha) is now "a fucking rocket scientist" and spends most of her time working on designs. One thing that does not make sense though, is that her new power has not elevated her intelligence to the levels of MENSA. It is odd that she can draw complex blueprints for rockets yet she does not know what brunch is. It is early days yet and maybe her power will serve a purpose eventually. Alisha has now got the power to see things through other people’s eyes, similar to Kelly’s previous power of mind reading. Curtis (Nathan Stewart-Jarett) drew the apparent short straw with the bizarre and seemingly useless ability to transform into a girl yet this did serve him well when he was chased by the police. These powers are the least constructive at this juncture, but at least next week looks to explore the gender-swap potential a little bit further.
Besides, gender-swapping as a concept just works thinks Sam Wollaston. In a hastily convened poll of a few boys, most (all) would take it. And it's all about sex, I'm afraid; they want to know what it feels like, for a girl. Or maybe they think it's the only chance they'll have to get their hands on an arse like Charlie's (Nathalie Emmanuel). I asked some girls too, if they'd like to be able to temporarily change into one of us. Again, quite a positive response, but for different reasons – they mainly want to know what it feels like to be able to park. Boo, sexist ...
Anyway, back to the actual story, which was undemanding and nothing we haven't seen before, in various guises, but this was probably for the best because there was a lot to cover with the power changes and Rudy's debut. We basically followed Rudy doing his community service; trying to keep his power a secret while wooing two fellow offenders, Charlie and Tanya (Katie Moore). This resulted in misunderstandings whenever his duplicate self popped into existence, making Tanya think Rudy's a two-faced love rat and deciding to teach him a lesson using her own power (the ability to turn people motionless), and the ensuing tricks caught the attention of the other misfits.
Other than the obvious already covered, things have largely reverted back to normality for the remaining four 'heroes'. We knew from the end of last year's run that the cast would end up back in those fetching orange jumpsuits eventually, as the established style of the show demands it at this point. And, although the distinct cinematography looks as stunning as ever, with loving shots of the familiar Brutalist inner-city landscape, the 'grimy chic' of previous years seems to have been cranked up a few notches. Superhero structure demands that things go a bit dark for these guys in their third outing, so maybe the look of the series is trying to reflect that.
So we're largely back where we started, with the gang back at the community centre and a sense in the air that trouble could be coming their way. The ability for the characters to their change powers is a smart move by Overman as it will ensure that the show stays fresh and allow room for growth. The new group dynamic bodes well for future episodes, as does some new blood on the writing team this year, and there's some exciting opportunities ahead in exploring the members new powers. Rudy is a great addition to the show, and might just prove to be the unplanned ingredient that spices up an already wonderful hour of television each week. If that doesn't work, there's always Nathalie Emmanuel's delicious dookie-maker.
Television Series: Misfits (S03E01)
Release Date: October 2011
Actress: Nathalie Emmanuel
Video Clip Credit: Deep At Sea & Trailblazer
Rapid
Mega
Mediafire
Fileserve
Wupload
Rapid
Mega
No comments:
Post a Comment