~
Do you like brief flashes of unanticipated nudity?
What do you say to accidental (and not so accidental) acts of violence?
How about vulgar British youths with superpowers?
If you answered yes to any of these questions
you should be watching Misfits.
~~
Yes I have been gone for a while now and the honest answer is I suck. Okay I don’t really suck, only with guys (kidding!). No I have been distracted with life stuff and couldn’t find the mindset to write. I apologize to all of you for being inconsistent. Yes. All three of you.
And yes I know the Christmas episode of Misfits was really bad, like WTF bad. How could Alisha let the cat out of the bag and they not show it!? And then there were the continuity issues.
Anyway I wanted to say I’ve moved over to PosterGirl.ca for all my Fringe reviews. You can find me under SciFiCanuck79 and I write under the Entertainment section. I started with the episode Reciprocity.
I will still post here for all my other reviews (Misfits and possibly Doctor Who) since there are no restrictions on what I can say and nobody reads this site so I can let my inner bitch/child/horn dog out. And (FYI) I still plan on making a Misfit review for the last two episodes. Better late than never right.
And finally I’ve got a Misfit video that’ll get posted very soon (I’d like to say tomorrow “soon” but it’ll probably be a week). Think fan made homage to THE GREATNESS OF MISFITS. And yeah I’m actually serious… *blush*
Any hoo… off to eat a horn dog, I mean corn dog.
I had planned on doing my Fringe review first, but I’m not feeling it today and I am with Misfits so…
Wow. Were we treated to some thrusting bums this time round or what! Everybody was having sex except for the two people who normally would be.
*Spoiler Alert*
We began with a pretty young jogger changing in the locker room. Enter Nathan sauntering in with toothbrush in hand and nothing on but a t-shirt and fitted shorts. In typical Nathan fashion he’s caught checking out the partially dressed jogger and unabashedly flaunts his skinny ass. 
Gotta say here growing up in Canada our cable is dominated by American networks and their prudish sense of what goes for entertainment. I love how on this show a character like Nathan can flick at himself through shorts that do nothing to hide his manhood and still comes across as a likable guy. Of course his shameless behavior doesn’t go unpunished and he’s beaten to death in the bathroom by an unknown assailant.
We then see Alisha, still mourning the loss of future Simon, waiting near the community center. She’s been crying and on seeing present Simon gets up and follows him. I just want to say, at the end of last weeks episode when Alisha got off the lift in future Simon’s loft, I don’t know if it was deliberate, but she looked very much like a little girl. Seeing her wiping away tears as she’s crouched against a wall waiting for Simon, again I was struck by how childlike she came across. Prior to future Simon she’d been full of confidence and oozing sexuality. Now after losing a love as well having the responsibility of keeping his secret, she seems burdened and lonely. I hope very soon she’ll find a way of connecting with Simon. It was cute to see Simon’s face too when Alisha approached him on the walk in. He looked so surprised. And you have to admit, they were adorable together listening to Echo and the Bunnymen (great song, downloaded it).
On getting to the center they find Nathan still suffering the after affects of his death. Sounding very pitiful: “Some bastard killed me last night… That is not a pleasant way to die”. And Simon, further proof he’s coming out of his shell, was his blunt answer to Nathan’s question of why anyone would want to kill him. Simon: “You annoy people”. Nathan: “You ungrateful little twat”. Alisha: “Don’t speak to him like that.” And then Nathan’s pointed question of why’s she sticking up for him (and Simon noticed). Seems only Nathan is earning her verbal bitch slaps now (yippy). On a side note, a few months yoga would allow most guys (if young and limber to start) to suck themselves off.
The gang then helps out with a charity run organized by none other than the “cute smiley” jogger chick who takes a shine to Simon, though Nathan is suspicious of her because she was in the building when he was murdered. Meanwhile Kelly helps out a guy named Bruno that runs into the center by misdirecting the asshole-of-a-police-officer chasing him. Bruno later finds Kelly after her shift, tempting her with some beers in the park in thanks for helping him out. Kelly is typically standoffish, but likes his flattering thoughts and goes along. Quick question: What is taking the piss mean? They say it all the time and I have no idea what it refers to? Is it alcohol?
Nathan and Alisha then attempt to dissuade Simon from hanging out with Jessica, the cute charity chick. Oh Nathan, what does “do the maths” mean? I mean really? 
In his own insolent way Nathan tries to convince Simon that Jessica is the one who beat him to death, but in typical Nathan style ends up insulting Simon by saying that if a girl likes him there has to be something wrong with her (this guy should never be allowed to broach a sensitive subject). Understandably Simon is driven to ask her out and she agrees. I think Simon’s had the worst luck of all when it comes to women, considering he killed the last chick he liked. And even though I didn’t like Jessica at first (too goody too-shoes) I’m glad he’s grown enough to ask a pretty girl out, and a taller girl at that.
Later in the community center Nathan catches sight of a guy hitting on Jessica and following him quickly discovers his gasping blood-spurting body in a hallway. (Oh Nathan). On seeing the dying guy he actually asks, “Hey, what should I do huh, what should I do?”. He calls everyone’s cell but only Alisha answers and they agree to meet in the parking lot of the bar where Simon and Jessica are meeting. There the two of them share a nice exchange over how they, the two people that have always given Simon a hard time, are the only ones to show up and help him because hey, they actually really care about the guy. It was a nice affirmation of Simon’s place in the group, something he’s always wanted but never felt. Too bad he didn’t appreciate their concern.
After Nathan and Alisha are busted watching Simon and Jessica kiss, they try to show him the body of the dead guy at the community center, but it’s gone. Nathan is accused of being jealous and making this all up, but Simon has no explanation for why Alisha’s there or why she’d want to split him and his new girlfriend up. He leaves. I got a perverse kick out of Alisha’s torment here. She knew Simon would be hooking up with someone soon because Future Simon had pretty much told her so (losing virginity but not to you). I just wish Simon would hurry up and look at her differently already (I know that sounds petulant).
Meanwhile Kelly and Bruno decide to head for his place, a house he’s squatting in, and end up, for lack of a better word, fucking (I have to say it) like monkeys. When I first saw this scene I thought it was weird that Bruno would immediately want to screw Kelly from behind. It’s usually distancing (no eye contact) and animalistic. Course now I get it. Though if I had been Kelly my alarm bells would have been going off, as in this guy is a one time screw only. Switch to more sex in the form of Curtis and Nikki and her love of orgasms. So far all we’ve really seen of Nikki is her snarky sultry attitude coupled with a love of orgasmic sex (who wouldn’t like that last one). Lets hope she’s developed further before the end of the season. Kudos to her in her choice of lingerie.
The next day Simon and his friends are invited to a charity masquerade/fancy dress party by his new girlfriend, hosted at the community center. As Kelly gets ready for the party moving boxes, her new friend Bruno shows up and they shag in a storage room. Bruno gets rough and slamming her against a shelf Kelly forces him off and yells at him to leave. She’s understandably upset and Nathan finds her alone drinking a beer (?). Unable to make her feel better she chases Nathan away and hangs her head.
Meanwhile Simon and Jessica are kissing in the locker room when her father comes in. He’s less than impressed with Simon and shooting daggers out his eyes (figuratively) leaves with his daughter. Thank god my father never treated the guys I brought home like that. No wonder Jessica’s still a virgin. Can you say reverse Oedipus complex?
Later the party’s in full swing, music pumping, when we see the gang dressed in full costume as various no-name superheros. Nathan: “Does anyone else feel like a total cunt?” Simon and Jessica hook up and start to dance (all under the watchful storm induced crazy-eye of her father, the real killer). Jessica, a sexy cowgirl, waves her toy gun seductively at Simon who is a… I don’t know exactly but he’s in purple tights.
Bruno is there too dressed as a gorilla and finding Kelly tries to explain himself saying: “Sometimes my instincts kick in.” You see Bruno too was affected by the storm and he’s been changed. Kelly though doesn’t know by just how much (that was one hell of a storm). Enter the asshole-of-a-police officer that’s traced Bruno to the party and Kelly and her gorilla man flee.
Gotta say, why is the dance music on this show so good? It always makes me want to head down to a gay bar and bump and grind with the best of them. And yes I said gay bar because in my city they’re the only places seriously good dance music is played.
While partying it up Jessica’s dad murders a Simon lookalike in the bathroom. Take note folks: Red eyes + flapping cheek = psychopathic evil dad. Simon slips out of the bathroom unaware he’s in his girlfriend’s dad’s cross-hairs, and with Jessica’s hand in his they run away to be alone. Alisha, Nathan and Curtis follow but lose them in the crowd. Splitting up Curtis heads to the roof where he realizes he’s glimpsed this moment before and with a horny smile waits for Nikki to appear behind him.
Nikki, through the sheer will of wanting to see Curtis, transports herself to the roof (love the Maps song here) and there before you know it Curtis’s thrusting butt is pounding away at her (they actually showed his very nice bum) on a couch under the stars. Quite lovely and sexy until Alisha bursts through the roof top door and eyes wide leaves them to continue looking for Simon. Note: did Nikki have to smile when caught? It only made her out to be an insensitive bitch, or an exhibitionist, I’m not sure. And Curtis, shame on you for letting your little head rule in favor of saving a friends life.
We then see Simon and Jessica tentatively making out in a room. We learn Jessica is a virgin and Simon admits he’s one too. And it was here I got to like Jessica because I could suddenly understand why she’d been so prudish. Simon was the perfect man to be her first. Only another virgin could allow her to be the instigator, the aggressor in their courtship. Seeing virginal goofy-smiling Simon here was very endearing (nothing is more alluring than knowing you’re making a guy timid and unsure, yeah I’m weird that way). Unfortunately as they dress Jessica’s crazy dad bursts in and starts to strangle Simon. Enter Alisha swooping in with a fire extinguisher to the back of dads head, saving Simon and causing some seriously awkward looks.
While all this is going down a team of cops chase Kelly and Bruno up against a building, and in full gorilla costume Bruno carries Kelly up the side of it onto the roof (borrowing from King Kong me thinks). Nathan follows unsure of what’s happening, but worried for Kelly follows the drama up a flight of stairs. On top Bruno attacks a cop and he’s shot. Crying, Kelly cradles him as he dies, listening to his thoughts explain why under his mask he’s actually a real life gorilla, that the storm changed him and made him human just like he’d always wanted (WTF!). Kelly then kisses him on his gorilla lips, which if you’ll remember was something Nathan couldn’t even do for the 82 year old woman he inadvertently screwed in season one. You’re a good person Kelly, even if the scene made me cringe. Bruno then dies happy because he met Kelly, which makes her cry, and then Nathan bursts onto the roof asking why there’s a gorilla in a gorilla costume (eternally a boob that one).
A few hours later in the light of day the gang gather on the community center roof, still in costume, and congratulate Simon on losing his v-card. Kelly is still sad telling Nathan how she liked Bruno because he said what he thought, unlike most people. *Here’s hoping Nathan clues into this tidbit and uses it to move ahead with Kelly.
The show ends with Simon, his friends at his side and a beer in their hands, wondering aloud if this is what it’s like to be a superhero.
Considering all the no holds barred screwing this episode, I’m unsure if it was a good idea to not include any scenes of Simon and Jessica having at it. I don’t really think two virgins doing the nasty can be sexy, but it would have added an element of realism or maybe just tenderness that the other sex scenes were incapable of… and that’s always nice.
————————–
Here are some highlights:
Ep 5 screenshot 1
Ep 5 screenshot 2
Ep 5 screenshot 3
FYI: The site is less than a week old so this post is almost a week after the original air date.
I remember it was this time last year I discovered Misfits. I’d read how it was everything Heroes on NBC could never be and then some – Within ten minutes I was hooked.
I thought the show was hilarious in a real world kind of way (apart from the super powers) and couldn’t get any better. It did. Last week when we finally found out who superhoodie was, I like most people didn’t see it coming. I actually thought they’d hired Iwan Rheon’s twin brother or something (he doesn’t have one as far as I know) because I did not believe that was Simon in the shower. He actually looked like a different man to me. The way he moved, was confident, muscular, and most of all in love with Alisha. All of a sudden I was rooting for two characters that previously I thought had no business being together. I have to commend Iwan Rheon and Antonia Thomas because they made me believe completely in Simon and Alisha, boy did they make me believe. I was so giddy after, I reevaluated a relationship of mine and said some things I’m now regretting (must maintain a few days cool down before talking to the opposite sex). Anyways, it was like the show had become something more than it was, and in such an unexpectedly good way.
*Spoiler Alert*
The episode begins with the Misfits meeting the newest member of their ASBO gang, Ollie. A freckly environmentalist complete with tacky braid who quickly gets killed off by a deranged video game junkie that can’t tell the difference between reality and Grand Theft Auto (or whatever the game was called). Poor Ollie, you were nothing more than a disposable superpowered twat that lasted all of 7 minutes. What got me was that nobody was really upset over watching him die. Sure he was new and overconfident and a bit of a pansy (rat-tail braid), but shouldn’t there have been some minor PTS amongst the group? Naysayers would argue our gang has seen and done too much to be affected but… hmmm, okay on second thought I’ll buy that, because when I think about it none of the Misfits are very deeply sensitive people, except for maybe Simon. They just want to be left alone to do their own thing. I did like the shots of each of their screaming faces as they ran, and Curtis’ constipated-looking attempt to rewind time. When will that boy master his power.
After their probation worker shoots down their less than sincere request for a day off, the gang clean up some graffiti and argue over whether they should do something to catch the killer. Of course it’s Simon who proposes this and it’s Alisha who backs him, much to the shock of Curtis. She’s grown a lot from last season, but then she’s had to, especially by the end of this episode.
I only wish Nathan could mature a little too. I’m hoping his off-putting attempt at seduction with Kelly last week and her desire to just forget it and be friends will stir in him a desire to grow up. He looked genuinely crushed both last week and this when Kelly pretty much gagged over his whole slipping her the finger. 
Which leads me to say, what is going on with Kelly? At the club in episode 2 while high she was all, “Sometimes I think I fuckin love you… and it scares the shit out of me,” but now she just wants to be mates? Is she scared, are the feelings gone? Nathan’s a boob sure, but he’s an honest boob. I know there’s a heart of gold in there somewhere and I think Kelly knows it too. Course she’s may be taking the approaching of letting him come into his own first. Let him age a bit, like a fine cheese.
In the next scene we see Nikki, the girl whose bed Nathan shit on, recovering in hospital after having a heart transplant from you know who. Sweet foul-mouthed Nikki is doing exceptionally well until she’s suddenly transported out of her bed and into the morgue. Plop! Right on top of dead Ollie. Then before she can even climb off him she’s swept back into her hospital room.
We then find Curtis and Alisha out for a walk when the video gamer killer pulls up, his techno theme music blasting, and a chase ensues. The two of them manage to evade the guy running through the jungle of concrete that is Thamesmead, but the love loss that has been growing between them comes to a head and with a few fuck yous’, both sides admit things have changed and end their relationship. Alisha even takes on the fact it was her that really did the changing. There are no tears, but both look sad.
Alisha then goes to Future Simon’s loft telling him the news. That she let things play out as he instructed. The news doesn’t make him happy but only more sad. He knows his time is short and events are quickly approaching he needs to prepare for. They kiss and do what lovers do. The next morning he watches her put on makeup and tells her one day they’ll go to Las Vegas, just like she’s always wanted. At the time I could tell something bad was going to happen. Simon was holding onto the moments too much with her, but I still didn’t expect what happened.
We then see Curtis and Nikki meeting at a shrine set up for Ollie. After she tells him she has Ollie’s heart and something’s wrong with it, they sit by the lake and Curtis tells her all about Ollie’s superpower (which she apparently can control better than he did). It’s a nicely shot scene, as many are when it comes to Misfits, and they agree to go on a date. On a side note, I really like how so many of the shots in the show are framed like a picture. For someone like me that’s never been to the UK, they give a good sense of what it’s like to live there, as well making it look good in the process.
After leaving Future Simon, Alisha is heading to the community center when she meets up with Kelly. Within moments the video game killer drives up behind them and chases them down until he surprises Kelly with a knockout punch, loading her unconscious into his car. I found the timing of this a little suspicious, like what deranged serial killer is up that early in the morning? It’s summer in the UK so it has to be near 7 am (live at the same latitude so I know how early the summer sun is). Any how he tells Alisha he wants his money and that Conti needs to deliver it at such and such a warehouse. Conti being a character from his game which because of Nathan he thinks Simon is.
After delivering the message to Simon, Curtis and a cutely frantic Nathan, they hear what they think is the killer shouting in another room. Finding the video game the killer think’s he living playing in a darkened room (put there by Future Simon), they conspire to rob a bank. Que the probation worker entering with instructions to clean his car. Who cares if he heard Nathan say, “lets rob a bank,” he wants his car cleaned. This guy is so much better than Sally.
Meanwhile the killer thinks Kelly is his girlfriend from the game and demands she dress up in a marshmallow disaster of a wedding gown. She puts up a fight and gives him attitude, but with a gun in her face relents. And let me say, I love the soundtrack to this show. Whoever does the mixing is gifted. Did you notice those strange little voices that played when the killer pulled his gun. I don’t know what they were supposed to be, but they added just the right amount of weirdness to the scene. And a quick question; are all chavs or slags supposed to be like Kelly, tough?
With the probation workers car serving as their getaway vehicle the gang rob an armored truck, or I should say an invisible Simon does, and head to the warehouse to rescue Kelly. Outside the warehouse, for the first time I think, Nathan is shown to actually be really frightened. The guy’s immortal but he’s the one verbalizing the scariness of their situation. “We’re way out of our depth, but that’s okay right. We’ve all watched TV, that’s how we learn how to do this stuff. Just butch it up and play gangster.”
Course things don’t go as planned and Simon, who for all his good intentions is still embarrassingly inept, gets a gun barrel to the side of his head. Who knew the dick would advance to the next level and be all, who’s the undercover cop Conti? The killer then strings each of them up like hunks of meat threatening to get his chainsaw and start cutting if nobody talks. It’s when he’s gone to his car that an annoyed Nikki, waiting for Curtis in a bar, falls out of the room and into the warehouse (I like how they visualize her power). She gets a bit of an introduction from Curtis and you can see Alisha’s eyes wondering when the hell have they got so chummy. Nikki though can’t control her power that well and the video game guy soon has her strung up with the rest of the them.
Alisha gets picked to be the first to die and he lets her down when Nathan, under pressure from Simon, bites the bullet and tells the guy he’s the cop so chop me up instead. Oh Nathan, I knew you had it in you. Which leaves me to wonder, what would happen if Nathan were sliced up? Would he be like a jigsaw puzzle you had to put back together or could he regrow everything. Be like a skinny human salamander.
Luckily for him Curtis face kicks the guy allowing Alisha to run away and in terminator fashion he follows, hunting her down until she’s cornered. Unseen above them is future Simon who is counting down the right moment to jump in and save Alisha. 4, 3, 2, 1, he lands and takes the bullet full on in the chest collapsing back into Alisha’s arms. The killer, thinking he’s finished the level leaves them without a second glance.
Alisha, crying, tries to call for help but Simon tells her this is the way it has to be. That it’s all falling into place. He instructs her to burn his body because nobody can know who he really was. I cried here because for some reason for him to be anonymous in death really got to me. Nobody should ever suffer that. But Alisha refuses and with his dying breath explains he won’t really 
be gone and that it’s her falling in love with him that makes him the man he is now (it was hearing Alisha cry Simon’s name at this point that sent me into full on sobs). And so with a dazed heavy expression she does as he wanted and leaves his body to burn.
Why did he have to be so heroic and loving? Stuff like that only makes me cry.
We next see present Simon days (I’m assuming) after the warehouse incident, still virginal and with only shades of the man he will become. He catches Alisha staring at him, but she’s unable to speak and smiles away his worry. The episode ends with Curtis and Nikki happily together and Alisha, alone in Future Simon’s loft staring at a picture of her future with Simon. The music from Massive Attack here was pitch perfect.
I was left wishing they had shown what happened when Alisha went back to the gang to let them down. What did she tell them happened? They would have heard the gun shot and smelled the gasoline on her, not to mention the blood and tear streaked face.
I really hope that before the end of the season they answer the question of why Future Simon wanted Nikki to live? Will it have something to do with whatever bad stuff is coming their way? And why did Future Simon have to die? He could have worn a bullet proof vest. Does that mean our present Simon will die too? Because if it does love can turn to hate and I will never forgive the creators of this show.
————————–
Here are some favorite screen shots:
Ep 4 scene 1
Ep 4 scene 2
Ep 4 scene 3
Sci-Fi Canuck 