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Art Attack
Writer: Howard Overman
Director: Will Sinclair
The One Where: Superhoodie goes off the rails.
Verdict: Misfits made several leaps and bounds towards the big box labelled “genre” in series two, and this episode takes the show’s comic book influences one step further with a familiar tale of good turned evil, such as when Superman fell under the effect of red kryptonite, or Peter Parker turned emo (but with fewer pelvic thrusts).
Purse-snatching Peter is more of a misguided, tragic hero than a typical villain, obsessed with playing a guest-star role in Superhoodie’s comic book adventures – even if it means becoming the bad guy. The outcome of their final confrontation in the fateful warehouse where Simon made/will make (depending on your perspective) the ultimate sacrifice is never in doubt, but is a genuine lump-in-the-throat moment – one made all the more heartbreaking by the neat final twist.
Cluing the audience in on Simon’s eventual fate in series two is proving a dramatic boon for this third series as we’re all too aware Alisha’s pleas for Simon to hang up his hoodie are falling on deaf ears. It’s a smart storytelling trick, leaving us constantly second guessing Simon’s actions, and tingeing every step he makes towards becoming the masked vigilante with melancholy, even the perverted joy on Simon’s face after nearly getting pummelled by stopping a mugging.
It hammers home a couple of key themes a little too often (yes, we get it, a hero has to be willing to die) but the episode’s larger-than-life four-colour feel means this isn’t too big an issue. It’s brilliantly, and appropriately directed too, with dynamic comic book framing and the literal use of comic book panels to depict one fight scene – an imaginative device not just visually but narratively – making it clear that Simon isn’t in control of his uncharacteristic actions.
Kelly gets another scene to warm up to Seth (and demonstrate her hardly-unexpected ability to down a pint in one) – a surprisingly sweet exchange amidst the drama going on elsewhere and indicative of the show’s keen ability to juggle such wildly differing tones.
LMAO: Rudy’s bizarre chicken daydream, his ridiculous stance while urinating and subsequent suggestive hand gestures all had us doubled over in fits of laughter. Joe Gilgun is a comedy deity.
Behind The Scenes: Misfits is a phallic show (especially last week), but ever wondered how phallic it gets on set? Probably not. But just in case, here’s a revealing anecdote from behind the scenes of episode three.
Sean’s Words Of Wisdom: “Whoever does the crime does the boring, mindless shit.”
Powerhouse: Peter’s power, the ability to make his drawings come to life is very similar to one of Haven ’s “troubles” (basically another word for superpowers) in the first season episode “Sketchy”. Despite being one of the worst episodes of TV ever made, and the subject of a running gag in the SFX office, it proves that there’s a good story to tell in every idea, and a dreadful one.
Top tune: Nothing from the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack this week, sadly. Instead we’re treated to a blast of Jimi Hendrix’s “Stone Free” over the opening Superhoodie montage.
Best Line :
Rudy: “Yeah, so you either play ball, or you play hardball .”
Kelly: “What does that even mean?”
Jordan Farley
