Being Human USA 3.09 Of Mice And Wolfmen REVIEW

Being Human USA 3.09 “Of Mice and Wolfmen” TV REVIEW

Episode 3.09
Writer: Keto Shimizu
Director: Kelly Makin

THE ONE WHERE Household pets should find somewhere to hide.

VERDICT No sign of the annoying lingerie ghosts, this week. With Aiden at death’s door, why are they not sitting around, crowing? If any one criticism can be laid at this current season, it’s that it is sometimes wildly inconsistent in its treatment of background characters. Luckily, that’s not enough to spoil another good episode.

During the early flashback in which we see Aiden’s wife cutting herself with a big knife to allow him to feed, she barely flinches when the knife slices her skin. I’d like to see a little realism in these scenes for a change, where the human characters feel pain the same way as the audience. I don’t know about you, but if I get so much as a splinter in my thumb I’m not use to anyone for hours!

Sally covering Aiden with make-up is a nice scene, and Sam Witwer plays up the desperation of the character, beautifully.

Character of the week this week, though, goes to Pete – the old naturist werewolf that Nora finds in the forest when she wakes. He’s either genuinely lovely (awwww, bless) or will turn out to be an evil genius out for their blood. I hope it’s the former – they need a little lovely in their lives, for a change. His recommendation to Josh that he make peace with his inner wolf is profound, and when Josh gets close to this at episode end, it comes a little too easily. Amusingly, Pete has named his inner wolf Gordon.

Meanwhile in zombieland, Sally’s decomposing rapidily (toothbrush through the cheek? Ouch!) and when she catches and eats a live mouse we’re not as surprised – or as disgusted – as perhaps we should be. The snack heals her. That doesn’t bode well…

Nora’s change of heart regarding Aiden comes as absolutely no surprise. When she turned against him earlier in the series, it felt manufactured – a contrivance to provide internal conflict within the household. Let’s hope that’s the end of that. To show she’s forgiven him, she sends her best friend (the lovely Kat) to visit him at home, though he’s sinking, fast.

When Sally meets Nurse Zoe to talk about Nick, Zoe confides in Sally that she’s worried about him, and also scared. After visiting Nick, Sally’s trip to the local pet shop is more than a little creepy.

We all knew that Aiden would pull through the disease, somehow, and the irony that werewolf blood (Erin’s, in this case) is the vaccine is one that I hope is hammered home to Liam the next time we meet him. That the blood of his race is the source of immunity for the race he has devoted his life to eradicating is a sweet form of karma.

Sally tells Aiden about the mouse snack, and resolves to not eat anything else, even though it will mean she dies (again). Do we believe her? Do we buffalo! A cured Aiden’s visit to Cat is the stuff of Mills and Boon. Let’s hope they’re happy (for a while at least – let’s not get too attached to the happy couple).

Oh, and the poorly-acted redhead vamp is given the secret to immunisation by Aiden, in return for never going near bubbleboy again.

The final scene in which Zoe walks in on Nick eating raw cat is extremely well-played. Nick’s expression of pure hunger as he sees and pounces at her, is a great lead-in for next week’s episode.

So, to recap: Josh befriends his wolf, Sally eats a mouse and Aiden kisses a Kat. It’s like a screwed-up afternoon of children’s TV! Nice.

BEST LINE
Sally (covering Aiden’s bruises and lesions): “I tried to match your skin tone, but the kit doesn’t have pasty white.”

Lee Harris

• Read our other Being Human USA reviews

Being Human USA is now airing in the UK on Watch, new episodes every Thursday at 9pm