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Misfits 4.02 TV REVIEW
Misfits 4.02
Writer: Howard Overman
Director: Nirpal Bhogal
THE ONE WHERE We discover why Finn has a girl tied up in his bedroom, Rudy teaches a blind, racist sculptor a lesson (sort of) and Jess has boy trouble.
VERDICT So Finn isn’t a creepy Buffalo-Bill-wannabe after all. Not the greatest surprise, admittedly, but a welcome one. He may get off the hook for kidnap and false imprisonment, but the episode still paints a dubious picture of the shifty scouser. Seriously Finn, that was a really nice top, did you really have to, er, wipe yourself with it?
Even if you didn’t find it blindingly obvious that Finn would have a good reason for keeping Sadie tied up, the reason itself is a tad disappointing. It makes sense for the character that Sadie would be able to push thoughts into her boyfriend’s thoughtless head, but it’s a variation on a power Misfits has used a couple of times before, and a very pedestrian power at that. It’s a nice idea that Finn is imprisoning Sadie so that she isn’t able to imprison him (mentally), but what should be quite a shocking situation is blunted to the point it barely even registers because the characters never seem to react the way they should. Why didn’t Sadie bust Finn’s balls when she came back to the flat? Love can make you do crazy things, but after who-knows-how-long of pooing in a bucket, calmly continuing to read a book on the sofa fails to ring true.
Unlike the first episode of this series, the weaknesses of the main plot aren’t supported by a pant-wettingly funny script. Rudy isn’t on the best form (though he has his moments, of course). Curtis doesn’t really contribute much (again) and Seth is reduced to a plot device in, presumably, his last appearance of the series. Jess gets some revealing character moments, but when they come they’re very heavy handed (her reaction upon seeing Alex for the first time is particularly clumsy) and she’s proving quite a difficult character to get on with.
The Rudy/Curtis/Ally B-plot seems engineered to push controversy buttons, but ends on a frustrating note given that Ally’s inexplicable racism is never resolved. Alex’s introduction is nicely underplayed given how crucial the character will become in future weeks, and he does get one of the best scenes of the episode, where Jess’ attempt at breaking the ice with an ill-judged sexual assault gag doesn’t go down particularly well, but otherwise it’s difficult to know what to make about the Geordie barman.
It’s not a bad episode, just a very middling one, and for a show that was one of the best in the genre two short years ago, that’s not good enough.
JUST WRONG AWARD OF THE WEEK Even in an episode with a bucket toilet and sex slaves, Rudy’s makeshift clingfilm condom wins by a country mile.
IT’S WOSSERNAME! Trainee probation work Lola is played by Lucy Gaskell, who you may know as Sally Sparrow’s unfortunate friend Kathy Nightingale from classic Who story “Blink”. Eleanor Wyld (or Wild, as she’s credited here) had a small role in Black Mirror episode “The National Anthem” and also featured in Johnny English Reborn .
LMAO Rudy drinking a mug of tea with his pinkie stuck out. Don’t know why, cracked us up.
FEATURED MUSIC “ To be Alone with You ” by Sufjan Stevens, “ Vehicle ” by Ides Of March, “ The Lion’s Roar ” by First Aid Kit and “ Double Life ” by The Cars all feature this week.
THE POWER HOUR Sadie is able to make people highly suggestible; Ally’s guide dog can communicate with her owner telepathically (and may or may not be a massive racist).
THE POWER(LESS) HOUR That said, there’s a disappointing lack of powers actually being used this week. Finn uses his (shit) telekinesis once, we never see Sadie in the process of using her power, Curtis doesn’t seem to have a power anymore and Seth’s final power-dealing farewell is done behind closed doors. At least Rudy’s on hand for a bit of split personality fun.
RUDY’S BEST LINE “Well that’s a shame, because I will not leave my cock in a racist vagina. Yep, I’m a man of principle love.”
BEST LINES FROM SOMEBODY ELSE
Alex: “So, what did you do?”
Jess: “I sexually assaulted a hot barman.”
Alex: “That’s six quid.”
Jordan Farley ( twitter.com/JordanFarley )
Misfits series 4 airs in the UK on E4, Sundays at 10pm.
• Read a preview of our series four feature and meet the new gang
• Misfits: What Is Wrong With The Youth Of Today? Book review
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