Misfits: Episode Eight

Rudy: 'They chose the wrong day to do that, Finlay, because I'm feeling very hormonal.'

A solid series finale, although probably not as good as I was hoping. The show's produced some cracking stories in the past: from Curtis' zombie noir, to Simon and Alisha's eternal love cycle, to Kelly head-butting Hitler. Tonight's episode wasn't quite as epic, although Alex stealing Sam's power mid-air will take some beating in terms of iconic show moments. And at least the misfits finally became heroes. What a pity we'll never see them in action.

Misfits: Episode Seven

Rudy 2: 'We're going to be unstoppable.'

Tonight was party time at Wertham Community Centre, and what a disaster it turned out to be. It was always going to be a risky proposition, packing the place full of strangers with superpowers, but it was Rudy introducing the power-reversing ecstasy which really tipped it into the chaotic. Tim got iced, Finn now knows about Jess and Rudy, Stuart and Greg danced up a storm, Jess is (or soon will be) pregnant, and Mark the tortoise became a real boy—right before being turned inside out. Colonel Saunders would've been proud.

Misfits: Episode Six

Jess: 'Er, no. Don't look at me like that, because you're in love with a turtle, so...'

The superhero jumper posse are together at last. I didn't think Rudy 2 wouldn't find Karen until next week, but now he has, what now? Is the building on the jumper a significant edifice in the story, or simply an incidental backdrop? What are the R-Men supposed to do? More importantly, will Rudy 2 be able to convince them to do it?

Misfits: Episode Five

Rudy: "Refuted! I refute you, Sir!"

After a slight dip in chuckles last week, tonight's episode was jam packed full of quotables. Welcome back, Howard Overman! Rudy and Jess' relationship is blossoming, Finn's found himself a new girlfriend, and Helen is about to become part of Rudy 2's R-Men. (Like the X-Men, but R-ier.) They also gave us the final piece of Greg's story: a reveal brimming with pathos, poetry, unrequited love, and extreme physical violence. Doesn't it warm your heart?

Misfits: Episode Four

Abbey: "Use your power, Alex. Help people. Be a superhero."

A Jon Brown penned episode this week. His stuff isn't quite as quotable as Howard Overman's, but after two seasons of active duty, Brown knows these characters inside out, and he certainly didn't disappoint. I cringed and laughed as much at tonight's episode as any other. He also managed to make Rudy look vaguely human—which is no mean feat.

Misfits: Episode Three

Laura: "I'm really glad I made you."
Abby: “Me too.”

Absolutely superb! Everything about this episode flowed seamlessly. Several of the long running storylines came to a head, the main arc objective is now clear, and for the first time since season three, the show feels whole again. Which makes it all the more galling that we only have five episodes left.

Misfits: Episode Two

Rudy: “I think I'm going to cry.”

It's not often that we get such a strong story-driven episode. As well as the Rudy-centric stuff, they also managed to develop Abby and Greg's stories—if you can count Abby spending half the episode sniffing a strangers' scarf, and Greg watching Finn take a shower, as character development. I can, therefore I am.

Misfits: Episode One

Rudy: “Women are very much like tractors.”

Misfits is back for its fifth and final season, and after just one episode, I already feel dirty, confused, and slightly ashamed. So mission accomplished, Howard Overman.

Misfits: Episode Eight

Rudy: “This is all wrong, this. I wanted me ET ending.”

It was obvious there was more to Nadine's story than her being a nun. You don't throw tomato soup on a cream floor unless it's serious, and it doesn't get much grimmer than almost bringing about the apocalypse. Yes, the four horsemen were on BMXs rather than horses and, yes they had swords instead of scales, bows and scythes -- but they did at least attempt to bring about war, death and conquest. I'm not sure what happened to famine -- did Rudy and Nadine get to eat that ham and pineapple pizza or not?

Misfits: Episode Seven

Greg: “Do you know what they do with people who pretend to be on community service?”

They force them to do actual community service apparently. I'm not sure that's true, but it works -- Abby is now a fully suited member of the gang. This season's struggled a little under the weight of having too much to do. Introducing three brand new characters in just eight episodes is an almost impossible task. The episodes rarely get to be about just the stories -- which makes me hope that Misfits gets a fifth season. I'd love to see what these characters are capable of without the seemingly ever present spectre of re-population hanging over them.

Misfits: Episode Six

Rudy: “Trust me, you will never forget your first Richard Saunders house party.”

Ahhh... the obligatory party episode. I love it when the misfits get an opportunity to let their hair down. As well as a golf playing rabbit wearing a suit, we were also introduced to the legendary Colonel Saunders (from season three), saw Finn get laid (in all its exhausting glory), and finally discovered Alex's big secret. That's assuming it is big. It may turn out to be quite small. (Zing!) I think we also picked up a new member in the form of delectable pisshead, Abby. The misfits are a four-piece again.

Misfits: Episode Five

Finn: "You can't kill me. I'm your brother... half brother.”

If last week's episode was enough to set your lower lip wobbling, tonight's story hit a similar emotional high, but for completely different reasons. It wasn't so much that Finn's dad died, it was more the realism of the situation, Finn's struggle to adapt, and Grace's all too familiar grief. For once, someone on the show died a natural, non-murderous death. What a gyp it that had to be Finn's dad -- and just hours after them first meeting.

Misfits: Episode Four

Curtis: 'There ain't no happy endings. It's zombie noir, innit?'

It seems ironic that, just 7 days after complaining that Curtis never seems to get a decent storyline, he was finally gifted a pearler—only for it to be his last. I did not see that coming. In fact, even after he'd become infected, I still entertained the idea he'd either be cured, or simply continue as a zombie. This is Misfits, right? Why couldn't we have a zombie Curtis? Alas, it was not to be. He's dead. Demised. Passed on. He's run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. Clearly, Howard Overman has failed to read the rule book—again!

Misfits: Episode Three

Greg: "The magic word is potato."

A very different episode of Misfits this week, and exactly what the show needed -- an episode which made us love Jess. Finn may have provided the chortles, but it was the knowledge of Danny's betrayal and Jess' attempted suicide which brought gravitas to the proceedings. It also explained why Jess reacted so strongly to Finn's non-step-mum faux pas. Aside for having the minor hots for him, she isn't a fan of liars. Poor, pathetic, incredibly jammy Finn. I wish Nadine Lewington were my non-step-mum.

Misfits: Episode Two

Rudy: 'Let me put it like this: what would Bob Geldof do?'

Now that was more like it. Rudy was firing on all four disgusting cylinders, we got some nice back story for Finn, and probation worker, Greg, is just begging to be interred beneath the underpass. He may think he's God, but if Nietzsche was right, then he's surely destined to join Him. What a nightmarish personality. He makes Shawn look like Mother Teresa. I can't see it being long before Lola replaces him—unless, of course, she ends up in the ground as well. Either way, it looks as though Curtis is about to get screwed: both literally and metaphorically.

Misfits: Episode One

Rudy: "It's the storm. It's always the storm."

This time last year, I opened my review by saying that 2011 would be a make or break year for Misfits. If I'd known then what I know now. Last season I was convinced that losing Robert Sheehan would spell disaster for the show. It didn't. It was different, but it was still embarrassingly funny, occasionally brilliant, and excruciatingly vulgar. And then, seemingly inexplicably, three major characters left at once, leaving Curtis (the most boring character of all), and new recruit Rudy, to pick up the pieces. Can any show survive such character upheaval?

Misfits: Episode Eight

Rudy: 'Yeah, well, I love a happy ending.'

So do I, Rudy. Shame we didn’t get one. I was blown away by the last 15 minutes of tonight’s episode. To think, I’ve spent half the season worrying about something happening to Seth—only to find out that Howard Overman had something even more traumatic in store for us. The clues were there all along: Iggy dying, Seth becoming a permanent member of the gang, Rachel coming back from the dead. All were precursors to an event so potentially show wrecking, that I can scarcely bring myself to believe it happened. After the news earlier in the week that Misfits has been renewed for a fourth season, tonight’s episode kind of nipped my happy dance in the bud. What a dreadful ending for our heroes. Thanks for ruining Christmas, Overman!

Misfits: Episode Seven

Seth: 'Let’s go resurrect my dead girlfriend.'

Is it too much to ask for one week where everything doesn't go wrong? It was obvious that nothing good would come of resurrecting Shannon, but six dead cheerleaders, an OAP, Seth's neighbour, a probation worker and a zombiefied Mr Miggles seems excessive even by Misfits’ standards. Howard Overman’s return to scripting duties provided easily the most visceral episode of the series. Quite literally—there was viscera all over the place. The last fifteen minutes was a bloody barrage of torn flesh, smashed teeth, exposed arteries, and mullered brain pans—and in the midst of it all, a love story. Awww! And of course... ewww!

Misfits: Episode Six

Curtis: 'I’m pregnant!'

I struggled this week to find a starting quote that wasn’t utterly disgusting. Considering the subject matter, not an easy task. There wasn’t an ounce of flab in tonight’s episode; even the sub-plots were brilliant. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much at an episode of Misfits. Jon Brown’s script was stuffed to the rafters with coarse wit, bizarre scenarios, rampant promiscuity, and things that made you want to hide your head in shame. In other words: classic Misfits.

Misfits: Episode Five

Rudy: 'Oh, therapy... I love it.'

After the mayhem and time travel of the past two weeks, tonight's episode was more a sedate traipse through character development territory. For the first non-Howard Overman penned episode of the series, I’d say tonight's offering was a success. Rudy's dialogue was as sharp as it's ever been, and provided some much needed relief during the occasional lapse in pace. We also bid a fond adieu to the notorious Shaun. (To his credit, he did manage to stay alive longer than his predecessors.) So, for the most part, I'd say Jon Brown did a competent job. Which can only be good news for next week's similarly Overman-lite outing.