Doctor Who: The Impossible Astronaut (1)

Doctor: 'I wear a Stetson now. Stetsons are cool.'

It must be hard for any show to live up to the pre-season hype. They're always promising bigger, better, weirder, more satisfying story lines. Of course, it's usually just talk. Maybe they're too close to the project to be truly objective, or more likely, they feel obligated to big-up the show to the size they hope it will be. So what are we to make of Steven Moffat's 'it's the Doctor's darkest hour' and 'it's going to be a real game changer' pre-season spiel? Should we write it off as mere rhetoric designed to get our fantasy/scifi juices flowing, or will there actually be some substance to the Moff's grandiose promises?

Doctor Who: Space and Time (Comic Relief Special)

Amy: “Okay kids, this is where it gets complicated.”

Sound familiar? It should do. It was the same line Amy used in last year's season finale. This year, instead of a Children in Need special, we got a Comic Relief special. Same idea, same station, roughly the same length, just a different charity. Same wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey goodness, though. And two Amy Ponds! Be still my beating heart.

Being Human: The Wolf-Shaped Bullet

Mitchell: 'Thank you, all of you. You made me human.'

What an exceptional season finale. I watched with five friends, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. As far as emotional punches go, tonight's episode was brutal. At one point, it looked as though Whithouse would press the reset button. He didn't, and I applaud him for that. Unfortunately, we're now a cast member down—unless, as well as entering houses unbidden, the Old Ones know how to bring people back from the dead. I'm clutching at straws, I know.

Being Human: Though the Heavens Fall

Herrick: “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”

With Herrick back from his sojourn in la-la land, the body count tonight was freakishly high. Standard penultimate episode etiquette dictates that, come the closing credits, at least one main character must be either dead, seemingly dead or dying. Tonight, Toby Whithouse chose Nina as his sacrificial lamb. I was so shocked by what happened to her that I actually tweeted Sinead Keenan to express my concern. In case anyone's wondering, Sinead's fine. Nina... less so.

Being Human: Daddy Ghoul

George Senior: “I came back from the dead for you, Ruth. How many men can manage that?"

Tonight's episode saw George and Nina take a break from the increasingly bizarre goings on at Honolulu Heights, and take a road trip back home. This was essentially George's "coming out" episode. Not that anyone noticed. After meeting George's parents, it's easy to see why he is the way he is -- yet, his family's prosaism is what makes them so special. It also probably explains why he left.

Being Human: The Longest day

Nina: “What's your manager's number, Wendy? I'm going to unleash a shit-storm!”

Things are looking decidedly bleak for Mitchell. The sins of the past two seasons are catching up with him. Herrick's back and living in the attic, Nina's knows about Mitchell's part in the box tunnel massacre, George is threatening to disown him -- there was only Cara who seemed vaguely pleased to see him... right before she committed suicide. It's like all of Mitchell's nightmares are coming true. Let's hope he doesn't hear about The Real Hustle being fake or it'll be curtains. There's only so much a man can take.

Being Human: The Pack

McNair: “You spilt my boy's blood. So I'm going to spill yours.”

After the relative lightness of the past two weeks, tonight's episode turned the chuckles down low and cranked up the drama. It's a testament to the show's quality that even the stand-alones this season have been excellent -- with each instalment an improvement on the last. Tonight's story saw McNair and Tom finally meet potential pack mates George and Nina. Sadly, instead of creating harmony, it brought violence, revelations and grief. The wolves totally kicked arse tonight. Could McNair really take Mitchell in a fight? I'm guessing we'll find out before the season's over. My money's on Mitchell.

Being Human: Type 4

Sasha: “Live Annie. Seize the day.”
Annie: “I will.”

Despite being mostly a stand-alone, tonight's episode had surprising depth. Sasha and Graham provided the perfect comedy foils for Mitchell and Annie. I'm not sure who was the most messed up: fanboy Siddion, or Sasha the chavalanche zombie. (Mentally, that is. Physically, Sasha wins hands down.) Sasha's dying words had a profound effect on Annie and Nina. Her carpe diem swansong forced them to reassess their choices and re-evaluate their relationships. For Mitchell, Graham's death was perhaps less of an epiphany. The shadow of his past still looms large -- and if that closing shot of Graham's scrapbook was anything to go by, Mitchell's past atrocities won't stay hidden for long.

Being Human: Adam's Family

George: "Baby, when we get home can you remind me to gouge out my brain with a spoon."

I liked this one. Adam was a young vampire trying to find his place in the world. Raised by human parents, he'd led a relatively normal human life -- until the death of his father left him without sustenance. Enter surrogates Richard and Emma Hargreaves, the most perverted foster parents a boy could wish for. Who'd have thought we'd ever see Gwen West in stockings? Whatever next -- Uncle Bryn in a thong?

Being Human: Lia

Annie: “You saved me.”
Mitchell: “You saved me, too.”

A solid season opener. Apart from the gang moving to Barry Island (what’s occurin’?), it was pretty much business as usual. Annie’s still in purgatory, Mitchell's still a brooding hunk of... whatever, and George and Nina are still in love. Tonight they even ended up doing it doggie-style during their time of the month. Nasty! But Being Human does seem to have rediscovered its mojo. After the comparative darkness of season two, tonight's episode felt like a return to form. After the relative success of Being Human US, I'd forgotten how good this show can be.

Being Human: All God's Children

“George. All the werewolves die. Tully.”

A truly amazing finale. For two seasons now George, Mitchell and Annie have tried to live like humans. Tonight, they were forced to acknowledge that humanity is as flawed as they are. Everyone makes mistakes, but what separates man from monster is knowing when to stop. Despite Mitchell gazing over the precipice, it was George who held out his hand and Mitchell who chose to come back. Everyone has it in them to be a monster -- but anyone can be human, too. Therein lies the truth.

Being Human: Damage

Mitchell: "I don't get saved."

Tonight's episode fairly fizzled with action. Mitchell lost the plot and massacred a train carriage full of people; George came within an inch of wolfing out in public; and Nina, George and Annie, all desperate for a cure, signed themselves into Jaggat's Care Home for the Supernaturally Challenged. Fat lot of good that'll do them. The compression chamber does nothing but blow people up, and no amount of praying can dis-possess Annie. So, if there's no real cure, then what's Kemp's angle? Does he simply want them all dead?

Being Human: In the Morning

Mitchell: “This is the problem with vampires. Too much fucking introspection.”

An excellent episode all round. Good character development, some nice main arc advancement, and a decent stand alone story for Annie. (Not before time, too.) This was an episode which seemed to split the fan community. People seemed to either love it or hate it. I thought it gave an effective insight into the crumbling lives of our three main protagonists. It even made me feel for the bad guys.