Misfits was a rarity in the world of television last year. It appeared on our schedules, stinkingly fresh and brutally shoved everything out of its way with little respect for other programmes, demonstrating how TV should be made. The confidence and ballsy approach was refreshing in the extreme.
Creator Howard Overman didn’t quite rewrite the rules, but the show did unremittingly demand the viewer’s attention from the opening second in the lives of the ASBO super heroes to those last beautifully hilarious moments with Blur’s ‘To The End’ blaring out as we discovered the final “super power” of the gang.
That power being immortality and that gang member being the utterly irritating (initially) yet captivatingly LOL-worthy Nathan, played by the wonderful Robert Sheehan. Nathan delights in the reveal of his gift to everybody and anybody who will listen, giving rise to many of the episode’s funnier moments; especially when he realises that death could have freed him from his proverbial shackles.
Keeping Nathan in these shackles is a new addition to Misfits, their latest probation worker, Shaun; a guy who cares just as little for the gang’s rehabilitation as they themselves do. Played by Craig Parkinson (twins Jimmy and Johnny Kray in ITV1’s recent Whitechapel), the latest character is welcome, adding a further spark to the group dynamic.
Another new face for Series 2 is the crazy “ex” of Barry, sorry, Simon. Lucy is straight out of J-horror, a genuinely creepy, wide eyed girl played pitch-perfectly by Evelyn Hoskins (Casualty). And it wouldn’t be Misfits without a new lightning-originating power – Lucy is a shape shifter, one of the boldest moves by the series so far. This leads to all sorts of erotic misunderstandings and violent repercussions with the viewer wondering just who is who, making for a tense denouement.
Although now in the second series, the writers are canny enough to make this a beginning for some latecomers. The gang’s powers are reintroduced in an insanely clever fashion, integral to the plot and rendering the pre-titles recap rather redundant. New viewers will get the gist, so to speak.
Regulars to the show will also be rewarded with a new ongoing arc. “Bike boy” from the Series 1 finale immediately returns (albeit slightly tarted up) in the magnificently presented opening sequence. It would appear that this series will centre around this character’s who/why/how/when/etc… as the gang realise that someone is on to them.
Incredibly, the closing moments also introduce the notion of the show’s actual demise. Nathan, whilst chomping amusingly on a Cornetto, tells his super-hero chums that in six weeks “it’s all gonna change” as they approach the end of their community service. If this knowing meta-nod wasn’t enough, he bemoans of their situation: “Haven’t we done enough this week? Let’s worry about it next week, or even the week after that.” Brilliant.
One episode in and this series looks like it’ll be the best thing on television all year.
Airs at 10pm on Thursday 11th November 2010 on E4.