The following post includes spoilers for the entirety of the third season of Being Human, including last night’s finale here in the UK. If you’re behind on the show up to that point, look away now.
Season 3 of Being Human reached an almighty, earth shattering climax last night, as both Herrick and Mitchell both finally met their end.
As the season finale opened, we pick up almost exactly where we left off last week. Nina is critical, Mitchell is in jail, and a newly reborn Herrick is on the brink of world domination.
It’s not long before he frees Mitchell from prison, only to throw him into the wolf cage along with a confused and disoriented George. Lia’s prophecy then is finally going to come true. The wolf and the vampire must fight.
Or so it seems. Annie ventures to the other side to seek out Lia, and find out once and for all what the prophecy means. “I made it up.” Laughs Lia. “This was never a game, it’s revenge. That man killed me, and he has to pay – it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. There is a wolf shaped bullet, and Mitchell carved his own name on it.”
Lacey Turner is a great actress, and she’s the perfect Lia. Growing beyond the character of Stacey Slater, and completely embodying this broken, torn apart young girl, she is believable, and even haunting in her portrayal. You can see that it is hurting her just as much as it is pleasing her, and so when she finally makes the right decision, you completely buy into it.
From here it was a non-stop thrill ride to the end, as Mitchell and George face off, only to be freed by fellow werewolf Tom, forcing Mitchell and Herrick to flee.
In one of the finest scenes in the entire history of the show, Mitchell and Herrick sit, overlooking a bay, talking about their differences. Talking about Herrick’s plans for domination, as Mitchell slowly realises that his rightful place is not at Herrick’s side. He finally hears the secret – “If George had staked me, I’d be dead. I was actually pretty lucky that he just ripped my head off” – before telling Herrick not to go on. It’s not about saving himself anymore, it’s about knowing how NOT to save himself. He puts the stake through Herrick, and then begins the slow march to his own destruction, returning to Barry Island, and to the B+B.
Mitchell stands, facing the three people he has betrayed, begging George to finish it. Begging George to save his own soul by disowning Mitchell once and for all.
Aidan Turner and Russell Tovey make this scene just as tough to view as you’d hope it would be. It is literally breaking both men to say these words, to completely despise the other enough to do what must be done. Finally though, after much crying, and a final kiss between Annie and Mitchell, it is time for George to take stake in hand, and finish the job.
It wouldn’t be a television series finale though without a cliffhanger, and if George killed Mitchell straight off, we wouldn’t have got it.
Setting up next season (which was officially announced this morning), we meet Wyndham, one of “The Old Ones”, the vampire troupe we have heard alluded to before now, but whom we’ve never seen. It’s clear Wyndham and his crew will be the new big bad for season 4, and to see them introduced now lets us anticipate for an entire year what may be coming next.
It’s clear Mitchell is terrified of Wyndham, and terrified of what he would have to do if he were to join him, so the complete relief as George finally fulfils his destiny, and ends Mitchells life is palpable.
The final shot of Aidan’s face, looking at Russell with such longing, such complete friendship and devotion, is a testament to this show.
Turner will be sorely missed, but he goes leaving a grand legacy behind him, and a trio of actors in Tovey, Crechlow and Keenan who can more than fill the void. I for one cannot wait to see how the group dynamic will evolve, as we see Annie and George especially having lost the most important person in the world to both of them. It will give the show a new breath of life, and completely change the way these characters interact with eachother, and for a show to do that 3 seasons in - accept that such a huge change can happen and come back from it - is astounding.
With werewolf babies, Old Ones, and god knows what else to come next year, Being Human is still firmly holding its crown as one of Britain’s very best shows in such a long time.
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