Misfits focuses on a group of young offenders on community service who mysteriously gain super powers during a freak lightning storm. Rather than become superheroes they carry on with their lives, attempting to live them as normally as possible; often with hilarious consequences. Despite being the 4th season it is easy enough to jump into the show here, as I did, due to the introduction of two new characters (Finn and Jess) to the cast. Additionally, while there are some overreaching story arcs, each episode is fairly standalone. This means that you can jump in to any episode and still enjoy what’s going on.
The one-shot episodes work well for the series, telling a new story that generally explores a different power. The first episode suffers a little due to there being a lot going on, and for new viewers it can be very confusing. There isn’t much of an introduction to the older characters, leading me to use Wikipedia to figure out who everyone was. The idea of a power to infect people with a paranoid desire to keep a briefcase of cash to themselves is interesting. However, for new audiences it makes all the characters seem evil.
The next episode attempts to tell a more personal story and is stronger for it; with Finn being mentally controlled by his girlfriend to be a perfect boyfriend. There is also a very funny subplot about a blind girl who Curtis and Rudy fight over. One of the greatest successes of the series is its ability to move from serious moments to comedic ones; reminding of my all-time favourite TV series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The only episode I can say I totally disliked was the fourth, centering on Curtis and his psycho girlfriend. The whole thing was far too melodramatic for my liking. It honestly felt like something out of Hollyoaks, trying to create a film noir atmosphere but failing miserably. Sometimes elements get a bit ridiculous the penis search story in particular is just laughable.
The whole cast is superb, all getting their moments to shine throughout the series. It’s hard to pick my favourite, but Joseph Gilgun (Rudy), Karla Crome (Jess) and Natasha O’Keeffe (Abby) stand out. They all embody their characters so well that even when things get totally bizarre they feel real. Rudy is mainly the comic foil, but during his episode you get to see a more serious side to him. He has the power to duplicate himself and it is established there is an evil Rudy who has been in jail for several years. Gilgun portrays this different side just as well as he does the more madcap Rudy. Jess is the tough girl who truly has a heart of gold, with Crome handling her inner turmoil extremely well. Abby is only introduced in the sixth episode but I like the idea behind her story arc, having had her memory erased during the storm and searching for some sort of connection.
There are quite a few making of ’ features, covering the set design and choosing the new Misfits as well as the production itself. These provide a real in depth look in to the making of the series, as well as highlighting how much of the series is improvised. There is also the web series that ran online concurrently with the series, these are kind of funny but not exactly essential viewing.
Overall Verdict: A funny, different sort of TV show that is a delight to watch.
Special Features:
Making of features
Strung Out
Reviewer: Matt Mallinson