As of late I have found myself rather immersed in a brand new set of British television shows (thanks to a wonderful list from Bleeding Cool). I have never made any secret of my general preference for British television programs, and at this point I’ve seen so many different shows that I even find myself using British slang in regular conversation (or while cursing other drivers on the road, although without an accent some of the phrases just lose their luster). To say it plainly: I am, in fact, an anglophile.
It’s with that in mind that I bring to your attention one of the shows I’ve found myself enjoying quite a bit. Having currently just aired it’s second season and Christmas Special, I find now is probably one of the best times to hop in and watch the show as you’ll have it all available to you. Which show is that? Why, it’s Misfits of course! Take a look behind the cut to see what this show is about and why you should be watching it.
Also, as an additional note, keep your eyes open for this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special, of which I am almost 100% positive I will be reviewing (although it might be a couple days after it airs).
Described by Bleeding Cool as “X-Men meets Trainspotting” and described by me as “Runaways meets Skins”, Misfits is a dramatic comedy show that follows the lives of five kids in Wertham (a fictional British locale) who are all arrested for various crimes and put into Community Service. Each from various backgrounds, the five find themselves caught in a freak electrical storm that comes out of the blue and hits all of them with bolts of lightning. As they wake up, they find themselves with new and mysterious abilities with no explanation of how to use them or what to do with them. But they’re not alone. The storm carried all over the continent, and people with powers are popping up in every corner. But with none of them coming forward to gain fame, and almost no one using their powers for good, it’s up to the ASBO 5 (as they’re later referred to both by fans and in the story) to go up against the various powered people and ask themselves, “What am I doing this for?”
Each episode of the first series basically deals with each character individually, highlighting their world and their power while also introducing a new character to antagonize our “heroes” for each episode. Each of the two series have also had one over arcing story, with the first being a rather unfortunate cover up that the group find themselves involved with. Unlike most super hero stories, the reason Misfits works on such a great level is that every single character starts the show as a “criminal.” Each character is a reprobate, brought in for a variety of crimes (both big and small), and at least half of them are – to borrow a term – wankers. However, the group has to learn to become friends with one another despite their murky backgrounds (and somewhat odd sexual preferences on occasion) and band together as a group. It’s the world against the ASBO 5, and the sooner they learn that the better.
The show also acts as a bit of a culture study. Each character comes from a different part of Britain, from different homes and upbrings, and each with extremely different personalities. Alisha, for example, starts the show as an incredibly sexual character whose whole premise is based around her promiscuity, and she obviously comes from a wealthier home. Curtis meanwhile is a former celebrity and athlete, caught on a drug bust and forced into Community Service due to his profile, and he’s clearly one of the better off characters. Then you have Simon, a shut-in whose power reflects his personality perfectly; Kelly, a girl who comes from “the other side of the tracks” in her attitude, behavior, and choice of dress; and Nathan, the clown of the group who began the show from a pampered home and winds up a spoiled child living in the community center. To say the least, it’s a culture clash. Every character has their baggage that they reveal at selective times, and the character growth from episode one through the current (just finished) second season and Christmas Special is rather immense for 13 episodes (especially for Simon and Alisha, to say the least). Despite it’s rather comical tones, the show gets rather serious as it deals with the different home and status symbols of each character, and in this the show is incredibly enhanced beyond “just a dramedy” to “a dramedy with a purpose beyond the ostensibly visible.”
Continued belowOf course, since this airs overseas and not in America, it has two inherent benefits. The first is that it doesn’t need to cut out any of the good stuff. You’ve got swears, violence, and graphic sex all in the show without any censorship, and while at times some of the scenes (especially where the sex is concerned) might generally seem gratuitous to some American viewers (such as myself, on occasion), the show does manage to balance the serious nature of the show with the comedy. This is one of the best “super hero” shows I’ve ever seen – as good as Heroes was back in season one and right up there in quality with the Batman and X-Men cartoons we used to love as kids. In fact, I’d even go so far as to proclaim that Misfits fills the void we currently have as grown ups looking for an enjoyable superhero show that speaks to our generation. There aren’t any capes and tights here, but this is still the best “super hero that’s not a super hero”/”comic book show that’s not a comic book” show currently airing.
The other nice element of this being a UK show is that this, like a lot of BBC shows, is only 6 episodes long. With about 40 or so minutes per episode, the 6 episode season allows the show to really get to the point and not string you along for 13-20 something episodes with it’s plot, and it raises the entertainment factor immensely. Misfits becomes a show you can watch on a weekend as you would a movie, and that easy replay value helps solidify Misfits into your mind.
Either way, as great as the plot may be, the show simply wouldn’t work if the acting was atrocious. That’s why I’m pleased to note that all of the main five actors on this show are fantastically brilliant on their roles. Iwan Rheon, Robert Sheehan, Lauren Socha, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Antonia Thomas make up the ASBO 5, and each actor plays their charactor so well that you’ll believe they are their characters. Robert Sheehan is of course everyone’s favorite as Nathan, the proverbial loud mouth, and he plays that angle at such an alarming adamant rate that you’d honestly think the character would grow extremely tiresome by the end of the second episode, yet the humor always stands fresh. Iwan Rheon as Simon is also an actor of note on the show, as he brings Simon up from a shut-in arsenist to new levels by the end of each indivudal series. While those two might be my favorites, I have nothing but good things to say about the others as well. Every cast member is spot on in their evolution of the characters, and all of it makes for an incredibly endearing cast to watch. We’ve also had great guests on the show, with ‘Monsieur Grand Fromage’ played by Jordan Metcalfe of particular note. It’s an incredibly well rounded cast.
What more can I say? No matter what side of the pond you’re on, this is an incredibly entertaining show to watch. BBC is full of fantastic programs that I could recommend to you from now until the cows come home, but rather than do that I’d say go out, find a DVD (or some other way) to watch Misfits series 1 and 2. A highly entertaining program that you’re sure to fall in love with, and with the way the Christmas special ended, series 3 (which has been confirmed!) is sure to be even more tremendous.
