TV Review: Being Human 5.3, 'Pie and Prejudice'
rating: 3
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The last two episodes have been plot heavy and necessarily so to establish the season story arc, this weeks instalment is a more light hearted affair largely due to the absence of the marvelous Phil Davis as Captain Hatch and Colin Hoults Crumb. Before you get too downhearted fear not, The Mighty Booshs Julian Barratt is this weeks guest star and hes playing a recently turned werewolf who is on hand to give our wayward Tom some much need guidance. Although it turns out Larry isnt quite the success story he makes out he is but this is very much an episode where everybody is putting on a front. Hal has been making annual trips to visit an old friend, well I say friend hes been meeting with the ghost of Lady Mary who has believed for over 250 years that she was his last victim. Once a year Hal puts on his Sunday best and goes to converse with the upper class spirit. This gives Alex a chance to spend time with a fellow ghost but Hal is concerned her brash ways will corrupt the delicate flower he believes Lady Mary to be. Tom has been desperate for a father figure since McNair died back in series 3, the departure of George took away the last semblance of kinship he had. The arrival of another werewolf presents Tom with a chance to to form a new bond, although the new werewolf in question is washed up conman Larry (Barratt) who is only too happy to mentor young Tom in exchange for a roof over his head and a hot meal. Meanwhile Rook isnt taking to life on the dole very well, in fact the whole unemployment situation has driven this seemingly mild mannered civil worker to the brink of suicide. Although thanks to Hal once again trying to help the situation by doing something awful, Rook is given purpose and grants himself a reprieve from oblivion. As Toms mentoring continues Larry blames the presence of the wolf for his failed career and broken marriage, poisoning Toms mind with bad advice. Larry isnt exactly a bad guy, more of a low rent con man with the same thoughts towards buffet etiquette as Alan Partridge, Any doubts Hal may have had over Alex corrupting his fair Lady Mary are soon put to rest as the centuries old ghost isnt quite the picture of virtue, she curses, pushes strangers over in the street and regularly goes to nightclubs and lives vicariously through drug taking party goers. Amanda Hale gives a brilliant performance as Lady Mary, over 250 years of putting on heirs and graces for Hals sake has left her quite mad. She represents a haunting reminder to Alex of what her future could hold if she doesn't pass through her door when the time comes. Hal is making that classic brooding vampire mistake, hes not telling his friends whats going on even when he is faced with the consequences of his concealment of the truth. Despite good intentions Hals already created an unpredictable vampire in Crumb and now he enlists the services of Rook to dispose of his latest victim, Hal is walking down a dark path and with three episodes to go its difficult to see things ending well of our resident vampire. The storyline with Larry felt a little like a rehash of the series 1 episode where George meets fellow werewolf Tully, who also turns out to be a good for nothing free loader who was a slave to the beast within. Where Tully posed a genuine threat, Larry is squarely there for laughs although the closing moments of the episode reveal how significant he is to the future events of the housemates. Pie and Prejudice might have been a little of the light side, but as things look set to get very dark in the final 3 episodes this made a welcome diversion but still served the series story arc well. Being Human continues Sunday at 10pm on BBC Three