fri 22/11/2024

Misfits, Series 4, E4 | reviews, news & interviews

Misfits, Series 4, E4

Misfits, Series 4, E4

A fourth series sees a badger cull of probationers with special powers

Karla Crome and Nathan McMullen don the orange overalls for series 4 of 'Misfits'

Is Misfits now a misfit on E4? When it first announced itself three years ago, the series about probationers with sci-fi superpowers straddled the bridge between the WTF generation and the can-do ethos of the comic strip. It was quite a lot of fun, even for those outside the target demographic. As is natural with any series targeted at a youth audience, success breeds the one thing that no cult series wants: staff turnover.

When the departure of Robert Sheehan could no longer be avoided, a special online edition lasting all of eight minutes was broadcast to explain his forchcoming absence. The third series proceeded with a new character in the form of Joseph Gilgun's Rudy, whose (not very) special power is to be two-faced. Misfits now returns for a fourth series with another three regulars MIA. To lose one actor might be considered a misfortune. To lose two looks like carelessness. Lady Bracknell didn’t consider the implications of mislaying 60 percent of the lead cast.

Only Nathan Stewart-Jarrett remains as Curtis, and he must be wondering if he’s emitting some kind of pong. He certainly spent some of this first episode in a fridge-freezer. Not switching gender even once, from the evidence of the first episode of the fourth series he has ceded the lead role to Gilgun’s yin/yang Rudy, who has huge fun with the whole notion of untrustworthiness, while Matthew McNulty has traded up from regular guest to full-time. Recruits have arrived in the his’n’hers forms of two nippers, Karla Crome as Jess and Nathan McMullen as Finn. Quite what Jess and Finn can do by way of special powers remains something of a mystery after last night’s first episode. Jess can apparently hear what’s going on inside the heads of other characters, while Finn, an amiable Scouser, has rudimentary powers in the field of telekinesis. You wish he’d deployed his superpower to move this first plot on a bit. It involved the attempts by all five to get their mitts on a money-stuffed briefcase locked to the wrist of a greedy fugitive. Limbs were sawn off, testicles removed - the usual malarkey.)

For all its postmodern allusions to unreliable narrators and hall-of-mirrors storytelling, Misfits is basically kids' TV which at this advanced stage of its development doesn’t seem to have matured past its fascination with pissing and wanking and other such. Two male leads were found to be taking advantage of themselves in this episode, while the newbies were required to relieve themselves in a very confined space. “We just want to go home and watch Countdown!” hollered the Finn. Actually that’s not a bad idea. It may be time for Howard Overman's orange-overalled superheroes to be let back into the community.

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Lady Bracknell didn’t consider the implications of mislaying 60 percent of the original lead cast

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Before you write a review, at least do your research before you put fingers to keyboard please. I cannot stand reading obviously one-sided reviews from people who only want to stir the pot. The Next time you review misfits remember these things: 1. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett plays Curtis, not Seth. 2. Jess has the power of X-ray vision, not telepathy. Kelly sold that ability at the end of Season Two to Seth (who btw ... is NOT Curtis, just so we are clear...)3. A good critic does his research and doesn't pretend to watch a program when he clearly doesn't. If you're not a fan, or you're new to the franchise, state it. At least then what you write may have some credibility.... As for my thoughts ... I have been a loyal fan since the first episode, and although the dynamics weren't quite right in the episode with the feel much darker in tone than previous offerings. There were moments of real comedic value, which is down to the sheer writing talents of Overman and some solid acting from all of the cast. At the end of the day Overman is Misfits and while it isn't the best opening we could hope for, he and the cast did a decent job in difficult circumstances. I personally hope and believe that Jess and Finn will start to settle down in their roles and bring a new, different energy to the show ... I certainly won't write off the series after just one episode.

Agreed! Jasper is a terrible writer and bit of troll.

A troll writes (terribly): Thanks for the heads up re Seth and the other one. A slip of the fingers. Although Gilgun is great, I stand by my view that it's all looking a bit dog-eared, and bored with itself. Sure I don't watch every episode, but I remain as baffled as ever by the insistence of the likes of you lot that only members of the fan club are entitled to cast any sort of critical eye. This is not just about Misfits. It's also pop acts, other TV shows, film franchises etc etc. And if you want to call someone a troll, can I gently recommend that you throw off the cloak of anonymity? It's not a good look.

Hmm. I couldn't disagree more. If it was bored with itself they wouldn't have taken the time built Jess and Finn so well. In there creation I still see a show that loves it's work. Did you notice why X-ray vision suits Jess's personality? In her scene alone with Finn she already know what he was going to do before he started with the small talk. She good read on everyone and every situation she was in. And that was all shown, and not told to you. Finn's telekinesis is probably really powerful, but it was perfect for his character that it ended pathetically after all that build up. There were many scenes where you see him trying to hard to get people to like him--rambling nervously and running a joke into the ground. If he doesn't try so hard with people and his power, he'll probably have better results. Personally, I don't mind negative criticism of anything I love. I helps me sharpen my own outlook about what I love. As long as it's well thought out I stay civil. I see your point of view, but I think you've have an idea in your mind of what the show should be, instead of just seeing what it always was and always is. A bunch of f##ked up characters living f##ked up lives. It's character driven, and isn't worried about making them universally likable. If you don't pay attention to the characters, and what makes them tic--new and old--then a large part of the show will be forever lost to you. The main thing I've always loved about misfits is that it isn't a show prone to hand holding. It shows you something, an expects you to be able to keep up.

Yes the person who wrote this review has clearly not seen the full series threw. Nathan stewarts jarrett plays curtis and he also mentioned he didn't turn into his female version in this episode well didn't he get of that power when the curtis found out he was pregnant.. This person is clearly not an avid fan of the show.

I thought that Misfits was going off the boil at the end of series 3 with the scripwriters not knowing what to do. The first 2 episodes of Series 4 seem to be hard work to get a laugh. The 2 newcomers are not a patch on their replacements and with yet another "tough" Officer and his comely assistant and Seth hanging about it doesn-t bode well but it might all perk up soon.

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