Published: Tuesday, 17th February, 2009 12:30pm

Geek Chic on the Beeb

by Geek Chic

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How can it be that we're gearing up for the end of Being Human season one already? And what kind of a world is it in which we live where American series do 22 episodes in a run and we get six? Pah.

The show has been really well received - as is rightly so since, barring Battlestar Galactica it's the best thing on telly right now (sorry Lost, you've just gotten silly now). And Sunday sees us hurtling towards the thrilling conclusion of the season. It's ace, but in a hiding-behind-your-hands sort of way. Suffice to say if, like me, you spent a great part of last week's episode weeping or shouting 'no! Don't do that! Gah!' at your TV you're in for more of the same. But worse. I dread to think what the finale's going to be like. Or whether I'll actually be able to watch it. Oh how much do I love this show?

Sunday's episode also happens to be the one I'm in. Oh yes. After all the petition shenanigans I got invited to join the team in Bristol for a day during filming, something that even several months on feels very surreal and amazing, although at the same time somewhat out of my comfort zone. I mentioned a bit about it when it happened, but obviously couldn't say too much as I didn't want to spoil the plot leading up to the scenes. There's still a bit of a risk, so I shall merely say if you can tear your eyes away from Jason Watkins' really creepy performance as Herrick you will be able to see me sat behind him, looking not unlike my avatar here (except my hair has come out more black than purple and, well, I'm not a cartoon character in real life).

I could tell you what episodes five and six have in store for our heroes, but instead I'll let Lenora Crichlow (Annie) and Aidan Turner (Mitchell) tell you instead.

Lenora said: "Annie's had the biggest arc in terms of character across the season. When we first met her she was quite giddy. Not unstable, but in the beginning I think of her like a feather, very easily blown up and down on the wind. It's always the way if you seek your approval from outside factors that it's easy to be put in a good or bad mood or feel good or bad about yourself because of these external factors. As the series continues, it sounds a bit cheesy but she gets more confident and becomes more self assured. By the end she's asked to step up and be strong and she can do that. That's quite a journey from the Annie we meet in episode one. In five and six I was reading the scripts going 'oh Annie, go on Annie!' just as much as the next person. It's been really nice. I love what happens to her and I think the audience will too."

Aidan added "Mitchell's been pulled back. It's like addiction. It's so rare you get out clean. He's done it before several times, but this was the serious and bold move that he made and with the point that the vampire society is at, Herrick has huge plans for them. It's at this point he decides he doesn't want to be part of the world any more and then he's drawn back in. It's all he's known. It's a comfortable place even though he knows it's not a good place for him to be.

"When I read the fifth episode I was going 'Christ, that's brilliant and I want to explore this, embrace it'. It opened so much of the character to me, and meant we could see what he's like not just at this awkward point of his life but to be as he was. Hopefully he'll deal with it and move on from it. But obviously right now we just don't know. We're getting pretty dark now."

Pretty dark indeed. After all those comments about how the series proper was going to be fluffy this week's episode should finally lay to rest the suggestion it's just Hollyoaksified fluff.

But if you're highly strung put some tissues on your shopping list. And grab a cushion to hide behind...