Monday night the fourth episode of the US version aired. Sorry I’m a bit behind on writing the review. I will not bore you with the details of my epic battle with Verizon. There just isn’t enough time. This episode had a new writer, Chris Dingess, who has written episodes for shows such as Men in Trees, Reaper and Medium. He was also a producer on those. The episode was again directed by Jerry Ciccoritti.
The show has seemed to settle in on trying to establish each of the three as individuals, and then how they work together. In this episode, Josh finds out he isn’t the only werewolf in the greater Boston area. Apparently an older, more seasoned werewolf, Ray, has been watching him for some time. He found out about Josh through checking local odd animal death reports. Josh has taken out quite a few deer. Rebecca seeks out Aidan’s help to get out from under the clutches of Bishop. For Sally, well, the nature of Danny and Bridget’s association seems to be changing…
On to the analysis…
So, last episode Sally meets a cool ghost who she learns some stuff from and winds up helping him too. With the new werewolf guy, maybe this episode would be similar, only for Josh. But where would the fun be in that, really? Been there, done that, so let’s get a bit of a change. Sure, Ray seemed a bit creepy from the jump, but he is a werewolf. I mean, seriously, isn’t Josh kind of creepy himself? So this guy gets Josh some “douchy” clothes and then tracks him down at the hospital. Like I said, a little creepy, but maybe it is just because Josh is so timid. He gives Josh some wonderful ideas and tries to help him use his wolf to help himself become more sure of himself, confident. He even helps Josh with a way that he can change in the forest and yet be sure he doesn’t kill people or random animals. All that stuff seems pretty great. But you know that old adage that if something seems too good to be true it probably is? Well Ray lives up to that. He eats them out of house and home and is your typical nightmare guest. By the way, he has one hell of a hatred for vampires. Something that basically means he uses his newfound friendship with Josh as a way to be gutsy enough (and have backup) to actually go to a vampire haunt and take them on. He brings out a very bad side in Josh, the wolf side that Josh has been trying to hide. All that Id resentment and hatred, spills out and makes him dangerous. We saw it with the tagger back when he was one of the neighborhood watch in “Something to Watch Over Me”, as well. SIDE NOTE: See, this is why the shy, quiet ones never work for me. All that pent up rage, you just know it’s going to break free and it’s going to be ugly…(end of rant)
What I loved about Josh in this episode though was how awkward it was for him to try to play along and use his “inner wolf” for things like asking girls out. It was so painful to watch. Even when he was trying to chum up with Aidan about the night before, it sounded oh so wrong…then there was that comment about the rump roast…and on to Aidan…
Aidan had offered to help Rebecca before, and now after a brief time of being with Bishop and his gang, she wants out. She sees herself as weak needing blood, and wants to learn how to be like Aidan. When Aidan found out Bishop turned her, he felt very guilty about the role he played in it coming about. He felt obligated to help her because he felt it was his fault she was turned. Now, he is hesitant to help, but feels he has to when she brings up that he was willing to help before. She of course doesn’t like the hospital blood, and she and Aidan wind up having some sex with their violence. At least it was only on each other, but still, as Aidan says, blood leads to blood, and they can’t keep on doing that or else they will break and start going after humans. Ray brought out that violent side in Josh’s personality, and Rebecca brought that side out in Aidan’s personality.
Now I haven’t mentioned Sally yet. Even though there was no ghost offset in this episode, she did have something bringing out her “dangerous” side too. Well, not dangerous, but definitely ruining potential love and happiness of two people she supposedly loved in life. Ray was fueling her fire about Danny and Bridget getting together. He praises her for “pencil jamming” them when she knocks over the wine glass. Notice the Star Wars reference made in this scene. “The Death Star of pencil jams.”
I have to admit that for the first time I was actually mad at Sally in this episode. I thought that I might have to hate her, but then she went and redeemed herself. Initially she wanted to do everything in her power to keep Danny and Bridget apart. Then, she realized how bad she was being. She was dead and she loved both of them. Why shouldn’t they both find happiness together? Not that I can say I didn’t understand how she felt. Maybe that is why I had such a hard time with her trying to ruin the relationship. The reaction was such a human one, and we generally expect our "heroes" and "heroines" to be better than we are. Expect them to be MORE than we are. When they react in ways that we would, we feel let down, because we want them to do what we weren’t strong enough to do. At least I think I do. Even though they aren't heroes, I know I want to see them as better than the common monster. I want their existence validated in a sense. Maybe it is safer to say that we want our protagonists to have those strong qualities that allow them to transcend human nature. Maybe as viewers, we can find out something about human nature along the way...
I also wonder why Sally did not talk to Danny when he specifically came to the house looking for her at the end. Is she afraid that if she says goodbye she will just move on and she isn’t ready to go yet? What else is holding her back?
My first comment on acting goes to Meaghan and Sam’s timing on the kitchen scene:
Aidan: Josh met another werewolf--
Sally: Aaaawwwwwe.
Aidan: Who’s stalking him.
Sally: Ew.
This exchange has gotten a smirk out of me every time I have watched. Very well played.
So we are four episodes in and the show has seemed to take a turn for the darker! I was hoping for some humor, but the show really doesn’t seem to be going in that direction. With that blood sex scene (very hot by the way) I’m thinking maybe more sexy dark? At least as far as Aidan is concerned. We saw what looked like a blood brothel before with him. But what about Josh? Will the geek to dark, violent wolf become even more of an issue? Will we see more of this spillover of Josh soaking in the violence even when he looks like, well, Josh? If that is the direction of the show, I do hope that Sally’s character lightens up a bit more. But I guess we’ll have to wait and see. An observation I have so far? It seems like the more they hang around with humans, the less human they feel. The more they hang around with their own kind, the more animalistic they become. The only people they can rely on are each other, and the only place they feel “human” is with each other.
A last comment on the music—I listen to pretty much everything, but I mainly listen to classic rock…ok, and screaming girl garage grunge. I love British Alternative, but generally stay away from emo. I am starting a playlist though for this show. Just so you know, the Syfy website actually lists the songs used in the episodes. My favorite in this episode was “You Don’t Just Want To Break Me” by Harksley Workman. It was used in the montage of the three of them stewing in their own contained private Hells, to paraphrase Josh’s expression.
I am actually quite excited about next week as I felt we were totally left hanging at the end of this one…and to be honest, I missed Bishop and his terrible haircut…
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