Being Human: 406 “Puppy Love” Review
And they call it puppy love… And there really couldn’t be a more apt title for the sixth episode of the fourth series. There are a lot of laughs and a little heartbreak when cupid fires a silver arrow at the residents of Honolulu Heights.
After a geeky girl named Allison (Ellie Kendrick) tracks down Tom, it doesn’t take long for him to fall for her. She’s a werewolf too and is looking into the video that Cutler uploaded at the conclusion of Hold the Front Page. The video has since gone viral and she wants to get to the bottom of it. The pair end up spending more and more time together and love quickly blossoms. We even get a little montage playing to the song of the episode title. It’s played for laughs, but it’s quite cute at the same time.
Ellie Kendrick is great as Tom’s love interest, playing the character just the right side of geek cliché. She’s a good match for Michael Socha and the pair play off each other well.
It’s not just Tom getting some romance though, as Hal too reluctantly gets back in the game after a 50 year hiatus. When he meets Alex (Kate Bracken) in the café, much awkwardness and hilarity ensues. Hal is worried about giving in to his bloodlust, but Tom agrees to be his “wingman” and they go on a double date.
The odd couple pairing of Hal and Tom has been a highlight of this series and it’s realised to its full potential here. Hal’s neurosis and reliance on Tom leads to many fun moments, including Hal finding solace in a box of matches. This episode gives Damien Malony and Michael Socha the biggest chance yet to show off their comedic talents and it’s a treat to watch.
Annie is not left out entirely from the fun. When she accidently kills her grouchy old neighbour Emrys, she ends up with a bit of a problem on her hands and some unwanted attention from his ghost. This leads her on a mission to find out what his unfinished business is which is easier said than done.
We couldn’t close this review without mentioning Marshall Griffin who plays vampire henchman Kane. A minor but memorable character who looks a little like Jason Statham and talks almost entirely in bad action movie one-liners. He’s hilarious and delivers the best “NOOOOOOOO!!!” committed to screen since that notorious Darth Vader scene in Star Wars Episode III.
We’re approaching the finish line on this series of Being Human, so this light hearted episode is just the ticket before the inevitable darker final two episodes.