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Being Human. Spoilers for everything.
There are going to be a lot of quotes from BtVS and AtS in this post.
Mitchell
SPIKE: "I know that I'm a monster. But you treat me like a man. And that's – "
And that's important. That's enough. That's what will keep you going, keep you believing when guilt threatens to overwhelm you. When all you can see is the blood on your hands, the somebody that can see your heart is all you have to give you a reason to go on. The somebody that believes in you. The somebody that keeps sight of your soul.
Is the monster within, or the monster without? Is it what we are, or how we are treated?
The vampires in Being Human are different to those in the Jossverse. There is no cure, no 'chip', or soul, to insert to make the monster behave. On the other hand, the monster feels guilt, if it lets itself... But it's always a monster. Being treated like a man will never be enough.
To demonstrate I'm going to indulge in a little show-and-tell. Because the very first thing we learn about Mitchell (other than that Herrick sired him when he was a soldier during WW1 and that it's now the present day) is this. I've taken the liberty of putting the images next to ones from episode 4 of S3:
Heart and head. A Vampire's heart doesn't beat. No blood in a Vampire's heart. Blood on a Vampire's hands. Because that's it, isn't it? The Vampire doesn't wear his guilt in his heart, he wears it on his hands. Guilt doesn't come from within; it comes from without. You make it with your hands, day after day. Guilt is in acts, not thoughts.
The very, very first thing we are shown is that he kills people - and that he feels guilty about it. And the ONLY reason the girl in S3 doesn't end up like Lauren is Annie's presence. George and Annie both got to know Lauren. Lauren that Mitchell couldn't take responsibility for, but that he couldn't quite deny either. Lauren who never came to terms with being a vampire and ended up begging Mitchell to stake her...
I love the consistency of this show.
I've said for a long time that I love Mitchell to pieces, but he isn't safe. Watching him finally accept that, completely, as well as the consequences, was one of the most satisfying things ever.
Must also just take a brief moment to talk about Mitchell/Herrick... Because it's the most extraordinary thing, but I think they managed to create a sire/childe relationship without any UST. They get up close and personal, they can be utterly focussed on each other, and their bond runs very deep, but it's a parent/child - or teacher/pupil - relationship, nothing more. IMHO at any rate. Still, it works beautifully and Mitchell's scene with Herrick, locked in the cage, was just incredible. Finally topped by that amazing scene in the car. So perfect.
Lia
We don't stop being human when we lose our hearts; nor when we lose our heads. And every last vestige of humanity can be drained from us, but as long as somebody, somewhere cares, we are not dust.
Oh Lia. Lia was a wonderful surprise. "Revenge really sucks, huh?' Loved the fact that she'd bluffed the whole thing, and yet it all came true, quite simply because of everyone being themselves. Also, she was just a scared and hurting girl, lashing out, not thinking about the consequences. But her story made me think of the ways in which monsters manifest monsters. I didn't much like the S2 arc with the crazy religious stuff, but trying to put it into context it fits rather well. To quote one of my favourite conversations from AtS:
SPIKE: She's too far gone to help. She's...one of us now. She's a monster.
ANGEL: She's an innocent victim.
SPIKE: So were we... once upon a time.
ANGEL: Once upon a time.
Lia - in great part thanks to Annie - sees what is happening before it's too late for herself. And Mitchell, interestingly enough, helps Tom from going down the path of revenge. Kemp, as we saw in S2, is the end product of that, a vampire-created human monster.
Annie (and George and Nina)
Heart and head. What is is that makes us human? The ability to love with our hearts when our heads tell us not to? Or the ability to love with our heads when our hearts tell us not to?
The gender reversal is something else I found very interesting. At the end we had Mitchell (an emotional wreck, begging, manipulative, desperate, clear sighted, determined) and George (distraught, trying to find a way out, pleading, scared of losing his best friend, deeply unwilling to kill him himself) - and as contrast Annie and Nina (sad, but determined, knowing what had to be done and not ready to back down). How often have we seen this? I mean... really? 99 times out of a 100 it's the men who go off stoically to 'do what must be done', and the women (such emotional creatures!) who plead with them. 'Selfless' (BtVS 7.05) would be another good example of gender reversal. 'Amends' (BtVS 3.10), however, does provide me with a very good contrast, so I'll shamelessly use it:
ANGEL: Am I a thing worth saving, huh? Am I a righteous man? The world wants me gone!
BUFFY: (tearfully) What about me? I love you so much...
Mitchell tries to use this argument at the beginning of the episode (You love me, don't you? Then help me get out. I kept silent because of you...) and I love Annie too much for words for shooting him down every time. Here's Buffy again (and I'm sorry to use Buffy, but it is a good contrast. She grew up a lot later.):
BUFFY: (crying) And I hate it! I hate that it's *so* hard... and that you can hurt me *so* much. (sobs, then harshly) I know everything that you did, because you did it to me. Oh, God! I wish that I wished you dead. I don't. (whispers) I can't.
Interestingly, I think it's the fact that Annie has been victimised - but not by Mitchell - which enables her to see things so clearly. She does not have the power to forgive him - so she can't, and won't, let him off the hook.
(I also love that she never even considers the role of 'Guardian Angel', of nobly spending eternity making sure that he doesn't kill again. I never liked the imbalance in relationships like that.)
I've not talked about Nina yet, but her acknowledgment of the fact that she's the one who would have to pick up the pieces was painfully honest and true, and I'm so glad she said it. (Love Nina, don't have a lot to say.)
Of course, into the equation comes Wyndham. Sidebar: I love the contrast between Herrick and Wyndham. Herrick is effective, but in many ways a blunt instrument, gleeful in his evil, and oddly a bit human because of it. Wyndham is coldly efficient, and scary on a very different level. And, to quote AtS one more time:
ANGEL: People who don't care about anything will never understand the people who do.
HAMILTON: Yeah, but we won't care.
Ah, but they should. Because caring is what makes people human. Caring will make people do things they never dreamed themselves capable of doing. Something personally painful, yet selfless, but also morally right... And yet also an act of salvation, which will, in turn, bring with it great future danger. People who care fight for each other in every way they can.
GEORGE: I'm doing this because I love you...
And now I need to go to bed. Hope this actually makes sense...
Credit: All quotes not from BtVS/AtS are from
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the_royal_anna's Post on 'Damage'.
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And Bill Willingham wrote a crap-ass comic, but I did think this quote made a lot of sense:
Mitchell wasn't 'taken over' but it's really the same thing (more or less). Mitchell was sincere in his desire to be better, but over the seasons we've been shown that this isn't new for Mitchell. It's a pattern. He finds someone, he goes off killing, he tries really, really hard... and then one day there's too much stress or he's pissed off and he falls off the wagon and someone ends up dead. We saw it in the 1960s. We saw it with Lauren. We saw it with the Box Tunnel 20. The sad, horrible thing is that Mitchell's kill binge with the Box Tunnel 20 wasn't an abberation. it's part of an overall pattern. And as sincere as his desire is to be good, given the longevity of his life, sooner or later he'll relapse and someone will be dead. And the Season Premiere as it showed Mitchell's progression from drugging the guy to kill him (rather than killing himself), on and on. This is a pattern that's repeating. And it would be unconscionable to let it repeat again. Tragic as it is, perhaps it's better that he goesout the good way rather than the bad. (And it does make me sad to say it... but that seems to be what is demanded of Mitchell's story).
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Thank you. :)
And Bill Willingham wrote a crap-ass comic, but I did think this quote made a lot of sense:
Oh I remember that! And yes, it's a very good point.
The sad, horrible thing is that Mitchell's kill binge with the Box Tunnel 20 wasn't an abberation. it's part of an overall pattern. And as sincere as his desire is to be good, given the longevity of his life, sooner or later he'll relapse and someone will be dead.
*nods a lot* It was one of the reasons I went hunting for screencaps, because it's exactly the same thing. At some point he can't stop himself.
Tragic as it is, perhaps it's better that he goesout the good way rather than the bad. (And it does make me sad to say it... but that seems to be what is demanded of Mitchell's story).
Exactly. And although I'm sad too, the fact that this was the only way his story could end and stay truthful, makes me happy. (Much like Buffy in S5, actually.)
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I've said for a long time that I love Mitchell to pieces, but he isn't safe. Watching him finally accept that, completely, as well as the consequences, was one of the most satisfying things ever.
Yes. Yes, yes, yes. And it's not really something I've seen on other supernatural-type TV shows. Where they are actually willing to go all the way.
It's funny. Until this episode, I wasn't really team stake Mitchell, just because I was so attached to him emotionally (even though I got it logically). But they did such an amazing job with this episode and the scene where he asks George to stake him, that I would have been pissed off if he HADN'T died. Because it was finally something HE'D realized, and that made it an amazingly satisfying arc (and one of the best character deaths I've seen, ever).
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*beams* Thank you!
Yes. Yes, yes, yes. And it's not really something I've seen on other supernatural-type TV shows. Where they are actually willing to go all the way.
I KNOW! And I've been worried all season, because although it looked like this was where they were going, I'm far too used to writers not daring to actually put their money where their mouth is.
Because it was finally something HE'D realized, and that made it an amazingly satisfying arc (and one of the best character deaths I've seen, ever).
*nods* I've been on team Stake Mitchell since last season, but I didn't want him just killed, I wanted *this* - his own understanding and owning up to what he was. No more excuses, no more running away. I can't remember another time when the death of a beloved character has made me so satisfied.
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YES! It's like the exact opposite of what someone like Joss (but also many TV writers) usually does -- killing for shock/angst/proving how dangerous things are. There was nothing random or cruel about this death. It was absolutely what needed to happen to complete Mitchell's arc.
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That's it. And he was so at peace. *sniff*
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Herrick is the MK Dons to Wyndam's Manchester United.
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Exactly. And I love how Annie kept pointing this out. It was marvellous.
Herrick is the MK Dons to Wyndam's Manchester United.
Heeeee!
Okay, apparently I have more thoughts:
BUT (and this is what is amazing and rare) both the narrative and the characters realize that that doesn't actually matter. Love is great, and important, but it doesn't conquer all. It can't fix Mitchell. And given that, the fact that they have this ~big epic romance~ doesn't make them more important than the people he might hurt. That's what Buffy in Season 2 and 3 didn't really realize (not that I really blame her, you know, teen and all, plus weight of the world on her shoulders, etc.).
And I love it. Love that they acknowledge that. In part BECAUSE it's rare. And in part because while I can get on bored with ships where the characters are selfish, that wouldn't have worked with Annie/Mitchell, because, as you point out, Annie would never, ever believe her feelings were more important than other people's LIVES.
As Annie said, who the hell did Mitchell think he was in love with?
This wasn't just a perfect end for Mitchell, but a perfect one for the ship. Annie will always remember and love him, and now she can remember and love him as a man who, eventually, did the right thing.
Re: Okay, apparently I have more thoughts:
THIS! This so much! Like you say, it's so painfully rare. I still think that this (from ep 7 when she's discovered what he did):
Mitchell: I love you.
Annie: Do you have any idea how inadequate that sounds?
might be my favourite lines from the whole show. THANK YOU SHOW! Now we just need to staple it to the forehead of every other writer in the world.
As Annie said, who the hell did Mitchell think he was in love with?
I love Mitchell because he's very fascinating. But I adore Annie for being flat-out awesome when push comes to shove. So often people talk about a character being 'the heart of the show', but Annie showed just how much determination and strength it takes to stay true to that.
This wasn't just a perfect end for Mitchell, but a perfect one for the ship. Annie will always remember and love him, and now she can remember and love him as a man who, eventually, did the right thing.
Indeed. And that too, is often far too rare.
Re: Okay, apparently I have more thoughts:
Yeeeeeees. Annie is an amazing portrayal of how much strength it takes to be kind.
Re: Okay, apparently I have more thoughts:
*nods* It's far too rare to see love portrayed as something mature and unselfish.
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Yes, there came a point when even he realised that things could not continue the way they were. At one point I thought he was going to be taken away by Wyndham and that felt wrong. I was sad to see him go, but relieved that the ending was the right one. Too many shows are not prepared to go the whole way and kill a popular character like that. I'm glad Being Human was brave enough to do it.
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I love it when characters are faced with harsh truths and they then accept them. :)
At one point I thought he was going to be taken away by Wyndham and that felt wrong.
I think a lesser show might have done that - it would have removed him from the scene if the actor wasn't available, but still kept him around. And they could have had Annie saying 'Oh we need to save him, because he saved me...' etc. But it would have undercut everything else.
I was sad to see him go, but relieved that the ending was the right one. Too many shows are not prepared to go the whole way and kill a popular character like that. I'm glad Being Human was brave enough to do it.
*nods* And I love how this icon is still perfect! :)
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Wyndham... oh dear. Scary and a big surprise. But Herrick! I love Herrick. I loved him the first moment that I saw that sneered grin. And Mitchell was so tortured. I thought it was fantastic that he was so flawed, as all the characters were. It made a fantastic change. But Mitchell was still just so perfect. (It also helped that he's amazingly hot. *cough*)
I think I'm rambling, because this is the first post I've seen about BH and I'm still in shock as far as the ending is concerned...
TL;DR: Awesome post, and stuff to think about! Cheers! :D
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Totally my pleasure! It's a beautiful show, and very interesting in the ways it differs from Buffy. It makes it very distinctive.
Wyndham... oh dear. Scary and a big surprise.
M-hm!
But Herrick! I love Herrick. I loved him the first moment that I saw that sneered grin.
And the uniform! Always loved the uniform. When it turned up again in ep 7 is flailed muchly. And shivered.
And Mitchell was so tortured. I thought it was fantastic that he was so flawed, as all the characters were. It made a fantastic change. But Mitchell was still just so perfect. (It also helped that he's amazingly hot. *cough*)
Heh. But yes, flawed characters are v. interesting. Esp when they have to face up to, and own, their flaws. (Shows far too frequently avoid this, sadly...)
I think I'm rambling, because this is the first post I've seen about BH and I'm still in shock as far as the ending is concerned...
It was a perfect ending. It was everything I could have hoped for, so yeah - I'm in shock too!
TL;DR: Awesome post, and stuff to think about! Cheers! :D
Oh rambling is highly encouraged in this LJ, so thank you lots for your comment! :)