Genre: Horror | Drama

Air Date/Time: April 14 at 9/8c

Network: BBC America

Created by: Toby Whithouse

Director: Philip John

Writer: Toby Whithouse

Summary:

In an old B&B in a sleepy seaside town, we join Annie (Lenora Crichlow) and her housemates Tom (Michael Socha) and Hal (Damien Molony). With a newborn baby to look after, it’s never been more difficult to live life under-the-radar as a ghost, a werewolf, and a vampire. There are also other vampires to deal with: lurking in every corner of society, waiting for the Old Ones, powerful older vampires, to arrive and take over the world with brutal force. Worse yet, there’s a malevolent ghost on the loose and someone’s seeking to expose the existence of werewolves – not to mention all the diapers that need changing.

Ahhhhh. YES. THAT’S what I want. It took until the finale to get it just right, but it is. Just exactly right. Not silly, not light, so if you love the silliness you may not care for this episode. Dark, though not overly edgy or burdensomely heavy, so it somehow still achieves that swaddled feeling, and I mean that in a good way. The best episodes of this show don’t overwhelm me, like The Walking Dead or American Horror Story, but instead make me feel brought in, included in a smaller special thing. I don’t know if it’s the small cast, the setting, the three-bonded-against-the-world at its core, or some other intangible, but even when it’s talking about global events it still feels held close, like Annie’s swaddling, but not precious; just, as I said, included. This episode feels like that, start to finish.

Speaking of start to finish, hopefully you always watch this show live, or at least record it during its first week, because those episodes are longer than the episodes that get repeated later. They initially run over 55 minutes long without commercials, but get cut down for later repeats. In this particular episode I would be hard-pressed to find anything extraneous, so the 10 minutes or so that will be cut will deal a blow. A lot of things happen in this finale, but it doesn’t feel crammed or pushed or rushed, nor does it feel like anything is included simply for effect.

This finale was written by the show’s creator, who understands its strengths and writes to them. Every action and reaction is authentic to the characters as they have been presented this season. Every event is useful. I have not often felt the need to watch an episode twice this season, but I look forward to rewatching this one, simply because so many things happen. Even if you think you know what’s going to happen, or actually know what’s going to happen because you’ve been spoiled, there is an elegance here that makes you not mind. The writing in this episode is a gift to long-time fans.

We are also presented with absolutely top notch performances by the primary ensemble of Lenora Crichlow, Damien Molony, Michael Socha, Kate Bracken, and Andrew Gower, as well as by two new guest stars who play quietly, intensely, fantastically creepy, Mark Gatiss and Steven Robertson, and a third who exudes strength but reveals complexity, Michael Wildman. And no, I won’t reveal whether or not any of them could be back for Season 5, you’ll just have to watch and see. Bear in mind, of course, that this is a supernatural series, so you may not even know at the end of the episode.

The direction, visual effects (well done with a few gross moments, so don’t be eating while watching), lighting, sound, and editing all work together in mutual support of the cast and the script without distraction, so thanks as well to all involved in the production and post-production of this season finale.

Congratulations to all on achieving what I knew to be possible for this show. An A-list effort, an A-list payoff for the fans. This one is a jewel.

I give Being Human: Season 4, Episode 8 “The War Child” Five Out of Five Stars.