Two of the biggest challenges a show can face are the loss of a main character and changes to the original premise. Separately, each have the potential of bringing down even the best series, and together, well, they could mean disaster for Misfits.
Which is why the combined exit of Nathan, end to community service, and replacement of their powers had me worried about the show’s future. So how did the third season premiere fare with all the odds against it? I think it’s going to do just fine.
Alisha: Why do we always have to get involved? Can’t we just do normal stuff, that normal people do, like go to brunch?
Kelly: What the fook is brunch?
After all was said and done, the season premiere of Misfits actually didn’t change the series as much as you would think. The new character of Rudy was a pitch perfect replacement for Nathan, just as crass as his original counterpart, and by the end of the episode, the group found themselves once again on probation and donning the classic orange jumpsuits after Rudy steals a car.
The only thing that really changed was each character’s powers. Originally, the powers of the group seemed to mirror everyone’s subconscious ideas about themselves. Simon thought he was invisible, Nathan thought he was indestructible, Kelly thought everyone talked about her, Alisha thought everyone wanted her, and Curtis thought he was trapped by time.
But now that the group has taken an active role in choosing their new powers, this time they instead mirror everyone’s conscious desires for themselves. Simon wants to see the future to become Super Hoodie, Kelly wants to be smart, Alisha wants to understand other people, and Curtis wants to live outside the confines of his past (plus it was the only power left).
Meanwhile, much of the focus this episode was placed on newcomer Rudy, who is an excellent addition to the cast. He balances Nathan’s insensitive vulgar side, which could often get very annoying, with a sensitive emotional side. His personality is a complex duality, and when split apart by his power, it’s even easier to understand the character and man underneath the facade.
One of my pet peeves with fandom is when viewers make a big deal about the existence of a single character, as if there’s not a storyline or other characters on a show. It was Robert Sheehan’s decision to leave. Should the show have ended because one character left? A single character doesn’t make or break a show, it’s how the writers handle everything else that makes the difference.
Rudy: Trust me, there’ll be shit. It’s in the air. I can smell it.
The freak of the week this time is a girl that can freeze time, and she’s upset about Rudy’s appetite for everyone but her. Really, she’s just an inspired way for another murder to be committed in order to bond Rudy and the group together. People that slay together, stay together, you know? Though it’s not completely necessary because Rudy already has a connection to the group through Alisha, who he lost his virginity to sometime ago.
I like that he has a past a connection to someone in the group, but I hope it doesn’t open the door to a triangle. Triangles are not, and shouldn’t be, the only way of creating drama between a couple. The identity of Super Hoodie, which no one but Simon and Alisha still know about, can do that just fine. How cute were our favorite couple this week when Alisha felt bad about her past as a “cock monster”?
Of course, badness always seems to find them in other ways, too. I don’t feel as if Misfits has had a true story arc yet since it began, but it appears that with the increased season this year, we may get one with the “powers guy” Seth. Kelly has taken an interest in him, and he’s on the lookout for a particular power to add to his collection. What could it be, and to what end?
Next week:
It’s Curtis’ chance to shine with his new power to turn into a girl.