Misfits series 2 episode 6 review: series finale

This review contains spoilers.

Milk. Beloved source of calcium and favoured additive to hot beverages. As we see in the short vignette that opens this week’s instalment, Brian’s life revolves around milk, from his morning bowl of cornflakes to his lowly job in a cafe. When he gets struck by the storm, he’s a bit short changed when it grants him power over any dairy products. Rather than cause a great deal of mischief in a maternity ward, he becomes a local celebrity and attracts high powered publicity agent Laura, who promises him the world.

But back at the community centre, Nathan is looking forward to his community service finally being over. As he dreams about all the possibilities being immortal could grant him, he’s unaware that apathetic social worker Shaun is listening. And soon Laura is offering her services.

Suddenly superpowered folk are all the rage! Movie stars are so yesterday, darling. So you can cry on cue. Yeah, whatever. There’s a guy who can go back in time, yeah? Come back when you’re able to breathe fire or something!

The ASBO five, as they’re officially dubbed, get to meet Daisy the healer and  Lé Grand Fromagé himself, Brian. Daisy shows off to the assembled press her gift of being able to heal the disabled and sick just by laying her hands on the affected area (which gets Nathan excited when he catches a dose of the clap from a groupie). And Nathan plans his TV debut by shooting himself on the head live on TV, which Channel 4 are only a few years away from doing themselves, if BBC Three doesn’t get there first, though.

Up against everyone else, Brian’s power looks a bit, well, shit, really. As the attention starts to dry up, Brian decides there’s one failsafe way to bring back the public gaze. And then his dairy-based powers aren’t so laughable.

Like a milky Magneto, Brian manipulates dairy products to induce a grisly death on his victims, which isn’t good news for our crew as they tuck into pizza. Well, all of them except lactose intolerant Curtis, the one who can travel back in time. Yeah, you can see where this is going.

From a rather quaint and charming opening, the tone gradually shifts to become perhaps the darkest episode of Misfits yet. But seeing as having four-fifths of the main cast wiped out is a bit of a cul-de-sac, there really was only one way it could be resolved. If only it didn’t feel so horribly cheap and quick, though.

Coming as it did after some great moments of character and plot development, such as Simon finding out about his future self and becoming the mean and moody vigilante he’s only read comics about, which itself was rendered pointless when he’s stabbed moments later.

But reset button ending aside, there’s so much that was typically great about this episode. Jordan Metcalfe as Brian is astounding as we see the darkness gradually take hold of this once shy and retiring young man. Props also go to Rob Sheehan. It’s impossible not to feel sorry for the cocky Nathan as he falls to the ground a helpless invalid after having his mind molested by mozzarella.

With its usual combination of great dialogue, comedy and suspense, this should have been fantastic. If only it wasn’t for such a cop out ending…

Misfits returns for a Christmas Special on Sunday, December 19th at 10:00pm which is rebroadcast on Christmas Eve, Friday, December 24th on E4. You’ll find more details here.

You can read our review of episode 5 here.

All the series 2 reviews are here.

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