A definite tween-Torchwood vibe emerges during "The Whole Enchilada", an admittedly superior follow-up to the awful start we suffered last week. Here, Galvin (Philip Glenister), Luke (Christian Cooke) and Mina (Zoë Tapper) try to find a missing girl called Ally Dunelm (Ashes To Ashes' Grace Vance), who has been abducted by "an angel" while visiting a graveyard, according to her sister Madge (Kizzy Mee)...Demons still suffers from the inevitable comparisons to other, better shows. This episode had the tone of a P.J Hammond episode of Torchwood, with the bedrock of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and the guest appearance of Merlin's Richard Wilson (essentially reprising his role as Gaius, to play another scholar of the supernatural in a silly wig, Father Simeon.) Demons itself has no unique identifier just yet, beyond Philip Glenister doing an American accent as broad as the Mississippi.
But, for all that, "The Whole Enchilada" showed some promise, however dim. Its closest relation is undoubtedly Buffy, and I'd argue that England is a far better locale for such a television show, owing to its richer history and gothic architecture. There are a few sequences here (in the recurring "Stacks" library, Simeon's abode, and an empty church) that deliver an enjoyable sense of cobwebbed, spooky horror. Far more so than Buffy's hot summer nights and vibrant high school setting; although I understand the incongruous nature of Buffy's location was intentional, and part of the joke.
Sadly, the script is far less provocative and insightful than even the weakest instalment of Buffy – with the storyline and characters all reminiscent of other things, retold in a diluted Saturday tea-time way. And when the episode accidentally stumbles onto something rather cool and comparatively hardcore -- like the appearance of the 2000-year-old, lizardy demon Gilgamel in a church-set finale -- our sword-wielding hero Luke dispatches (or "smites") the fiend after a particularly boring three seconds of lame choreography. We waited patiently for nearly an hour... for that?
In-between the supernatural fluff, we also have to pretend we care about Luke's difficult in balancing his role as a Van Helsing with normal life. Here, it's a driving test with a clichéd driving instructor that gets in the way of demon slaying. And, because there are only six episodes in this series, the show is already making it obvious what the big, unsurprising reveal will be for Luke in the finale: yes, godfather Galvin is most likely responsible, in some way, for Luke's father's death -- or whatever misfortune really befell him. That appears to be the root cause of Father Simeon's "colonial hatred" of Galvin, anyway.
The characters have yet to take root, too. Hopes for a "Gene Hunter: Monster Slayer"-style show are disappearing fast with Glenister's sour personality, rosy-cheeked Ruby was marginalized (perhaps for the best), and as for Mina and Luke? Well, it's a case of the blind leading the bland, really. Incidentally, who puts a blind pianist in charge of an underground library? Is it all in Braille?
And it's not really been explained how Galvin and his gang actually get involved in cases, either. It's a problem encountered by other genre shows – that's why Doctor Who has his "psychic paper" to allow him to access to places, and Torchwood are supposedly a branch of clandestine investigators. Demons' gang don't appear to have any legitimacy and work in the shadows; so it's not explained why the Dunelms allow these oddballs to help find their daughter. Where were the police?
Overall, I've yet to be impressed by Demons, although part of me believes it could find some form once it settles on a tone that works, and strengthens the characters. At the moment, everything smells like it's been created by committee: Buffy-style gang + Torchwood-style American leader + Doctor Who-style knockabout tone + Merlin-style FX = surefire smash-hit. The worrying thing is, they might be right. But for me, my mind shuts down as soon as the incongruously upbeat theme tune arrives to drain whatever tension had been created in the teaser. It's the equivalent of playing "The Monster Mash" during David Cronenberg's The Fly.
10 January 2009
ITV1, 7.45pm
Writer: Peter Tabern
Director: Tom Harper
Cast: Philip Glenister (Rupert Galvin), Richard Wilson (Father Simeon), Christian Cooke (Luke Rutherford), Zoë Tapper (Mina Harker), Holliday Grainger (Ruby), Saskia Wickham (Jenny Rutherford), Kizzy Mee (Madge Dunelm), Grace Vance (Ally Dunelm), Sam Loggin (Kirsty Dunelm), Ben Walker (Jamie), Johann Myers (Terry), Aaron McCusker (Mark), Tyler Anthony (Abi), Rick English (Gilgamel), Vincent Wang (Kumo San), Michael Webber (Driving Test Examiner) & Marie Stokes (Angel Nicola)
