Episode 1: "Five unruly teenagers in garish, red overalls are touched by God in E4's new superhero drama Misfits, a kind of "SuperSkins" from writer Howard Overman. It aims to revitalize the superhero genre by injecting Brit grit into its veins; crafting something that speaks to teens/kidults on a level the increasingly homogenized Heroes never could." Continue reading...
Episode 2: "It's a good sign that Misfits' second episode chose to focus on impertinent Nathan, the only member of the fivesome without any actual super-powers (well, that he's aware of), as it proves the show doesn't need to rely on its superhero credentials to entertain us. Even better, this week's story actually had something poignant and twistedly funny to share about Nathan, and teenage attitudes to the elderly in general..." Continue reading...
Episode 3: "The least compelling episode so far, but still not without ribald charm and absorbing moments. Ostensibly focused on Alisha, but finding time to give gobby Kelly and timid Simon something to do, episode 3 found the gang struggling to move the dead bodies they buried under the motorway flyover, before the council discover them while building an "environmental monitoring centre"..." Continue reading...
Episode 4: "This episode proved to be Misfits' finest hour yet, as Howard Overman crafted a time-travel adventure for Curtis that was afloat with action, humour, drama, and plot/character revelations. The only downside was how it ultimately trod a conventional path for stories of its ilk, but the journey was thoroughly entertaining and the destination satisfying..." Continue reading...
Episode 5: "... was slower than previous efforts, but still splendidly absorbing thanks to the subtle, tight performances of Reid and Rheon. Simon's the most sympathetic character on the show, but also the most mysterious and creepy, so it was great to get inside his head." Continue reading...
Episode 6: "I'm slightly disappointed the finale didn't end the probation officer storyline that's shaped the whole series, instead leaving the door open for it to continue. I'd have preferred a stronger sense of closure, if I'm honest, but the finale instead focused on a new threat for the misfits to grapple with, leaving a few loose ends dangling to be tied-up next year..." Continue reading...
Special Features
Behind The Scenes: A selection of behind-the-scenes videos focusing on each actor and a selection of the crew, each lasting less than three-minutes. Here we learn that Robert Sheehan is alarmingly like the witty, verbose Nathan in real life, that Lauren Socha's not a million miles away from Kelly either (just more talkative), that Antonia Thomas loves to sing, that Iwan Rheon's definitely a freakish crossbreed of Ian Curtis and Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange, and Nathan Stewart Jarrett's equally as pensive as Curtis. Ultimately, what comes across here is that each actor was perfectly cast and each grabbed the scripts and helped bring them to life. It will be interesting to see what series 2 resembles, actually, now that creator Howard Overman can imagine his characters actually existing. There's also candid footage of the series' two young directors (Tom Green and Tom Harper), executive producer Petra Fried and production designer Tom Bowyer.
Simons Films: This section contains four brief, candid videos made by the character of Simon on his cameraphone, effectively existing as bonus scenes. "Not Aquaman" (3:21) is the best, as we find Nathan trying various experiments to determine what his superpower is (trying to breathe in a bucket of water, or pass through a brick wall while sat inside a runaway shopping trolley); "Girl Talk" (2:35) finds Simon looking searching through personal files on his fellow offenders in Sally's office, before overhearing Kelly and Alisha discussing a sexcapade involving a pool table; "Stoner" (2:47) has Nathan looking for his missing drugs; and "Area 51" (2:39) involves an invisible Simon sneaking up on Kelly while she's cleaning outside, only to realize she knows he's around because she can hear his thoughts.
The Making Of Misfits: A selection of making-of vignettes focusing on notable moments from the series. "Ice Storm" (7:26) reveals what went into creating episode 1's storm sequence over a two day filming period, with various ice/water cannons being primed to give the illusion of giant hailstones falling, which were added in post-production. Interesting if only to learn a creative, zero-budget way to make a paving slab look like it's been blown apart by falling ice. "Roof Stunt" (10:08) looks at the finale's climactic scene with Nathan ontop of the community centre office, and how the crew ensured he fell safely off the building. "OAP Disco" (8:05) reveals the second episode's dance sequence with the elderly was the result of a ten-minute continuous take, later edited into smaller scenes, purely because the filming was overrunning and there was no time to setup different shots.
Finding Our Misfits (14:57) outlines how the actors came to be cast, from a casting call that included 2,000 suggestions from showbiz agents alone. It turns out that Nathan Stewart Jarrett was working in the theatre and is far from athletic in reality, Lauren Socha's personality helped give Kelly's character more humour than what was originally on the page, Iwan Rheon was plucked fresh from success in the West End in "Spring Awakening" (where he gained a lot of attention as a heartthrob), and again it's worth mentioning that Robert Sheehan is frighteningly similar to his scene-stealing character, whom he describes as a "James Bond figure with a wank sock."
The strange thing about the Misfits DVD's extra features is the conspicuous absence of creator/writer Howard Overman. I don't know if there was a logistical issue to get his thoughts on camera (as all the extra's appear to have been made during filming in summer '09) or if he simply opted to remain an enigma, but it's a shame we didn't get to hear from the man who's in the best position to explain his creative decisions, and tease fans about series 2's direction.
