DVD Corner

Being Human Season 4 Blu-ray Review

The fourth season of “Being Human” will divide fans.

After the departure of a major character in the third season finale, fans can expect to see many more changes in the 8 episodes of season 4. Not only are there three major new characters now with Tom (a werewolf), Hal (a vampire), and Alex (a young human woman), but two other major characters perish by season’s end. On top of that, there are plenty of stories and subplots about: George’s baby Eve, Tom and Hal clashing, the Old Ones, a serial killer ghost, Fergus the vampire/police constable, vampire and werewolf threats (naturally), vampire Adam (the star of the “Becoming Human” spin-off), a succubus, a devious vampire lawyer named Nick Cutler, Tom and Hal dating, a secret Nemesis, Annie traveling to purgatory, and a prophecy.

Without getting into any spoilers, I will start off by saying that if you are a devoted fan of the characters of the previous 3 seasons, season 4 might not be for you. To say the fourth season will be met with mixed reactions is probably an understatement as some fans might stop watching because of the cast changes.

Personally, I was never too attached to the show to begin with so the cast changes don’t bother me too much. In fact, some of the new characters (especially Tom and Alex) are quite likable. The main problem with the new characters, however, is that they feel recycled. Rather than establishing new types of characters and personalities, the showrunners seem like they are simply replacing characters that are no longer with us. To me, this feels like a slap in the face to fans who have invested time into the series. “Being Human” isn’t a show like “Doctor Who” where cast changes are expected and welcomed. The changes reek of a desperate attempt to keep the show alive. This show should have ended after season 4 and yet it appears to have no end in sight as a fifth season is in the works.

Video/Audio:

The series, which is presented in 16:9 1080i, looks crisp and clear on Blu-ray. If you are a fan of the series, this is far and away the best way to watch it.

As far as the audio track goes, I am rather baffled that this set comes with a mere Dolby Digital 2.0 track. While it’s passable, it’s ridiculous for a Blu-ray release to include this. Fans deserve better than this.

Extras:
* Trailers for “Sherlock,” “Being Human,” and “Bedlam.”
* Short prequel episodes about Hal, Tom, and the Old Ones to introduce the characters and provide some backstory for them.
* Interviews with Damien Molony, Lenroa Crichlow, Michael Socha, Philip Trethowan, Russell Tovey and Toby Whithouse. They all chat about characters, story arcs, changes in season 4, locations, etc.
* Nearly 7 ½ minutes of deleted scenes.
* “The Museum”-A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the museum scene.
* “Toby’s Guide”- Showrunner Toby Whithouse briefly talks about season four and the show’s mythology.
* “Goodbye Russell”- Russell Tovey talks about his time on the series.
* “The Fall Of George”- A featurette about George’s character arc.
* “Adam Returns”- The title says it all.
* “Allison”- A featurette about actress Ellie Kendrick’s werewolf character.

Summary: “Being Human” fans may want to see how this season plays out, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

January 26, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Being Human Season 4 Blu-ray Review, Being Human Season 5, Vampires, Werewolves