Digital Spy

Search Digital Spy

TV Recap

'Misfits' 4.04 review: Zombies, a femme fatale and a tragic loss

Misfits S04E04

© Channel 4

Season 4, episode 4

Let's be brutally honest - Curtis (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) was probably never anyone's favorite Misfits character and, despite being the sole original cast member to have stuck around for this fourth series, he's felt like something of a spare part so far.

But that all changed in Sunday night's episode 4.04, which sees the former athlete further pursue a steamy liaison with 'trainee probation worker' Lola - Lucy Gaskell makes for a superb femme fatale, dark and alluring one moment, then all vulnerable and wide-eyed the next.

As we later discover, Lola has a very dark past and a string of twisted relationships behind her, including one with the obsessive Jake - Andrew Gower is underused here, but happily brings the same memorable creepiness to his character that he did to Being Human's Cutler earlier in 2012.

For her own mysterious reasons, Lola fakes an attack, claiming that Jake's her physically-abusive ex, sending an angry Curtis straight at him... like a bullet. Yes, the confrontation goes badly wrong and Curtis ends up shooting Jake dead. Worse still, Lola vanishes and the rest of the Misfits crew have no clue who she even is...

Misfits S04E04

© Channel 4

For what feels like the first time this series, the new Misfits gang come together to help Curtis, who's decided to use his power and resurrect Jake in the hope of finding out more about the absent Lola. This sterling scheme naturally doesn't proceed according to plan - though his friends are initially unaware, Curtis is bitten by the undead Jake and is transformed into a zombie himself...

Fighting off his animalistic urges, Curtis ultimately uncovers the truth about Lola - she's an aspiring actress who was transformed into her vampish alter-ego by the storm and is now deeply out of touch with reality - she's a tragic figure, forced into a never-ending cycle of death and lust against her will.

It's a dark notion and this episode as a whole is a shade darker than usual, but writer Howard Overman still makes room for some patented Misfits humor too; the award locker-room encounter between Curtis and Shaun Dooley's Greg - which almost leads to an unlikely romance - is fantastic.

Misfits S04E04

© Channel 4

And despite his complete lack of social skills, you can't help but engage with human punching bag Finn (Nathan McMullen) too - we're a sucker for a 'will they/won't they' plot and the Jess/Finn pairing is great fun.

Another duo we're fond of is the much-touted Finn/Rudy bromance - Rudy's filthy laddishness is always most effective when he has a wide-eyed, socially awkward partner-in-crime. Their blokey break-up ("Ya... jerk!") and subsequent reunion complete with awkward slapping is another comedic highlight.

Ultimately though, darkness rears its ugly head again - Curtis is drawn back into the black widow's web for a violent final encounter - he's forced to kill poor unfortunate Lola, then takes a final call from an emotional Rudy...

Misfits S04E04

© Channel 4

This episode as a whole is impressive, but this climax in particular deserves plaudits - Stewart-Jarrett resists the temptation to overplay his final scenes, delivering a nicely understated emotional exit, and kudos also to Joseph Gilgun - who, lest we forget, is as able a dramatic actor as he is a comic one.

Misfits is no stranger to a visceral and visually stunning death, of course - remember the shock slashing of Alisha's throat? The death of Curtis is another knock-out sequence, moving and beautifully realized. Credit to director Jonathan van Tulleken and his entire crew.

So, there we have it - the last of the original Misfits is gone. But with his loss comes one of this show's best episodes in a long, long while.

Rudy's Wisdom of the Week
"Knock knock - who's there? It's me cock!!"
"If you were any kind of man at all, you'd be over there - you'd be telling her a heart-breaking story about a little dog with arthritis."
"The bloody female genitalia - it's like a mystery... wrapped in an air of conundrum!"
"Me new room's crawling with slugs and I think one's gone up me anus..."

Watch the new Misfits cast talk to Digital Spy below:

You May Like