Being Human: Brains, Beauty…AND Josh Can Cook!

 
Episode 311: “If Only I Had Raw Brain”

THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD!

[Photos: Phillipe Bosse/Syfy]

It’s hard to believe how few episodes of Being Human are left. The kind people at the show gathered up a few of us fan/writer hybrids to talk with Meaghan Rath (Sally) and Amy Aquino (Donna) about the season and the upcoming two episodes, so be looking for a write-up about that in the next couple of days. For now, let’s focus on this week’s episode, which itself focuses on the beginning of the end for Kenny and Sally both.

Kenny is done with this world. Tired of hospitals, procedures, false hope, and wasted life, Kenny walks out of his bubble (don’t tell him I called it that) with the aid of a very resigned Aidan. As the two agree to let Kenny live one day as a normal teen before becoming a lord of the night (don’t tell Aidan he called it that), Kenny spends the day knocking off items on his bucket list. The unbridled joy Kenny experiences in the park as he plays catch with an exuberant, slobbery dog is a lovely reminder of why being human is a valid aspiration.

Sally has also come to her own life-altering decision: she will die (can’t really alter life more than that). She’s fully aware what a danger she is to others, and wants Josh and Nora to lock her in her room. Josh, however, wants to go after Donna; great idea, except when they get to the soup kitchen, there’s nothing but an empty lot. The whole entire building has poofed away. Out of desperation, Sally visits Max, and asks if she may eat one of the bodies awaiting cremation. Max, ever the nobleman, says that his role is guardian of the dead and he can’t allow it. It’s a bittersweet scene that gives the non-traditional lovers a chance to exchange “I love you’s” for the first time, once they agree no flesh consumption will take place.

Because Nora and Josh have moved up their wedding, Emily pops in to take her brother to a strip club. Kenny is ALL over that, given that strip club visitation tops his bucket list; Aidan accompanies to keep the eager young’un in check. At the club, Josh and Aidan briefly argue about Pete’s death (sniff, sniff…goodbye, Pete, you were a good egg!), before Emily buys a lap dance for her brother.

What starts as a rite of passage quickly turns into serious danger for Josh; Sexy Sadie the lap dancer is a vampire seeking virus inoculation, and wolfy Josh is the cure for what could ail her. Aidan steps in, stakes the stinking slattern, and nearly scares Josh’s sister Emily straight. Unfortunately, the love and acceptance that Emily has come to expect from her brother is not reciprocated when it’s Josh’s turn to reveal his big secret. Murder, it seems, is where the loveable lush draws the line; and here I was thinking she was an “anything goes” kind of girl.

Nora in the meantime has undergone a personality transplant. In this episode, she supports Aidan’s decision to turn Kenny, reasoning that Kenny is dying and that they all have so many reasons to hate what they are; if their curse has the possibility of helping someone, they should step in. But where she really, really wins me over is when she slips a penis straw under Sally’s locked door. Now, any woman who’s been to a bachelorette party knows the importance of the penis straw. When Nora shares wine coolers and solicits advice from Sally through the door on how to wear her hair during the wedding ceremony (“when in doubt, side pony”), my conversion from disgruntled anti-fan to giddy admirer is complete. My favorite line during this scene? “I really want to come out there, but I also really want to eat you.” And Nora replies simply, “I understand.” Would that we all had someone to accept us for what we are, warts and all.

The very best scene of the whole episode, no question, is when Aidan offers to help Sally with her, uh, cravings. Aidan reasons that Josh donated to the cause when Aidan needed blood. Now that it’s Sally’s time of need, Aidan says, “Eat me…” No metaphorical junior high taunting here. After considering it briefly, Sally tries to take a bite of oblique. The next few hilarious lines between these two qualify this scene for the comic Olympics. Honestly, I would pay some good money to see the outtakes.

Refreshed from Aidan flesh (please note that I’ve exercised restraint here), Sally visits Ilana, the witch who initially referred Josh and Nora to Donna. Ilana agrees that Donna is bad news, and that the same door appearing to both Nick and Stevie bodes poorly. Ilana warns Sally that she’ll have to enter the door but be ready to take away Donna’s power when she steps through. When Ilana pulls out what looks like grimoire and asks Sally how her Latin is, we’re left to surmise that Sally will have to fight magic with magic. Et Spiritus Sanctus Cheezy Poofs?

After promising Kenny that as long as he’s alive he’ll keep Kenny safe, Aidan tenderly changes Kenny. He then has a brief heart-to-heart with Josh about how they don’t have to let their curses define their lives, and then steps outside. He spots a strange, human-like guy who’s been lurking about the whole episode. Aidan attacks him, and they fight. Aidan puts the stake to him, and just before the monstrosity crumples into dust, it asks Aidan, “Why did you do this to me?” Aidan realizes who it is: Kat’s old flame, Jeff. And if Aidan’s bite turned Jeff into a mutant vampire, what fate awaits Kenny?

In the final scene, the witch Ilana is confronted by Ray in her home. See, there he is! We’ve been wondering where that creepy undead guy was hiding! When Ilana won’t tell Ray what she’s told Sally about Donna, Ray snaps her neck and slowly shuffles away. Hope Sally had everything she needed for the upcoming battle.

So questions for this week: Is Pete really, really dead? Really? Remember how Kenny bragged about how desirable he was going to be; was that foreshadowing about how NOT desirable Kenny is going to be? Now that Aidan promised Kenny he’d keep him safe as long as he lives, does that mean that Aidan will be forced to eat his words and kill Kenny? Why did Aidan step outside after changing Kenny? Why the heck has Liam been quiet for so long? Will Sally be able to master the Latin incantations she’ll require, or will she pull a Bruce Campbell and wake the Army of Darkness? Are Stevie and Nick screwed for all eternity, or do they help get Donna?

These questions and many more taunt us as we head into the final two episodes. See you next week, friends!

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[Official Show Site on Syfy]  [Previous Recap: “For Those About to Rot”]