Review: Being Human (US Series)

SyFy is at it again with a reimagining of the popular British drama, Being Human. This show is about the lives of three roommates, all dealing with surviving and thriving while they learn about being good people. Also, they are a vampire, werewolf and ghost.

The US version is starring Sam Witwer as Aiden, Sam Huntington as Josh and Meaghan Rath as Sally. It premiered on Monday night and I did enjoy it. I probably would be writing only glowing, happy thoughts if I didn't have the original to compare it to. I have only seen a few episodes from the British one, but you can see the differences. The pilot for both shows has the same basic premise but starts off with differences. In the British one, you jump right in to the story, feeling almost that this show has been on for seasons and you had been left behind. The US version provides more of an intro to the characters, even showing how the guys, Aiden and Josh, meet Sally. The US version also adds more emotion and suspense, like the episode cliffhanger.

Aiden, the vampire, and Josh, the werewolf, are a great duo. These guys play off each other really well, especially in the moving in montage. Throughout the episode, they provide each other with great stability and a family setting. They are similar in a lot of ways to their British counterparts. Aiden is a calm, cool guy that has a dark past we get a glimpse at. Witwer really brings the struggles of addiction to light when we see him deal with killing Rebecca and then facing Marcus in the hospital. Josh is a nervous, scared guy who seems awkward around everyone. He needs to learn to accept who he is and I think he will be entertaining to watch through this process. I like the addition of Josh's sister, who is a new addition from the British show. She adds a new element to his character, plus a lot of new story lines.

Sally is the only one that seems different from her predecessor, Annie. Annie is more independent and sassy than Sally, not to mention she can touch things and leave the house. However, we are seeing Sally at the beginning of her journey, so hopefully her character will grow into a stronger force. All the characters show more emotion, which is decidedly American.

I'm excited to see where they head with this series. The best part of the original series is the character development, and I feel they have really captured that. I do hope that they move away sooner than later from the original story and create something great that stands on its own, without comparison.