Misfits season 1 & 2 product reviews

The superhero genre is obviously nothing new, yet very few films or TV shows have treated the genre in quite the same way as Misfits. The show tells the story of five youths, all paying off their various debts to society doing community service. Following a freak storm, Simon, Curtis, Nathan, Kelly and Alisha all find themselves with powers which are largely beyond their control, yet where a traditional story of this type would often lead to crime-solving exploits, Misfits instead chooses to stick with the drama of troubled youth, leaving the powers and the resulting problems which they cause as a backdrop for the character relationships. The show is certainly dark and dramatic, but it's greatest strength comes from its sense of humour, particularly from the character of Nathan (Robert Sheehan), one of the funniest, best-written characters on television in recent memory.

Like many TV British shows, each season is only six episodes long. Season one deals mostly with the introduction of the characters, with each episode focusing on one and providing some backstory, while also furthering the larger plot. It's a little repetitive, but the strength of the characters, particularly Nathan, make for compelling viewing. The way these kids interact and work through their various adolescent dramas feels very real, and the show's beautiful, washed out look and cinematic style make it something quite unique.

Season two is more of the same, which is good and bad. Alongside a larger backdrop concerning a shadowy hooded figure, each episode presents a problem to be solved, a structure that begins to feel a little tired by this point. Thankfully, the small moments between the wider narrative are as strong as ever. Wrapping up the set is a Christmas special episode, probably the strongest of season two.

Misfits is far from perfect, and feels like it either needs to embrace the serialised narrative structure that hovers in the background, or abandon it all together and stick to the week by week story format. But it's worth a look for the sharp banter between the stars and offers an original take on the superhero genre. Side note: season three has recently started in the UK, unfortunately without Robert Sheehan as Nathan, so whether the show can survive without it's strongest element remains to be seen.