In the Flesh: Episode 1
June 23, 2014 11:11 AM - Season 2, Episode 1 - Subscribe
In The Flesh starts its second season with Partially Deceased Sufferer (PDS), Kieren Walker, now in the seemingly PDS-friendly world of Roarton. Well, it's mostly friendly, except for the usual group of anti-rotters, and then there's the new Victus MP Maxine Martin, who comes to visit her territory. More complications arise with the return of Kieren's friend, Amy Dyer, with her opinionated beau, Undead Liberation Army (ULA) member Simon. [BBC Three, BBC HD, BBC America-US Only]
BBC America: 5 reasons to watch In The Flesh
If you missed the prior six episode season, BBC America also has a recap in 4 minutes.
Review of season 2 episode 1 from Den of Geeks [SPOILERS].
BBC America: 5 reasons to watch In The Flesh
If you missed the prior six episode season, BBC America also has a recap in 4 minutes.
Review of season 2 episode 1 from Den of Geeks [SPOILERS].
If no one else gets to these, I'll post a new episode every few days, as my wife and I get around to watching the episodes.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:35 AM on June 23, 2014
posted by filthy light thief at 11:35 AM on June 23, 2014
If you missed the prior six episode season, BBC America also has a recap in 4 minutes.
Oh, but the whole first season is REALLY worth watching. I watched the last parts on a plane and sobbed huge, ugly, cathartic tears.
posted by mochapickle at 11:49 AM on June 23, 2014
Oh, but the whole first season is REALLY worth watching. I watched the last parts on a plane and sobbed huge, ugly, cathartic tears.
posted by mochapickle at 11:49 AM on June 23, 2014
Yes, oh yes, the series is heartbreaking. Beautiful, and heartbreaking.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:00 PM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by filthy light thief at 12:00 PM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
In the Flesh is one of my favorite shows, and I hate gore in general and zombie stories in particular, so consider that an endorsement for the zombie averse/zombie bored crowd. Season 1 is actually only three episodes, so you can watch it in an afternoon (if your heart can take it.)
From what I understand season 1 was kept as a relatively contained story in case it didn't get renewed. The first episode of season 2 hits the right balance between picking up Kieren/Jem/Amy's emotional journeys where they left off while exploding our perspective on the story's world.
Wunmi Mosaku's Maxine Martin is a fantastic addition to the cast -- she's a bigot with power, definitely a villain from the perspective of the characters we care about, but it's not impossible to understand where she's coming from and even sympathize at times. The attentiveness with which In the Flesh gives all its characters inner lives (outright stated or implied through the performances of the actors) is one of my favorite things about it. Another is that the focus on fantasy oppression against zombies doesn't result in glossing over real life -isms and their impact. Kieren's sexuality has as much of a part in the difficulties he faces as his PDS does, and Maxine obviously gets pushback from the townsfolk not just because she's an outsider but an outsider who's a black woman.
Other things I liked this episode: Kieren and Jem's adorable siblingness, the awkward French goodbye meal, and the little background worldbuilding details like the Victus party ads and the Lonely Planet notations for PDS-friendliness.
posted by bettafish at 2:06 PM on June 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
From what I understand season 1 was kept as a relatively contained story in case it didn't get renewed. The first episode of season 2 hits the right balance between picking up Kieren/Jem/Amy's emotional journeys where they left off while exploding our perspective on the story's world.
Wunmi Mosaku's Maxine Martin is a fantastic addition to the cast -- she's a bigot with power, definitely a villain from the perspective of the characters we care about, but it's not impossible to understand where she's coming from and even sympathize at times. The attentiveness with which In the Flesh gives all its characters inner lives (outright stated or implied through the performances of the actors) is one of my favorite things about it. Another is that the focus on fantasy oppression against zombies doesn't result in glossing over real life -isms and their impact. Kieren's sexuality has as much of a part in the difficulties he faces as his PDS does, and Maxine obviously gets pushback from the townsfolk not just because she's an outsider but an outsider who's a black woman.
Other things I liked this episode: Kieren and Jem's adorable siblingness, the awkward French goodbye meal, and the little background worldbuilding details like the Victus party ads and the Lonely Planet notations for PDS-friendliness.
posted by bettafish at 2:06 PM on June 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
Maxine obviously gets pushback from the townsfolk not just because she's an outsider but an outsider who's a black woman
I was wondering about this - in my eyes, there is no particular reference or reaction to her race. Maybe I was expecting more overt reactions as you would find if this were a US program, so I missed the more subtle cues. I got more of "she's an outsider, and a puffed up one to claim to be a 'local girl done good'."
posted by filthy light thief at 7:07 AM on June 24, 2014
I was wondering about this - in my eyes, there is no particular reference or reaction to her race. Maybe I was expecting more overt reactions as you would find if this were a US program, so I missed the more subtle cues. I got more of "she's an outsider, and a puffed up one to claim to be a 'local girl done good'."
posted by filthy light thief at 7:07 AM on June 24, 2014
I was wondering about this - in my eyes, there is no particular reference or reaction to her race. Maybe I was expecting more overt reactions as you would find if this were a US program, so I missed the more subtle cues. I got more of "she's an outsider, and a puffed up one to claim to be a 'local girl done good'.""
There's nothing specific I can point to since I watched the episode when it first aired and don't have access to it now, but it struck me as quite clear when I watched. Yeah, they were pushing back against her because she's an outsider, but there was an extra "so where are you really from?" vibe to their demeanor. Maybe you're right it's a US vs. UK cultural thing.
posted by bettafish at 8:18 AM on June 24, 2014
There's nothing specific I can point to since I watched the episode when it first aired and don't have access to it now, but it struck me as quite clear when I watched. Yeah, they were pushing back against her because she's an outsider, but there was an extra "so where are you really from?" vibe to their demeanor. Maybe you're right it's a US vs. UK cultural thing.
posted by bettafish at 8:18 AM on June 24, 2014
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My wife and I finally watched the first episode last night, and I realize now that the whole six-episode season has passed, and is available to purchase through various means (Amazon US has all the episodes for digital purchase, and Amazon UK has the episodes digitally and on DVD and Blu-ray).
TV.com has my favorite quotes from the episode "I didn't crawl out of the grave to spend me time watching rubbish like this," and the teenage PDS boy talking about his fated match with Kier's sister, Jem.
And for folks wary of gory zombie shows, this is not one of those. It's mostly a really solid drama, with a bit of "rabid" biting.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:23 AM on June 23, 2014