Misfits Series 4 Episode 6 REVIEW

If you go to the house party tonight... You'll get chased and slaughtered by a psychotic bunny. Don't say I didn't warn you. 

SPOILERS ahead! 

I have a confession to make: I was greatly affected by this week's episode of Misfits. It wasn't the embarrassment of the characters having the cold hard stats of their sexual exploits stamped on their foreheads. It wasn't even that shocker of a final scene (which came as quite the surprise, let me tell you). 

You see, this week's episode greatly disturbed me on account of the six-foot (but rather suave) bunny rabbit that was causing pure residential terror. I was just about recovered from Donnie Darko, but all of that development and therapy has just gone out the window. It looks like Anya from Buffy was right all along - floppy, hoppy bunnies really are about the scariest thing known to man.

That said, if any episode of TV was worth reigniting rabbit phobia for, this was most definitely it. It was by far the most power-heavy storyline of the season so far, but still provided nice developments for all of the characters (Rudy included), and sits alongside episode 4 as the most rewarding we've been given with the new line-up. 

After five stressful episodes in the community centre (doctors, nurses and Canary Wharf bankers don't know the meaning of the word, compared to our frequently adrenalin-fuelled band of delinquents) the gang decide to let their hair down and head out for a night on the town. Rudy, who should be trusted about as far as he can be thrown, of course recommends the perfect house party to go to. 

Cue their arrival at a wake. After an awkward few minutes in which it is (quite accurately) deducted that the fun probably left this party at the same time the deceased's heart stopped beating, they finally make it to the real shindig (but to be fair, who hasn't stopped off at the odd wake on a pub crawl? RIP Brenda).

Abbey gets a booze-fuelled introduction in Misfits

The first supernatural development occurs when numbers mysteriously appear on the foreheads of our characters, numbers which they eventually discover reveal the number of people they have had sex with. It's a great example of Misfits telling high concept genre stories without the requirement of a large budget. A series like Heroes would have achieved the same thing through expensive special effects. Misfits did it even better with a single Sharpie. It also harkens back to classic episodes where a large part of the humour came from discovering things about the characters they would have killed to keep hidden. Whether it was Kelly's mind reading power or Alisha's sexual-frenzy-inducing curse, this felt very Misfits in its execution, automatically forcing characters to reveal or face their insecurities in front of their peers. 

In descending order: Rudy (99), Alex (46), Jess (2), Finn (1... for a while). Rudy spends most of the episode trying to find The 1(00), and ironically, may have just stumbled upon his real-life soul-mate, if his interaction with the pretty, mysterious Nadine is anything to go by; although if I had to meet The 1(00) anywhere, a memorial service would probably be on my list of less desirable places (along with a floating graveyard a.k.a. The Titanic). What is the nature of her secret? I got a Cinderella-esque home by midnight-type vibe from her. No doubt we'll find out next week what monsters of her own she keeps in the closet.

The other delightful development this week is the arrival of Abbey, the copper-haired, beautiful girl in the zebra pants who instantly makes an impression. She seems destined to balance the status quo of the group, adding another girl to the mix (let's face it, those boys need keeping under control). She's a nice addition, slotting into the supernatural events without any hint of discomfort. But no doubt she'll come with some baggage of her own... 

This of course brings me to the lovely rabbit who makes an appearance, a six-foot, disgruntled Bugs Bunny. Casualty number 1 is the unfortunate chick with the number ‘11’ (which is obviously the new 13) scratched on her forehead. Enter a sadistic, suited bunny with a penchant for indoor golf and we’re launched into the show’s most delightfully disturbing plot this series. We later learn from the party's delightfully paranoid host that the rabbit in question is literally The White Rabbit, the love child of the storm and a poorly-timed acid trip (not that there's ever a good time, really). 

As it turns out, his attempt to chase The White Rabbit turned into a case of the White Rabbit chasing him... and all of his guests. Shoddy party planning if you ask me. And as Jess rightly pointed out, he didn't even provide nibbles! Even poor dead Brenda managed that much. 

On a serious note though, the plotline managed to be wildly entertaining while echoing the series' earlier drugs-are-bad metaphor (as shown in Series 2 Episode 2, which led to the death of Nathan's brother).   

Jess and Alex spent most of the episode playing that awkward dance again, but rest assured that by the end of the episode they most definitely know where they stand (even if it is on very, very bizarre ground). Early on in the episode I couldn't help but wish Finn and Jess would just give up looking doe-eyed and get horizontal, so it's a mark of Misfit's sleight-of-hand that I was kind of cheering Jess and Alex as the credits rolled. I won't spoil that final scene for you, but it certainly takes us into dark territory in a way that only Misfits can do. 

We learned a great deal about our characters this week, and not just the fact that Rudy's sexual history dwarfs Jess's. It does make me a little sad though - I wish there were 99 episodes of Misfits remaining for this season, instead of just 2. 

What did you think of this week's episode? Did it put you off rabbits (and house parties) for life? 

Leave your thoughts below!   

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