On BBC 3 and BBC America - Spoiler Free
Zombies!! No, wait, don't call them that. They're Partially Deceased Syndrome Sufferers, or at least they are on the BBC produced series In The Flesh.
I happened across this show by chance, really. I was browsing On Demand and rolling my eyes because I couldn't find anything interesting. With a nap looking more and more likely I clicked through BBC America and saw the first season on In The Flesh. I'm a sucker for anything and everything zombie related, and since I had recently binge watched all of The Walking Dead on Netflix I figured I'd give this a try. I'm so glad that I did! In The Flesh is an interesting, and smart, take on the zombie genre. Firstly, they're not zombies, walkers, biters, or shuffling, mindless reanimated corpses. They're Partially Deceased Syndrome Sufferers, and they aren't responsible for anything they might have done in their untreated and rabid state during The Rising.
The show centers on Kieren Walker, wonderfully played by Luke Newberry, a kind hearted and artistic 18 year old from a small and rural town called Roarton. Already having been ostracized from the community before The Rising, he now has to face life back home amongst the HVF (Human Volunteer Force) and the townsfolk who have an angry and often times violent outlook on "Rotters." Deeply remorseful of his actions in his rabid state, Kieren very much wants to fly under the radar by going with the status quo. However, by Season 2 he's begun to find his voice amidst the intolerance shown to people who suffer from PDS. His growth from fear and shame in Season 1 to confident and not taking anyone's crap in Season 2 is amazing to watch. It's captivating, really. You'll find yourself rooting for this amazing character. I can't imagine anyone other than Luke Newberry playing Kieren.
Amy Dyer (Emily Bevan) is Kieren's BDFF, Best Dead Friend Forever. Kieren and Amy reconnect after having been rehabilitated at the treatment center in Norfolk. Oh, they first met during The Rising and would hunt together while in their rabid state. Ever the optimist, Amy sees having PDS as a gift, a second chance at life. Amy is one of the most endearing characters on television and is beautifully played by Emily. You smile when she smiles and your heart aches when hers does ...
The cast is rounded out by equally captivating characters like Kieren's younger sister, Jem Walker (Harriet Cains) who joined the HVF in order to protect the community of Roarton. Having been very close to her older brother Kieren before The Rising, she's conflicted and faced with a hard decision: to leave behind her life in the local militia where she worked her way up to be a highly respected leader, or to stick with the HVF, where most of the members show a complete and unadulterated hatred toward "rotters"; and Simon Monroe (Emmett J. Scanlan), who we're introduced to in Season 2. Simon is a disciple of the, as of now, masked and mysterious Undead Prophet and leader of the ULA (Undead Liberation Army). Intensely played by Emmett, Simon could have very easily been a monotone character immersed in the ULA. Instead, Simon is a complex character and his journey from a risen rabid to a disciple in the ULA is layered as much as it is heartbreaking.
In The Flesh is a smart take on the zombie genre. It could have very easily been another show about mindless, perpetually hungry zombies that want to *nom* anything with a heartbeat and factions of humans resorting to cannibalism, but instead it's an entirely captivating and realistic (Yes, realistic) take on what would happen to society in the event of a zombie apocalypse. Sure, shit would hit the fan in the event of the dead rising. But upon figuring out that the undead have a disease (Hey, ALL the scientists and doctors can't bite it!), PDS can be treated, for the most part, and scociety can once again resume with all the heartbreak and beauty that life holds dear.
No comments:
Post a Comment