Becoming Human
Encyclopedia
Becoming Human is a British supernatural drama webisode series and a spin-off from the TV series Being Human
. Created by Toby Whithouse
, it was written by Brian Dooley
, Jamie Mathieson and John Jackson
) and stars Craig Roberts
as the teenage vampire Adam (previously seen on Being Human), Leila Mimmack as the werewolf Christa and Josh Brown
as the ghost Matt. A composition of the eight episodes (including the finale) was aired on BBC Three at 9:00pm on 20th March 2011.
On his first day at the school, Adam manages to embarrass and ostracise himself - his pop-culture references are thirty years out of date and his social skills bizarre. However, he meets another pupil, Christa, who is hiding the fact that she is a werewolf. Christa has also been being followed by a fat, melancholy boy whom she believes is a stalker but whom no-one else can see. When both she and Adam are sent for detention and encounter the boy again, Adam realises that he is a ghost. The ghost introduces himself as Matt and turns out to be a missing student from the school: there are posters up regarding his disappearance, but due to his unpopularity few people have paid attention.
Adam quickly realises that because Matt's ghost is lingering rather than passing on to the afterlife, there must be something unresolved about his death. They discover that he has been murdered, and the three of them set about trying to solve the murder. The task is made more difficult by the fact that Matt's own memories of the event are unclear, and he often blurs them or misleads for various reasons of his own. Among the suspects Adam and his friends investigate are the school bully Danny Curtis (who used to make jokes about Matt's weight and love of eggs), Brandy Mulligan (the "Perfect Plastic" with a dark family secret) and Mr Swan (the foul-tempered PE teacher who verbally abuses students and staff members, including Adam and Christa's six-form tutor Mr Roe).
A sub-plot of the show deals with the uneasy relationship between the trio, which has elements of a rivalry, friendship and love triangle. It is revealed that Matt had a three-year-long unrequited crush on Christa which ultimately led to him being in the boys' toilets he died in, scribbling "an anonymous declaration of love" on the cubicle wall with a key when the murderer attacked him. It's suggested that Adam and Christa also might have feelings for each other, although both deny it. Adam frequently makes crude passes at Christa and takes opportunities to kiss her or be seen doing so (although its unclear whether this is human or vampire-influenced behaviour), while Christa outspokenly rejects and dismisses him. In spite of this, Matt is subject to occasional outbursts of jealousy. Adam, meanwhile, is also trying to deal with his vampire urges and is frequently tempted to "punish" the murderer (once they are discovered) by feeding from them, with Christa acting as moral restraint and Matt struggling with his own desires for revenge.
Following several false leads, a major breakthough is made when Mr Roe lets slip to the trio that Mr Swan has ordered him to clean the same boys' toilets that Matt was drowned in. They eventually discover that the CCTV cameras between the toilets and the gym are missing, further implicating Mr Swan in the murder. They begin to suspect that Matt's body is hidden in the gym, because Christa can smell it the day before the full moon. They investigate the gym the night of the full moon-when a werewolf's senses are at their peak- only for Christa to start changing. Matt and Adam discover that they are trapped- someone locked the doors. Matt and Adam lure the transforming Christa into the gym's supply cupboard and barricade the door. In the morning, she is released and they wonder where Matt's body could've been. They initially fear that Christa may have eaten it during her time as a werewolf; but Matt succeeds in finally locating his body- still in the cupboard hidden among cleaning tools.
Mr Swan finds them and they question him, accusing him of the murder. He tells them that Mr Roe had keys to the gym and access to the security cameras, and the trio realise that Roe was listening to their conversations the entire time during detention (while pretending to be listening to music on headphones) and had already fed them a false lead regarding Brandy Mulligan. At this point, Roe appears and knocks out Swan with a baseball bat. Matt uses a chalkboard to ask Roe why he committed the murder, and Adam grabs him by the throat as Roe tells them that he was tired of being pushed around by people, so he "pushed back". Someone had apparently keyed Roe's car, and he'd seen Matt running away from the scene (Matt was innocent, though- he was running from the girl's locker room, where'd he'd been caught peeping). Roe then followed Matt into the toilets and saw Matt carving a symbol of his love for Christa. Roe assumed that Matt was writing yet another insult towards him, so he drowned Matt in a fury.
A furious Adam almost gives in to the urge to bite Roe, but is stopped by Matt. After this, a supernatural "door of death" (the same type that feature in Being Human) materializes for Matt to "move on" through. Matt is reluctant to do so, as he has come to enjoy the company of Adam and Christa -being happier then he'd ever been in his lifetime- and the excitement of the investigation. Roe attacks them in an attempt to get rid of the evidence, but the group wrestles him to Matt's door and Adam throws him through and shuts the door, which vanishes. Matt takes this as evidence that he can stay. Having now come to terms with his death, Matt gives Adam and Christa his blessing to form a romantic relationship (although they continue to deny their willingness to have one). The episode ends with Adam suggesting that "the other side" may become complicated by having a living person take the place of a dead one, and claiming that "they" may send Roe back (setting up a possible plot-strand for a follow-up series).
released a online clip, showing Mr Roe, communicating to our world through a T.V from purgatory, like Annie did at the end of Being Human
series 2. During this clip, he was seen to be extremely angry having been thrown over, and promises to return and take revenge on the trio. This has left a possible opening for a second series.
Being Human (TV series)
Being Human is a British supernatural drama television series. It was created and written by Toby Whithouse and is currently broadcast on BBC Three. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama...
. Created by Toby Whithouse
Toby Whithouse
Toby Whithouse is an English actor, stand-up comedian and screenwriter. His highest-profile work has been the creation of the BBC Three supernatural television series Being Human. He also created the Channel 4 television drama series No Angels , and has written for BBC One's Hotel Babylon and...
, it was written by Brian Dooley
Brian Dooley
Brian Dooley is an English television writer.He is best known for creating the sitcom The Smoking Room, which debuted on BBC Three in 2004, before it was transferred to BBC Two, and for which he received a BAFTA in 2005. He also appears in the series as Ben...
, Jamie Mathieson and John Jackson
John Jackson
-Politicians:* John Jackson , mayor of Tampa, Florida* John Jackson , Member of Parliament for Plymouth Devonport, 1910–1918* John Edward Jackson, British diplomat...
) and stars Craig Roberts
Craig Roberts
Craig Roberts is a Welsh actor. He is best known for playing the lead role of Oliver Tate in the coming-of-age comedy-drama film Submarine, and for playing the character Rio in The Story of Tracy Beaker.-Life and Career:...
as the teenage vampire Adam (previously seen on Being Human), Leila Mimmack as the werewolf Christa and Josh Brown
Josh Brown (actor)
Joshua Brown is a British actor. He is best known for playing Alex Pickering in the long-running BBC school drama, Grange Hill. He has also appeared in another long-running series, Casualty. He guest starred in an episode of Holby City that aired on Tuesday 10 February 2009 as a character called...
as the ghost Matt. A composition of the eight episodes (including the finale) was aired on BBC Three at 9:00pm on 20th March 2011.
Plot
Becoming Human continues the adventures of Adam, a 46-year-old vampire in the body of a 16-year old boy, who had originally appeared in the second episode of the third series of Being Human. This episode provided his backstory - Adam had been protected by his parents (who had fed him with their own blood) up until they died of old age, following which he had come under the protection and encouragement of Mitchell, Annie, George and Nina. During his brief time with them, they had encouraged him to live a better and more moral life, keeping his vampire nature undercover, resisting the urge to prey on humans for blood, and surrounding himself with "good" people to encourage his own better behaviour. As Becoming Human begins, Adam has moved elsewhere and is trying to live a normal life as a "human", which at this point involves joining a school and getting some qualifications.On his first day at the school, Adam manages to embarrass and ostracise himself - his pop-culture references are thirty years out of date and his social skills bizarre. However, he meets another pupil, Christa, who is hiding the fact that she is a werewolf. Christa has also been being followed by a fat, melancholy boy whom she believes is a stalker but whom no-one else can see. When both she and Adam are sent for detention and encounter the boy again, Adam realises that he is a ghost. The ghost introduces himself as Matt and turns out to be a missing student from the school: there are posters up regarding his disappearance, but due to his unpopularity few people have paid attention.
Adam quickly realises that because Matt's ghost is lingering rather than passing on to the afterlife, there must be something unresolved about his death. They discover that he has been murdered, and the three of them set about trying to solve the murder. The task is made more difficult by the fact that Matt's own memories of the event are unclear, and he often blurs them or misleads for various reasons of his own. Among the suspects Adam and his friends investigate are the school bully Danny Curtis (who used to make jokes about Matt's weight and love of eggs), Brandy Mulligan (the "Perfect Plastic" with a dark family secret) and Mr Swan (the foul-tempered PE teacher who verbally abuses students and staff members, including Adam and Christa's six-form tutor Mr Roe).
A sub-plot of the show deals with the uneasy relationship between the trio, which has elements of a rivalry, friendship and love triangle. It is revealed that Matt had a three-year-long unrequited crush on Christa which ultimately led to him being in the boys' toilets he died in, scribbling "an anonymous declaration of love" on the cubicle wall with a key when the murderer attacked him. It's suggested that Adam and Christa also might have feelings for each other, although both deny it. Adam frequently makes crude passes at Christa and takes opportunities to kiss her or be seen doing so (although its unclear whether this is human or vampire-influenced behaviour), while Christa outspokenly rejects and dismisses him. In spite of this, Matt is subject to occasional outbursts of jealousy. Adam, meanwhile, is also trying to deal with his vampire urges and is frequently tempted to "punish" the murderer (once they are discovered) by feeding from them, with Christa acting as moral restraint and Matt struggling with his own desires for revenge.
Following several false leads, a major breakthough is made when Mr Roe lets slip to the trio that Mr Swan has ordered him to clean the same boys' toilets that Matt was drowned in. They eventually discover that the CCTV cameras between the toilets and the gym are missing, further implicating Mr Swan in the murder. They begin to suspect that Matt's body is hidden in the gym, because Christa can smell it the day before the full moon. They investigate the gym the night of the full moon-when a werewolf's senses are at their peak- only for Christa to start changing. Matt and Adam discover that they are trapped- someone locked the doors. Matt and Adam lure the transforming Christa into the gym's supply cupboard and barricade the door. In the morning, she is released and they wonder where Matt's body could've been. They initially fear that Christa may have eaten it during her time as a werewolf; but Matt succeeds in finally locating his body- still in the cupboard hidden among cleaning tools.
Mr Swan finds them and they question him, accusing him of the murder. He tells them that Mr Roe had keys to the gym and access to the security cameras, and the trio realise that Roe was listening to their conversations the entire time during detention (while pretending to be listening to music on headphones) and had already fed them a false lead regarding Brandy Mulligan. At this point, Roe appears and knocks out Swan with a baseball bat. Matt uses a chalkboard to ask Roe why he committed the murder, and Adam grabs him by the throat as Roe tells them that he was tired of being pushed around by people, so he "pushed back". Someone had apparently keyed Roe's car, and he'd seen Matt running away from the scene (Matt was innocent, though- he was running from the girl's locker room, where'd he'd been caught peeping). Roe then followed Matt into the toilets and saw Matt carving a symbol of his love for Christa. Roe assumed that Matt was writing yet another insult towards him, so he drowned Matt in a fury.
A furious Adam almost gives in to the urge to bite Roe, but is stopped by Matt. After this, a supernatural "door of death" (the same type that feature in Being Human) materializes for Matt to "move on" through. Matt is reluctant to do so, as he has come to enjoy the company of Adam and Christa -being happier then he'd ever been in his lifetime- and the excitement of the investigation. Roe attacks them in an attempt to get rid of the evidence, but the group wrestles him to Matt's door and Adam throws him through and shuts the door, which vanishes. Matt takes this as evidence that he can stay. Having now come to terms with his death, Matt gives Adam and Christa his blessing to form a romantic relationship (although they continue to deny their willingness to have one). The episode ends with Adam suggesting that "the other side" may become complicated by having a living person take the place of a dead one, and claiming that "they" may send Roe back (setting up a possible plot-strand for a follow-up series).
Additional notes
In addition to eight episodes there are also clues consisting of mobile phone videos, suspect profiles, pictures and other side notes released each week between the episodes on the Becoming Human blog, enabling the viewers to investigate Matt's murder in more depth. Among the clues include appeals and missing posters made by Matt's parents, voice messages and videos made by Adam and Christa, and Christa's journal entries. Also, after the online release of the eighth episode, the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
released a online clip, showing Mr Roe, communicating to our world through a T.V from purgatory, like Annie did at the end of Being Human
Being Human
- Plot :The film portrays the experience of a single human soul, portrayed by Williams, through various incarnations. Williams is the only common actor throughout the stories that span man's history on Earth....
series 2. During this clip, he was seen to be extremely angry having been thrown over, and promises to return and take revenge on the trio. This has left a possible opening for a second series.
Cast
- Craig RobertsCraig RobertsCraig Roberts is a Welsh actor. He is best known for playing the lead role of Oliver Tate in the coming-of-age comedy-drama film Submarine, and for playing the character Rio in The Story of Tracy Beaker.-Life and Career:...
as Adam Jacobs - Leila Mimmack as Christa Stammers
- Josh BrownJosh Brown (actor)Joshua Brown is a British actor. He is best known for playing Alex Pickering in the long-running BBC school drama, Grange Hill. He has also appeared in another long-running series, Casualty. He guest starred in an episode of Holby City that aired on Tuesday 10 February 2009 as a character called...
as Matt Bolton - Josh Cole as Mr Roe
- Simon Ludders as Mr Swan
- Emma RigbyEmma RigbyEmma Catherine Rigby , is an English actress, best known for her role in Hollyoaks as Hannah Ashworth.-Career:In February 2010 Emma Completed, with International Fashion Photographer Rory Lewis.-Television:...
as Brandy Mulligan - John BoyegaJohn BoyegaJohn Boyega is a British-Nigerian Actor. His debut was in Joe Cornish's Creature Feature, Attack the Block.In September 2011, HBO announced that Boyega has been cast in the Spike Lee/Doug Ellin/Mike Tyson Boxing drama pilot, Da Brick, which is loosely based on Tyson's life...
as Danny Curtis