Werewolf blood-not a good mix for vampires

This week’s Being Human starts off with a bang, continuing last week’s cliff hanger with a stake wielding Erin standing over a poisoned Aidan. While she waits for Liam, the pure blood werewolf has to veer off course when he sees Josh returning to the house. Lil miss conspirator gets launched through a bookcase by the fading vampire and Josh comes into see the vampire versus werewolf teen aftermath. They rush Erin—who has serious brain swelling—to the hospital where Aidan can’t help but feel guilty for what happened, despite being well within his right to defend himself. Josh listens to his friend’s story in surprise though he falls on the side of Aidan’s truth; Nora is not quite as forgiving. She reams Aidan for Erin’s condition, echoing Henry’s words of violence (death) following the vampire where ever he goes. She leaves him with a grandiose threat that, if Erin dies, he’ll answer to her.

Sitting at Erin’s bedside, Josh is there to comfort Nora. While she wants to believe Aidan wants to be a better vampire, she knows how much of a killer he can be. Now that things are a little less crazy, Josh, ever the thinker, starts connecting the dots and comes up with the frighteningly accurate conclusion of Liam having his hand in the situation in some way. Nora’s still too distraught to see things through, nor can she get past the vampire thing, conveniently forgetting just how brutal and savage she herself has been in the most recent past running with Liam’s kids. She caps things off with the whole ‘I’m not sure if you would pick me and Aidan’ bit. Her passive-aggressive not-ultimatum coupled with her blatant hypocrisy drives me crazy, especially since I’ve liked Nora from day one.  Of course, it also highlights the fact that, as the series title suggests, she is human and prone to such errors in reasoning and logic, just like all of us.

Still at the hospital, Aidan visits Kenny and is surprised to find a ginger bombshell taking a bit of blood from the tap. Her name’s Blake and using Kenny as her new supply, she’s offered to turn him on his 18th birthday. She gives off some chilly vibes and her idealization of the vampire condition speaks to her youth (she’s 11, a veritable child in vampire years). Though he’s wary of her, Kenny’s all in, refusing to spend his entire life in a plastic bubble, a fate no one can truly understand.

Taking a break from the hospital, Aidan’s at home when Kat with the Pretty Eyes comes knocking. She’s looking for Nora to help with some plumbing issues but Aidan’s Johnny-on-the-spot and volunteers his services to the damsel in distress. They conquer the big, bad piping problem all the while conjuring up some serious chemistry. Said levels of attraction elevates when the two realize just how compatible they are when her PhD candidate thesis happens to deal with colonial Boston, Aidan’s wheelhouse of knowledge considering he grew up during that time. The short conversation strains both of their emotions and they bid a hasty goodbye as that attraction level hits level ten.

While Aidan’s getting his unexpected flirt on, Liam visits the hospital at the behest of Josh. A bit of idle chit chat passes between the two before Josh tips his hand to the werewolf, informing Liam in no uncertain terms that Josh will do anything to protect his family. He doesn’t hide his suspicions of Liam’s involvement in Erin’s attack on Aidan and demands the pure blood to stay away from his family. As Josh walks away, Liam’s face is anything but accommodating and there’s no doubt he’s not going to let Josh’s challenge go unanswered.

A bit after his confrontation with Liam, Josh’s sister Emily arrives at the hospital. The main topic of conversation between the two is Nora. Though Emily’s not sure about her relationship with Josh’s lady, she understands how important Nora is to her big brother. She knows he’s on the cusps of proposing to Nora and offers him their Grandmother’s old engagement ring, the ring he’d once given to his ex-fiancee Julia (RIP, lovely lass). She’d given the ring to Emily when Josh first split (after he went walkabout due to his new monthly wolf status) and though Josh is hesitant to give it to Nora, citing possible bad luck, Emily’s line about someone finding their person – the one that’s everything to you – and while Josh is her person right now, her advice erases any doubts as to he and Nora’s future.

This episode could’ve been called “Nora Giving Aidan the Business”

Back at the hospital, after checking in on a depleted Kenny, Aidan confronts Blake for taking too much of the kid’s blood. He wants her to be more under control but she doesn’t know how to be and begs him to help her. He doesn’t really know how he should respond but he’s soon distracted by Kat with the Pretty Eyes, who stopped by with food to show her support for Nora. Remember the whole chemistry thing I chirped about earlier? Yeah, it’s again on display and the coziness the two have with one another doesn’t sit too well with Nora and when Kat takes off, she rips Aidan once again, threatening him to stay away. Despite his mounting frustration with her sanctimonious attitude, Aidan holds his tongue and leaves the scene. He goes to check up on Kenny and the boy admits his fear of Blake. Finally, the kid gets that vampires aren’t about sparkling in the daylight or emo teens. They are killers, Aidan informs him. It’s not a glamorous life; it’s one of hunger and fighting against the natural inclination of causing death and destruction. It’s hard enough for him as 200+ years old; the thought of a newbie like Blake teaching Kenny the ropes is enough for Aidan to go back on his initial thoughts. He tells Blake he will be the one to turn Kenny and she’s less than happy about the new development, and let us not forget the woman scorned aspect. Especially when that woman is a starving ginger killing machine.Aidan’s confrontation with Blake sparks something in him and he makes a creeperish stop at night by Kat’s with the Pretty Eyes. Not one to dance around the subject, he asks her out and she agrees, playing it much cooler than he does. There’s some great potential brewing between the two, though methinks Nora won’t be too big a fan of the latest developments.

What Nora will be a fan of, though, is Josh confessing his devotion to her. She’s his person and though Aidan is like his brother, he will always pick Nora. The two lovers embrace, unaware of the treacherous Liam down the hall suffocating a helpless Erin. By the time the two move to visit her, it’s too late and they embrace. Aidan comes down the hall and the two best friends make eye contact; the guilt in the vampire’s eyes matches the pain in Josh’s. The scene’s dynamic where Josh and Nora embrace with Aidan off in the distance hints at a potential rift between friends.

Speaking of friends, Sally’s been on her own time, visiting her once best friend Bridget who, while no longer blonde, is still as off balance and weird as ever. Their talk of the supernatural leads to Bridget inviting Sally to a Wicca group she’s joined, one where she feels her mind free up during ceremonies. Well, when Sally sits in on one, she realizes Bridget’s a prime target for ghostly possession, one of which possesses her as Sally looks on. While Sally’s able to drive the ghosts away, she realizes the mega-hotspot ghosts see around Bridget and ends up giving Bridget her possession-repelling necklace and the advice to stay away from all things supernatural.

A thoroughly scorned Blake walks the streets and is attacked by Liam. He’s ready to pop her head off like a cork but her mention of a pure blood vampire—Aidan—draws Liam’s interest and, while he lets her go, his eyes betray the schemes now ruminating in his predatory mind.

Oh…did I mention Sally’s rotting away?

This is not going to cause Sally joy

Things fall apart. Life teaches us this lesson early on though, as children it oftentimes manifests with broken toys or even bones. What experience and growing up is so cruel about is the breaking of our relationships. Sometimes the fractures can be repaired—Josh and Nora are the poster children for this aspect of nature—but other times, such as the division between Aidan and Bishop, they can only end one way. For several years Josh and Aidan have been two sides of the same coin, fighting like family but supporting each other throughout. No matter what, they’ve always been there for one another. With Erin’s death and Nora’s belief Aidan lies at fault, that familial bond between vampire and former werewolf could very well dissolve before our eyes. The final scene between the three was outstanding work with the two brothers (in all but blood) staring across the span of the corridor with Nora the wedge between them. It’s a powerful conveyance of what could be the lever that permanently creates a rift between the two. Where it goes from here is anyone’s guess but Sally’s more physical manifestation of disintegrating reality could make for a potential lynchpin for keeping everyone together.