What happened?
A holocaust survivor has the power to travel back in time and attempts to kill Hitler, but he botches the task and re-writes history when Hitler takes his mobile phone and uses the advanced technology to win the war. An alternate universe is created where Nazi rule runs amok, and in the present day they are keen on harnessing powers to use for their own ends.
Fighting a resistance movement is Kelly, Curtis and Rudy, who try to stop the Nazis from controlling the power dealer. Simon and Alisha, working for the Nazis but not agreeing with their ideology, eventually form a part of the resistance movement in a battle to the death. Kelly acquires the time travel power, goes back in time and takes the phone back from Hitler. At the episode’s end, remembering all of the alternate history, she visits the power trader and requests he rid of her the ability to time travel and lets her be a rocket scientist again.
Thoughts
What initially started out as a really promising episode for me quickly went south and ultimately disappointed. Probably it was because the inherent issue of the alternate timeline was one I knew had to be resolved before the end of the episode so there was little for me to invest in. I was also left confused by the time travel logic employed here – specifically to do with Kelly’s memories – which marred my enjoyment.
I’ll come to that.
There was some good stuff, though. I liked how the ‘missing’ Misfit from the first episode appeared here (and was once again killed off by someone else’s power!). And I liked how the probation officer was given more time here – he is an unsung comic hero of the show and it was good to see him utilised more. As a self-serving, cowardly toad of the Nazi party his character couldn’t have been better defined!
Less well-served here were Simon and Alisha. Simon, especially, I expected to emerge into something more heroic (like turn his gun on the commandant when ordered to shoot the old man) but perhaps that was the point; without the original timeline’s ‘man in the mask’ identity he is the shrinking violet. Although it appeared that he and Alisha still found time to get it on! Apparently, no matter what timeline, those two are destined to hook up – if that was the point it just about translated.
I’m not quite buying the pair of them as the doomed, star-crossed lovers Misfits potentially wants me to perceive them as, though. They just fall short of epic. (Mind, that’s Misfits in a nutshell – always deliberately falling short of epic despite conjuring the ingredients to do otherwise.)
I quite liked Curtis operating his bar as a cover for a resistant movement (albeit one with very few members!). It at least gave him something to do, and his death was a brutal one (although totally lacking in shock value on account of the previously mentioned certainty that this was not a permanent timeline and so the reset switch would inevitably get pushed).
Rudy, meanwhile, although more tolerable this time out was something of a spare part. Or even spare parts. He did bag some of the best lines and the scene with him bluffing that he and Curtis were a gay couple and, upon hearing homosexuality was outlawed, were actually cousins was the standout funniest scene.
Kelly and the power dealer continue to have some form of relationship, which I thought they might have consecrated in the alternate timeline. They didn’t, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t happen for them before the series is done. Unless power dealer gets to save his dead girlfriend, something his capacity to trade in the power of time travel may enable? (I doubt it – this undoing of the past plotline has been well-worn on Misfits, and now this series, so I can’t see it occurring again.)
The issue with Kelly and her travelling through time is the most confusing aspect. Because really it seems that the ‘original Kelly’ got erased here to be replaced by the ‘alternate timeline Kelly’. Now this clearly doesn’t quite stack up because at the end she wanted her power of rocket scientist back, so she evidently had awareness of the original timeline.
It’s like she has both: awareness of the original timeline and the timeline when Nazis where in charge. And I find that exceedingly hard to reconcile logically! It’s tempting, because of the show’s low-budget, rough around the edges nature, to say that it’s not supposed to be viewed rigorously but when I consider Simon’s future fate plotline, which clearly needs to be watertight, I’m not so quick to let Misfits off the hook.
Unless I’ve seriously missed or overlooked something, I’m calling it a plot hole.
Similarly, what happened to the old man with the power to travel in time? We saw him again in the reset timeline – but what about his time travel power? Doesn’t he still have that? Where there not then two ‘time travel powers’ in this timeline – the original one from the old man and the one Kelly inherited in the alternate timeline?
Again, perhaps I can be accused of thinking about this too much but I don’t think that’s acceptable. Or I’ve seriously missed something.
Fact is, Misfits has usually kept itself logically intact and self-contained in this respect, and the impression of loose plot ends (generally where Simon is concerned), are invariably be covered by the assurance that the writer has it all under control. At least we do now have – with the power dealer in possession of a time travel – a means by which Simon will one day travel back in time. But all those other ripples and niggles this timeline altering episode has conjured have made it one of my least favourite instalments of the show. Shame, really, because in principle it was Misfits at its most high-octane, high concept, boundary-pushing best.
Ironically, if it turns out I am the one that’s not understood things properly and the episode is totally shipshape then it’s actually one of the best Misfits episodes there has ever been! (But I don’t think I’m wrong, so it’s not.)
What was the best part?
The pre-credit sequence (suggesting so much promise!) with the old man writing the letter and venturing back in time. Managing to install instant sympathy and understanding about this man’s entire life story and motivation, and wasting no time getting to Hitler and a brutal stab (reminiscent, I thought, of a stab scene in Saving Private Ryan) the show packed more in those couple of minutes that most shows would dare tackle in one single episode. Having Kelly smoke a cig and sum it all up with “fucking Nazis” just stamped the Misfits brand of foul-mouthed humour perfectly.
What do I think will happen next?
There’s not much in the way of progression from the previous episode. The power dealer did hint that there was much about him Kelly didn’t know, so I envisage that may come under greater scrutiny. And, of course, there is now the means as to how Simon can travel in time on the board to play with, suggesting that the Simon vs Fate plot might find its conclusion this series. . .
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