This has to be said: Misfits is the greatest super-hero centered show of all time. Shows like Heroes, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Arrow and Smallville have become staples of geek culture in both positive and negative ways but they all failed at showing what real people with powers would be like. Misfits is a strange cornucopia of sex, drugs, useless superpowers, and young adult angst. I love this show and I want more of it.
However, over the course of five series/seasons and 37 episodes there have been some spectacular episodes, and some not-so spectacular episodes. Series 2 and 3 are the show’s best. Out of all of the five series, those two had a cosmic-epic-hero’s-journey feel to it that is reminiscent of Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth. Here are the top 15 episodes for essential viewing:
15. Series 4, Episode 1
The first episode of series 4 introduces Jess and Finn. Sadly, the introduction to these characters was just…meh, but the episode itself opened the door for the crazy concepts and powers for series 4. The episode focused on a criminal who gained powers during the storm while holding a suitcase of cash. Anyone who touches his briefcase becomes infected with greed, so everyone plots against one another to get the cash.
14. Series 2, Episode 2
Nathan meets his half-brother Jamie when he arrives at the community center with their dad locked away in the trunk. Jamie wants to know their dad better and he thought kidnapping him would help with that. The gang goes to a club, takes some ecstasy, and sees that their powers can be reversed if they take the drug. I like this episode because this is the climax of Nathan’s character arc. The music is fun, the performances are brilliant, and story was fresh. Nathan really connects with his brother and his father after the death of Jamie.
13. Series 3, Episode 2
Curtis gains the new ability to gender swap, so he uses his powers to race again as a woman but things get complicated when his male self and female self both fall for the same woman. I have to say that I love this episode! Curtis learns what it’s like to be a woman by cheating with himself. He realizes that he has been complaining and moaning about something he can’t change but by becoming a woman, he becomes a better man.
12. Series 5, Episode 1
Finn gets possessed by the devil. There was a troop of scouts at the community center and the troop leader makes him an agent of evil. Alex, Jess, and Rudy have to take him down. This episode was another world building episode. It was one of the best in the weakest season of Misfits because it had this noir-feel to it and Finn was kind of a bad-ass.
11. Series 4, Episode 8
Rudy falls in love with a nun that can summon the four horses of the apocalypse. I like this episode mainly because of the creativity behind the nun’s superpower.
10. Series 1, Episode 6
A young girl named Rachel is leading a group called Virtue where she is using her power to brainwash and control the minds of young adults in the estate. The entire gang falls victim to this except for Nathan and Simon. Long story short, we discover Nathan’s power in this episode.
9. Series 4, Episode 6
Rudy takes Jess, Finn and Alex to a party. While trying to find the apartment number, they wander into a wake and Rudy finds the nun he loves. They also walk by a couple arguing and they walk in a power situation where the number of their sexual partners has been written on their foreheads. On top of all that, Rudy’s friend creates a rabbit serial killer when he was taking acid. This episode was best introduction to a character. Abby joins the group and insanity ensues.
8. Series 2, Episode 7 (Christmas Special)
This episode may be the most important episode of the second series because it lays the ground work for the rest of the show and serves as a good send-off to Nathan. A man buys a boatload of powers and proclaims that he is Jesus. The gang has to stop him because he is trying to use his fame to rape women and steal cash. This episode also introduces Seth and his power buying business. This episode is important because all of their first powers are gone; people are going to constantly change abilities.
7. Series 1, Episode 4
Curtis is reunited with his old girlfriend and tries to set things right by using his powers to go back in time to prevent getting arrested and caught with drugs. We get to see everyone in a club before they meet for community service, and the reasons why they sent to community payback were finally revealed. This episode was the beginning of Curtis’ character arc and it also showed how time travel will become a staple in the show.
6. Series 3, Episode 7
Curtis gets the power to bring things back to life from Seth and uses it to bring Seth’s ex back from the grave. This one thing sets off a string of zombie attacks on the estate. Curtis revives a cat that turns its owner into a zombie. The cat turns a group of cheerleaders into zombies. Then a cheerleader turns their new probation officer into a zombie. This episode was insane!
5. Series 3, Episode 3
In his alter ego as “Super Hoodie,” Simon saves a comic book geek from a mugging. Peter, another person affected by the storm, has the power to make the events in his drawings come to fruition. Peter and Simon become friends and their relationship ends up coming in between of Alisha and Simon. This episode is the most meta out of all 37. Here are the facts: Peter sacrificed himself to make Super Hoodie a hero. In the final minutes, Peter draws out the scene where Simon kills him. He also draws out Simon saving the suit after Alisha told him to trash it all. If Peter drew that, what else could he have influence over? This episode adds to the legend of Super Hoodie and also brings up some interesting questions.
4. Series 2, Episode 4
This is the episode that cemented the legend of SuperHoodie. This episode revolved around an attacker who thought that he was in a video game much like Grand Theft Auto. The gang, with the addition of Ollie (a protester with the ability to teleport), has to play the game to save everyone, so they steal cash to bring to the gamer but end up getting caught. Super Hoodie saves Alisha. This episode was voted number one by the viewers and while it is excellent, for my money there are few better episodes. Antonia Thomas was magnificent in this episode; I wished she would have had more opportunities to show off her range as an actress.
3. Series 2, Episode 6
This episode turns a strange, somewhat useless, power into something that is both eye opening and disturbing. Brian, a person hit by the storm, uses his power over dairy products to impress a girl and inadvertently goes public and lets the world know about the storm and the powers. The bulk of this episode focuses on Brian killing everyone and Curtis going back in time to save the gang and the other superpowered people at a hotel. Simon sacrifices himself so that Curtis can reverse time. I love this episode because Nathan was hilarious in it, Curtis and Simon are a crime fighting duo, and Brian’s power looks stupid but it makes sense. This episode shows how many people may have been affected by the storm.
2. Series 4, Episode 4
This episode is the best send off any of the original characters have received. Curtis meets Lola, a woman who believes she is a femme fatale because of the storm. Lola tricks men into hurting one another because she hates the way they treat her. Curtis kills one of her exes and brings him back to life, then Curtis gets bitten. The episode ends with Curtis killing Lola and then himself. This episode is number two because of the performances and sheer imagination the writers used to create Lola’s story. I haven’t seen anything like it. It was epic!
1. Series 3, Episode 4
This is the ultimate time traveling story. Everyone wants to kill Hitler but no one thinks of the repercussions if they fail to do so. A holocaust survivor gets Curtis’ time traveling power. He tries to go back in the past to kill Hitler but he drops his cell phone and Germany becomes a technological powerhouse. This means that Germany wins and Britain is part of the German empire. In this time, Curtis and Kelly are leading a resistance force out of the bar. They try to take down the Nazis by conscripting the rest of the gang who do not know each other. Seth is used to take people’s powers away. So the gang gets him back and Kelly gains the ability to time travel. This episode had some of the best action in the series and seemed to have the highest production value too. It is number one because of its sheer cinematic aesthetic and similarity to a Hollywood action flick. Kelly was a bad ass, Curtis was awesome, and Rudy was hilarious. The whole cast delivered great performances. This episode alone makes series three the greatest of all five.
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