Here's my rough, Episode-by-Episode thoughts on the BBC horror Series 'The Fades' (Blu-Ray version):
The first instalment to the Series did grate with me a bit. The opening sequence and premise of the show has been done to death countless times, and I constantly had a feeling of Deja Vu up until the end. The Episode opens with an unsuspecting victim being pounced on by a Fade (think zombies mixed with ghosts), and the camera cuts to a shot of her screaming face *CUE CHEESY OPENING TITLES*. This trope has been done to death on Doctor Who and in countless other horror classics so right from the start I was pretty much groaning. It picked up after that though, as we were introduced to the two main characters of the Series: Mac and Paul. They come off as being immediately likeable characters, partly because any teenager can relate to them on some level and also because the actors playing these two characters are top notch. Mac (Daniel Kaluuya) is a blast, his inherent geeky-ness comes off as being really charming and spouts one liners off the top of his head like it's nothing. Paul (Iain de Caestecker) is a shy 17-year-old who has trouble blending into society and talking to girls. Oh and did I mention he pees in his pants at night? Like I said, instantly relatable to people that are my age! Anyway we quickly discover that Paul is 'special', because he keeps experiencing dreams that depict the world covered in ash (supposedly it's the end of all things) and he is destined to become a member of the Angelic's, a team of supernatural ghost-busters (who also have powers of their own) and are tasked with keeping the Fades (ghosts that have it in for everybody) in check. Like I said, a lot of these tropes have been done to death in the past, the most notable iterations of 'The Chosen One' genre being Buffy The Vampire Slayer or more recently Harry Potter. But aside from the less-than-original plot, the show does it so well that by the end you've almost forgotten about these similarities entirely. And it's all held together by some great acting and genuinely lovable characters. So while the first Episode is a bit mediocre at times it's still made watchable by the great cast and the writing pen of Jack Thorne. The first Episode is good enough to warrant a viewing of the second Episode, and that's exactly what the first Ep should do: make me WANT to watch more. 7/10.
For what the Fades is, you can't deny that it's pretty ballsy. This isn't a show that holds all of the cards close to it's chest and it shows in Episode two. After Episode One nearly all of the Angelic's are killed and the only thing stopping the Fades from taking over the world is a kid that can see the future and a partially blind man called Neil. With those odds, it's surprising that they stood a chance in the first place! The Second Ep continues from where the first one left off, but has a slightly slower pace than before. This is largely to the Episode's benefit because the show focuses more on the awkward teenage comedy this time around, which was the best part of the first Ep and continues to be entertaining here. The gore factor starts to kick in as well as the Fades start to capture and eat school kids. The teenage leads continue to be enthralling, and the Episode expertly touches on some...erm...interesting topics. The big bad and the 'Chosen One/End of the World' still feels a bit generic but is done in a slightly more interesting way this time around as the writers decide to give Paul a few more powers to fiddle with. Oh, and Mac is still the best thing about this show. 8/10.
Things really start to pick up in Episode 3. For one we get introduced to more members of the Angelic's, the big bad starts to get interesting AND the final twist comes as a complete surprise. The Fades are still lingering in the background for the most part, and as a result their threat is a bit more on the tame side. However the show continues to use this extra breathing space to develop the cast and set the groundwork for future events. The show is definitely going for a more 'slow build-up' approach and for the time being it seems to be working. Here's hoping that the pay-off in the last three episodes can live up to that, especially after that cracking reveal at the end...8,5/10.
Having just watched Episode 4, I can't wait to get into Episode 5. The Fades is turning into something really special now, not to mention unique. At the end of the previous Episode, the big bad of the Fades had burst from his fleshy cocoon to be reborn back into human form. He's on the rampage and looking for his undead girlfriend, with Paul (now in spirit form after a car crash has put him in a coma) helping him! As to be expected, the death count is through the roof (nearly all of the Angelic's have been murdered...again) and the stakes are even higher as the rest of the un-dead are being reborn into fleshy form as well, not to mention their now all immortal (LOP OFF HIS HEAD GODAMMIT)! This is by and large my favourite Episode of the Series so far, I mean it just keeps getting better and better. Skin's star Joe Dempsie is now playing John, the head of the Fades and he plays the part with absolute panache. His tale on the rooftop is truly heartbreaking, and for once I'm starting to sympathise with the bad guy here. The show has basically just flipped everything on it's head half way through and is now racing at 100mph towards the finishing line. The acting is the best it's ever been, the stakes are high, the newly invigorated bad guy is fantastic and Paul has got one tough job on his hands....9,5/10.
Episode 5 is setting things up nicely for the Finale. The gore is once again through the roof, and the horror element is starting to come into it's own. As the Fades are slowly kidnapping, killing and feasting on the population of Paul's home town, the community has declared a state of emergency with everyone regrouping at the nearby school. They're making more and more of themselves and are slowly taking over everyone, so the school is the perfect breeding ground for them now. Paul seems to think that he can save the Fades and force them back into 'Ascension' (essentially send them to heaven) but will his plan work? It's really gripping stuff now, John's plan has taken a much darker slant as he's essentially turning everyone you know into ravenous, immortal undead but hey, all in a days work I guess. Unlike other Episodes, it's generally scary/chilling at points not to mention superbly grim. Characters are still being picked off left, right and centre and it's clear that not everybody is safe, especially Paul's girlfriend. The cast continue to be believable and well thought out, and are continuing to be developed in interesting ways. Mac has taken a bit of a back seat though, which is a shame. But then again his Episode recap's do grate after a while and make absolutely no sense in the context of the show when you think about it so...a blessing in disguise perhaps? I suppose you can have TOO much of a good thing. So, will the world end like Sarah and Paul have predicted? I certainly hope not, cause then there would be no more Fades! 9/10.
Episode 6, the Finale was pretty darned good. I do wish the story could have been a tad more wrapped up by the end though, seen as the BBC have just announced that they're cancelling season 2. The finale had some brilliant stunt and special effects work (for a BBC 3 budget anyway) and the final confrontation between Paul and John was satisfying. I also liked how they demonstrated that no side in the conflict was the 'right' side or the side of good if you will. Neil's unexpected bout of murder was unessesary, in a good way. Oh, and WHY THE F*CK DIDN'T PAUL KILL NEIL? HE KILLED YOUR GIRLFRIEND, GODAMMIT! If I had any other gripes with the Episode it would be the editing near the end, I mean those Fades were trying to break into that container for AN ETERNITY. I know the show is trying to build up suspense but come on! Anyway back to my gratuitous praise for this Series, which has really turned out to be a diamond in the rough. And a true diamond in the rough at that, the more you watch it, the shinier it will become. It's something that I applaud the show makers for, not to mention their magnificent casting of the main leads. The Series does, like most Series, end on a cliffhanger though, which I'm fine with as long as the BBC recommissions it for a 2nd Series.....Oh yeah, they haven't. Woops. Still the first Season is good enough (and complete enough) to warrant the purchase of the Blu-Ray boxset, even if it's light on extras. 8,5/10.
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