In this episode of Being Human, Annie uncovers the truth about her death, Mitchell faces the fallout of turning Lauren into a vampire, and George’s relationship with Nina grows despite his lingering fears. PETULA MITCHELL looks back on this classic episode
Episode three of Being Human, titled Ghost Town, shifts the focus to Annie, the ghost in the trio. In the first two episodes, George and Mitchell’s backstories took centre stage. This episode opens with Annie “‘sorting out” the kitchen in the trio’s house.
“Sorting out” involves a lot of noise, cupboard emptying, and weeping. George and Mitchell hesitate to ask her what’s wrong due to her volatile emotional state. It turns out she is grieving, as the date of what would have been her wedding to Owen, her fiancé and the landlord of the house, is approaching.
To cheer her up, Mitchell suggests a night out to meet some ‘kindred spirits’. After some persuasion, she agrees, stopping the chaos in the kitchen, and they head out for the evening.
Mitchell’s throwaway line: “George, get your lead…”
They visit a nightclub that, at least on that night, specialises in ’80s music. Annie has second thoughts, but Mitchell introduces her to Gilbert, a spirit who passed away in 1985.
Like Annie, he hasn’t moved on. However, Gilbert’s goth persona, with a passion for bands like Joy Division, The Smiths, and Echo and the Bunnymen, contrasts with the light-hearted New Romantic vibes. Despite this, Annie and Gilbert form a friendship, united in their quest to find out why Annie remains earthbound.
Meanwhile, Mitchell is still being pursued by an increasingly desperate Lauren. She tells him that, as he turned her into a vampire, he has a responsibility to help her. Lauren turns up at the house, attempting to blackmail Mitchell into assisting her. He agrees to meet her at a hotel where he lets her drink his blood and tries to ease her cravings with stolen blood from the hospital.
Mitchell warns her the relief will only be temporary, and resisting the urge to kill is difficult. He also cautions that he can’t keep stealing from the hospital. Unsatisfied, Lauren goes straight back to Herrick and his group, who are waiting for her outside the hotel. Was this part of a plot to lure Mitchell back too?
George, meanwhile, is focused on his tentative relationship with nurse Nina. After a rocky start, Nina realises George is actually a decent person. He spends his day off visiting patients in the hospital and helps translate for a Hebrew-speaking patient in A&E. She wonders if she misjudged him and his awkward attempts at asking her out.
Nina comes to the house for dinner (George is a skilled cook), which she thoroughly enjoys. She is unaware that Annie and Gilbert are watching the evening unfold. Aside from one incident where Gilbert turns the stereo up full blast, everything goes well. The relationship progresses to the bedroom, but George, still fearful of hurting her, is unable to consummate it. Spoiler: he eventually does.
Annie and Gilbert continue investigating why she remains in the land of the living. Annie concludes that her purpose is to look after Owen, to be the wife she never got to be. She goes to the house he now shares with Janey and begins adding personal touches – placing a bowl for his keys, cooking his favourite dinner (boiled bacon and parsley sauce), and other small gestures she knows he likes. Owen assumes Janey is behind these thoughtful acts and thanks her, but she denies any involvement. Both are left puzzled.
Owen returns to the trio’s house to attempt more plumbing repairs, unwilling to pay for a professional. After some amateur efforts, he discovers the blockage was caused by a pair of ladies’ knickers. He discreetly wraps them up and takes them away. As he works, Annie watches, and she starts having flashbacks to her life – specifically, her death.
She realises Owen is a violent bully. The underwear had sparked an argument where Owen accused her of flaunting herself to another man. In the heat of the moment, he pushed her down the stairs. Shocked and heartbroken, Annie confides in Gilbert, but she remains no closer to understanding why she is still here. However, she now knows the terrible truth of her death.
Meanwhile, Gilbert discovers the reason for his lingering presence. A mysterious door appears in the living room. He knows it’s for him—his time to move on has come. In life, Gilbert never experienced love, dismissing it as an illusion. In death, he has learned to love Annie, and this revelation was the reason he had been stranded. Mission accomplished, Gilbert.
What did you think of this Being Human episode, Ghost Town? Tell us in the comments section below!
