BBC has the best stuff. Spaced, The IT Crowd, and my most recent favorite, Jekyll. This 6 part series follows a scientist who must plan his nights very carefully. He can't be near his family or even familiar surroundings. Sometimes he has to be strapped to a chair. That's because he'll change into a different person. Slightly slimmer, slightly taller, about 15 years younger and more sadistic than any other person in London.When Dr. Jackman changes into his other self, his other self doesn't remember anything about who he is. All he knows is that he's thirsty, horney, and ready to beat the living shit out of anyone who stands in his way. The only way Dr. Jackman can control his own Mr. Hyde and keep him from killing is by the threat of turning himself into the police. The only way Mr. Hyde keeps Dr. Jackman from looking for a cure is by the threat of suicide.
They communicate with each other with a hand-held recorder. Dr. Jackman sometimes having to let Mr. Hyde know where he is, what he's doing, and sometimes who has a knife. Mr. Hyde is growing stronger though, even as Dr. Jackman tries to keep him inside. But things are getting more complicated. There's an organization that is after Dr. Jackman to learn his secret in hopes of creating supermen based on his DNA. They will go so far as to take his family hostage. Does Mr. Hyde care enough about Jackman's family to help save them? Or will he use this chance to take over completely and use Jackman's body for his own depravity?
This series could have easily been another cliche Hulk-like story about a guy who kicks ass when he's angry. At first it seems like Mr Hyde is just another incarnation of the man inside us all who's trapped by society's conventions. But as we come to realize, Hyde is really something more powerful. He's "love". He's the crazy, irrational, strong, fast, lustful, psychopathic part of us only without all the other stuff, the grown-up stuff, that keeps us from fucking, eating, and drinking ourselves to death. That's why he mockingly refers to Jackman as his daddy.
True story.James Nesbit, who plays both Jackman and Hyde is brilliant in his transformation. Physically, he just combs back his hair and smiles a little wider. But the change is so great, that if you didn't know it was the same person, you might ask yourself if there are two actors who maybe are just related in some way.
I really wish there was another 6 episodes to this story. I'm not sure if it's really necessary, but I liked it so much, it was like finishing a long book. I didn't want it to end. So, if you haven't already done so, get on Netflix and check this out in the Instant Queue. It's definitely worth the six hours.
Whoah: 3
Huh: 5
Sweet: 5
Total: 4.33333333333333333333333...
