Here is my recap of Humans 01×02. After last week’s ‘Can-you-guess-what’s-going-to-happen-next?’ final scene, you would easily be forgiven for thinking that, when episode 2 gets underway, Anita (Gemma Chan) and Sophie are still absent from the house after their moonlit flit. However, that’s not the case and instead, Sophie is safe in her bed while Anita, continuing her efforts to help the family, is making breakfast. Unsurprisingly, Laura can’t help but think something’s amiss, especially when she realises her child is wearing different pyjamas since the ones she had on the previous night are now wet.
While making Sophie her packed lunch, it’s a little hurtful to Laura to be asked: “Can you cut off the crusts, like Anita does?” It’s yet another indication that a synth is pushing her way more and more into her little one’s affections.
The family dynamic because is even tenser with the revelation that Mattie has been tampering with synths at school. As the moody teenager, Lucy Carless gives a great performance as someone willing to experiment and explore these new additions to society – “just a dolly” is how she refers to the synth when the school calls a careers officer. Laura however is somewhat proud of the fact she isn’t the only one who dislikes synths, muttering:
“The others think the sun shines out of her plastic arse.”
Meanwhile, Toby and Anita are forming what can only be described as a discreet, bizarre and budding relationship with Toby commenting:
“Why did they have to make you so fit?”
In response, the smile, ever so small as it is that Anita responds with, is creepy.
Moving forward to look at how the other synths are getting on, Fred is naked in a lab, being admired by Hob (Danny Webb) who makes it his mission to rummage through his memory, soon unlocking an image of Anita swimming underwater. Silas (Paul Kaye) is also busy working on a synth and finally reveals to Leo a little more about Anita and who/what she is, which appears to be a new person given the fact Silas completely wiped her system.
The bust-up that follows sees Leo successfully free some other synths, however he is badly damaged. Max, (Ivanno Jeremiah) in one of the night’s best scenes, tries and succeeds in jump starting him (who knew synths could be like cars?!) while Silas finds himself getting arrested.
Having refused in the last episode to have his synth Odi (Will
Tudor)
upgraded, Dr. Millican is visited by a case worker, but not before he makes the smart move of hiding Odi in the shed. Next, as one of the major twists and turns of tonights’ episode, the sight of Niska bleeding blue following an altercation with a client raises numerous questions, and the mention of her father is hugely intriguing.
Back at the Hawkins’ home, Laura has had enough of Anita (really, that soon?) and makes a call to the suppliers. Upstairs meanwhile, Anita continues to take over the role of ‘mum’ as, when Sophie has a nightmare, she gives her a gentle cuddle – needless to say that’s unlikely to go down well. Being as helpful as ever, she then offers to drive herself and Laura so that her owner can give her back…that’s appreciation for you I guess…
Two episodes in and my head is already spinning trying to keep up. Trying to work out exactly who is a synth and who is human is gradually proving harder and harder, but if the creators of this show wanted to keep people guessing, they’ve done the best job I’ve seen in a while. Maybe by next week I’ll have figured things out…
How about you?
