Where do I even begin? How do I even begin?
I mean, it isn’t as if this show hasn’t executed some bizarre stories before (You'll recall that one episode had killer milk). But this is twisted, even for Misfit land. I can imagine that, for many people, this episode was and is, putting it mildly, highly controversial.
Well, back in season two, when the gang sold their originally bestowed powers, Seth, the mysterious (and seriously hot) power dealer explained to Curtis that he couldn’t sell back his time traveling power because someone else purchased it… someone with the noble but utterly crazy idea of going back in time to kill Adolf Hitler.
Never let it be said that the writers of this show don’t follow through.
Meet said mutterer, Friedrich.
He explains to us, via the letter he’s writing, that during World War II, his family supplied him with papers falsely omitting his Jewish lineage. That led to his eventual adoption by German parents. The ultimate tragedy, however, was that while he was safely in hiding, the rest of his family was forced into labor camps and killed during the Holocaust.
So now, in order to prevent this from ever happening, Friedrich travels back in time (and through space, apparently) going from the community center (with our ASBO 5 in the background) to Nazi Germany and into the office of Hitler.
Friedrich finds Hitler alone, then creeps up behind to stab him. But Hitler blocks the knife and twists Friedrich’s frail arm to that he stabs himself instead. Friedrich falls. His smartphone drops out of his pocket and Hitler picks it up and turns it on.
Side note: I wonder what plan Friedrich is on, because those are going to be some hellish roaming charges. Another side note, this is the most I’ve ever written Hitler’s name since high school World History class and I feel like I’ve corrupted my keyboard.
Returning to topic, Friedrich uses his power to get back to the present (and back to the UK -- does he get mileage points for using that power?). However, it’s not the same UK that he left. Military police roam the streets. Nazi flags hang from buildings.
In his run-up back to the present, Friedrich learns that Hitler had the smartphone reverse engineered, used the advanced technology to win the war and now Great Britain is under Nazi rule.
As this info sinks in (and just before his own arrest) Friedrich sees the troops arresting power dealer Seth.
Also observing this is Kelly, who tosses her cigarette away and sneers, “F--king Nazis.”
Later, Kelly dons her orange jumpsuit (only now, it has a swastika emblazoned on the back of it) and gets ready for her job -- which is cleaning the community center-slash-military prison.
A co-worker enters and tells her that the troopers are rounding up everyone with powers. What they’re going to do with those folks is anyone’s educated guess. They hear a struggle in the hallway. Peering out, they watch Seth being dragged in towards the cells.
Meanwhile, in the office, Proby 3 (now a mid-level Nazi Komandant) is berating then sexing up his office assistant, Alisha. She doesn’t look to be enjoying herself but knows, given the circumstance, things could be much worse.
A soldier walks in and informs Proby 3 that the prisoner has arrived. The soldier eyes Alisha briefly as a spark of attraction runs through them both. But he shies from this and looks away. You’ve probably guessed by now that the soldier is Simon.
Yes, Simon is a Nazi soldier. This show is killing me.
Simon also tells Proby 3 that he’s found a letter in the pocket of one of the other prisoners… an old man by the name of Friedrich. Proby 3 couldn’t care less about the letter… at least for the time being.
Later, Proby 3 has dragged Seth from his cell and informs him that his orders are to take the powers away from those deemed unworthy of them and give them to whomever Proby 3 wants to have them. A group of prisoners are herded in and, one by one, Seth tests them for powers. It’s not long before he finds someone with a power. Against his will, and hating every second of it, he extracts their power, rendering them helpless.
Kelly witnesses all of this. She goes to the pub and follows Curtis into a hidden backroom where she reports what she’s seen. It seems that there is a resistance after all.
Hours later, back at the cells, Friedrich is weakening from a staph infection from the resulting stab wound. His cell is right next to Seth. Simon examines him but says he can’t take the prisoner to the hospital.
“Nazi’s aren’t big on compassion, he tells Seth. But Simon, drafted into service and not a true believer, promises Seth to do whatever he can to help Friedrich.
Elsewhere, Rudy and Rudy 2 are trying to figure out where to go before they get rounded up the way folks with powers have been. Both are blissfully unaware that Nazi soldiers are preparing to raid their flat. In one hilarious moment, just as a Nazi force is just about to use a battering ram to force open a door, Rudy opens it, sees them, calmly shuts the door again and jumps out a window.
Meanwhile, Curtis gives Kelly a vial of poison to use to kill Seth. His correct reasoning is that he must be stopped before he can give the Nazi’s powers they can use on the resistance. Kelly is reluctant (to say the least) but agrees.
Simon sneaks into Proby 3’s office to retrieve anti-biotics that can help Friedrich recover. Alisha discovers him there, surprising Simon and causing him to drop the medication. She tells him that if anyone catches him, he’ll be killed. Proby 3 walks in, nearly catching them but Alisha distracts him (daring to kiss him, blech) long enough for Simon to pick up the meds and scramble out.
Rudy finds Curtis and joins the resistance. Although, Rudy being Rudy, he nearly gets himself killed in the process.
Elsewhere, Captain Smith, of the high command, arrives to meet their very special prisoner. Seth is threatened sufficiently enough that he gives Smith a power -- he can freeze anything he touches. When Captain Smith uses this power to kill Kelly’s co-worker, she can see that Curtis was right about the Nazi’s ultimate plan. She has no choice and retrieves the poisonous vial from her locker.
Alisha finds Simon smoking behind the community center (Smoking? Who are these people?) and asks to join him. Even now, their chemistry is undeniable. Alisha tells him that she’s only with Proby 3 because he saved her from going to jail. Simon tells her that they are all doing what they have to do to survive.
Later on, Kelly drops poison on Seth’s food and is just about to deliver it to him. She approaches his cell only to find that Seth has just hung himself with his belt. She drops the tray and, with Simon, rushes to save his life.
“You went in there to kill him,” Curtis states as Kelly updates him at the pub. “But then you end up saving his life. How exactly does that happen?”
Kelly explains that Seth is no killer. He’s on their side. But Curtis sees it as a missed opportunity to eliminate their chief threat.
Meanwhile, Captain Smith thinks Seth’s suicide attempt highlighted a mistake. Instead of strong arming the power dealer, they should expose him to the benefits of working with them.
Kelly brings Seth some ice cream and feeds it to him since, after his attempt on his own life, they have his hands tied. He tells her that he’s going to have to get used to this treatment since he’s being moved to more luxurious quarters.
This is just the information Kelly needs.
The next day, a small motorcade transferring Seth to his new digs is ambushed by darkly dressed people in Hitler masks. Bullets fly towards the motorcade from all sides, leaving all but Seth and Proby 3 dead.
Never one to miss an opportunity to avoid damage to self, Proby 3 runs off, leaving Seth in the car. The ambushers climb in (after removing all the dead people) and peel off their masks, revealing Rudy (both of them) Curtis and Kelly.
At the community center/prison, Captain Smith surmises that it was an inside job since only those who knew Seth was being moved could have pulled this off. He sets his sights on Alisha, claiming that she might not be as stupid as she looks. Proby 3 defends her, telling Captain Smith that she’s exactly as stupid as she looks.
Smith orders Proby 3 to tear up the estate until he finds Seth.
Kelly brings Seth into the back room of the pub for safekeeping. Roadblocks are keeping them on the grounds for tonight. Curtis brings them blankets and tells them to hunker down for the night. Neither Kelly nor Seth seem all that bothered to spend some alone time with each other.
Back at the prison, Friedrich wakes up, raving that this wasn’t supposed to happen. Simon calms him.
The next morning, the forces mobilize and descend on the estate. Curtis warns everyone to hide. The Nazi forces blast through the doors and Proby 3 enters the pub, finding Curtis and Rudy calmly sipping daiquiris. Proby 3 asks what they’re doing there. Curtis explains that he works at the pub. Rudy tells him that he’s Curtis’ lover.
“I’m the giver, he’s the taker. I’m the butch, he’s the b--ch. I’m the sausage, he’s the muffin.”
“You are aware that homosexuality is illegal.” Proby 3 informs him.
“Oh. I’m joking. He’s my cousin.”
The raid begins in earnest. Proby 3 finds the back room but it’s empty. But there’s beer there, so Proby decides to help himself. Suddenly, he hears a noise from underneath the floor. He knows he’s caught them.
“You have about three seconds before I empty my gun into the floor,” he states.
Seth and Kelly climb out. Seth attacks, giving Kelly a chance to get away (because he knows no one is going to shoot the prized power broker). From outside, Kelly watches as Seth, Curtis and Rudy are taken away.
At the prison, Friedrich wakes to find Seth in the next cell. He immediately recognizes him and begs for Seth to take away his power. Friedrich explains that in the normal version of the present, he buys his power from the Seth not controlled by Nazi’s. In order to set things right, this power has to be given to someone who can undo all the damage.
Meanwhile, Proby 3 is in his office. He finds Friedrich letter and reads it… and knows the dangerous power Friedrich possesses. Of course, he shows the letter to Captain Smith.
Friedrich begs for Seth to take the power from him because he’s too weak to use it. Seth agrees and takes it back just as Smith, Proby 3 and Simon arrive.
Captain Smith orders Seth to give the old man back the power. “Too much could change,” he says. “The power dies with him.”
Seth refuses. Captain Smith orders Simon to shoot the old man. Simon pulls out his weapon but can’t bring himself to fire it. Captain Smith does it for him. He fires, shooting Friedrich in the head. Smith unlocks Curtis’ cage and orders Seth to transfer the power to him or he’ll shoot every prisoner they have. Seth touches Curtis and they glow. Once the transfer is complete, Smith shoots Curtis repeatedly. Curtis dies.
Simon, traumatized, is outside trying to recover. Alisha comforts him and they kiss. Some things are inevitable.
Meanwhile, Kelly arrives at the prison and shoots her way inside.
She finds Proby 3 in the hallway and shoots, wounding him. Gun pointed at his head for a killing blow, she forces Proby 3 to take her to Seth. On their way, they run into Simon and Alisha.
“I’m freeing everyone in those cells and I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way,” Kelly tells them, gun pointed at them.
“You need a hand?” Alisha asks.
Simon rips off his Nazi regalia and offers to help as well.
Meanwhile, Captain Smith notices all of the dead bodies Kelly has left in her wake and mobilizes a small force to take down the resistance.
They get to the prison and free Seth and Rudy. Kelly learns that Curtis is dead. There’s no time to grieve. Seth tells Kelly about the power to travel back and change the present. They get to the doors, only to realize they’ve been padlocked shut.
Captain Smith and the Nazi’s have them cornered. Seth stands in front of the group, knowing Smith won’t shoot him. A standoff. Kelly sees a can of soda on the ground and launches it towards the Nazi guards. Thinking it’s a grenade, they scramble, giving the resistance the opening they need to take cover inside the office. A firefight breaks out, with Simon and Alisha shooting and the Nazi guards shooting back with greater firepower. Seth is hit in the stomach. Kelly frantically tends to him, trying desperately to keep him alive.
“Stay with me,” she orders.
Seth tells her that he didn’t give Curtis the power to travel back in time. He gave him another power instead. It’s up to Kelly to right history.
“Get the phone,” he tells her. “From Hitler. Get the phone.”
Only she can do it, now. Instead of touching her hand to transfer the power, he leans in and kisses her.
And when the power transfers to her, he dies. Angry and grieving, Kelly uses the power and travels back through time (and, once again, space) to...
...Hitler’s office. He has the cellphone in his hand, examining it. Kelly sneaks up behind him. Hitler turns. Kelly kicks him squarely in the balls.
“Why do you have to be such a d--k?” she asks, then kicks him again for good measure.
She snaps back in the present with the world just as it had been before. She tells Seth about the alternate version of history she’s just prevented. He wonders aloud if they actually shagged during the course of events. She tells him that he kissed her when he transferred the power. Seth seems pretty pleased with himself.
“I want this bulls--t power out of me. I’m done f--king with history,” she tells him. Kelly makes him promise not to give the power over to anyone else.
Since he has no interest in dying, he agrees.
Back at the community center, the rest of the gang asks Kelly where she’s been.
“I’ve just been fighting Nazi’s and kicking the s--t out of Hitler,” she replies. With that explained, she walks away.
Next week, Kelly and Seth get in a knife fight.
Misfits airs on Logo Friday nights at 10/9c. The on-air episodes are edited for U.S. television. Want to see the show in its original version? (More cussing/nudity.) Unexpurgated season eps are available for viewing online at LogoTV.com!
