Spoiler alert: this recap covers the third episode of Humans showing on Channel 4. For episode two, click here
If Humans has left you only mildly unnerved until now, this is a real sleep-disturber of an episode. Mortality, consciousness and the prospect of a synth serial killer? That’ll do nicely.
Fred the half-synth wakes up under observation in the lab, where Hobb has a theory. “There are five of you, I think,” he concludes. “One of the others is this female. You were created by David Elster. He kept your existence a secret. When he died, you ran. And hid. You were split up.”
The synths-on-the-run have everything they need for survival in their backpacks, including food and water. Crafty human hybrids.
‘Mum’s taking Anita back’
Despite the fact that two-thirds of her children worship Anita, Laura is determined to return the glassy-eyed pillar of domestic perfection to her manufacturer.
Laura’s driving Anita out of her life; in the back seat, the synth smiles that innocent smile of hers. But Toby’s having none of it and he jumps on his bike and sets off in hot pursuit of his synthetic crush.
You thought Anita was useful when she carved an apple into the shape of a duck? Pah, that was nothing. Seeing Toby in danger, she sacrifices her own safety and stops a white van that is just about to knock him off his bike.
‘I’ve seen a million dollies’
Meanwhile, Leo and his broken heart are hitting the bottle. He’s missing Mia/Anita and Max thinks they should keep searching for her.
The wallowing is cut short at the news of an incident down at the synth brothel, where Niska is a wanted woman. The sleazy punter she took down last week is lying cold on the floor and the madame of the establishment knows who is to blame. “I’ve seen a million dollies,” she says. “And I know my mods too.”
Wisely, Niska has left the scene of the crime and popped to the shopping centre to use the recharging point and pick up a few new clothes. Then it’s on to a bar, where she’s on the receiving end of a cheesy chat-up line that leads her back to a stranger’s house, where she comes dangerously close to using the knifeblock.
‘A sex game gone wrong’
“This has been coming, we all know that,” says DS Drummond, who is not a synth fan and only has one at home because the insurance company paid for it. His superior is keen to hush up the fact that a synth has killed a human. Instead of a murder, it’ll be sold as a “sex game gone wrong”.
“People have a right to know if their dollies are going to start strangling them,” insists Drummond.
‘If they find you, they’ll recycle you’
Murder is one thing, but is there a synth more chilling than Vera? Here she is, spouting information in that synth-knows-best style until Dr Millican locks her in the living room. It takes her a while to notice because she’s surveying the furniture like a microchipped Kirstie Allsopp and by the time she busts the doorknob off, Odi is out of the summerhouse and back in the game. Who’s the jailer now, you po-faced NHS-grade dolly?
But Millican and Odi’s freedom doesn’t last long, like their country drive. Maybe their time has come. “If they find you, they’ll recycle you,” warns Millican as he consigns Odi to a life in the woods.
‘It’s not real, it’s not real’
So Anita has won a reprieve and the pecking order is re-established as Laura wheels Toby’s bike home while the synth gets to ride shotgun with Joe. “What were you going to do anyway?” smirks Mattie to her brother. “Ride off into the sunset with her on your handlebars?”
The accident has left Anita damaged. “For insurance purposes, you should carry out a full inspection of my epidermis,” she informs Joe, as father and son exchange knowing looks. And no matter how many times Joe repeats: “It’s not real, it’s not real,” he’s still just a man in the garage, looking at every inch of Anita’s naked body.
Laura is still grilling Anita, and when the synth shows an understanding of human emotion that goes beyond her job description, it only adds fuel to her fire. But Anita proves her synth credentials by inserting a cocktail stick into her own eyeball without flinching.
It’s Mattie who gets the biggest breakthrough. “You’re a weirdo, Anita,” she says, downloading her data. “I’m going to find out why.” As she tinkers under the bonnet of her brain, the real Anita comes to life for one terrifying moment. “Help me!” she screams, her human side leaking out in a shockingly effective bit of personality switching by Gemma Chan. Mia’s in there somewhere and when Mattie posts her data dump on an internet forum, it alerts Max and Leo that she’s still around …
Notes and queries
Niska is unrepentant about killing a man. “You talk about life like it can’t be manufactured,” she argues. Her morals are sometimes human, sometimes synth.
Synth-with-benefits Simon continues to serve Jill by suggestively rolling out pastry with her.
The big question: who is Tom and why does the mention of him touch a nerve with Laura?
Mattie’s had a glimpse of Anita’s human side, so will she soften towards her? The stroppy teenager could be her escape route.
Anyone else think the Laura and Anita storyline would make a great suburban synth sitcom, like a futuristic Terry and June?
