Top 35 Shows of 2013: No 31 In The Flesh

I am a partially deceased syndrome sufferer. And what I did in my untreated state was not my fault

Ever since they commissioned Being Human BBC3 has been on a roll when it comes to supernatural TV shows, following on from the great but sadly cancelled The Fades comes In The Flesh. Yes another zombie show but don’t let that deter you for like the excellent French series Les Revenants (The ReturnedIn The Flesh is less about violence and scares and more about the impact of the dead not being quite dead and their attempts to reintegrate into society.

In The Flesh is deliberately filmed in greys, reflecting the grimness of life in the small village of Roarton.  A life in which people spent the last few years rising up against the undead and hunting them down brutally.  Now though these zombies have been rehabilitated and are free to go back to their old lives.  Of course nothing is that simple especially for Kieren whose life was fraught with problems before becoming one of the undead.

Though it can be a cliché (and offensive) to associate the struggles of the undead with real life minorities (True Blood is another example of this) In the Flesh does handle Kieren’s struggles with his sexuality and well his struggles with everything pretty well.  The prejudice he faces isn’t just because he is a “rotter” or because he is gay but because where he lives is just generally intolerant of anyone who is different. Add in the religious fanatic aspect and the claustrophobic nature of small village life and well inevitably things come to a devastating conclusion.

In The Flesh is coming back for another season so whilst the heart of S1 has been dealt with in the tragic death of Rick there is still a lot to address just as why Kieren and his fellow partially deceased syndrome sufferers are back at all.  In The Flesh may be a tragic tale so far but it also offers up hope, Kieren has reunited with his family and made a friend in Amy maybe things don’t have to be so relentlessly grim.

Favourite Episodes: Episode 2 / Episode 3

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