What do you get if you cross Austin Powers, Saturday Night Fever and Jack the Ripper?
Toy Salesman ghost Alfie Kirby thats who! Otherwise known as “The Toy-man” the serial killer from the seventies who nobody has heard of; but who craves notoriety.
With a foot in the door at the end of episode three, Kirby turns up at Honolulu Heights and gets frisked by Hal and Tom before he even steps foot in the house. As their ring of steel to protect baby Eve strengthens…but quickly crumbles, he charms his way into Annie’s affections; by claiming he was sent by Nina to help her out. He proceeds to divide and conquer the group by playing on their weaknesses and doubts about each other as they try to adjust to their new found friendships. With orders (and a waver of emotion about Annie’s demise) from adult Eve to kill baby Eve. His success inches closer with every blow delivered with a smile and fein of innocence that makes him hard for the group to dislike, but makes him all the more creepier.
Tom displays his vulnerability again as we see how much he craves normality and family with his wall collage of happy families. With his 21st Birthday imminent and his housemates totally unawares, Kirby takes his chance to set him up for a fall, by telling Tom all about the housemates surprise Birthday plans for him, (but makes sure to plant the idea that Annie and Hal treat him like a child). The giddily excited Tom goes home all expectant and is disappointed and enraged to find no such surprise, and he thinks Hal and Annie don’t care after-all.
Hal on the other hand is suspicious of Kirby from the start, pointing out the, “Dead GP outside our house on the day you arrive.” But with his need for routine and friends, he’s reluctant to ruin that as Kirby makes it clear he knows Hal’s past and doesn’t think Annie would be so forgiving. Damien Molony does an amazing job of conveying his hurt and fear of losing his new security with the lone tear that falls. And more importantly the fear in his eyes when he realises the man with a burnt arm may be HIM after-all, when some of Tom poisonous werewolf blood touches him during their scuffle. Will he really turn out to be Eve’s nemesis?
But its Annie, as the main link to Eve, that Kirby destroys the most taking away everything she holds dear…her need to be wanted! With that he destroys her soul till she disappears “That dreamy smile and that incredibly dull personality” but as we know from the end of series 3 Annie is more powerful than we know and the power of her love for Eve and her friends returning is enough to give her the power to destroy Kirby with incredible power, while Tom and Hal look on in amazement.
A wonderful return to form after a less than perfect episode 3. Some very funny moments from Hal and Tom pretending to be a gay couple to fool the GP; to the scene-stealer of the episode; James Lance as Kirby dancing to “Boney M – Gotta Go Home.” (which was last year sampled by”Duck Sauce’s Barbra Streisand” fact fans) Austin/Travolta couldn’t have done better!
Cutler has had little screen time but he’s plotting in the background getting a reporter to falsify a statement, while helping Tom out of the police cells: “There are good vampires out there, and I hope one day you realise that.” Assuring Tom, “I’m a friend when you need one,” but what is Cutler’s fascination with werewolves? And how do they fit into his plan for dominating the world?!
