A world full of demons living among us, planning for Hell on Earth.
If you just read that and immediately thought Buffy, you’re not the only one. This has been a popular trope for decades, often redone using a variety of character styles, be they supernatural or mere mortals. Ever since the 90s, however, it has always been associated with the Whedonverse. That may change after you watch the E4/Netflix series Crazyhead.
After coming off medications to control hallucinations, Amy (Cara Theobold) is suddenly attacked two nights in a row by a man whose face is burnt away. She learns that not only is the man possessed by a demon, but she may not be as crazy as her psychiatrist believed. Amy is a seer. Not only can she see demons, but she has faint visions of the future.
Raquel (Susan Wokoma) has been fighting demons for years and is excited to meet another person with powers. With Raquel’s help, Amy takes on the demons, only to make one of the worst mistakes two newbie demon hunters could make—not keeping surrounding humans safe from possession. Unlike demons from shows like Supernatural, humans don’t have to give consent for possession. So when Amy’s best friend and roommate Suzanne (Riann Steele) is possessed by the same psychopath they were trying to take down, the duo attempt to exorcise the demon. This destroys the demon, but in turn kills Suzanne and turns her into a vampire.
Howard Overman’s humor doesn’t fall short in this series. Previously known for the supernatural comedy Misfits, the same type of comical comebacks I loved from Nathan can be found once again coming from characters in Crazyhead. Don’t let the title fool you though. While it refers to the fact that Amy once believed she was crazy, the show does not poke fun at the mentally ill. If anything, it literally demonizes the profession of psychiatrists. Dr. Callum (Tony Curran, Defiance), while the head of the clan planning for the opening of a hellmouth, also acts as both Amy and Raquel’s psychiatrist.
While there is currently only the 6-episode first season available on Netflix, no news has been announced about season 2. This is a disconcerting thought, considering the direction Misfits took after the third season. Overman has been unsure about writing supernatural for television in today’s world, given the oversaturation of the genre. For television this may be difficult, but being a Netflix collaboration, hopefully the series will continue for next year, whether is premieres on E4 or is solely a Netflix presentation.
You can check out the trailer on YouTube and see the entire first season on Netflix.