The journey to Being Human is coming to a close for the vampire, ghost and werewolves on Syfy's supernatural drama. The network announced last week the series would not return following its April 7 Season Four finale. But star Sam Witwer wants fans to know Being Human is not ending inhumanely.
"This could be the best one," said Witwer, who has played vampire of the household Aidan every Monday night at 9 p.m. since the U.S. adaptation of the British show premiered in 2011.
Over the course of four seasons, Witwer, along with costars Sam Huntington, Meaghan Rath and Kristen Hager - and recurring guest stars such as Mark Pellegrino, Kyle Schmid, Pat Kiely, Connor Price, Amy Aquino - have crafted a series with an active social media fan base within the supernatural genre. Under the auspices of showrunner Anna Fricke, they've battled expiration, resurrection, transformation, mutation and zombification. But now, the show has face its greatest challenge: Cancellation.
The series stars have known about the show's ending for some time, they filmed farewells to fans (embedded below) and the sets have long been burned. But Witwer emphasized in a recent interview in Portland, Ore. (where he was filming a guest spot on NBC's Grimm) that fans will be getting a true finale, something rare in the current and unforgiving television landscape.
"This season we really swing for the fences, and by the end of it we wreck the car," he joked before adding, "but the high notes have never been so high."
"The stuff happening on the show is so emotionally charged by the end of the season."
The actor -- known for fan friendly work on Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video games and Frank Darabont's film The Mist - also said his work has been satisfying but especially grueling this season.
His character has been doing so much, and he was on set "all the time," that there were two episodes he couldn't even schedule for ADR (Additional Dialogue Recording), "which is unusual." But he said he has been able to show off more of a villainous side to the vampire, and has become the funniest he's ever been. Plus, Witwer said he's finally had scenes with real-life friend Pellegrino, who plays vampire leader Bishop, where their characters can actually get along instead of just fight.
The actor said Being Human has allowed for complete character arcs, which is a result of how the series began and how it is ending.
"One of the most wonderful things about our show is Syfy picked us up for 13 before we'd even shot the pilot so we knew, as soon as we were on set, we're doing 13 of these at least," he said. "Because of that in our pilot, or first two episodes, I thought, 'I'm going to show you whatever the script demands to show and nothing more because I have a lot more time to develop this character' ... There was always a feeling to pace myself."
Now, as the show heads towards its finale, those arcs are coming to fruition, said Witwer.
"This season we've made it absolutely explicit how much these characters have changed in a way you can almost visually compare and contrast."
As for his own work, he said he has accomplished what he set out to do with Aidan.
"I feel like the character's story has been told. I just saw a cut of Episode 13, our finale, and I was happy with it because there's a scene where - it's probably the high note of the character - and I'm like good, I'm glad we saved this for last."
Moreover, Witwer said the last episode is about "does this guy deserve any kind of redemption or does he just go straight to hell?"
"That's really what the last episode is, and I love that they wrote that."
Yet there are still six weeks left on the show, including tonight's episode eight, "Rewind, Rewind," which Witwer said is "one of my favorites ever."
"Episodes eight and nine are going to be a real trip for the audience; they were a real trip for us," he said. "In eight, Meaghan Rath takes center stage in a spectacular way. She is so wildly entertaining in this episode, and in nine, another character takes center stage - one we maybe haven't seen in a while."
He went on that the season has allowed each character to have a big episode, and in episode eight, it is natural and satisfying for his character and Huntington's werewolf Josh to take "second string" to Rath's. On that note, Witwer said the strength has benefitted from collaboration where the actors "know how to step out of each other's way."
While complimenting his costars, Witwer also revealed he guest stars as a werewolf (or "Blutbad") in the March 21 episode of Grimm, The Show Must Go On.
"I think I play a werewolf but I don't think I do it as well as Huntington," he said. "I have been doing these things where I'm like, 'How would Sammy do this?'"
Added Witwer, "That's the other thing about the collaborative process: accepting that you're just not as good as other people at their jobs; the person who thinks he is is a real hindrance to the project ... that is all to say that on Grimm, I feel like they should have gotten Sam Huntington!"
As far as his career post Being Human, Witwer is working hard wrapping up a new album from his band, The Crashtones. And might the outspoken nerd consider taking on a turn in a super hero flick?
"I wouldn't mind trying Hal Jordan [Green Lantern] or something like that but you know who I really want to play?" he asked. "Indiana Jones. Eventually they're going to do another Doctor Jones and I think I have a feel for how to do that."
Witwer will get a chance to show off his Indy cred in episode 10 of Being Human, in a fight scene he said he took "full reins" on choreographing.
"There is a lot of characters in it and it's a big moment for the series; the first half of the scene is very Fight Club and ugly and terrible, but the influence for the second half of the fight was pure Raiders of the Lost Ark -- you could actually score the scene with John Williams' music."
You can watch Sam Witwer on Being Human, Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy. The series finale will air April 7, 2014.