What was that moment when you realised that you were a Damien fan? My avatar might give you a bit of a clue what my moment was! That one gesture of Flight putting his fingers to his lips when Evelyn kissed him did it for me. Such a tiny gesture but filled with so much meaning and poignancy.
Oh dear, I'm afraid I'm going to sound like a broken record, I've shared it so many times, and I know it's documented on the forum at least a couple places. (we must have this topic somewhere)
My Damien moment was the Not a Man of God speech. I was in the "not worth watching if Mitchell is dead" camp, and being here in the US anyway, I hadn't kept track of when the newest series (4) aired. I got a notification from Netflix Nov 2012 that it was there, and a couple weeks later since I had run out of things to watch I gave it a go. Ep 1 was very iffy - was expecting to take up from where S3 left off, so the fact that we didn't see the fight and Nina was dead, and then George died did not endear me right off. And the little bit of Hal we saw just wasn't enough for me to say more than "well he's kinda cute". Ep 2 picked up my interest, the exchanges with Pearl, the arrival at HH, the ceremony, were so fun and witty and quirky, and reminiscent of the lightheartedness of S1. And again I thought, "hmmm, he really is cute." Then came the speech in the pawn shop. My. Jaw. Dropped. And. I. Stopped. Breathing. As soon as he and Tom walked away from the pawn shop I paused the show, googled "actor who plays Hal in Being Human" and spent a good hour trolling - the forum and Damien's twitter account came up at the top. Only after I made an account here and had taken a look through his twitter did I go back, un-pause, and continue to watch the entire S4 in one day, then rewatched it completely the next day.
And the rest, as they say, is history...
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papillon... pamplemousse... bibliothèque... un baiser A lilt in his voice. Every sentence like music... #kisskisskiss A terrible beauty is born. Love me some #Jacksass
I'm going to concur with Whimsyfox. The Not a Man of God speech was what did it for me. I was also in the "not worth watching without Mitchell" camp but my boyfriend still wanted to give it a try, so I figured I would give it a few episodes at least. I was still missing Mitchell until that. After the speech I was like, "Mitchell who?"
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"I should have left a clue. Like, I don't know, locking him in a cellar and tying him to a fucking radiator!"
Agree Jane. Mitchell still holds a place in my heart, all the characters do, but once I fell for Hal, I fell irrevocable and completely.
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papillon... pamplemousse... bibliothèque... un baiser A lilt in his voice. Every sentence like music... #kisskisskiss A terrible beauty is born. Love me some #Jacksass
Thank you for beginning a great discussion topic Rosie!
I think we discussed before how mush I love that you found Damien through Albert Flight - it is a real testamwnt to hia character in Ripper Street.
For me a with most it was Hal. To be honest it was pretty much immediate... in episode 1 definitely. I'd already seen Damien talking about getting the role on Twitter and was just waiting to see the 'new vampire'.. and feeling very open to the idea of something totally different to Mitchell, but no idea what to expect...
At this mment I was intrigued and I knew this was going to be him... heart skipped a little beat.. it was a compelling intro .. the long fingers the domino.. already suggesting stories...
Then we actually 'met' and saw Hal and there was a lot going on at once... appearance wise it was obviously an immediate 'yum', but also much to take in, suggesting stories again, and histories, mystery,more than enough to create an instant pull in... his costume, his accent... the humour with Leo but with layers underneath.. a depth.. a sadness... a wisdom... and so many other things... then we saw him arrange the scissors.. vulnerability... other things as yet unnameable but there...
But it was when this moment with Leo played out that I was like "Oh yesssssss..........."
Again, the layers, and the nuance that Damien brought to just those few lines. I knew then that Hal was going to be a deeply affecting, textured and brilliant character and Damien was a deeply affecting, textured brilliant actor.
The I'm not a man of God speech was a very delicious wow moment, it is a standout Hal scene and Damien moment, but I'd already had my first Damien moment and was invested in episode 1.
In fact my Damien moment was so powerful I was inspired to create this forum!
Thanks, domino! Funny how one moment can change your life! And thanks to everyone who has commented so far. It's really fascinating to find out everyone's moment. I really do need to give Being Human a 're-watch soon. I do wonder what would have happened if I had been acquainted with Hal before Albert!
Episode 2 and 3 of Ripper Street I hadn't thought much of Damien past he's cute and I love Irish accents! But that moment with Evelyn completely changed everything!
Watching BH season 4 ep 1. First time where Hal is, flipping domino through his fingers did the trick for me. Little things, very little got my attention right away. Controlling scene, the room, domino, these elements made me forget that he was acting, and the show wasn't real, didn't know where I was and I was completely in the story.. Living the scene.
And yes Damien was very yum.. Loved his eyes right away! When he started to speak, I stopped breathing. His character and his voice was so compelling which is why I still get sort of paralyzed when I listen his poem reading.. And I wanted to know more, see more, hear more from this character. And this actor.
So after first ep I googled "Hal being human" and found this forum and his twitter page. Took some time before I found courage to join here. His performance in BH moved me and I realized that there have been living little fan girl inside me all along! Love this forum, love people here. So basically Damien was one of he best thing that came in to my life. He's also inspiring, loving, thoughtful man that I hugely respect. And his fans are the best!
Great topic, loved how I did go back to that moment in my life when Damien entered in it and impress me first time. He has continued impress me ever since.
Must admit I'm with whimsy and Jane. I was totally a Mitchell girl and I guess I was pretty sceptical about this new vampire. I'm sure I've said this before elsewhere, but it was the fact that Tom was going to be in s4 which was really why I stuck with the show after Mitchell had been killed off. I'm pretty sure there is a 'Hal moment' thread somewhere on the forum, because I know that I have said before that the man of God speech was what sold me on Damien, but it wasn't until the end of ep2, when Hal went back to the pawn shop, that I was sold on Hal. So I guess that means the man of God speech was my Damien moment too. But I'd like to add a little footnote.
When the ep finished I - like everyone else! - googled Damien to see what else he had done (which was a really unusual thing for me to do!) What I found out was that he was on stage at that very moment, in Travelling Light. And that the only other thing he had done professionally was Tis Pity. Although I used to go to the theatre regularly when I was younger, I hadn't been for years (because reasons)......but at that time I had been thinking I would really like to start going again. I remember just being blown away by the fact that he was working in theatre. It might sound a little weird, but it felt somehow...... significant. I think that was actually my Damien moment.
Was a huge Mitchell fan and i was devastated when his character died, like properly devastated and for a couple of months I wasn't interested in anything Being Human had to offer. Then new casting began to filter through, at first it was the casting of Andrew Gower (I remember reading a newsbite about him and unless i interpreted it wrongly, i have a sneaking suspicion he was originally meant to be the vampire in the house, i'm not 100% sure but i did read something along those lines-no character named, just that he was going to live in the house but obviously LT had a change of heart because he didn't) and then Damien, who at that time i hadn't heard of. Initially i wasn't interested. Then his prequel showed up on the blog so i had a look and my curiosity was piqued.
I remember watching '1955' with half a heart so to speak but gosh, that 'Not a Man of God' speech slayed me but do you know what finally sold him and his character to me? The head tilt...when he goes back to the shop to kill the pawnshop owner, locks the door, looks at him and just very very subtly tilted his head...THAT was the moment. I was sold. The casting bod behind the show played a blinder casting him, he was completely different from Mitchell, no comparison could be made between the two characters at all. I loved Hal, his vulnerability, his haughtiness, his discomfort, the way he clung to routines to retain control, it just all spoke to me on so many levels. I miss Hal. I know i can stick a DVD in and watch an old episode, but i miss NEW Hal, if that makes sense. His character piqued my curiosity like no one else's before or since
I watched Being Human (the Americanized version) and frankly, by the time Mitchell got around to his assisted suicide I was glad to see him go. I loved Mitchell at the beginning, but I recognize self-destruction and disintegration when I see it, and that boy was drowning in it. For everyone else's sake, he needed to leave.
I didn't know if there would be another series after that. I was in it for George and Nina at that point, so decided to stick with the show if it came around again.
I happened across Hal's Prequel on YouTube before I saw Series 4. I was playing online and decided to search YouTube for Being Human stuff. I had no idea there was a blog or an online community. I'd never been involved in a fandom and had no idea such things existed. I saw Hal's Prequel and everything else came after. I learned about the Being Human blog and the Forum. I joined Twitter so I could talk to my fellow BH fans. When the show ended, the simple question 'What would it take to save Hal?' led me to start writing fanfiction.
My lifelong love of the written word was rekindled and I've written steadily ever since. The friends I've made, the experiences I've had, the joy I've found, all originated in a vampire with a wicked laugh and a moment of vulnerability that changed everything. For him, and for me.
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He'd have told me to join him, and I would. - still true!
I have a vague memory of realizing when I was a Damien fan. The 'Not a man of god' speech but it was the instant friction between Hal and Tom. When Hal was counting back from ten and Tom had the stake to his chest. Can't explain it, just loved it.
-- Edited by Bill-Alexander on Monday 11th of July 2016 12:39:23 PM
Would be easier to say what made and makes my stomach have butterflies and reason why than 'first moment'...
